Elections, Immigration issues, yada yada yada........

Hello Everyone,

Wow, the elections are really coming up next week. Unfortunately I completely missed the deadline to vote absentee. Crap. I really wish that I could have put my two cents in this time around, especially since it is all part of my American duty.

Honestly, I really don´t know who to vote for. To be honest I don´t like either. But one of them has gotta be president, right ? I was talking to my dad the other day and he told me that he would seriously vote for Kermit the Frog over Bush. I kinda laughed.

I am normally a Republican, and lean a little to the right. I voted for Bush last time around. But in the past four years he messed up relations with other countries. In order to remain one of the most powerful countries, I would imagine that we have to get along with the other countries, right ? We´re only a small part of the globe. Europe is growing each year as more countries entered the EU. 10 new countries became a part of the EU. I would hate to see Europe band together and become our enemy. Of course it wouldn´t happen overnight and maybe it won´t happen at all. But I really feel that we are walking backwards a little. I am really torn over who to vote for. Anyways, that´s my two cents for what it´s worth.

Yesterday I finally got in contact with my boss and he let me take off a couple of hours to register in the town hall so that I have proof that I am actually living here in Barcelona. This is one of the requirements for me to apply for working papers and residency for about one year. My roommate really helped me out. He missed some of his classes to go with me. I woulda been really screwed without him.

I felt like I was at the DMV all over again. I waited for about an hour (which is not that much). Like the DMV there were seats to wait for our turn. There were a lot of immigrants there, and I was trying to read the various passport covers to see where they are from. A lot of people from South America, India and Pakistan. I think that I was the only American girl there. People did kinda look at me. Oh well.

It´s wierd. Back in the states I used to read about immigration issues but I never had to experience any of it because I am a US citizen. Here I am one of the "immigrants" that I always read about in the US and that I always read about here in the Spanish papers . It is different being on the other side.

Anyways, Without my roommate accompanying me I would have had to buy my own apartment to prove that I am living in Barcelona. But he vouched for me and told them that I am living with him and that he invited me from the US to live with him. I was silent the whole time and let him do the talking. I didn´t wanna fuck up any of my chances.

So now I feel better because I registered within the deadline and have a chance to get working papers in six months. Yeah, I have to wait a while. But hey, immigration issues are almost never dealt with rapidly unless you are a refugee or can pay off officials. Sometimes not even then. I was told that if I paid about $70,000 to the immigration officials I could get my papers overnight. Hahaha.

I finally got paid today and was able to put money on my phone. So now I can send text messages. I had no money and was unable to call anyone here for about a week. Shit, that was frustrating.

I also bought some food for the week. I bought bags of fruit for under €5. You don´t know how relieved I am that I can finally go to the store and buy FOOD. We´re not talking about a shopping spree. We´re talking about eating. I never had to worry back home. So yeah, you get the idea.

Anyways I am gonna go out with my roommate and his friends tonight for tapas. I hope to get full.

Ciao.