Headbutt

Well, nothing makes me happier than people asking me about this blog: somehow I am pretentious enough to think people actually do take the time and read my rants about bureaucracy or click on any stupid link I may found. On the other hand, it's been a while since I last updated it, so every time I hear something about the blog I just skip it because it reminds me of how bad I am in updating it. The main problem is that the longer I wait the better the post must be (in order to justify the wait), so I absolutely need to publish something NOW!

so what's up? Got anything new to say today? Well actually yes, I do. Don't worry I am not going to say anything about yesterday's game. It was stressful (as any final game should be) but we won (for once) and we're happy about it. The only thing I am still curious to discover is what must have zidane heard to get in such a state? I mean, after more than a decade playing professional football at the highest level, it's your last game , you're in the world cup final, you're in extra times about 10 minutes away from the penalties… What can anyone say to make headbutt a player hoping no one sees you? I mean I guess it must have been something more than "You frenchies, go stuff yourself with frogs and snails!" but what? When the game finished yesterday, after 5 minutes of shouting, this question started going around my head "what did he say?". First thing I did coming back home was to check all major news sites but none had any information. Today I checked again and the best I could find was published on the Guardian: apparently Materazzi called Zidane a "terrorist". Hummm, not buying it mate! Terrorist? How is that supposed to make you lose your temper and head butt someone? Nah, I don't buy it. I'll keep on checking papers and sites, hopefully in the next couple of days it will come out and we'll all know. For now the quest continues! -Thanks God I said I wasn't going to talk about the game!

Concerning my bureaucratic adventures here in Barcelona (I am actually in Brussels today, but you're not supposed to know) we're still a long way from the finish line. In Spain everybody has a NIF, which is a national ID number. They ask you this number everywhere and for anything. I did get this number after several visits to great examples of public service efficiency and felt good for about 3 days. Well, after 3 days they told me that I did have my number but if I wanted to have a real ID card I would have to start all over again. My obvious reaction was "who cares, I've got the number, why would I need the ID card?". Well, as you're asked for a proof of ID every time you use your credit card, you end up carrying your passport with you all the time… And yes, when it gets hot like now keeping your passport in your back pocket for a whole day is the best way to make sure it'll never survive the 5-year life expectancy planned for it. So in early June, I decided to get in the queue to ask for an ID card. Now, in order to get this ID card, you think it wouldn't take too much: you already have the number, getting the card should be a formality. WRONG! First of all they gave me an appointment for September 4th! And apparently it'll take another 3 months after that. I'll let you know but if it really takes that long I'll never take the ID card with me anywhere: I'll be too scared to lose it! That's for the Spanish side. In the Italian side the consulate has given us an appointment on 1st August. If we're lucky, 2 weeks after that we should have all the paperwork to go to the town hall and start all over again. I think we'll get married in 2010!

In a pure masochistic move, as I didn't get enough pain out of my bureaucratic experiences, I decided that I would complicate my life a little more and buy a motorbike in Brussels. By the way now that I am writing this I realise how plain stupid I am sometimes. One could think that Europe is working for things like that and buying a bike in Brussels to have it shipped to Barcelona and get Spanish plates, shouldn't be too difficult. Well, you're wrong! If you're thinking about doing anything like that, just stop. In Italian there's a say: "Mogli e buoi dei paesi tuoi" that can be translated by "You wanker! Why on earth would you want to buy a bike in Brussels when you live in Barcelona? Did you not read your own Blog or what???" Anyway, 2 months down the line I am riding it, even though I only started riding it a couple of weeks ago and I still have a temporary plate. Why did I do it? I still don't know. I think that one evening, after downing a few drink I'll tell myself a few things and will end up punching myself for being stupid and not reading my own blog!

Well that's it for now. I'll try to keep the blog updated and even though I have made it clear that I am a lazy bastard. Right now I can only think about the few days we're going to spend in with Teresa to recover from all the stress of the last 12 months. I think we really disserve it!

P.S. Just spotted on an Italian site some interesting news about the head butt situation. Apparently Materazzi said something about Zidane's sisters. Now this makes a little more sense than the terrorist option... here's the full story (in Italian)