Quiebra & rain

My school is not the only one having trouble paying the assistants, almost all of them are. There are messages popping up all over the different forums we have with people complaining how they haven't been paid and have no money to pay rent. One girl said she wanted to go protest to the press about our situation. Personally I don't think that's a very feasible idea- the Spanish press probably doesn't want to hear about how foreigners aren't getting paid when the Spanish people themselves are having trouble getting paid. Anyways, I asked one of the teachers I work with if the teachers are having trouble being paid or if it's just the assistants. I was informed that the Comunidad pays the teachers directly rather than paying the school who then pays them. The teachers so far have been paid, and paid on time, but the Comunidad is bankrupt and the past few months has had to ask Corte Ingles (a big mall all in one store) for money in order to be able to pay the teachers. Wow.

Our 3rd orientation isn't until May 27th. I wish it was earlier so I could straight-up ask them sooner. However it looks like I'm going to have to wait until then. The problem is that I'm still owed money and if I leave I'll never see any of the money I'm owed, but if I stay then there is a glimmer of hope that I'll eventually receive the money I'm owed. I keep talking to people back home and everyone is shocked, "that would never be allowed to happen in the US!" Well, Spain, you never cease to amaze me...

On the note of amazement I saw Spanish firemen in action for the first time today. Luckily they weren't putting out a fire but they were responding to a mini-disaster. Spain is known for it's sun and while it is primarily dry Spain is in denial that it ever rains here. Seriously, you have some bushes and a river, obviously it must rain some. When I first arrived in September it rained off & on for 2 days (I wouldn't even say it rained that much) but the ground level school classrooms flooded. Every time it drizzles even a bit the sidewalk is incredibly slippery and I'm just waiting to fall. Well it apparently rained last night, but the streets were mostly dry and there were no puddles when I woke up so obviously it didn't rain that much. However, on the bus ride to Madrid I found all the water. There were highway entry/exit ramps closed because water had pooled there (I noticed the area next to the entrance ramp was a little higher than the ramp but was completely dry) and cars wouldn't be able to drive through it the water was so deep. Then we came to a part of the highway which had been closed to one lane because the fire truck was there and the workers were attempting to suck the water up off the highway. The bus rolled through the water next to the flooded lane but I wouldn't have wanted to go through that puddle in low riding car. Not only was just the highway (not the surrounding area) flooded, but the water had also brought trash onto the highway and there was trash everywhere. I've been here long enough and had to deal with enough shit that I just kinda laughed was like, oh well I'm going to be 20min late b/c the highway flooded, the good news is that I could still get through! I would suggest that my friends with civil engineering degrees come help the Spaniards design their roads/cities to deal with flash flooding (since that's what tends to happen when it rains in a primarily dry area) but I would want them to get paid for their work and Spain doesn't have the money to pay them. So there will be trash and giant puddles covering highways for the time being- just another typical day here in Spain!