Reflections on a life-changing week

I stare out of the window and watch as rolling hills give way to an unbroken horizon of flat, scorched earth. Every now and again a smattering of blood red poppies or shock purple lavender spring from the otherwise infertile soils.

The dry cracks in the thirsty earth are a sign that the land is already straining under the punishingly hot sun. This part of Spain probably won't see rain now for months until the last dieing days of summer surrender to Autumn and the heat loses its potency.

The La Coruña - Madrid run is of course less tedious by plane, but after the non-stop mental efforts of the past week, it's rather pleasant to sit back and let the train's soothing rythm pull me through the agricultural terrain.

The rugged wilderness is sporadically interrupted by shining white parades of giant freestanding structures, otherwise known as wind turbines; great generators of kinetic electricity. Spain is now the world's number one investor in wind energy. This brilliant new renewable source is of course not without its controversy; their awesome presence is undeniable.

The naysayers lament their negative aesthetics, bemoaning that they blight the landscape with their over-whelming height. Personally, I love them. Aside from the fact that wind energy plants tend to be erected in barren places that God himself has forsaken, to me they represent a solid human commitment to the preservation of the very lands the critics say they spoil. Majestic towers of strength, literally breathing life and sustainability into our earth.

It's not hard to see why Spain is in such a financial pickle. President Zapatero has ploughed through public funds with greater speed than a fashion victim in a sample sale. Since I was last here in 2005 the Madrid metro has expanded like the tentacles of an octopus, and there are new roads and highways, energy plants and a formidable banking network, Santander, with a branch on every corner and a continually growing foreign presence.

A hefty percentage of the country is claiming unemployment benefits equivalent to 80% of their salary. Many of them are of course actively looking for work - this I don't dispute - and it's not easy. However, with a system that requires face-to-face checking in less than every two months, there are a considerable amount of beneficiaries who are simply not here. A sizable chunk of state money has funded many a backpacking trip around South America.

A jolt in the train disturbs my thoughts and I am brought back to my surroundings. I survey the scene and the passengers around me, yawning; snoring; chewing on gum. My attention is caught by the Japanese man across the aisle. I am quite fascinated by him. I can't help wondering what he is doing here in this corner of the world and why he would be on his way from Madrid to La Coruña, by himself.

Some banal North American teenage movie is playing on the fuzzy TV screen, but my headphones don't work. I can't say I am too upset about it; I'm lost in thought anyway. The Japanese man's face breaks into a giant beaming smile and i think i hear a chuckle escape from his lips. He is apparently engrossed in the selected entertainment. I wonder again what his story is. You don't see many Asians in this part of the world, sadly, unless they are the other side of a counter in a corner supermarket, or rushing past in a herd, in a whirl of camera flashes and video tapes, following a guide with a flag.

The countryside begins to change again. We must be in Galicia; the sun has dissipated into a haze of clouds and the earth is fresh and dewy once more. The occasional farm house is solidly built out of yellow sandstone and there are people dotted about wearing berets.

I'm not going to lie. It will be hard to go back after the week I have just had. I spent four days trying to prove myself in a training for a job that I was born to do. I shared a room with talented, multi-lingual, educated, well travelled and interesting young people from Colombia, France, Holland and Spain. Quick-witted and skilled minds that were a joy to converse with.

I was challenged. I was pushed. I was tested and frankly just "on" all week. I was videotaped; prepared presentations about investment opportunities in Congo Brazzaville and fictitious interviews with the President of Red Uruguay bank. I role played being a dazzling and brilliant executive and every move I made I carefully ensured was appropriate.

It was stuffy in the room, and the AC dried out my contact lenses. It was exhausting; like being in a week long interview which culminated in a final review with 4 members of the company’s team in English, Spanish, French and Portuguese. Every day the fire inside me for this job growing (along with the gnawing fear that they wouldn't give it to me).

I definitely hear a laugh from the Japanese man. I look over and he smiles at me apologetically. I smile back. I think I will always be drawn towards the different... The people who don't quite fit. The ones who make you think. Wait for me world. I'm coming.