Interviewing Beatriz Reboredo: The Galician who is farther from home

It’s a pleasure and we’re lucky of having Beatriz Reboredo in Galicia Alive, the Galician who is the farthest from Galicia. You may not remember, but from our Facebook page Galicia Alive we created an event to find the ambassador of our land who was the farthest from Galicia. The name of the event was Pursuit of Galicians that are far, far away from home.

Good morning! Welcome!

Good day!

To let it know to everyone, where are you?

I am in New Zealand, concretely in Auckland, north island. Antipodean.

Because of doing this interview on internet, I must ask you something. Here it goes: what time is it there?

It is 7:38 p.m., 12 hours later than Spain.

Originally, where does Bea come from?

I am Ourensana (from Ourense), daughter of a Lugues (from Lugo) and a Viguesa (from Vigo).

So there is a mesture of provinces. You only miss Coruña.

Almost from everywhere.

What do you do for living?

I’m Physicist. I live in Auckland where I do a PhD in atmospheric physics. If you want I can tell you a bit about the project.

Sure! Please, start!

The name of the project is Atmospheric Response to Tropical Diabatic Heating. It’s a bit hard to explain it and try to make a summery. I work using test version of an atmospheric model. There are oscillations in atmosphere which have been studying during last years, Madden-Julian Oscillation. This event, as El Niño and La Niña, affects when we try to make weather predictable. Nowadays numerical models, the ones metheology uses, can’t distribute energy in the atmosphere in a proper way to include these cases in predictions. Ideally it should be developed a model which could include every process which affects to metheology, every single one, but this is not possible. If we could, predictions would be exact and we know it’s not like this. Everything is improvable and I’m doing my bit to improve it.

Fine, fine…

If it’s not clear enough I explain it in detail later.

Thanks! I’m waiting for more information – laughs. – By the way, how long have you been living there?

Well… I arrived first half August. Tomorrow it will be seven months.

Seven months…

Time flies!

Why does a physicist decide to go around half world to work?

Well… I studied a master of metheology in Barcelona, as you already know, and when I finished my internship I was motivated to keep researching. This is something that never happened to me during my degree. The degree was demotivating – she confesses. – What then? During the master I found what I needed to know what I wanted. So I could choose between keeping researching or private enterprise, what I also like. Finally I decided to keep researching as I said because it was what prefered in that period of my life. I started to send CV to everything related to metheology and metheologic models, what I did in my master theses: researching fellowship, PhD’s… I was really lucky because I had the option of choosing. Finally I had to choose among BSC in Barcelona, Ciemat in Madrid and this one. When I applied for this I was sure I’d choose this one if I had the opportunity. The thing I like the most was the country. My boyfriend was decided to move on here with me. He has been working as physician many years and he supported me. He didn’t mind working as anything. So both of us thought it would be good and his support was really important for me to accept it. He works as student advisor in Auckland in a company which advise students who want to come and study masters, degrees… It’s a company which (spot time) by the way is called Mint Studies and work for people who want to increase their level of English et cetera.

Are you into Spanish politics? Do you know what happens here?

Actually yes. I try to watch and read everything I can. I like being into it.

Have you voted from there?

Oh, better we don’t talk about it… I have argued with the embassy, by mail, but argued. They forced us to register ourselves as residents, wherewith we’d loss the Spanish medical card. This is a problem many people have already had.

It’s true. It was one of the first political reforms of this legislature.

I wanted to register myself as no resident because I could vote anyway. Moreover, my plan is living here during a few years, but not forever. They told I couldn’t because I’m going to live here more than one year… After many replies from embassy side and mine, they finished it saying: We register you as resident or we don’t do it. What I did was contact to Marea Granate.

How did it work?

The truth is it worked very well. Even like this there were many orphan votes.

Were there many people involved?

Yes, there were. The circumscriptions that exist in Spain, provincial, made it harder. I should contact to somebody of my province, but finally they realize it was better to do it by Comunidades Autónomas. Then it was easy. I just register, wait for my turn, talk to the girl and everythin was very well. The girl sent me a picture wearing sun glasses when she was voting.

Where is she from? 

From Ourense. I send greeting to her!

And in New Zealand?

The truth is not as much as the Spanish one, I don’t understand it very well. I know the president, the party of the Government, how the election of the flag is going.

Election of the flag?

Yes, they will choose a new flag. Well, or stay with the same.

Is there any already created?

Yes, there is. Actually there were four and people voted for one of them. Now they should vote for the new one or the one they have.

What is the reason of it?

The reason is the actual flag is normally associated with the British occupation. There are people who disown the flag and prefer leaving it in the past.

As you know the country has two official names: New Zealand in English or Aotearoa in Maori. We suppose you communicate to almost everybody in English, do you see Maori use cases during your day?

This is a great question and I wish I could yes, but this not the reality. Official languages are English, Maori and sign language. I knew before coming about Maori, but I didn’t know about its use. I didn’t know if I could hear it in the streets. I think only the 4% of the population speaks Maori. Based in my experience in the University it’s used only for greetings in mail and official communications. But I have to say I haven’t known many people originally from here in the University. I know Maori people, but even in their ethnic only 30% of them speak Maori. It’s a language I can’t hear much, in spite of being protected from my point of view. In Auckland it’s even harder to hear it because it’s a multicultural city.

What is the word you like the most?

I love “wafa” which is pronounced as ‘faca’ and it means canoe. I know words as ‘Kia Ora’ (greeting), pā (fortified town)… Most of the words I know are related to history because in touristic areas they always tell you how Maoris got there. Maori has a word which is equivalent to Spanish word “payo” to denominate white people and it’s “pākehā“. Moreover, I read a book before coming placed during British colonialism where there were many Maori words. “Rangi”  for instance is sky and many names of villages which are Maori.

I know you travel a lot, do you miss many for visiting?

Yes, we have been only in north island. We still miss visiting the whole New Zealand. There are lots of places. If you come here only for three weeks you can’t see anything. We travel to the north and the closer islands.

Excluding traveling, what is the thing that makes you be sure you made the right decision?

I can’t tell only a thing, it’s the whole experience. I miss my friends and my family. The feeling of not being able to buy a flight to go tomorrow back home overwhelms me, but I keep the positive things. The experience, everything in general. For example, one of the first things I visited was an extinct volcano that for me was like… puff – she puffs showing her impression. – Here the people show indifference for it. If this is that amazing and people don’t care, how will the rest of the country be? – she wonders.

I love the food. There is food from everywhere: Malasian, Japanese, Chinese… Food from Asian southeast.

Now you can whisper, what doesn’t you like?

Oh, no! I say it clearly – she answers confidently. – The prices. It’s very expensive, at least Auckland. Rents are as expensive as Parisian ones. Nor Barcelona nor Madrid are that expensive. The good point is salaries match rents. The minimum salary is around 1500€. If you buy milk there is none cheaper than one euro. The same happens with almost everything. Obviously, as I already said, I miss my friend and family – she says while she sends a kiss we redirect to them.

I miss pinchos, I miss them a lot.

Being from Ourense and during that time I suppose you have missed the Entroido (Galician Carnival), what do you miss the most from Galicia?

This is the first time in my life I’m not during the Entroido in Ourense. In my whole life! – she emphasizes. – I did always everything to be there. I even went to Ourense when I was in my Erasmus internship… For me the Entroido and Magostos are… – she thinks.

The best?

I love them. I became anger because of missing it and seeing the pictures… the brass band…

Furthermore the Entroido, I see it’s a part of you, what else do miss you from Galicia in general or from Ourense in particular?

From Ourense the events I said: Magosto and Entroido. I also miss the fact of going out to take something. When you say: “I going out to take something”. Here it doesn’t exist. But checking the prices it’s better because I wouldn’t enjoy it. I miss eating octopus. We used to eat it on Sundays in my house. And empanada.

I don’t intend you to envy me, but I ate octopus yesterday and its pink potatoes.

Oh! Smashed…

Are you one of those who like smashed potatoes (“patacas esmagadas”)?

Yes, yes.

One more question. Have you met another Galician there?

No, no. In fact I realize there was a Spanish guy working in my University two week ago. I know there are a couple of Galicians who I saw in La Voz de Galicia. They came here and started a company. They are the only ones I know about.

They may know you when they read the interview in Galicia Alive.

Yes, yes – she says existing. – I have looked for Galician in Auckland in FB, but there isn’t. What I do see is Spanish in Auckland, Spanish in New Zealand… but not Galicians. I’m sure there are Galician, and many, there is a Galician even in the moon.

To end the interview and like in political debates, you have this time to tell what you want. Or like at Luar, say hello to somebody you want.

I’ll do it fast because I’ve told almost everything. What I really want is to say hello like at Luar.

Yes, like at Luar.

I would like to say hello to my family, my Amiwitos (no amiguitos), my friends and the most important to my godson who starts reading and I know he will be happy with this…

From our side we’ll try to send them to your family, friends and especially to your godson. Thank you very much for your time!

Thank you too!