One Month Down...And Still "Running"

Hola mis amigos de Estados Unidos (y otros paises)!!! Que tal? I'm a week past my guaranteed staying time and still running. Let's see how long I can ride this thing out. I have added a couple videos for you entertainment. I appreciate you tuning in once again. I hope you enjoy the post!!!

Classes Are Over, Now What?

I just wrapped up my Spanish class this past Friday. I cannot believe how much I have learned in only a month. I am ages ahead of the “deer in headlights” InternationalDarius that I was before. I can actually hold conversations as long as the Spaniards aren’t talking 100mph. For my participation in the class, I received a document verifying that I officially possess an intermediate level of Spanish speaking ability. Because this is such a great experience, I have decided to continue my education, but less formally. I am now participating in what is called an intercambio. Basically, you exchange languages with someone else as you both learn the others language. Right now I have two Spanish speaking friends with whom I exchange languages. One of my amigos is from Peru and the other is from Brazil (Brazilian’s speak Portuguese but he also knows Spanish). We speak for about 2 hours, one in English and one in Spanish. It is really helping me with my confidence, which is very important. It is also a good way to build relationships. Mi amigo Andre (Brazil) walked around with me yesterday helping me look for jobs. He was my translator when I could not understand the managers of the places I applied. Although, at times I could not understand what he was saying either. In order to continue my studies, my Señora gave me a Spanish book with a lot of exercises on grammar. Classes are probably the best option if you want to learn, but they are expensive. I’m in day 3 of my informal education though. It seems to be going well. We’ll see how my Spanish continues to progress.

Oh yea…I finally got around to asking my Señora (her name is Tania) if she’ll do and interview. She agreed and we should be filming it this week. You’ll get to see just how much I learned in a little over 30 days.

Pictures Please!!!

I was informed by a friend that I need to put up some more pictures of the beautiful artwork, landscape, and architecture of Spain. Those are soon to come. This weekend I will be going to a town called Toledo. Toledo is an older city with some amazing attractions. I have an idea of what to expect but who knows what is to come. I’ll be sure to take great pictures and post them ASAP. Until then, I have some photos of a few places I have been in Madrid. I have yet to go inside the King’s palace or any of the elaborately decorated churches. I promised myself that these things are next on my agenda.

Carnaval

Last week marked the end of Carnaval. The festivities carry on for four days in numerous locations across the

world such as Brazil, Italy, Germany, Portugal, Croatia, Columbia, Haiti, and Trinidad and Tobago. Historically, for Christians, this signified the last opportunity to celebrate and eat certain foods before Lent. It seems to me that it is a huge party where everyone dresses up in their favorite costumes. There are a number of parties and parades that highlight the event. Before you get too jealous of the 4 day party, remember that we

have something similar at home. We just call it Mardi Gras. The major difference here is that people actually get days off of work and school to celebrate. In Spain, Carnaval is most celebrated in the city of Cadiz. Unfortunately, I was not able to travel to Cadiz. However, Madrid has a celebration of its own, which I was not aware of until I was attacked by a pink gremlin LOL! YES! P-I-N-K G-R-E-M-L-I-N…Sounds crazy but here’s what happened. I had gone to the mall attempting to recharge my Spanish mobile phone as I do every week. Everything seemed to be going along as it normally does. As I was handing my money to the cashier, out of the corner of my eye I see this bright pink, four foot gremlin running directly at me. Now I don’t know how many of you have seen a bright pink gremlin, but I must say that for a split second I was little freaked out. Luckily, just before I raised my foot to give this thing a swift sidekick, I recognized it was somebody’s little boy dressed up for Carnaval LOL!...Hey don’t judge me!!! It was a natural self-defense reaction. I expected to see people dressed up at night and at parties…But who expects to see anyone running around the mall at 2pm like that….Call me crazy!

Aside from the above experience, I was able to attend one of the parades in the streets of Madrid. At the parade, Frankenstein, T-Rex, and Wonder Woman all made special guest appearances. I have posted a few pictures (above) of the parade.

IntellectualDarius Moment

Failure Facts:

• Steve Jobs was once fired from Apple, Inc.
• Donald Trump has been forced to file for bankruptcy 3 times
• Nelson Mandela was wrongfully placed in prison for 27 years
• Neil Armstrong was diagnosed with testicular cancer and 50% chance of living
• Muhammad Ali had his boxing license suspended nearly 3 years after opposing the Vietnam war
• Mahatma Gandhi was nearly lynched after assisting Indians in attempting to overcome a bill that denied them the right to vote
• Jackie Joyner Kersee, arguably the world’s greatest female athlete, battled severe asthma throughout her career
• Michael Jordan has missed 26 game winning shots
• Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. faced harsh criticism after allowing children to march in the Birmingham Campaign in the presence of violent authorities

Despite the numerous failures and setbacks listed above, the people are some of the greatest and most successful people ever to walk the planet. These people have provided a great example of our potential to achieve our goals when we:

1) Never lose sight of our goals

2) Continue on your journey toward success despite any setbacks or failure

3) Be willing to both help and be helped

Failure can either be used to defeat us, or we can use it as motivation. We can allow failures to be listed along with some of the greatest…Or they can be listed along with the underachievers. Where will your next failure be ranked?

I think this commercial by Michael Jordan explains it best.

Last Week’s “Question of the Week” – What Motivates You?

I appreciate everyone who sent in responses to last week’s “Question of the Week.” Below I have listed the most frequent responses:

1) Family

2) Making a Difference

3) Winning (Be first)

Based on your responses, I see that everyone has various sources of motivation. I feel that all motivational sources can be equally effective, assuming we maintain our moral character. In my opinion, we must use whatever it is that lights that fire from within to fuel our charge toward achievement. After we identify what motivates us, we should use that source to leverage our success. For example, if I am driven by the desire to win then I’d probably be more effective when I put my self in competitive situations. Maybe I could make create friendly competition with a classmate to see who could get the best grade in class.

Question of the Week

How do you overcome "failure" in your life?

I appreciate you tuning in once again. I look forward to hearing your comments. Anyone is welcome to respond. You can post directly on the blog or shoot me an Email. Don't be afraid of the wall either lol! Email: internationaldarius@yahoo.com

Thank You,

InternationalDarius