Extraordinary Extrajeria Extravaganza

For those of you who have not been graced with the opportunity to have to deal with foreigners' offices around the globe, you are really missing out {/end sarcasm}

The ever dreadful mustard yellow building from your nightmares
(Source)

Jumping through hoops, getting papers stamped, paying fees, waiting in line, filling out more forms, signature here, date there, copy of this, staple that... it's endless. Coming into any country for a prolonged period of time comes at the cost of this bureaucratic madness. And of course, I've had my fair share since the beginning.

This year things were particularly messed up. In order to renew your student card you had to turn in the application, papers proving your finished the program this year and got renewed, accompanying fees, a document called empadronamiento (for census purposes and keeping track of where people live).

Well the empadron was the first hurdle in this heap of....manure. I went to the local office with everything signed and ready to go. The contract my roommate had for our apartment, copy of his ID and signature on the application, SHOULD be easy as pie. Unfortunately for me, my previous roommate who had left on not such a good note with the boys was previously registered with this contract. So.... it was HER signature and ID that I needed. And of course, to my incredible bad luck she was in California (of all places) at the time. I told them all this and they said there was nothing they could do. I went again, and explained the situation to another person. He told me to fill out a new application and check some different boxes and it should work. So I went home got the signature that I needed and went back for a third time. The girl was not really having it since of course I didn't have the signature fromk the person they say they need (even though she doesn't live in the country let alone our apartment anymore). After some begging and pleading and stating that this was my third time there they finally gave me the stamp that I needed.

(Source)

So all I needed to do was turn in my papers, wait for the letter of appointment for fingerprints, get fingerprinted and wait 40 days for my ID card in order to travel freely in the EU. No Problem! Turn in papers (check!) Wait, wait, wait for my letter (...in December Check!) Wait... my appointment to be fingerprinted is... May 9th! Add the 40 days to pick up the card and that puts me at June  18th for a card that is only going to be valid until the end of my contract which is June 30th. So... I have to live most of my second year in Madrid undocumented because there was a huge backup and apparently common sense isn't so common anymore.

Months passed and I accepted my fate for having to get an Authorización de Regreso (authorization to return) whenever I needed to travel this term.

As my appointment drew near I soon realized that my appointment May 9th from 4-6pm was not going to cut it because that was the opening night of the spring show I was in Steel Magnolias. I had made a plan to go the day before (as other auxiliares had mentioned they went in even without a letter and had been helped) and get it out of the way and everyone's happy (or so I thought).

I arrive bright and early Wednesday morning, and there is a line around the corner just to go through the metal detector. 20 minutes in I look for the line where they do the fingerprints when I overhear a police officer saying "let's cut off the fingerprint line" I quickly go up to him and with big eyes ask which line is for finger prints, and luckily he takes me in and makes me the cut off.

¿La fila para huellas?

In the twisting, turning, baby crying, sun scorching line, I waited for 5 HOURS. There is a person at the front of the building doing crowd control, taking as many people fit inside, and when there is room calling more in. I was finally about to get inside, when the crowd control person (a big angry man with a hat) asks to see the back of my appointment paper (with the date on it.... what the heck at least 50 people passed ahead of me and he didn't ask them to show!) So I showed him my paper, and he turned me away. Even after begging and pleading trying to state my case and being cut off. He insisted if my paper didn't have that date on it I wasn't getting inside. So I went to work, late and for nothing, and decided if I made an early enough attempt the next day I would still make it in time to save the show, and get what I need done.

Thursday rolls around I'm there at the beloved Aluche this time even earlier, that there isn't a line for the metal detector but there is still a curve to the line of people a million times worse than the DMV inside. I wait in that line again, for 5 HOURS and this time I make it into the building (GLORY!) I make it to the desk, the young man flips over my paper and says, you're scheduled to come in at 4, and it's only 1 o'clock I can't help you. I again I plead, and say there is no way I can get through that line in time, and with an apathetic face he just shrugs and calls the next person in line. 

My last option is to go upstairs and see if I could get my appointment changed. According to the other people in line, my chances of that happening were grim since they knew people were getting appointments for September... which would have done me no good. I trekked upstairs anyway in hope that I could not go home again empty handed. 

I arrive upstairs to wait in the information line, and see the two people helping are a woman and the older man with a hat that threw me out the day before--cue feeling in the pit of my stomach. Waiting in line in front of me is an older woman who asked my situation and when I told her I'd waited 5 hours 2 days in a row she asks me if I'm pregnant -_- And when I reply no, she told me to tell them I was pregnant so that I could be helped. She gets up to the front of the line and she has to go with hat man, but she steps aside, and says I want to wait for the woman. I politely decline and no you go ahead. She still insists with her pushy older woman ways and I head over to hat man. So when he asks me how can I help you, in as sweet of a voice as I can muster I start to ramble on about how he may have recognized me from the day before and I needed to change my appointment, because I really couldn't be there that after noon. And he says.... "Can you come in tomorrow?" *sigh of relief* I say I can but if there is a way for him to make it on Monday it would be best. He looks at me confused and tells me Monday is the day with the most people, but then I told him it was my day off so he took his pen wrote the new date, stamped it, and I came in on Monday to wait another 5 HOURS (which really you can't avoid unless you get there at the break of dawn and I like sleep too much).

So I've survived!! For now... We'll see  how the Cáceres version of Aluche treats me come September.

Much Love!

@CathyArely

I'd Be Safe and Warm... If I was in LA

It's getting colder and I know back home people are getting to enjoy beautiful California weather...so I'm jealous!

And a little homesick, especially after reading this post on my original real blog, about the comfort of coming back home. 

I guess skype makes it all a little more bearable, I had a wonderful conversation with my niece who is going to be 3!

For now, I guess it's just California Dreamin'....

To Be Continued...

Well this posts title can be attached a number of ideas. The first being, I've left you all hanging for a while now without a REAL update on what's going on in La Vida de Cathy, so stay tuned...

Life in Spain has been a roller coaster, countless times have I just sat and thought, "Is this really happening?" I've climbed social mountains, health mountains, housing mountains, and much to my surprise professional mountains as well. 

Just as I was on the rise of enthusiasm with my experience here, I was hit with an atomic bomb, that I was not wanted at my school for the upcoming year, just before having to super glue a smile to my face in front of 20 adolescents and keep them excited about their progress in English. I allowed myself the cry a river on the bus ride home, then put my game face on. Up until that moment, I had not been sure about my stay here since it had been so rocky, but in time it took for me to realize that staying might not be an option, my gut told me that's what I wanted to do. I went to talk to the people I needed to talk to, but to no reward, it was only in the hands of those who I work under. So after gathering a support team, highlighted all of the regulations I needed in my corner, I went and pleaded my case. Even if they didn't keep me at the same school, it was a death sentence (okay, so I'm a little dramatic) to keep me out of the entire program. Perseverance paid off and I was able to get the papers I needed in order to renew my contract here in Spain. In order to get what I wanted though I had to send everything to the office where you change regions, essentially meaning I wouldn't be in Madrid, in theory. I banked on the the inefficiency of the system, that because I had preferenced Madrid on my application, and it has the most positions in all of Spain that the odds were in my favor to stay, but I wouldn't know that for sure until I got my letter. And the waiting game begins. 

A few weeks after the deadline to turn in the application all of my auxiliar friends in Madrid had received their Madrid placement emails. My inbox was still empty. A bit disheartening, but not all hope lost. I continued to wait as the facebook wall of the Auxiliares group was filling with posts about placements. 

One afternoon as I got comfortable in my room after a long day of teaching, there it was, as sly and unexpected as can be, my email from the ministry of education. I held my breath and clicked on the link, and in that moment I saw my outsmarting had worked. I received a placement for MADRID for next school year!!! I didn't know what to do with myself. For what seems like soo long (2 months) my future was hanging by a thread and now the biggest weight was off my shoulders. I have something to work toward, a goal to upkeep.

This news brought me to looking for tickets home for the summer to go and see my family and friends who I miss incredibly (Yes, I miss you incredibly). Unfortunately, tickets to go home for summer are looking right around $1100 to $1500, a very depressing sight. And with nothing secure here in Spain, it was even more depressing. Too poor to live in Spain, and too poor to go home. AHH! Talk about between a rock and a hard place. The summer job I had sort of been counting on fell through, and I played around with applying at camps, and/or otherwise racking up massive credit card debt and be poor at home. 

Well today my email graced me once again with some good news. I got hired to teach at a summer camp for the month of July, with not a bad salary. Unfortunately, it's not enough to send me laughing all the way to the airline counter, but things should be a little easier for the beginning of next school year. Which brings me to why this news is bittersweet. It's the realization that I am probably not going to go home for the summer (never say never...but...). It is also the realization that it may well be until NEXT summer that I get to be home. I know what you're thinking... Cathy you're living your dream, stop complaining. I know this, I just can't help, but think about my parents, and my sister who is going to be getting married!!, and my babies back home,  and my friends. 2 years just seems like a really long time. Either way I know I am blessed to have such great opportunities and people around the globe, and I appreciate them all and know how fast any of them can not be an option. So ending the pity party, and wrapping up this post. 

Lots of things to look forward to, putting on that smile and doing it. Some great posts about trips and events around Madrid, as well as more writing of articles. For now you can go check out the poetry explosion on my other blog (videos soon to come). Thanks for reading, and sticking with me y'all. We're still on the ride. 

-@CathyArely 

Picture Source: Google.com 

Extran Hero Abono Adventures

Hey Hey all!

  So a fellow expat and blogger has started an awesome blog called Extran Hero! I immediately got hooked because it was definitely something I could relate too, and there are a lot of parallels in my blog posts/thought process and this blog/comic.

  I was so excited when it was announced to the public that there was going to be a Create-Your-Own Extran Hero day! For one, meeting new people is always fun, and two getting to be a part of something cool!

So here's my Extran Hero. True to my essence, it's probably too wordy, but that's how it goes.

This made it into a special section of the blog. It was really nice to get to be creative(ish), collaborating with great people, and  just be out doing something different. Until Next time!!

~Cathy

School House Rock- Week One

Hey Hey everyone!!

So the weekend is finally here!! Lol I know for some of you reading this, you just "grr" and say it's Thursday... but it is likely that others of you reading this (college students and auxiliares) like me have Fridays off, so HAPPY WEEKEND!

I just finished my first week as a teacher here in Spain, and its definitely been an adventure. Last week, Elvira (my coordinator) gave my my schedule, and told me to come to the English department meeting which was at segunda hora (2nd period). I told her, but I have class first period, and she said, "Well, don't go, we'll get you set up at the meeting, and that's that."

So on Monday morning, I got up bright and early...well maybe not that bright, but it was early, and I hopped on the train and bus that took me all the way to my school. I made it just in time for 2nd period. I introduced myself to the front desk person, whom I hadn't met before, and asked to be pointed in the direction of the English Department. Then to my horror, she says, we were expecting you at first period in (x) classroom. MAJOR FREAKOUT MOMENT in my head. So I told her that Elvira told me to be there at segunda hora for the department meeting, before I was to start anything. Before she could respond I was rescued by Beatriz the English department head, who said everything's fine, and whisked me away to the English department. Along the way she showed me my classrooms.

Wait, did I hear that right? My classrooms?? I was under the impression that I was going to be a T.A of sorts, but as I'm sure a lot of us have realized during our time in Spain, rules and guidelines aren't exactly things that are followed to the tee. 

So I sat through the department meeting which consisted the majority of the time talking with a representative from Oxford, a publisher, and how they're using the new technology. Then other department issues, and then the bell rang, and I was to go off and "do my English thing" with the students. Again MAJOR FREAK OUT MOMENT in my head. 

Then 13 little people came into the classroom, sat down, all eyes on me, and it was show time. So since I had to think quickly on my toes, and make a game plan. Luckily my years of leadership experience, especially in the last year as "La Presidenta" I fell back on what I knew would do the trick, Icebreakers... lol. 

So I introduced myself, gave my little schpiel (not sure if thats how you spell it haha) about they can call me one of three things 1) Cathy- everyone in Spain calls their teachers by their first name, even in elementary school. 2) Miss Cathy or 3) Miss Smith. Two things they cannot call me- 1) Teacher- They have a name and so do I...lol and 2) Mrs. Smith, because that is my mother, and I am not married.

After that was out of the way we played the Name Game, where everyone gets in a circle, and has to say their name, and an adjective or phrase that describes them. The trick is they have to say the name and adjective of  all of the people who came before them, so the poor unfortunate soul to my right always ended up having to know everyone. This served as a good way to use time, learn new vocabulary, and reinforcement for me to learn everyone's name. 

My School- IES Leonardo Da Vinci

The last part of the class consisted of them getting to interview me. Everyone had to ask me at least one question, whatever entered their pretty little minds. At first I thought I was going to have to dodge some questions like do you like to party, or what is your favorite alcohol, but the kids are still pretty shy so luckily for me, the best question of the week was "Why do some people in the US call other people rednecks?" and another blessing, I was saved by the bell before I had to answer. 

The behavior has been pretty good, as good as you can expect with 12-18 year olds. There have been a few classes where I couldn't find a way for them to be quiet, but I think as time goes on I will learn new tricks for better classroom management. 

Its also been a crazy week since there are have been strikes, so on tuesday and wednesday, I only had 2 of the 4 classes I had scheduled that day. 

Well I think that's enough of an update for now, Thank you all for reading!! Still no Reader Spotlight for November so jump on it peeps lol. 

Much love,

Cathy

Here's a video from one of the demonstrations I attended for the strike last month.