Spain

John spent three years in Spain teaching English to school children of all ages in schools in two small towns in Andalusia.

I hope to be able to track down the names of the towns at some point. I think he was a little disappointed in the teaching part of the experience. I remember him telling me about working for hours to prepare a lesson and then the kids just messed around and ingnored him when he tried to deliver the lesson in class. Whenever I suggested teaching as a career after he came back, he immediately dismissed it, but he would have been a great teacher I think.

My favorite story was about when he was robbed by two teenagers and how he tracked them down to retrieve his wallet (which had all his IDs in it). I will describe it in detail here sometime.** (See The Great Wallet Caper below)

John created this poster from keepsakes he brought back from Spain. I hope to add close-up photos of each item later. Unfortunately, their significance is mostly known only to John.

John with his Grandmother Ann Forbis on a visit back from Spain, showing her where he was teaching

While in Spain, John travelled to many cities cities: Seville, Cordoba, Cadiz and Madrid, but he never made it to Barcelona which was a regret. The only city he didn't seem to like was Madrid, which he said (if I'm remembering right) was too dirty.

He made friends with many local cats.

He also travelled to Portugal and to Morocco. In Morocco, he went into a shoemaker,s shop and was called a "very, very bad man" because he didn't buy any shoes.

An argan tree with goats grazing in its branches. A postcars memento that John brought back from Morocco and put on his poster.

**The Great Wallet Caper

Towards the end of his time in Spain, John was on his break (he taught a couple of hours in the morning and then again in the afternoon) in the small town where he was living at the time. He was sitting on some steps near the local bus station (most travel between small towns and bigger cities is by bus). Two teenagers came and sat down near him, one on each side. John always made conversation because he was naturally gregarious and it was practice for his Spanish).

Because it was uncomfortable, he had taken his wallet out and sat it next to him with his coat. He had over 300 Euros in the wallet, because he had to pay his electricity bill. Electricity is the most expensive thing about living in Spain.

As they talked, the teen on the other side from his wallet seemed to do most of the talking. After a few minutes, they both got up and left. Within a few moments, John realized his wallet was gone.

John followed up the steps but they had vanished. A couple of young children were hanging around and John asked if they saw two older kids go by. They had and in fact knew the name of one and told John. They also vaguely knew where he lived. After some going door to door, he finally found his home. No one was there, so John sat down and waited.

The boy's mother finally came home. John explained what had happened and asked where he could be found. The boy's mother insisted her son would never do such a thing, and invited John in. They continued to talk, and she offered to fix John lunch. But he declined, because he needed to go to teach.

After he was done with school, John headed back to the home of the first boy. He spotted him on the way there and approached him. The boy angrily denied that they took the walletg. They continued to talk, as John followed him home. Finally John said if they would return the wallet, he would not go to the police. But the boy continued to deny his part in the theft. This was the boy who had kept John distracted by talking.

John asked who the other boy was and got his name. He was well known in town because of a birthmark on his face and his nickname was La Mancha. John tracked down his brother, who admitted that La Mancha was a compulsive thief who had even stolen stuff from his own family members. He helped John find him. They then went to the other boy's house. John continued to promise not to go to the police if he got his wallet back.

Finally the two boys said they would "help find it". They said they would go and look for it. After about a half hour they returned. All John's important IDs were in the wallet; the 300 Euros were not. The boys insisted that's how it was when they found it.

Epilogue: John did go to the police but in Spain, crimes like theft rarely result in jail, but a fine. La Mancha was well-known to the local police. John filed charges, but never heard anything else about it.

The second of the two Spanish poems written by John:

Dos Pájaros

Dos gorriones ágiles,

Impredecibles en sus caminos

A través del aire, como nadadores

En un océano sin superficie.

Es difícil creer que nacieron

Estos movimientos lisos, fluidos,

De un diseño tan torpe

E incongruente con el vuelo como el huevo

Y no de alguna alquimia de vientos contrarios.

El tira y afloja del aire en sí mismo.

Dos pájaros

El viento encarnado y alado

¿Qué hacen aquí?

Volando, dando vueltas por este alto pasillo,

Encerrados por primera vez

Desde que escaparon de sus cascarones.

Sin duda, se han perdido

Entre estas paredes

Bajo este techo.

Buscan la salida

Buscan la vida del viento

De la brisa y las corrientes.

Una estructura tan cerrada y pegada al suelo

Sólo sirve para una especie de mono torpe

Que hace miles de siglos dejó la libertad del bosque

Para la seguridad de la cueva y no salió más…

O sí; salió para inventar el techo, y la pared

Para recrear su cueva primitiva

Y el vientre materno

Que tanto echa de menos.

Ahora, atrapado en su éxito

Dentro una caja con dos pájaros

Pasa el día mirando el cielo

Por una ventana.