On Spanish Adventures Part II: The Foodening

In which we discuss some food related stories

So I apparently have real problems purchasing fruit in foreign country. A little back story: a number of years ago I was in Italy with my family. One afternoon we stopped by a fruit stand and there were some peaches that looked delicious. So I started moving them around trying to find the best one, which is what I'd do in the states. Apparently this is a no-go in Italy and some little Italian guy yelled at me. Okay, lesson learned. Jump to yesterday. We stopped by a grocery to pick some stuff up and I grabbed some bananas to eat in the morning. Eventually we went to check out. All of our stuff went through no problem. When the bananas came up woman working the register looked at them for a few minutes then said something in Spanish to my co-instructor¹. Then she grabbed the avacados that were next in line, she said something else then sent them aside as well. We paid and left, sans produce. I asked what had happened and learned that apparently we were supposed to weigh the produce before we came up to pay. Who knew. So now I've got to go back later for my bananas, which was a real bummer this morning. A banana would have been real tasty this morning with my yogurt.

Last night the big event with our students was a welcome dinner downtown. We went to a resturant/club/I don't now what to enjoy our meal. The representative from the company we are working with generously scheduled an early dinner for us, 8:30pm². We were all pretty hungry, but that wouldn't last too long as there was a ton of food. We were lucky enough to enjoy a traditional tapas meal, which was a great thing to start off with. The way tapas works is you are brought a plate of tapas (or appetizers) and everyone can try one, or two or three depending on what it was. All together we got to try nine different dishes, and trust me when I tell you that by the end of the meal were incredibly full. Here's a rundown of what we had:

• Gazpacho - a cold tomato soup, super fresh, I'd never had it before but quite liked it
• Bolas de Bascalao - Cod and breading formed into balls then fried, very good, not too fishy
• Spanish ham on bread - A famous offering, traditional Spanish ham on crusty bread served with a tomato and olive oil spread
• Cured pork loin and cheese - This was my favorite tapa, the pork loin was AMAZING I wanted to bring a bunch of it home with me
• Shrimp pancake - There was a more official sounding name but I can't rememeber what it was, these looked like potato pancakes, except with shrimp
• Croissant with eggplant, brie, olives, and tomato marmalade - This was a great combination of sweet and savory, the croissant was a nice change of pace after a lot of baguette, the marmalade paired well with the brie and brought the whole thing together³
• Fried seafood basket - This is when things started getting real, this dish included: fried calamari, mussels, a small fried white fish, and fried whole sardines (heads and all). I'm proud to say that I tried all of them, including eating the sardine, head first I might add⁴

• Fried chicken wings - served with a teriyaki sauce, probably the weakest of the offerings, especially since we had eaten so much at this point
• Fresh fruit cup - This was a simple dish to end on, but it was great way to end, it really bookended things well with the gazpacho

This morning after class I went to a bakery with some students and grabbed an empanada as a snack, but now I'm getting real hungry so I guess it's time to go find some lunch.
Random Spain Factoids of the Day

• When you buy bottled water make sure you don't by carbonated lemon flavored water. Whoops.
• Jumping from an iPhone to a cheap Samsung burner has been a real pain in my ass
• How have I been here a full day and not had any beer OR wine yet. What a travesty⁵.
• Between starting this post and now I went by a fruit market where I purchased two oranges and two bananas for .82 euros. What a deal!

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1) Oh lack of Spanish speaking ability you've gotten the best of me yet again.
2) Here's a standard Spanish eating schedule: 7:30/8:00 a light breakfast (cereal, pastry, coffee), 10:30/11:00 brunch (a sandwich and beer), 1:30/2:00 lunch (biggest meal of the day), 5:00ish a snack, 9:00/10:00 dinner
3) Plus, olives, take that, adventurous eating goal.
4) I actually liked it more than I thought I would. Though as one of my students mentioned, it kind of tasted like a fishstick, just, you know, with a head attached.
5) This one isn't a factoid, but I needed to share, what an outrageous situation to find myself in.

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On Spanish Adventures Part I: Beginnings

In which a trip is taken, a stage is set, and sleep is missed.

I'm currently writing this from a bus in the middle the Spanish countryside¹. I am on my way to Valencia for a three week study abroad trip for my job. I am incredibly excited and fortunate to be taking part in such a once in a lifetime experience. As I was planning for the trip I was trying to think of the best way to keep people back home informed about how things were going. Ultimately I decided that jumping back into the blogging pool was the easiest way to go about it². My hope is to write a post every day or so giving updates, sharing stories, and, as is typical of my writing style, regale you with nonsense riddled with misspellings³.

So how did I get to Spain? Well I'm lucky enough to be apart of a team focused on giving our students a well rounded collegiate experience, so a few years ago we began to offer affordable study abroad trips in May. Most of our students wouldn't be able to afford to a traditional study abroad experience, so a short term one like ours is a great fit. My role in all of this is as one of two instructors on the trip. It's been a long, exhausting journey over the last semester in order to get ready and now that we're here it's almost surreal. For the longest time the trip seemed like a distant object on the horizon that never came closer. Just in the last few weeks did it begin to feel real. Really I haven't had much time to process it all, or even consider what I hope to gain from the experience. We ask our students all the time what they are most looking forward to, and to be honest I don't know that I ever had an answer to that myself.

But, what good is a blog if you can't use it to process things in your life⁴. So without further ado, here is my list of hopes, wishes, and goals for the next three weeks.
1) To allow myself to be immersed into Spanish culture. As an introvert and a 9 my default is to retreat inward and to find comfort in the familiar. I want to get out and experience Spanish life and all that entails.
2) To connect deeply with the students on the trip. Of the 20 students on the trip I know about half fairly well and about 4 of them very well. I know that I won't ever know all them at the same level, but I want to get to know them all more than I already do.
3) To stay active. Whether it's working out in the morning, going for hikes, or only biking around town, I want to stay active over the next three weeks.
4) To know myself better. I am always encouraging my students to be self-reflective and to look inward. This last semester it hit me that I don't do this often enough myself. I hope that upon returning to the states I better understand what motivates me, what my goals are, and of who I am as an individual.
5) I want to be an adventurous eater. Food is weird guys. I'm not an olive fan, I'm not a mussel fan, I've never had sardines but they don't sound too good. Guess what foods I'll see a lot of the next three week? Olives, mussels, and sardines. I'm going to force myself to try some things that I might not normally enjoy. Maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised.
6) Have a wealthy Spanish countess fall madly in love with me⁵. This one's self-explanatory.
Random Spain Factoids of the Day^TM:

• Our contact in Valencia looks like a Spanish Agent Coulson.
• My room reminds me a lot of Bruce Willis's place in The Fifth Element⁶.
• Paella count: 1

Our bus ride is almost over so I'm going to wrap things up for today. Be sure to check back tomorrow for more.
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1) As I was typing that sentence I looked to my left and saw a herd of sheep.
2) Granted this pool may have dried up two years ago, but I just couldn't bring myself to great a tumblr account.
3) And of course footnotes, lots of footnotes.
4) I mean, that's why Livejournal was created.
5) I don't know if there are Spanish countesses, but a guy can dream.
6) Which really was Bruce Willis at his finest.

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On Vitae

In which a list of things done is given.

I've had some writer's block lately so I asked people on Facebook what I should blog about. There were some good ideas that I will likely come back to. But my friend Jace wanted to know all the things I've done to earn money. That seemed like a good idea, and will force me to think about it. So in roughly chronological order here are all the things I've done to earn money.

• Ran the scoreboard at little league softball games.
• Started a company selling jumper cables¹.
• Score keeping and video taping middle school and high school sporting events.
• Served food.
• Mowed lawns.
• Framed houses.
• Surfed the Internet².
• Set up painting jobs on the Navajo reservation.
• Played Sorry and dodge ball.
• Went on field trips, swam, played games.
• Planned games for Camp O.
• Planned games for VBS.
• Interned at church.
• Edited video³.
• Young Lifed.
• Installed furniture on military bases and hotels.
• Substitute taught.
• Sold plasma.
• House sat⁴.
• Moved hay bails.
• Walked back and forth IU's campus⁵.
• Read books and blogged⁶.
• Counseled students.
• Watched gym class.
• Fed kids lunch.
• Sold meat at the farmers' market.
• Got really cold⁷.

Now, for a fun game see if you can figure out where these jobs fall on a timeline (Junior High/High School/College/Grad School). For an extra challenge don't read the food notes.

Next week: How not to be a dingus.
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¹ In middle school my friend Eric and I were a part of Junior Achievement, I don't know why we decided to do that, probably because we heard we could get money. I still have the jumper cables our group made.
² My freshman year the was some company that would track your Internet surfing and would pay you based on how much you surfed the Internet. My roommate and I would each get checks every couple of weeks for like $20.
³ I made the video for Camp Olivet in 2004, I had no idea what I was doing and stayed up until like 3 am to finish it.
⁴ House sitting for the Jones was the most amazing summer job ever. One of the top 3 summers of my life.
⁵ Working for the Upward Bound summer program was one of the most ridiculous experiences of my life, I would seriously just sit in a hallway while kids took classes.
⁶ As the in-school aide at JCMS I read like 12 books in a semester.
⁷ I work at the Corry's freeze loading coolers and CSA bags.

On Thirty For Thirty

In which we reflect back upon lessons learned.

I turned thirty at the end of March. Over the last three decades (ugh) I've learned a lot of things. Here are thirty things I've learned¹.

1. Most things in life that we worry about aren't worth worrying about.
2. Sometimes the things you are good at are not the things you thought you would be good at.
3. Don't grab a ring stand that has been been under a Bunsen burner for 30 minutes.
4. Always bet on black².
5. 
6. My parents really did know what they were talking about.
7. Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A, Start³.
8. I regret more the things I didn't do, or say, than those I did.
9. When a majority of your friends tell you something is a bad idea, it is.
10. How to play the guitar.
11. It's way too easy to let friends slip away.
12. My sister and I spent too much time not liking each other.
13. I should have thought through this list before I started it.
14. That you need to diversify your resources or you will be unable to build anything.
15. I'm no good at talking on the phone.
16. What timshel means.
17. How to do a mail merge to make address labels on Word.
18. How to draw this guy.
    
19. How to drive a manual transmission car.
20. Food you cook yourself almost always test better.
21. The journey is more important that the destination, but you should have a destination in mind.
22. I don't give myself enough credit.
23. How to write in cursive, twice⁴.
24. The twists to a bunch of movies I've never seen⁵.
25. I'm a nine, probably with an eight wing.
26. The states in alphabetical order.
27. That I'm really good at the Kevin Bacon game.
28. Why the chicken crossed the road.
29. That I don't know nearly as much as I think I do.
30. I really enjoy writing.

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¹ In no particular order.

² Thank you Wesley Snipes.

³ Boom. Thirty lives.

⁴ I re-taught myself in grad school.

⁵ e.g. what soylent green is.

On War On Film

In which a list is created, a few movies pitched, and synopses written.

It should be no surprise to you that I enjoy watching movies. One of my favorite things to do is to watch a good movie with a group of friends that leads to a great discussion afterwards. But beyond that I just enjoy the act of watching a movie, I’m something of an anomaly in that I greatly appreciate well made movies and movies that challenge me to think¹, but in the same breath I enjoy stupid mindless movies that exist only to entertain². I will even go as far as to gloss over the rough parts of a movie if it is able to captivating enough.

A number of years ago my roommate at the time, Adam, and I decided we were going to watch a movie that started with every letter of the alphabet, in order. We didn’t make it very far; I think we got to “C” or “D” maybe. But it was an interesting way to go about watching movies, and is something that I would like to try again some time. Since then I have thought about what other “movie themes” I could come up with. Watching a series of Oscar winners, or multiple remakes of the same story, or even watching movies Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon style³ all came to mind. But the most fleshed out idea, and the one that is the most intriguing, is watching a movie that corresponds to every war in American history.

Some of the most classic movies, and most entertain movies, are those based around wars. So would it be possible to watch a movie for every war? I decided to investigate the situation. First I had to decide what would be considered a “war,” which ended up being a tougher concept than I thought. So I after some deep consideration this is the list I came up with:

French and Indian War

American Revolution

The War of 1812

The Civil War

The Spanish-American War

World War 1

World War 2

The Korean War

Vietnam War

The Cold War

Desert Storm

Iraqi Freedom

The next question was a two-parter. Part the first; is there a movie about every war? Part B; have I seen any of said movies? I decided that if there was no movie option that I would make one up. And if there was a movie I had seen for a war I was obligated to choose it over one that I hadn’t⁴. Some categories will offer a first choice and an alternate as well.

The French and Indian War (1754-1763) – The Last of the Mohicans (1993)

• A white guy, who thinks he is a Mohican and is not named Natty Bumppo, falls in love with a stuck up English bird, who may or may not travel through time with Bruce Willis, in the middle of a war between the French and the British. There is a lot of running through the woods⁵, jumping through waterfalls, making the British look stupid, and no matter how long it takes, no matter how far, I will find you.

The Revolutionary War (1775-1783) – The Patriot (2000)

• This time the British have gone too far. The people have had enough, the votes are in, and it’s time to show those limey dastards what we’re made of. And there is only one man for the job. William Wallace, along with his son the Joker, face-off against Lucius Malfoy⁶, for control of the colonies, and the world will never be the same again. Blood! Excitement! Shooting stuff! Family drama! Inappropriately low-cut, rack-enhancing, colonial dresses! The Patriot!

The War of 1812 (1812) – n/a

• There isn’t a movie about the War of 1812. A good deal of the fighting took place in what was then the “northwest territories” which is now known as Indiana, Ohio and Michigan. That would be a cool setting for a movie, mainly because that is where I live. One thing the movie would have to have is Andrew Jackson getting punched in the face. Don’t get me wrong, he did an amazing job in the battle of New Orleans. But he was still a racist douche.

The Civil War (1861-1865) – Glory (1989)

• Ferris Bueller is the commander of the first all-black company of U.S. volunteers in the Civil War. With a little help from his friend Robin Hood, Ferris overcomes adversity and self-doubt to lead a squad of brave men made up of, among others, Malcom X, God, and another guy you would totally recognize but couldn’t name any of the other characters he’s played⁷. I watched this in US history during our Civil War lesson so you know it has to be educational.

The Spanish American War (1898) – n/a

• This war, known mainly for Teddy Roosevelt and his Rough Riders and for the sinking of the USS Maine, hasn’t had a film about it since 1936. Though the first war movie ever made, Tearing Down the Spanish Flag, was about the Spanish American War. It came out in 1898, which is the year the war happened, that’s nutty. If I was going to make a movie it would be based on Elmore Leonard’s Cuba Libre, what’s not to love about a war movie that involves cowboys, gun running, shootouts, bank robberies, and fast-talking, quick-witted protagonists? Nothing is the answer.

World War I (1914-1918) – Flyboys (2006)

• I actually haven’t seen this movie all the way through. I started watching it with my dad and sister over Christmas break but couldn’t stay for the whole thing. Though the little I saw I enjoyed and they both said it was good. Also, it stars James Franco, which is a good thing. So I guess it wins by default…for now.

World War II (1938-1945) – Saving Private Ryan (1998)

• Ready for this? Forrest Gump, after surviving the invasion of Normandy, commands a crack squad made up of: Riddick, Phoebe’s brother, Chandler’s psychotic roommate, Dale Earnhardt, Daniel Faraday, generic gruff guy, and Ed Burns, with one mission. Save good Will Hunting. Along the way they run into, meet, or otherwise have their lives affected by: One of the three men with a baby, Santa Claus, Mal Reynolds, Malcolm in the Middle’s dad, the guy the killed the prostitute for the “lust” killing in Se7en, Gerry Bertier, and an ex-cop turned actor who almost always plays cops. A little known fact is that by saving Private Ryan, the squad inadvertently caused cancer…whoops⁸.

• WWII Alternate – U-571 (2000) – What’s long, and hard, and full of seamen? Grow up you perv, it’s a submarine. And that is exactly what this movie is about, crank up the bass for the depth charge scene that will have you on the edge of your seat. Or just watch it to see Bon Jovi get his head cut off (don’t blink or you will miss it).

The Korean War (1950-1953) – MASH (1970)

• I’ve never actually seen this movie, I think it’s based off that one TV show…After-MASH⁹? Maybe I should check it out so I can see Jack Bauer’s dad hanging out with Ross and Monica’s dad and Robert E. Lee all joking about death and stuff.

The Vietnam War (1959-1975) – We Were Soldiers (2002)

• War movie all-stars alert. William Wallace returns to battle and brings Bruce Willis’ time traveling girlfriend with him, he also gets to hang out with Gerry Bertier and Dale Earnhardt. And while they were at it they threw in Felicity and one of Stifler’s friends. This movie portrays one of America's first battles in Vietnam and is probably the most intense, and violent movies on the list. But then Vietnam was one of the most intense and violent wars we were in, so I guess it works.

The Cold War (1945-1991) – Top Gun (1986)

• Ethan Hunt and his co-pilot Dr. Mark Greene want to be the best of the best of the best. Unfortunately Batman is standing in their way, but so are Ethan’s reckless attitude, daddy issues, and super hot girlfriend/instructor. But don’t worry Michael Ironside’s super gravelly voice and some sand volleyball in blue jeans will help smooth things out. As long as no one breaks their neck I’m sure everything will work out just fine.  Oh yeah, Sleepless in Seattle shows up too.

• Cold War Alternate – Spy Game (2001) – Watch Bob Whitaker¹⁰ recruit, train, work with, repulse and attempt to save Tyler Durden in this movie the travels through a variety of theaters from the Vietnam War all the way up to China at the end of the cold war. This is a movie that I can rewatch time and again.  It's pretty rad.

The Gulf War 1 (1990-1991) – Three Kings (1999)

• Marky Mark, Batman (no, a different one), a famous director, and Ice Cube are all soldiers at the end of the first Gulf War.  They are on a mission to find a stash of Saddam's gold based on a map they found in a guys butt.  Along the way they make some friends, create some exploding footballs, get into some hijinks, and try their best not to die.

 The Gulf War 2: Gulf Harder (2003-present) - The Hurt Locker (2008) 

• Three dudes no one has ever heard before run around trying to defuse IEDs¹¹ in the movie directed by the ex-wife of the most profitable director ever.  Keep your eyes open for cameos by Kate Austen, Lord Voldemort, and Fernand Mondego.  Also, if Avatar wins best picture over this movie it will be a travesty.

So the next time you find your self jonesing for a little American history, and you have 22 hours to spare, fire up your DVD player and make history come alive!
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¹ No Country for Old Men, American Beauty.
² Joe Dirt, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back.
³ In high school we would play this game when we were waiting around.
⁴ So don't yell at me when I don't put your movie on my list.
⁵ Any time that I am hiking, but especially at Turkey Run State Park, this music is always running through my head.
⁶ This guy is apparently a total prat in every movie he is in.
⁷ Sorry Andre Braugher, but it's the truth.
⁸ This is actually a joke that Tim Street started years ago, that guy and his inappropriate WW2 themes jokes.
⁹ I know the movie came before the TV show, but After-Mash was a real spin-off of MASH, apparently it was terrible.
¹⁰ The pastor at our church totally looks like Robert Redford, it's weird.
¹¹ Improvised explosive device, don't say I never taught you anything.