Adiós Buenos Amigos

Officialdom, bureaucracy and formality all have a place, preferably behind the scenes where they silently help to get things done. However, for Amadeo and Javi they've done the complete opposite, and have brought their time in Utrecht to an untimely end.

Owing to a restrictive approach by Valencia (their home University), and a less than competent series of decisions by Utrecht, they've been left with no courses left here that their University back home will sanction. Which means they can't get any credits from what they do here, and have to go back home. That in itself is bad enough, but the situation only came about through Utrecht cancelling their sanctioned courses. But this hasn't stopped the powers that be here denying liability for anything, and demanding that they still pay their rent through until the end of June. The Erasmus year is supposed to be an exchange programme where people get to study in another country and meet people from around the world doing so, and silly little quibbles like sanctioning courses shouldn't have any place in such a scheme. Unfortunately, people involved in the bureaucracy don't realise this precisely because they are behind the scenes, and here it has ended up in two people not being able to finish what they started in September through no fault of their own. Not impressed.

Nonetheless, on the second of May they're going back to Spain and I couldn't let them leave without giving them something of a send off. Javi might have left my old corridor in November, then I left in Janurary, leaving Amadeo, but they've remained good friends here and it'll feel odd without the two of them being around. So I invited the two over for a proper English dinner to repay Javi for all the Spanish one's he introduced us too. On the menu; Sheppard's Pie and Cauliflower Cheese, followed by the Victoria Sandwich Cake that I think I've owed Amadeo since January. It seemed to go down well, and I hope that while they might go back with bitter tastes about Utrecht, they'll at least realise that English cooking isn't all fish & chips and fry ups.

While I completely failed in my promise to them that I'd learn Spanish, I can at least muster enough to say "Adiós Buenos Amigos."As clichéd as it might be, I think it's all that's left to say.