The ill-fated peregrinations of... Ryan

This is infuriating. The U.S. withheld $40 million because Brazil hands out free condoms to prostitutes and has a needle-exchange program. It should be noted that Brazil has the most successful AIDS control program in the developing world, while the U.S. plan of abstinence, faithfulness, and controlled condom use (ABC) has no data to back it up, and most experts think it does more harm than good. And Brazil is one country of many.

When the bible gets in the way of smart and proven medicine (which is quite often)...

"The idea of God was not a lie but a device of the unconscious which needed to be decoded by psychology. A personal god was nothing more than an exalted father-figure: desire for such a deity sprang from infantile yearnings for a powerful, protective father, for justice and fairness and for life to go on forever. God is simply a projection of these desires, feared and worshipped by human beings out of an abiding sense of helplessness. Religion belonged to the infancy of the human race; it had been a necessary stage in the transition from childhood to maturity. It had promoted ethical values which were essential to society. Now that humanity had come of age, however, it should be left behind."
-- Sigmund Freud

The U.S. has no problem (and Bush should be commended for it) investing in drug research for diseases that strike poor countries (malaria, TB, polio...). Why can´t Bush, because this really is his doing, realize that the best prevention for AIDS isn´t moral suasion, but a cheap, thin layer of latex?

Applying to medical school has put me back in the mode, and this might be the last entry. Toodles.

http://www.livejournal.com/community/public_health/274965.html#cutid1

http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/353/4/333

it´s not september

Went with 2 friends last night to see Lost In Translation projected on the side of the Castle of Montuïc, which was incredible.  3,000 people gathered in the moat of this old castle, drinking, eating, and relaxing, while a great movie was playing.  I forgot how much I loved that movie, and definitely need to buy it when I get home.

On our way back, feeling the effects of a bottle of cava each (and some gin, and some beer), we stumbled into a random street party.  During the summer the various barrios of Barcelona throw their own parties, so there is almost always something going on.  Anyhow, after buying cheap and delicious mojitos, we wandered over to the stage with good live music, and danced and people watched.  At one point the keyboard player took out his trumpet, which was just awesome.  Nothing showy, but a nice fat spanish/cuban sound, which perfectly complemented the mojitos.  D.T., please work on your cuban technique.  I´ll make the mojitos.

Pepita cooked my special farewell lunch today (her not knowing exactly when I am leaving, which I still don´t...), which consisted of a massive plate of perfectly cooked and spiced muscles, an incredible garlic seafood pasta alfredo, and more cava sangria, which she showed me how to make.  The food just gets better and better.  A gastronomical elysium.

Yesterday we had our excursion to Figueres to see the Dalí museum, which he designed himself in the twilight of his life.  Accordingly, the museum itself is a work of art.  It was, however, the most insanely crowded museum I´ve ever been in, to the point where it was difficult to appreciate much, what with cutthroat German tourists jockeying for better viewing positions.  I was elbowed several times by elderly ladies, who are generally stronger than they appear.

And tonight, four of us (the three people in the group I talk to) are going on a Spanish bar/pub crawl.  15 euro for 3 bars and 1 club, with a drink and shot at each.  Good chance to see some bars that I otherwise wouldn´t see.

¡Que vaya bien!

Another fun three-day weekend in BCN.  Much late-night bus riding.  Read a lot and relaxed in the air-conditioning during the day (high 90s on Saturday).

My bank account crashed big time.  My loose spending habits were manageable in Ann Arbor, but it looks like I´ll be working this coming semester. 

BCN harbor from the top of Montjuïc.

A view from my balcony.

The palace where the incredible fountain show is held.

I am currently starting my med school application online, and the extensive list of prefixes included Rhon., which I assume is The Right Honourable... I wonder how many British M.P.´s apply to med school...

Soo, only one more week of class left (3 days, actually, and an exam). The end draws near, and I know I´m going to miss BCN. But I still have two more weekends to enjoy myself.

I had the most incredible meal two nights ago. Two of Pepita´s friends came over, and we were treated to a four-star dinner, and I´m not exaggerating. A huge light salad with delicious Brie-like cheese and pine nuts, cava sangria, a delicious veggie-cheese-egg-bacon souffle of sorts, and an incredible mango reduction with a dollop of vanilla ice cream. And a nice brüt cava with dessert. Out on the balcony, with a view of the lit-up Sagrada Familia, all in Spanish... yeahhhhh.

I´ve been doing my med school app for 2 hours. What a waste of time in Barcelona, but I´m way behind. Then again, when am I not? The reason I´m in Barcelona is because I missed the deadlines to other study abroad programs. So things usually work out for me...

Midway point in classes. Siento que no estoy aprendiendo nada. But I can fumble my way through a Spanish newspaper, so I guess I must be progressing.

A few of us tried to go see Maria, Full of Grace last night outdoors, projected on the side of the castle here. We climbed the mountain for 45 minutes lugging alcohol and ice to discover that it was sold out. So we camped on the side of a semi-deserted road, adjacent to the Olympic diving pool from ´92, and got rowdy.

There is talk of going to Costa Brava tomorrow.

BCN is fun as always. Not much to say. I went to a movie in Spanish, but American Spanish, and I actually thought it was odd when they didn´t use the vosotros. Why would the girl say to her friends, ¿Donde van? Ahhhh because váis does not exist...

The computer lab is closing. I´m jonesin' for some Strangers With Candy, I don´t know why.

Back in Barcelona from a wild weekend in Mallorca. Three days up until 6 am. But now I´m back, and it feels strangely comfortable. Huzzah for feeling at home in Barcelona.

We spent a good 20 minutes today in class lisping words. Some people either refuse to do this or are incapable of making the -th sound. One girl said we´re from the U.S., so we shouldn´t have to learn Spanish Spanish. The same girl said men in Barcelona aren´t masculine enough for her. She´s a treat.

I´ve devolved more and more into reading random people´s livejournals for entertainment. I now waste many cibercafé minutes doing just that. It´s unhealthy and voyeuristic, but it´s my drug of choice. I favor the overly-dramatic. I´ve now seen relationships form and fall apart between people I have neither met nor seen in person. Although I have a feeling I´d recognize more than a few at Necto...

It´s been awhile.

We are in Mallorca for the weekend for our one included trip in this program.  It´s very resorty, but still quite nice.  There is some actual historical stuff to see, but I´ve decided to make this my lay-by-the-pool weekend and try to make some headway on Don Quixote.  So I alternated pool and nap today, since we got back from the club at 5am this morning.  My roommate did a line of cocaine in the room last night, which was wild.  Two nights ago we were at a club on the street in the book Shadow of the Wind, Ave Tibidabo.  I don´t usually go out this much...

Not much to tell... my week consists of class, gym, lunch, various and sundry afternoon activities (picasso museum, beach, etc.), dinner, bars or sleep.  Interestingly, or not, I met a guy who works at Tulane University at the bar the other night.  He works as a public health specialist, living in South Africa and New Orleans, focusing on AIDS programs in Pretoria, South Africa.  Really interesting to talk to, and I learned that Tulane has an MD/MPH program with a strong focus on international public health.  I´m going to have to look into Tulane.

In the last week, three people have guessed me to be 24, 24, and 25 years old.  I don´t know what to make of that.

I´ve been having the absolute wildest dreams lately, and I´m writing them down.  I think I have the makings of some magical realism novel.  Last night involved a catamaran, a pub, kicking some guy in the groin, and sitting at a park bench with a lesbian couple.

I like the word redux. It´s very intense and overly dramatic.

Classes started today. We had our first 4 hours of intermediate Spanish, and it went better than expected. The two teachers are really nice, lots of speaking interspersed with grammatical tidbits, and there is at least one other person in the class who I can stand. The amount of Southern stupidity (Texas and Georgia, I´m looking in your direction) that has made its way to Barcelona in this program has been really disappointing...

But anyhow I feel like I´m filling in the massive grammatical gaps left from three years of no-Spanish-whatsoever, aside from the half-assed attempt at reading Winnie the Pooh en Español last year.

Today was a good day, a day I really loved this city and felt the desire to live here. I´m riding the afterglow of a masturbatory journal entry (not LiveJournal) that I made yesterday. It really was therapeutic. I may become one of those people who keeps a journal.

Two things of interest.

Pepita and I (or, I should say, just Pepita) got into a long conversation about the war years again last night, made very exotic and relaxing by the wine and dinner on the balcony. She remembered watching her father and grandfather listen to Radio Andorra, which they could just pick up from nearby free Andorra, on their illegal radio, and not understanding what anything meant. But she distinctly remembers the tag line, "Aquí es Radio Andorra...". She told some stories of dealing with military bigwigs while working as an administrator at a school, who could waltz right in and, pointing to the medals pinned to their chests, get anything they wanted. Religion was also discussed, and why Pepita no longer attends service regularly. Of course, I´m sure much more was said than I fully understood, but I was enthralled for a good two hours. I really am eating like they taught us in Spanish class... lunch at 3, and we finish dinner at about midnight on most nights.

I literally stumbled upon the major GLBT rally of the year here, and ended up all night at a truly massive block party celebrating, among other things, the 3-day-old Spanish law legalizing gay marriage and (more controversially here) adoption by gay couples. The paper today said over 20,000 people were there. It encompassed the entire Plaza Universitat, with a huge outdoor bar set up serving cheap drinks. I also saw the greatest thing ever: two old women, not younger than 80, dancing with a drag queen. And I mean freaking, club style. This was at about 1am. And they were laughing and whooping hillllariously the entire time. One tried to take off the drag queen´s dress, which quickly confirmed what his mustache implied. That is what I call aging gracefully.

To grand old dames and the queens who dance with them.

We went to a small, smoky, authentic flamenco club last night and heard some great flamenco music (just music, no dancing). After intermission all the dumb drunk guys from Texas left, and there were probably 6 English speakers left in a room of 100. There isn´t much flamenco in Catalunya, but I guess this place is pretty popular locally. I don´t know, but I really love flamenco music. In one of my previous lives I was an old worn-down Spanish man travelling through Moorish Spain with only my guitar and infinite weariness and pain in my voice. Maybe that´s why I like flamenco.

Went to the beach today. Turns out the one nearest to my place (20 minute walk) is the nude beach. And not just old men and women... really attractive people. I felt like a pervert looking around until I realized I was one of several hundred people, and not all of them were avoiding looking at the nakedness.

I´m not sure what the timeframe is for Supreme Court confirmation hearings, but I hope I don´t miss all the fun on CSPAN before I get home.

There is some kind of TLGB festival in front of the University tonight, with a big stage and everthing.

And as my last disjointed comment, I´m feeling very ambivalent about writing in this recently.

I´m reading Don Quixote, so it´s on my mind.

I got a haircut on Tuesday, and am now sporting the absolute least amount of hair I´ve ever had in my life. The guy wasn´t kidding around when he said ¿Corto?. So the hair-to-ear ratio is grossly off of what it should be. It´s not even a good cut, with these weird long parts... but it´s easier, and in about two weeks it will be perfect. Also: there are few things as relaxing as a Spanish woman washing your hair. I think the wash should be a mandatory part of the cut in the U.S. I might have to start paying for it.

Good news from Spain: http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/europe/06/30/spain.gay.vote.ap/index.html
I knocked the Sagrada Familia off the list today, in my attempt to do most touristy things before classes start. It´s pretty damn impressive, as it was 2 years ago.

I spent a wee bit more money this past month than I thought. Time to watch the wallet a little bit closer.

I have yet to sleep through the night here because of the incredible heat. I think I´ll go take a nap.

We had our initial spanish prep for the level exam, which is on Friday, today. It was useless. I´m going to try to study a bit on my own before the test, so hopefully I can get into a reasonable level.

We went over to Parc Guëll today, which is Gaudi´s interpretation of the public park. Interesting, but perhaps not worth the 20 minute bus ride in this hot and sweaty weather.

I bought a one-month membership to an all-gay gym today, because 1) such things don´t exist in ann arbor, that I know of, and 2) I feel better when I exercise and have some pattern to my day. I also spent 4 hours in an Irish pub this afternoon, which is right next to the University. So hopefully those two things will cancel each other out.

Pepita (my host mother) told me about the Franco years last night over dinner, and how Catalunya in particular suffered under him. This all started off by talking about the upcoming same-sex marriage vote in the House here (on June 30). She is a practicing Catholic, and works part time at a parochial school, but went into a good 5 minute rant (in very fast and difficult to understand Spanish) about how God has no place in a debate over marriage. She´s a good old-fashioned liberal Roman Catholic. Anyhow, she went right into how strange it is for some of the older folk to be even having this conversation, because just 30 years ago, before Franco died, one wasn´t allowed to mention Catalan culture, homosexuality, divorce, any religion other than Catholicism, any other political system, or even speak Catalan in public without risking persecution. It really is a unique country, so similar to other western European countries, and the US for that matter, but memories of a heavy-handed dictator are still raw in the public conscience. And now it´s perhaps the most liberal major European country.

I´ve decided that I need to buy Capris (sp?) pants. The jeans I´m wearing at the moment feel like 4 layers of wool around my legs. Another opportunity to show off my rugby-player sized calves.

Pepita also told me how to get to the top of Mount Tibidabo, which plays prominently in Carlos Ruiz Zafon´s The Shadow of the Wind, which I highly recommend. The tram which is used in the book is still around.

Today consisted of waking at 10:30, going to the beach for a few hours, coming back and reading/eating/showering, then going shopping on Passeig de Gracia, the ´fashionable´ street in Barcelona (which naturally delineates one end of the gay district). Before I leave, I´m going to have to look into job opportunities for U.S.-trained docs in Spanish hospitals. I could get a small but elegant apartment in the L´Eixample or Poble Nou districts... Perhaps also with a small vacation apartment in a Pueblo Blanco in Andalucia (small apartments going for as low as 50.000 euro in Arcos, around 150.000 in Ronda). Of course if things go as planned, it´ll be about 10 years before I´m living and working somewhere of my choice.

The Medical College of Wisconsin courted me via email today. They´re ranked, at 51, which makes thems a good and pretty realistic choice... if not for the city of Milwaulkee. I´ve never been, but I´ll just naturally assume that it´s boring. Now if only a Chi-town or D.C. school would come calling.

Southeast Michigan needs an H&M and a Zara´s. I´m afraid that I´ll have to buy another piece of luggage to carry back what I buy here. I´ll try to avoid that.

Just read: The Tao of Pooh, and I don´t remember the author. A nice relaxing little book about Taoism. I´m going to look for Homage to Catalonia and/or Don Quixote (in english of course) as my topical reads.

First: reading your own grammatical mistakes in like slamming your head in a door. I am fully aware that it´s means it is. We got into Barcelona at about 5:30pm today (earlier than planned because King Juan Carlos decided to use his Royal Palace today, closing it to visitors). I met my host mother, Pepita, who is a 62 year old single woman (widowed or divorced, I´m not sure) who doesn´t speak a word of English. Nada. So this is what I hoped for, and I think it will go well. She´s very nice and easy going. Nice apartment too, with a great view and nice balcony.

It turns out that all tonight and tomorrow is one of the biggest festivals in Barcelona, the Fiesta Catalunya, which celebrates St. John. I´m not sure why him, but I imagine any saint would do. So fireworks, boozing, street parties... tomorrow is an official holiday because everybody works. My host mother is sleeping at her son´s place because she doesn´t want to walk back through the city after she eats dinner with her family. The nonstop fireworks are pretty intense.

I turned down 4 transvestite prostitutes in Madrid last night. It was straight out of Almodóvar. Good times, though. Not partaking often in the heterosexual clubbing world, I am amazed at the power that is wielded by attractive girls. The doorman at a club was going to charge me 10 euro to get into this place until my 4 beards worked their magic. Got right in for free. I guess the guy decided that I only cancelled out one of the girls, and he was still three in the black.

Time to celebrate St John the Baptist by getting drunk. Maybe religion really is for me...

I´ve met the group. 90% of those going to Barcelona (we are here with all the Spain groups- Sevilla, Granada...) are from below the Mason-Dixon line. The other 10% are from California. There may be some overlap there, but I don´t have a map on me. There are some nice people, although a good 10 minutes at dinner was devoted to talking about what frat or sorority we were all from. I almost said y'all just to fit in.

With my typical lack of social know-how, I ended up hanging out with people that are headed to Sevilla at the end of the week, so did not meet any Barcelona folks. It was a great time, though, and we did a normal cozy bar for a while, an incredible Cuban night club with live music, and a dance club until 4am. My shining moment: at 4:15, while mildly to highly intoxicated, I stopped a pickpocketer mid-act. He tried to do the Barcelona football team dance with me, but I was too quick for him. Actually he would have gotten it if not for the button. The other guy in our group got angry, but I felt that we all left the situation on good terms. I respected the choreographed effort; he respected my just-fast-enough left hand. It´s stupid to get angry over pickpocketers, so I think of it as a game. Ryan: 1, Harsh-Reality-And-Frantic-Call-To-Visa-Hotline: 0.

I visited a laundromat for the second time in my life today (#1 being in Maine on a summer camp trip). And yes, I thought that that tidbit of my day would be interesting to you. Bask in my self-sufficiency.

Currently reading: Focault´s Pendulum, by Umberto Eco. It´s good.

I´m excited to get to Barcelona and learn some more about Catalan history in the context of it´s relationship to the rest of Spain. Several Spaniards have commented on my choice of Barcelona as a place to learn Castillian. Like going to Puerto Rico to learn English (that analogy took a while to come up with, it´s not even very accurate).

See previous post for two representative pictures of the kinds of views I´ve been experiencing. Also I haven´t shaved in roughly 9 days. I think it works for the rugged traveller look. Tonight will be a painful and tedious shave.

My temporary travelling partner Jeff and I got into Ronda at about 10 am today from Arcos on the "Route of the White Towns" bus. I´m just deluged with marvelous vistas. I can no longer distinguish between the beautiful and the mundane. 24-hours of being breathtaken dulls the senses.

Ronda is fantastic; if Sevilla and Arcos were to have a love child, Ronda would be the spectacular result. Our first try of hostal resulted in perfectly adequate rooms costing €13/night. Really nice family, too. In retrospect, the hostal in Arcos (at least my room) was so-so. The adjacent church wall acted as an echo chamber for the motorbikes going by at 4am. And the fan broke the first night. Luckily got a new one the second night, which helped.

We hiked down to the incredible view of the gorge and bridge that you see in the second photo below. The photo doesn´t do it justice. This is Grand Canyon-meets-Lord of the Rings style gorge. I expected to see a black rider fly under the bridge.

Bar hopping in Arcos last night was fun. An Arcos local talked to us for about a half hour in this beautiful little bar (the cellar of the local castle). He was almost like a pamphlet for the riches of Andalucia, but he and his wife (?) were incredibly nice.

And finally, I took a tour of the Gonzalez Byass bodega in Jerez, where they make the famed Tío Pepe sherry. It took a tour of a bodega for me to discover my love of sherry. Not the thick dessert wine, the white dry stuff.

I could spend another week travelling before the program begins... that would have been perfect. But tomorrow to Madrid.