“Buono Estente,”

In addition to the normal anachronistic ramblings that will no doubt ensue promptly, the primary focus of this post is Feria del Libro - which sounds so much more impressive than Book Fair, and to be fair it is rather impressed with over 350 book stalls throughout the itself extensive El Retiro …

The above picture was taken with my ‘phone during my second visit to Feria del Libro, after Ana and I had wandered its midsts on Saturday evening - finding, amongst other literary gems, my favourite book - West with the Night - in Spanish (Oeste con la Noche), and details of an appearance by one of my (our) favourite photographers - Chema Madoz … it was for this which I returned today, although the schedule appeared to have altered somewhat from that which was advertised on Saturday, with the open session at the relevant stall being omitted and only a conversation with a man I assumed to be his biographer remaining … still, it was interesting to hear him talk about some of his work in his own words … those words were Spanish ones, and my comprehension was inevitably somewhere below total, but somewhere respectably above an unmitigated lack of understanding …

Tomorrow, I have my first Spanish job interview, followed by another on Friday … I’m quite hopeful as one of these (for a job as a Play Friend to teach English through play - presumably bestowing a detailed understanding of phrases pertaining to climbing) is billed as a ‘catch up and coffee’ (a catch up - and coffee - with someone I am yet to meet), and the other, slightly more formally (as befitting an intensive teaching course for Military personnel), as a discussion of their offer … which implies that I’ve been offered something. In any case, these appointments bode well …

After years of trying, I have finally managed to be so extremely self-effacing in my evaluation of my own work that my comments have been outright dismissed as inaccurate and unfair, with my tutor refusing to mark my post-lesson evaluation from last Wednesday’s class … she even pointed out that I had done several things decently and correctly. 

As well as a chance to redeem myself (and in my own eyes at least, this would seem to be necessary) in the arena of English Language academia, this Wednesday also sees the arrival of my brother on his visit to Madrid … he was due to arrive when I was in classes and find himself a beer emporium, something he described himself as “fairly resourceful at” … my brother is in fact MacGyver as far as finding purveyors of beer is concerned. This will probably remain on the agenda, and regardless of the precise timing of his arrival and my proximity to a classroom, I’m looking forward to it …

Boutros, Boutros-Ghali,

Owain.