tapas y toros

And we're back!

2009-01-03T16:42:00.006+01:00

Oh me, Oh my... how quickly time has flown by. And I have no record of the last three months! I've left you all in the dark and for that I'm terribly sorry. This time I'll blame it on the dismal internet connection we have in our apartment (actually we're not paying for it but rather mooching off our neighbor, known to us simply as 3Com).

So, I've got a lot to talk about. Let's start with the facts and the, more often than not, positive changes to my life here in Madrid. I've changed apartments and with that gained new roommates. Last year, I was living in the center of the city (M: Bilbao) with an amusing American fellow named Keith. I was paying 460euros/month for a small apartment (though I had the big room) and a shower that only provided 7 minutes of hot water in 2 hour intervals. This year, I'd say the situation has improved. I'm living on the outskirts of Madrid-20 minutes from the center-in a big four bedroom apartment (ideal for parties) paying an astonishing 280euros/month. My roommates are all native Spanish-speakers, 2 Spanish girls and 1 Uruguayan. This makes for a perfect learning environment. Unlike last year, I am now constantly speaking Spanish at home, I love it. I've even come to enjoy some Spanish TV shows which I never paid attention to last year. My roommates are all very sweet and friendly and we have the perfect relationship, friendly with each other at home but feel no need to go out together, we all respect the fact that we have our own lives outside of the apartment.

I've also changed jobs. I'm no longer on a grant working for the Ministry of Education at a bilingual public school, one year was enough. Spending my days as a teacher's assistant in a classroom with 25 1st-3rd graders at once was quite stressful and frankly I didn't find the job very challenging or rewarding. The kids were all sweet and cute and were a blast to play with and chat to at recess but in the classroom, I had to play babysitter and talk over children and beg for their attention. Honestly I think Spanish children are more unruly and undisciplined than American children. As a child, I remember respecting the teacher... when she starts counting to three, you sit down and shut up. That's not the case here, they just don't seem to respect the teacher. Everyday in the lunchroom, the teachers would all complain about their disruptive students and about the throbbing headaches they'd inflicted. When the bell rang to signal the end of recess, the teachers would all head back with sighs and dread clearly marked on their haggard faces. I don't miss that. Now I'm teaching at a language academy that sends me to companies and private homes to teach English. My students are pretty diverse, half are adults, half are kids under 18. I teach at two companies, Loewe (Spain's most famous luxury fashion brand) and Banco Espirito Santo (a Portuguese-owned investment firm). Company classes are the best, you get to teach a group of adults on their lunch break who are good-humored and eager to learn. My least favorite students are those who are preparing for the Cambridge exams, the expectations are really high, and if they don't study or practice, they won't progress very much. An English teacher can't work magic, the student's really got to want to improve. The big downside to my job this year is that I don't have a classroom or office, rather I have to run around the city to reach my students and sometimes the distance between them is pretty great. Twice a week, for example, I have to go to Getafe, which takes an hour to reach from my apartment, they augment the pay, however, when a job is far away so at least I'm compensated.

Fortunately, most all of my friends have stuck around for a second year also so in that respect, little has changed. I still spend my free time going to the Filmoteca and Circulo de Bellas Artes to catch classic, cult and arthouse films. Last night I saw The Birds and tonight they're showing 2001 which I've never seen before. I try to go to museums when there is an interesting temporary exhibit and am always curious to explore new bars and restaurants, I'm proud to say that I've got a pretty extensive list going of my favorites. I keep saying I'm gonna start a blog reviewing these restaurants but it still hasn't happened, I have enough trouble keeping up with this one. I like to cook and have friends over for dinner and I'm still seeing Enrique (non-exclusively) who helps me feel connected with the people and culture here.

So those are the facts, not bad, huh?

Gimme a couple days and I'll post about the highlights of the last few months.

Summer 2008 Update

2008-09-12T07:25:00.011+02:00

So, since I haven't been in Madrid since mid-July, I figured I didn't have to add any entries either. And hey, it's my damn blog, I'm not gonna write if I'm not feeling it... and I haven't been feeling it. "So where have you been?" you might ask. Well, I've been hanging out with my folks in San Diego, and doing a lot of nothing. That of course is my own decision... I could be kayaking or surfing or cliff jumping but no, I'm not that motivated. It has been quite relaxing though, but two months of relaxing turns into extreme boredom. I've discovered I no longer have friends living in my hometown. Let me run down the list: Elise--living in London, getting her Ph.D. in English, Julie--living in Philadephia, getting her second Masters in Architecture, Stephanie--living in Fort Worth with her serious boyfriend (soon to be fiance I suspect) and her teaching career underway, Brittany--living in Philadephia having just completed her Masters in Sociology. I guess that's what happens when you've got smart friends. They travel around to get their education and then settle down where they've made mature friendships. What's a high school friendship worth nowadays anyway? Everyone makes giant steps in their character development in college, I for one am nothing like who I was in high school, that girl is a stranger to me. So what I'm trying to say is, the only reason I come home anymore is to see my family.

So, now my two month vacation is coming to a close and as you can probably guess, I'm rather glad. I'm ready to get back to work, to return to a life where public transportation is affordable and well-connected, where I can spend the day exploring new neighborhoods on foot and run into friends in the park, grab a cheap meal in Lavapies, bar hop with some buddies in Malasaña, and catch some live blues in a smokey basement bar. You just can't do that in San Diego. So it's a trade off, sun, beach and mom's cooking or a beautiful European capital city with all the fixings.

I'll tell you what I AM gonna miss about being home. Having free and full access to my father's ample magazine subscriptions (not to mention HBO), eating freshly laid eggs every morning, law and order marathons, jacuzzing, mama's cooking, watching in-depth election coverage, hanging out with my sisters and, of course, affordable sushi.

Ya know, in retrospect it wasn't all bad, I think I just stayed too long. I took a few pictures while home so I thought I'd share with you some of the highlights of my vacation (aside from traveling to Vegas and Oregon, I've spent most my days by the pool with a book or just drivin around):

We found this arguably cute English Bulldog in the middle of the street a few blocks from our house. Rachel insisted we bring him home and so we did. This creature spent the day waddling and wheezing through our halls until the next morning we found the owners posting every lamppost in our neighborhood with his picture. His real name is Stewie.

After my first week here, my parents, Chell and I went up to Oregon to meet the family of my sister's fiancé, Tim. They live in the northernmost part of Oregon, right on the Umpqua river and just a 20 minute drive from the ocean. During our stay we stuffed our faces with freshly caught seafood like crab, tuna and oysters. We had an absolute feast every night. Their lovely home is surrounded by blackberry bushes, a delicious treat we would snack on all day in between swimming in the beautiful river and reading our books on the porch. The Umpqua has very pronounced high and low tides, and so during high tide we would dive in the river and swim deep down to the river bottom while during low tide we would ride down the so called river chutes which carried us downstream. It made for the perfect vacation. Fortunately my parents and Tim's parents got along famously. It seems the two lovebirds will wed sometime next summer. It's all very exciting, Tim is a great guy and will make a wonderful addition to our family.

A few days after returning to San Diego, Chell and I drove up to Las Vegas, a five hour trip made enjoyable thanks to Chell's impressive ipod collection and, of course, his own charming company. We made reservations at the Luxor and spent the following two days exploring all the amusing hotels on the strip. We tried going to a club but soon realized it wasn't really our scene... too much cologne and girls with tramp stamps. Nonetheless, we had a wonderful time throwing our money around and eating far more than we should have at the world famous Vegas buffet's. By the trips end, Chell had mastered the game of roulette and I had played in two texas hold'em tournaments, obviously not winning either, but having a lot of fun. I don't think we paid for a single drink while we were there since they'll bring out free drinks as long as you're playing their slots or tables. All and all, I recommend you take your friend or lover to Vegas and go wild... you're sure to have a good time!! (just be aware of your cashflow)

Rock Band

2008-06-03T18:21:00.007+02:00

Katka got the PS2 Rock Band game complete with guitar, bass, drums and microphone. We jammed out loads of songs at her place. As you can see I look mesmerized, the truth is if you take your eyes off the screen for a second you lose your place.

Is it just me or do I look a little Garth-like in this pic?

Picnic at Retiro

2008-05-04T13:59:00.004+02:00

Photos from the last sunny saturday that warranted a trip to the park. I made pasta salad and a strawberry-balsamic vinegar-goat cheese concoction. It was all really yummy but I forgot to bring plastic spoons so it made it really difficult to eat all this non-finger food food. We found some ice cream stands that had little baby ice cream spoons, that was the best we could do and we managed. We sat by the bongo drummers and took in the sun on the steps. I got pooped on by a bird, everyone was telling me that it was good luck and for a minute I was thinking of buying a lottery ticket, but then I remembered I just got shit on which is anything but lucky.

Nude Beach and Sushi

2008-05-04T13:50:00.005+02:00

Finally to finish the chapter on Barcelona. The day after the concert, Laura and I woke up late and strolled through Las Ramblas, the Central Market and just took it real easy, avoiding any tourist spots (apart from the two I just mentioned, of course). We had a great lunch at a little Italian place and walked into and quickly out of a number of upscale shops, full of beautiful things our meager allowances don't allow us to enjoy.

While exploring, I was struck by how little Spanish was written and spoken in Barcelona. It's so very different from Madrid, the home of the Monarchy, it feels like a different place all together, not the Spain I've come to know. It wasn't just the beach that was different, it was the people, the culture and the lack of all things Spanish... it was it's own thing, no bullfights, no Spanish flags, no photos of Rey Carlos and Reina Sofia like you see in many shops and bars in Madrid.... muy curioso. There is a real distaste for the Spanish language, Catalan is used everywhere. Laura said she hasn't improved her Spanish as much as she would like for that very reason, people aren't inclined to speak Spanish, they've embraced their own dialect. It is a very isolated culture and language that, like many other regions in Spain, tries to distance itself as much as possible from the capital where the monarchy dwells.

That night we hit the bars with some of her friends, all great people. There is a different breed of bars and restaurants in Barcelona, they're all so inspired and original. Some are kitschy, some sullen, others bright and colorful... there's a wide variety.

So, on to the reason why this entry is titled what it is. I made it a point to spend at least one day at the beach. That day turned out to be Sunday. Laura and I picked up some bikes at a "bicing" bike stand near her house. Bicing is a public transport service that Barcelona residents pay about 20euro/year to use. These bikes are not meant for leisure but rather for getting from point A to point B, you can therefore only rent them for a couple hours at a time. Introduced just over a year ago, it has become an extremely popular mode of transport, they are making streets more bici friendly and adding stands all over the city... the good weather and flat landscape doesn't hurt either.

So, Laura and I mounted our bici's and rode a couple miles along the boardwalk in search of the perfect beach. The nudey and appartently gay beach was the most tranquilo of them all. It was a really sunny afternoon and we just layed out with magazines and met some of her friends, spending the afternoon counting and comparing weiners. A pretty unusual day.

We returned home after a few hours and cleaned ourselves up for dinner, then we met up with a couple friends of hers to eat at a Japanese buffet restaurant and hopefully have a bit of sushi, something I still hadn't tried in Madrid. Now when you hear the words "Japanese buffet" you don't exactly think quality, at least I don't, but is was far from what I expected. The tables of the restaurant are placed alongside a conveyorbelt that transports little tapa-sized plates of food... from sushi to wontons, seared mushrooms to shortribs. F-ing delicious!! We got there right when they turned on the belt and started plating the food so everything was hot and fresh. Quite a find. I have to do some research in Madrid for a similar restaurant.

It was seriously the perfect vacations. Thanks Laura!!

Good times with Laura and Nick Cave

2008-05-04T13:43:00.003+02:00

Barcelona's harbor, just blocks away from Laura's apartment.

On Friday, April 25th I cancelled a day of work, which I made up the week before, so that I could catch a flight to Barcelona. The whole purpose of this trip was to see Nick Cave, my rather old Adonis and a great artist. I only got into his music a few years ago, and was overjoyed to hear that he was playing in concert in Spain to promote his new record, Dig, Lazarus, Dig! I bought two tickets at FNAC the moment I got wind of the concert in Barcelona, remembering that I have a friend living there. I got to Barcelona and Laura, that friend, picked me up and we caught up during hours of walking around the city and getting dinner. I could tell right away that we would get along fine. We got dressed for the concert around 8 and headed out with high expectations. The only downside to this show was that the original venue, a small and renowned club called Razzmatazz, had been changed to an arena sized venue on the outskirts of the city. The line to get in was so long, they must have sold three times as many tickets by changing venues. The beer line was completely out of control, we didn't even get a drink the whole time we were inside, it just wasn't worth it. On the floor, Laura and I met up with some of her friends who had also gotten tickets to the concert, they were all really cool.
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, now a group of men in their mid-fifties, played some fantastic tunes not just from the new album, but lots of fan favorites too and even some lesser known greats.

Naked vegans and racist latinos

2008-04-22T22:33:00.009+02:00

Interesting night. My favorite pair of roommates, Jorge, a mexican musician, and John, my dear Scottish friend, invited me and some others to "a vegan dinner for 3 euros". Since it's getting near the end of the month and my budget is tight, I figured it would be a fun and cheap way to spend my Saturday night. We all met at my place and then left together for the Southern part of the city. We maze through the streets and finally arrive at the right address but it's neither a house nor a business... it's just an abandoned building still wet with graffiti. We ring the bell and a man clutching a cat opens the door and lets us in, not asking who we were or who we knew. We walk into the empty building, complete with cement floors, and see some anti-capitalist fliers and a bunch of plastic chairs laid about, there are some stairs on the left that lead us down to where Jorge and his friends are sitting. We all kiss and greet and then open the bottles of wine we brought so that our social juices start flowing.
Everyone is pretty young, between 19 and 25, I'd say. After a little while of chatting, we decide to take a walk around the block while a nude musician prepares to take the stage at the squat. We return right in time to catch him begin his first set. He's butt naked, his willy hanging out for us all to see, and he's welcomed to the stage with whistles and applause. Not a handsome man by any means, just a regular guy. He sits in the spotlight with his guitar and pulls out a small notebook he lays on his left knee. He's clearly a bit nervous, though I doubt this is his first performance of this kind. He's terrible, he's really just shouting and banging the strings... a real mess. There are more people here, probably about thirty. I'm rather surprised, either the vegan food must be really good or the second act has got to be one hell of a talent... or a naked chic or something.
We're hanging out by the "kitchen" while they're putting out the food. There is no stove, but only a fridge and a bunch of pots and pans and tuperware covered in aluminum foil. We pay our three euros each and get a little ticket that we present to the man behind the counter preparing the food. The first course is salad in a plastic cup with nutty croutons in it. Every bit of it was surprisingly delcious, the dressing reminded me of Oscar's (San Diegans know what I'm talking about) and there was even avocado in it. A far cry from the kinds of salad you'll find in a typical Spanish restaurant. Next up, there is a squash and pumpkin mush concoction... again, fucking tasty, even though it looks like baby food. I see the desert is a chocolate cake, but I'm not ready for it yet, I want more of this exciting yet simple food to fill my stomach. I pay a euro more to get a garbanzo bean and lemon bocadillo, which is essentially hummus with freshly-squeezed lemon juice on a baguette. Satisfying and filling. On to the desert, a chocolate cake drizzled with rasberry sauce on a paper plate. If it had a nicer presentation, this food could certainly have been served at a legitimate restaurant. We finish off the bottles of wine and as a new "talent" takes the stage we decide to leave.
John takes us to a house party thrown by a secretary he works with. She's latina and so are all the people at the party minus us. The music is wonderfully regaton. We drop off the booze at the snack table... the apartment is nice, clean, spacious, it's got blue and white streamers all around. We wonder if this is actually a birthday party. I chat with my co-worker Katka a bit on the couch, I haven't spent much time with her outside of work but I really like her, she's easygoing and on the level. Then once I've had enough to drink, Robin convinces me to take the dance floor with him... not long after, our Anglo party of six is told to leave... I didn't think until now that I may have prompted that request by "workin it" on the dancefloor with a Scottish guy in front of a bunch of salsa dancing latinos. hmmmm. Anyway, we left the party and John was especially pissed. I don't remember a whole lot after that. After getting on the metro to head home, I rested my head on Richard's shoulder and since I couldn't manage walking home on my own, Katka and Richard helped me to Katka's place where some of us crashed for the night. I remember not even being able to sit on the toilet to pee without my head spinning and my body swaying. Once I got to bed though, I was out like a light and woke up feeling better than I expected.
Richard later discovered that his wallet was stolen that night in the metro, he canceled all his credit cards and lost about 10 euros in cash. Sucks. Still haven't had to go through that nightmare yet... knock on wood.

One of the the more interesting nights I've had these past few weeks.

Escape to Rome!

2008-04-14T18:01:00.004+02:00

A few weeks ago, Enrique told me he had planned a weekend trip for us. He planned to keep the destination a secret 'til the end, but he agreed to answer one question a day since I was desperate for some hints. I had to plan my questions carefully, since I could only ask one, sometime two if he felt generous, each day. Question 1: Do I need to bring my bathingsuit? No. (So it can't be Andalucia which I had thought it might be) Question 2: Is it in Spain? No. (ooh-la, la.... getting excited) Question 3: Is it a capital city? Yes. (But which?) Question 4: Have you ever been there before? No. (I know he's been to Paris and London so it can't be either of those) At this point I'm thinking it may either be Lisbon or Rome. Question 5: Is it famous for great food? Yes. And that was it, ROME, ITALY!
I was thrilled, I hadn't been to Rome since I was about 15 with my family. This would surely be a different experience.
We left Thursday, April 10 at 7pm. It was only a two hour plane ride, shorter than flying from San Diego to Denver. We got a taxi as soon as we arrived and headed towards our hotel. It turned out to be a precious little B&B with just 4 rooms, situated in a little square that had a gorgeous fountain in the center. The B&B was called Kame Hall, very clean and comfortable with a minimalist decor. A friend of Enrique's named David, was also spending the weekend in Rome with his girlfriend Beatriz. We met with them the first night in front of the Pantheon and sat down for a nice candlelit dinner together complete with pasta, pizza and wine.
The next day we woke up early and headed straight to the Vatican. It was raining and quite grey out so it we though it a good idea to spend this day inside. We started in St. Peter's Cathedral and then moved onto the Vatican Museum. The memories of my last visit were coming back to me, it was the last time the whole family traveled together. Danny hasn't come on any trips since. A student of mine had lent me a Lonely Planet for Rome and she suggested that before seeing the Sistine chapel, we pick up some binoculars. Enrique heeded this advice, and spent 18 bones on a pair. Sadly he couldn't even use it himself since he was wearing glasses, then just after lunch, it broke in his hands while he was adjusting the magnification. WE all found it to be pretty funny, especially since the packaging was rife with print concerning the unmatched quality and five point inspection it had undergone. The last time I was here I hadn't seen the Sistine Chapel, I was too young to appreciate it and felt that waiting an hour in line wouldn't be worth it. With a bit more maturity this time around, I found it to be breathtaking. I only wish a bench had been available for me to sit on because there was so much to see and my neck couldn't take much more contorting. After the Vatican we had lunch on the terrace of a cute little trattoria on the east side of the Tiber. I got the spicy Penne all 'Arrabiata... the Spaniards couldn't handle it (minus Enrique whose secret ingredient in cooking is tabasco). With our bellies filled, we headed towards the Pantheon where we came across a big political demonstration and realized it was election weekend in Italy. We kept walking until sunset and then parted ways, planning to meet each other again for dinner after a few hours of rest in our respective hotels.
DAY 2 and 3 COMING SOON>>>
PS Pictures posted in backwards order

The Coliseum

2008-04-14T13:40:00.004+02:00

Ruins of the Roman Forum

2008-04-14T13:30:00.003+02:00

Election Weekend

2008-04-14T13:25:00.002+02:00

Exploring the City

2008-04-14T13:13:00.001+02:00

ROMA: The Vatican

2008-04-14T13:06:00.006+02:00

St. Peter's Cathedral is now equipped with a twenty foot flat-screen television for outdoor viewing. I don't think that had yet been installed the last time i was here. Inside, the building is swimming in marble and gold, with the highest ceilings you've ever seen covered with angels with trumpets and images of Mary and the apostles. Unfortunately, the pope was away, visiting several US cities apparently.

Mosaics, marble and gold surround the colorful frescoes and statues.

This staircase marked the end of our tedious journey through the endless Vatican Museum. After seeing hundreds of marble statues, ancient maps and papal regalia, I was happy to walk down this wide spiraling staircase.

Mérida, Roman ruins

2008-04-14T12:58:00.003+02:00

Creepy Procession

2008-04-14T12:48:00.003+02:00

Fallas on fire

2008-04-06T14:18:00.002+02:00

yummy food and drink

2008-04-06T14:09:00.004+02:00

Una corrida de toros, a bullfight

2008-04-06T13:35:00.003+02:00

Bright and Loud

2008-04-06T13:17:00.003+02:00

L'Oceanografic

2008-04-06T13:05:00.004+02:00

L'Oceanografic

2008-04-06T12:36:00.003+02:00

Fallas

2008-04-06T12:13:00.004+02:00

Valencia - First night

2008-04-06T10:36:00.007+02:00

After weeks of debating what city to travel to for Semana Santa I finally decided that the eastern sea town of Valencia would be the best choice. Valencia would be celebrating Fallas, a five-day annual celebration complete with fireworks and huge styrofoam artwork which at the end of the week, is burned down in the streets for all to see. It celebrates the spring and rebirth, a time to begin anew, to have a fresh start.
I chose to travel on my own with the hopes of meeting new people in a hostel, which I didn't expect to be so difficult being that I'm a gregarious, easy-going person. As I searched the internet for hostels, I was horrified to find that every hostel was booked, it was after all, just a month before the event. I found only one hostel that had available beds, with a disclaimer on the bottom stating that in order to reserve the bed you would have to pay the sum (which had been grossly inflated) in advance and reserve it for all 5 nights of fallas, this hostel which was normally 18euro a night, was going for 50 euro a night (the demand for a bed obviously being the cause of the surge in price). Flustered, and very eager to see the famous fiesta, I booked the bed, paying more than I had to spend, assuring myself that it would be worth it in the end.
(continued in next entry)

Downtown Valencia, where the train station meets the bull fighinting ring. The yellow farolas, streetlamps, make this city enchanting by night.

By far, one of the most elaborate fallas displayed at the festival. The photograph doesn't quite capture the immensity of this art piece, but as you can see, it surpasses the height of the surrounding apartment buildings. Every one was bright, big and incredibly detailed.

Petardos are firecrackers. They are used ad nauseum during the fallas celebration. Throughout the night you can see little kids, some no older than 5 years old, lighting firecrackers, that are dangerous not so much because of the sparks they produce, but rather for the deafening noise they let out.

Each fallas has a theme, like this one which has choosen to take an Under the Sea approach.

Valencia is the home of Paella, that very famous yellow rice dish complete with saffron and shellfish. In this photograph, two men are cooking Paella for a private party in giant pans on the street. This is essentially the Valencian outdoor bbq. While we in the US cook burgers and ribs on a charcoal grill, they simmer their paella in wide pans atop flaming logs.

My sister, the entrepreneur

2008-03-16T19:51:00.007+01:00

Hey, so enough about Spain, you wanna know what´s going on in the states? My sister is what´s going on... she just opened a charming little shop in Portland, Oregon called Hermitage. It sells extraordinary wallpapers and unique home accessories. Check out her shops website at http://hermitagepdx.wordpress.com/. I think this place is gonna be big. She just launched it a couple months ago and things are moving pretty slow, but that´s to be expected. She´s got everything in place, the look, the publicity (Lucky magazine is doing a spread on the shop) and a good location. Check out the prints she has on her site, I´m telling you, wallpaper is the next big thing. If you know anyone in Portland, ask, no, tell them to check it out!

Old Spanish Ladies

2008-03-14T18:14:00.005+01:00

You know how old ladies dress in the states, don't you? White sneakers, linen pants, and an oversized pastel shirt, maybe throw in a visor. You wouldn't catch a Spanish woman dead in that kind of outfit. Even though they have swollen cankles and a serious case of scoliosis, you'll still find them dressed a hell of a lot better than me wearing chanel-esque dress suits, high heels and tons of make-up and hairspray. It must take them hours to get ready in the morning. Oh ya, and each of them has a little fluffy white dog being dragged next to them.

Simple Pleasures

2008-03-11T00:39:00.003+01:00

These two new purchases: a leafy house plant from the flower shop next door and a bright shower curtain from IKEA have increased my happy meter by 5 points. My apartment is looking more and more like a home and it's becoming really nice to walk in that front door and sit down and see that these two pretty new things are mine. (I don't have much money to spend on "stuff" so these little things, some would say insignificant things, tend to make my day).

Málaga-Day 2

2008-02-18T12:35:00.030+01:00

Andalucia is very catholic and it's where the most extravagant celebrations take place during holy week (the week before Easter) which is called Semana Santa in Spanish. This is a photograph I took in one of Málaga's cathedrals of the iconic Andalucian image of Christ carrying the cross, it has a very baroque style with the Virgin looking down on him. I thought it was really tacky that this church used coin operated electric candles for prayer, they just seem so artificial and uninspiring.

I spotted this big dove-hand statue in the main pedestrian street of the city. I thought it was perdy. Just as a note, Málaga is the birthplace of Picasso (as well as the less respected Antonio Banderas) and so many public displays pay homage to him, his work and ideas. Visiting he Picasso Museum on my last day is one of the best memories I have of the trip.

Beautiful orange trees, like this one, were everywhere. This, plus the palm trees and ocean breeze, gave the city such a clean and fresh atmosphere. A real change from Madrid.

Exploring the pretty yellow side streets.

Street musicians are all over the place in Spain. Everyday on my way to work, I hear trumpets and accordians play. I like it, it's a nice soundtrack to add to your daily commute when you don't have an ipod.

The Alcazaba (which is Arabic for fortress) is the name of the great stone wall surrounding the historic district of the city. Located on the port, overlooking the ocean, it's over 1000 years old and is the best preserved arabic fortress in Spain. I got a girlfriend to snap a picture of me with the water to my back.

Paco's mother invited us over for a big Paella dinner. We started with a dish of unshelled shrimp... very typical in Spain. After shelling it, I dug out the poop lines with a knife, the mom probably though I was just another crazy American. They were quite tasty actually. There were 12 of us, so the paella dish was huge. It was the first time I'd had homemade paella. Clams, muscles, chicken and cod were all thrown into the mix... muscles are the only thing I still can't stomach.

The beach was pretty chilly and windy but we still chose to stroll along the shore and pick up sea glass and shells. Then we sat down at a cafe and sipped coffee and chatted about this and that. It was a great way to spend the afternoon.

Málaga-Day 1

2008-02-18T11:55:00.014+01:00

Paco lives in Madrid but was born in Málaga, a beach town in the southern province of Andalucia. He planned a weekend trip with some friends, myself included, to celebrate his 25th birthday down in his home turf. I left Friday afternoon on the AV (alta-velocidad, high-speed) train and arrived in 2.5 hours. Some others took the bus which took a grueling 6.5 hours. Since I was the first to arrive at the hostel, I mingled with some other travelers and met a nice Argentine fellow, Nico, and an older Welsh man, Andrew. The hostel was one of the best I've stayed at, with good prices, comfortable beds and hot showers. It had a very Andaluz vibe, comfy ottomans and sofas and colorful walls and rich tapestries. A total of eight of us, including Paco, traveled down from Madrid. Four stayed at Paco's parents house and the rest of us in the city center at this hostel.

Upon exiting the train station, I was welcomed by a warm sun and fresh air. I could smell the ocean, such a joy that was. Lately I've become really sour about the pollution in Madrid. I feel like I'm constantly breathing in exhaust and cigarette smoke. It's so bad the city actually recommends people not exercising outside. So taking in a breath of clean air and feeling the breeze of the ocean was an absolute delight. I walked to the hostel and thoroughly enjoyed the sights on the way. Everything looked so clean and there were so many narrow, winding streets paved in marble, it had such a warm, small town feel. After putting my things down at the hostel, Paco, Sonya, Thomas and Katie picked me up... they chose to drive instead of take the bus from Madrid. We then headed towards Paco's parents place. They had a very nice apartment with a terrace overlooking the ocean. We hung out there for a few hours, drinking some beers, chatting and playing with his little dog Monk, named after the tv series detective whose show is apparently very popular in Spain.

After everyone took a shower and got a chance to rest after the long car ride, we headed back to the center for dinner and drinks. Since we were all on a budget, Paco took us to this cute little corner stand that could only be identified by a sign above the window "PATATAS ASADAS" (baked potatoes). For 4-5 euros, you get a giant baked potato filled with anything you want. I got the Patata Pollo which came with chicken, cheese, bechamel, and corn. Other toppings included olives, ham, curry, carrots, mayo, beets, tuna, etc. Even though the photo looks like cat vomit, it was totally yummy and filling.

After the meal, Kristen and Heather showed up fresh off the bus. One of Paco's old friends Antonio also came, having picked up the girls from the station. Together we headed to a famous old Andaluz bar called El Pimpi. It was packed. We finally found a table though and ordered a typical sweet wine from the region called Moscatel. It tasted what I imagine prune juice mixed with wine would taste like--pretty yummy actually. They serve it in a small glass which you're supposed to sip from, it's about 16% alcohol so you feel the effects pretty fast.

Thomas and Paco, the birthday boy. I actually met Paco through Thomas who went to CU-Boulder with me. We had a Spanish class together in Fall 2006 but didn't really get to know each other. We both applied for the Spain program (without knowing the other had) and six months later coincidently ran into each other at a cafe after orientation in Madrid. We became reaquainted, exchanged numbers and have been close friends ever since.

Me and Katie, one of Thomas and Paco's roommates. She's from Southern London, a very sweet girl.

Antonio, Heather and Sonya. Sonya is the final roommate, living with Katie, Thomas and Paco. Not long after moving in, she and Paco began dating and are now a couple. Sonya is also from San Diego, from Rancho Bernardo.

Drinking in a big outdoor square near El Pimpi. Beer in Madrid costs anywhere between 3-5 euros. In Málaga, it was only 1.20 euro. It was wonderful!

Going to see Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds!!!

2008-02-09T17:20:00.000+01:00

I couldn't be more excited!! I fell in love with Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds while in Buenos Aires and have always thought they would put on an excellent concert. For graduation, Chell gave me the new release from Grinderman, Cave's side band, which has a much grittier sound than his earlier stuff but is still top notch. Anything that man puts out is gold.

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds will release their 14th album, Dig, Lazarus, Dig! on March 3rd. The show is in Barcelona on April 25th! I've invited Laura, an old friend of my sister Jennifer who is living in Barcelona, teaching English like me. She's also a big fan. Check out their music video for one of my favorites, Stagger Lee: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lneSAju-Xtc. I get the feeling that he and David Lynch would get along just fine... I think they could produce something incredible if they collaborated together on a music video or film.

Almodovar Sighting!!

2008-02-09T17:05:00.000+01:00

This was pretty damn cool. Keith and I were just chillin in my apartment when Keith's friend Alvaro calls us to tell us he's in our neighborhood just a few feet away from the brilliant Spanish director Pedro Almodovar. Keith and I ask for his location and rush out of our apartment, camera in hand, hoping to get a glimpse of the legend and maybe even a photograph. We find Alvaro just blocks from our place and five feet from him see Almodovar with his bushy white hair chatting with some friends outside a restaurant. There is no crowd around him. It seems like a perfect opportunity to get a photo and a word with the man. So Keith and I approach him, and Keith says we're such big fans and asks if we could get a photo of/with him. He very politely declined and told us that a bunch of people had approached him throughout the day and he'd told them all no, so had to do the same to us. He thanked us and walked away. I thought to myself, "I gotta get a picture!! This is Pedro Almodovar!!" So, I caught up to him and took a quick picture from behind hoping he wouldn't notice. I just took it and ran, hoping he wouldn't see me--that's why it's so crappy. He's the guy with the white hair and the red scarf, better than nothing.

Disco spin class

2008-02-08T12:28:00.002+01:00

I found a great gym located on the same "manzana" (block) as my house. It's pretty small but has a great selection of classes from aerobics to karate to yoga. The one class I've been dying to try again is spin. A couple summers ago I took a spin class every week with my super-fit and motivating girlfriend Julie at the YMCA. After a couple months my derriere totally firmed up and I felt very proud of it. Once September rolled around though and I had to go back to Boulder, I dropped the routine and as a result lost the shapely rump I had worked so hard to achieve. So, I looked at their schedule at Gimnasio Chamberi and was delighted to find that they have spin classes a few times a day. The price was also very affordable. 40 euros for 9 classes a month.... that's all I have time or energy for anyway, twice a week. They allowed me to take a free trial class so I went in and did that on Monday night, just before Robin brought over the Haggis. It was pretty full and looked just like a class you'd walk into in the States, except for one thing... just after our ten minute warm-up, the instructor, Oscar, a very loud young Spaniard with the thickest thighs I've ever seen, dimmed the lights and hit a switch which simultaneously turned on a multi-color strobe light and late nineties dance music. It felt like we were at a bad nightclub with a lot of sweaty and smelly people all breathing heavily with the instructor chiming in with WOOO, VENGA! (come on!). It was actually really fun, though exhausting, and the music got better and better. You've got to have dance music with a good beat to keep your pedaling rhythm going. The strobe light though was a little goofy, definately a new experience. I've got another class today with Veronica. We'll see if she can pump up the class like Oscar can.

New students

2008-02-08T12:28:00.001+01:00

Money has been a little tight for me these last few months. I'm usually out of cash by the 25th or so even though my only expenses are food, the metro, rent, some movies, nights of drinking... so I'm really not throwing money around that much. To make some more money I applied for a position at the teaching academy that Keith works at. Last week they called me back and signed me up for two classes on Monday night from 7:30-8:30pm and 8:30-10pm. My students are business professionals, two men and one woman, who are at an upper-intermediate level, which is so much better than beginner. They want to work on conversation, vocabulary, and really just refresh their knowledge of English. We have our first class on the 10th.

Enrique also hooked me up with a couple new students. Two of his friends, Carmen and Manolo, who I've already spent a bit of time with, had asked me for English lessons. I met with Manolo on Tuesday night and we sat down at a cafe for an hour and just chatted in English about everyday things... his work, relationships, free time. He's really out of practice and has a very thick accent, he speaks slowly and has to process for a while in his head before coming up with a correct sentence. I met with Carmen on Wednesday night, she is great at grammar and just wants to work on conversation and vocabulary. They're both really great fun people and it was really nice to end the day teaching motivated adults rather than complaining children.

On top of these five new students I took on 8 year old twins who's mother only wants me to play with them and speak in English while doing so. They're fun, energetic kids so it's really no work for me. I like playing with kids a whole lot more than teaching them.

So that's about an extra eighty euros a week. I've now got a very full schedule (Tuesday-Thursday 9am-9pm) bit still have a four day weekend, pretty good. Let's see if I can make it to the end of the month.

Brains for dinner

2008-02-08T00:22:00.000+01:00

I know this entry may make a bit of you readers uneasy but this had to be published. I ran into Keith just on the way home the other day and he told me he picked up a nice surprise for us. I thought it might be a new shower curtain or some more silver wear, two things we desperately need, but I was way off. After we put our things down in the apartment he opens up some wrapped butcher paper and the horror you see above was what sat inside. It was so disgusting, I gasped and put my hands over my mouth and nose in shock. It was a lamb's brain that Keith found in a Carniceria (butcher shop) that specializes in the unmentionables of the meat world. I think bull testicles will be his next epicurean thrill. Allow me to go through the step-by-step preparation of this foul organ.

Step 1: Boiling the brain. This took about 15 minutes and while it was cooking, huge bubbles were forming above the water that were soo hard to pop, you'd stick a nice through it and it wouldn't deflate. Keith said it was because they were partially made of membrane which made them stronger.

Step 2: Slice the Brain into pieces. I know that by saying this you may think I'm high but really, if you think about it, eating a brain is like eating a creature's soul. It's the most complex organ that holds every memory and experience of a living thing. Voluntarily ingesting one seems so barbaric and perverted.

Step 3: Fry in Oil: Keith continued to follow the butchers directions as to how to prepare brian. He dipped each slice into beaten egg and then blanketed them in flour. Then into a hot pan of oil to fry and crisp. The smell was really odd, from the point he began boiling the brain our apartment took on an offensive odor. I made sure to keep the windows open as the brains were developing a crispy shell.

Step 4: Cool down. Brave Keith preparing to take a bite.

Step 5: Swallow. I think this photo says it all. "Hmm, interesting." Keith said he enjoyed it and would try it again. I was squirming the whole time and cringe now just thinking of it.

A Must See Film!

2008-01-28T14:14:00.000+01:00

I just saw this movie last Friday and I must say it is probably one of the best films I've seen all year. It takes place in 1980s England and is about a 12 year old boy named Sean who has recently lost his father in the Falklands War. He and his mother are trying to carry on with their lives, but things haven't been easy, especially for Sean who leads a very isolated life. Sean soon finds friendship in a rowdy group of teenage punks and skinheads. They take him under their wing and turn him into one of them. a beer guzzling, boot wearing menace to society. Sean is finally experiencing joy and fulfillment for the first time since his father died. Soon, however, Combo, a racist skinhead who has recently been released from prison enters Sean's life and robs him of his innocence, propelling him into a world of hate and violence. A most powerful film... in the ranks of Goodfellas and American History X. Beautifully filmed and with an excellent soundtrack.

Indian dinner with Friends

2008-01-28T02:33:00.000+01:00

On Friday's I have a ritual of waking up around ten, walking a couple blocks to the local newspaper stand, buying the freshly printed El Pais newspaper and then tearing it apart only to pull out the weekly cultural events guide On Madrid. With this gem of information, I mozy down to Martin's Cerveceria on Santa Engracia, take a seat at the bar, and read about ongoing and upcoming concerts, films, theater performances, art museum exhibits and the best restaurants, shops, bars, clubs, etc while eating the fluffiest tortilla espanola in Spain accompanied by a tall class of freshly squeezed Zumo. It's my perfect morning.

Now, while I was skimming the pages last week, I found in the COMER section a lovely review of a new Indian restaurant in town. Let me start off my saying that I've been to about 3 or 4 Indian restaurants so far since I've been here. None of them are exceptional and the majority of them can be found in Lavapies which is the ethnic neighborhood where you can literally walk five blocks and see nothing but Indian/Pakistani restaurants (you know you're in a Pakistani restuarant when you find beef on the menu). They're all quite cheap and frankly the food reflects that. It's fine for a quick lunch, but if you're looking for the good stuff, you have to do some research. So, back to what I was saying, I found a great review of an Indian restaurant that opened only six months ago, it's called Indian Aroma (Ventura de la Vega, 6: Metro Sevilla). The article said, "Sabras que elegiste un buen indio si te encuentras ingleses comiendo alli" and that at Indian Aroma "Siempre haya britanicos". The article also printed a lovely picture of the elegant candlelit dining room complete with gold statues and paintings of Vishnu and Shiva, dim lighting and yellow washed walls. A most intimate and cozy atmosphere, just where I want to be.

So last night, me and some of my pals met at Indian Aroma for dinner. I reserved a table for six at 9:30 (the average time Spaniards eat dinner). We started with some Indian beers, King Fisher and Cobra, and then began to flip through the very ample menu. Let me just add that Enrique had never had Indian food before tonight and so this was a kind of special occasion for him in that it would be his first time sampling the world's most savory, exotic cuisine. So we ordered some Onion Bhaji, Vegetable and Chicken Samosas and Chicken Tikka to start. It was all so beautifully colored and presented. Enrique seemed to be pleasantly surprised. Then we each ordered a main dish, most of us some variation of curry with either lamb, prawns, or chicken. When the food arrived, we all passed around our plates, had a little of everything, and shared some fantastic aromatic rice and garlic naan. Mmmm, it was great. At least a 9 on my 10 point scale of perfection. Indian night was therefore a success, though did I mention we were the only people in the restaurant... it was kind of nice actually, we could talk a little louder and had a little better service. For any of you that come out and see me, I'll be sure to take you here.

Me, John, Kate, Kassmira, Keith, Domingo and Enrique

Weekend Getaway to Extremadura

2008-01-14T15:30:00.001+01:00

Over the holiday break, approximately two weeks ago, Enrique sent me an email telling me that he had planned a little trip for us to take the weekend after I returned to Spain. He gave virtually no details about the trip except that it would be from Friday to Sunday and that we would be spending the night in a 15th century castle. You can imagine my excitement! Friday finally came and Enrique picked me up from home around 6pm. We drove an hour and a half to our destination, a castle-turned-hotel which in Spanish is called a Parador Nacional, there are several throughout Spain. It was beautiful. The rooms, however, were not that spectacular, but rather could be described as comfortable and traditional. I think he was a little disappointed in the rooms... he paid quite a bit to spend the weekend here and the modest rooms didn't really live up to his expectations. Nonetheless, it was a treat to be away in a new place, in a castle no less! After checking in, we had a nice dinner at the hotel and then shared a great night together.

The next morning we went to a nearby town to visit a famous monastery called San Yuste. This was the site where King Charles V, ruler of the Holy Roman Empire during most of the 16th century, spent his last two years of life in order to prepare his soul for death. We took an excellent guided tour of the monastery and heard many interesting anecdotes about the life of one of the most powerful men in history. Afterwards we drove an hour and a half to Caceres, the town where Enrique went to law school. It was a very nice little city with a lovely historical district. We did a lot of walking, had lunch and then headed back to the Parador. On the drive back, the back-left window in Enriques car failed to roll back up so we spent about 30 minutes with 40 degree wind flying into the car. Fortunately we found a gas station that had some tools which allowed us to shut it. The rest of the journey was much more pleasant as a result. As soon as we got back to the hotel I hopped into the tub, took a nice hot bath and when I got out found Enrique with a chessboard that he picked up at reception. We played a game of chess, then one of checkers... I lost badly at both and, as a result, quickly lost interest in playing. We then had some dinner at a restaurant in town and were talking the whole time about our waitress whose age was a complete mystery... her body said 20 but her face said 50. It was pretty funny.

The next day we checked out and began our drive back to Madrid. We stopped at a few places along the way including a lovely little waterfall in the forest and an enchanting city called Avila (emphasis on the first A). As you'll see in the pictures below, Avila is best known for its medieval city walls and towers which form the original boundries of the city. After lunch, we walked along the top of these walls and took in some magnificent views. We got back to Madrid around 7pm. So in 48 hours we did quite a bit --it was really nice being able to escape the noise and pollution of the city and see some wide open spaces in the quiet Spanish countryside. It was also a great way to get to know each other a little bit better. We had a wonderful time.

The courtyard of the castle-turned-hotel where we stayed for two nights.

The garden and pond at the St. Yuste monastery. It is said that King Carlos V fished in this large pond from his bedroom window on the first floor.

A picturesque brook in the forest on the way to Caceres

The entrance to the historical quarter in Caceres, the remains of which date back to the 8th century

This quarter has been very well preserved, some buildings are still in use

One of the many storks that perch on the tops of the buildings in the historic quarter, they have massive nests and are constantly making very strange noises with their beaks (it sounds like two pieces of hollow wood being banged together)

Stairway to the historical quarter

Yours truly, under a bridge... behind me is a very pretty waterfall

The very pretty waterfall

El gran bosque

This region is fraught with very spooky trees like this one which reminds me of Christ's crown of thorns. Others looked like decrepit hands. It must take a lot of upkeep to maintain their appearance.

The towers that line the medieval city walls of Avila (circa 1090)

Beyond the twenty-foot walls you can see the where most of Avila's residents live and work.

The grand city plaza

A view of the cathedral within the city walls

A truly enchanting place!

Christmas at Home

2008-01-14T15:14:00.001+01:00

Tamales add a very magical touch to our holiday celebration in the Shelley household.

Heart Attack in a Box.

2008-01-14T14:50:00.001+01:00

Chicago Pizza will kill you. I ordered this medium pizza while staying at a Holiday Inn in Chicago. I was forced to spend the night there since I missed the last connection to San Diego on my way home for the holidays. I asked the receptionist what she recommended I order for dinner and she insisted on this pizzeria that makes "the best deep-dish pizza in Chicago"--I think it's called Giordano's. I ordered a medium cheese pizza and a coke and waited anxiously in my comfy king-sized bed, passing the time watching Law & Order. When I heard a knock on the door I jumped and answered it, quickly paid the skinny delivery boy and upon opening the pizza box, this monstrosity that you see above is what I found. It was about three inches thick and about the length of a soccer ball. Even though I was starving, I couldn't eat more than two slices. It was spectacular in taste but so freakin heavy. I felt like I just ate thirty mozzerella sticks or something. The crust unfortunately wasn't too good, kind of had the texture of cardboard. The look of this pie was unlike any i'd ever seen, I'm not sure if all Chicago-style pizza is done this way but on this one the cheese was under the sauce... very odd. Nonetheless, worth a try. A very tasty, albeit somewhat sickening, experience.

January Sunset and the Seals at La Jolla Cove

2008-01-14T14:34:00.000+01:00

The Sweet and Tender Hooligans at The Casbah

2008-01-14T14:15:00.001+01:00

This was by far the best night I had back at home during the holiday break. My brother and sisters and my dearest friend Chell all joined me at The Casbah, downtown San Diego's coolest music venue, to see the spectacular Smiths cover band The Sweet and Tender Hooligans. The lead singer flawlessly delivered every idiosyncratic movement and vocal intonation of Morrissey. Be sure to check them out if they hit your city!

Major Slacker

2008-01-07T17:13:00.000+01:00

Hello everyone. Well, it's a new year and with that comes resolutions. As any of my faithful readers (all five of you) will know, I did a piss poor job blogging last term, that is, since I launched my site in October. Actually, looking back on it I did okay the first month or so, I uploaded photos regularly and made sure to write a few paragraphs about my current situation. That was before I established myself in Spain, before I made friends, before I found an apartment. With all these new distractions I made little time to share my life with all of you. And for those of you who didn't know, I was without a personal computer the whole time. I had to run off to a local locutorio to upload picutures (I'm sure you heard me bitching about it) and write short little entries. The amount of time it took, however, to upload photos, made it very unappealing to also write. That locutorio has a terrible draft and constantly seems to have Rhianna's Umbrella on repeat... the less time I spend there the better. But now, I am fortunate enough to be bringing back to Madrid a beautiful brand-new MacBook--it's black and lightweight, very travel-friendly and works like a dream. With the advantage of now being able to blog from home I can promise you I will post more often, and not just pictures... actual words and sentences. Ah, and I've taken the liberty to add written entries to my formerly photo-only posts.

Amsterdam

2007-12-24T05:33:00.000+01:00

Biking through Casa de Campo

2007-12-24T05:25:00.000+01:00

Latino gathering in Casa de Campo

2007-12-03T15:49:00.000+01:00

Spaghetti Night at John´s

2007-12-03T15:37:00.000+01:00

Gumbo Ya Ya

2007-11-26T14:45:00.001+01:00

Kate and me

Andres, Kate, Me, Enrique and Domingo

Thanksgiving

2007-11-26T14:37:00.000+01:00

The thanksgiving feast complete with a 4kilo roasted turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce and stuffing.

Thomas, Paco and a girl whose name I´ve forgotten.

Thomas, Paco and the turkey before reheating it.

In comparison to Thomas, the turkey looks like a chicken. I think he´s like 6´6¨

Katie and her friend visiting from San Francisco

The half-eaten turkey

Me, Katie, Angela, Kate and her friend

Paco, Thomas, a friend of Paco´s and Angelo (This was Paco and his friend´s first thanksgiving dinner)

Kate and her friend

Devendra Concert

2007-11-26T14:30:00.001+01:00

So I bit my lip and bought the 27€ ticket to see Devendra Banhart in Madrid. I didn´t have to go alone either, Keith was nice enough to join me even though he wasn´t very familiar with the artist. The venue was nice, could have been a little smaller though. It was at a place called Joy Eslava right in the center of the city. It was about the size of the Boulder Theater or for those of you in San Diego the Belly Up, it had lots of balcony space though so just imagine those venues with a lot more height. The music was grand and his new album which I bought just a couple weeks before the concert is phenomenal. A really great mix of music, he really experimented with new sounds and melodies. I recommed you all listen to some it on his website, i think it´s just www.devendrabanhart.com. The only problem was that it was really packed so it was kinda hard to get a good view of the band and be comfortable. Since Devendra grew up in Venezuela he was able to speak to the crowd in Spanish, he was very warm and friendly and the crowd loved him. After the show I bought a cool t-shirt that the man himself designed. It was well worth the money.

New Blog!

2007-11-18T19:44:00.000+01:00

I love Madrid and I love eating. I've thus decided to combine my loves and write a blog about them. I will post about the restaurants and tapas bars in Madrid and give a critical review of them, complete with pictures of dishes and interiors/exteriors. The blog site is http://madridalaplancha.blogspot.com (a la plancha means grilled). I'm very excited to start!

A little romance

2007-11-18T16:32:00.000+01:00

So it seems I´ve found a little romance here in Madrid. I met Enrique at one of Carlos´ parties about three weeks ago. I didn´t even meet him at the party but rather on the walk to Art Deco. At one point I brought up the Blues club I´ve been frequenting rather regularly and he got very excited. He then mentioned that he spent a year studying English in Louisiana several years ago and has been longing to hear some familar souther music. We then made plans to go hear some live Blues together. He couldn´t make it the following week due to his conflicting work schedule but managed to make it the next Tuesday. There were about five of us that night and the french blues band played a fantastic set. Enrique was overjoyed. We made great conversation and made plans to see each other again soon. So November 12 we had our first ¨date¨ in which he cooked me a fantastic salmon dinner, afterwards we listened to a great new cd I got and made nice conversation. We had such a good time actually that we made plans to meet up again the following night. We decided to go to Shooters to play pool and enjoy a couple of pints, I won the first game but he quickly stole the glory by winning the following three. Afterwards we shared nachos and margaritas at a little Mexican restaurant on Fuencarral called Las Mañanitas. The food was surprisingly tasty, very similar to what you would find in San Diego. Anyway, he´s very sweet and we´ve been having a lot of fun together. He´s traveling to Brussels this week so we spent most of this weekend together. He´s a bit older than I am (30) and has a real job (lawyer) but we have a lot in common and I find him very easy to spend time with. The best part about it is that he´s Spanish and even though he speaks English quite well, he always insists we speak Spanish together. It´s been great practice for me. I´ll keep you all posted on where this goes.

My Birthday Bash

2007-11-18T16:27:00.000+01:00

Kate and me at Siam

I really had a great birthday. Since I worked until 5pm my party didn't really start until the evening. At school though my students sang me happy birthday in the classroom and then I heard it again during lunch from the teachers... it was very sweet. I got home around 6, cleaned my apartment, bought some booze for the party and flowers for the apartment then dolled myself up. At 9:30 my good friend Kate and I met up at a beautiful Thai restaurant called Siam that I'd been reading a lot about lately. We drank exotic rum cocktails and ate some delicious Pad Thai and Thai Basil Chicken, a great contrast to the rather bland and heavy Spanish cuisine we'd been eating so much of. At dinner we met two friendly guys from Sevilla who were sitting next to us. We liked them so much we insited they come to our party. They were delighted and agreed to head over once they finished dinner. Kate and I then got to my apartment around 10:30, just the time when peoplemy guests started showing up. Keith, by the way, was out of town, attending a conference in Barcelona. So there were about 12 of us in all (including the Sevilla guys who showed up). Everyone sang me Happy Birthday and I realy felt as though I was surrounded by old friends. Around 2am we went out to a little club called Siroco, it was reggae night... really cool and casual. We spent the night drinking and dancing to some great music. It was wonderful, really couldn't have turned out any better. My only mistake was that I didn't take enough pictures, I should have given the task to someone else, I was just too busy chatting and dancing. I have a few more photos to post... should be up tomorrow.

Kate and Me at my house party

New Woody Allen movie

2007-11-18T16:17:00.000+01:00

Last week, Keith and I saw Cassandra´s Dream, the new movie from Woody Allen. I don´t think it has come out in the states yet because it is a British film and is making its way around Europe first. It was excellent though. The cast includes Ewan McGreggor, Tom Wilkinson, and Colin Farrell. Everyone gives a fantastic performance and the story is immensely suspensful. It is a sort of crime drama, think Match Point, and digs deep into the subject of morality and how far one will go to acheive success. Very emotional and gripping to the end, highly recommended.

Mickey Mouse making balloon animals behind a communist march

2007-11-12T18:49:00.000+01:00

An ironic juxtaposition

Blues Night

2007-11-12T18:44:00.000+01:00

Me, Keith, and his friend Charlie visiting from France

Night out with the Brits

2007-11-12T18:38:00.000+01:00

Me and my Scottish friend John

Angelo (my coworker), Richard (John's South African friend) and John

Lorraine (John's Irish friend) trying to hail a cab

2007-11-07T18:41:00.001+01:00

I don´t have the energy to write about all these pictures just yet. Give me a couple days to post the details. I have more pics to upload too but these computers are so slow!

Night Out

2007-11-07T18:29:00.001+01:00

Devendra

2007-11-07T18:27:00.001+01:00

I saw Devendra Banhart back in Boulder at THE FOX about two years ago. It was an amazing show but unfortunately I had a massive headache during the whole thing. He´s got a new album out now and I´d really like to see him again. The only problem is that is show is ridiculously overpriced... 27€, that´s like $40... I think I might have paid $15 in Boulder. But my birthday falls just a few days before the concert so I think I might treat myself to it. Now I just have to find someone who´s willing to go with me, maybe I´ll pay for half their ticket or something. Anyone else seen him or heard the new album?

Halloween Night

2007-11-07T18:24:00.000+01:00

I decided to ditch the witch costume on halloween night being that I didn´t look too attractive. Keith and Kate and I went over to Thomas´s house in the evening and had some drinks before moving on to Carlos´ house. Carlos, one of Keith´s students, is a 26 year old lawyer and an all around good guy. Carlos lives in a huge apartment and has introduced us to several of his Spanish friends, which has been a great help to us in practicing our Spanish. After a few hours of chatting and drinking in the apartment, we moved on to a dance club called Art Deco. I really didn´t want to go, being that it was 3am but I had left my keys in the apartment and Keith wouldn´t let me borrow his since he wanted me to try out the night club. Soon we arrived at Art Deco but with the massive crowd, 10€ drinks and crappy music I wasn´t too excited to be there (though I´m disguising it well in the pictures). I got through it though, and when Keith finally grew tired of the club we went home and slept through the next day.

Kate, Me, and Katie

Keith and me

Halloween

2007-11-07T18:17:00.001+01:00

Being that costumes were so expensive, I had no intention of dressing up for halloween. The teacher I work with however, Maria Jose, had an extra witches hat and some shoddy face paint, so she turned me into a witch. None of the kids were allowed to dress up because last year the preschoolers were so terrified the school got complaints from parents. So they all wore halloween colors instead. In the classroom we taught them halloween songs and vocabulary and painted their faces with bats and pumpkins and vampire fangs. Halloween is a very American holiday and has only gained popularity in Spain in the last few years thanks of course to the globalization of American culture. Still, not everyone celebrates Halloween in Spain, mainly just kids and those who want an excuse to get dressed up and party.

We, the American Auxiliars: Katka, Emilia, Me and Beth

Some of my favorite kids: Erika, Diego and Laura

In the classroom with my students

Aitor, Jose David and Natalia

Daytrip to Toledo

2007-11-07T18:12:00.000+01:00

I took my first trip out of town a couple weeks ago to Toledo, a beautiful city with great historical significance for Spain being that it was once the capital of the Spanish Empire. It sits 70 km outside Madrid, just a 30 minute journey via train. I went with my friend Thomas, a fellow CU grad, and his lovely roommates. We arrived around noon and spent the day walking through cathedrals and mosques, eating in an medieval street fair and visiting some museums including one dedicated to the artist El Greco, Toledo´s most celebrated citizen. It was a warm, beautiful day and the landscape was incredible. It felt so good to escape the busy city; to breathe fresh air and see rivers, trees and rolling hills.

All the cured meat your heart desires at the street fair

Paco, Sonya, Me, Kate and Thomas sitting ouside the El Greco museum

Daytrip to Toledo

2007-11-07T18:03:00.001+01:00

Inside My Apartment

2007-11-07T17:54:00.000+01:00

Isn´t it cute.

Atocha Train Station

2007-11-07T17:52:00.000+01:00

My first paycheck!

2007-10-31T16:07:00.000+01:00

Today I got paid and it was a great feeling. I´ve been living off my parents allowance since I got here and now I actually have money of my own to spend. For working only 16 hours a week I´m making pretty decent money (888.25€/month). Unfortunately, half of that (450€) goes to rent so that leaves me very little spending money. I have therefore decided to take on six extra tutoring jobs a week (totaling about 90€), teaching english to kids ranging from 6 to 14 and an adult woman. Hopefully that will be enough income to sustain the lifestyle I´ve grown accustomed to out here. If not, I´ll just have to pick up a few more tutoring jobs.

It´s getting very cold and I´ve realized I don´t have suitable winter clothing. I left my North Face jacket and my long winter coat at home thinking that I wouldn´t need them until after Christmas, but by mid-November they say we may see some snow. I also need boots which are such the fashion here; European women just love boots and tights... I´ve gotta jump on board.

Improv Show

2007-10-26T15:03:00.000+02:00

I forgot to mention to all you readers that last Thursday I went with Keith and a crowd of international girls, one of whom is a French girl I met in the hostel, to see improv. It looked like just a small bar from the street but in the back they had a small stage and seats. There were about 20 people in the audience and the entrance fee was only 7€, which is peanuts for Madrid. Five young people, about my age, asked from the stage that we grant them each a name and a profession. With the crowd shouting suggestions, each one chose what they thought would make for the best story which ended up centering around a cake-maker named Jesus. After establishing their characters, they grabbed some clothes from a costume rack to suit their persona. For an hour and a half, these five people put on a hilarious, immensely entertaining show. Naturally it was in Spanish, but I followed it quite well and am sure to return. I don´t even know of a place in the states where you can see such talent perform live. The dialogue was great and the twists and turns in the story were clever and unanticipated. They have a show every Thursday at 11pm.

2007-10-23T15:32:00.000+02:00

A friend that I had made in the hostel when I first arrived came back through Madrid last Thursday and we got to spend some time together. Like me, he´s from Southern California and made for very good company over the weekend. Even though I´ve only been here about a month, I was able to show him some nice spots including El Museo Reina Sofia, with it´s large art collection by Dali and Picasso, including the latters haunting painting ¨Guernica¨. We also went to a smokey blues club called ¨La Coquette¨ where we heard some absolutely hypnotic records (I´ll have to return for the live music Tuesdays-Thursdays). I took him to ¨Shooters¨, a local bar and pool hall, for a second time and won best out of five games, I was awfully proud of myself. We took in a movie as well, Eastern Promises, the one I´ve been wanting to see for a while and were both very impressed by the acting and script. And all the time we dined in some of Madrid´s best eateries that I´ve so far discovered, indulging in Sangria, Paella, Chocolate y Churros, Tortillas Españolas and Croquetas.
So, who´s coming out next?

Picasso´s Guernica

Dali´s Muchacha en la Ventana

My school and students

2007-10-17T16:26:00.003+02:00

La Comida Española

2007-10-17T16:23:00.000+02:00

The delicious breakfast and mid-day snack of Spain, Chocolate y Churros

A tortilla that Keith made that was surprisingly tasty, it´s basically a 5 egg omlette with potatoes and onions made in lots of olive oil.

La Biblioteca Nacional

2007-10-17T16:15:00.001+02:00

The other day I took Keith´s advice and got myself a library card in order to the internet for free. While there, I discovered that the National Library offers some great free classes including one this upcoming Saturday on Medieval Caligraphy. Keith and I tried their basement floor cafeteria for lunch and were surprised to find it to be very good and very cheap. The food is subsidized by the government and so for a surprisingly delicious three course meal you pay only 6€. Also, your choice of beer, wine or soda is included in the price. It´s the best deal in the city.

Rowing in Retiro

2007-10-15T13:05:00.000+02:00

After the Fiesta Nacional, Keith, his friend Ian, and I rented a boat for 45 minutes (only cost us 4€) and rowed around a little lake in the center of Retiro Park. It was so much fun especially since the sun was out and it was a warm, beautiful day. We plan to return next week.

La Fiesta Nacional

2007-10-15T12:39:00.000+02:00

Friday, Oct 12 was Spain´s Fiesta Nacional. Keith and I went to the big parade downtown and got to see the King and Queen, the Prince, and Spain´s entire armed forces. Jets flew overhead, parachuters jumped out of planes and spiraled down to earth waving the Spanish flag, tanks and heavy duty arms were showcased in the parade, and hundreds of soldiers from every military sector marched in unison, straight faced and wearing beautifully decorated uniforms. Unforunately the batteries of my digital camera died only a half hour into it and I´m now kicking myself for not being able to show you the best of the show.

The King and Queen driving by...

Madrid is very conservative and Zapatero, the current president, is from the Socialist Party. They really hate him here in Madrid, though he has much support in Spain´s other provinces. When his car drove by at the parade, the crowd rose their flags and chanted ¨¡FUERA!¨ which means ¨Get out!¨. In 2004, Zapatero ran on an anti-Bush/Iraq War platform and gained a lot of support after the terrorist bombing of the Spanish subway in March of 2004 in which 200 people died. The previous president however, Aznar, was Bush´s close ally and supported the invasion of Iraq. Apparently, a few years ago at the Fiesta Nacional, Zapatero actually sat down when the American flag passed by. Conservative Madrid, and Washington for that matter, was none too happy. So everyone here is conservative and anti-Zapatero, but I´m still not so sure why. Some say it´s because he´s not much of a nationalist since he´s doing little to stop seperatist movements.

2007-10-09T15:19:00.000+02:00

One of my first graders threw up in class today. He looked fine when he walked in but about 5 minutes into the lesson he stands up and walks towards me and just throws up at my feet. It got on my legs and shoes a little. The teacher I work with, Maria Jose, quickly ran him to the bathroom and apologized. He came back skipping.
On the subject of child sickness, Maria Jose warned me that lice is going around and that I should stay away from kids that scratch their heads too much. Great.
Last night I saw The Brave One. Here they call it ¨La extraña que hay en ti¨ (the stranger that is within you) which after watching the film is a much more appropriate title. Just before seeing it a friend of mine mentioned that they heard it was very mediocre and suggested I go see Eastern Promises instead. I was willing but Keith insisted we see The Brave One before it leaves the theaters. I agreed and invited a couple Scottish friends to join us. Now, the first 15 minutes of the the film are a bit goofy and we were thinking about ditching for Eastern Promises... it gets really good though. Rottentomatoes.com, a film critic site I usually rely on, gave it a 44%... personally, I think it warrranted atleast an 80% or so. Jodie Foster gives a fantastic performance and I wouldn´t be surprised to find her on the list of Best Actress Nominees for the Oscars. Her character´s relationship with a detective (played by Terrence Howard) is really beautifully crafted and the exploration of her newfound self (thus, the stranger within) is surprising and fascinating. I highly recommend it.
Time to get some churros.

The Mounting of our Jamon

2007-10-08T15:58:00.000+02:00

Keith insisted we buy a jamon, that is, a cured pig´s leg, to christen our new apartment. We´re keeping it on top of our fridge and daily taking a knife to it slicing off pieces to eat with cheese and bread. He says we´ll save money in the long run and that it adds a Spanish charm to our little American apartment. I think its kinda gross.

Heathy and happy again in my apartment bedroom with a balcony

2007-10-08T15:45:00.000+02:00

Bilbao is where it´s at

2007-10-06T14:04:00.000+02:00

Keith wrapping up our IKEA purchases using his eagle scout skills. We had to haul this plus 2 other huge bags and a rolled up mattress pad to our apartment via subway. It was a lot heavier than it looks.

My metro stop.

My apartment! Second floor, both balconies are ours!

Our street, Calle Luchana.

Late Photo Uploads

2007-10-06T13:42:00.000+02:00

Plaza Mayor

A sign advertising the Patinir exhibit at the Prado

I think we have a painting of this fish and baby at our house in San Diego at the end of the hallway, am I right sisters?

I thought I´d pretentiously capture this artistic juxtaposition of corroded-rusted metal and lush greenery.

Sniff sniff

2007-10-03T21:19:00.000+02:00

I just signed the lease for the apartment today and tomorrow I move in! Yay! No more communal showers! Unfortunately though I´m sick, so I can´t enjoy it completely unabated... am i using that word right? Anyway, I started work. The kids are so damn young! And I´m not allowed to speak a damn word in Spanish to them, English only. They sure are awful cute. The teachers are great and the school is in good shape but the commute is a killer. I have to wake up at 6:45 in order to catch the metro at 7:15 so that I can then catch the bus at 8 and be in San Agustin where my school is by 8:30. I teach from 9-1 Monday thru Thursday, except for Wednesday when I teach 10-4. There are 5 other ¨Auxiliars¨at the school, all about my age and really friendly. Two of them are veterans from last year so they´ve been very helpful in familiarizing the rest of us with the program. One thing about the school, the teachers kiss and pet and hug the students constantly here, it´s so wonderful. If this was done in the states to the degree it´s done here I´m afraid lawsuits would be filed. Well, that´s what´s new. Ugg, my throat is so sore and my nose is running like mad. I think I´m gonna call it an early night.

It´s been a long weekend

2007-10-01T22:39:00.000+02:00

I´m having so much fun! The only negative aspect of my stay here so far has been the aparment hunting. It´s been so frustrating! It looks like I´ve got one though, with an American guy I met early on named Keith. We have very similar personalities so I think we´ll get along just fine. The apartment is in a great part of the city, right in the center, just two blocks from the Metro. It´s got two bedrooms, one big and one small, it´s furnished, the bathroom and kitchen are nice and the living room has a very small balcony. It´s really a small place but it´s got everything we were looking for. The owners had interviewed three different parties for the apartment and Keith and I were sure they weren´t going to give it to some American kids like us. The other applicants were a Spanish married couple and two italian students. But they just called me and offered it to us!! Very exciting! The price is a tad high so Keith and I are going to spend tomorrow looking at a few more and then decide. We´re both 90% sure we´re going to take it though.

Tomorrow I have my orientation with the program directors and the other 299 placements. I´m excited to hear more about my job and get a real idea of what exactly my role will be in the classroom.

A couple of nights ago I went out with some new friends to Chueca, Madrid´s gay distrcit. John (Scottish)and Phil (Brit), both gay but not a couple, are staying in Madrid for a year teaching english also. They are a lot of fun and I´m looking forward to seeing them often. I´ve been so lucky in meeting people. Unfortuntely, Kyle and Chris left this afternoon, they´re going on to Munich for Octoberfest and then towards eastern Europe. But they are flying out of Madrid in a couple months so I should see them again soon.

Yesterday, Kyle and Chris and I went to the Prado since it´s free on Sunday´s. It was terribly crowded but it was worth it. A beautiful museum with plenty of paintings by Goya, Velazquez and El Greco, Spain´s most treasured artists (no 20th century art so no Picasso). Afterwards we found a pool hall on Gran Via and spent a couple hours there drinking and playing. They were actually very good and I lost every time... though not by much. Then we went to a jazz club called Bar Barco. It was a great night.

It´s an expensive city. The food, Metro passes, phone calls and the Cybercafe´s are all putting a dent in my wallet. Making local calls on my cell phone is incredibily expensive. I´m going to have to look into changing my rate plan. And I haven´t even had a meal at a real spanish restaurant yet, I´ve only had pizza slices, donner kebabs and sandwiches since I got here. I´ve just been too busy finding an apartament. But that´s about to change!!

Last Night

2007-09-29T11:20:00.001+02:00

Plaza Mayor

The beautiful view from the rooftop bar Los Viajeros
My hostel friends

Barajas Airport and some sites near my hostel

2007-09-29T11:07:00.000+02:00

Barajas Airport
Palacio Real
Catedral de la Almudena

My first days in Madrid

2007-09-28T16:59:00.000+02:00

After flying for 14 hours, from San Diego to Dallas to London, I´ve finally made it here. For the better part of a year, I will call this city home. I arrived just past noon at Barajas, the most modern, cleanest and without a doubt quietest airport I´ve ever visited. It has a museum-like quality to it, not a single upset child.

I am welcomed with blue skies and dry heat. My taxi driver points out all of the sites as we drive toward my hostel. It´s just what I hoped it would be, nineteenth century buildings, great big parks, and crowded streets.

The hostel is nice. I quickly made friends with a couple Americans from Newport Beach, Kyle and Chris. We hung out in the hostel, played card games and drank a plastic bottle of wine that they bought at the market for 1 Euro, tasted pretty good actually. A french guy Julian and Jack, an Australian, quickly joined in. I´ve met one girl, Katarina from Germany, and the receptionist Sylvia and I get along well, I´d love to get a drink with her... have her tell me about the city. The rest of the girls have come here in packs and it´s not quite as easy to mingle with them. Last night, Kyle and Chris and I went to a cerveceria and sipped beers and snacked on empanadas. They had just arrived that day too, we returned to the hostel exhausted. I slept better than I had in weeks.

First thing I did was buy a cell phone. It´s a prepaid phone deal so there´s no contracts and I just pay as I go. When I leave Spain I can just sell the phone back to the shop and it will be completely out of my hands.

I spent all day today looking at ads for apartments. I called up 16 different ones, 6 of which are no longer available. I looked at 2 today... both a little further than I´d like to be from my school. The first was pretty nice. I would be sharing it with a 31 year old Spanish woman who works all day, every day and stays at her boyfriend´s on the weekend. My room has a double bed and a big closet. I like it but I´m afraid I´ll be lonely there and I really want to live with cool young people who I can practice Spanish with and meet others through. The second apartment was cramped and messy and in a shitty neighborhood. Online I found a bilingual American looking for a roommate. I spoke to him on the phone and he sounded really nice and on the level. Though I would prefer to live with a Madrileno, the price is right and he assures me the apartment is a gem. He said he´d call me back tonight.

The Metro is nice and clean and the whole city is very well connected.

Tomorrow I am meeting some of the program participants at a nearby park. That should be fun. My legs are already tired from walking so much. Time to go back to the hostel, make some more calls, maybe take a late siesta, and then enjoy the night.

Pre-trip travel

2007-09-21T00:35:00.000+02:00

I've spent these last couple weeks visiting friends in NYC, Philadelphia and Colorado. I know I will miss them all so much when I'm away.

Solo falta una semana

2007-09-20T07:22:00.000+02:00

In one week exactly I will step foot on Spanish soil and begin my search for an apartment. Man, what do you pack for an eight month trip? I've got to make a list. Yes, that will be my task for tomorrow.