Spaniards should be banned from watching stereotypical American movies. Why, you ask? Because American women are not all loose, all Americans don’t own guns, all Americans aren't white and Halloween costumes don't have to be scary. I tried to convince my students of this...and I’m pretty sure they thought I was lying.
Consequently, the next day they all came dressed as little hellions i.e. Witches, zombies and vampires.
I, on the other hand, was a fairy princess. Ironically enough I was the only white thing in a sea of black...see what I did there?
In other news, I applied for my spanish bank account after being here for two weeks. Jesus (yes the guy who opened my account was called Jesus [pronounced hey-sus]) told me I would receive my check card in the mail. When two weeks went by, I went back into my local branch and spoke to Jesus who informed me that my card was on its way to the states. He apologized and fixed the problem. I received my card three days later.
The funny thing about the card is, you have to call in and activate it and they send you you PIN in four business days. So I call in, activate my card and the lady promises to
send my card in a few business days...no I couldn’t get anything more specific.
Two and a half weeks later I go into the local branch and explain to the woman that I’ve been waiting for my pin and have had zero access to my money. She looks me up in the system and discovers that my PIN had been sent...TO THE STATES!
Santander is not a baby bank, in fact its one of the biggest in Spain. Thus far all I’ve seen is incompetence. If I walk into a LOCAL branch and open an account why in the halibut would they send my card/PIN to the U.S. I’m OBVIOUSLY not there to pick it up.
Anyway.
I’ve met a few random people in the last few weeks. The most notable being a guy from Cameroon, who apparently knew jack squat (nothing) about the slave trade. When I first met the dude, he asked where I was from.
Me: los Estados Unidos.
Dude: yes...but origin.
Me: I was born in the states. My parents were born in the states. Their parents were born in the states. Their parents were born in the states. I’m from the states.
Dude: but where were they from?
Me: seriously? My ancestors were slaves. I have no idea.
Dude (slowly getting it): Oh.
Yeah.
P.S.A. Most African-Americans do not know their origin. We aren’t lying and just saying ‘the states’ because we think its cool. It’s cool that you know where your from; mad props to you.
I’m American. End of story.
