update

well as the dollar keeps falling every morning you wake up and feel like you were just robbed some more, what a feeling. we have not had a game in 3 weeks and nobody shows up to practice it is getting pretty frustrating we barely won our last game and i thought people would be mad and want to come out and get better but that is not the case. i have met the
other americans that are playing football over here and they spend there days playing playstation in their bedrooms which is not interesting to me at all. One thing that is interesting about them is they walk around town like they are superstars which is funny to me because maybe they get 100 people to a game and most of those are former players and family. we play in the catalonian final this weekend and i am hoping that we have a good performance but with the lack of player knowledge it will be interesting how the plays we have installed will work. i have been consistently getting the response that this is spain very similar to leos line in blood diamon "this is africa". i do not understand that thinking, it is one thing to play just to be a part of something but i do not sense that feeling of determination. pregame people are excited but about 5 minutes into the game people take themselves out and nurse sore calfs on the sideline talking to their girlfriends. they like to come in when we are winning and doing well but nobody likes taking the tough snaps. after the games people are thrilled with a victory like everywere but i there is not a determination to improve which is very frustrating. hopefully this week we will get more people out at practice, but as it is the week following easter most people will probably be nursing their hangovers from the 5 days of partying that they have been doing. you have to give them credit these people do know how to celebrate i just have not seen that will to better their current position which does not sit well with me.

As we drove through the Spanish countryside I was able to see the real differences in American and European industrialization. Barcelona was built and inhabited long before America had its inauguration. You see the old buildings in the center of town, the age old festivals and it seems that everything is just being updated with technology. This Saturday was my first opportunity to get outside of the city and and immediate suburbs. The land here in Catalonia is very similar to San Diego with low brush and sprawling settlements. The largest differences are the management of human waste. Beyond the bright lights of the wharf and ramblas the outlying areas are strew with debris in the shadows of large factories and waste piles. We passed Montserrat, with its jagged rocks it looks like a lot of teeth pointing into the sky, this is were Ignatius Loyola founded the Jesuits and at the top of the mountain there is “the rose of April, the dark one of the mountain”, a statue of the Virgin Mary who is black from age and candle soot. Driving farther beyond we came to our destination Igadalla, A small community overlooking agricultural land that is parched from the lack of rain in the region. These small towns are not designed for cars, with little streets and central town squares. We pulled up to the field and at first glance it was a pleasant setting. Right next to the town plaza they had a dj and a little festival going on with many people dancing. My first steps onto the field told me that it was going to be a long afternoon. The field was a green carpet with a few centimetres of sand directly on top of pavement. I had finally overcome jet lag and was ready to make my presence known. I played every snap if the game and lost a lot of skin for it. I almost scored my first touchdown but the play was called back on a penalty. Lots of people in town stopped by to watch in between shopping, which made the experience fun. We won the game and drove back to barbera. We all sat around at our local bar and eating and joking(I speak with my hands) and celebrated the win. I had my first experience with Spanish ham which is a delicacy. It is not imported to the United States because of the way the it is cured but it is delicious and anyone travelling to Spain has to try it. I could not make it to the disco this Saturday because I was too tired but I aim to make my presence felt there soon. Until next time.


*****cultural note******
I finally found out how Europeans smell so great. For those that thought that they do not shower you are gravely mistaken. At the gym that I go to there are vats of cologne located every ten feet in the mens locker room. These cauldrons are equipped with industrialize sprayers much like a pressure hose. Now to properly bathe one must take a shower and I am assuming use soap and shampoo(I do not watch this part), you must then go to one of the sprayers for a quick body spray. Upon application of your clothes you must then provide a conditioner size bottle of your preferred designer cologne. The key is to spray your hand 4-5 times and then apply to head, again spray 4-5 times apply to upper torso, then repeat for the lower extremities. This may sounds excessive but it is crucial that every square inch of your body is covered. One more spray for good luck and you are ready for the day.