Adiós for Now, Daylight Savings...

The other evening I was out and about taking care of a couple of appointments and running various errands.  With the combination of having a few hours between said appointments and having had the rear blinky light stolen off my bike (which means I don't ride after dark), I was able to make my way slowly enough through the city center to appreciate some of the neat nighttime scenes.  Enjoy :)

Mounted police officers hanging out as people pass through Plaza Mayor

A couple of statues, and their dog, standing guard over Plaza de la Provincia

A snack vendor near the Reina Sofia Museum takes a break
from her TV show to chat with a passerby

Metro Alonso Martínez

Día de Todos los Santos y Huesitos

Last night I was out and about in the city center with one of my language exchange partners.  She enjoys photography, and I do as well, so we occasionally hunt down various exhibitions and go check them out together.  Telefónica (the largest telecommunications company in Spain) has a four floor exhibition area in their building on Grand Via, so we headed down there to see what they had for photography.  We enjoyed browsing around, but after getting kicked out due to closing time, decided to visit a nearby bakery for a snack and to escape from the brisk-ish weather.  And that is where we discovered these little guys :).

Huesitos (little bones) - each one is as long as two quarters laid side-by-side.

Now, Halloween is a relatively new thing for Spain, but All Saints Day (Día de Todos los Santos) is on November 1 and is a national holiday.  The huesitos (also known as hueso de santo - saint's bones) are a typical pastry for this holiday.  They're made of marzipan, stuffed with various flavorings (creme, egg yolk, raspberry, hazelnut, etc.), and covered with glaze.  I ended up buying a small box of them to share with my roommates, but my language exchange partner and I had to try a couple first :).  They're a little too sweet for me on their own, but are really good when enjoyed with a cup of tea or coffee :).

Plaza de Cibeles

Yesterday I was out wandering around Madrid with a language exchange partner.  We were near Plaza de Cibeles when I remembered that I had heard you can go inside the Palacio de Comunicaciones and get some pretty neat views from above.  Turns out there are also various floors of different exhibitions, so we spent some time checking those out.  Gotta love it when you can discover new things about a city with someone who has lived in it their whole life :).

No Hot Water = Difference in Perspective

Last Saturday the water heater broke in our apartment.  If you've ever experienced something like that, you know quite well how not fun it is.  The technician came and fixed it on Tuesday, but I was ready for a hot shower prior to that :).

As such, I decided to turn lemons into lemonade and tracked down an inexpensive hostel with a private bathroom.  It also had the bonus of a terraza facing northwest. So, I enjoyed watching the sun set over the city and thought I'd share a little bit of the view with you.

Some teenagers have taken over the rooftop of an abandoned building
near Plaza de España, so they were watching the sun set also.

Those are actually clouds, I didn't notice until later that it kind of looks like smoke
coming from that building.

The Royal Palace at Sunset

Cuisine

As someone who loves to cook and try new foods, I find Spain to be incredibly captivating.  A couple of weeks ago, I ran into these postcards which list some classic Spanish foods.  So, I bought them as a little bit of a personal challenge since I haven't tried all of them yet :).

There's quite a list here, so I'm going to decline the opportunity to explain them all at this time.  If there are a few that you're really interested in, mention them in the comments and I'll explain them in a future blog post.  Ok?  Neat.

Back in Madrid, Part II

After arriving in Madrid at midnight-ish last Thursday (the plane left Frankfurt late), waiting for my luggage to appear on the belt of the baggage claim, a 45 minute-ish ride on the Metro, I got back to the apartment at 1:30-ish AM.  I immediately threw the windows open (no a/c), watered the plants, and checked my email.  I mean, what else would I be doing at 1:30, closer to 2:00, in the morning? :)

One of our neighbors had been taking care of the plants while we were gone, and I found an email from him in my inbox.  He was warning me about the "ola de calooooooor" (heat wave) coming last weekend (which we're still experiencing), and wondering when I would be back in town.  I told him that I was back and that I could take care of the plants again.

It's interesting to think that, around the world, one of the first conversation items you get is the weather. I follow a Spanish blog (caminandopormadrid.blogspot.com) occasionally and one of the entries from earlier in the summer mentioned that there's a saying about the weather in Madrid:  "Madrid, nueve meses de invierno y tres de infierno."  Nine months of winter and three of hell.  Hahaha!  It cracks me up - winter isn't that bad here - c'mon I'm from Nebraska!  But I'll agree that it's pretty warm in the summer :).

Anyways, back to discussions about the weather - with Europeans, temperature discussions are in degrees Celsius.  It's initially pretty funny to hear someone complaining about how hot it is at 40°.  I'm still trying to learn this, so here's a handy chart for all of us.

• 0° C     =   32° F (that one's pretty easy, right?  I think I learned it in kindergarten.)
• 10° C   =   50° F
• 20° C   =   68° F
• 30° C   =   86° F
• 40° C   =   104° F (May not need to go much higher...  Well, one more.)
• 176.666666666666667° C   =   350° F  (typical temperature to bake something, figured it would be interesting to share!)

Well, it's about dinner time, so I'll leave you with a few pictures from Germany.  Until later!

Calle del Arenal on Saturday Afternoon

Back in Madrid!

After two neat months of home assignment back in the states, I have returned to Madrid!

Technically I've been here almost a week (and just missed some excitement outside our apartment by only a few hours - so bummed!) but it's taken until the last couple of days for my system to start clearing up from jetlag.  And, it's kind of difficult to feel like you're fully present when your brain isn't at 100%.  I imagine the adjustment period has been fairly entertaining for anyone I've been around.  If nothing else, some of it has entertained me quite a bit!

- I've been wanting to refer to everything in dollars instead of euros.  And when Erin and I were digging through some apartment finances, I finally just deferred all of the difficult calculations (such as addition) to her because I was off pretty dramatically.  She would probably be gracious and let me blame the calculator on my iPad :).

- I don't know how many people I've literally run into on the street (there's a few more people here than in Nebraska, even though it's August).  Then I've automatically said "excuse me" in English instead of Spanish.

- Try speaking Spanish on jetlag brain sometime!  I've mixed up masculine and feminine (Qué loca la semana pasada  -->  Qué loco la semana pasado), used past tenses incorrectly, and more than once have chosen the wrong word completely.  In class the other day, Jenee and I started to discuss the rail strike but I was using "huerta" (vegetable garden) rather than "huelga" (strike).  These things happen sometimes without jetlag, just not quite as frequently :).  At least they make for good stories!


I am glad to be back in Madrid though and it's been nice to have the whole team together for a little while.  We had beautiful weather on Wednesday evening when we went to Retiro Park for an updated team picture, and it was pretty great to stroll through the park and spend some time together.  Many of you have seen these photos on Facebook (Team Madrid page), but here they are for those of you who haven't yet :).

We'll head to Germany on Tuesday for a week(ish) at Avant's All Europe conference, after which Erin and the Harmons will travel to the US on home assignment while Blake, Nick, and I return to Madrid and take hold of the reins for a few weeks.  It'll be strange to have the team split like that, but we all have plenty to do so no worries :).

Rejones (Bullfights on Horseback)

One day about a month or two ago, my tutor and I were chatting about bullfighting here in Spain.  I told him I wasn't really interested in seeing one, but he thought that since I like horses I might enjoy seeing one in which the bullfighter (rejoneador) is on horseback.  We watched a few videos and later, after some more thought, I bought tickets for May 12.  I was excited/nervous going into it, but the best of the best come to Madrid during the San Isidro festival so it seemed like a good time to go.

I really enjoyed watching the horses and the riders - they were incredible.  But, I could have lived without seeing the bulls go through the process of being killed though, you know?  So, I left the ring with mixed emotions, given the opportunity I would probably go again though.

If you would like to see some of the highlights, check out this video on Canal Plus.  My opinion is that there's not anything particularly shocking in there, but it is a bullfight, so think that over before viewing.  There were three rejoneadores, and each one fought two bulls over the course of the evening.  The biggest honor for a bullfighter is to be carried through the Puerta Grande (big door) after the fights.  Two of them were honored as such on Saturday night, the first ones of the San Isidro festival.

This can be a big topic in Spain as there are three viewpoints to it:  those who love the tradition and alleged beauty of the contest, those who hate the alleged cruelty, and that who don't really care either way.  So, it has served for some interesting discussions.

Las Ventas bullfighting ring

A few of the horses getting ready.

They sold out of tickets.  There are a month's worth of bullfights during the San Isidro festival.
Only two of those are rejones, so apparently they're pretty popular?

It's amazing how these horses will go face to face with those bulls...

I mean, can you believe that?  Any horse I've been on will cheerfully get away from bulls
as quickly as possible.

When a bullfighter does a really good job, the crowd
waves white scarves (or something white) and he can be awarded
either one or both of the bull's ears.  Then he basically
takes a victory lap and people throw flowers, scarves, fans, hats, etc.

Everyone heading out on the town afterwards.

Volunteer Plants

I decided not to buy any plants this spring since I'll be in the U.S. on home assignment for a decent sized chunk of the summer.  But, I am finding it exciting that a few from last year decided to come back!

Baby mint plants!!!

Orange flowers

Clear Skies

So, it pretty much rained the whole month of April.  Then we had kind of a transition type of week as far as weather goes, but the clouds have mostly receded and the temperatures are climbing.  Tough to believe that over the course of about a week ago I went from wearing layers and shivering pitifully to sweating and trying to stay in the shade :).

You never know what will happen when buying groceries

About a week and a half ago I was out purchasing some groceries when I noticed that there were a lot of police around diverting traffic and such.  That, of course, caused me to wonder what was going on.  It was kind of a strange time of day for a strike, so I didn't think that was it.  Regardless, I decided to continue my grocery shopping while keeping an eye out.  So, I continued on to the pollería (the store where you buy all kinds of poultry meat).  After I left, I heard music nearby, so I had to investigate.

There was a drumline marching through the neighborhood.  Honestly.  This city is crazy sometimes, which is one of the reasons I love it :).

So close!

We are in the midst of holidays here in Madrid.  Yesterday was Labor Day and today is May 2 (Dos de Mayo).  Today is significant in Madrid because on May 2, 1808 the people rose up against the French forces that were occupying the city.  I'll let you read the history of that here on Wikipedia, if you would like :).

Also kind of amazing is that in one month, I'll be on a plane headed to the U.S. for home assignment!  That came quick, didn't it?  I'm really, really excited to see everyone and I have been working on a list of places I want to eat at (no one is surprised by that right?), but I actually think it will be tough to be away from Madrid for eight weeks.  On one hand, that's an encouraging place to be at, on the other hand - it's real strange to think that living here is basically my new normal, and I kind of like it.

So, I'll be doing my best to make the most of the next month :).  Here's what's coming up!

• We have a new strategic plan for the next six months, so it will be neat to see how God works through that!
• On Thursday, I get to have a root canal.  That's not fun obviously, and I'm a bit irritated that it couldn't have waited until I got home and could go to my own dentist.  But, these things are best taken care of right away.  So, would appreciate your prayers as I'm kind of nervous.  And since my dentist usually reads this blog :) and might be wondering, it's the upper left incisor - number 10, I think...  I'll come in for a cleaning when I'm in Lincoln so you can check out the Spanish dental work :).
• If the weather is good this weekend (it's been chilly and raining recently), one of my language partners and I are going to check out the climbing wall on campus.  I got to climb a little when I was in Málaga (pics below), and really enjoyed it.  So, there's a few of us on the team that might try and plug into the climbing community here.
• And my birthday is next Friday!  Hmm, I should think about how to celebrate that...
• On May 12, I'll head to my first bullfight.  It's actually a rejón, which is when the bullfighter is on horseback.  I'm not sure what I'll think about this, but my tutor was telling me about it and allegedly the best bullfighters are in Madrid during the festival of San Isidro, so it's as a good a time as any to check it out.  Vamos a ver (we'll see).
• On May 20, I'm going to a sushi making class!  One of my language exchange partners likes to cook, so we exchange recipes from time to time.  But, I'm always looking for more 'foodies' to hang out with.
• June 2 - fly to Denver and give my folks a huge hug :).

Huelga General (General Strike)

After living in the center of the capital city of Spain for over a year now, we're pretty used to seeing protests and hearing about strikes.  Today is a quite a bit different though because it's a country wide general strike.  There's an interesting article on it online at El Pais.

For the record, our team is not on strike :).  But there are a few noticeable differences between today and "normal life."  

• The garbage hasn't been collected, so there's trash all over the streets and plazas.
• The majority of businesses are closed, even some that are independently owned.
• There's been some obnoxiousness:  smashed glass, spray painted ATMs, stickers plastered on the windows of stores that did decide to open, etc.
• Transportation services (bus, metro) are running at reduced levels.

After us gals met for bible study this morning, Jenee and I headed out to find a cafe that was open and had WIFI.  The first place we tried was closed, so we started down the street only to see a line of police vans drive by.  Then we noticed that one of the helicopters was holding a pretty steady position over the area, which we found a little disconcerting. (I've checked the news since then and there was a demonstration on Grand Via, which is really close to here.  So, that's what that was about.)

"We're on strike, sorry for the inconvenience."

We headed down another street toward a second place, and discovered a crowd waving flags, wearing stickers, and chanting "Hu-el-gaa, Hu-el-gaa."  So, we watched that for a bit before turning around toward a cafe a little more off the beaten path.

UGT = Unión General de Trabajadores
General Workers Union

News trucks parked near UGT Headquarters.

The third try was a success and we were pretty thankful to find an open cafe that was nice and quiet.  What a crazy morning :).

If you're interested in seeing more pictures of the strike, 20Minutos has a good sized collection going.

La Luna!

I was walking back from meeting with a language exchange partner tonight when I noticed the moon (la luna) hanging out up there!  Kind of adds a sweet element to this picture doesn't it?

Camarera + Cantante

It turns out that the camarera (waitress) at the cafe I frequent (and use as my office) is actually a cantante (singer) as well!  How neat is that?  She invited me to her show last week, so Erin and I went to check it out.   It was fun - she can really sing!

I congratulated her on her show the next day and was able to hang out for a bit and chat, which was really encouraging.  I'm not quite quick enough with the Spanish yet to get a ton of thoughtful opinions into a fast flowing conversation, but I can interject a few :).  Gotta celebrate those small victories!  Getting there :).

I noticed this homemade bird house hanging on one of the trees in the plaza near our apartment when I was going to meet up with one of my language exchange partners on Friday.  Looks like it's made out of a juice carton - in case you were curious as to what juice cartons look like in Spain.  I didn't see it when I walked through there today, but to be fair - I was pretty focused on going to the park with Jenee and Sam :).

Edificio Metrópolis

Mercado (Market) Day

One of my favorite things about Madrid is/are (idk - English grammar isn't a high priority for me these days) the markets.  Saturday morning is my 'explore the market fun time' of the week.  Sometimes I decide to be really adventurous, sometimes I just buy normal stuff, and sometimes I just wander around and enjoy looking at things.

I've been wanting to try a new recipe for beef barley stew.  So, my mission this morning was to find reasonably priced stew meat.  I ended up at my usual butcher and took a number.  While I was waiting, I listened to pieces of the various conversations happening around me and watched the butchers fill orders since I find that incredibly interesting.

The mercado knife sharpener (afilador), Luis, saw me waiting and came over to say hi, so we chatted a bit.  He gave me a hard time about always coming to the market when the lines are long and we joked about that a little.  Then he asked me what I needed to get, so I showed him my list.  Then he gave me a hard time about it being in English.  I laughed and told him he had a good point.  Might as well write my future lists in Spanish - why not?

Anyways, they called my number and I ordered a half kilo of pork chops, and a kilo of stew meat.  So, I'll tackle that stew recipe tomorrow.  But for now, I'm going to download some Spanish podcasts then go explore an area of the city that my language exchange partner showed me last night.  Looked like there were some interesting places to discover!

The butcher slicing my pork chops.  Good job guy!

Typical Breakfast

One of the ways we're trying to meet people and become part of the neighborhood is by being regulars at various places.  I searched for a while before finding a couple of cafes that like to go in the mornings to study and work.  I usually get a cup of tea or a cafe con leche (coffee with milk), and then for another 50 cents or so I can get something for breakfast.

Here's my usual at this cafe - pan con tomate y aceite (bread/toast with tomato and olive oil).  I should probably switch it up sometime.  But I am absolutely and without doubt not a morning person, so my adventurous nature usually hasn't kicked in enough for me to change my order and try something new :).

Step 1.  Drizzle some lovely olive oil on the toast.

Step 2.  Spread fresh tomato and sprinkle with a little salt.

Step 3.  Enjoy and continue studying.

Calle Mayor

Watching the people walk by during a break in training.