I told the group of 15 year olds that I was celebrating my one month anniversary.
"Of what?" they asked.
"Of my arrival in Spain," I responded.
"But this isn't Spain, this is the Basque Country," answers one guy. Mohawk. Basque flag on his t-shirt. Leather jacket. Stare of death.
Everyone looks at me in trepidation.
"Oh, well, one month ago was the day I arrived in Madrid," I say. Super casual.
Guy looks satisfied with the answer, and we continue with the class.
I haven't been here long enough, nor do I understand the Basque political situation in enough detail to pronounce myself for or against independence. But I lived in Quebec long enough to know that subtleties in the definitions and terminology of countries, territories, and peoples count for a lot. If you don't handle them with care, you can get yourself into trouble without realizing it.
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Fuck that guy. Like, regardless of your political views - and Basque sovereignty, like Quebec sovereignty, is a legitimate political goal - for the time being, Euskadi isn't a country. It doesn't help the cause to play make believe. I hope you gave him a detention.
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