Not much

Sorry for not writing but there's not much to write about (thanks G!) as this is a busy but calm month, if you know what I mean.

The local freecycle newsgroup that I've opened is getting busy with more that 350 member and is a nice feeling to know that I'm doing something for the community where I live. The idea of freecycle is to encourage people to recycle by giving away things that they don't need instead of throwing things away as most people do here. The concept of recycling is pretty new here and I'm glad that I'm doing my bit spreading the idea. People do throw away perfectly good things in Bristol too but here there's no such things as charity shops where you can take your old whatever so... imagine the waste!

The job is still ok. I did cut down 2 hours on Tuesdays' morning because I didn't get along with the students and they were cancelling far too many classes. I think I can get along with most people and I'm very professional about that, but the fact is that I hate waking up early and they were cancelling far too many classes so I woke up for nothing. So at the end I value more my sleep and decided to give that class up.
To my own surprise, I'm still enjoying teaching and my boss tells me that the rate of cancellation was way down since I'm here, meaning that I'm keeping people motivated to attend the lessons, which is half of the job as people usually starts with great enthusiasm and then after a few months get bored and quit.
I don't like all the driving everywhere as driving is stressing but for now is too much of a hassle to start really looking for another job.

Ate the moment I'm trying to understand how the education system really work here as we have to enrol P. in a secondary school before April. The system is further complicated by the fact that we live in an Autonomous Community whose laws are not necessary the same as the rest of Spain. So far I know that education is compulsory until children are16 years-old, is called secondary education (as the O levels) and then people can choose to go on to do a bachillerato (sort of the A levels) if they want to go on to university, or choose a more practical thing. After the basic things get complicated in that schools can be state owned or not, a mix of both, religious, non-religious, with Spanish as the main language or Catalan, English, Japanese, German, etc. Sadly there's not such thing as a table for school's performance but some are horrible and some good, the problem is how to know which one as we don't know who to ask or whose opinion to trust!
So, I'm busy researching our options and believe me... information is hard to find here.

Doña Cuaresma

Once Carnival ends here there another tradition for Lent, is called Doña Cuaresma o Mrs. Lent. She's represented an old woman with 7 legs carrying the tale of a cod, as this one here from a 18th century engrave.
I think the tradition came as a visual helper so illiterate people could properly count the weeks of Lent until Semana Santa or Easter week starts, as the custom is to take one leg off every Friday until Doña Cuaresma has no legs.

Here the Carnaval finishes with a sort of mock funeral called "el entierro de la sardina" the burial of the sardine, when people dress in black and in a pretend sort of burial burn a paper or wood sculture of a sardine that represent the end of the good pagan times. Then Mrs. Lent, Doña Cuaresma, takes over and all goes back to normal for a few days until is time for all the Spanish drama of Semana Santa. She's also carrying the tail of a cod as a reminder that people shouldn't eat meat for all those days.

I love the fact that I'm still discovering new traditions and things going on here.
I asked "the husband" to cook at least once a month and on Saturday he prepared one recipe from our Catalan Cuisine recipe book. Something that people use here to kick-start Lent. He prepared a fantastic deep-fried cod very special as the batter was made with flour and honey. Just that, mix flour and enough honey to get a runny batter, then dip the cod and fry it. It wasn't as sweet as it sounded an it was totally delicious.

Ghosts of Spain

I've just started reading Ghosts of Spain by G. Tremlett, a British author. Is a must read if you're at all interesting in Spain as a country or culture as it gives you an insight into the country's history, culture and then some.
It has a bit of condensed history, the 500 years under Moors' rules, the civil war, Franco, even the Madrid bombing by Islamic fundamentalist very recently etc. It also provides some cultural commentaries from the Anglo-Saxon point of view. Is informative and also funny.

As the books is bound to create controversy and is written in very elegant English, I'm planing to use part of it with my advance students, as the Spaniards are very amused about how other people see them and this is a subject that is bound to create some discussion among them.

Carnival and political correctness

Carnival here is is not only for children to get fancy dresses and some extra fun at school. Is for the whole community to enjoy some fun and debauchery before lend. And unlike Great Britain where all communal events are somehow sanitized in order not offend anybody or scare children psyche for ever here they don't give a damn for political correctness, they don't even try.

Look at this picture of the carnival main event in the local central square in the village of Vilanova i la Geltrú at 7pm. A friend of mine took part and he's the first one behind the mail orator, the one just behind the penis. Yes, a penis, and check the other card! The lovely porno pictures at the back were there for everybody to see, even young children. Sex is considered a normal part of life here. Amazing!
Apparently they're reproductions of originals being used in the 17th century that were kept in the council house. Antiques.

Is also interesting to note that in more or less a month from now, this same people will be parading down the street in a very dark and sad mood with symbols of dead and torture in memory of the crucifixion. And immediately after that is the celebration of the resurrection on Easter Sunday.