After spending a year in Sevilla, most of you know how in love I am with the city. I was more than anxious to get back for the first time. The 6-8th we had vacation time for another random Spanish holiday, so of course I wanted to spend every minute of the break in Sevilla. Before the trip I was a little nervous about bringing Chulo along. He is technically a very travel friendly dog, because he is so small, but it was his first real trip so I was apprehensive. We were taking the night bus, which was 6 hours, so I assumed he would sleep the whole ride. Did I mention I absolutely hate bus rides/road trips!? Kate and I met at the bus station in Madrid at 1am and I stashed Chulo in my big purse with a blanket, hoping that no one would notice him. We made it on the bus with no problem, the lights went off, and Chulo immediately went to sleep. I, on the other hand, could not sleep at all! I was a terrible, long, boring and sleepless bus ride. I should have taken the Nyquil my friend offered me.
We arrived in Sevilla at 7am, exhausted and cold. Luckily, my good friend who I studied with in Sevilla was letting us stay at her house with Chulo. We decided to try to find our way walking to her house, in an area which I had surprisingly never heard of. As you can imagine, we got lost. We walked around the city with our suitcases trying to find her house, which was hidden through the winding streets of Sevilla. It felt sooooo good to be back in my second home! Though I was dead tired, I couldn't stop smiling down the street. Many great memories were made in Sevilla, and all of them were coming back to me at that moment. When we finally found my friend's house, it was about 8am. We wanted to go straight to sleep! Her house was freezing so we hit the sheets with our clothes on and were out until about 12.
We went to lunch at one of my favorite restaurants Los Coloniales. We had to wait to be seated for almost an hour, we were starving, but it was soooo worth it! O how I missed solomillo al whisky, and the typical sweet red wine; my heart and stomach were content! The rest of the day was spent walking all over my favorite parts of Sevilla, in the rain, showing my friend around too. I went to see my old apartment as well. Sevilla has an irrestible charm that I had fallen in love with once before. That night, we went to a cute new, modern tapas bar in the centro, and met up with some of my old friends from there. We had little bite sized kobe beef burgers and some delicious croquettes. Later, we did a classic botellon in the streets before heading to the club, Buddha, where I lost my friends. My the time I made it home it was around 6am.
The next day, Sunday, we went to another on of my favorite spots, San Telmo, where we ate a very unique and tastey purple salad, a vegetable "cake" that was delectable, and some argentinian beef with spicy mustard. I had forgotten how much I used to love eating out in Sevilla; great food, great prices! I had Chulo in my purse as usual, but he was getting restless and wanted out. I put him on my lap and gave him some bread. The manager came over, noticed the pooch, and asked if I wanted some water. I assumed he was talking about me. He brought over a dog bowl of water and placed in on the chair next to us! What? That would never happen in the states! We would have been kicked out of the restaurant for sure! I love Spain, and I love that everyone is so enamored with Chulo!
After lunch I left the girls and went to go visit the 3 little boys I babysat/taught english to. I had maintained contact with their mom, Betsabe, and now she was pregnant....with her first girl!! I was excited for her, because the three boys were quite the handful. She is due at the end of December, but she looked great, hadn't gained a pound! The boys were exactly the same as I remember them, bad as hell! They went crazy over Chulo; a little too crazy. They were treating him like a little play toy, and throwing him around and grabbing him by his neck! I had to hide him from them at one point. I sat and talked to the parents for about an hour while we drank tea and ate some chocolate treats.
I walked through the pouring rain back towards my friend's house. I met in the centro to get some sweet treats and some hot chocolate y churros. Yummy!
On Monday I finally got to eat my cazon en adobo I had been yearning for the past year and a half! Cazon is a typical Andalusian fish, fried, in a special seasoning. I literally stuffed my face! Later, we went to some of my favorite sites, the Reales Alcazares, the old palace, and Plaza de Espana, where I was surprised to see the small river flowing. There were boats as well, which were not there before, so I had to hop on one! My friend was apprehensive about taking the boat ride because the clouds were darkening, but I was very insistent. We eagerly jumped in the boat, with Chulo in hand, and no more than 2 minutes afloat it began to pour! We were trapped in the middle of a small lake, two small girls, and an even smaller puppy. Neither one of us could manage to row the boat at all. We moved back and forth, side to side, in the same small area for about 10 minutes. When we finally started to move in the right direction, it began to rain even harder, and we noticed people were staring and laughing at us. We laughed as well; hard.
Later that night we went to my absolute favorite restaurant, La Madraza, and ate very well, yet again! I wish I had taken pictures of all the plates of food we ate in Sevilla; absolutely delish! And wine after wine after wine, o yes. ....... (To Be Continued)
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Reggae Concert @ Tabacalera
Can you understand what they are saying!! I did! A few words stick out though...."marijuana, marijuana...mo' fyya, mo' fyya!" LOL
Turkey Day in Madrid- Never Have I EVER!
A few days before Thanksgiving, I attempted to explain the meaning of the American holiday to my Slovenian, French, and Spanish roommates. This was a quite comical, hour-long conversation. They could not understand the relationship between the pilgrims and the Native Americans, nor why that relationship somehow leads to our big feast. I tried to describe the table set-up and how we go around and give thanks for things. Then, I suggested that we have a real Thanksgiving dinner at the house, just between us roommates. They we all in!
On the actual day of Thanksgiving, I actually sat in my bed all evening, taking care of Chulo who had diarrea. I ate a tuna and cheese sandwhich for my Turkey Day dinner; sad, I know. That Friday we had our dinner. The girls, still not understanding the intensity of the Thanksgiving feast, made salads and desserts. I decided to make Curry Chicken for the first time. I cooked the chicken in a skillet first, then I added coconut milk and curry powder. I put the mixture in a larger pot and added water, potatoes, and carrots; simmering for about 30 minutes. I served it over white rice, and it turned out great!! Not your traditional Thanksgiving dinner, but very satisfying nonetheless. Then, the fun began.
After we finished our meal, we broke out the bottle of vodka we had brought to share between us. Of course I volunteered to mix drinks. The plan was to drink up, and stay in and have a night of girl talk. We had all dressed up, and we all put on Frenchie's fire red lipstick; which looked pretty ridiculous actually. After a bit of drinking, we started playing the game "Never have I ever," which led to many new and interesting discoveries about my roommies, which I will keep to myself, lol. Around 1am we decided that we had to go out. I told my bouncer friend that we would be coming to Sol y Sombra, to ensure that we would all get in free. We scurried to the metro to catch the last one. Upon entering the club we were warmly welcomed with shots at the door. You can imagine how my night ended......
On the actual day of Thanksgiving, I actually sat in my bed all evening, taking care of Chulo who had diarrea. I ate a tuna and cheese sandwhich for my Turkey Day dinner; sad, I know. That Friday we had our dinner. The girls, still not understanding the intensity of the Thanksgiving feast, made salads and desserts. I decided to make Curry Chicken for the first time. I cooked the chicken in a skillet first, then I added coconut milk and curry powder. I put the mixture in a larger pot and added water, potatoes, and carrots; simmering for about 30 minutes. I served it over white rice, and it turned out great!! Not your traditional Thanksgiving dinner, but very satisfying nonetheless. Then, the fun began.
After we finished our meal, we broke out the bottle of vodka we had brought to share between us. Of course I volunteered to mix drinks. The plan was to drink up, and stay in and have a night of girl talk. We had all dressed up, and we all put on Frenchie's fire red lipstick; which looked pretty ridiculous actually. After a bit of drinking, we started playing the game "Never have I ever," which led to many new and interesting discoveries about my roommies, which I will keep to myself, lol. Around 1am we decided that we had to go out. I told my bouncer friend that we would be coming to Sol y Sombra, to ensure that we would all get in free. We scurried to the metro to catch the last one. Upon entering the club we were warmly welcomed with shots at the door. You can imagine how my night ended......
Beautiful Chaos
So I have been on blog hiatus because I was writing about this past weekend before, and I accidentally deleted everything!! I was quite upset and I never re wrote it. Anyway, here it goes again...
(Two Saturdays ago) I was really in the mood to go out, but the only problem was I had no plans. Around 8pm, my Egyptian friend called me and asked me if I wanted to go to this Turkish jazz concert with her. Of course! I had been wanting to go to the Madrid Jazz Festival forever. My friend happens to work for Casa Arabé, so she had free tickets to the show! I met her at the theater at 845pm, and I must say I felt a bit under-dressed, because the concert hall was quite fancy. This type of jazz was indescribable. I was like Bollywood meets jazz, and then runs into neo-soul. Very cool, different. The group took the stage and included a bass and keyboard player, and a singer strumming this strange mini guitar-like instrument. There were also 3 dancers who would randomly skirt the stage, dancing a "semi-belly dance," while skirting the stage. The lead singer was dressed in a typical Turkish garb, which consisted of a quirky tall hat, huge pants, and bright colors. We sat and listened to the rhythmic tunes of the rare jazz music for a couple of hours. At the end of the show, the strange guy with the hat ran into the audience, jumped on top of a chair and played his weird guitar instrument until the whole crowd was on their feet.
After the concert, I really wanted to go to this flamenco bar that I thought was free. Flamenco in Madrid is hard to find and expensive usually. I walked in and asked them if we could sit at the bar for the show. We were tricked! We soon discovered that it was in fact 30 euros for the show and you had to eat as dinner as well! Needless to say we left the bar. My friend had another bar in mind nearby. It was a Syrian hookah bar/lounge with food as well. I devoured a delicious "kebab!" We sat at the bar for a couple of hours, and then another friend text me and told me they were at a bar nearby, Sol y Sombra. We walked over to the discoteca, where we found a long line, and I was sure we would have to pay at the door. Just to be sure, I walked up to the door and asked the doorman how much it was. He told me it was 30 euros, and then smirked at the other security guy. I told him they were crazy, and asked him to stop joking and tell me how much it really was to get in. They asked my friend and I if we were from Dominican Republic, and they were sure that we were. When we told them where we were both from, Chicago and Egypt, they thought we were lying. We joked around with them for a bit, and then they asked to see our ids. They were shocked that we were actually telling the truth! They told us we had to teach them English, and they let us in for free! Love connections. The place was nice, but we did not stay that long because it was very hot inside and we could barely move!
After spending the whole day in my pajamas on Sunday, my roommate invited me to this Brazilian festival/parade in the streets at 6. I quickly got ready and when with her to Lavapies. The festival was to honor a Afro-Brazilian slave and revolutionary, who was killed fighting for black rights. Very hippie-like ceremony, with tamborines and drums, and dancers. We paraded through the streets for about 2 hours in celebration mode, then we made our way to the usual Brazilian bar, Maloke. There we were treated to live Brazilian music and singing, and of course I had the typical Brazilian drink, Caipirinha (sp).
Beautiful Chaos filled weekend!
(Two Saturdays ago) I was really in the mood to go out, but the only problem was I had no plans. Around 8pm, my Egyptian friend called me and asked me if I wanted to go to this Turkish jazz concert with her. Of course! I had been wanting to go to the Madrid Jazz Festival forever. My friend happens to work for Casa Arabé, so she had free tickets to the show! I met her at the theater at 845pm, and I must say I felt a bit under-dressed, because the concert hall was quite fancy. This type of jazz was indescribable. I was like Bollywood meets jazz, and then runs into neo-soul. Very cool, different. The group took the stage and included a bass and keyboard player, and a singer strumming this strange mini guitar-like instrument. There were also 3 dancers who would randomly skirt the stage, dancing a "semi-belly dance," while skirting the stage. The lead singer was dressed in a typical Turkish garb, which consisted of a quirky tall hat, huge pants, and bright colors. We sat and listened to the rhythmic tunes of the rare jazz music for a couple of hours. At the end of the show, the strange guy with the hat ran into the audience, jumped on top of a chair and played his weird guitar instrument until the whole crowd was on their feet.
After the concert, I really wanted to go to this flamenco bar that I thought was free. Flamenco in Madrid is hard to find and expensive usually. I walked in and asked them if we could sit at the bar for the show. We were tricked! We soon discovered that it was in fact 30 euros for the show and you had to eat as dinner as well! Needless to say we left the bar. My friend had another bar in mind nearby. It was a Syrian hookah bar/lounge with food as well. I devoured a delicious "kebab!" We sat at the bar for a couple of hours, and then another friend text me and told me they were at a bar nearby, Sol y Sombra. We walked over to the discoteca, where we found a long line, and I was sure we would have to pay at the door. Just to be sure, I walked up to the door and asked the doorman how much it was. He told me it was 30 euros, and then smirked at the other security guy. I told him they were crazy, and asked him to stop joking and tell me how much it really was to get in. They asked my friend and I if we were from Dominican Republic, and they were sure that we were. When we told them where we were both from, Chicago and Egypt, they thought we were lying. We joked around with them for a bit, and then they asked to see our ids. They were shocked that we were actually telling the truth! They told us we had to teach them English, and they let us in for free! Love connections. The place was nice, but we did not stay that long because it was very hot inside and we could barely move!
After spending the whole day in my pajamas on Sunday, my roommate invited me to this Brazilian festival/parade in the streets at 6. I quickly got ready and when with her to Lavapies. The festival was to honor a Afro-Brazilian slave and revolutionary, who was killed fighting for black rights. Very hippie-like ceremony, with tamborines and drums, and dancers. We paraded through the streets for about 2 hours in celebration mode, then we made our way to the usual Brazilian bar, Maloke. There we were treated to live Brazilian music and singing, and of course I had the typical Brazilian drink, Caipirinha (sp).
Beautiful Chaos filled weekend!
Monday, November 22, 2010
Spanish Connections....
On Thursday I had my first meeting with the newspaper I will be writing for. It was very chill, and almost all of the writers were there. Myself and a couple others were the first to arrive. (I should have known no one would be on time) We sat and chatted with the editor for a while. He bought the table bottles of wine and we drank and chatted for a while. There are some very interesting people writing for the paper; people who are doing some very cool things here, like directing a movie. It's nice to know that I am not the only loca foreigner who is in love with Spain. Very cool people. After about my 5th or 6th glass, I decided to head out to meet my French roomie for my usual intercambio stop. She had been wanting to tag along for a while to see what all the hype was about, and since we were getting along this week I told her to come. It was, as usual, very crowded; some new faces, many old faces, regulars. I met a few new Spanish guys, a French guy, and chatted with my old friends. The owner and intercambio organizer, David asked me why there was no drink in my hand, and he quickly fixed that problem. It's always good to be friends with the party people.
My roommate and I stayed for a wile at the intercambio, talking it up with everyone; she was having fun, and I was practicing my French as well. Around 1am I realized it was time for my Thursday salsa fix! As usual, I have my get in free card, but it's only good until 1:30 so I had to hustle. I told Frenchie I would try to smuggle her one too. I walked to the door and walked right in, and I told her to wait for me outside. I immediately found my Egyptian friend and salsa buddy, and she gave me one of the free cards to give to my roommate. I indescretely ran outside to give it to her and told her to hurry up and get in before 1:30. As expected, Frenchie took her sweet little time in coming in, and did not make it. I felt bad, but I told her to be careful getting home, and peace out! I wanted to dance! I danced my little feet off for only and hour, because I knew I had to wake up for a Fulbright meeting in the morning. When I arrived to m house, happy as can be, walked to he kitchen to find Frenchie with our new curly haired friend, Pedro, from t ntercamio. I was surprised but also delighted to see him, and I was guessing this was not a "hook-up" situation because I also sensed a gay vibe from him. Anyway, we chatted for bit and then I hit the sheets.
When I woke up on Friday for my meeting I had a serious headache. It was 7:45am and I had to shower, wash my hair, and be there by 9. I made it! Thanks God there were pastries when I arrived. The meeting was meant to discuss our progress in the schools and any side projects we may have. Instead, we spent two whole hours listening to people complain how bad there kids were, or how little attention their teachers paid them. I was bored. But at the same time I felt bad; my experience has been great! I couldn't be happier with my school. My teachers and I have perfect chemistry and I am allowed just as much control of my class that I would want. It was painful to sit and listen to sooo many complaints, so I decided to lighten the mood and bring up some positive experiences of my own. I gave suggestions about how I obtained such positive results, and I pray that they will help people. Positive reinforcement is key in education; and you have to put your foot down from the start, or else your doomed forever! Upon leaving the meeting I was uber excited to hear a friend suggest going out for a big american brunch; and that's just what we did! There was this "American" cafe nearby, where they had on the menu "breakfast americano." Of course that's what I ordered; pancakes, bacon, eggs, and fries! Slightly off, but it worked. People in Spain think that pancakes and crepes are desserts, so they came with chocolate, caramel, or strawberry sauce; gross!
I took a big ciesta when I got home and then took Chulo to the park. He is so playful, but is still very much a baby. Other dogs tower over him! I had a very chill Friday evening, with all my roommates at home. I spent about an hour trying to explain to them how and why we celebrate Thanksgiving. They didn't get it! They dont understand the pilgrims, and they don't understand the big turkey at all. This explanation was quite hilarious. I suggested that we have a small dinner, just us this week, but Idon't know if they will take it as serious as I would.
My roommate and I stayed for a wile at the intercambio, talking it up with everyone; she was having fun, and I was practicing my French as well. Around 1am I realized it was time for my Thursday salsa fix! As usual, I have my get in free card, but it's only good until 1:30 so I had to hustle. I told Frenchie I would try to smuggle her one too. I walked to the door and walked right in, and I told her to wait for me outside. I immediately found my Egyptian friend and salsa buddy, and she gave me one of the free cards to give to my roommate. I indescretely ran outside to give it to her and told her to hurry up and get in before 1:30. As expected, Frenchie took her sweet little time in coming in, and did not make it. I felt bad, but I told her to be careful getting home, and peace out! I wanted to dance! I danced my little feet off for only and hour, because I knew I had to wake up for a Fulbright meeting in the morning. When I arrived to m house, happy as can be, walked to he kitchen to find Frenchie with our new curly haired friend, Pedro, from t ntercamio. I was surprised but also delighted to see him, and I was guessing this was not a "hook-up" situation because I also sensed a gay vibe from him. Anyway, we chatted for bit and then I hit the sheets.
When I woke up on Friday for my meeting I had a serious headache. It was 7:45am and I had to shower, wash my hair, and be there by 9. I made it! Thanks God there were pastries when I arrived. The meeting was meant to discuss our progress in the schools and any side projects we may have. Instead, we spent two whole hours listening to people complain how bad there kids were, or how little attention their teachers paid them. I was bored. But at the same time I felt bad; my experience has been great! I couldn't be happier with my school. My teachers and I have perfect chemistry and I am allowed just as much control of my class that I would want. It was painful to sit and listen to sooo many complaints, so I decided to lighten the mood and bring up some positive experiences of my own. I gave suggestions about how I obtained such positive results, and I pray that they will help people. Positive reinforcement is key in education; and you have to put your foot down from the start, or else your doomed forever! Upon leaving the meeting I was uber excited to hear a friend suggest going out for a big american brunch; and that's just what we did! There was this "American" cafe nearby, where they had on the menu "breakfast americano." Of course that's what I ordered; pancakes, bacon, eggs, and fries! Slightly off, but it worked. People in Spain think that pancakes and crepes are desserts, so they came with chocolate, caramel, or strawberry sauce; gross!
I took a big ciesta when I got home and then took Chulo to the park. He is so playful, but is still very much a baby. Other dogs tower over him! I had a very chill Friday evening, with all my roommates at home. I spent about an hour trying to explain to them how and why we celebrate Thanksgiving. They didn't get it! They dont understand the pilgrims, and they don't understand the big turkey at all. This explanation was quite hilarious. I suggested that we have a small dinner, just us this week, but Idon't know if they will take it as serious as I would.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Random thoughts and happenings as of late.....
My apologies for having been MIA from blogging this past week or so; I have been engaged in my new and fun Madrid routine! I was also very sick due to this crazy weather here, and my sickly students. I am doing soooo much in Madrid; in fact, more than I have ever done in the States. First, of course, I have my kids who have been great lately. I am really loving being a teacher. It is very rewarding to know that I am having such an impact on the program and the teachers really appreciate my help. I have learned so much just being at the school; and many observations/comparisons as well. I am also realizing some of my own talents I didn't know I had. Teaching subjects such as technology and visual arts has allowed me to expand my mind and step outside of my comfort zone. Who knew Stephanie could teach Science! In my weekly teachers' meeting, I am constantly trying to come up with new teaching methodologies, and I think they are working. Although, I have to say that I still don't quite understand the Spanish education system. Failing is quite normal, and expectations are quite low. I have gone back and forth with myself reasoning why this could be; the fact that spanish kids are beyond spoiled, or because they do not have to pay for education, or that they are only obliged to go to school until 16, or maybe because the Spanish lifestyle is too chill after all; who knows. It is apparent though, that most of the kids are satisfied with mediocrity. This week, we had a wake up call, both the teachers and the students. They failed!! All subjects, all tests! Ok, that's an exaggeration, but grades were not so good. We immediately started making changes in the classroom in order to avoid further catastrophe. We are working harder than ever, and demanding the most from the students. Fun, but chaotic. Makes me think about getting into International Education Policy. Hmmmm, who knows.
Other that school, I have been trying to keep up in French class that I have twice a week. It is much harder than I thought it would be. It has been barely 2 months, so I know that patience is necessary, but it seems like a doozy! I can read and understand much better than I can speak. French pronunciation is HARD! I love languages though, so I plan on sticking with it and maybe actually engaging my (sometimes) intollerable French roommate in some conversation. Arabic is definitely next on my list. There are many Arabic speaking immigrants here. It is such a beautiful language, but undoubtedly even harder than French. On that note, I have been working with Amnesty International Spain, which has been extremely rewarding. My particular focus group is North Africa, so French and Arabic are a plus. I plan on writing some kind of report in relation to my work with Amnesty and North African immigrants. At Amnesty, I was asked to draft a letter in English to the President of Tunisia, demanding that human rights violations be addressed. I was pretty cool! We have a couple of campaigns going on for a Prisoner of conscience in Lybia, and a case in Sahara. I feel so involved!
Every other Wednesday, I have been going to Toastmasters International (professional public speaking organization) in Spanish. I was a member of Toastmasters before, so I knew what it was like; but even more fun in Spanish! I can't wait to give my first speech! Typical Spanish way, we meet at a bar and we drink at the meeting. The last time I went, I was still feeling a bit ill so I asked for a Hot Toddy (whiskey and tea), of all things, to get rid of my cold! I was feeling quite nice! Because I work at a bilingual institution we are mandated to speak English at all times to the bilingual profesors and students. This requirement has actually helped me to improve my (english) speaking skills, becasue as you all know, I sometimes speak like of have a mouth full of you know what. I have to speak very slowly and clearly at school, which I think is a good thing. Recently, I was asked by a guy who works in the bar below me to translate the menu into English. I was delighted! He asked how much I would charge, but I figured it would be super easy, so I suggested they pay me with free food and drinks at the bar! Hook up! I had glass after glass of wine, and soon I didn't know if I was writing the write words in English. I love getting to know the people in my neighborhood; I get to explore a lot while walking Chulo. Everyone absolutely loves him! I am lucky to have such a well-behaved dog because I can bring him everywhere with me and no one minds.
What else could I possibly be doing in Madrid?? Well, I am giving private English lessons to one of my co-worker's son. He is 7 and is a bottle of energy! He love Chulo as well. I basically get paid to play with the boy for an hour a week. Ever since I arrived in Madrid, I had an itch to write; I mean professionally. A particular newspaper, In Madrid, peeked my interest. It is a newspaper, written in English, for foreigners living in Madrid. So, I wrote the editor!! We went for coffee and he loved my ideas! 2 upcoming articles!! I couldn't ask for more of a vida in Madrid! God is sooo good! I am definitely doing the most, and loving it!
Other that school, I have been trying to keep up in French class that I have twice a week. It is much harder than I thought it would be. It has been barely 2 months, so I know that patience is necessary, but it seems like a doozy! I can read and understand much better than I can speak. French pronunciation is HARD! I love languages though, so I plan on sticking with it and maybe actually engaging my (sometimes) intollerable French roommate in some conversation. Arabic is definitely next on my list. There are many Arabic speaking immigrants here. It is such a beautiful language, but undoubtedly even harder than French. On that note, I have been working with Amnesty International Spain, which has been extremely rewarding. My particular focus group is North Africa, so French and Arabic are a plus. I plan on writing some kind of report in relation to my work with Amnesty and North African immigrants. At Amnesty, I was asked to draft a letter in English to the President of Tunisia, demanding that human rights violations be addressed. I was pretty cool! We have a couple of campaigns going on for a Prisoner of conscience in Lybia, and a case in Sahara. I feel so involved!
Every other Wednesday, I have been going to Toastmasters International (professional public speaking organization) in Spanish. I was a member of Toastmasters before, so I knew what it was like; but even more fun in Spanish! I can't wait to give my first speech! Typical Spanish way, we meet at a bar and we drink at the meeting. The last time I went, I was still feeling a bit ill so I asked for a Hot Toddy (whiskey and tea), of all things, to get rid of my cold! I was feeling quite nice! Because I work at a bilingual institution we are mandated to speak English at all times to the bilingual profesors and students. This requirement has actually helped me to improve my (english) speaking skills, becasue as you all know, I sometimes speak like of have a mouth full of you know what. I have to speak very slowly and clearly at school, which I think is a good thing. Recently, I was asked by a guy who works in the bar below me to translate the menu into English. I was delighted! He asked how much I would charge, but I figured it would be super easy, so I suggested they pay me with free food and drinks at the bar! Hook up! I had glass after glass of wine, and soon I didn't know if I was writing the write words in English. I love getting to know the people in my neighborhood; I get to explore a lot while walking Chulo. Everyone absolutely loves him! I am lucky to have such a well-behaved dog because I can bring him everywhere with me and no one minds.
What else could I possibly be doing in Madrid?? Well, I am giving private English lessons to one of my co-worker's son. He is 7 and is a bottle of energy! He love Chulo as well. I basically get paid to play with the boy for an hour a week. Ever since I arrived in Madrid, I had an itch to write; I mean professionally. A particular newspaper, In Madrid, peeked my interest. It is a newspaper, written in English, for foreigners living in Madrid. So, I wrote the editor!! We went for coffee and he loved my ideas! 2 upcoming articles!! I couldn't ask for more of a vida in Madrid! God is sooo good! I am definitely doing the most, and loving it!
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Kapital Punishment....con las chicas espanolas
Friday night, my roommate Tatiana invited me to go out with her and her friends to THE CLUB, Kapital. I had been to this club once before, when I visited Madrid from Sevilla. It was very poshe, exclusive, huge, and a sure fire good time. It is always generally very expensive, so I was skeptical. She told me that she could get our names on a list to get in for free, so I agreed to go. Although, I thought to myself that it was very likely that this "list" would not likely hold ground at the famous "Kapital." We began to get dressed around 10:30, we were supposed to be there before 1:30 (which is early Spanish time), and we had plans to meet up with a bunch of other girls for a typical spanish botellon (explain later). Her two friends, Maria and Carolina, came over to get ready with us. All four of us stood in the mirror together, trying to decide what shades of eye shadow we were wearing. We finally left the house around 12am, went to the metro stop where the club was located, and waited for the other girls.
Our waiting spot was McDonalds and the girls were hungry so they indulged. Time flew by and I began to worry if we would really make it to the club in time. The other girls, about 6 more espanolas, joined us. We all introsuced ourselves and began to chat when I realized I was the oldest person there. Spanish girls tend to look older than they are, but it always slips my mind that my roomie is only 19; but sweet as pie. So naturally her friends were the same age; I felt old. They were amazed at the fact that I was here in Madrid teaching, and not studying. They were in awe that I had ALREADY finished my undergrad. I explained to them that my status was not at all strange, in fact normal to be done with school at 22. They still looked puzzled. Anyway, they were all really nice girls, so it made for an even more fun night out. We headed over to the plaza where we were supposed to conduct this grand botellon. A botellon is basically like a "pre-game" party in the streets. It is very normal to see young spaniards walking through the streets, or riding the metro, with large plastic bags filled with liquor, cups, ice, and mixers which they will take with them to the outdoor botellon. Technically, yes, it is illegal to drink in the streets; however, it has become such a prevalent activity that the police just "keep a watchful eye."
We proceed to botellon, and my roommate reminds us all that is is essential to "be sponges," because we only have 45 miniutes to get into the club. We took pictures, shared drinks, talked craziness, until we realized it was 1:15!! We scurried to the door of the club, where we found 3 different long lines. Crap! We acrually made it to the door before 1:30, but as I suspected, the doorman had heard of no list with our names on it. We reasoned with him and he handed us all these small cards, which the girls believed to be free passes. I knew they were not. We switched lines, got to the front, only for them to tell us that our cards were 15 euro entry with 2 drinks included. None of us wanted to pay. To make matters worse, another security guard had held back my friend Maria, because he said she was too drunk to get in. I tried to tell him that she was fine, and to let her go. I even had us both walked a straight line for him. Hilarious! Unfortunately, he was not amuzed. We gathered our troops and headed across the street to think of a Plan B. The girl who had supposedly put us on this list was nearby and had told us to meet her. We walked to another nearby plaza where Alicia, a rep for Kapital, and her friends were engaging in another botellon; so we joined in! After about an hour and a half of foolery, Alicia says, "ok, now I can get you all into the club." So we followed her lead and low and behold, she got us right in. Finally, at 3:30am!
Kapital, as I said, is huge. 7 floors, each with different kinds of music, very large stage and dance floors, acrobats fyling through the air on one floor, and clouds of water vapor bursting through the air, and strobe light everywhere. Very intense to say the least. We explored all the levels, but spent most of our time between two, where we they played salsa, reggae, and a mxiture of similar music. I twirled around the dance floor like a nut, and when one of my flamenco JAMS came on, I demonstrated my knowledge of "the flamenco clap." Before I knew it, people were exiting the club. I have never actually made it through the closing of a spanish club, because they tend to be too late for me. It was 6:30am, and we still had to find all the girls we had lost in the mix of things. Some of us waited outside while the others went to search the crowd. Some of the girls wanted to go eat, and initially I did too. However, at that point all I wanted to do was get in my bed. So Maria and I trekked it home on the metro, half sleep.
Our waiting spot was McDonalds and the girls were hungry so they indulged. Time flew by and I began to worry if we would really make it to the club in time. The other girls, about 6 more espanolas, joined us. We all introsuced ourselves and began to chat when I realized I was the oldest person there. Spanish girls tend to look older than they are, but it always slips my mind that my roomie is only 19; but sweet as pie. So naturally her friends were the same age; I felt old. They were amazed at the fact that I was here in Madrid teaching, and not studying. They were in awe that I had ALREADY finished my undergrad. I explained to them that my status was not at all strange, in fact normal to be done with school at 22. They still looked puzzled. Anyway, they were all really nice girls, so it made for an even more fun night out. We headed over to the plaza where we were supposed to conduct this grand botellon. A botellon is basically like a "pre-game" party in the streets. It is very normal to see young spaniards walking through the streets, or riding the metro, with large plastic bags filled with liquor, cups, ice, and mixers which they will take with them to the outdoor botellon. Technically, yes, it is illegal to drink in the streets; however, it has become such a prevalent activity that the police just "keep a watchful eye."
We proceed to botellon, and my roommate reminds us all that is is essential to "be sponges," because we only have 45 miniutes to get into the club. We took pictures, shared drinks, talked craziness, until we realized it was 1:15!! We scurried to the door of the club, where we found 3 different long lines. Crap! We acrually made it to the door before 1:30, but as I suspected, the doorman had heard of no list with our names on it. We reasoned with him and he handed us all these small cards, which the girls believed to be free passes. I knew they were not. We switched lines, got to the front, only for them to tell us that our cards were 15 euro entry with 2 drinks included. None of us wanted to pay. To make matters worse, another security guard had held back my friend Maria, because he said she was too drunk to get in. I tried to tell him that she was fine, and to let her go. I even had us both walked a straight line for him. Hilarious! Unfortunately, he was not amuzed. We gathered our troops and headed across the street to think of a Plan B. The girl who had supposedly put us on this list was nearby and had told us to meet her. We walked to another nearby plaza where Alicia, a rep for Kapital, and her friends were engaging in another botellon; so we joined in! After about an hour and a half of foolery, Alicia says, "ok, now I can get you all into the club." So we followed her lead and low and behold, she got us right in. Finally, at 3:30am!
Kapital, as I said, is huge. 7 floors, each with different kinds of music, very large stage and dance floors, acrobats fyling through the air on one floor, and clouds of water vapor bursting through the air, and strobe light everywhere. Very intense to say the least. We explored all the levels, but spent most of our time between two, where we they played salsa, reggae, and a mxiture of similar music. I twirled around the dance floor like a nut, and when one of my flamenco JAMS came on, I demonstrated my knowledge of "the flamenco clap." Before I knew it, people were exiting the club. I have never actually made it through the closing of a spanish club, because they tend to be too late for me. It was 6:30am, and we still had to find all the girls we had lost in the mix of things. Some of us waited outside while the others went to search the crowd. Some of the girls wanted to go eat, and initially I did too. However, at that point all I wanted to do was get in my bed. So Maria and I trekked it home on the metro, half sleep.
Saturday, November 6, 2010
There is always a Spanish holiday!
So, I began writing this entry last week and I never finished. This was last Sunday, and as I write it is )the nextnSaturday night. I did actually wake up to go to the Rastro on Sunday, at 10, but then I fell back into a deep slumber and woke back up at 1:45 (so I thought). Little did I know it was daylight savings time here, and time to turn back the clocks. It was only 12:45pm, and I still had an hour left at the Rastro!! I threw on some clothes and ran out the door. The streets were packed with people at the outdoor market. I was by myself, against the crowd. I knew exactly what I wanted and needed, and I wasted no time. The fact that I am a self-proclaimed professional shopper did help my search. I found a warm leather jacket, some high boots, and a watch in just under an hour...all for 60 euros!! I was more than content when I got back on the metro to head home.
Despite all the planning and activities I had planned for my students for Halloween, I was not so in the spirit. I usually love to dress up and partake in the foolery; however this year I felt like lounging around and just observing the foolery. One of the other Fulbrighters was having a Halloween costume party at her house. I really wanted to go and dress up, but mt costume search failed. Despite my non-festive mood, I showed up late to the party and drank about a quarter bottle of red wine; good for the soul! I was very impressed with my friend's Halloween layout; candy corn, homemade candy and caramel apples, cookies, and carved apples dipped in wine (kind of creepy). I actually felt bad for not dressing up. All the red wine took its toll on me, and I once again decided to ditch the after party and head home. There was no way I would walk home, but I had no clue where the night bus stop was. After wandering around for about 15 minutes, trying to control my bladder, I finally found my bus. To my surprise I saw a friend on the same bus, and we quickly realized that we had gotten on the right bus, wrong direction. We passed our stops! We made it home, after an overextended bus ride around 3:30.
On Monday, another holiday we had off, I invited a friend over for lunch. I made some very tasty fajitas, with a homemade sauce that I created. We chatted for a while and then decided to walk the city for a while to help all the food digest. We headed to Choclateria San Gines, where we would eat churros and a rich cup of chocolate. No, not hot chocolate, but an intense blend of pure melted chocolate that would make your heart smile. It was super crowded at this place, as expected. We sat outside and Chulo found a friend to play with. We devoured the plate of Churros and slurped up the Chocolate and then hit the streets again. I had never been around these parts of the neighborhood, and I was seeing many new cool things. There was this hidden marketplace where they sold a variety of fresh meat, fruits, and vegetables; and also gave samples. We sampled! Our journey continued as we leisurely walked around Plaza Mayor, enjoying the beautiful scenery and the talented street performers. It was getting chilly outside so we went to a nearby cafe to get some tea; passion fruit tea, delicious. Perfect, restful day off.
Despite all the planning and activities I had planned for my students for Halloween, I was not so in the spirit. I usually love to dress up and partake in the foolery; however this year I felt like lounging around and just observing the foolery. One of the other Fulbrighters was having a Halloween costume party at her house. I really wanted to go and dress up, but mt costume search failed. Despite my non-festive mood, I showed up late to the party and drank about a quarter bottle of red wine; good for the soul! I was very impressed with my friend's Halloween layout; candy corn, homemade candy and caramel apples, cookies, and carved apples dipped in wine (kind of creepy). I actually felt bad for not dressing up. All the red wine took its toll on me, and I once again decided to ditch the after party and head home. There was no way I would walk home, but I had no clue where the night bus stop was. After wandering around for about 15 minutes, trying to control my bladder, I finally found my bus. To my surprise I saw a friend on the same bus, and we quickly realized that we had gotten on the right bus, wrong direction. We passed our stops! We made it home, after an overextended bus ride around 3:30.
On Monday, another holiday we had off, I invited a friend over for lunch. I made some very tasty fajitas, with a homemade sauce that I created. We chatted for a while and then decided to walk the city for a while to help all the food digest. We headed to Choclateria San Gines, where we would eat churros and a rich cup of chocolate. No, not hot chocolate, but an intense blend of pure melted chocolate that would make your heart smile. It was super crowded at this place, as expected. We sat outside and Chulo found a friend to play with. We devoured the plate of Churros and slurped up the Chocolate and then hit the streets again. I had never been around these parts of the neighborhood, and I was seeing many new cool things. There was this hidden marketplace where they sold a variety of fresh meat, fruits, and vegetables; and also gave samples. We sampled! Our journey continued as we leisurely walked around Plaza Mayor, enjoying the beautiful scenery and the talented street performers. It was getting chilly outside so we went to a nearby cafe to get some tea; passion fruit tea, delicious. Perfect, restful day off.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Muchas Cosas Divertidas!
What a pleasant weekend I had! My Fulbright amiga and I had been craving a big American brunch for a long time. Usually I just eat cereal or nutella and bread for breakfast; I rarely have time for anything else anyway. Here in Spain they are not very big on breakfast (more enfasis on lunch), but I love a big breakfast! So, on Saturday Kate and I decided to cook brunch. I went to her house with Chulo and we mde bacon, eggs, toast, and homemade hash browns. Very satisfying! I felt stuffed after our big meal, and we decided that we would have to do this more often in order to satisfy our yearnings for a complete breakfast. After our meal, we ventured across town to a little know secret that Kate had discovered; and American grocery store! I usually do not get these crazy cravings for American foods, but I sure had some! I was completely blow away at the price of cereal, almost 9 euros a box, and oatmeal almost 7! No, no, no! I looked around and only ened up buying a yankee candle, some relish (which does not exist in Spain), some cream of mushroom soup to cook with, and my favorite candy; Reese's Peanut Butter cups!! Oh, how I miss them!! I ate one before I could even set foot outside the store!
Sidenote: I think I have an obsession with grocery shopping/experimental cooking! It's quite fun and addictive! After we left the American store, we headed over to Lavapies, which is becoming one of my favorite spots for its diversity. The intention there was to simply show our visiting friend around the area; but of course I had to indulge in gastronomic purchases. I bought some natural mint leaves, some red curry paste, some Goya beans, some gandules, mango juice, and falafel. Boy, am I going to be quite the chef when I return to the States!
I went home only to drop off my purchases and my pooch; all of my roommates and I were going to a concert at the Tabacalera again. One of my roommates' boyfriend had been here the whole week and he was D- Jaying at the spot. This was the first time that all four of us roommates had been out at the same time; it was a great time! We got there early, around 7:30, and listened to Ivonna's bf spin records for a while. I saw my African friend again, and he told me that they too were performing later. Yay for reggae again!
We ended up staying until the end of the last performance, around 11:30, enjoying the music and the rare total harmony between roommates. Afterwards, we were starving, so our friends led us to a kebab joint around the corner that was delish! I cleaned my plate so quickly, as if I hadn't eaten in days! The night was young, and we all wanted to go out. Again, the guys led us to some random bar where we all drank fro free. We drank, and went to another bar closeby, where we drank for free again! It pays to befriend the locals! The second bar was more enjoyable, as there was a Halloween party going on and the music was danceable (if that is a word). By the time we left the bar, I was a little bit "happy" and ready to go home. We walked around aimlessly for a while looking for the night buses. It was freezing, and it soon began to rain. I grew irritable as my hair, clothes, and exposed feet were getting wet. My umbrella had broken earlier that night. Fail. We managed to finally make it home and I went to sleep wet from the horrible rain, with the hope of waking up in the morning to go to the famous Rastro (like a flea market, only not as janky).
Sidenote: I think I have an obsession with grocery shopping/experimental cooking! It's quite fun and addictive! After we left the American store, we headed over to Lavapies, which is becoming one of my favorite spots for its diversity. The intention there was to simply show our visiting friend around the area; but of course I had to indulge in gastronomic purchases. I bought some natural mint leaves, some red curry paste, some Goya beans, some gandules, mango juice, and falafel. Boy, am I going to be quite the chef when I return to the States!
I went home only to drop off my purchases and my pooch; all of my roommates and I were going to a concert at the Tabacalera again. One of my roommates' boyfriend had been here the whole week and he was D- Jaying at the spot. This was the first time that all four of us roommates had been out at the same time; it was a great time! We got there early, around 7:30, and listened to Ivonna's bf spin records for a while. I saw my African friend again, and he told me that they too were performing later. Yay for reggae again!
We ended up staying until the end of the last performance, around 11:30, enjoying the music and the rare total harmony between roommates. Afterwards, we were starving, so our friends led us to a kebab joint around the corner that was delish! I cleaned my plate so quickly, as if I hadn't eaten in days! The night was young, and we all wanted to go out. Again, the guys led us to some random bar where we all drank fro free. We drank, and went to another bar closeby, where we drank for free again! It pays to befriend the locals! The second bar was more enjoyable, as there was a Halloween party going on and the music was danceable (if that is a word). By the time we left the bar, I was a little bit "happy" and ready to go home. We walked around aimlessly for a while looking for the night buses. It was freezing, and it soon began to rain. I grew irritable as my hair, clothes, and exposed feet were getting wet. My umbrella had broken earlier that night. Fail. We managed to finally make it home and I went to sleep wet from the horrible rain, with the hope of waking up in the morning to go to the famous Rastro (like a flea market, only not as janky).
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