Almost Done

"The hours pass through my hands like grains in a sand-glass."
(I think that's from a poem I read, not sure.)

But yes, faithful readers, this chapter of my obviously thrilling life is sadly coming to a close. Barcelona has been enlightening, if not exactly a "blast." True, there were extremely fun moments, but those mostly happened in Madrid and Pamplona, not here. And there were valid reasons, financial limitations being a top one. Still, while this summer pales in 'collegiate' fun compared to Madrid last summer, I can say it was all worth it. Why? Because I can dream again, cheesy as that sounds. Harvard almost killed that in me. In high school, all I had were my dreams. Aspirations for my future, of college in the big East Coast city, of an actual gay community, real relationships. And those were all realized (except for the relationships). Plus, I met incredible people who I am so lucky to count as true friends.

But college isn't where life ends, and halfway through Harvard, I started losing my way, losing my dreams. I didn't know where to go from there; I didn't know what to do with my life and make of myself. But I rediscovered that in Barcelona. No, my internship was not perfect (there were a lot of days I had nothing to do). But 90% of my memories this summer are connected to my job. It was fun. I learned a lot: about Spanish politics, about living independently, and most importantly, I learned how to dream of my future again. I know I want to join the foreign service; I know I want to be a diplomat. And though I may demure when people ask me about my post-college plans (either because it remains only a possibility or because it may seem geeky), I am quite sure this is what I want to do. I can see a path now where before there were only abstract ideas (grad school! Capitol Hill! Wal-Mart!). So Barcelona will always be special to me, because it birthed a new me.

But, profound finding-myself moments can only last so long. So after walking out the consulate tomorrow evening for the last time, I will spend the weekend souvenir shopping, packing, and cleaning my room. Then Monday I catch the overnight train to Paris and from there its homeward bound. This summer has passed quickly, but it's not over yet.

So we like Obama, get over it

So here goes a political post on, again, why Obama should be president. This is my first attempt at "analyzing" the presidential race, so don't be too hard on me.

Apparently, John McCain and his campaign team aren't exactly thrilled that Obama is so popular in the U.S. or here in Europe. McFailure posted a new YouTube video that pokes fun at the media's (mostly MSNBC and no Fox "News") coverage of Obama, basically saying they're "in the tank" for him. His newest attack ad, blaming Obama for $4+ gas, features audio of chants of 'O-ba-ma, O-ba-ma.' One of McAncient's top aides also attempted to make fun of how the news anchors of NBC, ABC, and CBS are traveling with Obama on his overseas trip this week. He said '''The One' went to Europe and homage must be paid."

Let's get the easy one out of the way first. For a long-ass time, McBush and the press have had a pretty cozy relationship. This only strengthened during his upset victory in the 2000 New Hampshire Republican primary and definitely continued to this campaign. He even called the press his "base." I, for one, have definitely given up on any hope of having a journalistic class that is committed to reporting the truth fairly, because if that were the case, they would have questioned everything the Bush "Administration" has done to ruin our nation over the last 7 1/2 years. I think they've just become so lazy that they find the easiest narrative possible and stick with it, come hell, high water, or facts. So, McSame is a "maverick," and his military service automatically qualifies him to become president, and anyone who disagrees with that is unfairly attacking a "war hero." Suddenly, this new, young, inspirational guy shows up and starts drawing huge crowds, the media starts reporting this, and this means we're all naive, stupid rubes who go ga-ga over pretty words? Come on McCain, if you're jealous, just say it.

For me, yes, Obama represents change, but I know he's not a perfect "messiah." I understand he's a politician, and will make compromises I'm not comfortable with. But despite that, I support him because he supports issues I care about: further equality for LGBTs, universal health care, a more progressive tax code, a more realistic and compassionate foreign policy. Not to mention he's is way smarter than the absolute moron that is our current president. The fact that he's a good orator and can communicate his ideas well is just icing on the cake.

As for Obama's popularity in Europe, since when is it bad thing that the rest of the world actually likes someone who could be our next president? Really. Can someone tell me just how having the rest of the world despise George Bush makes us better off? Like Arianna Huffington says,

Of course, at no point does the McCain campaign or anyone in the media point out what, exactly, is the danger to America if our closest allies actually, you know, don't hate us.

They also fail to mention that along with being our allies, the European countries Obama is visiting are also democracies -- so it's a lot easier for their leaders to make nice with us if their constituents don't view our president as an object of disdain and ridicule.

Being in Spain, one of the inevitable questions is something on the presidential race. In fact, my first day of work my boss said how happy she was that Obama won the primary.

Basically, McCane should stop worrying about Obama's popularity, and maybe, focus on boosting his own. After all, if he does win, wouldn't he want the rest of the world to like him?

My Job Officially Rocks!

Okay, I know you're probably tired of hearing this by now, but I officially have the coolest job ever. Case-in-point, my boss gave me and my fellow intern *free* tickets to the Bruce Springsteen concert. Although I was a total "Boss" novice, I found myself dancing and singing along with 70,000 other fans.
Bruce, up close.































My boss's friends (and mom) with Steve, one of the members of the E Street Band.

Yes, it was a memorable evening, and once again, I have overwhelming feelings of gratefulness that I got to experience all of this.

Insert Witticism Here

So I noticed I hadn't blogged in a while and ultimately, I can't blame it on busyness, only laziness. How sad, but I do have some updates.

• I'm going to Madrid this weekend for their pride week finale. I hope I'm not too disappointed considering last year, Madrid was host of EuroPride and close to a million people showed up. This trip will also be my first one out of Barcelona and a chance to hang out with friends from last summer!
• Hopefully on this trip I'll be able to rein in my tendency towards getting fucked-up-drunk. Not to go into too many details, but I had an episode of drunkeness last week and ended up needing medical attention. But the bright side was I fell in love with socialized health-care.
  
• Tomorrow the consulate is celebrating the 4th of July and I'm getting paid 100 freakin' euros to serve pizza.
  
• Speaking of work, I recently moved to my new office; basically it's a big room divided between two sections by a wall of filing cabinets. The worst part, my chair sucks and hurts my bum. But my boss is leaving to NYC for two weeks soon and I'm getting some real responsibility. Not sure how I feel about it yet.
• ...And, my job comes with impressive perks. Like free tickets to a concert held in the Palau de la Música Catalana, the inside of which was breathtakingly beautiful. The music (an arrangement of military-themed pieces to celebrate a Spanish victory over Napoleon), not so much.

Oh, and of course, the Spanish are the champions of Europe.














My favorite pic is where they're throwing their coach (who's like 80) in the air.









And while I'm pretty much in love with all the team, my new goal in life is to get the goalie, Iker Casillas, to marry me (cuz it's legal in Spain).










Yes, Spain, the perennial under-achievers, defeated Germany and the country went nuts. The major squares in all the big cities became scenes of revelry on a Sunday night. In the Plaça Catalunya, there was mayhem, but it was very exciting, especially because the Catalans have tried for 300 years to forge an identity separate from Spain. The rivalry between Barça and Real Madrid has always been seen as an expression of this thirst for separateness. I like my Spain whole, so it was very heartening to see not one Catalan flag in my brief walk around the plaza.

But enough about politics. It was a joyous night that I was lucky to be part of, as could definitely be said about my entire time here.

Work Update!

Ok troops, good news and some bad news on the work front. Bad news first (because it's not really that bad); I'm going to have to give up my corner office because they're remodeling it into a storage room, boo. But I'll still get an office somewhere, it just won't be as big. Actually, it won't be that bad of a thing considering I had way more room than I knew what to do with.

Now for good news. I L-O-V-E this job. Seriously. I do. The free champagne at the Russian consulate was just the beginning. I really shouldn't have complained about the bitch work that was (is?) my report on the crazy radical party because... I get to have an interview with them! Me, a 2nd-week intern interviewing a major force in Catalan politics. I'm also invited to a really swanky concert at this gorgeous place (Palau de la Musica Catalana). I went when I was in Barca last summer, but all we saw was the outside and the lobby, and even that was amazing!

Really, the only thing that will make this job any better would be if I got to meet someone like Nancy Pelosi (which the previous intern got to do). I already have a pretty sweet schedule with Friday afternoons off. I get paid pretty well. This job is SWEET!

Now if I only could meet some peeps to brag to/be friends with....

God, I Love Football (eh, Soccer)

So, being in Europe for the Euro 2008 soccer championships (or EuroCopa, as they call it here in Espana), I am surrounded by futbol. Now, I can usually ignore what I see as the last vestiges of Neanderthalism that is sport. But, in trying to connect with my roommates yesterday, I forced myself to watch the match between the Netherlands and France.
And that's when I fell in love with Robin van Persie. Yum.




















But on to other news. Thursday, I got invited by my boss (yes, the eminent Consul-General of the United States in Barcelona) to a little fiesta at our Russian counter part for their National Day. Now I was a little hesitant, but I'm glad I did go, mostly because there was free booze. (Don't worry, I did restrain myself to just two glasses of cava (champagne). But chatting with middle-aged diplomats from all over the world (Mexico, Japan, Pakistan, Germany, etc.) was really exciting and not an opportunity many people have.

The point: I'm feeling more confident about joining the foreign service. Now there's just the little issue of passing the test, which I've heard can be a real bitch.

You go Norway!

Norway becomes the latest country to guarantee marriage equality! Here's to the USA getting on the train soon, especially since finally letting all the divas have their day will mean big bucks! After all, gay men are the pickiest species. Or we could all listen to the radical right, and continue denying equal rights to citizens, since gay marriage did kill the dinosaurs.



In work news, I got my first real assignment yesterday! I'm writing a report on recent elections for a leftist political party. One of the many reasons why I love Europe so much, the left here is way crazier than anything the Democrats could come up with. Even the conservative parties over here are sometimes to the left of the Dems. But, progess will come in time, especially if we get Obama elected. Anyway, I realize the assignment isn't all that exciting/groundbreaking, but it's a start.

Remember to fill me in and all the wonderful happenings in your corners of the world!

From my Corner Office

Yes, that's right. I have a corner office, all to myself. Of course, it's only because the Consulate is kind of understaffed in a pretty big building. Which leads me to the subject of my job. Being left to my own devices all day mostly means that I have time to, well, blog, check email, Facebook, etc. True, it's only my 3rd day here, so I guess I can't expect to become diplomat extraordinaire anytime soon. Instead, my first assignment is to read the local newspapers. So, for now, a pretty sweet gig.

In other news, truckers are striking to protest high gas prices. I'm a little worried because I need to go grocery shopping and all the supermarkets are saying they're going to start running out of food by tomorrow. On the plus side, I'm really glad I don't drive, since as part of the strike, trucks are blocking traffic, creating huge jams in all the big cities.

And of course, an update on my hero, Barack Obama. Or rather, an update on what out-of-touch, white, conservative TV pundits think of Obama. Namely, that he's a terrorist. Who makes "terrorist fist jabs" with his wife. Really Fox News? Really? I wonder how many athletes and young people are now classified as terrorists according to Fox News.

Benvingut a Barcelona/Bienvenidos a Barcelona/Welcome to Barcelona!

Well friends, it's finally here. After endless months of blogging and worrying, I'm in freakin' Barcelona! And it's an amazing, thrilling feeling, especially having finally gotten my luggage back. Note to Aer Lingus, if you can't transfer baggage in under an hour, don't transfer your passengers either.
So after 2 days of moping around my new apartment, staying mostly in my room, and, I'm pretty sure, grossing out my new roommates (Camila and Leandro), I feel clean, refreshed, ready to take on this new city I find myself in. So, yes, I have two full suitcases to unpack, dishes to wash, and plenty of other chores. But, I wanna go oouuuuuuttttt tonight! I'm super excited to start my job on Monday, I can't wait to start making friends, improving my Spanish, and generally making this one of the best experiences of my life.

I May Have to Change the Name...

of the blog. At least for the weekend, since... I'M BACK!!! Just got back to Harvard this morning, and after a very low-key day (with a 5 1/2 hour nap!), I can say I definitely missed it. After hearing all I missed from J-Yan, Phil, and Christy, I can't help but wonder if I'd be any different a person than what I am now.

Taking time off was the most stress-relieving thing I could've ever done, and probably should have done it a whole semester earlier. Even though I had to take care of a lot of stuff for my internship, and was constantly worrying about things, like money, it was nothing compared to dealing with being on academic probation here, and having to take care of all that other stuff too. Not that I don't regret missing out on everyone's adventures, and foregoing my own adventures; but I believe I'm happier for spending 4 months with my family, even if it was in West Bumblefuck, NM. And since my Barcelona internship will be a very formative and informative experience, it's quite swell that I'm going into it happy and (relatively) stress-free.

So I'll keep you all informed of my exploits, and possibly sexploits, while here in fun ol' Cambridge. And of course, all my fun Barcelona updates will be here as well. I promise it won't be a repeat of my Madrid blog!

Come see me!

A Breakthrough...I Think

Ah, sorry peeps. I know it's been forever since I wrote last. And since I'm obviously the most intersting person you've ever known, I'm sure, you're all dying to know what I've been up to.

So, a week ago I started working at the great devil known as Wal-Mart as a cashier, and surprisingly, it hasn't been as bad as almost everyone said it would be. I have had very few rude customers. I like to think it's because I'm such a nice person myself, but that's probably the ego talking. But seriously, if the whole "being a diplomat" thing doesn't work out, I may have a future in customer service.

Oh yeah, I guess I forgot to tell you all that I may have finally figured out what I want to do with my life. If this internship in Barcelona doesn't crush my dreams, I think I may want to work for the State Department. I think it may be the only job that pays me to travel all over the world and do politics. So this newfound purpose or direction in my life is really the topic of today's memo; this break has been good for me.

Let me explain. The first couple of months I was home, I wasn't entirely sure I was doing the right thing. I still debated with myself that maybe sticking Harvard out would have been better. Plus I was supposed to be working, that was the deal I made with myself, to not leech of my family. But, the extreme laziness and apathy that totally destroyed last semester was still very much in play. And so the cycle continued.

Until a couple of weeks ago, for some yet unknown reason. My trip to Barcelona is like 97% a sure thing. I'm now a member of the American workforce. (I just got my first paycheck today!) I may have figured out what to make of myself after college. Maybe it's just me, but I think this qualifies as a breakthrough. Now, I just can't get complacent, because I think that's how the cycle starts. I feel entitled to rest on my laurels (going to Harvard, etc.), I get lazy, the consequences of being lazy catch up to me, I get upset at myself, and then I start to not care. So, as my friends, please, don't let me brag too much. Remind me I'm not as perfect as I sometimes think I am.

The good news is that I won't have to take the fall off too, which was always a last resort. I can't wait to see you guys in September (and some of you even sooner, if you're staying in Boston for the summer, maybe.) I miss you so, so much and I wish you could be with me on this journey, but hopefully, I'll return to you a better person.

Besos!

Goin' to Barcelona!

I've known for a couple of weeks that I'm going for sure to Barcelona this summer (expected to leave around June 5 to spend a couple of days in Madrid) and I've been going crazy the past few days thinking of everything I need to do. Partial checklist:

• Find somewhere to live (apartment ads in Spanish are very confusing)
• Get insurance (stupid State Department requirement)
• Get a flight
• Get money for a flight (which is why I start working at Wal-Mart next week)
• a shitload of other things

So please, please, if you have any suggestions for making this process easier, please let me know.

Love and kisses!