It has been a productive last couple-of-weeks, to say the least. This, of course, does not mean that my research has made very much progress. Left to my own devices, I've spent the past 7 months researching at least three different Spanish Civil War topics--with not enough information on one topic to produce anything of value. So, I've been revisiting sources that I looked at earlier in the year in order to try to produce something and narrow down my topic, but I can't feel too guilty because many of the other researchers, even the ones in graduate programs, have been spending a lot of time on "side projects." One other grantee, for example, is writing a screenplay (unrelated to her dissertation), while another is learning capoeira (also not related to her project). As long as I've learned something new about Spanish history in a given day, I give myself a gold star. Researching in Madrid is much easier because there are not only many, many more sources to investigate, but also because the librarians in the Biblioteca Nacional are ten times friendlier than any I ever encountered in Santiago. Rather than telling me that my request is "impossible" or taking a siesta during peak library hours, they hook me up with the materials I need and offer assistance in using the microfilm reader (rather than accusing me of "breaking it"). I have even received smiles from the security guards as they check my bags to make sure that I haven't absconded with any 17th-century maps (which are apparently the hot items to steal).
Speaking of customer service, I lost the cord that connects my camera to my computer somewhere during the move to Madrid and went to the store to procure a new one today. Since the Corte Ingles (Spain's national department store) sells everything from car tires to skis and stations one employee at every counter in the store, I assumed that those employees were somehow specially trained to answer questions about the products in their department (it's not even a department, it's a counter. Like, I would assume that the person who stands in front of the Swatches was placed there because they know something about Swatches). I wasn't sure which cord to buy but I figured that the safest bet was the only cord in the store that connects cameras to USB ports. However, I wanted confirmation. After standing in front of the camera section for 15 minutes (I would have moved to a different register, but whenever I do something like that someone yells at me because there's usually a rule about having to buy items at the register closest to where you found them), the gentleman standing next to me said, "F@#$ this, I'm going to go to the iPod department" and walked away. Finally, a customer service representative appeared from nowhere, flirting with a clearly wealthy woman buying an apparatus to mount her plasma TV on the wall. When it was finally my turn, I asked him about the cord and he was like, "How the hell should I know?" and I was like, "maybe because you work in the camera department." He rolled his eyes but confirmed that I could return the cord if it didn't work. At any rate, the cord worked.
I'm having a great time hanging out with the other grantees. It's so wonderful to be in Madrid, which is not only close to other people but a perfect travel hub. Last weekend, we went to Aranjuez, a medium-sized town famous as a royal family summer retreat; yesterday, we went to Alcala de Henares, birthplace of Cervantes and stumbled upon a procession for the Virgen de la Cabeza (at least, we think that's what they said. "Cabeza" means "head," but I think that the point of the procession was that it was about Mary after a week of processions about Jesus). I managed to see one procession in Madrid during Holy Week, but it was dark outside and crowded so I didn't get to "see" much. The music played during the two processions I've witnessed has been the most interesting thing about them (well, second-most interesting next to the hoods a la Ku Klux Klan worn by the "penitents")--during Holy Week and in the procession yesterday, the accompaniment was upbeat music by a marching band that sounded like something from a high-school football game. The procession yesterday featured women and men dressed in flamenco attire bearing a very elaborate statue of the Virgin. As the statue passed by, the people who had gathered on the streets would yell out things like, "GUAPA!!!" (pretty) or "MARIA, MADRE DE DIOS!" Many people were crying as they looked at the Virgin and, admittedly, it was pretty. As Claire pointed out, the processions are a way to mark the year; for many of the older people to whom the procession seemed to be meaningful, they've probably been looking at the same statue their whole lives, as have their parents and so on (many of the statues are pretty old).
I would love to write more--and to edit this entry to make sure that my prose makes sense--but I am leaving for Portugal with Risa, another grantee, early tomorrow. She had some unexpected time off and, well, I have time off anytime and haven't seen much of Portugal. We will be flying in to Lisbon, heading up to Porto on Thursday, and flying back to Madrid on Saturday--and I just realized that I have to meet Risa in her apartment in just 8 1/2 hours, so I should shower, etc. I have added more pictures to my site : http://gallery.me.com/kschultz1205
