The Latest Happenings in My Barcelona Life......

Hello there my lovelies.........

The weekend was kinda cool. The bonus to having a roommate is that he has friends. Lotsa friends. And some of them are really hot ;). Anyways on Saturday he invited some friends over and we all had tapas and wine. He made all of the tapas himself, and it was really, really good. We had meats, olives, bread and calamari.

One of my English students canceled on my for the weekend because she was sick. I wasn´t too upset because this meant that I could sleep in as long as I wanted. And I did. I slept till 2pm and I felt so relieved.

I also taught my new student for the first time. He is near La Sagrada Familia so the walk to his place is really nice. And although I went to an apartment, he doesn´t live there. He just uses it to relax. Nice. I wish I could do that. The wierd part about this place was that it was an old business for Tarot Card Readings and all the furniture, candles and special Tarot card tables were left behind.

What else ? Ah yes ! I still hate my job, but I like my life after work. After I got out of work today I walked down La Rambla and took a nice stroll through the other little windy little streets.

The thing that I love about Barcelona is the old, windy little streets. And the shops aren´t big brand name stores like I am used to seeing in the US. Each shop in these little streets are unique and sell cool stuff. This is a great city to open up a store and sell your stuff. Too bad most of it is expensive.

There are so many different types of people in this city and one thing is certain: People here wear whatever the hell they feel like, whether it looks good or not. I swear to Gawd that the 1980s have made a comeback. Women dye their hair all sorts of different colors and a lot of women here sport a mullet. Women also wear little mini skirts with leggings underneath. Big sweaters that hang off your shoulder are also popular. And remember those big socks from back in the day ? Those are back in style here too. I hope that this style or whatever you call it doesn´t make it´s way back to the US.

On Friday after I got out of work I went and took pictures of the animals sold on La Rambla. I took nice pictures of chicks, ducklings, hamsters and birdies. My mother loves cute little animals and these pictures are guaranteed to make her squeal with joy. But no matter how hard I try it seems impossible to post them up here for you all to see. I am alittle irritated. I have lots of nice pics of Barcelona and the animals.

Although I feel better today than I did, I am still a little worried. I live my life here day by day. Bit by bit. I hope that in January that I still have a job. Either that or I find another one. The thing that I am most worried about is getting a working contract. That´s really all I want right now. Let´s see what God wants.

What else ? Oh yeah, one of my favorite artists, Natacha Atlas, is coming here to Barcelona on Friday. She will be singing at the nightclub La Paloma, and I think that I am gonna go see her. She sings in Arabic and French. I have a lot of her music and I used to bellydance to it back when I was taking lessons. I think my roommate is coming with me too. Although I invited him I never expected him to actually agree because he is a guy.

Okay, it is kinda late here and I should go and get ready for bed. The days here really go by fast. At least I am doing my best to enjoy it all.

Ciao.

Reality Check

Hello Everyone,

I have about 400 Euros earned from my job plus another 300 Euros in a deposit that my roommate has. I am so tempted to take all that money, pack my bags and go to the airport and wait for the next flight out and just go back to the United States. It is so easy and tempting right now.

I love Barcelona, but I absolutely hate my job as a telemarketer. It´s a shitty-ass job with no respect. I would rather clean toilets because at least they don´t talk back. Hell, I would even go as far as saying that I would rather dance on tables and get hollered at for money.

I couldn´t imagine what telemarketers in the US go through. I call people in Europe at their jobs. They are at least civil to me most of the time. I know that people in the US are downright vicious when they are disturbed in their own homes. (I can´t blame them, though)

To have a chance at getting legal working papers I have to stay there for another 5 months. And it´s not even guaranteed. My bosses could just say no at the end. But I don´t think I can stay there that long. I am thinking a lot right now. Maybe I would be happier working illegally and doing something I love : Like teaching English. But on the other hand, I really would rather have legal rights like everyone else.

This job is hell. AND illegal in many ways. Spain is a haven for people to set up investment companies and survive through the many loopholes. If you don´t know what I mean, I will explain it in more detail after I don´t work there anymore. What I am doing is not so wrong. I am just making calls. But I am tired of spending 40 hours a week at the telephone and getting rejected each time. I am also tired of my boss telling me that my results aren´t good enough. He should take his thumb and shove it up his ass. And I am also tired of all the secrecy in the office. They think that us telemarketeres that make the calls are stupid and can´t figure anything out. Today we had 2 men come in the office to fix the air conditioning. They came a little unannounced at that kinda scared my bosses a little. Haha. I am willing to bet that my bosses don´t even use their real names.

I am so glad that I will have a little vacation in a month. the office will be closing down for Christmas. Then I will have more time to enjoy Barcelona and decide whether staying here longer is worth it.

I mean, I can´t be putting it all down because at the moment it ishow I am able to stay here and enjoy Barcelona. I am usually back to my happy self the moment I leave the office. And on top of that my bosses are human beings and aren´t complete assholes. When I mentioned that I wasn´t feeling well yesterday my boss told me that I am welcome to go home. I remember that when I was a waitress at Red Lobster my bosses would have a little hissy fit if I asked to go home because I was sick.

I survived the summer here in Barcelona. For about a month I had very, very little money a lot of time on my hands and not a whole lot of friends. Living in a foreign city with almost no money and a lot of free time is hard. I will never forget how I felt. So even though I hate my job, I feel better than I did during the summer because at least I can buy food and go out once in a while.

I talked to two of my other coworkers from Argentina yesterday. They told me that they have to stay here in Spain and don´t have any way to go home. To make enough money in Argentina to buy a flight to Spain they have to save up 6 months of their pay. They told me that Argentina is a hard place to live. They also laughed at me when I told them that I can´t deal with the job anymore.

They told me that at least I have the option of going home when I want, and that if I want I can even come back to Spain one day. They on the other hand, don´t have the same options as me. They are wondering why I, an American with an education am working in Spain for so little when I could be putting the degree to use back home for more money.

I wondered the same thing myself, but this trip has done me a lot of good. The United States is very diverse and there are a lot of different cultures. However, you can´t really expand your horizons unless you leave and live in another country. I really feel that I am learning a lot. And on top of that I did things that I usually wouldn´t do in the US.

Anyways, I needed to get that off my chest. I think I will be staying here at least until January. But it wouldn´t good for me to pack up and leave right now. I think I should give myself another chance.

Ciao for now.

Get out your violins and play for me

Hello Everyone,

I am kinda going through the blues right now.  I guess everyone does. I was really happy last week and this week is different. I think I´ll get over it soon.

I was talking to my old coworker a few days back and a lot of people I used to work with at Red Lobster quit. And we all used to get along really well and hang out together. A lot of my friends that are still in college back home will be graduating soon. Most of my coworkers in my office ( not the nasty investment guys) will be moving to other countries after the holidays. After the holidays I will be broke and lonely. I am NOT looking forward to Christmas. I have always disliked Christmas. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, but too bad Spain doesn´t celebrate it.

I was just thinking about how life will be when I go back to the states. I will have to start all over and make new friends. There is no such thing as going back home and living life like I used to. That chapter in my life is closed for good. Back in the states I don´t have a car,  a place to live or a job waiting for me. I have to start from scratch again.

I also feel really alone right now. I don´t even know how to describe it, except that it sucks. It´s really hard to have a group of friends to go out with on a regular basis. Seriously. Everyone here has their own social life and group of friends so it is hard to go out with the same people. And I am tired of going out with different people all the time.

Last night after I spent a while bitching here on my journal my roommate shared some of his dinner with me. It was so good. I had beans, potatoes and meat. Then we had Baileys afterwards.

While we were eating I had him practice his English a little. I usually have him tell me about his day in English and then I correct his mistakes. I spent a lot of time explaining grammar rules to him. By doing this, I am not really helping him, but more myself. I really need to know how to explain English grammar rules in English as well as Spanish.

What else ? Nothing more really except that I will have my first meeting with another English student on Sunday. I am a little nervous.

Ciao for now.

 

I am very annoyed right now

Hello Everyone,

If you are in a bubbly, perky mood right now, I am sorry. I am not trying to rain on any parade but I am just feeling downright irritated. And I am gonna vent right now.

I am tired. I work very hard during the week, and the days go by so fast here. I spend over half my pay the first day of the month to cover rent and food. Then I usually end up with almost very little food by the end of the month. I am so sick of feeling like a poor student.

I am so sick of working my ass off for so little pay. And I friggin´ hate my job. I am sick of calling strangers only to get shut down 99% of the time.

I am a little desperate for money right now. I am looking for new English students and I found two people so far. However one of them is kinda jerking me around. And that is kinda why I am not in a pleaseant mood right now. Normally I would tell that person to fuck off. But because I need money right now I am kinda willing to put up with shit as long as I get paid in the end.

This month was a little better. I was able to buy new shoes, a sweater and a coat for the cold weather as well as a new metro pass. But I hope that I have enough money to buy food for the rest of the month.

I really worry about my future. I hope to God that down the road I won´t have to worry about food and clothing like I do now.

What else ? Yes, I hate the men in my office. While I was making coffee one of the guys there who looks like he survived a shipwreck decided to make fun of me and my coffee drinking habits. (I put a lot of sugar in my coffee). I came so close to blowing up at him and pointing out his alcohol habits. There are so many comebacks that I have stored away, but I never use them.

I also sit close to one of the most sexist pigs I have ever met in my life. Last week I heard him tell a client that women are just snakes with tits. And there is absolutely nothing I can do about it because I am in Spain and not the US. I am not legally working.

People, if you ever get a call over the phone to invest, don´t respond. These people are so dishonest and twisted. I will never look at a stockbroker/ Financial analyst/ Financial advisor the same EVER. 

Here´s what I think about it all. You´re better off just throwing darts at the Wall Street Journal. And you save yourself the comission fees. Or if you took a finance class you can calculate all the financial equations and come to your own conclusions.

Anyways, I am gonna have a nice little glass of Baileys.

Ciao.

 

Hello Everyone,

I just gotta say that I am soooooooo tired. I sure had a lot of fun last night. I went to a bar on the mountains ( Mt. Tibidabo) Very nice. I haven´t danced to hip hop since I was in the states so I let loose a little on the dance floor that they had. Then we went to another club on another mountain (Mont Juic) and danced some more. The club there was very expensive and NOT worth the money. Plus it was way too crowded. It was so crowded that it was impossible to dance. And people were smoking. So it really wasn´t all that good. We were so scrunched in on that floor that my arm got grazed by a cigarette. That hurt. My eyes also hurt because everyone around me was smoking and we were packed indoors.

 However I did have some fun because there were muscular male dancers on stage. And later my friend and I ended up going upstairs to the hip hop room to dance to hip hop, and there was a little space for me to dance. So not all was lost.

I went with my friend and I hope he calls me next weekend to go out. Sure beat staying at home all night. I better make sure that I go to bed at a decent hour. I got home at 5am and had to get up at 10am to teach English. I do not wanna feel like this tommorow at work.

Ciao.