9-M

Spanish presidential elections are coming up on the 9th of March. They started campaigning about a month ago. Yes, a month before the election. This is why every Spaniard who asks me when our elections are is shocked when I tell them November. In this context, it really is quite ridiculous. 10+ months of campaigning!? I've watched several rounds of debates here, the first in 15 years, between Zapatero and Rajoy, the leader of the opposition. They are juvenile, childish, frightfully immature. They interrupt each other (the moderator doesn't seem to do a thing), blame each other, throw accusations around. And use graphs and quote extensively from articles. It's terrible. I come away from it thinking how they both seem to be bad choices for the presidency if all they choose to do is blame each other for mistakes made by the GOVERNMENT. As if they weren't an integral part of it. I haven't determined much of their plans for the future; what they would do if elected. Even the Spaniards agree that it's quite absurd.

Let's see. This weekend, Jenny and I met Sydney in Cáceres. Mainly to get out of the doldrums of Coria. The problem is that there's nothing to do and the interesting people usually leave during the weekends. The last time we were there we met some chicos who told us they would show us good bars with good pinchos and good cañas the next time we came. They took us to a "mountain" right outside the city which overlooks it. Afterwards we went bar hopping. The first bar we went to was one I had been to before: three and a half months prior, with some of the profesores from Coria. I joked that I still couldn't understand a thing of the menu (no, really, just half this time). But it gave me a basis of comparison for how far I've come since then. At that time, I was so utterly confused by everything Spanish: the language, the culture, the people, the food... cañas? pinchos? Pinchos versus tapas--wtf? Until I had this experience I guess I hadn't realized how much more comfortable I feel in everything Spanish (hah, now for my deteriorating English...). Excellent.

This is really a scattered post. Alas, my English and my ability to write, out the window! Do I blame it on Spain or on the time out of school? Anyway, the weather is starting to get nice. This weekend in Cáceres it was like Washington summer, at least 80 degrees. If it's doing this now, I don't know how I'm going to survive May! It's gotten really windy these last couple of days, though. I used to mark the coming of spring with the reemergence of my freckles. They never left here, though, so I can't use that. It's strange. This weather is strange. I like the sunny fall and winter but I couldn't live like this forever. And the summer is dreadful here, I've been told. I guess I'll stick to rain and beautiful summers, distinct seasons, and disappearing freckles!

I've bought a pair of hiking boots so it makes it real! The more I think about the camino, the more I can't wait! I can't believe there are only three months of my job left and a week and a half until my parents come. I'm flying home on August 3rd, everyone, travelling back through time and arriving on August 3rd! Nearly every weekend from now until the end of work is planned out: a hike, Feria in Sevilla, Morocco, Cádiz, Mérida... I can't wait!