What's good, y'all? It's been another year of twists and turns and that'll be coming in another blog update that I thoroughly intend on posting soon. But I wanted to pop in here and say that since I'm getting traffic again (must be the job search), I've added a portfolio to my page that can be found here. Yes, I know there's a way to link it on the side, but it seems to not be working. I didn't go to school for math. Until I get the HTML that I'm (slowly) learning together I wanted to make a post to let you know that
1. I'm still kicking
2. I'm still doing stuff. More on that to come.
Y'all take care, and pour some out for New Orleans today!
On May 2nd, in the year of our Lord 2020, the Government of Spain finally allowed us to leave our homes for walks and exercise. It was a day of glory for [almost] everyone involved. This was a part of our introduction to Spain's de-escalation plan, which has four phases. The Day of the Walks came as a part of Phase 0, or as I like to call it: "Y'all can go out but you better act right, or else!" for truly what Pedro Sànchez (Mr. Sánchez, if you're nasty) giveth, he can taketh away. (Note from 2021 - they ain't acting right... but we can get into that later)
So I left early in the morning (not too early, though) to walk through my neighborhood and see what I couldn't see for almost three months. Turns out that with two hours, one kilometer, and Jill Scott on repeat, you can cover a lot of ground. Here's the song I listened to that also titled this post [for me, there really was no other option]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RuCZv6rNuc0
Enjoy:
Oh, come on! You know I was going to take a selfie!
Plaza Nelson Mandela
Also Plaza Nelson Mandela
The playgrounds were blocked off all over the city.
The streets were so empty... if you know Madrid, you know how weird this was.
Random dogs chillin'
Waiting to order the first coffee in 3 months that I didn't make myself.
YES. CARBS. These thighs didn't make themselves, you know.
Chillin in Plaza Cascorro
Y'all had no idea, huh??
I never wanted a bike so bad in my life.
The way home...
What was wild to me was that there were hardly any people on the street. It was nice though, I had more time to enjoy myself without worrying about crowds or avoiding people (We ARE in a pandemic, so...). I noticed more people starting to come out around 9AM (we had to go back inside at 10AM), so I went home. I was so shocked by how tired I was! Turns out when you don't do much walking for almost 3 months, then go on a 2 hours adventure... that shit takes a toll! No regrets, though.
So here we are: still in Spain, still in Madrid, still in quarantine. The 15th will make 2 full months, but it looks like things may be easing up a little. First, let me explain the rules of our lockdown, if I haven't already:
We are only allowed out for trips to the supermarket, pharmacy, bank, and doctor's office. That's it. NO exceptions. And it's amazing that no matter how many times I say "no exceptions", people still asked: "Not even for an hour?" "Not even for exercise?" "Not even to take a walk?" "Not even for fresh air?" No, not even for (insert thing here). NO. EXCEPTIONS. It's been interesting how many times people told me to "Just take a walk." when I expressed a desire to go somewhere or said that I was getting a little tired of staying inside. It's like people can't understand the concept of lockdown. Or that we face a heavy fine if we were caught outside for no reason. When I leave the house, I carry my ID card and my registration that shows that I live at my current place - because there's a different address on my ID. Yes, if you have a different address on your ID you have to prove that you live where you say you do. If the police stop you and you say "Oh, I'm going to the market/pharmacy/bank/doctor, you have to show a receipt for what you bought. If you're going to the doctor, you must show proof of an appointment, etc. They will check. They're not playing.
I've been going to the market once every week or two. I could order things to be delivered but the wait is super long, plus now that it's the only way to go out I want to be able to walk and get air. I'll post some pictures here from my outings in the next few days, as well as showing y'all what I'm up to in the kitchen (Quarantine Kitchen, challahhhhh!) over here. Because with great times come great recipes!
Last week, children were allowed for the first time since lockdown started. I hear it was nice... for them. It was interesting, the news was flooded with pictures of people standing in groups, no one social distancing, and kids playing soccer, wrestling, all kinds of shit. I must note that the kids I saw in the center were alone with their parents, playing one at a time, and minding their own business. I'm in the center of Madrid and there are (usually) tons of people, so I honestly expected to see more kids playing outside.
Tomorrow will be my first day out since quarantine began. The government has started the de-escalation phases for ending the quarantine. So entering Phase 0, adults without children will (finally) be allowed out for a walk, or for exercise. It's supposed to be highly regulated, though. There are rules, and time slots: I can go out from 6am - 10am OR 8pm - 11pm. We will have an hour though I'm sure people will find a reason to get around that one. I'm just relieved that I can actually walk around without fear of being stopped... okay, well as much fear as I had of being stopped before the quarantine. But with these freedoms, I have several thoughts, hopes, and feelings. I mostly hope that people will actually follow the rules, stay the fuck away from each other (especially me), and just do what we need to do to help make this virus spread less, and to help us get back to normal... whatever normal is now. I hope that the curve continues to flatten, and things feel less and less dangerous as time goes by. I hope that someday soon, I can hug my damn friends again.
I'll most likely spend Saturday sleeping. I'm not sure how safe I'll feel walking around from 8-11pm... Few people may be on the streets, and I'm sure the criminals are dying for some practice. But I'll be out, and I'll be walking.
Hey, I got to stunt on you heauxs somehow...
So when you see the woman with the 'farm animals' mask: wave. Just wave. Stay away from me. Enjoy your walks, runs, and bikes tomorrow, and in the words of the great Negro poet RuPaul Andre Charles: "Good luck, and don't fuck it up."
Soooo I wrote an article on day 3 of quarantine (Ahhhh, memories. Good times... greetings from Day 26, by the way.) and forgot to post it, so here you go:
I hope it can give some of y'all ideas of things to do in these troubling times. Here in Spain, we're almost one month into lockdown. So many people are out of work, out of business, out of homes, and just trying to figure out how to make things work. The government has suspended rent collections but not bills, as far as I know. Feel free to comment and correct me. They also haven't given any relief to the workers who are autonomo, or self-employed. So they're making (high AF) tax and social security payments with no income because no one is making money. Freelance workers are seriously getting the shaft here. Big time.
Some of you haven't gone into lockdown yet... but you will. Honestly, it's just a matter of time. I've seen many of my friends back in the USA being laid off, closing their businesses, and losing their insurance... and it hurts. New Orleans is completely shut down. It's wild watching the videos of the empty streets, of a tranquil and quiet Bourbon Street, and the coyotes roaming through the CBD, tryna get some lunch. Crazy times, man. If my messages seem unclear lately, I guess it's because I don't really HAVE a message. My days are okay. Mostly as good as it can get. My neighbors upstairs and across the hall have moved out, so #ClubQuarantine has officially closed. Damn shame, our dance parties and Quarantine Karaoke were LIT. I teach online during the day so I'm able to speak with people. Though we mostly talk about COVID-19 stuff because, like me, they're in quarantine! It is pretty cool to talk about the differences in quarantine procedures, though. We compare and contrast the policies in our respective countries. I've noticed that my Saudi Arabian students have disappeared, though. I hope they're okay.
Anyway, just writing a quick thing here because I went to bed early and woke up in the middle of the night. Y'all take it light. I'll try to upload my posts and pictures from the times I went outside... before and after lockdown. Goodnight.
I'm still here in the house after 13 days of the Madrid Quarantine (Shout out to COVID-19). What's new? Well, not much I'm afraid! But I'll try to give you some news anyway.
So you probably know that COVID-19 has spread all over Spain. Italy has been closed down for over a month and Spain shut down 2 weeks ago. The days are long sometimes, and I haven't been the best at times, I'm not going to lie. I'm not completely okay. I spent a few days in bed, just processing every day.
My neighbors left today to go back to Croatia. Zagreb to be exact, had an earthquake a few days ago. They were super nice, but this was supposed to be their Erasmus trip and it turned out to be hell for them. I know they sacrificed a lot to be here, and they ended up having to cancel all their plans to sit around quarantined in a foreign country. They gave me some wine and food from their fridge before they left, which I'm thankful for. I hope they have a safe trip home, and that we meet again sometime in the future.
It hasn't been all bad, don't get me wrong. I had a dance party on the terrace with my neighbors and I've started teaching online again. It's been great talking with my old students. Some are quarantined in other parts of the world, and it's been fascinating to hear their stories. I've made two new friends for language exchanges, so I can practice speaking in Spanish more. I'm also watching new shows and, as you can see here, writing a bit more.
I'm watching concerts, drag shows, and dance parties on different forms of social media. I've used Skype, Zoom, and Instagram more in the last 2 weeks than I have all year. I've been planning to work out more, I've done bellydance and Zumba but I haven't had the heart to do it the last couple of days. It'll come back to me, I'm sure. My goals are to make more plans to get things done while I'm here.
Today is bittersweet. When they originally announced on March 9th that schools were going to close, we were supposed to be out for 2 weeks. But on Sunday (March 22) they announced that it would be another 2 weeks on top of that. Had the original timetable happened, I would have returned to school yesterday, March 26th. I had the feeling that it wouldn't be just 2 weeks, but watching the date go by and knowing we won't return to normal has me feeling some type of way.
I'm not struggling like others but yeah... morale is low. So is energy. I'm not returning messages and calls like I normally would. I'm struggling a bit. I miss my friends and I miss normal interactions. Even so, I know that others have it much worse. New Orleans is completely shut down, as are many places in the United States. 7 of my friends have tested positive for COVID-19. It's a tough time for so many people. I know that. But I truly feel that a lot of us will be okay. We don't really have a choice. I know we'll get through this and I'm putting on the bravest face that I can. It's not easy but as long as I can just... be quiet at times... I know I'll work through this. My thoughts are with all of you. Now, I'll go to bed and wake up tomorrow. Hopefully, my mood will be lifted a bit so I can record a video message for my students. I miss them too. I hope they're all well and handling everything okay. Good night, and take care of yourselves. We're all in this together. Thank you for reading. Be well.
Note: I originally posted this on my Facebook on March 16, 2020, but I didn't want to lose it as I fill up my timeline. Since I decided to start the Quarantine Chronicles here, this should be my first post. I can't say I'll update this every day but I'll try to be more active as the days go on. Take care, everyone.
Quarantine Day 3: Just getting started but hopefully it will be as productive as yesterday. I cleaned and rearranged my living room, to
make space for working out and yoga. Did an online Zumba session and
made dinner. My neighbors and I are all having coffee on the terraces outside our doors. We're rolling our chairs out and just chatting over/across the balcony. Some people are playing music and we're getting to know each other (I got a shout out from my upstairs neighbors for my Prince Dance party - they said they want to join me when this is all over!). It's kind of nice seeing the people around me for once. We've also made a list of our numbers for the elderly people living in the building, so they can call us if they need anything. I haven't left the building for 48 hours and counting, so I have no idea what's really going on out there. I know that there are heavy fines for being caught on the street if you're not going to the supermarket, pharmacy, doctor,
or work. I also learned that you can't have anyone over or have anyone stay with you - you can't break quarantine in any way. I get that.
It's disheartening to still see posts with people claiming that this is
"just the flu", that people are overreacting, or even questioning that this is even real - saying it's a hoax or a "distraction"... Y'all, this is real. This is happening. And it's spreading fast. Thanks to
those who have checked on me, sent me messages, cat pictures/videos,
funny videos/memes, and even called me. Family: I'm trying to get
through but still having trouble. I'm working on it. But just know that
I am safe, I have food, and I have friends and support. Mom and Dad: I
will be fine. You did not raise a stupid child. <3
To my friends that are trying to get home: Be well and be safe. To
those that are just starting to hunker down: My thoughts are with you.
We will get through this. Or not. Whatever, you grown. #yomequedoencasa
Funny how that last one was posted days before my 40th birthday... So let's start there: Hi. I'm Khephra White, and I'm 40 now. It's wild how I started this blog at 34 years old when I was getting ready to leave the United States and move to Madrid, Spain. So let's catch up, shall we?
Two years ago, my maternal Grandmother, Rosemarie Robinson died. I had to fly home for her funeral. I only got to be home for 5 days but I was able to go. That was the only time I went to the US in 2018. When I was home last year, in August 2019, I got an entire month to be home with my family and friends. I turned 40, partied, had king cake for the first time in 6 years (there may have been tears), and lost myself in love, Lizzo, and karaoke. It was good to be home.
After the turning of 40 I returned to Madrid for the new school year, and ... damn, it's been a doozy! I moved apartments, changed schools (thank God), started hosting a local comedy show, and even joined a gym. I was getting settled in my new routine, and though I was busy and tired, I was doing pretty well. Going on under the surface was something we'd heard about, but weren't really paying attention to. COVID-19, otherwise known as Coronavirus. By now there's no one who hasn't heard of it, but back then it was something that I don't even remember hearing about until December 2019. More and more stories came out about the toll it was taking on China and the quarantines that were happening, but again: No one really paid attention. It seemed so far away. Then Japan started getting cases, then S. Korea... then Italy. I feel like that's when Spain's ears perked up. Especially when Italy started shutting down entire cities, and the first case popped up in Spain. I live in Madrid, where most cases are. We heard there were 200 cases of COVID-19 here... that was last week, Tuesday to be exact. That was the night they announced that all classes in the city of Madrid were shut down. I'd just gotten home from the supermarket, so I'd already done my shopping for the week. And it's a good thing I did because the next thing I know, my Facebook and Whatsapp feed is filled with pictures of people emptying the shelves at the store. There were lines going to the back of the building, snaking through the aisles. They were buying anything that wasn't nailed down.I saw this myself the next day when I went to the Mercadona near my school (bad day to forget lunch at home)... I took some pictures of the empty shelves, helped an elderly woman reach some things on the top shelves, then left and went to KFC. It was all too familiar.
I got home from work super early, so I went back to the supermarket. One thing about growing up in New Orleans, you're used to shopping during hurricane season. For me, this was no different. I went back over the next few days, with a list, picking up what I needed. Closing the schools was the first step. The next day, I was sent home early by my school and told I could return when the kids did (two weeks). The day after that, all the theatres, music halls, museums were ordered closed. My comedy show was canceled along with the rest. I went to meet a friend who'd just arrived in Madrid for her birthday, and everywhere we went: Nothing and no one. Practically every restaurant was empty. The bars and clubs: Ghost towns. We walked down Gran Vía pretty much alone... just the three of us and I said: "Man, this is some Vanilla Sky shit." I knew quarantine was coming, I could just tell. I mean, it was the next logical step! I told M, my friend: "I give it days. I doubt it will take a week." That was Thursday night. Sure enough, the President of Spain was there Sunday night giving us the details of the quarantine and what it meant. No going out on the street unless you're going to the doctor, the pharmacy, the supermarket, or work. There's a steep ass fine if you're caught, too: 600€ minimum.
So here I am... in Madrid, Spain. On Day 5 of quarantine. COVID-19 is alllllll over the United States now, by the way. New Orleans has closed all its bars and restaurants, so have NYC and other major cities. The UK announced today they're closing schools. They're going to learn the hard way, just like we did over here. NOLA breaks my heart too because it's home (you too, Atlanta) and it's a service industry city. The industry is tourism, and this is supposed to be the busy season over there. What d you do when you put pretty much an entire city out of work? So many of my friends are hurting right now. They're being laid off, closing their businesses, and no one... not ONE of us knows what lies ahead. But I have faith that we will make it. I have faith that somehow, we will be okay. I have no idea how but after the shit some of us have been through, this is just one more hurdle. If nothing else: we can never say that we lived in boring times. Quite the opposite, my friends. What a time to be alive!
So in an attempt to keep the blog going, I will also be sharing things I've written in other places. This was my first piece for Las Morenas de España, waaaay back in 2015 (March 22, to be exact).
It's about my visit to MThai Massage School in the center of Madrid. I love this place so much, as a matter of fact,I still go there! I hope you enjoy it:
SO, the fuckery continues, even though I don't post as much as I should! I'm working on that, I swear. Especially since - This just in - I have successfully renewed my position here in Madrid. More on that later.
Cooking has been a big thing here in Madrid. It's the same as anywhere: it's cheaper to cook at home, and eating out is expensive. Plus, I'm in a new country so I don't know what most of the things here are called. Thank goodness for the 3 semesters of Castellano I took in university, and the year I took in high school (¡Hola, Señor Buerkle!), or I wouldn't even know what I'm buying. Oh, who am I kidding? I usually don't know what I'm buying.
It has been much easier to eat better here. The produce is fresh, and it is EVERYWHERE. My fridge is always stocked with spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes, and fruit. Yay fruit!
You know what I haven't found here? SOUP. Like canned soup. There is no Progresso, no Campbells, nope. You either get it in a packet, a pouch, or in a pour thingie like Stock or something. Sooooo, I have been learning to make my own soups. (This is from 2014... turns out I have tons of half-thoughts that I never finished. Me again!
Some things are old AF, yet some things are still shiny and new. I realize that sometimes I start things without finishing. It's been a struggle and a challenge, but it seems that midway through 2019... I'm still learning lessons. I've lost some friends to death, and others to arguments, yet I'm still standing. I've decided my next couple of steps but now I need to actually begin and follow through. Lord, send me the motivation... It's out there somewhere.
Yes, it's a fact: sometimes I write things. And occasionally they get published. I'll be using my space to share things I think of, so let me start with the latest article from The Local, Spain which was published last month. Introducing "The ABCs of Teaching English". Enjoy!
My black ass is back! Okay, I didn't die or anything but I haven't been here for a minute. So, what's new with me? Well... 2018 has been a hard year. If we're talking about death, it's certainly been around. January brought the loss of two dear friends, within two weeks of each other. It was extremely surreal, painful and I still don't feel like I've completely recovered.
I'm still here in Madrid and loving it. But my body hasn't been loving me back. Late last year I started to notice a pain in my right knee. I figured it was nothing much that a little yoga couldn't work out, and I just tried to take it easy in spinning class. But it didn't get better. It got progressively worse until I had to drop my dance classes, stop going to the gym, and eventually - I had to stop walking altogether. Turns out I tore my meniscus. Yeah... that hurt. This brought forth a series of firsts: the first hospital stay, first surgery, first time using crutches... you get the idea.
Last month I turned 39 years old. Five days later, my [maternal] grandmother died. That was the biggest blow of the year. I flew home to New Orleans for the funeral and was able to spend some time with my family. I'm thankful for that. When I arrived back in Madrid my sister and family decided to surprise me with their own visit. It was great because she hadn't been here since 2014. My nephew Christian made his first trip abroad at 17 years old, and I loved having him here and showing him around. So just like everything else 2018 has been full of ups and downs.
Through all of this is something I haven't posted about before on my page. I'm a comedian. No, really: I started doing stand up comedy 2 years ago. If you've encountered my page before, this may not surprise you. But I finally worked up the guts to get up in public and do the damn thing and turns out I'm not half bad. I'll post my debut here (it was my first time. Be gentle. Oh, and take your headphones off/turn volume down at 7:28. You're welcome.), and there'll be more to come. You have been warned.
So: where is my head at with MiE? Well, I just want to write more. I've already written some articles, which I look forward to sharing with you. It's been five years now (can you believe it?) since I received the letter that changed my life and plopped me into Madrid. I've taken a lot of trips, had some great experiences, and I want to finally share the old and the new. Thanks for being here. See you soon.
-K-
It's been entirely too long since I made an update here. I'm aware of this. Every time I sat down to write something I got distracted or saved an entry and never updated it. The photos I took in Granada and Málaga were supposed to be uploaded, but now they may be lost forever, and it's my fault. So I'm taking this time to re-evaluate the site: What I want to to with this space, what I want to write about, and what I want to put up here. I know I want to share more of my writing (now that I'm writing again), and my recipes. So here, I want to make a commitment to you and myself. I want to upload something AT LEAST once a month. I want to write more, cook more, share more and learn more Spanish!!
As I prepare to enter my third (OMG can you believe it!?) year here, I'm setting more goals and making a plan to make my life in Spain continue to grow and prosper. So there. Here's to my return to writing, creativity, and remembering how great life can be. Cheers!
When living abroad, it's easy for
others to believe that your life is all rainbows and sunshine. After
all: You left the country! You're taking pictures from all these
exotic locations, and filling social media with pictures of amazing
food. Why wouldn't your life be something from a fairy tale? It's
easy to pretend that going abroad and “living the dream” is where
your problems end, and for a lot of people, that's all they want to
hear. However, there is a dark side to all of this. There are things
that make it hard to be where you are, and certain things you must
accept in order to make this choice.
For example: My mother has been in the
hospital twice this year and now my grandmother, her mother, is in
the hospital. And there is absolutely nothing I can do. I can only
sit here, make calls over the internet, worry, and cry. Don't forget
the crying. When you move to another country, you accept that things
will happen at home, and you won't be there. We watch our friends'
and families' lives: engagements, marriages, births, and deaths, over
the internet. It is a decision that we make, and a choice we must
live with. There is no easy way around it.
Living as an expat is not always fun.
You have the same things to deal with in your home country. Sometimes
it is in a different language, thus increasing the fun (just kidding,
there's nothing fun about opening a bank account, renting an
apartment, or other fun stuff in a language you barely speak). No one mentions the things that also come with being an ex-pat: The isolation, the comments, the stares, the homesickness, the depression, the helpless feeling when something happens at home, the uncomfortable feelings when encountering cultural norms, etc. I plan to talk about these things more in this space. There have been some AMAAAAAAZING times I've had here in Spain, and there have also been lows. They are not uncommon, but I don't always know how to deal with them. I will find a way to overcome certain things that [occasionally] make me forget what an opportunity I have here. I will find a way to deal with my decision, even when I have to return home to bury my dead.
Sorry for the morbid post. I told you: It's not all rainbows and sunshine.
15 September, 2014
"Fear and Loathing in the United States
Well, it's finally come. After 2,5 months with my family and friends, I am returning to Madrid. There was a lot (I mean a LOT) of drinking, dancing, and travel. And somehow I STILL never managed to see everyone I wanted. Some were too far away, some I was too exhausted to get to (I'm so sorry.), and some just made no effort to call me at all. Whatareyagonnado?
It was great to see everyone, but I also learned a lot. It's interesting when you see things with fresh eyes. It's interesting how many things change when you go away, and how many things stay the same. Although it was nice being back with family and friends, in my home country, there were so many things that showed me that I made the ABSOLUTELY correct decision.
Por ejemplo:
- Safety: Not many people know this, but I was a witness to a shooting when I was 17 years old. It was an attempted murder/suicide that involved my then boss and the man she was seeing. I'm not going to get into the gory details, but it actually happened at my job. She broke up with him. He didn't like it. I saw him run into the store, I saw the gun, and I hid behind the counter. She lived. He didn't.
There's also the: I'm from one of the worst parts of New Orleans thing. I have heard of and seen more crime happen in my city, than some. I have lived in a place where hearing gunshots is normal
From the moment I touched down in the U.S.I felt a fear that I´d never experienced before.
In Spain I´d rid myself of certain habits, like constantly looking over my shoulder to see who was behind me. Looking in the reflections of store windows and cars to make sure no one was sneaking up on me. Watching shadows on the ground, to see if anyone was behind or near me. Sizing up everyone I passed on the street, like: "I can kick his ass... I can kick her ass... I can DEFINITELY kick that old lady´s ass..."
I was back on U.S. soil for 24 hours, and woke up to the news that 9 people were shot in a nightclub on Bourbon Street. Welcome home, KC. You just left a country that had 7 shootings this year. Your mom´s apartment complex had 3 last night. Good job, buddy.
So it was such a relief when it came time to leave and return to Spain. It was also just so strange. I´ve always known that NOLA was dangerous. Atlanta didn´t have the greatest track record, either. But this was the first time I was truly afraid of the cities I called home. I´d been reading about the crimes happening back in New Orleans. and I had no desire to be back in that environment.
If you haven´t left the U.S. and experienced what it´s like to have that kind of security, then you can´t understand. It was hard to explain to my Spanish friends what it was like to constantly watch where you walk, or just having the fear that you could be shot at any moment. People in my country are allowed to openly carry guns. and they are not afraid to use them. So it makes you a bit shy. That dude who just stepped on your foot could be carrying. Road rage takes on a whole meaning, when there are pistols involved.
I´d seen stories about a few women who were dragged into alleys and raped in the French Quarter, rapes/sexual assaults in the LGD, and now people wanted me to walk through the Bywater (alone) to meet them on Decatur Street... They didn´t seem to understand my reluctance (or flat out answers of "FUUUUUUCK NO!") and I didn´t understand the sudden fear of my birthplace.
Look, New Orleans is dangerous. It´s always been that way. We know damn good and well that we don´t live in Disneyland, and we´ve always known that. But after living in a place where being gunned down on the street just doesn´t really happen. You can´t buy piece of mind like that. You can´t appreciate it, if you always had it , and you can´t reclaim it once you´ve lost it. I guess it´s hard to explain, if you haven´t been there. I can only explain how I feel.
I breathed easier once I was in the air, leaving that behind.
I miss my home, my family, my cat. But I don´t miss the feeling that I was compromising my safety just by leaving my house. When I lived in New Orleans, I had a ritual before I went out into the world. I would kiss Avon (my cat) on the top of the head, scratch his ears, and tell him I loved him. Just in case I didn´t come back. I wonder if I´ll do the same once he comes to Madrid...
SOOOOOOOO I am no longer homeless. I checked out of the hostel, and made my way to Barrio del Pilar. I decided to skip the Metro and take a cab. This turned out to be a HUGE mistake, as when we got to my piso, my card was DECLINED. Oh. NO!!! Turns out that in withdrawing my deposit and first month's rent, I reached my limit and my card wouldn't. work. Long story short: the cabbie was pissed, I didn't know what to do, and thank GOD my roommate was able to bail me out. I was practically in tears, and breathing into a paper bag at this point. GREAT start.
After a couple of days I learned the layout of my neighborhood, Barrio Del Pilar. There is a MALL (AIIIIIIIEEEEEEE!!!!!) called La Vaguada only 20 minutes away, and all kids of great places nearby. Awesome. Before I knew it, it was the 8th of enero (January) and I had to go to my new school. Thanks to the previous auxiliar, I knew which bus I had to catch, but I had no idea how to get there. After consulting with a nice man at Intercambiador de Plaza de Castilla, I had a list of buses I needed to take. I was extremely proud of myself, because I barely knew what to say and he spoke no English. Awesome! Out of all those buses I had to take, only one was actually running so I made my way to the bottom of the station, walked around lost as hell (LOST, y'all), and finally found my terminal.
...only to be turned away because I had a 20€ bill, and the bus doesn't take more than 10€ bills. Party.
I hauled ass downstairs and bought a cafe con leche, then ran back up to my bus. I paid the 5.10€(DAMN, SON!!!) fee, and we were OFF! I could not stop staring at everything around me.
There was so much to see, that I lost myself in the sights. I was lost in the sounds. I was lost in the cobblestones and people, and graffiti, and mountains, and then I realized that...
I was just plain LOST.
You see: because I am a moron who doesn't pay attention, I missed my stop. I did the one thing I do best: I panicked.In my best terrible Castellano, I stuttered that I was looking for La Cabrera. The driver apologized and said that we'd passed it already. Oh, joy. This is where it gets interesting. We continued to the next town, and the driver wrote a note for me. I was to get on the returning bus, and give the note to the driver that said where I was going. I could only read some of it, but it probably said something like: "This idiot American is going to La Cabrera. Please help the big dummy find her way, because she doesn't speak a word of Castellano, and I don't know what she's doing here. I literally can't even with her, and now you're stuck with her. This is me laughing at your misfortune. HA."
Or something like that. It may have been nicer.
So I get dropped off in the next town with three elderly Spanish ladies, who have apparently made it their jobs to make damn sure that I get on this bus. The first woman looks at my note and says: "Mira... Hay cuatro paradas en La Cabrera. Necesita la segunda parada..." I didn't catch much after that, but I had another moment where I was like: "Wait... I know what that means: There are four stops in La Cabrera and I need the second one! I UNDERSTAND (kinda)! Hallelujah!!!" I was actually able to fumble through a conversation, telling them where I was from and how the hell I ended up lost in a part of Spain that I never knew existed. They waited with me, and asked more questions, until the return bus came. When I got on the bus, one of the women explained my dilemma and handed the driver the note. (She took it from me earlier, making a "tsk tsk" sound as she read it.
WHERE THE HELL AM I???
THE NOTE!!! (You know what's funny? I actually did get the jist of the note. I can read, y'all!)
Fasten seat belt (and try not to get lost again, moron).
I didn't know where I was at the time, I was too busy composing my sure to be famous country song 'Perdido en un Pueblo sin Nombre'. but I found out [five minutes ago] that I was in a village named El Berrueco. So many thanks to the people of El Berrueco for their kindness. It is much appreciated.
I managed to find my way to my school, and was immediately meet with the friendliest smiles I had ever seen. Everyone had been expecting me, and they could not have been more kind. I had to wait on the English department head, so I was introduced to a few other teachers. Who all spoke Castellano, very very fast. My head = spinning. I finally was introduced to V., the head of the English department, who was shocked and amused (mostly amused) to hear what happened on the bus. We went to the cafeteria and had a coffee, and I was able to meet more of the staff. After a while V. was done with her classes, and nice enough to give me a ride back to San Sebastian de Los Reyes (now to be known as San Sé, because that is a LOT to type. ) so I could take the Metro back to Madrid. I took my first ride on the everlasting Metro [OF DOOOOOOM!!!], and took my tired arse home for the day. I had a big day tomorrow. It was time to meet the kids. Word.
I am back in the United States, and I return to Madrid in 9 days. I plan on keeping this blog up and writing as I go along. I still have so much to post, and I'm looking forward to sharing my pictures and life with you all. Madrid 2: the Saga Continues is about to be in full effect. I apoligise for the confusion as it seems that my blog will be a mixture of old ad new posts. So I will be adding the tag #throwback to let you know when a post pertains to my first year in Spain. Thanks for sticking with me. Take care, y'all.
Random thoughts from my first weeks in Madrid (and the many places I got lost in):
1 January 2014:
Who would have guessed that I would be ringing in the new year from Madrid, Spain? Certainly not me. Wow.
Feliz Nuevo Año to my friends back home. May 2014 see you reach the place of your dreams as well!
3 January 2014:
Rainy day in Madrid (Yes, Madrid! Madrid, SPAIN! HOLY SHIT, I'M IN SPAIN Y'ALL!!!). The apartment hunt continues. I have 3 more places to look at, but they will have to be amazing to top the one I just saw.
Holy Shit, son! The bus has wifi!? Sweet!
What the hell is a "wee-fee"? Do I have to pay to use the bathroom here!? That's some bullshit.
5 January 2014
Fancy-pants McDonalds is totally a landmark now. Deal with it.
6 January 2014
What, He wants to buy me a drink? But I already have a drink. I'll take some wings, though.
Street musicians have to AUDITION here?? What, like American Idol style? Do they walk into the room, and there's Ana Botella and some other random ass dudes just chillin' at a table? OMG, who's going to be Simon?
8 January 2014
LEARN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE, KIDS! No matter how many people tell you: "Why bother? Everywhere you go, they speak English.", it is simply not true. Not at all.
I'm going to write a country song called 'Perdido en un Pueblo sin Nombre'.
Listening to Quickie Mart and doing a presentation introducing me and New Orleans. I meet the kids tomorrow. Here goes something!!
10 January 2014
I miss Avon (my cat) so much
******
That's all for the first few days in Madrid. More to come, my loves!
I got a message asking what was up with the 'Musings in a Strange Land' posts. Long story short, it's the weird shit that goes on in my head, that I put on facebook instead of here [where it belongs]. I returned to the United States on 27 June 2014. As most of you know, my blog is very VERY behind.
I told my friend Gonzalo (I HAVE FRIENDS, Y'ALL!!) that I felt bad, because I hadn't kept up with things over here. He replied that I couldn't write about all of my times in España, because I was too busy living them. I hate it when other people are right. BOO THIS MAN! BOOOO!! ;-) Anyway, now I'm back home, and back at the keyboard.I plan to use this summer to catch up on this blog, my writings, and prepare for my next adventure. Which adventure, you ask? You will find out soon. ;-)
-K-
Once I regained consciousness from New Year's fuckery, and my new friends did fascinating things like go the hell home, I remembered that I was: 1. NOT on holiday, and 2. needed to find a place to live.
I have a job, and I start in 6 days! It was nice that I had time to wander, but I couldn´t keep paying for the hostel. I had to find an apartment! Oooooh, welcome to the fuckery that is looking for a piso (that's Castellano for 'apartment', y'all) in Madrid!
I learned to navigate all kinds of web sites. EasyPiso, SegundoMano, and Idealista, are all great places to look if you are moving to Spain, and don´t want to be homeless. I had a few things working against me - language barrier: check! No real idea where I am, or where I need to look: check! Can't navigate the Metro to save my life: check! I'm an Old, and I hate the thought of multiple roommates: double check! All of this was made even more complicated because of Three King's Day, and a bank holiday that left Madrid locked down like Fort Knox.
My dear mother told me: "Don´t take the first place you see!". With this sage advice in mind, I got on the internet, and started looking for pisos. Thanks to the nice woman at the Ministry, and Victoria (the head of the English Department at my new school), I had a decent idea which parts of the city I needed to look in. Many different places. Places with fun names like ´Alcobendas´, ´Chamberi´, San Sebastian de los Reyes´, ´Holy Fuck, that´s how far north?´, ´Do they even have Black People Here´, ´What, no Starbucks?´, Dear God, there´s no way I will ever get Wifi here!´, and ´Is that a damn MOUNTAIN across the street!?´.
Fun times. I went looking for the first piso, located in a neighborhood called: Barrio del Pilar!
*crickets*.... *crickets*
...yeah, I never heard of it either. It´s north of the center, and I had to walk for what felt like foooooorrrrrr-EEEEVVVVVEEEEERRRRR to get to the place. Especially when I realized that I was walking the wrong way (doh!).
So I showed up at the place, out of breath, swearing under my breath, and sweating like a hooker in Church. Lovely. Remember kids, first impressions are everything! ;-)
I loved that piso as soon as I saw it: The price was wonderful(!!!), it had a balcony (11th floor, but whatever), and it was near Plaza de Castilla (which I didn´t know shit about, but I knew I needed to live near there for my bus to work). I was already like:¨"Shut up and take my money!!", but I had 2 more places to look at that day, and I didn´t want to waste the other realitor´s time. Plus mom said to look around. I knew the other 2 places would have a lot to live up to after this place, and I meant it.
But every time I thought of that piso, I was like:
So ready, y'all.
So I moved on to a place called Chamberi. As usual I had no idea where I was going, so I turned to my new best friend: Google Maps! I will swear on a stack of bibles [not that I own a bible], that Google Maps has saved me from ambling down a dark alley many times!
So after going where Google Maps told me, I finally found 'Chamberi'. And It. Was. GORGEOUS!!
I can not get over these BEAUTIFUL buildings!
All this amazing architecture. Just hanging out. Chillin.
Don't ask which Metro station I came out of. I have no idea.
As usual, I can spot a café a mile away.
I went to the first place I saw.
LOOK AT MY COFFEE. LOOK AT IT.
Why am I so obsessed with these places!?
Random dude crossing the street. I just liked the shot.
I love that I can get a café anywhere.
I know the piso is around here somewhere...
I looked at the piso and while it was a good price, it was tiny as hell. There was no way I could live there with another person. It was way too cramped. Also, I wanted to register as an occupant in my place. Something known as 'empadronamiento'. This is a huge deal, y'all. If something happens and I'm not 'empadron' in my piso, I can't even get an ambulance to come. I also won't be seen at the emergency room. It's serious. So when I asked the landlord if I could empadron there, and he started with: "Wellll...." Yeah.
To be honest, I didn't even catch the whole excuse he gave me. I was too busy hearing:
Yeah. If I tell you that I need to do little things like OBEY THE LAW, and you start stammering and fumbling: We're done here, son. So after being courteous, and thanking him for his time [of course, I'm not a total savage], I wandered around taking more pictures.
I never made it to the third place. Why? Oh, I'm so glad you asked. Turns out: Madrid is freaking HUGE. I took another couple hundred trains [shut up, it felt like it] to what I thought was San Sebastian de los Reyes. I was proudly following my apparently wrong as hell buddy Google Maps, when the woman showing the apartment called. I told her where I was, and she said: "Oh no, you're still in Madrid." I said: "Of Course, where else would I be?" She kindly informed me that I had to leave Madrid, take the longest train ride ever, and go outside the city. You see: San Sebastian de los Reyes is not a barrio. It's a freaking different town, that is still in the Communidad de Madrid. Also, I am a complete moron. Just throwing that out there. It was too late to make the appointment at that point, so we cancelled it. Back at the hostel, the fabulous Jay told me what I was really thinking: Just shut up and take the first piso. So I did. I got in contact with the landlord, made the payment arrangements, and got ready to move. I was no longer homeless! Hooray!
