Library Card
Classes started this week. Everyone in the program seems excited to be back in school. I spent the week printing syllabi and gathering texts. Most of our readings are pdf samples from other works, which means I get to upload them onto a flash drive and print them at a Spanish shop equivalent to Kinkos. An ipad would have been a good investment. They sell them here, but they are more expensive, the number is the same but the dollar sign is changed to a eruo. As consolation I allowed myself to buy all the traditional tools for success; bright colored folders and a new stapler.
Yesterday Jessie and I spent 4 or 5 hours familiarizing ourselves with the Spanish National Library (BNE). We will be conducting individual research in this building throughout the year. For our research workshop the first assignment appeared simple enough; obtain official research card from library (carne), locate a book and a newspaper article that interests you, make a photocopies of several pages and properly list the information in MLA style. Then write a short blurb on the experience.
Piece of cake right? Wrong. We caught on quickly, see first-hand what people mean by “Spanish Bureaucracy”. I could picture my professor chuckling to himself as he thought of his lost grad students learning the ropes at the library. I will spare you the full details of the experience. In a nutshell the assignment took a full afternoon. When I described the day to my friend Nina she said it sounded more like an episode of Legends of the Hidden Temple than a library.
“You could start by running to the room of the three gargoyles. Push in the right tongue and a door might lead you down a staircase into the wall climb. Here, you must choose your next path. You could race up to the observatory, spin the sundial and pass into the room of the golden idols. Once there, push down on their faces to release the doors, that may take you below or lead you into the shrine of the silver monkey. Assemble the statue there and you may be headed for the torch room. If the elevator is up, you could jump into the elevator and descend into the mineshaft. You might climb up the ladder or plow through the stone wall. Find the key and it may unlock the tombs of the ancient kings, allowing you to climb into the spider’s lair. If you escape, you may have a chance to sit upon the throne of the Pretender. If the correct door is unlocked, you’ll be able to crawl into pit of despair and finally make you way through the cave of size, back to the temple gate. The choices are yours and yours alone. Good luck!”
After all was said and done we needed a glass of wine. The day was long but felt productive, we completed the assignment and now have a better idea of how to manejarnos en la biblioteca.
During the evenings the schools has been offering cultural experiences for the students. We have been out to see Spanish films. Last night was Fashion night; all the stores were open late with big discounts. In the streets there were performers and models, very lively. Afterwards a few of us went to a language exchange mixer where I met some very nice people from Argentina (the only ones who can understand my Castellano.)
There is always a lot going on at night, Madrid is a very social city. Everyone eats dinner around 10pm, even the prostitutes. On my way home last night as I passed the gran via metro stop I noticed girls of all shapes in sizes wearing tiny pleather clothing sit in dark entryways and feast on Chinese food I laughed and wanted a picture but I reckon everybody’s got to eat sometime.
Another Spanish-isms besides bureaucracy and late dinners is the beer. I stop for a coffee every morning and am shocked by how many gentlemen come in and order canas (small glasses of beer). It is 10 am, do you really need a beer before work?
All in all I love Spain. Wish I had more time to write about it!
