the new spaniards

"the more that you read, the more things you will know. the more that you learn, the more places you'll go." -- Dr. Seuss

To help us better understand the historical context of Spain and its people, my CRM team in Malaga has decided to collectively read The New Spaniards.* You know, after living there for seven months, I thought I'd learned quite a bit about the culture through friendships I'd made with locals, foods I'd tried, customs in which I'd taken part, places I'd visited throughout Spain.... But there's always so much more than meets the eye.

Old city wall, Sevilla
(built in the 11th century)

Some conversations I had along the way were very enlightening about just how deeply pained these people are from something that happened in their country's history nearly 40 years ago with the death of their dictator, Francisco Franco. By American standards, that's too many i-pods and cell phones ago for it to even come up on our radar. ;) But for most countries in Europe (and the rest of the world), the 1970s is recent history. And in Spain, it shows.

Obviously generations of Spaniards have been born since the death of Franco, but the stories of what happened during his dictatorship and after his death are passed along from generation to generation. And this country is trying - well, has been trying since the late 1970s - to become more relevant, contemporary, modern, able to participate in the global economy, but it's proven to be a struggle because of it's culturally rich, yet painful, history. As the author of The New Spaniards explains, Spain is a land of "extraordinary paradoxes" between traditional mindsets and contemporary concerns.

As I read this book, I'm amazed at how little I really understood while I was there. There's so much that explains the people I've met and befriended this past year. Yes, each person has his and her own story, but when crossing a cultural divide like this, it's so beneficial for me to try and understand the story of the entire people group, to better understand from where each person may be coming. This book is so insightful and I'm thankful to have it as a resource as I prepare to move back to Spain longer term.

I'm looking forward to sharing some tidbits of information I learn from this book as I continue to read! Look for updates on Wednesdays. :)



♥ mk

*The author of The New Spaniards, John Hooper, is a British journalist who was stationed in Madrid during Spain's transition into democracy.

update #1 - what's next?

"the journey is my home" -- Muriel Rukeyser

I haven't been so good at updating this blog regularly, so I've taken the advice of a friend and decided to commit to writing 5 days a week - focusing on a different topic each day of the week. Yesterday, I wrote a review of a Spanish tapas restaurant I'd visited while in Los Angeles a couple of weeks ago.

Today I'd like to write a (somewhat) brief update on where I've been and what's next. As you may know from having read this blog over the last year, I moved to Spain last fall to apprentice with a team through CRM Empowering Leaders. Our team focuses on community and leadership development, both of which are desperately needed because of the current economic situation in Spain. There's still a high unemployment rate (about 56% among people ages 18-35) with no real hope of it improving soon, which means there's a huge population of educated, but un-experienced and unemployed people throughout Spain.

My neighborhood in Malaga

This past year, my position on the team with CRM allowed me to put to use my passion to train and disciple leaders, the skills in sustainable & economic development I gained from grad school, and my Spanish language abilities. My primary focus was to assess the need in our neighborhood in Malaga and the results were not at all surprising, though still difficult to bear. One thing became very clear, though: there is work to be done and God has blessed me with the heart and exact skillset needed to address the situation.

Over the last several months, I've gone through the interview and assessment process to join CRM full-time in Spain. I will be serving with the same team, assisting to build up local leaders by providing them training, meeting their needs for English learning and practice, and giving them opportunities to both make a difference in their neighborhood and add volunteer experience to their resumes. It's an exciting time, thinking about all the opportunities for growth that lie ahead!

So that (roughly) brings me to today. I'm currently in the States (based out of Seattle and traveling a bit) as I work on my visa application and raise support to return to the field full-time. I would greatly appreciate prayers during this time - for safe travels, ease during the visa application process, and that God would provide financial partners who desire to be part of what He's doing in Spain! If you would like to be part of my support team by giving financially to CRM, please see the DONATIONS section on the sidebar of this blog or go straight to CRM's giving page and enter "Mikaela McGee" in the search bar.

Being with family is awesome

Since arriving in the States this summer, I've been enjoying the extra time with family and friends, just soaking it all up because I don't know the next time I'll get to be around for this long! What a gift. :)

If you would like to hear more about what I'll be doing in Spain, please comment below - I'd love to share more stories!


♥ mk

eat like the locals

"you have to taste a culture to understand it" -- Deborah Cater

Wine & olives

A couple of weeks ago, I was in Los Angeles for a week of training meetings at CRM's main offices. It was a great time - I loved connecting with other people in this organization, hearing their stories, and learning about all that God is doing in the U.S. and across the world! So, while I was in the area, I had a few free evenings and seized the opportunity to get together with a couple of friends I'd met in Spain earlier this year.

We ended up going to a Spanish tapas restaurant (called Phlight in Whittier, CA) and

OH...

MY...

GOODNESS...

I instantly missed Spain.

No offense to Spanish food, but moving to Spain from San Diego can be a little rough on the taste buds. Going from spicy, flavor-filled foods to... well... a lack of spice... made it a little difficult for me to really love the food in Spain. But I grew to like a variety of foods while I was there. And visiting Phlight made me realize that I had actually come to LOVE - and truly miss - Spanish food.

As soon as my friends and I sat down, the servers gave us a small bowl of olives - quite possibly my favorite thing about getting wine & tapas in Spain is all the fresh (and free!) olives you get.

So delicious.

My eyes poured over the menu, unable to pick just one item - or even just a few. Thankfully I was there with friends and tapas are small enough that we could order a bunch and share. :) 

Patatas Bravas w/ Aioli sauce

I ordered patatas bravas - roasted potatoes accompanied by a spicy sauce (at Phlight it was served with a spicy aioli sauce) - which is one of the spiciest dishes in Spain. I was not disappointed - they were just as flavorful and delicious as I'd remembered!

Bacon-wrapped dates
stuffed w/ Manchego cheese

But it wasn't until I tried Phlight's Manchego cheese-stuffed bacon-wrapped dates that I realized just how much I missed Spanish food.

Oh.

So.

Good. 

Ground beef & pickle tacos

Finally, a surprising(ly delicious) item on the menu: ground beef and pickle tacos with spicy sauce. I was a little skeptical of the combination, but those chefs know what they're doing. 

Seriously.

You should try it. 

So, if you live near - or are visiting - Whittier, I would highly recommend trying this restaurant. Until then, go see what tapas restaurants are in/near your neighborhood and let me know what you find. If you have any recommendations, please leave a comment - I'd love to check them out if my travels take me that way!

♥

mk