Pumas in the Making...

The past week has been really great because two of my best buddies from ABQ came to Madrid for spring break. Genia arrived on the 12th and we had some Madrid style fun (staying out WAY too late, swapping Facebook info with 18-year-olds outside of Kapital (I haven't made it inside yet), arguing over which guys were gay and which guys were straight, eating ridiculous amounts of carbs, grease, etc.) Then brave Genia went to Barcelona (by herself!) and I stayed here to 'work.' We had a mini Olympics at school last Thursday (I will post pictures soon) and I was off on Friday for Father's Day (the Spaniards celebrate it in March).

Jewels got here just in time for the three of us to take a trip to Alicante (a beach town in southeast Spain). Unfortunately, there wasn't any sun in Alicante, but there were a ton of 18-year-old Americans which made the three of us feel both nostalgic and extremely old. It's kind of a bummer when you realize you can no longer fit in at every bar and you feel like a fish out of water because you've finally developed enough common sense to notice one way or the other.

Anyone Else Lived with Their Parents, Relatives, etc. Since College Graduation??

I was having a chat with my friend Jenny the other day, discussing the future and what not...Jenny is going to make some moves soon and was lamenting the fact that she might have to live with one of her parents for a bit in the transition. In fact, she even mentioned getting a second job in order to avoid said move back home.

My first thought was "Why in the world would you ever want to do that?" After all, in CA, it is totally normal to move back to your parents' house (if they'll take you) after college...relatives too. Our generation has mountains of debt and a horrible economy to deal with, not to mention the fact that we have been raised with the expectation that we'd get an amazing job at 22 as long as we had a B.A. in hand. As the movie said, "Reality Bites."

Spain's economy is also awful at the moment, but here, like most of Europe, it is totally acceptable to live with your parents and have no idea what to do with your life at 25. Just being here has made me feel so much better about my prospects in life. In the States, there's some kind of ridiculous stigma about living with your parents after graduation. I say if you live with your parents, relatives, etc. you're damn smart...and that's not just because my wonderful Aunt Janet has let me live with her for the past 3 years : ) Seriously though, why slave away at a job you hate just to pay the rent if you don't have to? Let's face it, a B.A. these days barely gets you to the point where you can pay rent and put gas in your car (in CA at least), so stick with the fam (if you can), save money (or start paying off your debt), and be happy. Just don't stay forever.

If I'd been living on my own since I graduated from UNM in 2006, I wouldn't have been able to travel to Argentina, Costa Rica, D.C., Boston, Chicago, Ireland, Spain, Italy....you get the picture. And I certainly wouldn't be in Madrid right now getting myself figured out and ready to fly the coop some time soon. And yes, when I get home, I'm moving right back in with my aunt (if she'll let me), until I find a job that will pay me enough to stay afloat in San Francisco or the South Bay. I think it's the smart thing to do and it lets me keep my cushy lifestyle intact. At least I admit I'm a spoiled...lucky girl!

Un Dia Tres Miradas - Ballet Flamenco!

After discovering I had inadvertently missed the Madrid Flamenco Festival, I was a bit bugged and decided to search out some flamenco to make up for it.

Last night, Farren and I went to a show at the Teatro de Madrid. I'm ashamed to say it was the first time I've seen flamenco since I've been here (something like 5 months now...) but better late than never! As always, the performance was amazing and left me feeling like a talentless lump of unathletic cellulite.

If you are sitting there thinking "Fla WHAT??," check out this YouTube video. Flamenco is a mix of Gypsy, Moorish, and Spanish (among others) folk art traditions, history, singing, dancing, etc. although it seems to me everyone argues over its origins...

I love how perfectly it conveys the Spanish flair for all things dramatic. It also reminds me of Ballet Folklorico, which makes me think of home. countless school assemblies, the State Fair, and UNM. By the way, Albuquerque is home to the National Institute of Flamenco, and if you're there in June, go to the International Flamenco Festival. It's back after being cancelled last year and brings in the best dancers from all over the world. The passion and the power of the dancers coupled with Flamenco guitar and singing is just beautiful. I will miss it again this year (I'll still be in Madrid), so someone please go for me!