2012... No one has titled a blog Peaches En Regalia yet? Really? I don't believe it. It's the first track off of Frank Zappa's "Hot Rats," his first solo album. I love the Mothers, but this is my first solo album, as I sit here in my sweltering office in Richmond VA, something like 95 degrees outside at 7PM, the cover of the vinyl version of that great album on my wall (along with "Between the Buttons").  The real purpose of this starts tomorrow and if I don't work on it today, let's face it- it will be lame and dormant.

This is my real first time posting or reading a blog, (sorry, those of you who I know that have written one- nothing personal) and its purpose will be to catalog my travels (travails?) in a new country, and on a new continent. Aside from the typical id engagement of mythologizing experiences that will probably be unavoidable, I also hope to use it for its intended purpose, which is to maximize the potential of what I learn in Spain (I failed to mention that I am going to Spain till August 8...Hey!) to inform other educators such as myself on ways to augment their existing knowledge base. Integration of culture (bullfighting, wine slugging, tomato fights, Moor slaying, or otherwise) is what creates engaged and passionate language learners.

Some quid pro quos:

a.) I love parentheses. Accept it. The punctuation rules are suspended in those cases, and it allows for moments of magic realism between clauses.

b.) I will undoubtedly make many musical references, as I love music. The blog's name refers to music. Be thankful- I could have called it "Stockhausen's Pet Turtle" or something ghastly and nauseating.

c.) As I am going to Spain, there is a good chance that the ghosts of Lorca, Quevedo, Lope de Vega, Cervantes, Machado, Unamuno, et. al. will be drudged up for a quick dusting off and perhaps slapping around (mainly Lorca in that case). Skip those parts if that is not your cup of tea.

d.) The profile picture is taken from a 2009 Halloween "observance," in which my boat captain costume included a Missouri Meershcaum  pipe that I purchased at CVS Pharmacy for around $3. I don't keep a lot of pictures of myself, and I look the same as I did then. Daar matey!

On a serious note, many of you have made this possible via encouragement, support, advice, kicks in the ribs, counsel, instruction, and overall love and support. So for that I am extremely grateful. It is a humbling opportunity for me and I thank all of you for your support and encouragement, at all steps of the gestation process...as I burst through the placenta into Spain, leaping like the lame man at the gates of the temple!

e.) I can't stay serious for long...although Isaiah 35 is not a comic riff.

Un saludo cordial y les escribo pronto en la tierra de Alfonso! Hace un montón de calor en esta oficina!

-Nathan, Meershcaum Enthusiast