I’m Outta Here!

Work projects: Done.  Shopping: Completed.  Good-byes: Had.  Fights with the insurance company over “vacation variances” for all my medications: Won.  Bags: Packed.

 I am outta here! 

Tomorrow I face the day-long trip to Spain.  I really hate to fly, but I grin and bear it, letting my passion for adventure override the fear I have of being 35,000 plus feet up in the air.  In reality, the trip always goes pretty fast.   To pass the time this year, I plan to answer a few long-overdue emails using my new Netbook, get into a good book, read a few magazines and listen to some Enya to relax and hopefully get some sleep. Since I am flying on a Tuesday, I am hoping the plane won’t be full, and I’ll get a whole row of seats to myself.  That happens sometimes.



Castilla - La Mancha...Here I come!

My flight lands at 8:15am in Madrid…and then the mission will be to stay awake for as long as I possibly can to avoid jet lag.  So I can imagine that after landing, having a bite to eat and taking the hour’s long drive south to Toledo (well, it will be more than an hour – it is rush hour in Madrid, after all!)  we’ll arrive in Toledo about 11am, when I will have a happy catch-up conversation with mis suegros (mom and dad-in-law) and then walk around town – to the store, to the park, to the old part of Toledo, to wherever – with the intent of staying awake.  Around 2:30, Mamá will call “a comer” and then will come the hard part – staying awake during lunch.  My family is very understanding of my “eat and run” habit on my first day there, as I usually head for siesta early, around 3:30.  Pedro will let me sleep until 5 or so, and then I will slowly drag myself out of bed and try to make it to 9:30 or 10, again walking around and maybe visiting a cousin or two.  And THEN I can sleep for as long as I want…but will probably end up waking up at 3:30am, when I will listen to the sounds of Toledo as it turns from night into morning and a new day in Spain begins.

Loving Those Unintended Consequences

I really was not planning on starting this blog until Pedro and I knew for sure when we were moving to Spain.   I never figured anyone would be interested in all the “way beforehand stuff,” until my sweet friend Christina convinced me to go ahead and do it now instead of waiting.  She assured me that people are interested in the “way beforehand stuff” of a big life and culture change, and on top of that, I’d get some practice in the art of blogging.  And when she told me I could blog for FREE, even better!  I was convinced!  Within a few days of that conversation and many name changes later, The Pancake Merienda was up and running. (Christina, by the way, has a cool website of her own that documents her and her hubby’s travel adventures to exotic world locales: www.skylarkingworld.com.   The photography is awesome!)

But it was Pedro who suggested the idea of doing two versions of the blog - my English version and a version he’d translate into Spanish.  Being the good wife, I was like “Sure...if you want to do all that work!”  But internally, I thought, “Who in Spain would be interested in this?”  I had always envisioned this as more of a journal for my mom and a few interested friends.  But it never occurred to me that this blog was the way I would finally become better acquainted with Pedro’s family…and they with me.

Cousin-in-law Jandro speaks the universal language of cool

Because of the language barrier, I have always felt that Pedro’s family really didn’t know me as a person, which is understandable. It was – and still is – frustrating that I cannot convey my sense of humor and have deep, probing conversations with anyone in his family.  There’s only so much personality one can convey with smiles and “Oh si, me gusta” on my part.  For their part, they have been great at including me in everything and haven’t let the language barrier interfere with our fun.  I have always felt incredibly lucky for this, for I’ve known a few other American girls who married Spanish guys who weren’t so fortunate.

Since launching this blog in Spanish, I have found that (much to my delight!) it has opened up a space for communication that spoken language cannot!  This blog has given Pedro’s family and I a way to interact on the personal level that I have always wished for …and it has been the best experience!  Many of Pedro’s cousins have left comments on the Spanish blog, which I can more or less understand, and I so enjoy reading them. They always make me laugh with their humor or tear up with their sincerity.  And more than one has stated that, they too, think this is an amazing a way for them to know me better.  I feel so completely honored – or to use a very American term - BLESSED - that they are interested in my musings, and especially our eventual move there.

As you can see, I am completely overjoyed at this unintended consequence…and this, if not for any other reason, will keep me writing.

Top Five Things I am Looking Forward to in Spain

1)  Seein’ my nieces and nephews…and meetin’ some new ones!: It seems that almost every year I go to Spain, there’s a new niece, nephew or cousin in law to meet. I am looking forward to catching up with the ones I do know – sixteen year old Daniel, who will take his first trip abroad this summer and my almost five year old niece Andrea, who has been learning songs in English at school this year.  And I am hoping to get to know Roberto, my five year old nephew.  We did meet the last time I was in Spain, but as a two year old, he was more interested in the remote control than his Auntie Marianne.  Understandable.  As for the new ones, Aitana and Bruno, they were both born when I was there last time, so it will be fun to see them as little kids.  And my littlest nephew, Diego, was born only a few months ago, so it will be fun to meet him, although I’m sure he’ll be a sleepy little guy.  There’s also a few new cousins in law too.  (Hope I didn’t forget anyone.)


Best photo from 2008 trip: La Gran Mezquita de Cordoba

2)  Takin’ millions of photos: I cannot WAIT to try out my new camera in Spain, and I plan to take millions of photos for my blog.  I would like to have more photos in my blog now, but the only electronic ones I have are the ones I took three years ago and the quality of my photography before that leaves much to be desired.  So to family and friends in Spain...watch out!  My camera will be attached to me at the hip in June.

3)  Eatin’ la comida:  Where do I begin on this one?  Aside from my mother in law’s cooking, I intend to fully enjoy fresh squeezed zumo (juice) from oranges grown in Valencia; churros or poras at the “churro place” down the street; tostada a la plancha con marmalade - a croissant sliced in two and toasted in an iron skillet, with butter and marmalade; limon granizados – a non-alcoholic lemon margarita – yum!;  plugas- a mini sub sandwich, stuffed with goodies such as tuna with red pepper, venison and mushrooms, chicken salad, green peppers and sausages, to name a few;  patatas alioli y patatas bravas - French fries with either garlic mayonnaise or spicy BBQ sauce; gazpacho - cold tomato/veggie soup, a GREAT vegetarian food and of course, Spanish flan.  I only developed a taste for flan three years ago and because of this, I am sad to say I have developed a little tummy that was not there before. Oh well.  This list could go on and on, but I’ll stop here.

4)   Hangin’ in the Parque de Las Tres Culturas:  Just down the street from my father and mother-in-law’s house is one of the most beautiful parks in Toledo – the Park of the Three Cultures.  It is a giant green space amongst the urbanization of the “modern” part of Toledo.  I love it especially on hot days, as Pedro and I go and sit on comfy benches under the trees to be “fresquito”.  There’s also a rose garden with a huge foundation (look for some flower photos from here!), an outdoor movie theater and a nice walking trail around the perimeter of the park.  There’s also a track, where track and field enthusiasts do their workouts every afternoon, a pool (with the famous “pool bar” – they BBQ hamburgers in the summer!), tennis, basketball and handball courts and a small gym, where mis suegros take their “Senior Aerobics” class.  Rumor has it that the park has gone wireless, so I am looking forward to blogging on our favorite bench with my new Netbook.

5)      Goin’ to Corpus Christi: “Corpus” (as it is known around town) is the festival that Toledo is best known for and it celebrates the Catholic holiday of “Corpus Christi” or “The Body of Christ.” Besides it being interesting to see the government chip in to celebrate an overtly religious festival (something you’d never see in the US), it is absolutely breathtaking, both visually and aurally. I’ve been many times before, and I can imagine that my family is amused that I still go every time. This year I intend to take millions of pictures, walk the rosemary scented streets the night before and attend the parade in the morning (if I get up in time) and of course, share it on this blog.

We also plan on going to the Canary Islands, off the coast of Africa, for a week and also to Murica (where they just had the big earthquake) for a beach and property-looking weekend with my life-long English pen pal, Julie and her hubby Steven.  And of course, there will be the first annual “Pancake Merienda”, which according to comments made on the Spanish version of “The Pancake Merienda” blog, is already a hit! 

You know, with only a week or so to go, I think I’ve already checked out.

Baby Glutton: Creepy…or Fascinating Cultural Difference?

As a news junkie, one of the more frustrating things about visiting Spain is that I cannot read Spanish newspapers.  At home, I read the newspaper every morning without fail, and throughout the day I’m constantly checking in online with the local newspaper and CNN.  If something is going on in my fair city or in the world, I’ll probably be the first to know about it. 

A few months ago, I got the idea that maybe, just maybe, one of the national Spanish newspapers might have an English edition online (duh!).  I googgled the names of Spanish newspapers, and found that El Pais, a national Spanish daily, does indeed have an online edition in English.  After reading it for a few weeks, I found that it contained the usual newsy stuff – fighting political parties, many stories about the bad economy and high unemployment and crime.  I also found that Spain is still figuring out how to process the atrocities of the Civil War and Franco’s dictatorship, that the art/sport/spectacle of bullfighting is, in fact, a topic of ethical debate and that there are many social problems and ills that many Spaniards just prefer not to discuss.  Nothing was particularly surprising to me – until I saw this:

“Spanish Breastfeeding Doll Fuels Rage in Britain and US”

WHAT??? 

It seems that a few years ago, a Spanish toy company manufactured a doll that has the technology to “breastfeed” and markets it to little girls so that they can learn to “breastfeed” alongside their moms, via a little flowery, sequined vest tied to their chest. (I can only imagine the product development meetings for that one!)  The doll, named “Bebe Gluton” (or in English “Greedy Baby”- I prefer the more humorous translation of “Baby Glutton”), has apparently sparked “a storm of controversy” in the US.  The article claims that in Spain “…parents are delighted” while the US media asserts that the doll “promotes the sexualization of young girls” and that “it incites pedophilia.”  

Well, I don’t know about that.  Never mind that I had never heard of “Baby Glutton” until this article (so much for the “storm of controversy” in the US), I have to admit that the whole concept is weird to me, as it is to my friends, who had also never heard of it.  And if it were to be sold in toy stores here, there probably would be a backlash, complete with protests and boycotts, and no doubt a few politicians would shed some tears for dramatic effect.  But it doesn’t surprise me that this doll could be a non-issue in Spain.  Spanish culture is extremely accepting of breastfeeding at any time and any place, in sharp contrast to the US where it is generally considered a private practice.  Personally, I wish that women in the US could breastfeed without draping a towel over their shoulder or fearing dirty looks and stares. 

But a breastfeeding doll for little girls??  Come on! Shouldn’t they spend their time playing baseball, painting pictures… and well, playing with (regular) dolls ?

It will be interesting to discuss this with my Spanish family and friends and find out what they think about this.  Is this “Bebe Glutton” as noncontroversial in Spain as the article suggests?  Or is this another exaggerated media take on reality?  Will I still think this is a little “off” or will it become another fascinating cultural difference to ponder?

P.S. I was planning on putting a link to the article, but it is no longer available on El Pais. L

¡Marianne No Entiende NADA!

Marianne doesn’t understand ANYTHING!

Immediately after that phrase was uttered in Spain three years ago, my first thought was to cock my right hand forward and extend my middle finger upward, saying entiendo esto (I understand this!) or some other sarcastic comment per my English speaking personality.  But wanting to be a good citizen diplomat, I only smiled and laughed, which really was a genuine reaction to hearing something so ridiculous.  And actually… I did understand that!

But in all honesty, that is the phrase that finally got me to enroll in Spanish class.

I have always been lucky that my fully bi-lingual hubby is a great interpreter and because of that, I haven’t (admittedly) made that great of an effort to learn Spanish.  I have instead relied on him and what I remember from three years of high school Spanish to communicate, which has not always yielded great results, and has in fact resulted in some humorous miscommunications over the years.  From the beginning, my mother-in-law has been the best at deciphering my twenty-plus year old Spanish and to her credit, makes a HUGE effort to speak very slowly so that I can understand her, which is a big help.  I think her ability to tailor her communication to the skill level of the beginning Spanish speaker has something to do with the fact of raising many children – four sons, one daughter, many nephews, nieces and now grandchildren - and therefore understanding how the human brain acquires the Spanish language, whether they are two or thirty-five. 

Is it the preterite?  Or the imperfect?

I have just finished second semester of college Spanish and have also taken a few basic conversation classes over the past three years.  I have learned (or re-learned) the backward sentence structure of the Spanish language, the beauty of doing something to yourself via the reflexive verb, the convention of placing the adjective after the noun it describes (why?), and above all, how to correctly pronounce the Spanish vowel sounds – a guttural and short sounding ah, eh, ee, oo, ou. I have attempted to memorize the millions of subtle variations of countless verbs and their tenses – present, present progressive, preterite, imperfect and most recently, the subjunctive.  I still stumble over verbs, defaulting to the present tense or omitting verbs altogether and performing a pantomime routine when attempting to speak Spanish in complete sentences.  I have learned a lot in my classes over the past three years, but I have to say that although classroom instruction is helpful, I have found that it is nothing more than an academic exercise, one in which rote memorization will get you an “A” on the chapter prueba.

I’d rather take a photography class.

Instead of sitting in a classroom, this is how I prefer to learn Spanish:  I learned that “comer” means to eat as in á comer – or how my mother-in-law calls the family to lunch everyday.  I prefer learning that the ending –isma means “really-really” from my little niece, Andrea, who proudly told Pedro that her grandma said she wasn’t guapa (pretty)…she was guapisma (really really pretty).  And I learned the word saber is one of the verbs that means to know from my now twenty-four year old cousin-in-law, Alejandro.  When he was eight, Jandro threw up his arms in disgust when I doused my tortilla espanola in ketchup  (a major faux pax, I know now) and said in an exasperated voice (and a twinkle in his eye), ¡Americanos…no saben! or Americans…they don’t know!  He got tickled to death for that one.

So now that the semester is over and a visit to Spain is a few days away, I can put away my textbook and start learning Spanish again – the real way, the natural way – the FUN way.  And there’ll be no pesky verbs to memorize either.

The Pursuit of an Interesting Life

For years, Pedro and I have told family and friends that we want to move to Spain.

And that begs the question….why haven’t we?

Should I trade this view...

We haven’t because well…life IS comfortable here.  We have a little townhouse that suits our needs just fine and professions that we can reasonably tolerate.  Although it’s on the cold side, Northern Nevada is a great place to live – there’s access to great skiing (well, I don’t ski, but Pedro does), there’s Lake Tahoe and numerous hiking trails in the mountains and desert and we’re in such close proximity to my beloved California and all the interesting things to do and see there.  Even during the economic crisis when it seemed the whole state of Nevada collapsed around us, we emerged OK – if not better than before.  Pedro’s job as an instructor of Spanish language and translation at the University has been relatively secure (until this year) and from what his evaluations say, he is very good at what he does. His students love him.  I’m lucky to have eked out a living as a writer for almost thirteen years, writing grant applications for non-profit organizations in northern Nevada both as an employee and freelancer. Admittedly, it is not the most exciting job in the world, but I do get great satisfaction from using my talents to make a difference, and it is exhilarating to be around people whose life goal is to change the world.  Pedro’s job affords him the opportunity to go to Spain every summer and depending on my job situation, I generally go every other summer.  And if I don’t go to Spain, we take nice vacations to central America, Mexico and Hawaii.  We know we have a great life and appreciate everything we have and have been able to do.  So why the desire to move?

Because as comfortable as this life is, comfort can equal boring and that is what it has become for us.  Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on the way you look at it), we were both born with an adventurous spirit.  He more so than I, but still, the desire to go out in the world and experience the uncomfortable and weird holds an amazing appeal for us.  For me, certainly, a move to Spain – a country that in many respects is so opposite to the western US – will fill that thirst for the exotic and different.  And I will be forced to find other ways of making a living aside from what I’ve been doing for the past thirteen years.  For him, it is an opportunity to go home and live in a culture he feels a part of as well as a chance to doing something different professionally.  For both of us, it is an opportunity to prepare for the “second half of life” and create something we can pursue until we are too old to do anything except enjoy a slow walk in the park and a bit of sangria.



...for this one?



Ideally, we’d love to renovate an old farmhouse somewhere in Spain and operate it as a bed and breakfast or at least renovate an abandoned house in old town Toledo and have the bed and breakfast there.  Unless we happen to win the lottery or suddenly come into a lot of money, neither one of these dreams is likely to materialize. But even still, the adventure of piecing together a life where my work experience and schooling matter little sounds like a great and welcomed challenge. I am not romantic about this adventure.  I know Spain well enough to know that there I things I don’t like about it, and I certainly know how difficult it is to learn another language at 40 something…and there are many things that I will miss about the USA.   But this is an opportunity to do something different – something that takes guts, something that will force me to call upon resources in myself that I don’t even know I possess and something that will challenge my beliefs even more than it already has.  This is an opportunity that not everyone has nor does it come around every day, and I need to take advantage of it.

At one of those “fun” work retreats I participated in years ago, we were asked to explain what it is we want to accomplish with our lives.  People mostly talked about their careers and the money they wanted to make. Amidst all of these aspirations of accomplishment and wealth, my honest reply was this:  “The only thing I really want to accomplish is an interesting life.” 

And that’s what I’m hoping this move will give me…someday.