Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes!

What follows is the story of how I ended up moving from Mexico City to Barcelona. Many of you know the basics, so feel free to skip this installment if you like. The new and predictibly more exciting Barce stuff will begin flowing soon. In the meantime, feel free to drop me a line at strawdogs66@hotmail.com on what you’re up to. I promise I will read it!!

Well, after four marvelous years in Mexico, Miguelito is moving on to new adventures in Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain. For most of you, this news is not a big surprise. Given the length of time since the decision was officially made—June 9—and my use of the new “social media” a la Facebook, the cat has long been out of the bag. Still, I thought a more formal explanation was in order to provide details to those not so in the inner-loop of my life, serve as a cathartic exercise for myself, and place a book-end of “closure” on my Miguelito in Mexico blog. (That reminds me, I need a new name for this thing. Any suggestions?)

HOW and WHY? I was all signed up and ready to hit the ISS and Search Associates fairs in San Francisco in early February in order to get an administrative/instructional support position somewhere. There were lots of prospects out there and I was excited. Then, the position of Academic Dean opened up again at our school. After being one of two finalists for the same position two years earlier, and in the meantime taking over as lead IB history teacher, serving as a successful social studies department head and MUN director, continued support from a large number of the staff, and unyielding dedication to the institution (not to mention the universally acknowledged disaster of the previous person’s tenure)—I figured my time had come. The only catch—I’d have to skip the fairs this year in order to do the interview. I knew nothing was certain, but felt the odds were in my favor. And besides, Ale was (we mistakenly believed at the time) pregnant, and perhaps starting a new job in another country with a new baby was not such a great idea. So, I skipped the fairs (missing a chance to see just what a hole in the wall my friend Andy lived in in SF) and put all my eggs in the ASF basket. I prepared long and hard and thought I represented myself well at the interview, but it seems (both from my impressions of the experience and reports from those on the panel) that the powers that be had other ideas (and other people) already in mind for this position. And so, for the second time I received the thanks-but-no-thanks response.

I was disappointed, no doubt, but I decided I’d simply enjoy a fifth year in Mexico, having a relatively easy time teaching the IB and MUN courses I’d already developed. Come next February, I’d hit the job fairs and not leave until I’d secured an administrative position somewhere.

However…

I kept receiving these updated emails from the job recruiting companies about openings. I ignored them for the most part, thinking I’d already committed to one more year. Most of the admin jobs were gone and I decided I wasn’t interested in a lateral move to teach somewhere else, when another year in Mexico would have been so relatively easy. Besides, as the spring wore on, most of the openings were for schools in desirable places like Somalia, Afghanistan and Libya. OK, maybe that’s an exaggeration, but not by too much. Given the poor prospects still available and my prospects for a final easy year at ASF, I was simply deleting the updates without reading them. Then one day—bored I guess—I opened one up. And there it was: IB History Teacher at the American School of Barcelona. Now, THIS might be worth a lateral move after all. Still, how many people must be applying to work in such a desirable city? And how many are not 45 year old married guys with a non-teaching spouse and a kid that’s going to cost them tuition? Probably lots. Still, Barcelona... It couldn’t hurt to send in my resume, right?

So, I did. And the next thing I know I was doing a Skype interview with the high school principal. Then follow up interviews with the director. And something very pleasant was happening during these discussions—there was a lot of obvious connection and agreement. Lots of smiling and head nodding and yesing, and I hear-youing. Lots of feeling like there was a shared sense of what good educational theory and practice was all about. This was a feeling I had not experienced so much recent years. And I liked it. I guess they liked it too, because they offered me the job.

THEN WHAT? Keep in mind, this was June 9th. Most international schools have their hiring well completed by then; after all there are visas and moving arrangements to make, and these can take time. For Ale and I—smack in the midst of buying our second apartment with a government employee program were suddenly under the gun to wrap the deal up before I went off the books at ASF. Thank Vishnu, the director of Human Capital had the heart to let my contract continue to the end of its natural cycle in August so we could make this purchase happen. After a lot of Mexican red tape, we finally prevailed. Next (after some time back in NJ) was a flurry of packing our stuff and furnishing the new apartment. We’ve managed to secure new ASF teachers as tenants—which was a HUGE relief. A buddy of mine, also going to ASB, has ordered a large transport container (think: The Wire, Season Two) and has room for us to sublet in there; though, honestly, there’s not much stuff we taking. Some clothes, books, computers and my family. Packing for this move has made me realize that I am not a materialistic person at all. That’s was a nice realization to have.

We also had some hoops to jump through with the Spanish embassy, which proved to be almost as confusing as Mexican beauracracy, changing the requirements with each visit, differing information between the paper forms and those on the website, vague explanations to questions. Ale said—“Hey, where do you think we learned it from? We got the good looking and you got the smart!” However, the application is in and our fingers are crossed. As expected, the visas were not ready when I flew out two weeks ago. The virtual national shut-down that appears to take place in Spain during August does not appear to be helping.

I stayed in a temporary place right near Las Ramblas during my first week while I met the other ASB newbies, took some Spanish classes and secured an apartment uptown in the neighborhood of Sarria. The city is quite amazing. I arrived just in time for the Gracia street festival that lasts a week, which includes the streets in the neighborhood decorating their streets in themes, using recycled materials, in a competition. There was some amazing designs to see and some wild times in the evenings with food, booze and music everywhere.

Compared with my beloved Mexico, the food and the weather here have been a bit of a disappointment so far, (the weather too hot, the food not too hot) but I have a feeling both will improve with time. The other new teachers seem like a good bunch, but I don’t see too many replacements for the many I came to love so much in Mexico. Again, time will tell. I will say the director and the admin team here continue to impress. That, in and of itself, is exciting. Being away from Ale and Miguel for so long has proved quite difficult, especially for her, with the two year old in tow. So, we’ve decided to have them come over soon, even if it means paying for all three of us to return to collect our visas. In the meantime, I’m working my way through the new staff orientation at work and continuing to settle into my new life in Barcelona. Tales of such are sure to follow. Stay tuned!