Chapter 4: routine

We started this week on Monday thinking we had class but then it turned out that we didn't. So we didn't do much.

Tuesday we had a session of what I consider it’s our only class in which we talk about art. In this session we talked about religion, theater and rituals, based on a book written by an anthropologist. It was probably one of the most interesting meetings I've had so far. We also discuss the different ways to understand things to start thinking that the audience does not always understand what we want.

Chapter 3: 100 posts English blog

This week has been one of the most entertaining in while. We left on last Saturday so we'll start on Sunday. A general warning, this is a long entry which seems appropriate since this is the entry number 100 :) thank you to all of you who have been part of it so far!

Chapter 2: First week of class

First week of class. Well it was not exactly classes. It was a week of orientation “inductions”, explaining how the system works, the spaces, and what is expected of us and in between all we made presentations about our projects and backgrounds to get to know each other better.

Chapter 1: New beggining

  

New city, new people, new country, new places to get lost. To me, moving feels almost like a routine. Done some many times I already know what to expect, what are the priorities upon landing. Every country is different, is true, but immigrating is always the same. You are left with the same feelings. Now the biggest difference is the closeness to home, to be able to say “I will come get this later”, to be able to say, “call me when you can cause” we are on the same time zone, to be able to watch the news as they air… One of the things I like best is to wake up in the morning and drink my tea while I watch the sun come through the windows and on my backyard.

London is not a city that I have never seen before but I have never visit it in depth. It fascinates its architecture, the trains that run over and underground. The parks so green and quiet. There is so many people everywhere but fortunately no one desires to be touched and so you can walk easily between crowds. 

On the first day I decided to go to the university too see what world was expecting me. I took the train at my quiet station Bounds Green and I got down at King’s Cross. I have to explain that this station communicates all the trains coming from London airports, Europe and England besides almost all the underground lines. That means there is a huge crowd over and underground and everyone walks with purpose because what matters is to get to the destination fast. I simply cruised through the crowd because I didn’t had any idea where I was going. It turns out I was just going up a ramp, is not even a street. The university is a big square building with some windows. Modern architecture, full of modern struggling artists… was I going to fit? Turns out you can actually talk to this people as I discovered when I was trying to get through enrolment, so maybe is not going to be as bad…

This artsy world is new to me and so is difficult to get in when you don’t know many people. And so, I have spent the first week trying to open a bank account, get my Student ID, a phone, an oyster card (transportation) and figuring out my CV to get a job. Someone suggested I might have luck if I go to the theatres and let them know that I have experience and I am willing to work and so I am trying that too.

In general is been a good normal first week but now I am left hungry for more.

Chapter 23: 5 'till places

Another time to the theater. This time behind the black curtains masking the gears that make theater happen. For the first time, I have to press more than one button; running on stage with lights, remove one take another, bring the haze ...

Who thought that backstage light would be as bright as seen on stage

Having completed the design of "The Learned Ladies" (images) I embarked on the last theater project at the university: "Into the Woods," a work so famous that even Disney has made a  film. With actors that I have already work with, designers that had become friends, and one of the best stage managers in school and well renound director. My job? Basically make sure that the lighting design, made on paper, became a reality. In this case also, there were a lot more than just hanging lights. The creative part was reduced to almost nothing taking over with all my technical knowledge. It was a nice change.

For good (or bad) during my design I had to take over many of the functions of the Master Electrician. There were some mistakes done that helped me prevent from doing them as Master Electrician on the secon show. In that case I also put lights on stage and create the fog and some special effects. Very entertaining and a great experience for the future!

All this experience has helped me to better prepare myself as a designer, programmer and Master Electrician. Working in all those roles just before gradating just reinforce the idea that this is what I wan tto do. It was an amazing experience that I want to continue for some time. Now there are only two more shows, then strike and go home.

Visit my website to see more pictures of my designs and my experience: www.fredbp.com

   

Sailing

Sailing in the bay.

It was her birthday and I was looking for ideas online. Just a month ago we had Christmas, first time I understod how difficult it had been for the people around me having my birthday only 20 days after the three wise man.

I always thought that activities is a good gift; as my father who took my mother boating on her saint day, I found an offer to sail the bay. Sailing? At sunset? Perfect!

I bought two tickets and here are the results:

Feel the wind, waves, sun ... the smell of the sea, the wind speed, the rhythm of the waves, the reflection of the sun setting. Get lost in the inmensity, wind taking the noise away, be able to sing in the wind and nobody hears. Only you sliding on ocean at the pace that the wind sets you towards anywhere. "Where to Grandpa?" "Where there’s a captain ..." "No sailor rules .... but where should we go?" "Where would you like to go? Aren’t you the one on the helm?" Memories so many years ... Born to live in the sea, the ocean looks so different, aggressive and powerful, suitable for this coast, culture, as the Mediterranean does for us.

As we returned at night was windy and wet, both my hands were frozen but it was so worth it. We went to eat at a pizza place in Sausalito and by chance they were shoing Formula 1 on TV. She asked why I liked it so much. I had never thought about it but I guess I liked the strategy, speed, engineering, but mostly I liked to spend Sundays watching it with the family, especially with my father.

   

  

Baseball

Baseball:

2 leagues, 14 teams, more than 100 games ...

For the first time I went to see a baseball game when the season began. It is a very simple sport complicated by rules of the federation with little physical contact or resistance. Demands for strong arms and legs for both speed and strength for batters and pitchers. As I got near the ticket pitch my first experience was quite impressive.

It is customary in this country to make a party in the parking lot before the game. Families and friends come to the stadium hours before the game with their huge truks full of beer and meat to barbecue. Tends, music speakers, chairs and barbecues everywhere. Fans create their own party making me understand the origins of "pre-game". Well eaten and drunk, fans enter the stadium pass 6pm. Our seats are 10 rows from the field, no more than 7 meters from the benches; awesome. Before the game, and while the audience tries to find their seats, as in any other game, the fun begins in the stands. It continues between each inning. Mean while the screens show games and raffles to keep us all entertained

In the first Athletics (A's) game they won by 8 to 0 and the second by 12 to 0. Since then  my friends fans of the A's I consider "Our lucky charm" as if the presence of my freezing ass in the stadiumand my applause changed the team efforts and luck. But the truth is that seeing a  team win, always leaves you wanting more so I want the A’s to make it to the playoffs so I can have the full experience.

Marry Christmas and Happy 2013

Chapter 22: Giving thanks

And then came a week of "vacation" for Thanksgiving. The first three days I worked. We had a workshop where I had to explain what lighting should know they know in order to provide the service our department was supposed to offer when I was not there. The second day we did a workshop of sound and therefore we all brought our instruments and we had a mini jam session, we also played one of my songs and one from a colleague who also composes.

On the last day I worked on redoing the  electrics to improve the lighting.

Then Thanksgiving came. A classmate invited me to her home to celebrate it with them. Because in accepting the invitation I was told it would be very casual (pajamas and sweats) when that morning when I was asked if I could get there between 2 and3 I said no problem because I would not change.

Despite warnings that the family was so special, I thought the dinner was not much different than any family dinner I had. There was plenty of good food, conversations about Catalonia, alcohol for everyone, and after apples to apples and taboo.

After the youngest went upstairs to play guitar and ended up talking until 11 pm. As I drove from San Francisco and it takes an hour, we all agreed it would be better to stay in overnight. So we watched a movie and we ended up going to bed passed 1am.

The next day we woke up late and went to lunch even later in one of these places between bars and cafés very American. It was just me and my friend and a friend of ours came later.

In the same way that the previous night had suddenly been 11pm, this morning suddenly was 2pm and I had to return to San Francisco.

Towards 4pm I met some friends to see the lighting of the Christmas tree in Union Square. I thought (without having consulted anywhere) it would be a long celebration with music, lights and effects and stuff, but it turned out to be a bunch of people singing who did not know who they were and illuminate the tree in half a second time . We took the pictures, and we ended up going for a bite. Strangely it was me and my friend who’s also Catalan who order the strange combination of chips with milkshake. We were talking until past 9pm when everyone returned home.

The following week rehearsals for Lorenzaccio began. That lasted 3 days and that Thursday we had preview and we opened on Friday. Thus began a week of classes, theater and work without much time for anything. That would go for period of two weeks, in addition to other things running in parallel. Saturday I finally could go to a party, I hadn’t gone out for a long time, and we had karaoke and fun for hours. We were part of the crew even though most of us had to work on Sunday.

Usually end the blog here, but this week a thought occurred to me that I think is worth sharing. I made this blog a travel journal where I share experiences and details for all those people who I can’t be with and those people who are just curious to know how things happen on the other side of the ocean.

Since I got here a series of events have happened, that I think have been important to the life of any Catalan. To mention three examples, the demonstration on national day with a million and a half of Catalans, the Catalan elections and the attack on the school in Catalan (now and always) from the Minister Wert. Despite my general stress level for other personal circumstances I realized after a few days that it is very stressful for the Catalans, who are not there, especially the first-generation immigrants. It is very difficult for me to see the struggle that my country is suffering and I cannot be part of it, is complicated that it can only communicate through the internet, and sign petitions via social networks even though I thankful for at least have that. But what is even harder is incomprehension, having friends around me and have no clue what is going on, the importance of it. Probably because they only hear from me or it just do not affect their lives, have not been able to experience anything like that. Even friends from there can’t understand how it is. I think there are very few people who may have had such circumstances and that few people can understand, and I myself didn’t understand how it could affect me until I had to stop a moment and think about it. But from here far away I will still fight for right of a better life for my country.

And that’s it because I just wanted to leave a record because I think the situation is quite exceptional.

TBC

N.A. Do not forget to follow every week fif7.blogspot.com and maybe have a chapter for Christmas!

Chapter 21: Everything depends on the choice

Elections for president here in America took me a little by surprise. The truth is I was so busy with demonstrations and declarations of independence from the other side of the Atlantic, that suddenly found myself in the week of the election. As immigrants could not vote so I did not pay much attention, but some things I did noticed.

I do not know when the campain started really. There are no advertisements on television about the president. The ads were to vote for or against what they call "Prop" is shortened Proposition and it’s vote the same day. Basically it consists of a long list of props and must vote for or against. These are proposals for new laws that affect the state or province. Because they are laws people generally do not give them much importance because they are difficult to understand and does not change many things in general. However, this year there were some important matters:

• Nearly 30 collected money form of a sales tax and people earning more than $ 250,000 for the public education system, that would mean that not only would stop a significant rise in tuition but also would lower the tuitions.
• Almost 32 was formulated as foundations to stop campaigns by groups interested in that at first glance may look good but it was written so as to exempt private foundations and corporate, so only apply to unions and middle class.
• Nearly 37 asked to see all products labeled if they contain no pesticides or if they had, whether they were transgenic etc.
• Nearly 38 collected money for the school system but did not include primary and preschool. This would nullify 30.

Teachers in classrooms were forbidden to say what the students had to vote but they do a good job making them aware of how important it was to vote.

As for the president there was not that big of a talk, people in California are mostly Democratic so there was discussion about whether Romney was a good candidate or not. Some of my friends voted for the minority groups, even someone vote for a woman. The problem is that the democratic system here is not so direct as the Europeans and I do not know exactly how it works. It is very complex and there are several candidates but only Democrats and Republicans ... Last year my history teacher tried to tell us when there was a Mormon candidate, but did not go into much detail and there is also the Senate and the House and who knows how many more institutions.

Well that was intense few days before the elections, especially noticeble in the classrooms, both teachers and students seemed interested in what would happen the upcoming day.

Finally it was Election Day came and as I had class like every Tuesday from 9 to 5 without stop and then work. We put a projector  Depot to project folow the eleciton. Finally at about 9 when the polls had closed in the East we had the ultimate result that Obama had won, even with missing votes he had won.

The reelected president made a speech that I  didn’t heard but read in the catalan papers summarized. And the next day there was an air of relief and satisfaction in the classrooms, a lot of talking about 30 which was the one I was most concerned about so it seems that now we save some money. 32 did not pass.

And they did not need to make pacts and two days after the election everyone returned to their routines as if nothing had happened.

TBC

NA We received an email from the university we get tuition money back because the prices will be like the past year. The next chapter part2 Thanksgiving! and please check my ther blog: http://fif7.blogspot.com

Chapter 20: after national day

It was Monday afternoon and I was excited about the prospects for a possible mass demonstration the next day. Tuesday September 11 morning I woke up early for class and I could not read the newspapers until noon. But since then things were very active and they had already announced the first figures with more than a million participants. I was excited to tell someone that my country finally agreed with my views that we should be free. It was a great moment but there was no one who shared and understood what this meant. Couldn’t wait for Saturday to come so and to be able to meet with other Catalans celebrate the day and finally someone to share the excitement of the potential consequences of a moment like that.

During the week it had enough between classes and work, and all duties and assignments. Friday we had a big concert and part of my job was to design and create the right atmosphere with lights. We have been preparing all week, deciding what material should hire and how everything would be mounted. Friday I spent 5 hours working non-stop but finally we have good results.

Saturday was no less of a day and finally I met Catalans were more my age that weren’t family guys. We introduced to each other and talk about what they were doing in the bay, views on climate of city and a new culture. And of course lets not forget the comments on the demonstration and expectations of independence and all changes. There were all kinds of opinions but mostly nationalist independence. I was rather surprised, two days ago everyone looked like I was too naive to believe the independence of Catalonia, but now everyone agrees to it.

Sunday I went with some friends to Dolores Park to another picnic. Luckily the sun was shining and the temperature quite pleasant as usually happens Mission district. After lunch we had ice cream on a very famous place (the queue was round the corner) and we tried most of the flavors, they were unique. Luckily they were really good and it reminded me of Jijonenca in El Port de la Selva. I wanted to return to be able to go to summer Port with  the Toutoune and and get ice cream in the evening walk.

The quiet weekend was followed by a fairly busy week. The classes began to demand more work and more work at work, because we had an event called Noise Complaint, which is basically to set up a dance floor. In this case it was in a sort of huge warehouse where the library had been temporarily during construction of the official building, and now the intention is to doing events for students. The challenge was that it had to be the best Noise Complaint ever, so our department in charge of organizing all the events there as well. We had to prove we could do good work and have extraordinary results. And we did, now we just need to see the decision to take the university.

That was Friday night. I spent Saturday cleaning the house me and thinking about how to put the mattress for my second visit to sleep. I did not have time to do laundry but the floor looked new. Sunday was another day in the sun at lunch Alameda where I went with a friend from the university, she’s Catalan too. Quite a lot of people came and it was a great day. Everyone ended up very happy and having a good time. I got a sleeping bag and bed sheets for the second visit and found that indeed there was no need to change old bills to use them (I have not tried yet officially).

Chapter 18: A visit part 2

Started on May 19, 19 and 19 when the plane arrived from Philadelphia bringing my first visit: M. It was a surprise to see her exit from ramp with other passengers without luggage. It seems that in the small airport of SFO relatives and friends can pick up their bags of other people, so I guess it is easier to travel alone and if they come to pick you. Once we had the suitcase we took the train Alameda where we would spend the days until she left.