Monday, May 24, 2004

How I lost my International Newsweek (emails from abroad)

So I know that I said that you all had probably seen the last of my group emails, but I promise that this one is worth it.

Yesterday, to take a break from the studying that I was not doing for this week's exams, I picked up the International version of Newsweek that I had bought for 4€ last week in the Barcelona airport. As some of you know, Newsweek is MY magazine. I love this thing. I could read it non-stop for days and be as happy as a clam. Well, yesterday's was no different. I was highlighting, tearing out pages to keep, getting madder and madder about the current world situation, and then had to fold it up and take it with me for my lunch plans.

Well, as tends to happen when one is trying to study, lunch turned into coffee, which turned into shopping, which turned into drinks, which was then turning into dinner. I was hanging out with a group of about 5 splendid conversationalists at this point, and thoroughly enjoying the afternoon. As our group left the Thai bar to go to the Chinese Restaurant (hey, what can I say, we're cultured) I heard some shouting in the intersection about 50 feet ahead of us. I figured someone was hurt, so I jogged forward to see if I could help.

That jog turned into a dead sprint as I realized this little old lady had just been attacked and robbed, and now there were two guys trying to chase down the thief. Without even thinking, I kicked off my flip-flops in the middle of the street, and sprinted after. Spaniards tend to be heavy smokers, so I was not surprised at all when I passed both of the other chasers and became the guy in the lead. I followed for about four blocks screaming "Ladron, Ladron!" as I tried not to slip on the crosswalk paint on pavement wet from the recent rain.

I was within about 5 feet of the thief, when he bent down and picked up a large rock from the ground. I didn't even think, but just responded and the next thing I know, I have him from behind, in a semi-headlock half-nelson (see... 6th grade wrestling did do something for me). The man is waving around trying to get me with the rock, and punching me as best he can with the other hand. I twisted his arm so he dropped the rock, and then the 2nd chaser came up and helped me restrain the man, who still held a shiny black leather purse in his hand. One of my first reactions was "Dude, that is SOO not your color."

At that point, a spectator came up and started punching the thief, whose head is now securely between my chest and my fore-arm. So I swing around to then protect the thief, and the 2nd guy tries to get this 3rd guy away. At that point a plain-clothed police officer shows up, flashes a badge, and asks me to continue retraining the guy. Hmmm... Okay. We make the thief sit down until the old lady has had a chance to make her way over from where she was first robbed and ID her purse (Well its certainly not mine! Mine is red.)

While we were waiting, the thief tries to tell the cop that it was not him who stole the purse, but ME. I kinda just laughed, pointed at my bare feet and comment, "No tengo zapatos. ¿A quien voy a robar sin zapatos?" (I don't have shoes, who am I going to rob without shoes?) The Policia seemed to take that as definitive proof that I could not, indeed, be the robber.

So the little old lady makes her way over, and is just sobbing. Relieved to have her purse, she has a large gash along the side of her arm from the incident. She IDs the purse, IDs the robber, and then the Policia makes us go into the nearest shop to call for a squad car. And just our luck, the nearest shop is a porn store. Great... (Dad, remind you of a similar situation in New Orleans?) Anyway, our whole rabble packs in among the racy videos, magazines and other delightful memorabilia (with the little old lady) and stand there waiting for a car. Everyone seems to be pretty puzzled by my bare feet, even as I try to explain, still breathless and zonked out from adrenaline, that I had kicked them off in pursuit.

The police came, took the bad guy away, took the viejita off to the hospital to check out her arm, and I went off to my Chinese meal. A friend had grabbed my flip-flops saying, "One minuted you were there, the next I was just staring at a pair of sandals..." I had to go and give a statement today, and tomorrow I get to have my first (and hopefully only) experience in front of a Spanish Judge. Well I guess if I needed an excuse not to study, here it is. (not that I have ever needed one).

But as I chugged down some water, and ate my spring roll appetizer, I quickly swore out loud. I remembered that as I was running, my 4€ Newsweek had fallen out of my bag. It was one of those things that passes so quickly so your consciousness that you simply move on, until you realize that your beloved magazine is now sitting in a rainy street. But I suppose that as far as losing reading material goes, this is a pretty darn good story.

All my love,
Christian

Antonio: "Dude, your a hero"
Christian: "Nah, I'm a Boy Scout."

Wednesday, May 19, 2004

Huelga, Huelga!!! (emails from abroad)

Well, here I am folks, the end of this fantastic journey... well almost.

I just got back yesterday from Barcelona, where I a) went and finally got myself back to Manresa to save the cave of St. Ignatius, where he wrote the spiritual exercises b) spent a morning at the United Nations Forum looking at worldwide social justice issues and then spending the afternoon walking along the beaches of Barcelona (and encountering my first nude beach---did not partake) and finally c) spent a day writing a paper in the incredible "Biblioteca de Catalunya," an ancient building with vaulted romanesque ceiling and full wood furnishings. Then I went and got into a literal fight with a hairstylist, who ended up buzzing my head so I now have a full military-style mohawk. (dont worry, I like it)

So, it was an exciting weekend all in all, and I loved getting off on my own for a bit. This is, of course, a good thing becuase I will be leaving June 1 for a month of hiking on my own.

I turned in the last of my Trabajos today, and it felt awesome to have that intense part of my semester behind me. I dont know that I have written that intensely in English in many semesters. 5 pages for History, 8 pages for Lit, 11 pages for Theology and finally 7 pages for Dialectology, all within about two weeks. Now I have a couple days of class and then exams... But WAIT!!! Along with the relief of handing in papers today, I was told that several of our profs will be participating in the national education strike (Huelga! Huelga!) tomorrow, so my schedule is extremely diminished. Cool!

On a business note, the University asks me to remind everyone NOT to send me anything after tomorrow (the 20th) because I will not be around to get it. And from my end, I BEG of you all NOT to send me any large emails within the next month or so. I will be hiking from small city to small city in the northern part of Spain, and I anticipate that I will only get to my email every once in a while. But DO feel free to send up a few prayers for me along my pilgrimage. And I probably have a couple more "updates" in my system before all is said and done.

To all the Seniors on my list, I was thinking today about how much I am going to miss everyone, and seriously will think of you often next year as we all scramble to fill your shoes. I would not be the person I am today if it wasnt for a large number of upper-classmen that have touched my life in very profound ways these last two years. If you havent done so already, please send me your updated email info for when Emarq boots you.

Otherwise, the city is all geeked up for the Royal Wedding this weekend, and it should be an interesting piece of histoy to be here for. And I am gearing up for my big hike and return to the States. This experience has been incredible, but likewise it will be incredible to be home.

All my love to all,
Christian

“Fifty years ago today, nine judges announced that they had looked at the Constitution and saw no justification for the segregation and humiliation of an entire race,” Bush said May 17 praising the activist court of the 1954 Brown vs. Board of Education decision. Hmmm... isnt retropect nice??

Sunday, May 09, 2004

SOOooo many blessings (emails from abroad)

Hey you guys,

I dont have too much time to send emails, because I want to call some of the mothers in my life, but I wanted to share the last couple weeks with all of you.

First of all, thank you all for the emails, cards, BROWNIES and such that were sent for my birthday. I know I am being lax on my thank-you notes, but I wanted to let everyone know just how blessed I felt on my birthday to have so many who love me. Believe me, it is reciprocated. I learned a lot about myself on this birthday, and in that I think it was quite a success turning 22.

I spent last weekend exploring Lisbon and the cities around it. Lisbon is not the most classical of European cities, and has almost no artwork of fame, but it had a very pleasant charm to it. I ended up being joined by a friend for the trip, and we got to go up into the mountains, down to the beach, and just enjoy a fairly relaxing weekend. I did, however, decide that Portugese is my least favorite of languages. Why dont you jushhht shhhpeak Shhhpanishhhhh? (they add very nasty syllables to otherwise lovely Spanish words) But the people were among the most pleasant I have encountered in all of Europe, and it was a fairly cheap trip (way to take advantage of a failing economy!)


I had my interview for the columnist spot for the Marquette Tribune right before I left, and I always hate phone interviews, made worse by the use of a one-way speaker phone, but I was waiting to hear back on that. I ended up not getting the spot, because they already have a liberal columnist, and adding me to the mix would make the paper a liberal power-house. But the blessing comes in that my roommate, Will, who is one of my best friends, got the spot. See... I suppose being conservative isnt all bad. Even the Tribune needs some wackos to give it balance. I am extremely pleased that if I couldnt do it, my best friend could. Awesome.

Minutes after I talked to Will, I talked to a guy that I have been helping deal with "closet issues" for the last couple of semesters. Long story short, this kid has had to face a lot of very strong, close-minded religious upbringing. Well, he is finally comfortable enough to tell his family, and to hear the calm joy in his voice from the burden that had been lifted from him. The fear of his family's rejection was intense. Well, I got a call at 4:30am today, and everything had turned out okay. Any of you who know who I am talking about will rejoice in this with me, because this guy is truly a gift, and I am so pleased that his family continues to see that. Thank God!

Then, I talked to my little sister, who kicked butt on not one, but two AP tests this week. She is getting ready for her first prom, a jazz concert that her choir will be singing "It's Raining Men" (my theme song), and the end of her semester. But along with being one of the best writers I have encountered in a while, she told me that two of my best-est friends in the world (there's good writing for you) will be in Traverse City the same time I will be this summer. God fills my life with such joy!

I am finally having to do some academic work right now, working on about 4 papers due next week. Not too much to whine about however, I just finished one 8-pager on a book I have yet to read. And the sad part? It sounds more intelligent than if I had perhaps read it.

Okay, I have a date to run to and some wonderful women to call. Hugs to all,

Christian