This post sounds like it could be a lot more interesting that it will likely turn out to be but that's a title hazard I suppose. Spain. How is it going? Well... I have to admit that sometimes I really enjoy teaching- particularly with my FCE group which includes some high school students, some university and a couple of adults. With that group it is easy to make jokes and have a few laughs as I am not always trying to correct them or their behavior. It can be unnerving at times because as amazing Dr. Folse from grad school used to always say, they will ask you the 'hot seat' questions that make you sweat- but I learn things from those questions too and I haven't died. At least not yet. It is difficult at times to get that group to give opinions, but on a couple of occasions, at least, it has been a success. These are all good things. Speaking of topics they refuse to talk about. Politics.
After giving the socialists the boot after many years it seems that Spain is finally holding the reigns of their young democracy. I don't pretend to know much about the history of politics here (though I am reading up on it lately), but I do pay at least a bit of attention to what is going on as it does affect me now. No, I can't vote. But since I live here and do take advantage of what I think is a pretty great social security system I feel as though I should. It will be interesting to see what happens here over the next year or two, as well as in the rest of Europe. To be honest, I think either party would have been in a canoe floating up a brown creek given the circumstances... but since Zapatero has become so vilified what more obvious choice than the opposition? Seems to me that's how it usually works anyway. In general I hate politics and politicians (except the one I'm married to) but they are a necessary evil. I just don't see why instead of the slander poo throwing they tend to do to each other, they don't try to come to real resolutions that have nothing to do with 'parties.' I'm sure all of the truly involved activists are all shuddering now and think I'm an idiot but I just don't get it. Humans are all threatened by opposing views but I think the way we play this game should have ended a long time ago. Now that we are in the middle of a real crisis, it seems even more ridiculous. I'm sure that I could have a much more educated view on this if I dedicated more time to it, but I've just never been an absolutist in any arena. I don't agree with all of what anyone says or does. Period.
So... about the sneaky politicians. I am often baffled by my husband's attempts to use poppycock to solidify an argument. God love him. His latest adventure in verbal acrobatics was when he calmly explained to me that the time has come to purchase a second car. Mind you, we had this discussion not three days ago when I told him that he can buy the sports car that he is 'dying for' when he buys me a new couch that isn't an ugly bachelor pad elephant that takes up our ENTIRE living room. Also, that we would wait until we really need it before spending thousands of euros on another car. Perhaps it's my American mentality. I like to save money... sue me. Any large purchase is painful for me and I'm not a big shopper. I prefer to spend hours looking for something suitable that is cheaper than buying things on a whim. My husband is the opposite and often confuses the difference between need and want. That's neither here nor there... I guess it's just that I did it on my own for so long and I barely got by sometimes. That makes me want to save. Having money saved turns my husband into a wanna-be Bruce Wayne that wants to buy this as our second practical car.
Bollocks, I say.
No comments:
Post a Comment