I got a job!!

In a stunning development, after sending out only six résumés and not even being interviewed, i received a job offer!

The company where I am taking classes is starting an english course his year and they wanted a teacher from the course. And i guess they decided they wanted me!

I was, of course, deeply honored and nearly accepted on the spot. I'll be teaching all ages: kids, teens and adults, and all levels as well. They're looking for a flat for me as well, and I can't tell you what a relief it is to know that I don't have to move to a brand new city and look for a job only to find out that the boss is a jerk, they don't pay what they promised and I generally get screwed. Instead, i get to work with all the great people i've already met at the school and they'll be there to help as well... It really couldn't have worked out any better.

now i'm at the beach in shorts but no boxers. I took them off in the water trying to pick up this unknown thing sitting on the ocean floor. turned out it was the skin of a rat. There were about a dozen of them in the water. Nasty little buggers...

from the Adventure mailbag...

Dear Morgan,

I feel that you always write about negative things over there. It sounds like you're having a terrible time! Can you tell us about some good things that happen to you or is everything as bad as you make it out to be?

K. from Houston

Well, K., the critical approach does happen to be part of the style that I am writing in, but i do understand and respect my listeners' requests, so I will write a more generic entry focusing on the good things that have happened to me recently. If you are a fan of the more usual biting criticism of Europe and/or other funny stories, stay tuned for Monday's edition.

The course has been really good for me so far; I have found that I really love teaching. It is an incredibly enriching experience where I feel that the knowledge that you are changing lives is worth so much more than the Christmas bonus that so many of my friends will be receiving... Although it would be nice to have a little something on top of my €800 a month for changing lives...

I've also met some very interesting people, and have entirely platonic friendships with girls for the first time since high school (with one notable exception in college). It's really nice, and I spent the day at the beach with three girls. One girl, the European who I argued with so vehemently last weekend, has turned out to be a really good friend, and we've chatted about everything from speaking three languages in the home (she did it) to why the ocean turns green before a storm.

She also has potentially changed my outlook with regards to deadlines: she believes that she'll take however much time she has to do an assignment. So extensions on homework (which we received) just means she'll be up late on Sunday night instead of thursday night. So she's decided just to not worry about stuff until it's basically due. We agreed that if something's due on Monday and we know it will take about 6 hours to do it and we try to do it on Saturday, we'll stare at the computer like monkeys all day long and still do it on sunday. I don't think i've met someone who has the same outlook as me as per deadlines as I do, and it's rather liberating.

I've sent off four resumes so far to different schools, but I think I'll end up picking a city and moving there and looking for a job. I'm thinking about Sevilla or Valencia, so if you have opinions let me know. I'm not interested in touristy, but I am interested in slightly modern amenities. Madrid and Barcelona are both out b/c of price, location and/or language spoken there.

Other than that, I finish this Saturday and then start a young learner's course on the following Monday. The school year starts basically at the beginning of October, so it's a little tight for me as far as windows...

I've realized that by resorting to humorless writing, I've effectively failed my mission, since my playwriting teacher at Dartmouth told me humor should only be used to further the plot development. Since I have neglected to further my plot with humor and have been forced to resort to lame prose, I have failed as a writer. I will try again on monday.

English Wars, Part II of IX

In this, the second of a nine part series highlighting the absurdities of the language spoken in the UK and commonly known as "English," but more appropriately described as "British," we will take a closer look at "snap," "slap," and "click" and their blatantly incorrect usage.

When a game called "Snap" was introduced to our class, the seven E-mericans were confused because the game required what we call "slapping" one's hands on the table. When questioned, the Brits admitted that they call a "slap" a "snap." When further examined, they defined what we call a "snap" as a "click." They continued to jumble the words, saying that "sometimes a slap can be called a slap, but a snap will never be called a slap." And a "click" might be called a "snap." Absurd indeed.

I have decided to start a list of people that I have been told I look like. The list begins below. Feel free to comment on the list or suggest additions to it that you have heard before.

1. Rawson Daniel













2. Jon Hampton













3. The gap-toothed goofy kid in the SigEp composite on the third floor


4. Justin Timberlake










5. "Adam" from the TV show Smallville about Superman. The newest addition to the list...

in middle school all over again

Although I've generally felt welcome here, there are times when I can't believe the audacity and just plain disrespectfulness of the Spanish people. I wait in line to be served at bars, candy stores, sandwich shops, but apparently that's impolite or something. You're supposed to shove your money in the clerk's face, use elbows, sweat, and a 2-day-without-a-bath-stench to force the American out of the way. And the clerks don't really give a damn.

The third day I was here I tried to buy a candy bar. I made eye contact with the clerk, and asked "How much for this?" when a teenager planted his left elbow in my chest and shoved his money on the counter. The clerks broke eye contact with me and took care of him. I was in such disbelief I didn't even walk off, just paid for the candy bar.

When i walk down the streets, which are narrow already, for some ridiculous reason that likely has to do with my skin color, I always have to be the one to get off the sidewalk and walk in the street. If I'm on the inside, I have to open my shoulders. Bottom line: the Spaniards never break stride or flinch. I didn't realize it at first and thought it was just b/c i was walking on the wrong side of the road, but today i decided to test it out.

13:30 Walk on the R-side. Old man walking wrong way never looks at me. I sidestep into the street to avoid.

13:33 Decide to hug the wall, determined that I won't be the one in the street. Man about my age, larger than I keeps shoulder closed. I open mine to avoid contact.

13:35 Decide I'm gonna be the tough guy. Woman in her 40s with child. Oh yeah, I'm gonna be that guy. I hug the wall. She doesn't flinch. I tighten shoulders. She's on the outside but doesn't move towards the street. At last moment, I brace for contact. I give in and open shoulders. Spaniards 3, Morgan 0.

Me vs. Europe, Texans football

I just had a wonderful home-cooked whole chicken with stuffing and potatoes and some vegetable dish for lunch. It was almost like having Thanksgiving, but without Mo-mo’s chocolate pie. The girl that cooked it is really sweet but your typical Bush-hating European – we argued last night for an hour at dinner (to the chagrin of the 6 other people who sat in between us and had to idly listen to our conversation) about the two no-no topics: politics and religion.

Although I praised her for keeping a level head the whole time, she didn’t really buy my whole “it’s all relative” argument that, for example, the Europeans can have their 2 hour lunches and we can have our 15 minute power lunches and it’s all ok (something about food quality and the environment…) The good news is that she respected my viewpoint and calm, collected arguing style enough that I got invited to that delicious meal today…

The Texans get underway today and I'm all set up with the streaming radio online... free 7-day trial, but i'm sure i'll end up buying the whole season package for a ridiculous $35 (in contrast, I got 160 streaming video baseball games for $80)... Ok here's kickoff so i'm out...

PC, dartmouth, and brits

Did you know that in several states, when you grade students' work, you're not allowed to use a red pen because theyhave been outlawed. They 'diminish the confidence of the student.' Don't people understand that switching to a green or purple pen will just do the same thing after a few times? People are so shortsided...

The other day we read a study about how students read. It was attributed to Dartmouth, which was exciting. But in typical fashion, the article was about Harard. The quest to be Harvard Jr. continues...

The pretentiousness of the Brits is eclipsed only by that of the US. Despite being a small island a sixth the size of the US, the Brits have decided that theirs is the correct version of english and ours is wrong. The Spanish have the same attitude about Mexico. I teach my students E-merican english in class and make sure that everyone knows when something's not right in American.

After a two week hiatus, my phone is working again. I left my charger at Becka's, and after waiting 10 days for one I ordered off ebay to come in, i finally asked Becka to send it. It came in three days. I'm still waiting for the ebay one to come in... So not that i expect anyone to call me with a calling card, but i have email on my phone now....

comments on the euro, brits

I'm still trying to figure out why all of Europe adopted this currency system that consists of bills of different colors and sizes and dollar and two-dollar coins. I thought that was the worst part about the Canadian system - having to carry around a pocket full of change. Apparently the Europeans thought that was a good idea.

The Brits speak very differently than we do - I am constantly confused by their use of different words. We kept talking about "revising" yesterday's lessons at the beginning of each class, and I was like, "why would we want to change them? and how would we do it anyways?" Apparently, the word "revise" is meant to mean "review", but if you look it up on dictionary.com, 'revise' means what I thought it meant and the brits are wrong. I'm compiling a list of all the strange phrases the Brits use, and although i imagine someone's already done it more comprehensively, that's not going to stop me.

Round one with Spanish wine ended in a knockout: I woke up at 7:30 on the cold marble floor with my headset on from trying to call Becka. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to run 4 miles, eat a light meal, skip the water and go straight to the red wine. Nine times...