Now three years and running that I am getting the flu over the holidays. This past one has been with me for about 10 days and while I am doing better it still seems to hang on. I spent New Years day waiting in line at a farmacia which I thought was filled with people suffering from the after effects of a long evening. But it seems a nasty flu has its grips on Sevilla and it’s one that likes to hang around. Between getting back to a normal work schedule and being constantly at 75% has kept me from getting much done on this site. But I have also been secretly working, little by little, on 10 new sections. I plod away each day, adding a little to one and a little to another. It’s a painful cumulative process which has me advancing a lot while having nothing to show. Still, there should be plenty more for everyone to enjoy in the coming month or two, so I continue and continue…

Posted by Jeff at 1:18 PM CET

Updated: Sunday, 29 November 2009 1:25 PM CET

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I have written a little about BitTorrents in a previous entry. I know I live in a wonderful city and should spend my time doing something more than watching TV, but I missed the Simpson’s and the Amazing Race too much. And some days you just don’t want to go outside. So I have my weekly rhythm of downloading a few shows along with a few movies and here and there have managed to fill up my hard drive. But when it comes to sports I can find NFL games and NBA games – I like the NFL but I can watch it on satellite television in Spain. And the NBA, well, it just really sucks in my opinion. College basketball is what it’s all about but you can’t find a single NCAA ball game on these sites. It’s a pity, really. It reduces you to a few options:

ESPN’s college basketball pay per view which sells their online product for the same price as their cable or satellite product. And then there are blackouts depending on where you live. Their product packaging and distribution method is truly the result of the moron’s mentality in several ways: 1) the 2”screen windows media feed which stops to be buffered every 10 minutes should not cost anyone the same price as 32” crystal clear video feed on a television. I know they want to make money, but man, this is just plain stupid to offer a crappy product for the same price as a good one. 2) Blackouts because I can watch it in my local area??? What world are you living in? Would I opt for that 2” pixilated video stream over my television just so I miss the commercials? I’d rather watch commercials than a black screen telling me the game will return in a few minutes, not to mention sitting on my couch and watching a better quality feed on my television. 3) Only available in the U.S. Well, I can get around this with my credit card and U.S. billing address. But who has the rights to these games in Spain? They certainly are not broadcast anywhere in this country except for 6 games during the tournament. And I can purchase and watch the CBS NCAA tournament package online from anywhere in the world. Wouldn’t live online basketball’s market also include expats and countries where you can’t watch the games? Who are these people?!!!???

Yahoo’s Sports College Broadcast, which is cleverly bundled with other sports aside from basketball. Why? So they can say you can watch live ACC sports online! Problem is there isn’t a single ACC basketball game with live video on the site. There is football, maybe soccer, baseball and perhaps something like track.

Then there’s NASN, which won’t answer my emails. When will it come to Spain (if you don’t illegally subscribe to Sky and want to install a 2 meter dish on your apartment roof)? We’ll never know…

Posted by Jeff at 2:18 PM CET

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Seems a package sent to us took a long while to make it to Spain and didn’t stay very long after arrival. Although there have been improvements in the Spanish mail system the biggest problems still remain on the receiving end while in Spain. While letters and packages sent abroad most often make it (length of time varying) there is a higher percentage of problems with arrivals. Our Christmas presents showed up for a few days and then were shipped back home – after $70 in shipping costs. Kind of heart-breaking for the family, not to mention the money they lost. So we will wait until this summer to celebrate Christmas.

Posted by Jeff at 1:17 PM CET

Updated: Sunday, 29 November 2009 1:25 PM CET

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Christmas is in full swing and plenty of preparations are being made as we face a busy holiday schedule. We have the tree to buy, the now annual trip to Jabugo to purchase holiday meats, three cenas de Navidad to attend, plus shopping, mailing and of course the family events. Parents will be in town starting this Saturday to find an apartment for an extended stay in 2005. We plan to have an early Christmas dinner and celebration while they are in Seville. Then we have the dinner on the 24th which should be an extremely large meal. The next day we pay the consequences of being between two cultures and attend the traditional Christmas day turkey dinner at my sister's house. We should have a few days of rest before my birthday, then the celebration for New Year's Eve (including another meal of ungodly quantities), a day or two off to rest and then another meal likely in Umbrete held by more family. Then comes the 6th and Reyes, which we plan to spend inside our house relaxing. So there is enough eating and gathering to make us fat and tired.

Unfortunately these aren't the only plans. We have to shop in the center of Sevilla for gifts, which is a chore during what looks like to be the busiest holiday season in a long time. And it's quite tiring being on foot and negotiating large crowds. Then our cenas de Navidad, which are work dinners to celebrate the holidays, will take up three nights plus a large portion of our stomachs. The trip to Jabugo should hopefully be a nice change through all of this. And of course we have to work, too. And then there is the Sevilla-Betis game, which will be similar to a regional holiday for us.

Posted by Jeff at 1:08 PM CET

Updated: Sunday, 29 November 2009 1:26 PM CET

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My first true concert was this past Friday at the Palenque, a semi outdoor facility just across the Barqueta bridge in the cartuja. This is the site of the 1992 Expo, which is a mixture of offices, wasteland, and a few entertainment spots. I would guess the Palenque holds about 5,000 people, but I may be off. Still, it’s a good venue to take in show, with a central seating area in front of the stage surrounded by a fairly small moat. Around the central moat is a horseshoe shaped set of seats where the less fortunate get to sit. Still, it’s a small venue meaning you avoid the stadium type distances you’d get in larger places. If you are hungry or want a beer or three before the show you can take your pick of mobile burger, sandwich and drink stands out front.

We paid about 40 € per ticket for seats in the 13th row and watched a pretty good show. Manolo has with him an eight member band filled with good musicians, although a few of the songs off the last album are a bit too slow for my tastes. Near the end we were treated with a few versions of past Último de la fila songs, bringing back a few memories of my days studying in Sevilla in 1993. The band was pretty tight and certainly entertaining. It made me miss some shows back home, though, and how I wish the Tragically Hip would some day make it to Spain. I miss those guys…

Afterward we headed to the Alameda, and it’s been quite some time since I’ve been here late at night. I think I forgot about the incredible size of the botellón in the plaza, where there were easily thousands of people enjoying their store bought booze and hash. Not being a person for the botellón we wandered into a bar and enjoyed a few drinks in a very smoky atmosphere. For those of you looking for a more alternative or down to earth scene the Alameda has a lot to offer. For those of you looking for some really bad drunks the Alameda has plenty to offer as well. I spent 2 minutes trying to explain what time it was to an extremely drunk Portuguese fellow who was hanging onto the bar. It only took me 15 seconds to begin pointing to my watch and trying to show him the hour, hoping to avoid further conversation, but then he just tried to explain to me something about how they say the time in Portugal. I could have cared less and I could also see that a few wrong words out of my mouth might lead to trouble. Taking my drink with me I settled down in the back of the bar with the rest of my group. Every 5 to 10 minutes voices were raised over at the corner of the bar where el portugues was talking. A few people would enter, have a loud discussion, and then leave. One fellow had to be picked up off the floor as his legs simply stopped supporting him, or perhaps he forgot he had legs. Either way we could all sense that this corner of the bar had a bad atmosphere to it, so it was no surprise about 30 minutes later when we heard shouting and then glass breaking as somebody was thrown out the front door. A little more shouting and it was all over. By 3am we were done and headed back home.

Posted by Jeff at 2:05 PM CET

Updated: Thursday, 24 September 2009 12:44 PM MEST

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Oh how glorious it will be to see Sevilla in 2007. Or maybe make that 2008. Are the Olympics coming to Sevilla? No, that came to an end after one attempt at the 2004 games and then Madrid took Sevilla’s place as the next possible city for the summer games. Another world’s fair? No, in my ignorance I don’t even know if those continue to be held. But if you take a look at the calendar of city projects and renovations then you’ll see a lot is planned to be finished in and around 2007, which I think will really add a lot to the city. In the next few years we may suffer a bit unless things are carried out in an organized fashion (hahaha).

Ok, jokes aside below is a list of some of the things to be finished before or by 2007 which make me excited about being in the city:

• Avda de la Constitución will become a pedestrian street. Good news for the Cathedral and Indian Archives which have suffered from damage due to the pollution. Good news also for tourists, with more room to roam without all the traffic.
• Archivo de Indias opens. The Indian Archives is the world’s largest depository of “New World” documents and has been closed for some time. It should open well before 2007, but I don’t have the date yet.
• Plaza Alfalfa, Plaza del Pan, Plaza del Pescaderia and Plaza Salvador renovated. All have plans to be “reurbanized” as laid out in a recent exhibition.
• Alfalfa area pedestrian. Along with the reurbanization is the plan to make several streets and plazas in the Alfalfa area will become pedestrian only. I believe this still may be up for a bit of debate, but I see it as good news for us without cars and perhaps bad news for residents with cars.
• Encarnacion Market – 30 years has come and gone and it’s still a big dirt pit. That changes starting in February when construction begins. This promises to be a nice end to a long and often debated history. Construction was halted on the underground parking after very significant ruins dating from Roman, Visigoth and Arab occupation. With the final plans approved they will preserve the ruins in the same manor as the Triana Market, while including an area for the vendors, plus an open plaza and a raised mirador or lookout where one can see the entrie plaza.
• The Metro! I have less faith in a timely finish but work continues for the first leg of the Metro. This will connect the center of the city with Los Remedios and then other outlying areas and pueblos.
• Baños Arabes – the hammam phenomena will arrive in Sevilla with the renovation already underway for what will be Spain’s largest functioning Arab baths, plus a spa, massages, and much more. This will follow successful models in Granada, Cordoba and Malaga.

Posted by Jeff at 1:07 PM CET

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I met my friend Karen about a year ago, maybe less, thanks to my web page. Karen is one of my favorite people I have met through the page – and the only one I met who came prepared with a list of really good questions about moving here. Many made me think, and some turned into content for this site! Karen has made the leap to Spain while Sean is here for a few weeks with his new Irish passport, thanks to family he was able to secure one even if he’s American. He was also fortunate as the Irish law of granting passports to people of Irish descent will be coming to an end in the next year. (Look it up if you want more information – it has to do with having Irish parents or Grandparents, the Irish kind that lived in Ireland, that is). Anyway, soon they both will be living permanently, at least once the house has been sold back home. You will thank them a lot if you make a similar move, since I plan to pick their brains on things like storage facilities, overseas moving costs and the like. That will all end up on my page as well.

Ok, so we arranged to meet them for a beer at Los Claveles around 1:30 and then find some place to eat. After a beer we made our way to Bodega La Extremeña for a good lunch – grilled presa ibérica plus assorted cheeses, and a glass of wine or beer or two. Afterwards we walked through the center and stopped for a coffee and a little conversation on politics at the kiosco by the river. It was apparently the best time of day to be there as there were few tables to be found. After an hour by the river we headed back to Arenal and Café Maestranza for a little after dinner drink. A good time was had by all, as they say, and Granada received a long lesson in English while Sean was able to learn a few words in Spanish. An hour later and it was time for me to head straight to the Betis-Barcelona match!

After suffering like a good betico through the first part of the season I think I was due, or perhaps Betis was due. I could sense the victory coming because of a number of strange coincidences. Well, some of those coincidences happened after the game, so I guess it was just all the stars aligning in my favor. The day before Duke had beaten Clemson in football in what was an improbable victory. I also was winning my weekly trans-Atlantic (American) football pool for the first time this year. The Panthers were also on their way to a much needed victory against San Francisco in the NFL.

Posted by Jeff at 1:06 PM CET

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A day after a late night is a day to do a lot of nothing. Having had our recent weekends filled with chores or vacations (much more of the former than the latter) we decided we would finally use a Saturday for nothing but whatever we wanted to do. We had planned to remain indoors for most of the day, rent a few movies and make a pizza. However, once we made it outside it was too nice a day to spoil sitting around. We did make our way to the video store and picked up a few movies. Then strolled down Luis Montoto to Nervión looking for a place to eat. As were close we decided to make a trip to Lizarran, our second in just over week. I know it’s a chain restaurant but the ideas is fun and in a way you don’t have to decide what you want to eat. Just grab anything you’re in the mood for. Some 17 toothpicks later we were full and headed back home. We rested for an hour and then headed out for coffee and a few things at the grocery. Made it back to watch a movie, and then decided to eat at McDonald’s, the first time in a long while. After eating we headed back to watch yet another movie (note I cannot remember which movies we watched, which means they were perfectly forgettable and just right for a lazy Saturday.)

Posted by Jeff at 1:06 PM CET

Updated: Sunday, 29 November 2009 1:26 PM CET

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While I will have to wait for college basketball season to truly sing the praises of this great method of file sharing, discovering bitTorrents, or torrents, has been a godsend for following some of my favorite shows such as the Simpsons and the Amazing Race. Download a small application and then head out to look for files on a lot of pages and directories. Simply type in “bittorrents” in Google and you will find plenty of pages. Some of the good ones have them classified as movies, series (i.e. TV Series), music, and games. You are a at the mercy of what people want to offer up, but most of the popular series and shows are listed. The great thing about bittorrents are the way it works – it takes advantage of the unused upload bandwidth of each individual user so that other users can download the file. That is, at the same time that I am downloading the file or show I want to watch I am also uploading the same file to users. In general, when more people are downloading a file my download speed actually increases rather than decreases. I won’t get into all the specifics because other, more technical folks can explain it much better. But don’t be afraid to try if you have little experience. Simply download a program – there are several to choose from. Then find some listings on a page and click on the link. Most downloads come in a format like MPEG or AVI which you can watch with windows media player. I warn you that it may take several hours or even a day to download some large files, but you can start downloading before you go to bed and then wake up the next morning to an episode of your favorite show.

Below are some helpful links to get you started – there are plenty of programs and sites about this, and I am surely a late entry into all of this. As with a lot of file sharing of this nature be prepared for a few banners on the sites (with links to files you want) advertising some adult content. It’s just the way it goes.

Some helpful links:

Download one of the popular client (program):
http://bittorrent.com/download.html

A good FAQ so you can understand more about BitTorrents:
http://www.monduna.com/bt/faq.html

Some sites with some good files:
http://www.donvitorrent.com/
http://torrent.youceff.com/
http://www.suprnova.org/

Posted by Jeff at 1:05 PM CET

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You can never say there isn't enough fútbol on television in Spain. When the Champions League week comes upon us it’s hard not to follow a match or seven. And if you love fútbol and have Digital Plus, you can’t help but see a few hours of matches. Between the broadcast stations, Canal Plus, Canal Plus Deportes 1, 2 and 3 and even Eurosport you have a chance to flip through a number of matches. You can hop around from match to match until you don’t know which you’re watching anymore. A bit like the NCAA tournament if you subscribe to one of those packages.

Posted by Jeff at 1:04 PM CET

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If you want to get to know the pueblos of Andalucia and can tolerate a little boredom from time to time then Mira la Vida will give you a little insight into life in a small town. You’ll get to see the main monuments and churches, meet the mayor and a few locals during the show. You can get a really good idea of the history and people and know a little extra something before you decide to visit.

Bush Wins! Hooray! Another four years of shit! At least I can still keep checking out the hate Bush sites, which will be going strong for four more years, unless the truth is discovered and someone gets impeached. I can only hope, but for now I am glad I don’t live in George W. Bush’s America.

Posted by Jeff at 1:04 PM CET

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Rural tourism has always had a certain pull for me. This past weekend I was finally able to stay in a casa rural just outside of Granada in a town called La Zubia. The setting was an old farm, or cortijo, calle Cortijo Balzain, situated in a natural park just outside the town. Comprised of an old farming complex the cortijo was renovated about 4 years ago and they did an excellent job of preserving the character of the original farm. Materials from the land itself were used in the renovations and the old farming tools and implements were kept to use as decoration around and througout the buildings. It was nice to see nothing new and modern except for some of the conveniences within the house we rented. You get a choice of 7 apartments which are attached to the main complex and aligned in a row on the lower terraza. There is another one semi-detached just above this complex and finally the house which we rented, called La Roca. This is more private and just above the complex in its own freestanding building. The house itself used to be where they raised chickens and pigs, but thankfully the remnants of that are long gone. Inside we had a simple kitchen (no oven), plus a small fridge, central heat and ceiling fans in all of the rooms. We also had a small television and a fireplace which was no longer in use. Due to a fire a few years back which destroyed one of the main buildings they have decommissioned all fireplaces, which is tough in the winter months, but the heat works very well.

You can walk anywhere around the farm and following a few paths we managed to get a pretty nice view of Granada and the Sierra Nevadas. We could even see the Alhambra. If you want a meal you just need to let them know in advance, with a normal breakfast or toast plus butter, tomato or mermelada plus coffee going for 2 Euros. A heartier breakfast with some of the best eggs I have ever had goes for 4 Euros, including several slices of bacon and orange juice. We ate lunch once for 7 Euros per person plus the cost of drinks. First dish was a large salad, and the second was a big pot of rice (arroz) which had pork and crawfish (or congrejos) .

We spent most of the day time heading up to the Sierra Nevadas to play in the snow or hanging around Granada. One day we went tapeando, and yes, the tapas are free in most places in Granada! That is if you stand around the bar. Some places don’t offer much aside from olives or chips (like Sevilla) if you take a seat at a table. And while the tapas are free I did notice the beers were often pretty small and a little more expensive unless you specifically asked for something larger. The tapas are dished out according to the number of people, or rather number of drinks, that you order. And they are in most cases smaller than what you receive in Sevilla. Even with the smaller, more expensive beer plus smaller, free tapas and I think you come out ahead comparing it to Sevilla. I still say Sevilla has better tapas, but you have to pay!

Much of the rest of the day we wandered around the center of the city, from Granada’s version of Las Ramblas to Reyes Católicos up to calle Elvira and the Albaicin, or older Arab quarter. In the ten or so years I have been making trips to Granada I think they have embraced the Arab past a little more than before. One of the main streets leading up to through the albaicin has now been transformed into a small medina similar to those in Moroccan cities. Granted, it’s nothing compared to the size in Morocco, but there are some 20 stores, plus tea houses, a restaurant or two and a bakery all selling what you might see in a Moroccan market: rugs, clothing, ceramics, lamps, tea sets, spices, teas, incense, pastries and a lot of other items I am probably forgetting to mention. This is a great place to browse around, although it can get crowded on the narrow street. Heading through the albaicin means going uphill for 15-20 minutes, but frequest stops can be made to check out the view of the Alhambra. The final “resting place” should be the Mirador de San Nicolas, where you get an excellent view of the Alhambra with the Sierra Nevadas behind it. Do make this trip later in the day, as the sun earlier in the day is behind the Alhambra, which makes for bad photos in most cases. If you can spend a little time wait for nightfall and see the Alhambra with all the lights. I’ll soon be adding more information to the Side Trips section on Granada, including a lot of photos and some specifics.

Posted by Jeff at 1:03 PM CET

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Many of you may have noticed a lack of updates to my daily entries pages. I am ashamed to say that I've been busy once again, but that I have been writing things down, just not publishing them. Works for me but not for you, so a bunch of updates to the daily entries pages are coming. One reason there's been little action this weekend is due to my vacation in the mountains just south of Granada. We spent a weekend enjoying rest, eating, photos and a little snow. I have renewed my love of Granada and cured the outdoor bug that was getting to me these past months.

As election time nears I previously mentioned it was hard to keep my thoughts to myself. The past few weeks my words about who I support, or rather don't support has led to some interesting discussions both in the city and via email with others. I've had a good time discussing my views and was able to express them even more in an article in the Sunday edition of El Correo de Andalucia, where my opinions went up against a nameless and faceless young Republican who made some slightly racist comments (good job Mr. "I want no photo or name associated with my comments"). Anyway, it's now even more apparent who I like and don't, isn't it? (If not please see poster to the right). And a side word to the clever few who signed me up for some Bush/Repub loving newsletters - I already get about 100 or more emails a day of spam! And now I get to report these organizations to Spamcop! And I have your IP address and email! Just kidding on the last one: I have no idea who you are and am so very thankful for that. My message to you would be: Now get out there and don't vote.

Posted by Jeff at 1:02 PM CET

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Having my 13 year-old nephew, Ean, in Sevilla with us was a great experience, and we have learned of several activities for children. I wanted to post this a while ago, but well, things got a little behind. For those of you out there who are parents it comes as no surprise that video games and television often win out over cathedrals, museums and historic sites. Walking is another problem – even if we are 5 minutes from home a taxi or bus is wanted. Still it’s fun to have a good kid to drag around and any of the issues we’ve had have been small and typical of his age. Some things which we’ve done or will be doing in the next days:

• Paddle boats on the river
• Many movies. If there are children who don’t speak Spanish then consider these possibilities for English movies:
  • DVD – most have the original audio tracks
  • V.O. Theatres – where movies are subtitled and shown in their original version (ie: English, Italian, German). There are two in Sevilla: Corona Center in Triana and Avenida 5 Cines on Marques de Parada.
• Isla Magica – a day in an amusement park is always fun, although the rides seem a little disappointing comparing to other parks. Still, plenty of water rides and one rollercoaster.
• Food: a taste of home or something different after several days of tapas is always a good idea. Whether pizza, hamburgers, Chinese or other there are plenty of choices in Sevilla.
• Bikes in Parque Maria Luis – renting one of the tandem bikes in the park is good for a few hours
• Pigeons in the park – who doesn’t love a bunch of pigeons crawling all over you? I don’t, but it’s fun one time to feed the pigeons in Plaza America.
• Football match – make a Betis one, but either will do so they can get a taste of professional sports in Spain.

Posted by Jeff at 3:02 PM MEST

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This is a holiday on an upswing in Sevilla, with some mixed reactions depending on the generation and/or xenophobia of the person voicing their opinion. Many with younger children like the idea while some of the older generation seem to see the American culture creeping over the border. Either way it’s hard not to notice the changes each year. More people are seen in the streets wearing costumes and more parties in the bars are catering to one of my favorite holidays. Last year a few children were even spotted going door to door, although with nobody prepared with candy they didn’t have much luck. This year I’ve seen more costumes in shop windows and pumpkins showing up even in some of the smaller supermarkets (it used to be only El Corte Inglés). I am happy to see it in Seville, especially with all of the rumors of haunted places throughout the city. Parties can be found, especially in the Irish pubs who exported the tradition to the U.S. many years ago. And the bars tend to fill up with plenty of drunk Americans as well as a few Irish.

What makes some nervous about the “culture creep” are things like Christmas, where Santa has made some serious inroads for the holiday season. Each year I think there is more Santa and once one child starts showing off his Christmas presents, well, the others see it and want something before Reyes, too. The large and growing expat population also bring these traditions. So reactions to Halloween and Santa can be a little negative as people struggle to keep the cultural traditions of their country intact.

Posted by Jeff at 2:01 PM MEST

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I had to live until I was 34 to finally enjoy free health insurance! The day arrived yesterday when I got my own doctor. I don’t miss paying $1400 a year for a policy that only covered me for catastrophic medical costs while living abroad. And while I will certainly want a little choice in the future and may pay for a private policy I am happily coasting along with my FREE insurance for now. Until you’ve had it you just don’t know what you’re missing. Sure, I may have to make 4 appointments just to get a blood test and analysis, but at least I don’t have to pay a single penny to get it done. So how do you get social security in Spain? You need to be employed or self-employed, the latter case meaning you will pay at least 200 Euros a month, and I guess that means that it’s not free for some. Then of course you can always get married to a Spaniard and hop on as a dependent to their social security. Sure beats paying extra on your policy to cover your spouse in the U.S. Will the care be the same? No, likely it will mean longer lines and not the same quality. Will you have trouble paying rent and your bills so you can pay for your health insurance for you and your family? No, and that’s because health care should be a citizen’s (and their family members) right and not a luxury item. Again, I think the mistaken assumption many may make is that you don’t have a choice with a national health care system – like you are sucked into some government run health plan and you can never get out. Actually, you have a much larger choice: If you don’t have the financial means you can still choose to go to the doctor. If you have enough to fork over 50 Euros a month you can go to a private clinic. Hell that 50 Euros per month is much less than what I paid on my own in the states for coverage that did pretty much nothing for me – large deductible, higher copays and expensive prescription meds if I ever needed them.

This all leads me to the worst temp job I ever held, although it was for just part of one day. Many years ago I was running my own company between my home and an office shared with a man I now like to compare to Hitler. Bad comparison? Maybe you need to meet him. Sometimes we make bad decisions in life and it’s not until later we realize we’ve selected a crook for a partner. Not just a crook, but someone who would stop at nothing to earn money, and that likely includes hurting people both financially and perhaps physically. I won’t go into details and perhaps the Hitler comparison is a little too much…well, perhaps it’s not. So I must get back on track. Because of the working conditions with the “H” man I decided to leave and because, like the rest of us, I needed to pay the bills I started temping a day later. My first job was processing records at a collection agency. And this wasn’t your normal collection agency. Their focus was to collect unpaid medical bills for hospitals and clinics. They called poor people or people who had been out of work who had to have emergency surgery or other medical care when it happened to be inconvenient: that is, when they didn’t have health insurance. Why didn’t they have insurance? Some had been laid off, others worked for little money for employers who didn’t have health plans, some were likely illegal immigrants and all simply couldn’t afford to pay for health insurance. Sure, there were probably a worthless few in the bunch, the ones who preferred to drink or smoke their money away rather than pay for the necessities. But “y far the vast majority” (to quote Bush on his taxplan) probably took the choice of food and rent over health care. So, these people who couldn’t afford insurance and needed emergency health care (themselves or perhaps their children) of course then couldn’t pay the thousands of dollars in medical bills. Kind of tough to pay what amounts to 4 years worth of insurance premiums in just 6 months. If you can’t pay one month, then how do you pay 48 times that in just a fraction of the time? So you can’t pay, but this company gets paid to make you pay. So they call you at work, at home, they threaten you with legal action, talk about how your credit rating is in danger, etc. etc. And some of the assholes who did the calling actually enjoyed this – I saw them smile as they made the phone calls. I saw them use all the tricks in the book – ask for the person by first name, claim you are a friend and perhaps there was a work number where you can reach them…the list goes on. So, put yourself in the shoes of the person who can’t pay – you don’t earn much, you can’t get health care because you can’t afford to purchase health insurance and now because of your emergency need for a doctor you have even more debt? And now because of the debt you can’t afford to pay your credit rating is ruined? So now you can’t buy a car, lease a new apartment, buy a house or get a credit card. Quite a nice system we’ve got going. So that’s why I will enjoy health care in a place where it’s a right and not a luxury. And that’s why this was the worst temp job I ever held, and why I quit after part of one day.

Posted by Jeff at 4:01 PM MEST

Updated: Thursday, 24 September 2009 12:01 PM MEST

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I am sitting here at 2am updating the site and counting down the minutes to the final presidential debate which is carried on CNN International as well as Fox News (blech). I've made it through the first two by working up until the start and then relaxing on the couch as I get ready to yell a few obscenities at the TV.. Pardon my foolishness but I liken this to the countdown of the Super bowl, anxiously awaiting 90 minutes of what is often a painful show to watch. While I try to keep my points of view on this page related to Seville and my experiences living in the city I just have to speak out at times and profess my deep hatred for George W. Bush and the axis of evil I think he stands for. I am ashamed of our president and only pray that we elect Kerry or else the world will really think we've gone mad. Living abroad I feel I've been given a 4 year "break" from the people of Spain. After all, everyone outside the U.S. knows the election was stolen, fair and square... Asking folks outside the U.S. to grasp the electoral college concept and put aside the winner of a popular vote is a tough sell. So I've never tried to sell it and instead have been living on borrowed time. Should we elect Bush again it will confirm a lot of opinions about our country in the minds of Spaniards, Europeans, and just about everyone else. I've had so little negative reaction from people for being American, certainly much less negative reaction than I have received from being a "liberal" in the U.S.

I am an avid reader of what many Republicans would try and classify recently as "conspiracy web sites". I read 20-30 articles per night which I happily admit lean in my preferred direction. The difference between my liberal, left-leaning "conspiracy sites" versus the other side (see Fox News, Rush Limbaugh, Bill "O'Lielly" and anything to do with Ann Coulter or Sean Hannity - thanks Al Franken!) is that my favorites actually base opinions and articles on such hard to grasp concepts as facts, science and proven theories rather than emotional, simplistic morality filled sound bites. Look, I don't hate all Republicans. Just the ones that vote for Bush.

There, I feel so much better although I could likely continue writing (for another 4 to 5 hours) about the things in the political world which bother me. I'm sure many of you have seen or visited them but here are my favorite sites. Instead I will direct you to people who spend the majority of their time writing what I so often feel:

davidcorn.com
bushwatch.com
buzzflash.com
Al Franken Show
georgewbush.org
mediamatters.org
thenation.com
salon.com
whitehouse.org

Posted by Jeff at 2:00 PM MEST

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We headed out for the second home match of the season trying to keep any expectations in check. We came away with a win although the defense leaves much to be desired. After starting the season with a 1-1 tie at Numancia we lost 1-4 to Español with a number of defensive errors, allowing a goal some 30 seconds after closing the gap to 1-2. An own-goal kept us from a tie or win at Osasuna and placed us in the back of the pack in the league table. The At. Bilbao game proved to be a better match even if we had another let down in allowing another goal some 30 seconds after our first goal. It takes us out of the cellar and back into the mix, although there is a long season to go starting with this weekend's match at Deportivo, thankfully televised on Canal Sur so I can can watch from my couch. During the game I learned the rules, rather the lack of rules, at the refreshment counter in the stadium. Although I was up in front at the counter I apparently didn't order enough times or shout enough. I also failed to thrust my money in the face of the people serving drinks so I could get my order in. Forgetting the conduct of the crowded bars I ended up waiting almost 10 minutes while people behind and next to me got their orders filled. All this for a Fanta naranja that cost me 2,80€. I think I will sneak my drinks in from now on.

Finally today got the best of me after 4 days of taking photos of hotels, hostals, churches and various things in the street. Each day I was out around 10:30 in the morning and returned home around 3 in the afternoon, not the best time to be out in the street when the temperatures are high. Today I suffered from a combination of exhaustion, sun and just plain having my butt-kicked by too much walking. Tomorrow I hope for a better day.

Posted by Jeff at 2:00 PM MEST

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Coming from the U.S. we often have a different sense of urgency and service which can be difficult to reconcile with other parts of the world. There’s a sense of impatience which in other countries the service provider’s just might miss. I hate to say that much of this has to do with the instant gratification culture or the consumer is always right culture in the U.S., but most signs point to this being the case. As Americans we get used to being able to go grocery shopping at 1am, or pick up something to eat at any time of the day. There are pharmacies which are open very late, banks with drive-through service, video stores with huge selections, again open until the very wee hours of the night. We can buy a bottle of aspirin at just about any store (in Spain you need to head to a farmacia) or find a gas station around most any corner. Everyone accepts Visa or Mastercard, now even McDonalds. Giant department stores such as Walmart and Target have everything under the sun, from housewares and electronics to groceries and clothing. Government offices are open from 8am-5pm, and many times you can do your business with them over the internet, or at least make a call and the phone will be answered. The customer, or rather consumer is always right, no? In short I’m saying that in the states the consumer gets the advantage and expects to be served.

It just doesn’t always work that way in Spain and many other countries for that matter. Most stores close during siesta, getting business done after 5pm in some cases can be a challenge and weekends are better spent relaxing than answering emails, telephones or serving customers. Small shops and businesses specialize in a few things that you can’t get anywhere else, at times forcing you do move around the city to get a few odd errands or purchases done. In some offices they never answer the phone, or when they do they are less than helpful. When you are used to a total customer service culture it can be hard to adjust.

Now I don’t profess this to be the case all of the time – sometimes service in Spain is better than in the states. Once you live here for a while you also start to see some of the advantages to the way things are structured for the consumer. You start to prefer the way they “do it in Spain” to the way they do it in the U.S. (One of many examples: I enjoy the fact that there are always 12am showings of movies, something they lack in my home town in the U.S.). And if you look closely there are plenty of consumer friendly services - some governemtn offices are open from 8am-5pm and El Corte Inglés does offer everything under the sun (although at a price). As well, much of the consumer culture and “convenience” factors which dictate service in the states have made their way into other countries, and Spain is no exception: OpenCor and VIPs are open 365 days a year until 2am, some stores in the center – including many supermarkets - now stay open during siesta and El Corte Inglés is also open one Sunday per month. In many places in the north of Spain they say the siesta is slowly coming to an end, while in the South it still survives.

The fact is this impatience arises when it takes time to accomplish things (or what seems to be an inconvenience) and is often just a form of culture shock – you are out of your element and adhering to new rules and ways of doing things can provoke a negative response. That negative response then receives a negative reaction from others and it all becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. After one bitter experience you may find yourself ready for the next experience to go bad, ready with a negative attitude which surfaces quicker than it should. The only solution is to relax, take that Saturday afternoon or entire Sunday off and do something else. Set your expectations to meet the situation or country you are in and be “ok” with things taking their time in some cases. Also step outside yourself for a minute and think of what you look like: perhaps a whiner and demanding a bit too much? Maybe arrogant because you don’t consider that things may be done in another way somewhere else? A little forethought applied to your actions can go a long way. I know that sometimes you are right and you encounter the wrong person at the wrong time when you really need some help. Sometimes it’s a question of having to deal with an ass who has no business being in a position of “helping” people. But sometimes it’s best to back off, adjust and move on.

Posted by Jeff at 1:59 PM MEST

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And it's still hot...

Posted by Jeff at 1:59 PM MEST

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