SpainTalk - This Fall...

Well, I can't believe that the time is already here... well, its been here for quite sometime, just the decision making process has to pretty much happen now.

What am I talking about?  I am talking about where I will be working here in Spain for the next year.  I pretty much knew that I wanted to stay another year here in Spain and I've been racking my brain with countless thoughts about Asturias, Ferrol, Valencia, Santiago, Madrid and Palma.

So how did I finally decide where to go?

After spending countless hours (perhaps even days) on where to go work, etc.

It came down to the roll of the dice.  (literally)

Well, I couldn't find a dice - so a number generating application on my phone.

I assigned the 6 places a number from 1-6, the first place to get picked twice was the winner.

So... where am I going to be working this fall?

Drum Roll please...

Madrid...

(was not the winner)

Valencia 

(was also not chosen)

Asturias 

(was close, but no cigar)...

This fall, I have requested to work in...

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Santiago de Compostela.

Final paperwork will be mailed tomorrow.

Yes, I will be staying here in Galicia.

Mahalo for reading. 

Until next time.

SpainTalk - ESLTalk - NA1 - WEEK19 - Body Language

For this week's lesson, we talked about body language.  In addition to my first gap fill exercise (woot...) we also discussed the importance of body language.

CLICK HERE for this week's lesson.

Sorry so short.  =P

Mahalo for reading. 

Until next time.

EslTalk - SpainTalk - Week 19 - NA2 - Job Interview

Aloha!  woot. finally have some time to blog...

Here is the NA2 lesson for this past week - Job Interview

As we discussed in class, job interviews doesn't determine the best of the best.  Job interviews requires a combination of talent, experience, social skills and the ability to sell one's self.

I've been on multiple job interviews, and to be honest I've obtained every single job - even my two interviews here in Spain (in Spanish).  Luck? Perhaps, but I think it boils down to confidence and being aware of what the other person wants to hear... =]

CLICK HERE for this week's lesson!

Mahalo for reading. 

Until next time.

Ferrol Dinner English Club - March 2013 - Potluck!

If there is one thing that I have to pick that Galicians and people from Hawaii have in common... it is our love for food.  Hosting my first Galician potluck, the sheer amount of food reminded me of being back home... that and all of the smiling faces... 

Note: if you have the opportunity to attend a Galicia/Hawaii potluck/dinner/party function... you should go... you're guaranteed a full stomach, a bunch of of laughs and great memories.

PS. If you're reading this and you're hungry - feel free to stop by... =]

CLICK HERE to access all of the pictures... 

Mahalo for reading. 

Until next time.

LifeTalk - Acceptance

Something about this letter - just made me cry.

While most people might not think it is a big deal to come out of the closet... it is a really big deal for gay people.  Receiving social messages from the day you were born that you do not fit in, creates a friction between the person you are and the person society wants you to be.  Yes, social messages, everything from color, movies, television, and everything that you see around you. 

This simple letter reads...

“I overheard your phone conversation with Mike last night about your plans to come out to me.  The only thing I need you to plan is to bring home OJ and bread after class. We are out, like you now. I’ve known you were gay since you were six, I’ve loved you since you were born.”  - Dad

I shouldn't be reading things like this in the morning - I'm such a softie... 

Mahalo for reading. 

Until next time.

TechTalk - Cleaning House

I am having a technology spring cleaning!  Come April 1st, I will be selling various tech things... everything iPhone (chargers, cases, cables - even a new battery case) since I lost my iPhone...

I am also selling my iPad 32GB with 3G (just pop in a mini-SIM and you're good to go on the road), 1TB HD (I want a bigger one - 2TB at least), and various other tech things, SD cards (4/8GB), Amazon Kindle (not sure why my dad sent me 2).  Will also be selling one of the two phones I bought - Nokia 820... or... generic Note II.    

If you want dibs on anything... LMK... =]

Buen precio... solo para ti... 

Mahalo for reading. 

Until next time.

SpainTalk - ESLTalk - NA1 - WEEK17 - Advice

This week we are practicing something we probably do on a daily basis - giving advice...

If you want to read up more on Dear Abby.. CLICK HERE

CLICK HERE for this week´s lesson (last week´s) I know... I know...

Mahalo for reading. 

Until next time.

SpainTalk - ESLTalk - NA2 - WEEK17 - Phobia

Aloha everyone!

Well... I´m a little behind on blogging - so I´ll be blogging like a madman today... since the week will just get more hectic!  hahaha... Besides getting my new phone(s), I plan on finishing my letter of intent, preparing for cultural week and yeah watching RuPaul´s Drag Race! woot.

haha.  It´s great to see everyone after a long holiday... 

CLICK HERE for this week´s lesson... (well... last week´s!)

Mahalo for reading. 

Until next time.

SpainTalk - New Blog Coming!!

Quick note.

New blog coming... entirely in Spanish... WHAT what?

Mahalo for reading. 

Until next time.

SpainTalk - TechTalk - Shipping

I've been talking a lot about shipping recently and this is pretty much just to describe my experience with receiving packages.  I love to shop online and I would recommend for everyone to buy everything that they need online and ship it...

With the exception of cell phones and laptops or other electronic devices.  I don't have a problem with paying taxes - actually, I calculate it in my price when I buy an item... but apparently Spain customs has a fascination with my electronic things - which I don't really mind (its just a shame really).

DO NOT SHIP ELECTRONICS TO SPAIN - DO NOT DO IT.

Friends and family, I love you, but get me a gift card - I'll buy it another way.

1st case - USPS and ADT postales.

This package has been in Spain since February 6th.

Will I ever see it?! WHO KNOWS. 

Apparently, a blue netbook is a cause for customs to keep it under wraps.  I've sent every form, invoice, signed documents, my passport, the promise of my 1st child (since I don't plan to have any), but apparently that isn't enough... at this point, I might have them ship it back to my dad and I'll just and get it in June...

2nd Case - DHL and DHL customs

This one is quite special.  The package has taken 72 hours to get from China to Spain and it looks like I'll be going on Semana Santa before I see this package.

I don't mind paying for taxes and I've actually been corresponding (in Spanish) but she started writing in English - probably because her Spanish is better than my English...

What I don't understand is..

You're estimating 105 eur on a phone that cost 135 eur (CLICK HERE for blog post).

a) I lost my phone - so #duh 

- that is why you can't call me and that is why I ordered this generic ass cheap phone.

b) What do you mean you tell me an exact amount?  YOU ARE CUSTOMS DEPARTMENT - IF YOU CAN'T TELL ME - WHO WILL? and not only that... you want me to PAY YOU A DHL DISPATCH COMMISSION - for doing something that you don't how much it will be?

c) I have to wait another day - because she gets off work at 15:00.

 Needless to say - go ahead and buy your ties, t-shirts, small electronics on eBay - I haven't had a problem with 99% of shipping things to Spain - the moment you have to go to through clearance - you might as well have them send that package back - this is causing too much of a headache to deal with.

I wish I lived in Madrid - it would probably be faster to stop by there and ask exactly what is going on... 

Mahalo for reading. 

Until next time.

SchoolTalk - Global Environmental Change

Mirror mirror on the wall - who is the nerdiest of them all?

Not me... but I am quite happy with my grades this semester...

Global Environmental Change - 97.4%  woot woot.

Yes, even while traveling, I managed (not sure how) to keep up with my studies.

Now, if I can only put this much effort into studying Spanish... hahahah.

So what did I learn from this class?  Besides the fact that we are f****d... change is coming and even if we stopped everything and turned off all of our machines and polluting mechanisms - the path of global environmental change will continue.  Just be happy we were born this generation... =]

Sorry kids of the future.  o_O

Mahalo for reading. 

Until next time.

SpainTalk - USE DHL for SHIPPING

Holy Batman!

I officially love DHL (and I've never met him before - hahahaha!!)

China to Spain in 3 days = WOW (impressed).

I chose the expensive shipping $33.70 to ship my phones from China and wow. 

Maybe I'll even get it this afternoon (Happy Camper!)

The reason I chose the expensive shipping was because I got 10% off using the code FACEBOOK2013.

CLICK HERE to read more about my phone debacle... 

CLICK HERE if you want to shop for cheap phones... HAHAHA

CLICK HERE if you're bored.

CLICK HERE because I said so...

CLICK HERE to make a difference... 

Mahalo for reading. 

Until next time.

BookTalk - Safe Haven - Nicholas Sparks

I love to read... and besides starting to dabble in reading things in Spanish 

(I read the magazine - Computer Hoy! 

Coincidentally, the cover is about what to do if you are robbed of your tech...)

This time around, I am reading Nicholas Sparks - Safe Haven.  While I don't normally read his books, nor watch the movies (with the exception of A Walk to Remember - which WILL make you cry), I find this book pretty interesting... I am halfway done with the book and I just started yesterday.

Hope you had a great weekend! 

Mahalo for reading. 

Until next time.

TechTalk - Cell Phone - China Style - Galaxy S III

Well, I was suppose to head to La Coruña today, but I think I'm going to rest... 

ha ha and head over in the morning...

For those of you who read my random rants and raves, tweets, Google+ posts, you know that I lost my phone in Bilbao while dancing on stripper poles at a gay bar - if you didn't know (now you do...)

I wanted to get a replacement smartphone and my current Nokia phone is quite useless (not to mention, I don't want to pay $0.08 per SMS) - so this is an INVESTMENT so I save money in the long run - see how I justify everything that I purchase?

Anywho - I am cheap - I hate HATE HATE paying full price - that tie I wore yesterday 2€ 

H&M was having a huge sale... 

This phone I bought is basically the China generic version of the Galaxy S III.

$182.88 + 10% off for liking their Facebook page (which I don't have, but thanks to Alex I got the code - which is FACEBOOK2013 - for those of you without Facebook).

CLICK HERE if you want to check out their items.

CLICK HERE if you want to see the phone I bought.

Here are some specs...

Screen type: Capacitive (5-point)
Screen size: 5.3 inch
Screen resolution: 960 x 540 (QHD)

Type: Touch screen phone 
Color: White
OS: Android 4.1
CPU: Media Tek MTK6577 Dual Core 1GHz 
ROM: 4GB
RAM: 1GB
Battery: 2800mAh Li-ion 
Capacitive touch (5-point) screen 
Network frequency: GSM 850/900/1800/1900MHz WCDMA 2100MHz
Dual SIM, Dual standby 
Dual cameras (the back one with flash light and auto focus)
Wireless internet
GPS supported
Gravity sensing system
FM/MP3/MP4/Bluetooth function supported

I will post a video review once it comes in and see if its worth it!

Mahalo for reading. 

Until next time.