Storms, X-rays, and Citizenship

So after my nearly two week hiatus, I am back.  Some things to catch up on: Halloween, paycheck to paycheck, hospital visits, Jenga, maybe even some school.

Halloween in Spain is a bit different from the United States. Basically, it's nonexistent.  Based primarily on our lack of funds (and partially on the fact that they don't dress up at all) I went as the ever easy to replicate Justin Bieber.  The night started at a house and migrated (thanks to our roommate) to an interesting and entertaining (literally) disco, and in a true American fashion, we ended our night around 2 AM.

I've never really been so tight for money that I have actually had to live payday to payday.  Luckily, right when we ran out of our reserve plus a couple hundred in loans fund, we started to pick up private lessons.  Our task went from enjoying our time in Spain to avoiding any possible fiscal decision.  Needless to say I'm happy to have money again.  Along with the arrival of money came the acquisition of a citizenship card (known as a National Identification Card/Number) and a library card.  Now I feel like an official citizen of Spain.  I'm pretty jacked about it too!

As you might remember from my last post, I injured my knee doing absolutely nothing.  After a couple of calls to my insurance company and finding out that the vast majority of the people who work there are native English speakers, I was told I had to go to the emergency room.  This is very different and a bit odd in a socialist country.  As some of you might know, Spain has universal coverage for its citizens.  Needless to say, unlike the insurance company, no one spoke a lick of English.  It was however, the most productive  hospital visit that I have ever made going in and out of the waiting room a record 4 times during my visit.  I felt as though I was on a game show.  Matt Bardwell come on down to door number 1!  Well door number 1 doesn't work, try door number 2.  Door number two won't get the job done, so how about door number 3?  Nope, on second thought, maybe your should go back to the audience, and we'll bring you a conciliation prize.  Interestingly enough, I wasn't even surprised when they took an X-ray of my knee, even though I knew that I needed an MRI to see the condition of ligaments, tendons, cartilage, etc.  Oh well, they gave me ibuprofen and a knee brace and insisted that I make a follow-up for next week.

This next theme, Jenga, came about during our money saving escapade thanks to the mentality and persistence of our single, young, and generous friends.  They wanted to go out, but we couldn't afford or justify going out.  Finally, we came to a compromise, we decided that we would go buy a board game and get a bottle of wine.  The cheapest and most exciting game we could find was Uno Stacko Jenga.  Jengate, te jenga, jengame, jengarse.  All of these wonderful new Spanish words that can be created with one game and a few drinks.  I'm sure that our neighbors were very excited to hear our beautifully conjugated new word.








Much to the excitement of our Scottish friend Graham, we have discovered a pool hall just across the river in the Deusto neighborhood.  We head there a few times a week and test our skill against one another.  It's good fun and at the very least a good way to pass the time, especially in the weather that Bilbao has been experiencing for the last two weeks.  It has been downpour after downpour.  According to the Bilbaínas that I work with, this is quite irregular weather that we have been having.  I believe last weekend it rained for a minimum of 24 hours without cease.  I'm not just talking light sprinkles, but immense downpours. Thankfully, due to the significant increase in our financial status and the improvement of the weather, my posts should be getting better as the time goes on.

 Last but not least, school.  School is school.  There's not a whole lot of it and thank God for that.  The students in Spain are less respectful than those in the United States, which is ludicrous to even begin to think.  Nevertheless, kids are kids.  All in all I'm doing fine and couldn't imagine doing anything else.  Thanks to all of you who've taken an interest.  Until next time...