So it’s July 11th. In a flash of a month, the World Cup has finished. I managed to jot down a few thoughts after the first week of the tournament, but couldn’t find time to get them posted. Three weeks later, it feels more like three months. Why? I’ve been a bit preoccupied.
Two weeks ago, I enrolled in intensive Spanish classes, and since June 26th, I’ve spent my mornings in a little language school just off La Plaza de la Reina. Classes are from 9.30-1.30, then I have to teach at Casa Americana in the evenings. The sudden change in my schedule has caught me by surprise, but I’ve adjusted finally, and have even managed to stay current on visits to the gym, too.
Babylon Idomas is the name of the school, and I’m glad I’m in there. On my initial interview, I had a brief conversation with an instructor who ultimately put me in a advanced intermediate level, level 4 out of 6. The first week was particularly tough, as I was a bit intimidated by my classmates and my teacher. Everyone seemed to know quite a bit more than me. There’s a Dutch girl, two German girls, a Russian guy, and a Swedish guy. There was an American girl who tended to complain about Spain at every opportunity, so I was kind of glad when she didn’t return for the second week.
In my first class, we jumped right in to subjuntivo, which has driven many non-native Spanish speakers crazy. I wouldn’t consider Sr. Subjuntivo to be my friend, but I’ve been more or less able to hold my own. After the first week, I felt much less intimidated around my classmates. True, they all seem to be able to speak better than me, but I discovered that most have just finished an Erasmus experience, so have had a bit more exposure to Spanish than I have.
I’ve given an oral report on Punk (hazlo tú mismo…DIY) and learn something cool every day, even when my ability to comprehend sometimes just up and takes a break without my permission. (This, er, actually happens more than I care to admit. There’s nothing quite like just standing there, everything seemingly going ok, when suddenly, you don’t have the slightest idea what anyone is saying.)
Last Friday, I discovered that one of my teachers, Lourdes, was born in Sevilla, but raised in Ireland. She speaks exactly like Andrea Corr, and that alone is enough to keep me blushing throughout class (not that she speaks Spanish with an Irish accent). She happens to resemble Ms. Corr, also, which has helped my attendance.
The experience is just what I need at this stage of my time in Spain. No, I probably don’t deserve points for timing, as I finish my classes at the end of July, then head to the US for a few weeks during August. However, there was no other time for me to take classes.
The feeling of having a full day over the past couple of weeks has really been great. On several occasions, I’ve left the house at 8am, and returned around midnight. It’s nice to know that I haven’t gotten completely complacent with 20 hour work weeks over the past four months. I can still get up and get things done.
Now, it’s hot as shit in Valencia, and there’s simply no polite way to put it. The heat can be so awful that you find yourself wanting to say every bad word you’ve ever learned in your life all at once…to your mother. (not that one would be so foolish)
Seriously, it becomes increasingly difficult not to burst into tears when you find yourself, on a crowded metro, soaked to the skin with sweat, five stops away from your destination. I’ve long since abandoned the idea of trying to keep neat, fresh and tidy on the way to class. I’m just going to be a sweaty bastard, and everyone can just deal with it.
I had taken to dressing in very little around the house, until my sister quietly pointed out that Daniel kept trying to go around without a shirt on. Now, I leave the sans shirt trick for times on the terrace. We’re still working on a solution to when I wear a towel to and from the shower. Sometimes, I stop off in the kitchen to make a coffee, and one day, my nephew saw me, stripped off, then put a small towel around himself and said, “Somos iguales!” Um, we might need to change that trend.
I’ve been amazed at the effect the heat has on others in Valencia. Most folks seem to look fresher than I do, but it’s not as if they like the heat any better. Last weekend, the Pope came to Valencia, and I had to wonder just who thought that one and a half days out in the incredible heat listening to the Pope would be a good idea. Yet, one million people came for the event.
In college, Pablo once told me of a nightmare he’d had where all the Catholics got herded onto a cattle car of a train. Last Friday on the metro, I lived this nightmare, but knew I was the only smiling protestant on the train.
A visit from the Pope is significant, and I respected the matter greatly. That said, I wasn’t too keen on a hot, sweaty city becoming more crowded with a bunch of visitors. For most of last week, the city prepared for a two day shutdown. Security was at a high level, and many areas were blocked off. It was most unfortunate, then, when Valencia experienced a tragic accident on the metro five days before the Pope arrived. 40 plus people were killed, and exactly the kind of thing that adds a lot of tension to a pretty tense situation already.
But that was last week. Monday, the metros were running again, the Pope’s visit was more or less a success, and the streets, the city, are more or less back to normal. And we will always remember the victims of the metro accident.
July in Valencia tends to be a pretty slow time, as everyone suffers through the heat and prepares for their August vacations. I’m one of those individuals who is sweating things out for a few more weeks until August 4th, when I head to Dallas for three weeks. I won’t miss the incredible heat in Valencia, but believe that it’s likely just as hot in Dallas.
Despite the heat, August is always a cool month for me, because club soccer resumes. Yep, we’re four weeks away from the return of Premiership, Bundesliga, Serie A, La Liga, and Ligue 1.
So now for the soccer moment.
Chris emailed me a couple of weeks back and said, “what am I going to do after the World Cup…until August?” Exactly.
Football is football, and it’s a necessity. After group stage in World Cup, I became dismayed. The games weren’t shaping up to be all that great, and almost all my teams weren’t performing well. Since the final has already been won (congrats to Italia), I can now pass some commentary, particularly on the knock-out stages.
The US? They shouldn’t have even come to the tournament, as far as I’m concerned. Their play lacked heart, feeling, and technique. Before you go thinking I’m anti-American, let me say that England didn’t play any better, and they were fortunate to get out of the first round, themselves. Quite disappointing, really.
Other teams fared better, but still got knocked out before the quarters. Spain, Ecuador, Holland, and Mexico all really impressed me, particularly Spain and Mexico.
I pulled for France in the final, and knew at the first penalty that they would lose to Italy. I had hoped to see Germany-France, and believe that the Germany-Italy semi-final was one of the best, if not the best matches of the tournament. In the end for Germany, though, it wasn’t meant to be.
France played a bit better towards the end of the Cup, but after Zidane was sent off, which was after Henry, Ribery, and Viera had been subbed, I didn’t see how France could find victory.
In a word, Germany 2006 was boring.
Sure, I watched as many games as I could, and did manage to see most of the knock out matches (after group stage). And I kept watching, even when the games were boring.
I’ve spoken with others about this, and they’ve said similar things: the cup just wasn’t all that exciting.
On a more positive note, every one of the players from Arsenal performed very well at this tournament. Hell, even some of their ex-players, too.
To answer Chris’ question from early on, we’re going to remember how well these Arsenal players did in Germany from now until opening day of Premiership. That’s what we’re going to do between the World Cup and August 15th.
See you in August
keep the faith
bryan
11/7/06
Finnegan’s
Er…girlfriends? Loads of them are about. They just all have other boyfriends.
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