From Dublin to Madrid.

Are you ready for a long post? It could be worthy.

My exit from Ireland was difficult. I had finished in my job on Sunday 8th. I was very happy to finish but I had to arrange all my things in only two days. My boss was out in his honeymoon in Africa and I didn’t know when he was going to arrive. In the other hand, I had arranged to sell the bike to the Catalonian brothers (Juan and Nino) on Monday at noon. I went to the bank to close my account but that day they had to update the computer system so they closed early. It was annoyed to see the bank closed but the worst was to hear that the brothers didn’t have money in that moment. Well, I was suspicious about this but it was the less important problem that I had. Finally, I couldn’t do anything more. Next day, I had to do anything. It was my last day with enough time to put in order everything. First, I went to the job and I was waiting for Cillian for two hours. Then, I decided to go to close my bank account. It was very bureaucratic but I could to get my money (in liquid because I couldn’t do the transfer because they paid a lot of data that I didn’t have in that moment). I went back to the petrol station with Pedro (we met in the bank) and we had to wait 45 minutes more while my boss was arriving. Finally I could get the money and the P-45 (very important document). With this document we went to the O’Connell Office to obtain the E-301 but the problem was that they didn’t give this document. They said to me to go the Welfare Office where I got the PPS number (social security number). There, in Ballyfermot (near Palmerstown), they only said to me that I had to get the E-301 in Spain, so in that moment I wanted to kill anybody (I was very angry because I had had a lot of problems to get my money in the bank, in my job and the E-301). Well, we (and particularly me) were tired and we thought in have lunch anywhere, but when we saw the people in Ballyfermot we thought it would be better to go out of there and we took the first bus from there to Palmerstown. And the funniest was that we finished having lunch in a Bowling Alley, very close to my first Irish house, in the Moriarty Mall. Then, we went to the Liffey Valley Shopping Center. I said to Pedro bye and I went to the house. They prepared a special dinner for me and they gave a special present: a beautiful knife from Provence (una navaja francesa muy bonita de la Provenza) and a sack of Lempsis (from my last cough). It was a very kind detail. The next day I said good bye to everybody and Agnés brought me to the airport. I said goodbye to Ireland (un hasta luego pero no un adiós).



It could be funny but in the first moments in Spain I was saying things in English, subconscious but important expressions like “sorry” or “thanks”. I continued like that for two o three days more, but it occurred when the Spanish visitors were in the house: I said things in English in the middle of a phrase. I think it could be normal because I have been living five months in a foreign country without Spanish speakers.

Well, I am going to sum these days up. I arrived in the evening and I found big traffic jams like in Ireland but there were two main reasons: it was the day before to “Constitution Bridge” (a “bridge” is a small vacation in Spain) and masses of people went out of Madrid, and the other reason was, of course, the public works in Madrid. When I reached my home, I was having fabulous dinner with my family.

The next day I went to Salamanca to meet with my LOVE. I spent two days in this fantastic city, trying to recover the lost time. We went to the cinema, to restaurants, to bars, to pubs but perhaps the best was the German Beer Festival near the Roman Bridge. Big and good beers, sausages, German salads but not Choucrout (the waiter didn’t know it). I had only one beer, but what a beer! It was good but a bit expensive.

Saturday morning I went to the south, to Extremadura (in the centre-south of Spain). My cousin was going to get married. I arrived in the afternoon and it was a tired travel (five hours in a coach). I hadn’t been there for eight or more years. I had never met with some of my cousins. The wedding was ok, but I was a bit tired and I wanted to go to the bed earlier than the rest.

And about last week, I used it for arrange papers here, do two job interviews, meet with Gloria and get my Master Diploma. Not so much, but I needed to rest. And this week, more of the same (to rest).

Well, I think it’s going to be difficult to find the correct job but I am going to give me time about it. I am going to try to get an interesting job according to my skills and qualifications but if I will not be able, never mind. I’ll say to myself: you tried it.

I hope you’re not bored with this long text. It could be bored or perhaps it has got a lot of unimportant details. I promise the next will be short.

See you soon readers,

Elgaine de Balliers.

Spanish visitors.

I couldn’t write last week because I was very busy and the main reason is the title.

Enrique (one of them) was living in the house, working as kitchen porter (as many other) while he was improving his English. He was almost four months and then he returned to Spain but he has been maintaining the contact with the family. So, he came back but not alone. Antonio was a fellow from Enrique’s village, Valenzuela de Calatrava (Ciudad Real, Spain) but he didn’t say anything about to bring a friend.

Anyway, I enjoyed so much with the meals they prepared: caldereta, chorizo, lomo, pisto, manchego cheese, wines from Valdepeñas, … (what can I say more of this?). And they were good guys: I went with them to visit Dublin (for example the Jameson Distillery) and to do shopping in Penneys or Carroll’s (gift shops). Summing up: good people!

In the other hand, I have some incidents with the “natives” (it could be the best word for this people). Last Sunday I went to see the Ryder with David and the porter didn’t want me to go into. The “reasons”: I wore sport shoes (stupid reason when almost everybody wore them inside). So I phoned David who was inside and with him I could enter. I have never felt the racism such strong and it was quite humiliating. David didn’t believe what I was telling by phone. But besides, yesterday, I went to do some shopping and to go for a walk with Pedro (the boy from Barcelona) and his two Italian girlfriends, and when we had diner the waitress asked for the ID cards!!! How can a person be so stupid to require the ID to a people with 30, 27 and 21! Some times I don’t understand this country. And the worst is when you meet with scumbags (marginal Irish people) overcome by the foreigners. They speak a unshaped English, very difficult to understand, their level of studies are very low (or less than the minimum) and a lot of times they don’t have job because they can’t compete with the foreigners, more skilled and motivated. So, when you meet with them, they often show their anger with sights or comments. Some times it’s not easy to live like an emigrant.

And finally, I can only say that I am counting the days for my back. My experience here, in this controversial country, has been interesting and I have learned a lot of things, not only English. I think, in general and getting the balance, that I can’t regret of my decision absolutely and it’s going to be very positive in my future but I had some sour experiences (well, it hasn’t got anything of particular because I could suffer another ones in Spain). I will have to improve my English more, polishing it, but now I think I can defend myself with my current level in a job or travelling. Just I arrive to Spain, I want to join a course up to get the First Certificate and I want to start another language but I don’t know which one: French, Italian or Portuguese. In any case, these plans are for the next future and my actual concern is to close this chapter of my life starting a new and hopeful one.

Well, I hope see you soon. Cheerio!

Elgaine de Balliers.