I am frequently inspired by the efforts of many groups and associations that are working to raise awareness of Catalan culture. Many of their key figures are Catalans not by blood but by choice, which makes their projects all the more compelling (and also, I think, says something very important about what it is to be Catalan in the first place).

One such project that I heard about a few months ago and now stumbled across again is InTransit, a website and quarterly print journal that provides a “Euro-mediterranean perspective on Spanish current events.” They explain:

“What led to the creation of InTransit was the realization that most foreign citizens living in Spain form their opinions almost exclusively from the media produced in Madrid. It is clear that the Catalan language barrier makes it difficult to reach this community, which is why we are convinced that tools such as this newsletter are necessary to bridge the existing gap.”

Good and important reading from top minds in Catalonia, translated into English to facilitate global consumption. Tasty!

Bonus rec: a good source for English-language opinion pieces is the Catalan Views blog from the CNA.

There, now y0u’ve got your weekend reading. Endavant!

US Returns

Monday 8PM-10PM

• After four months of building dread, finally drag myself in front of the computer and fire up TurboTax
• Run through 50 screens of income, deductions, foreign residency tests, “making work pay” credits, and more fun stuff
• Run it again because I’m paranoid
• Cookie break
• Google “US tax returns 2010 expatriate Spain” for a while before figuring I’ve done the best I could
• Get set to e-file, then discover that I can’t (no clear reason given)
• Save a PDF of my return and log out
• Watch Stewart and Colbert to detox

Tuesday 7PM-8PM

• Print out PDF, write check, address envelope
• Have sudden paranoid feeling, begin Googling “US tax returns 2010 expatriate Spain”
• Stare at tax treaties until cross-eyed
• Throw hands in the air
• Stuff return into envelope, seal, to be mailed certified sometime later this week
• Cookie reward

Total Time: 3 hours (plus 4 months of procrastinating/dreading, plus 20 minutes of standing in line at the post office)
Total Cost: TurboTax fees

Spanish Returns

Tuesday 8PM-8:15PM

• Go to government website
• Receive access key by text message on my phone
• Download a draft of my return in PDF format and review the figures that have been entered there by the agency
• Approve the proposed tax amount
• Provide bank account number for payment
• Log out

Total Time: 15 minutes
Total Cost: zero

For my birthday, we went to see this amazing display of horsemanship, called Apassionata. Although some of the acts were a bit circus-like for my taste, the respect and joy between horses and trainers was clear throughout the show.