Coffee...check. Muffin...check. Here we go.
A few Fridays ago, A and I were invited to a friends' new apartment in the north of town. It was the home of some fellow Ttmadrid graduates originally from England. They have been kind enough to help "amend" our English and provide us with charming new phrases like "knickers" and "biscuits." A and I are not the partying type, so we deliberated as to how long we would stay at the party. Our decision was to stay until the cops came. That evening, the possibility proved true. While we were all together at the apartment, the neighbors had complained about the noise and called the police. The next thing I know, I have to leave the apartment and it's only midnight. A Spaniard friend informed me that citizens can call the police for a noise disturbance after 11pm on weekends!
Nonetheless, there was no harm done (thank goodness!) There were so many people in the apartment that the cops didn't stop each one of us and ask for our passport. For A and I, this was an exciting night. In the multitude of years we resided in New York City, we never encountered the "fuzz" if you will. We finally got to don the renegade regalia we had always dreamed of.
Except we didn't really want to be rebels. We want to be comfortable legal citizens! This brings me to my next story in the unending saga of getting me my legal documents in Spain. A is an EU citizen because he has dual citizenship with Italy. This has made his paperwork in Spain work out seamlessly. Since I am married to him, I have to report that I am currently organizing my paperwork. I am technically legal, but the stupid consulates are taking so long to send us our important information. (Long story short, my marriage license may or may not be headed to Italy right now).
My experience with the job hunt has been affected by my current legal status. The Spanish have cracked down on businesses that hire teachers who do not have their legal paperwork in order. It used to be much easier for Americans to come into the country and find work. Nowadays, it proves challenging. And though I am on my way to obtaining all the necessary documents, many agencies inform me that they can't hire me until I have the papers in hand.
Last week, I received a call from one of those agencies. They were frantic to find an English teacher to start that day teaching a one-to-one class. They wanted to know if I had my paperwork in order yet (the Spanish don't exactly understand the slowness of their own country). The agency offered to help me get my social security that day if I brought all the documents I already had. Well, I jumped at the chance and the next thing I know, A and I are walking to the Ministry of Work with one of the agency employees who speaks very little English. I just nodded the entire time we walked over. Once we got to the office, they saw us, gave me a paper and we were done. They didn't even look at our marriage license to make sure the names were correct!
I began to teach the one-to-one class, but then the agency contacted me again, wondering if I had finished my legal paperwork. Of course I hadn't, but I was sure that they knew why. After a week and 3 teaching days, they had to let me go. They needed me to have another identification document, which I cannot get yet. I was pretty annoyed at them for their unorganized workstyle, but I accepted this as a positive point. I wasn't sure if I would have been happy working with them anyway.
Even though I have lost my first job, I still have a lot of teaching hours. Next week, I begin teaching 11 hours worth of classes! This means I need to start making some lesson plans this weekend!
Last Sunday marked our first 3 months being married. Honestly, all the adjusting, moving and transitions has made this time fly by. It was funny that while we were out that weekend, we stumbled upon a couple who had just gotten married and were having pictures taken. I decided to take a picture as well...
In honor of our 3 months of marriage, we decided to finally go out and have some paella. We found a little restaurant around the street from where we live. If you got two paellas, you got a free pitcher of sangria. Bon appetite!
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