When I was interviewing (yes, a legit 45-minute interview) to move into my current flat, my roommates sat me down and said they were different, and that they live like a family. Since they are from all over Spain and don´t have family nearby, it was important that home feels like home. I loved the idea, and I now know why...
I have three moms in Spain. My roommate Elena, since we don´t have heat, constantly tells me "Abrigate!" ("Cover yourself!") and to eat my vegetables. She even force feeds me new weird Spanish vegetables which are great when you know how to cook them.
My roommate Cristina is the fruit nazi. I love fruit, but she commented last month that she never sees me eating any. So, I know show her my banana and clemintine peels, apple cores, and pineapple scraps everyday. It´s become a ritual...I think she´ll be grossed out soon, but she asked for it.
Maria, the ED Director who I work most closely with, is awesome. Last week, she asked if I got my flu shot. I hate unneccesary shots/medications, but she, like my mom, made me get one. She physically dragged me to the department, told her I was an employee (lie), that I was willing to receive the shot (lie), and watched the nurse inject me with the vaccination.
Afterwards, she invited me to her house for Sunday lunch to meet her family and show me her town. Her family is perfect. They live out in the suburbs in a 5 (yes, 5) story house. Her husband is a doctor and the CEO of another hospital in Barcelona which I will visit in February. Her two daughters are adorable...Carla is 5 and Gabriela(?) is 14...they asked me to be their sitter when their parents go on date night (terrrible idea). Her husband, Rafael, cooked up a vegetable soup, baked corbina fish, a veggie cassarole, and homemade pizza-bread. I brought homemade brownies for dessert, which the kids ate up. We took a stroll afterwards, played frisbee, and visited the Catholic Monestary in town which dates back to the 12th Century. Her kids asked if we had anything that old in America, to which I responded, no, we have no history.
I sent her a thank you email last night for their hospitality to which she responded: "Espero que mis hijas algún día, dentro de 10 años, encuentren un chico como tú! Ja, ja." ("I hope that my daughters, one day, in 10 years, find a boy like you! Haha!"). Always the bridesmaid, never the bride...
Some friends and I met up to watch the Barca game last night and realized we only have 5 months left here. I have so much left to do and see...it´s hard to imagine how quickly time has flown by. I know I have a life to get back to, but I´ll never forget my 10-month Mediterranean siesta.
This weekend I´m heading to London, Oxford, and Brighton to see a slew of UNC and Winston friends.
Next weekend = Barcelona Half Marathon
And the following week, I´ll be "working" from the Canary Islands. Spring Break #1, here I come...
Talk soon
Monday, January 17, 2011
Saturday, January 8, 2011
The Show Goes On
Today, I finished the last of my grad school applications. Tomorrow, I celebrate by taking a trip up to Andorra to visit a few friends and ski fresh powder in the Pyrenees.
I've been in Barcelona for a little over four months and I'm wondering where the time went. I think I've accomplished a fair amount so far, most importantly gaining the respect of the department heads. When I started out at the hospital, they were pretty skeptical (as was I) as to what my purpose would be. Now, they are sometimes worried if I don't show up. The secretaries are my favorite, as we often tell jokes (mainly at my expense) and chat about the hots and nots of barca-life.
The next few months here will be pretty exciting. Most of my research travel is around Feb-March so I can finish my papers in April-May. Aside from that, I'll be gone at least 2 weekends a month until June.
It's been awhile since I spoke with some of you…just know I think about my friends and family back home a lot. But also know I can't imagine myself anywhere else.
One of my friends suggested doing a year-in-review through your Facebook posts. My status on September 28, 2009: "Barcelona was amazing…I'm going to live there one day"
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Religion...kinda
Being in Europe has left me with a lot of free time to think, and my recent topic is organized religion. A month ago, the Pope came to Barcelona to consecrate La Sagrada Familia and a lot of news surrounded religion in Spain. Some 70-80% of Spaniards were raised or consider themselves Catholic, but less that 10% attend Mass. More astonishingly, I learned that about 99% of Danes (people from Denmark) don't believe in a religion.
Most of you know that I was raised Muslim, but I consider my belief more by chance than by choice. I say that because I was raised to believe in this religion by my parents, just as they were raised to believe Islam because of their parents. This isn't a bad thing...most people believe what they are taught. Of course we learn religions for ourself, but very few take time to learn the detail behind other religions and convert to something else (I'm getting to a point, I promise...).
This past weekend, I visited Rome and we made a trip to Vatican City to check it out. I will say I was in awe by the sheer grandiousness of it all. To get to the Sistine Chapel, you have to navigate through 4km of art and exhibits from around the world. You have entire rooms that were paitned by Raphael during the Renaissance. And then finally, you get to Michaelangelo's Sistine Chapel, which honestly, looked about the same as all the other art you find inside basilicas across Europe.
This made me think more of my religion. The only art you see is mainly caligraphy of scriptures from the Quran. While my Arabic is rusty, I like that I can make out words and read sentences when I see the writings on books, walls, or carvings. These pieces of art are valuable, but they in no way match in comparison to what the Vatican has.
It is estimated that the Vatican is worth over 2 billion euros...no one actually knows the true number. Regardless, this money, if donated, would be enough to virtually end world hunger. I know what you're thinking, and I think it too...if we donated the money we spend on war to charity, we, too, could end world hunger. That's not my point.
I find it hard not to criticize the Vatican for it's emphasis on money. I may be slightly bitter after spending 20euro in entrance fees, but I just don't get it (the hajj, or pilgrimage for Muslims does not have an entrance fee...). With an organization as strong and powerful as the Vatican, I find it irresponsible not to leverage your influence and help better the world we live in.
My friend Sam and I got to talking and he comes from a long line of Catholics, but he doesn't associate himself with the church. A few qualms he mentioned...one being the ambivalence of using the holdings of money to feed the world, and two, the Catholic church's view on the use of contraception. Recently, the Pope alluded it's kinda sorta okay to use it to prevent the spread of diseases such as HIV/AIDS. What about the unnecessary abortions that could be avoided if Catholocism endorsed realist responsibility? What are the lesser of the two evils? Just something to think about...
I hope this doesn't offend anyone and I assure you that it was not my intent. Here's my kvetch for the year...you know where to send your thoughts.
On a related note, my parents are in the process of booking their pilgrimage trip and offered to take me with them in April. Out of all the places I am planning to go to, this has immediately become the one I'm most anticipating. Happy holidays all...talk soon.
Most of you know that I was raised Muslim, but I consider my belief more by chance than by choice. I say that because I was raised to believe in this religion by my parents, just as they were raised to believe Islam because of their parents. This isn't a bad thing...most people believe what they are taught. Of course we learn religions for ourself, but very few take time to learn the detail behind other religions and convert to something else (I'm getting to a point, I promise...).
This past weekend, I visited Rome and we made a trip to Vatican City to check it out. I will say I was in awe by the sheer grandiousness of it all. To get to the Sistine Chapel, you have to navigate through 4km of art and exhibits from around the world. You have entire rooms that were paitned by Raphael during the Renaissance. And then finally, you get to Michaelangelo's Sistine Chapel, which honestly, looked about the same as all the other art you find inside basilicas across Europe.
This made me think more of my religion. The only art you see is mainly caligraphy of scriptures from the Quran. While my Arabic is rusty, I like that I can make out words and read sentences when I see the writings on books, walls, or carvings. These pieces of art are valuable, but they in no way match in comparison to what the Vatican has.
It is estimated that the Vatican is worth over 2 billion euros...no one actually knows the true number. Regardless, this money, if donated, would be enough to virtually end world hunger. I know what you're thinking, and I think it too...if we donated the money we spend on war to charity, we, too, could end world hunger. That's not my point.
I find it hard not to criticize the Vatican for it's emphasis on money. I may be slightly bitter after spending 20euro in entrance fees, but I just don't get it (the hajj, or pilgrimage for Muslims does not have an entrance fee...). With an organization as strong and powerful as the Vatican, I find it irresponsible not to leverage your influence and help better the world we live in.
My friend Sam and I got to talking and he comes from a long line of Catholics, but he doesn't associate himself with the church. A few qualms he mentioned...one being the ambivalence of using the holdings of money to feed the world, and two, the Catholic church's view on the use of contraception. Recently, the Pope alluded it's kinda sorta okay to use it to prevent the spread of diseases such as HIV/AIDS. What about the unnecessary abortions that could be avoided if Catholocism endorsed realist responsibility? What are the lesser of the two evils? Just something to think about...
I hope this doesn't offend anyone and I assure you that it was not my intent. Here's my kvetch for the year...you know where to send your thoughts.
On a related note, my parents are in the process of booking their pilgrimage trip and offered to take me with them in April. Out of all the places I am planning to go to, this has immediately become the one I'm most anticipating. Happy holidays all...talk soon.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Home Away from Home
While holidays are ample in Spain, 5 day weekends are not. This weekend is important because the following Monday and Wednesday are both Spanish holidays, making Tuesday the puente. Add that together and you get a 5 day weekend (except for me, who will be working most of this week..)
On the eve of the busiest travel weekend in Spain, all Air Traffic Controllers decided to strike, thus grounding all flights in all airports. Christina and Jose had plans for the past two months to fly to London and visit Jose's brother who just moved there. Both their mothers also came to Barcelona as they were also going to London, but unfortunately they are all stuck in town.
Because I was staying in town, two of my friends from Valencia came in to visit and explore BCN. I also organized a Mexican Fiesta at my place, where I made chicken fajitas, black beans (not out of a can…), fresh pico, and others brought the guac, rice, and bebidas. The night started out well until Rosemarie had severe eye irritations and began losing her vision due to her contacts. This happened to my brother last year and it was pretty serious. I called my hospital and asked if we had an optometrist available and my colleague, Dr. Miro, assured me we did. Worried that Rosemarie would get lost on the subway, Jose and his mother offered to drive her to the Hospital and wait with her. I haven't been in Spain long, but I've never seen anyone here go that far out of their way to take care of someone they just met. Sure people will offer advice or direct you places, but hardly ever will they treat you as their own. This reminded me a lot of home, and especially of my parents who go out of their way to help people they just met or people they don't even know.
Unfortunately, when the got to my hospital, the optometrist decided to peace out for the holiday and they were sent to an eye clinic on the other side of town. Again Jose and his mom accompanied Rosemarie and Nora, got them settled at the clinic, and helped explain things to the doctor. Champs. Plain champs.
They made it back in time for the end of the fiesta. We learned Rosemarie has the equivalent of small cuts on her cornea. She has to wear eye patches. Like a pirate. But, everything will be okay.
Next weekend, Zaragoza. The following, Rome. Talk soon.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Thanksgiving
I think I celebrated Thanksgiving 4 times last week, but I do have a lot to be thankful for. My brother and I used to joke that everytime we come home to our parents house, we automatically gain 5 pounds. My mom will cook anything and everything we want, and we, of course, stuff our faces with it. Not because we don't eat well on a regular basis...there's just something about home cooking...
I arrived to beautiful NC just in time for my dad's birthday. The surprise visit managed to stay a surprise until the end. My parents were happy and sad to see me at the same time. I kinda understood this, I guess. They got used to life without me for the past 3 months, and now, they would have to start all over again. Precious.
I was able to see most of my friends throughout the week and into the weekend. Mrs. Lockwood moved our traditional pre-Christman meatball night to Thanksgiving weekend because I was in town...yeah, that's love. I got to enjoy a little peace of fall...a tailgate, football saturday, and a bar-b-que.
My parents also decided on their trip to Europe. They're planning to take about 2 months and go just about everywhere. They are taking me along to Sevilla, Cordoba, Grenada, Morrocco, Egypt, and Saudia Arabia with them. While awesome, that adds a little fuel to me getting all my research done in time so I may enjoy all the gallavanting.
Sadly, one thing I have taken for granted was heat. While my roommates are awesome and I love living in Gotico, my apartment has no heat. My feet are perpetually cold, and I contend that it is the worst feeling ever.
Talk soon
I arrived to beautiful NC just in time for my dad's birthday. The surprise visit managed to stay a surprise until the end. My parents were happy and sad to see me at the same time. I kinda understood this, I guess. They got used to life without me for the past 3 months, and now, they would have to start all over again. Precious.
I was able to see most of my friends throughout the week and into the weekend. Mrs. Lockwood moved our traditional pre-Christman meatball night to Thanksgiving weekend because I was in town...yeah, that's love. I got to enjoy a little peace of fall...a tailgate, football saturday, and a bar-b-que.
My parents also decided on their trip to Europe. They're planning to take about 2 months and go just about everywhere. They are taking me along to Sevilla, Cordoba, Grenada, Morrocco, Egypt, and Saudia Arabia with them. While awesome, that adds a little fuel to me getting all my research done in time so I may enjoy all the gallavanting.
Sadly, one thing I have taken for granted was heat. While my roommates are awesome and I love living in Gotico, my apartment has no heat. My feet are perpetually cold, and I contend that it is the worst feeling ever.
Talk soon
Monday, November 22, 2010
No Shave November?
Buenas all...it's been some time since my last post and I know you all are a little curious as to what I've been doing with myself for the past few weeks. Well the answer is...lots! I'm currently laying flat on my back on my first class seat back to NC for Thanksgiving. The trip is a surprise for my parents, and hopefully I'll get in just in time for my dad's birthday dinner.
After my trip to Figueres/Cadaques/Girona, I knew it was time to buckle down. I spent about 4-5 hours in the library studying for my GMAT each day...couple that with my research at the hospital and you'll understand if I've been slow to respond to emails or return phone calls. I took the GMAT this past Friday and while I always feel I can do better, I'm pretty happy with my score and it places me in a competitive standing for the schools I'm applying to. Now on to finishing essays...
Research has been going unexpectedly well. I've been working on a Toxicology Study surrounding an overdose patient which ended up costing over 175,000 Euros and requiring 3 months of treatment in the hospital. Initially, our goal was to sum the costs associated with just emergency care, as we wanted to show alternative methods of treatment. From here, I decided to look at opportunity costs, a very “American” concept of economics as I was told. Essentially, I wanted to show the board what the hospital could have done had they not had this treatment. This includes looking at financial numbers for the average cost of patient's with the same DRG code and their average length of stay (LOS). I want to show two alternatives...the losses the hospital could have avoided in treatment (they were not reimbursed for the full cost of this patient, thus losing money...) and the number of other patients that they could have treated. I presented initial results to the Director of Toxicology at the hospital, who happens to be the top Toxicologist in Spain, and he loved the idea of opportunity cost. I'm surprised why it's not used more, especially with Socialized medicine. There is a limited amount of resources (money) and someone has to choose who is treated and when. This particular patient, who was on their third suicide attempt, cost a lot. The patient also received a liver transplant in 2 days, whereas most patients wait months on the list (sidenote, in Spain, everyone defaults to an organ donor unless they specify otherwise, even tourists..). I would hate to be the person that is in the position to prioritize care amongst the population, but I can't help to question whether the resources were best spent. How many hip surgeries could we have performed for grandmas across Spain? How many breast cancer treatments could we have provided to women? I don't know exactly where my research will go, but I hope it makes people think about alternatives. That said, I will be presenting my work in January at the National Conference on Toxicology, and soon thereafter be published in Spain's Journal of Medicine. Pretty exciting stuff (nerd alert)
I feel like I'm also settling in pretty well to life in Barça. My pace has slowed down a bit and I take more time to breathe in the experiences. More and more I feel like a local. Many people will approach me and ask me directions in Spanish, and when I reply I don't sound completely retarded! I'm keeping up with my rock climbing and soccer-ing as well. Jose just spent 500euro on new gear and we have an excursion planned when I get back from the states.
And finally, after my exam last Friday, I sat down and made a list of places I must visit/see before I leave Spain. I will measure the success of my year abroad with the number of stamps I add to my passport. Here goes:
Zaragoza, Spain – December 10-12
Rome – December 16-19
Andorra – mid-January
London/Brighton/Oxford – late January
Sevilla, Cordoba, and Granada – early February
Lisbon, Portugal, Madrid, and Marrakesh, Morocco – late February/early March
Canary Islands – mid-March
Geneva, and the Swiss Alps – late March
Mallorca/Ibiza - April/May
Prague, Czech Republic - April/May
Berlin, Germany - April/May
Cagliari, Sardegna - May
Athens, Greece
Amsterdam - May/June
Dublin, Ireland
Istanbul, Turkey – June
Nairobi, Kenya – June
Armenia/Georgia – July
Seoul, South Korea – July
Auckland, New Zealand – July
HOME - July
If any of you readers are interested in joining, let me know. Pretty pumped for the rest of my time here! Talk sooooon(er)
Ps, I haven't shaved since April...
Monday, November 8, 2010
I'm on the Pursuit of Fall
A quick play on words from Kid Cudi's song "Pursuit of Happyness" (link)...but lately, I have been on the pursuit of fall. Fall is easily my favorite season. The crisp air, the crunch of leaves beneath your feet, gameday/tailgating at UNC with friends, Indian/Pakistani Thanksgiving with my family, the first frost, cool morning runs...I could go on and on...
Unfortunately, Barcelona does not celebrate fall. The temparate climate, lack of trees, humidity, and late mornings are all new experiences which are enjoyable, but form a routine that gets tiring. The past two weekends, the rest of Team USA and I ventured outward....here are our stories:
Montserrat
Over the Dia de los Santos Puente, we took off for a daytrip to Montserrat, the Catholic Monestary outside of BCN. The train ride was long and pretty industrial, but as we turned the final corner, you could see the base of the mountains, and at the very top, Montserrat. It's a common saying that you don't pass into Catalan adulthood until you climb Montserrat to see the sunrise or the sunset. To confirm our transformation, we made our way up the 1200 stairs and twisting trails. The weather changed 20 degrees from base to peak, but for the first time in a long time, I saw greenery, trees, and the colors of the leaves. It reminded me a little of the mountains in NC...
We enjoyed a nice little picnic at the top, and proceeded to climb a few easy rock faces. After completing our circle, we spent a little time sightseeing and began our trip back home. All in all, a great break from the usual.
Girona-Cadaques-Figueres
Team USA needed out of BCN, and after some great recommendations from friends and colleagues, we rented a little VW and hit the road. Getting out of the city was a bit tricky, especially with the Pope making his way to town for the opening of La Sagrada Familia. First stop: Figueres
Figueres was Salvador Dali's hometown and the site of his museum. We arrived in Figueres, had an amazing (buffet) lunch, and walked to the museum. Unfortunately, they closed for a few hours for "unknown maintenance" so we hit the road for Cadaques.
Dali's house is right outside Cadaques, and it's where he lived til his death. He invited many famous artists to stay with him, including Pablo Picasso, Joan Miro, and Antoni Pitxot...it was a brotherhood of sorts. Cadaques is a small town on Costa Brava, known for it's rocky coast. We explored that for a solid couple hours, making our way over the caves and down to the sea. The amazing rocks are formed by the tramontane, the strong winds from the north which come for days at a time, making walking outdoors impossible.
After a coffee break, we made our way to the hotel. Our town was deserted as it's offseason in the Brava, but we were accompanied with two buses filled with retired Spaniards. After a quick bite, we passed out...exhausted from the day. Sunday morning we were on a mission to see the Dali Museum in Figueres. We got there early and spent at least 2 hours walking around. It was the definition of sensory overload, but I enjoyed learning about the strange artist from Catalonia...
Our last stop was Girona, a town 120km outside of BCN. They were wrapping up their city festival so we stopped by the tents and mercados to check out the scene. Fall in Catalonia means new tastes and smells...chestnuts, breads, and new sweets to try. Our friend Azareen showed us a little of the town, including a great Catalonian/Moraccan lunch spot, and a trendy Jack Johnsony coffee shop. Izzy spent most of her time picking up leaves to take back to BCN...I told you we missed fall...
Another week down...I've registered for my GMAT...d-day is on the horizon friends! Well wishes and positive thinking are always welcome.
Unfortunately, Barcelona does not celebrate fall. The temparate climate, lack of trees, humidity, and late mornings are all new experiences which are enjoyable, but form a routine that gets tiring. The past two weekends, the rest of Team USA and I ventured outward....here are our stories:
Montserrat
Over the Dia de los Santos Puente, we took off for a daytrip to Montserrat, the Catholic Monestary outside of BCN. The train ride was long and pretty industrial, but as we turned the final corner, you could see the base of the mountains, and at the very top, Montserrat. It's a common saying that you don't pass into Catalan adulthood until you climb Montserrat to see the sunrise or the sunset. To confirm our transformation, we made our way up the 1200 stairs and twisting trails. The weather changed 20 degrees from base to peak, but for the first time in a long time, I saw greenery, trees, and the colors of the leaves. It reminded me a little of the mountains in NC...
We enjoyed a nice little picnic at the top, and proceeded to climb a few easy rock faces. After completing our circle, we spent a little time sightseeing and began our trip back home. All in all, a great break from the usual.
Girona-Cadaques-Figueres
Team USA needed out of BCN, and after some great recommendations from friends and colleagues, we rented a little VW and hit the road. Getting out of the city was a bit tricky, especially with the Pope making his way to town for the opening of La Sagrada Familia. First stop: Figueres
Figueres was Salvador Dali's hometown and the site of his museum. We arrived in Figueres, had an amazing (buffet) lunch, and walked to the museum. Unfortunately, they closed for a few hours for "unknown maintenance" so we hit the road for Cadaques.
Dali's house is right outside Cadaques, and it's where he lived til his death. He invited many famous artists to stay with him, including Pablo Picasso, Joan Miro, and Antoni Pitxot...it was a brotherhood of sorts. Cadaques is a small town on Costa Brava, known for it's rocky coast. We explored that for a solid couple hours, making our way over the caves and down to the sea. The amazing rocks are formed by the tramontane, the strong winds from the north which come for days at a time, making walking outdoors impossible.
After a coffee break, we made our way to the hotel. Our town was deserted as it's offseason in the Brava, but we were accompanied with two buses filled with retired Spaniards. After a quick bite, we passed out...exhausted from the day. Sunday morning we were on a mission to see the Dali Museum in Figueres. We got there early and spent at least 2 hours walking around. It was the definition of sensory overload, but I enjoyed learning about the strange artist from Catalonia...
Our last stop was Girona, a town 120km outside of BCN. They were wrapping up their city festival so we stopped by the tents and mercados to check out the scene. Fall in Catalonia means new tastes and smells...chestnuts, breads, and new sweets to try. Our friend Azareen showed us a little of the town, including a great Catalonian/Moraccan lunch spot, and a trendy Jack Johnsony coffee shop. Izzy spent most of her time picking up leaves to take back to BCN...I told you we missed fall...
Another week down...I've registered for my GMAT...d-day is on the horizon friends! Well wishes and positive thinking are always welcome.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
10-year old gives birth???
There's a new story that's blowing up across Spain (click here to read) about a 10-year old girl from Romania who just gave birth in the town of Jerez, in the Andalucian province of Spain. I try not to be political. I try to make my blog something interesting to distract you friends for a minute, maybe make you smile at some of my misfortunes. But this is not okay.
The fact that their is debate to let the 10-year old keep the child is not okay. The fact that the parents of this child see nothing wrong with their daughter giving birth at 10 is not okay. I know time's are a changin', but sometimes I worry about the world our kids will grow up in.
Talk soon.
The fact that their is debate to let the 10-year old keep the child is not okay. The fact that the parents of this child see nothing wrong with their daughter giving birth at 10 is not okay. I know time's are a changin', but sometimes I worry about the world our kids will grow up in.
Talk soon.
Friday, October 29, 2010
Carolina Connections
When I tell people I'm from "carolina del norte," I never expect them to know where that is. Everyone knows the big cities...NYC, LA, DC. But North Carolina?? Wrongggg.
From day 1 in Spain, I've met plenty of people who have some attachment to the state. I've made a list of what I can remember...I guess it just shows I miss home a little:
1. My old roommate Amar was seeing a girl who grew up in NC, went to ECU, and just moved back to attend grad school at NC State. Turns out I don't know her, but we have some friends in common!
2. At orientation in Madrid, there are Fulbrighters from Davidson, UNCG, UNC, Wake Forest, and Duke.
3. My current roommate Chrstina lived in Greeneville for 1 year when she was a kid
4. Dr. Miro will be going to UNC in 2012 to research the Emergency Department Residency Program
5. Dr. Hernandez is heading to UnC in May to attend a conference on rheumatology
6. I met a girl wearing an old school Larry "GrandMaMa" Johnson Charlotte Hornets jersey. This doesn't belong here, but it was hilarious
My stolen sillyband...looks a lot like NC, no?
From day 1 in Spain, I've met plenty of people who have some attachment to the state. I've made a list of what I can remember...I guess it just shows I miss home a little:
1. My old roommate Amar was seeing a girl who grew up in NC, went to ECU, and just moved back to attend grad school at NC State. Turns out I don't know her, but we have some friends in common!
2. At orientation in Madrid, there are Fulbrighters from Davidson, UNCG, UNC, Wake Forest, and Duke.
3. My current roommate Chrstina lived in Greeneville for 1 year when she was a kid
4. Dr. Miro will be going to UNC in 2012 to research the Emergency Department Residency Program
5. Dr. Hernandez is heading to UnC in May to attend a conference on rheumatology
6. I met a girl wearing an old school Larry "GrandMaMa" Johnson Charlotte Hornets jersey. This doesn't belong here, but it was hilarious
Santander
Santander lies on the northern coast of Spain, on the Atlantic Ocean. It's known for it's beautiful sandy beachs, rocky costline, cliffs, and, at times, dreary weather. The plan this weekend was to be outdoorsy, and we were able to do just that.
We explored most of the coast, up to a sweet lighthouse hanging on one of the cliffs. The waves crash harder there...makes me miss the Atlantic just a little. There's also a large castle on an opposite cliff which was built for an English King in the 1800s...this helped spark tourism to the city.
We went climbing Thursday evening at a local bridge. We met up with 4 other Spaniards who were also scaling the 50ft bridge side. Other than a top-rope, we were clinging to small mortar holes and rock overhangs on the side of this bridge. I haven't climbed like that in years. My roommate Jose also climbs, so the next free weekend we'll make our way around Barcelona to do so. After climbing, we met up with Roger's ultimate frisbee team for some night sessions. I've never played ultimate frisbee, nor was I ever a huge fan, but I had a lot of fun, and met some cool people. About 2/3 of the folks were Spaniards, with the remainder being American Auxiliares (similar to the Fulbright English Teachers, Auxiliares are from all over the world and teach language to schoolkids in Spain).
Friday we set out on an excursion to a pueblo outside the city. There's a 150ft freestanding rock formation in the ocean that we want to work our way up to climb. It's pretty sick, but I don't think I can complete it in one piece. After exploring a small cave by the water, we made our way back to meet up with some of our friends from Madrid who made their way up. Friday night turned out to be awesome. I ran into 10 people I met at orientation and spent the night out with them. A light night led to an early morning plane back to Barcelona...
We explored most of the coast, up to a sweet lighthouse hanging on one of the cliffs. The waves crash harder there...makes me miss the Atlantic just a little. There's also a large castle on an opposite cliff which was built for an English King in the 1800s...this helped spark tourism to the city.
We went climbing Thursday evening at a local bridge. We met up with 4 other Spaniards who were also scaling the 50ft bridge side. Other than a top-rope, we were clinging to small mortar holes and rock overhangs on the side of this bridge. I haven't climbed like that in years. My roommate Jose also climbs, so the next free weekend we'll make our way around Barcelona to do so. After climbing, we met up with Roger's ultimate frisbee team for some night sessions. I've never played ultimate frisbee, nor was I ever a huge fan, but I had a lot of fun, and met some cool people. About 2/3 of the folks were Spaniards, with the remainder being American Auxiliares (similar to the Fulbright English Teachers, Auxiliares are from all over the world and teach language to schoolkids in Spain).
Friday we set out on an excursion to a pueblo outside the city. There's a 150ft freestanding rock formation in the ocean that we want to work our way up to climb. It's pretty sick, but I don't think I can complete it in one piece. After exploring a small cave by the water, we made our way back to meet up with some of our friends from Madrid who made their way up. Friday night turned out to be awesome. I ran into 10 people I met at orientation and spent the night out with them. A light night led to an early morning plane back to Barcelona...
Alicante
I decided to take the train to Alicante, mainly because there aren't really any cheap flights there. Alicante lies on the eastern coast of Spain, about halfway between Barcelona and Sevilla. Many people recommended the city, and I thoroughly enjoyed my time there.
Alicante doesn't have much to see...it's like the rest of Spain on the Mediterranean...beautiful beaches, mountains inland, and perfect weather. What enticed me was this city in no way felt like a tourist town. My friend who I stayed with lives in the barrio which is filled with nightlife and great resturants. I like to think of the city as Spain's college town...most of the inhabitants were Spaniards or ERASMUS (European Exchange Students) and the city catered mainly to them. It's one of those cities where if you lived in for more than 2 weeks, everyone would know your name. I like that about the south...people are nicer and approachable.
The main attraction in Alicante is the palace on the top of the mountain, overlooking the beach. The view was beautiful, and highly worth the climb. Other than that, I was able to see most of the city during a moderate run.
We also ventured to two other nearby cities...Bennidorm and Altea. Bennidorm is where Europe "summers." The city is relatively new with highrise apartment buildings very unlike Spain. As summer is now over, so too are the tourists. Altea is home to the largest Norewegian population outside of Norway. It's quite a city with tiny white homes all over the place.
Alicante doesn't have much to see...it's like the rest of Spain on the Mediterranean...beautiful beaches, mountains inland, and perfect weather. What enticed me was this city in no way felt like a tourist town. My friend who I stayed with lives in the barrio which is filled with nightlife and great resturants. I like to think of the city as Spain's college town...most of the inhabitants were Spaniards or ERASMUS (European Exchange Students) and the city catered mainly to them. It's one of those cities where if you lived in for more than 2 weeks, everyone would know your name. I like that about the south...people are nicer and approachable.
The main attraction in Alicante is the palace on the top of the mountain, overlooking the beach. The view was beautiful, and highly worth the climb. Other than that, I was able to see most of the city during a moderate run.
We also ventured to two other nearby cities...Bennidorm and Altea. Bennidorm is where Europe "summers." The city is relatively new with highrise apartment buildings very unlike Spain. As summer is now over, so too are the tourists. Altea is home to the largest Norewegian population outside of Norway. It's quite a city with tiny white homes all over the place.
Friday, October 15, 2010
Shopping...kinda
I'm not a big shopper. Most of the clothes I have were purchased by my mom or sister…I accredit them for my taste. But in an effort to fit in a bit more, I started making what I call "European" additions to my wardrobe. A few problems with this:
1. Clothes in Spain are fairly cheap. And cheap price is, unfortunately, synonymous with cheap quality. Sure they are trendy, and they are designed to do just that. Last as a trend, fall apart after 4 washes, requiring you to buy new stuff next season. That's fine, but I'm used to buying things that last. My favorite shirt is probably 10 years old. Nothing bought in Spain will last that long.
2. Sizes. I hate trying on clothes. Sizing here varies tremendously from store to store. They have different size socks, and a medium is more like a small. And if you pick up the wrong size, go home and try it on, and come back to exchange it, you're outta luck. Returns/exchanges aren't very common, so make sure you like what you are buying…you're getting exactly (and only) what you paid for…
3. I will never, til the day I die, understand why there are 3 H&Ms, 3 Zaras, 2 Cort de Ingles, and 3 Mango department stores all within 100 yards of each other. Seriously, I can walk out of Zara and see the competing Zara across the street, five stores down. It makes no sense, but what do I know…
4. We all know Europeans dress fashionably (read: differently). That's great, except I have a personal problem shopping in a store where I can't tell where the men's section ends and the women's begins. It's especially difficult with pants. Skinny jeans are in for men, as are baggy-ish jeans for women. When you put them right next to each other, the poor American will get confused…
The Art of the Puente
I'm not sure if "puente" has any real meaning, but next to actual holidays, it is Spain's favorite day. Well, that's because puentes are actually the day next to the holiday.
For instance, Tuesday, Oct 12th was a holiday here in Spain. I'm not completely sure if it was to commemorate Columbus Day or a festival in Zaragoza, but it automatically made Monday, Oct 11th the puente. And on puentes, people don't work. Many shops are closed, business take off, and people enjoy the long weekend.
Apparently if a holiday falls on a Tuesday or Thursday, the puente will automatically be the Monday or Friday. The Monday puente is ideal when you couple it with the customary Friday half-day. If you plan it right, you're looking at a 4.5 day weekend.
I asked my roommates what happens if the holiday is on Wednesday. They laughed and said "que piensas?!" (what do you think?!?)
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Down to Business
It's been a little over a month and things are finally starting to sink in/settle down. There are still plenty of distractions (fiestas), but I'm getting into a little "routine," especially at work. My goal for the first 2 months while I'm studying/completing applications is to get about 20 hours of work in at the hospital, and scale up to a full-time schedule eventually.
I'm working directly with Maria Asenjo, the Cap'de Econoadministritiva in the Emergency Department, roughly the same position as an Administrative Director. She's very smart (MBA from ESADE), very well connected (husband is the CEO of another hospital outside BCN), and extremely nice. Unfortunately, she is also very busy, especially with all of the changes that are going on in the department.
Since my unofficial title at the hospital is "Interno de Econoadministritiva," I've been asked to help conduct a few analyses for a few of the physicians in the department. One, which has been quite interesting, is the economic cost of psychiatric overdose patients. I'm working specifically on one case, organizing direct and indirect costs, and analyzing the outcomes of procedures. It's interesting because the patient has tried to committ suicide 3 times, with her latest try destroying her liver. Because she was young, she was put on the top of the liver transplant list and had an operation within 2 days, while others on the list wait months. Because of the reimbursment structure, the hospital lost a lot of money on this specific patient, who will likely (statistically speaking) try suicide again. Moreover, this patient used resources which could have been spent on others. Public healthcare draws lines, and while I'm not drawing it, the research I'm doing will help to quantify the resources spent to keep these types of patients alive.
Another study I'm involved in is on the cost of Acute Heart Failure descompensation in Spain. I'll be crunching numbers again, but it looks like I have the opportunity to be published in 3 articles while here on my Fulbright (the 2 mentioned above and one of my own). I guess that's pretty exciting, even though I never saw myself as an actual researcher.
What's funny is I'm realizing that help isn't free, even in Spain. I'm apart of a barter system and where I give a little, I get a little. For helping Maria, she has offered me use of her cabin in the mountains for a ski trip this winter. My roommates were stoked to here this, especially as we began planning a few trips together. Dr. Miro has baited me with all of his connections and the opportunity to visit other hospitals, including one in the Canary Islands, San Sebastian, Cordoba, and Alicante. I can't say no to that...
This weekend has been fairly chill. I've been cooking a lot more and got back on my running regiment. I'm signing up for a lot of upcoming races across Spain as it will be a great opportunity to supplement my travel. Talk soon
I'm working directly with Maria Asenjo, the Cap'de Econoadministritiva in the Emergency Department, roughly the same position as an Administrative Director. She's very smart (MBA from ESADE), very well connected (husband is the CEO of another hospital outside BCN), and extremely nice. Unfortunately, she is also very busy, especially with all of the changes that are going on in the department.
Since my unofficial title at the hospital is "Interno de Econoadministritiva," I've been asked to help conduct a few analyses for a few of the physicians in the department. One, which has been quite interesting, is the economic cost of psychiatric overdose patients. I'm working specifically on one case, organizing direct and indirect costs, and analyzing the outcomes of procedures. It's interesting because the patient has tried to committ suicide 3 times, with her latest try destroying her liver. Because she was young, she was put on the top of the liver transplant list and had an operation within 2 days, while others on the list wait months. Because of the reimbursment structure, the hospital lost a lot of money on this specific patient, who will likely (statistically speaking) try suicide again. Moreover, this patient used resources which could have been spent on others. Public healthcare draws lines, and while I'm not drawing it, the research I'm doing will help to quantify the resources spent to keep these types of patients alive.
Another study I'm involved in is on the cost of Acute Heart Failure descompensation in Spain. I'll be crunching numbers again, but it looks like I have the opportunity to be published in 3 articles while here on my Fulbright (the 2 mentioned above and one of my own). I guess that's pretty exciting, even though I never saw myself as an actual researcher.
What's funny is I'm realizing that help isn't free, even in Spain. I'm apart of a barter system and where I give a little, I get a little. For helping Maria, she has offered me use of her cabin in the mountains for a ski trip this winter. My roommates were stoked to here this, especially as we began planning a few trips together. Dr. Miro has baited me with all of his connections and the opportunity to visit other hospitals, including one in the Canary Islands, San Sebastian, Cordoba, and Alicante. I can't say no to that...
This weekend has been fairly chill. I've been cooking a lot more and got back on my running regiment. I'm signing up for a lot of upcoming races across Spain as it will be a great opportunity to supplement my travel. Talk soon
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Casual Sunday
The past few days have been a whirlwind. I feel like so much has happened, but nothing at all. A few quick stories:
On Tuesday, I arrived at the police station to apply for my NIE (Residency Card). This was my second attempt, and although I got there at 7:30am (1.5 hours before they opened), I found myself somewhere around number 150 in line. Great. I humored myself, got in the second line, and crossed my fingers I would be seen before my 11am meeting at the hospital. Unknowingly, I sat next to a fellow American student who was studying Spanish at the University. She was number 1 in our line. I was number 77. Great. We talked a little about our experiences in the city thus far and what exactly brought us here. This was her second go-round in BCN and she was accustomed to the pace. Unfortunately, she was missing an important form (the Empadronamiento mentioned earlier) that was required for the NIE. I knew my meeting at the hospital was much more important that obtaining my residency (I've been waiting 2 weeks to meet with Maria, the Economist/Administrative Head of the ED), but I was so close. My American friend saw my unrest and out of nowhere, traded numbers with me. Not two minutes later, they called my (her) number and I was off. I thanked her immensely but never got her name. Phantom American friend...if we ever meet again, I owe you a cafe amb llet! When the lady in the office looked through my papers, she gave me a little trouble for not having any documentation from the hospital. I actually have this, just forgot to print it out (oops). I pleaded with her, showed my dimple/half smile, and 10 minutes later, received my NIE (errr certificate...I have to go pick the actual card up in 30 days at some office on the other side of town).
That day at the hospital, I had a very fruitful meeting with Maria. It was more of a job interview. We talked through my resume and my experiences in healthcare. I had 0 question time, but she asked me to give the Medical Director of the ED a presentation on some of the work I have done. In English. Sweet...time to prove my worth. Later, I was invited to a meeting with the Chairman and CEO of the hospital. They both looked at me funny, but acknowledged my presence as we talked about flu vaccines.
I stayed with my friends Ted and Isabella for one last night as a couch surfer. As I cooked dinner for all my previous hosts, I decided to grill up a feast for the three of us. Grilled chicken, asparagus, bell peppers, and onions, along with real mashed potatoes, chocolate cake and ice cream. Not very Spanish of me, but it made us all nostalgic for home and the glories for fall football and tailgates.
I (finally, after 15 long days of surfing around) moved into my flat with Jose, Christina, and Elena. They are great roommates and I'll post pics soon. I'm living in the very center of town which has its pluses and minuses. Pluses: I can always find food, there's always something to do, I live a short 15 minute walk from everywhere. Minuses: I can always find food, it stays pretty loud until late, and the shops and their metal shutters open early. Also, I'm right next to the cathedral, with a bell that chimes every 15 minutes. Haven't decided if that's a plus or a minus...
I went to a Spanish rendition of Khalil Gibran's "The Prophet" with a friend from the hospital. I'm trying to take advantage of every opportunity I can to improve my comprehension, including watching Spanish TV. The play was very well done, and I understood about 75% of what was going on. I'm adding the poem on my list of books to read...
The other night a group of us got together to attend the Festival de Les Corts, one of the barrios in Barcelona. Ted and Isabella's friends from San Francisco were performing swing music with the Barcelona Big Blues Band. Barcelonians, both young and old, have an immense love for music. All types of music. My roommates play everything from Jack Johnson to Eagle Eye Cherry (not just "Save Tonight") to Frank Sinatra in the house. I'm starting to think I picked the right city..
Today was Sunday Funday. As part of our tradition, we went out in search for Paella. Izzy worked her bargaining magic (somos estudiantes pobres) and got us bread, salad, paella, drinks, dessert, and cafe all for 10Euros. The sign on the door said 17Euros...
After our lunch, we made our way to the beach for the annual air show. I've never seen so many amazing flyovers in my life. There had to be over 100 planes, jets and 747s included, flying over the Mediterranean. We joined another group of immigrant students in an epic game of beach volleyball, and watched the sun begin to set on our weekend.
This week's goal is to try and form some sort of routine. This will prove difficult, as the next 3 weeks are anything but routine.
Talk soon
On Tuesday, I arrived at the police station to apply for my NIE (Residency Card). This was my second attempt, and although I got there at 7:30am (1.5 hours before they opened), I found myself somewhere around number 150 in line. Great. I humored myself, got in the second line, and crossed my fingers I would be seen before my 11am meeting at the hospital. Unknowingly, I sat next to a fellow American student who was studying Spanish at the University. She was number 1 in our line. I was number 77. Great. We talked a little about our experiences in the city thus far and what exactly brought us here. This was her second go-round in BCN and she was accustomed to the pace. Unfortunately, she was missing an important form (the Empadronamiento mentioned earlier) that was required for the NIE. I knew my meeting at the hospital was much more important that obtaining my residency (I've been waiting 2 weeks to meet with Maria, the Economist/Administrative Head of the ED), but I was so close. My American friend saw my unrest and out of nowhere, traded numbers with me. Not two minutes later, they called my (her) number and I was off. I thanked her immensely but never got her name. Phantom American friend...if we ever meet again, I owe you a cafe amb llet! When the lady in the office looked through my papers, she gave me a little trouble for not having any documentation from the hospital. I actually have this, just forgot to print it out (oops). I pleaded with her, showed my dimple/half smile, and 10 minutes later, received my NIE (errr certificate...I have to go pick the actual card up in 30 days at some office on the other side of town).
That day at the hospital, I had a very fruitful meeting with Maria. It was more of a job interview. We talked through my resume and my experiences in healthcare. I had 0 question time, but she asked me to give the Medical Director of the ED a presentation on some of the work I have done. In English. Sweet...time to prove my worth. Later, I was invited to a meeting with the Chairman and CEO of the hospital. They both looked at me funny, but acknowledged my presence as we talked about flu vaccines.
I stayed with my friends Ted and Isabella for one last night as a couch surfer. As I cooked dinner for all my previous hosts, I decided to grill up a feast for the three of us. Grilled chicken, asparagus, bell peppers, and onions, along with real mashed potatoes, chocolate cake and ice cream. Not very Spanish of me, but it made us all nostalgic for home and the glories for fall football and tailgates.
I (finally, after 15 long days of surfing around) moved into my flat with Jose, Christina, and Elena. They are great roommates and I'll post pics soon. I'm living in the very center of town which has its pluses and minuses. Pluses: I can always find food, there's always something to do, I live a short 15 minute walk from everywhere. Minuses: I can always find food, it stays pretty loud until late, and the shops and their metal shutters open early. Also, I'm right next to the cathedral, with a bell that chimes every 15 minutes. Haven't decided if that's a plus or a minus...
I went to a Spanish rendition of Khalil Gibran's "The Prophet" with a friend from the hospital. I'm trying to take advantage of every opportunity I can to improve my comprehension, including watching Spanish TV. The play was very well done, and I understood about 75% of what was going on. I'm adding the poem on my list of books to read...
The other night a group of us got together to attend the Festival de Les Corts, one of the barrios in Barcelona. Ted and Isabella's friends from San Francisco were performing swing music with the Barcelona Big Blues Band. Barcelonians, both young and old, have an immense love for music. All types of music. My roommates play everything from Jack Johnson to Eagle Eye Cherry (not just "Save Tonight") to Frank Sinatra in the house. I'm starting to think I picked the right city..
Today was Sunday Funday. As part of our tradition, we went out in search for Paella. Izzy worked her bargaining magic (somos estudiantes pobres) and got us bread, salad, paella, drinks, dessert, and cafe all for 10Euros. The sign on the door said 17Euros...
2010 Barcelona Air Show
This week's goal is to try and form some sort of routine. This will prove difficult, as the next 3 weeks are anything but routine.
Talk soon
La Mercé
"Many are the visitors who come to Barcelona and quite a few, on a repeat visit, have even succeeded in discovering the most hidden corners of the city. However, only those who have been here during La Mercè can claim to know the city inside-out. This is when the soul of the city is shown in the clearest way. The festival mixes the latest street events, music and dance with deeprooted traditions, including gunpowder and Mediterranean fireworks. Do you really want to get to know Barcelona? We are waiting for you at La Mercè."
That's what the brochure says. I feel lucky to have experienced two of these festivals but feel nowhere near competent enough to guide myself through the city without my iPhone. Here are a few things I learned about the people of Barcelona:
Fireworks off of the Capitol Building...with 100,000+ people below
Fire Walk
1. Barcelonians love fire(works)
The city spent millions of euros on pyrotechnics. There were fireworks on the beach every night, with a grand 1 hour finale at Plaza Espanya in conjunction with a laser, water, and music show which over 300,000 people attended.
One of the traditions of the festival is the "fire walk." This took place at dusk on Saturday on calle de La Laietana. The significance is to show the doors of hell opening and the demons and fire which lie inside. So, demons "escape" from the float and come out into the street with massive sparklers, fireworks, dragon creatures, and flames, making their way to the crowd. I have a burnt t-shirt to prove it.
My man Daby Tourè rocked the stage (clip here)
2. Barcelonians love live music
Every night the festival had live music running on 4-5 stages set up across the city. Music and performances started early in the afternoon and would run non-stop until 3-4am. The guest city at this year's Merce was Dakkar, Senegal, so I was lucky to hear some of their music. Also present was a salsa band, an 80s-90s American Rock cover band, famous Spanish rock groups, a Catalan group, and some Reggaeton. This was the best free concert that didn't cost $10 I have ever been to (funny how I can still laugh at that).
Competicion de Castellers
Homegirl was in the zone. And praying. Bravery knows no age.
3. Barcelonians love to be different
This festival is not national. It's specific to Catalonia, the province/autonomous state where Barcelona lies. One key event is the "castellers," or human towers. I was "lucky" enough to be used as part of the base support for the Castellers de Vilafranca, the defending Catalonian champions. Being part of the base means you have people climb/walk on your shoulders, and should the tower collapse, you help support the fall. I don't think I've ever been as nervous in my life. No training, nothing. A single sneeze could ruin it and cause a poor 4 year old child to come tumbling 9 stories to the ground (which happened to the team before us, but the show went on). Regardless, it was an amazing experience and I was lucky to have participated
There's so much more the festival. I hope you all can experience it one day. A little secret...after Merce last fall, I decided to choose Barcelona as the city to base my research out of. Talk soon.
Friday, September 24, 2010
I live in Barcelona!
Wait, you already know that. But now, I'm almost official. For all new residents in Spain, within the first 30 days, they must register (or empadronar) at "city hall" with their living address. The form/process is called obtaining your empadronamiento and requires quite a bit of paperwork.
My process took two trips and a lot of waiting in line. The first trip was to obtain the form, which I gave to Christina (roommate) to fill out and attach her resident card. The second trip was taking this filled out form, my Visa and Passport, and getting my empadronamiento. A few of my friends had a little trouble with this, and I was getting nervous because I needed this form to apply for my NIE, which must be done before Sept30. I waited in line and finally a grey-haired man called my number. When he saw I was a "researcher," he asked what I was doing. After I explained my project, his eyes grew wide with interest. He pulled me close to him and said, "I'm in healthcare too!" Now I'm thinking this guy is on crack. Why, if you are in healthcare, are you working at the town hall office? Turns out the guy is an auditory therapist and he can help heal people by producing certain sounds close to their body. He kept saying "the medicine of the future!!!"
I humored him as long as I could (for about 45 minutes). He pulled out a CD and asked me to listen to it twice and email him my thoughts (yes, hippies have email). From what I gathered by the cover, the CD is of dolphin squeals at 432 Hz...I'll let you know if it changes my life. Finally, we get to my paperwork. He looks at my passport, filled with stamps from all over the world, and was enamored. He's only left Spain once to travel to none other than New Orleans, the place I lived long ago. He types a few lines in his computer, prints out my certificates, shakes my hand, and wishes me good luck with my work. I'm finiding Spain's pace refreshing. Lesson learned...take interest in people's lives, you never know how they will influence yours.
Talk soon
My process took two trips and a lot of waiting in line. The first trip was to obtain the form, which I gave to Christina (roommate) to fill out and attach her resident card. The second trip was taking this filled out form, my Visa and Passport, and getting my empadronamiento. A few of my friends had a little trouble with this, and I was getting nervous because I needed this form to apply for my NIE, which must be done before Sept30. I waited in line and finally a grey-haired man called my number. When he saw I was a "researcher," he asked what I was doing. After I explained my project, his eyes grew wide with interest. He pulled me close to him and said, "I'm in healthcare too!" Now I'm thinking this guy is on crack. Why, if you are in healthcare, are you working at the town hall office? Turns out the guy is an auditory therapist and he can help heal people by producing certain sounds close to their body. He kept saying "the medicine of the future!!!"
I humored him as long as I could (for about 45 minutes). He pulled out a CD and asked me to listen to it twice and email him my thoughts (yes, hippies have email). From what I gathered by the cover, the CD is of dolphin squeals at 432 Hz...I'll let you know if it changes my life. Finally, we get to my paperwork. He looks at my passport, filled with stamps from all over the world, and was enamored. He's only left Spain once to travel to none other than New Orleans, the place I lived long ago. He types a few lines in his computer, prints out my certificates, shakes my hand, and wishes me good luck with my work. I'm finiding Spain's pace refreshing. Lesson learned...take interest in people's lives, you never know how they will influence yours.
Talk soon
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Raval
Back in the day (and until about 25 years ago), Raval was a tough neighborhood. It was filled with immigrants, the working class, drugs, and prostitution. All those things can still be found here, but it's a neighborhook I really like with tons of culture. The food in this area is amazing. You can get great Indian, Pakistani (they are different), Chinese, and Turksih food. Bakeries are everywhere, as are trendy shops for the average person. It's still close to many tourist attractions (I can walk to Las Ramblas in about 2 minutes), but you feel a world away. The only time you see tourists here are when they are lost, because there isn't much in the "guidebooks" to see.
Tomorrow starts the grand festival of Merce. Talk soon.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Paella
There are 2 main types of Paella in Spain...pre-made and fresh. There are companies that make the Paella, flash freeze it, and sell it to all the touristy restuarants on Las Ramblas for unsuspecting travellers. We do not fall into this category.
The best Paella is found in Barceloneta (the seafront area of Barcelona), in small mom & pop restuarants that keep serving you food until you pass out. Also, many of the best places only make the dish once a week, on Sundays. And if the place is really good, all the locals know about it and the dish is gone by 3pm.
The place we went to last week had a sign charging 15.50 euros/person. That, even for Spain, is a little ridiculous. We went inside and once the realized we weren´t tourists, the price automatically went down to 8 euros...awesome. After waiting about 1.5 hours and munching on crab croquettes, fish, and "surprise pimientos" (the surprise is 1 out of every 10 pimientos are extra spicy, sorry, I ruined it...), we finally received our Paella. It was glorious. Easily the best meal I have had in Spain. Words can not describe it, but I can´t wait for next Sunday.
To top off the weekend, we went to the beach for the next 3-4 hours. The weather has been pretty rainy/dreary lately so it was nice to work on my tan (haha...tan). Monday morning means back to the grind. I have a few meetings set up at work and Dr. Miró and Maria have asked my assistance in a few of their projects. They are changing the department from a service-based (Medical ED on one floor, Surgical ED on another, Psych ED somewhere far far away) to acuity-based model (Resuscitation here, Urgent/Non-Urgent there). I also get to provide my two cents for the new ED they are building which is scheduled to open in 2014. Sounds cool, but I also have a lot of research I need to jump on in the next month. Hopefully I can keep my air of competence awhile longer.
Talk soon
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Progress!
The past 24 hours have probably been the best so far in terms of progress. The past week I’ve been focused solely on finding an apartment, which turned out to be insanely difficult. 2 reasons:
1. September is typically the time when many university students and visiting scholars come to Barcelona. The flux in demand somehow turns into a seller’s market. One place I called was listed for rent at 10am and by the time I called at 1pm it had already been leased for the year.
2. I’m picky, and rightfully so. I’m not in college so I have no reason to live in a dump, especially for the next 9 months. I also wanted to live with native Spaniards, which turned out to be pretty difficult. And finally, I wanted my own double bed in a room larger than a closet with a window. Not too much to ask, right?
After viewing at least 20 flats, I found the one. Tuesday night at 10:15 I go to see the flat and end up being interviewed by the 3 roommates. They didn’t care if I liked the place; they only cared if they liked me. Great. I was grilled with questions for nearly 30 minutes and they finally showed me around. The room was large, with a terrace, a double bed, huge bathroom (shared), nice living room, in the center of the Born/Gotico District (old town Barcelona). Furthermore, the roommates were perfect. All 3 were between 28-31 and native Spaniards. Elena is a ballet instructor from the South of Spain; they guy (nombre?) is an architect from Madrid, and I forgot what Christina does.
I charmed the hell out of them. I was smart, funny, and just plain awesome. It helped that Christina lived in NC for a year growing up. Maturity is a different age in Spain. Since it typically takes Spaniards longer to finish school, someone who is 24-25 isn’t considered an adult, they are usually a fresh graduate who goes crazy and parties. I, on the other hand, am and old soul. Most people think I’m 30-ish anyways so it’s only fitting. I leave the apartment about 45 minutes later like the most awkward end to a first date ever. I’m not sure if they like me, if they’ll call me, will there be a second date? I don’t know…I just didn’t know. I get home and my phone rings. It’s Christina. She says “Hi Kam, wanted to let you know so you can sleep easy tonight…the place is yours! We would love for you to join our family!” VICTORY! I found the perfect piso!!!
That wasn’t the only good that has happened in the past 24 hours. Derek, TJ, Alex, and Will booked their tickets to come to Spain in Feb-March. We’re hopefully going to make a trip to Lisbon and Marrakesh. Danny will likely join as well. LH and her sister are also planning a little visit around early January. I love hearing these good things from you all is it makes me feel less distant from home. Think of the Atlantic as a large puddle…all you have to do is jump it!
I went to the bank today to retrieve my ATM card which I ordered last week. I spoke with my man/banker Arnau for a quick minute, asked him how is vacation was, etc. etc. I’ve learned that you have to take a legitimate interest in people’s lives here. Afterwards, I asked him about some of the fees on my account. The bank charged me 10Euros to give them money, ridiculous, I know. He felt guilty, and gave me a refund! Without asking, I got the hook up!
Best part of today was my first day at work. I’ve been pretty antsy to get started and settle down into some sort of “normal” routine. I had my first meeting with Dr. Miro today and we sat and talked about my research plans and goals over the year. We began discussing Spanish healthcare in general, and I realized I have a lot to learn. The system is so different here. I’m doing my research at the top research hospital in Spain with the largest ED (over 70 beds, 120,000 patient visits per year). The staff were very excited that I chose them and were honored to help out a Fulbrighter.
Dr. Miro introduced me to 3 other individuals who I will work closely with. Dr. Joan Salmeron was the Medical Director of the ED and he approved my research last year. He has now been promoted to the Assistant Medical Director at the Hospital Clinic. Dr. Miguel Sanchez is the new Medical Director of the ED. He’s a guy I emailed last year when I thought of this proposal but never heard back from. Small world! And finally, Maria Asenjo, the Administrator of the ED who will be my top contact.
Aside from meeting all of these very accomplished individuals, Dr. Miro made a few calls and opened up possibilities for me to extend my research. He is the Editor in Chief of Spain’s National Journal on Emergency Medicine so all the top researchers submit articles for publication to him. He made calls to colleagues in the Canary Islands (off the coast of Africa), Andorra (small Principality between Spain and France), Cordoba (Southern Spain), Valencia (South of Barca), and Basque Country (between Spain and France). All have invited me to visit their facilities for 1-2 weeks to see the differences in departments between regions. This is awesome because I wanted to travel to all of these regions and I have fellow Fulbrighters living in many of the cities so there is a lot of potential. I already wrote to the Commission for extra funds…hopefully it all works out.
I also had my first menu del dia today. The menu is typically a fixed 1st and 2nd course with a dessert served during lunch (from 2p-4p). It’s typically very filling as lunch is the most important meal of the day in Spain. Afterwards, I completely understand why Spain has siestas. I couldn’t keep my eyes open. No studying today…I made too much progress and headed home to my couch.
Tonight will be a little sad. I’m moving out of my flat with Paula and Amar. I’ve gotten to know them very well and I know they will continue to remain close friends of mine. Maria has been nice enough to put me up until my flat is available…she lives on the beach so I don’t expect the next few weeks to be extremely productive. My friend Esther from Stockamp is in town so I’m meeting her for dinner. What a day…talk soon friends.
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