A Conversation With Brandon Drew

This is a BattlePlan Virtual digital content, research, copywriting, interview, travel writing sample previously featured in The CARIBBEAN VILLAGE Insider CULTURE-ZINE and on LinkedIn.

A Conversation with a Bi-Lingual, Black Male Educator, Debater, Poet and Philosopher

Let me introduce you to Brandon Drew, a native Son of Pittsburgh, PA, now residing on our west coast. A few words to describe him are tenacious, passionate, focused and talented. He is a learner who teaches. Brandon marshals his energy and takes it “on the road” as he travels around the world, always with a purpose.

The interview that follows is a reflection of one of his studious wanderings.

Before we move into our conversation, let’s illuminate some of the thoughts and preparation enlisted for Brandon’s 2021 journey to Spain’s Canary Islands, for perspective. Perspective is provided with authentic snippets of conversation between Brandon and me from September 2021 – December 2021, leading up to his departure for Spain on December 18, 2021.

“I accepted the job in Spain”. 9/14/2021

“Today, I received my placement, in the Canary islands, a Spanish territory, located in Africa.”  9/14/2021

“At the moment, I am researching the Canary Islands [location, demographics, cuisine, etc.] as we speak.” 9/14/2021

“The first steps for relocating to Spain are:

1. Waiting for Spain to mail me documentation needed for a visa 
2. Applying and acquiring said visa. I believe it will take about two months to accumulate a visa for my passport. “9/14/2021

“I am assuming you’ve heard about the erupting volcano on the island of La Palma in the Spanish Canary Islands. Which island are you assigned to?” [9/22/2021]

“I did. lol.” 9/23/2021

“I will be staying on that very same island. The eruption occurred in the southern hemisphere of the island. The school, however, is located in the northern hemisphere. I am looking for residence in the north western hemisphere of the island. Also, I am thinking of staying on the island of Tenerife which is 45 mins away from La Palma. I am considering taking a ferry to and from work, so I do not have to concern myself with the volcanic eruptions of La Palma. From my understanding that is the only island that has a volcano.” 9/23/2021

“On the videos that I saw, it seemed like the people were happy to see the volcano erupt, but I am from Pittsburgh, we not accustomed to seeing lava oozing from rocks.” 9/23/2021

“I assumed that you would be assigned to La Palma as the capital exists there, correct?, but I had to ask. Glad to know you will be up North or on the isle of Tenerife and, LOL, no you are not accustomed to lava oozing over rocks, sheesh…LOL. 

I was in Hawaii once when a volcano was oozing. It was crazily interesting but I kept out of the way of the ooze, for sure…LOL” 9/23/2021

“The formation of the Canary islands is uncanny. There are like 8 islands that are divided into like two regions. I believe that the capital or the La Palma you refer to is that of Gran Canaria which is on the eastern hemisphere of the islands. Is considered to be the best island of the eight since it echoes European architecture and has more tourists. For some strange reason they refer to it as La Palma. It is indeed the capital of the islands in the eastern hemisphere.” 9/23/2021

“On the other hand, La Palma, which is located on the western hemisphere with close ties to the Caribbean and the state of Louisiana, where the volcano erupted, is not the capital. The capital of the western islands is Tenerife which is 45 mins away from La Palma by ferry. The culture on this island is Caribbean, from what I read. They even use the same words as Cubans use. For example, in Cuba a bus is referred to as a guagua, lol. In other Spanish countries, a bus is a bus. In La Palma a bus is a guagua, lol. I was done when I saw that word on the bus schedule. They even eat Cuban food and most dishes are goat meat, seafood, and, for some strange reason, they have Cuban food, but do not call it Cuban food”. 9/23/2021

“Also, I read that our state of Louisiana has close ties to the Canary Islands as many Canarians relocated to Louisiana while it was under Spanish rule. I ordered a book about said connection to learn more information about it.” 9/23/2021

“Ok, since you now have your ticket you are simply waiting for your Visa. I pray your visa arrives within the week like the random lady said. I don’t know if Amsterdam will allow you to TWOV [Transit Without a Visa]. Ultimately, it is the airline that makes the decision as to whether you get on the connecting flight from Amsterdam to Spain. In your preparation for the trip have you heard of the term “Schengen Visa”?? Let me know. If not I will explain.” 12/4/ 2021

“Hi There! I thought you already purchased your ticket from LAX to JFK!? If so, what  airline are you using? What airline are you flying to Amsterdam? Is it KLM, the Dutch flag carrier? What carrier [airline] are you taking to MAD? Is it Iberia, the Spanish flag carrier? Let me know the answers to these questions and I will poke around and see if I can be of assistance if you need it. I’ll also look into hostels in Tenerife. Will advise.” 12/5/2021

“I postponed the procurement of a ticket from LAX to JFK, keeping in mind: I might not have the visa. I will be flying Delta – New York to Amsterdam to Madrid. 

Thanks. Housing is definitely more affordable in Tenerife.  I gathered the impression that La Palma is incomparable with the other islands in the archipelago.  

I think it may be the most underdeveloped in terms of infrastructure etc. But I don’t mind at all.” 12/5/2021

“Hey B! Check out this link for Hostels in Tenerife!!”

https://www.thebrokebackpacker.com/best-hostels-in-tenerife-spain/

12/6/2021

“Not sure how, but I made it to JFK. I am on my way to Spain, like I am on the plane leaving for France.” 12/18/2021

“CONGRATULATIONS!!! I Pray Traveling Mercy for you. LEARN, GROW, Come Back STRONGER and even more enlightened/edified!! Stay safe. Stay in touch.” 12/19/2021

“At the moment, I am away in Spain working as
an Auxiliar de Conversación with the Canary government in La Palma,
Canary Islands, Spain.”12/26/2021

Legend: CV = CARIBBEAN VILLAGE’S Question

BJD = Brandon Drew’s Answer

And NOW, on to the interview……

 [Note: After our conversation, Brandon chose to answer our questions in writing, as presented here]

CV: How did you “land” in Tenerife?

BJD: Since I bought the tickets the day before departing to Europe, my itinerary proved challenging. Actually, I convinced loved ones into buying the tickets for me. To ensure an equitable price, I had to drive, take a few planes, and navigate the Atlantic ocean via ferry to arrive at my destination – La Palma, Spain. So, from Los Angeles, I drove to Las Vegas. Once in Las Vegas, I boarded a plane to Newark, NJ. Then, I caught the metro into New York, where I took a train into JFK. After landing in France, I waited about 7 hours for my flight to Madrid. Once in Madrid, I landed in Tenerife where I ferried to La Palma. 

CV: What were your plans and aspirations while there? 

BJD: While in Spain, I strove to rehabilitate myself, which led to a reconfiguration of perspective. As a trained Spanish Literary Critic, I desired to experience first-hand the intricacies that configure the Spanish national identity. Put another way, it is inclusive or exclusive. 

Prior to departing for Spain, most surmised that it was a racist nation, thereby built on exclusion. While taking SPA 530 Spanish Dialectology, I conducted research on the similarities between the Spanish spoken in Cartagena, Colombia and that spoken in Calí, Colombia, however, there were few [similarities] if any, between the two. To my dismay, the Spanish spoken in Cali resembles that of the Spanish spoken in the Canaries. 

CV: What were you looking to accomplish/What did you accomplish?

BJD: I was looking to discover self-awareness. In short, I sought to “know thyself” as prescribed by the oracle in Delphi. However, I unearthed simple truths that awakened my capacity to perceive. Growth sprouts about the island like water from lawn sprinklers. 

Therefore, simply put: the aim was to grow bright like the array of fresh vegetables at the PuntaGorda farmers market. Or, maybe, that which I sought was an intimate encounter with nature, its lure; the manner in which its color imitates the pains and pleasures of this life we all live. 

Perhaps, my tenure as CEO Barlovento transgressed stereotypical representations of Black men. For example, I was located in an ice cold classroom on the second floor of CEO Barloveonto, Carlos, my supposed supervisor, demanded that I perform work that was outside the parameters of my contract. So, I declined. He became acerbic. Violating his own mandate that I only communicate in English, when I am a fluent Spanish speaker, by conveying to me in Spanish that I was lazy and how I did not want to work; then, he shouted and told me to leave the classroom”. I informed of the following: “ No”. I woke up at 4:00am and caught the guagua [bus] for an hour and half to come here for work. So, that is what I am going to do” After, I sat and interviewed my student, who was a Venezuelan immigrant. Simply put: I performed the work as outlined by the contract between myself and the Spanish Ministry of Education (The State). Transgression works wonders. 

CV: What “mark” did you leave in that part of our world?

BJD: Actually, before arriving in Tenerife, I fasted for about 24 hours, to be lucid. I missed the plane in Madrid, so I was stranded there for a day. The irony of that anecdote is that later in time I would get stranded in Madrid for two weeks without currency. Anyway, after eating a meal and drinking a cool drink, I walked from the center of Tenerife to the Fred Olsen Ferry station. As I strolled along the boardwalk, some Tenfeños asked me to participate in their video. I replied, of course. The work they requested that I recite was “Overcoming”. So… there you have it. The mark that I left was one of Overcoming.

CV: What language[s] is/are spoken?

BJD: Spanish.

CV: Were you seen and treated as an anomaly or as “another brother”? Please explain.

BJD: An anomaly, not at all. Spanish people treated me better than most of the Americans I have known my entire life.  The people there treated better than the people here, especially the Germans. Without Peter, Victor, Adam, and Veronika, I would not have made it through.

CV: Describe the islands in terms of setting.

BJD: The formation of the Canary Islands is uncanny. There are 8 islands that are divided into two regions. I believe that the capital of the La Palma you refer to is that of Gran Canaria which is on the eastern hemisphere of the islands and is considered to be the best island of the eight since it echoes European architecture and has more tourists. For some strange reason they refer to it as La Palma. It is indeed the capital of the islands in the eastern hemisphere.

On the other hand, La Palma, which is located on the western hemisphere with close ties to the Caribbean and the state of Louisiana, where the volcano erupted, is not the capital. The capital of the western islands is Tenerife which is 45 mins away from La Palma by ferry. The culture on this island is Caribbean, from what I read. They even use the same words as Cubans use. For example, in Cuba a bus is referred to as a guagua, lol. In other Spanish countries, a bus is a bus. In La Palma a bus is a guagua, lol. I was done when I saw that word on the bus schedule. They even eat Cuban food and most dishes are goat meat, seafood, and, for some strange reason, they have Cuban food, but do not call it Cuban food. 

CV: What did you learn about the connection between the Canary Islands, the Caribbean and the United States?

BJD: I read that our state of Louisiana has close ties to the Canary Islands as many Canarians relocated to Louisiana while it was under Spanish rule. I ordered a book about said connection to learn more information about it. 

MANY THANKS to Brandon Drew for sharing his Canary Islands, Spain experience with us!!

For additional information about this far-flung, fascinating archipelago, see the attached,  January 2023 issue of The CARIBBEAN VILLAGE Insider CULTURE-ZINE. The CULTURE-ZINE is created, curated and produced by BattlePlan Virtual.

An Artistic Work by Canarian Artist, Cesar Manrique  https://fcmanrique.org/?lang=en

Mosaic by César Manrique