Library

Became a member of La Biblioteca Nacional on Monday. Very formal process -- had to leave everything but my passport in a little locked cubby, then speak with the information desk about the different types of membership, then fill out a form with all my information (I was proud that I actually remembered my Spanish address!), get my photo taken and was finally given a card. Sort of like getting a passport. I'm assuming the process was so lengthy because it's the National Library and usually people only come here if they need to research something really important or so.

Once I had my card, I perused the collections on display. They had a cool little room with a tiny book by Petrach, another tiny book with pictures used by the missionaries in South America to educate/convert the natives. There were also two beautiful notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci with sketches of machines and his backwards handwriting!

Next I checked out the computer room -- I was definitely the youngest person. All PCs, to my disappointment. I think the library gives computer classes (mostly for older people) here.

Took a peek at the adjacent hallway and discovered it was filled with card catalogs! I'd never seen all those rows and columns of tiny drawers with the little cards, all arranged alphabetically, but it was so much fun to browse through and see what they have in the library! Obviously the collection is enormous. I just looked in a few of the drawers -- like animals, Granada,  medicine -- but I'd have liked to stay longer.

Lastly, went to take a look at the giant, dark-wood-paneled reading room. Needed to request a "pupitre" (desk) in advance, which I definitely didn't want to do, so I just looked in, trying not to be too awkward and trying not to disturb all the intently studying researchers. Anyway, now I'm an international library card holder!

Time for a change in continent -- ¡Vamos a Marruecos!

Friday Feb. 11 2011

Flight from Madrid to Marrakech, Morocco on Ryanair. Wow, they really embrace the "dirt cheap, no-frills" ambiance haha. Morocco looks hot and desert-y from the sky, and we approached Marrakech, saw lots of olive tree groves and irrigated green spaces. When we got off the plan, we were greeted by strong sun and a gentle breeze rustling the palm trees. Feels like summer. Exchanged dollars to dirhams. The first cash exchange point in the airport ran out of dirhams so we were hastily redirected to a different counter.

Took a bus to  Djemaa el-Fna -- the giant main plaza in Medina, the Old city (outlined by a big wall). The name Djemaa el-Fna actually means "assembly of the dead" because originally (since 1050)  it was used for public executions. But it's anything but dead. There are so many carts with dates, nuts, apricots, orange juice (4 dh for a glass--delicious!). Musicians, monkeys, incense vendors -- everyone gathers in this square! In the evening, storytellers, street food "restaurants" and fortune tellers draw more crowds at night. We dodged the donkey carts and trudged with our luggage to the green canopy of Cafe Argana, as directed. Leaving the square, we entered the Derbs (= winding alleys, "urban labyrinth." There are some 3000 of them here!  Thanks to a paragraph of detailed instructions printed off the hostel website, we found "Equity point" -- our oasis of a hostel amidst the tiny winding shopping streets.

These were the directions we followed:
"Facing the cafe, take the street immediately to the left. Very soon you willget to an open space. Cross this taking the street on your left under the archway. Pass through the arch and you'll be in Mouassine street. This is a fairly wide street (for the Medina standards), with shops left and right. Walk straight down this street. Soon on your right you'll see a small corner shop called 'Fnaque Berber' followed by another arch, walk directly through it. After approximately 100 meters you'll get to a small open space (or a place where the street widens), once you enter this area you will find a small arch behind and to your right. This is a slight u-turn but do not worry as our street starts there! You can read its name at the top of the arch: 'Derb Laghnaiz Lamouassine'. Pass through the arch and walk down three steps. You're almost there. This street has no shops and in most parts is roofed. Walk and don't leave the wall on your left. After 50-60 meters of walking down this winding street, you'll find a door with our name on it: 'Equity Point'. Welcome!!"

Annie and I settled in our room -- a giant open space we shared with 6 other people. Our two beds we located under a tent-like canopy -- feels very Saharan haha. Then we went out to the streets to explore and find Jonathon, Adam and Ashley. Had some delicious tea from one of the vendors in the market. They offered 10 dh for the tea but I used my bartering skillzz to get 2 glasses of hot, extremely sweet mint tea for me and Jonathon for only 4 dh. Small victories.

Later, ran into Xavier, Britanny and John also at the main square. Got dinner on the square at one of the many food stalls -- they all tried to lure us in with offers in many languages. Had to roll my eyes when I heard one vendor call out "it's finger-lickin' good" in an attempt at an American accent and switch over to "it's bloody delicious, mate" with a British/Australian accent. Then they'd try speaking Spanish to Xavier and French to Brittany -- so confusing! Anyway, our dinner was delicious: genuine Moroccan Chickpea Soup (Castilleja's dining hall does a good job, I must say!), BBQd eggplant, tomato salsa, bread, spinach with olives and a vegetable tangine (a little oily but very flavorful). Enjoyed watching everything and everyone moving around us -- cooks, tourists, vendors, OJ squeezers, photographers, everyone haha. Went back to the hostel afterwards for dessert and lively conversation on the hostel rooftop with a sparkling view of the city.

Saturday Feb. 12 2011
Woke up early with the muezzin call. Actually heard the muezzin call for prayer (adhan) from the many towers around the city. Prayer happens 5 times each day. The big tower (our navigation landmark) is called Koutoubia Minaret and was built in the 12th century. It's name actually means "booksellers"  because when the tower was built, there were some 100 booksellers around the tower's base. Has scalloped keystone arches and inspired La Giralda in Seville among others. On top of the tower are three golden balls (now they're copper, but the originals were gold and supposedly given by the sultan's mother in attempt to redeem herself after having eaten during Ramadan). Funny thing about this tower, the original one was built just a little off it's required orientation (to Mecca) so the more pious rulers razed it and built a new one. The excavated remains of the foundation of the old one are on display just a few meters to the side of the existing building. Tried to enter the mosque, but weren't allowed in.

Anyway, had breakfast at the hostel: beghir = spongey pancakes, orange juice and coffee. Then Annie and I set off to explore. Marrakech is also known as "The Pink City." 40% of Moroccans live below the poverty line and it was evident on our morning walk. First visited Bahia Palace. Wood carved ceilings. Beautiful blue, green, white, orange and black tiles. Like the Alhambra but we went early so had it all to ourselves! So peaceful and tranquil. If I could design my own house and garden, it'd be something like this. La Bahia means "the beautiful." Palace construction began in the 1860s by Grand Vizier Si Moussa and then it was embellished by Abu Ahmed. So much intricate paint work, carving, woodwork, inlay. The French colonists also used the palace in the early 20th century. I love how you can get lost in the winding corridors and little rooms of these palaces. The longer and more winding the path to your host, the more important he is. Reminds me of the idea that the destination seems all the more wonderful after a long journey.

Next we wandered through the spice markets -- so many beautiful, colorful, pointed cones of spices! Cardamon, cinnamon, saffron and so many others I can't even name. Stopped at a café for a midmorning snack. Drank delicious banana juice; Annie had avocado juice!  Heard shouts of "Balek" = move it, donkey coming through. Exited the old city and came up the Nouvelle Ville, which was built in 1912 for the French colonial elites. This is where the Marrakshi upper-middle class hang out. Cyberpark = a royal garden from the early 18th century which now has free wifi! Lots of orange trees and palm trees.

The sun was high by the time we arrived at Jardin Mejorelle. These gardens were adopted and restored by Yves St. Laurent. YSL called Morocco his "adopted country" and second home after he arrived here in 1966. In fact, he often said "the city taught me color." In 1980 YSL bought the garden that had once belonged to landscape painter Jacques Majorelle. Majorelle had acquired an extensive collection of cacti, plants representing five different continents in his garden and added lots of bold colors (bougainvillea, goldfish, flowering cactus) in 1924. I loved the abundance of colbalt blue, especially right alongside the silvery-green cacti and yellow accents. YSL actually gave the gardens to the city I believe.... Anyway, we enjoyed the shade and the coolness of the colors. There was a beautiful exhibit of Yves St. Laurent's "Love" collages -- he made them and sent them to his friends for the New Year.

There was an excellent little exhibit of Moroccan-inspired fashion by YSL. My favorites:
-Fuschia bougainvillea embroidered cape, 1989
-Black organza dress with gold sequins -- sort of looked like a very elegant Halloween Harry Potter costume haha, 1990
-Yellow, red and pink crepe dress, 1991 -- lovely little capped sleeves. There was another similar dress that looked almost kimono-like too
-Blue green cardigan with crocodile-style embroidery, 1986
** my favorite: "Iridescent Neptune blue chiffon cape with Lichen and Moss-green chiffon dress" 1985 -- love the names of the colors in and of themselves haha

Lunch at a place that didn't hassle us. I was glad to have the peace and quiet.

Afterwards, wandered through the Souqs = covered market streets. Annie and I got a little lost in them as we meandered back from the Majorelle gardens. All the men call out to Annie "Japan" or "konichiwa." The vendors like to try to get you to laugh so they'll make all kind of jokes. Mint tea = "Berber whiskey." We saw lots of leather workers -- actually making shoes from skins that still looked by cows.

Passes by many Riads (Riad = mud-brick courtyard mansion) in the heat of midday. Enjoyed tea with a Moroccan couple at the same tea place in the main plaza. We had mint tea while they had some sort of rosemary brew. They shared salted, dried chickpeas and walnuts with us as a snack. The wife looked to be in her mid-20s while the man must have been at least 45 or 50. He did all the talking -- in French -- asking if we were married and if Annie was from China. Realized hand signals in Morocco are very different from the ones we're used to (I think rubbing two forefingers side by side means to walk?).

Next went to Musée de Marrakech. Saw all kinds of traditional pottery (clay is mixed by foot) and swords. The inner courtyard was beautiful and splendid, filled with leafy plants. Sampled a coconut cookie off the street for 2 dr. Also visited Ali Ben Youssef Medersa (Quranic School) which was founded in 14th century and used to be the biggest in North Africa. It had up to 900 students at a time living here (all sharing one bathroom) -- they had tiny little dorm rooms! Annie and I had fun with our cameras, the afternoon sunlight and al the mashrabiyya (wooden-lattice screen) balconies. The tiled mosaics (zellij) were beautiful.

After a full day of walking, I decided I wanted to spend my last dirhams on a foot massage. Went in search all over the city for a relatively cheap foot massage. Found one for 30 minutes for 100 dh and it felt fantastic after walking around all day! Hammam massages (mud massage) are very common here too though -- we saw them advertised all over the city.

Then met up with Logan at the hostel to go get OJ and then dinner at stall #25. Tangines, eggplant, soup, bread, vegetables and kebabs.

Dessert at Café Agrana. This is where locals come to watch over the square -- brilliantly lit up and busting with people at night. We split a plate of Moroccan pastries -- attempting to guess what kind of dried fruit or nut was featured in each of the seven we received. I like the wonton-shaped almond-rose flavored best. Definitely also tasted fig, cashew, sesame, date, walnuts and pistachio.

Bed at 10pm -- so exhausted.

Sunday 13 february
Woke up breakfast, packed up, last stop for tea, Annie got a henna tattoo and then we boarded our bus to the airport. Picked up a few more Moroccan pastries for the road! Returned to cold weather in Madrid -- maybe it just felt colder because I'd been so warm all weekend haha. but it was good to walk through Buen Retiro, admiring the new colorful "Torres del Alhambra" that were installed in the park over the weekend.

Thursday: ART!!

Jueves 10 de febrero

Running through Retiro -- I love listening to the accordion when I run past the St. Florida gate. Met up with Isabel (and her very cultured tour guests) at 12 at the Goya gate of the Prado. First we went to the the Adán y Eva by Durer -- the same one I'd just written an essay about yesterday for Mujeres en artes! Isabel talked about how Durer intended to display the beauty of the naked human body. Only their natural beauty could justify the fact that these figures were unclothed. Durer's Adam resembles Apollo while Eve resembles Venus. We also took time to study how the paintings had been restored. The Eve painting was completed on 3 wooden panels while Adam has 4. For this reason, Adam was in much worse shape than Eve a few years ago (all the cracks  between the panels caused paint to chip). The museum undertook a very intensive restoration effort to get the paintings back into tip-top shape.

Next we went into a room of 15th century Spanish paintings. Isabel is an *excellent* tour guide -- I learned so much from her even though I definitely didn't catch everything she said (guided tour was in Spanish). She talked about how Spain's "Renaissance" period is very short -- especially in comparison to Italy's. Spain has a lot of great works from the Medieval Period and several grand masters in the Baroque period, so the Spanish Renaissance period was a bit overshadowed and passed rather quickly. We saw the influence of the 15th century Flemish artists (Van Eyck, Van der Weyden) in the detailed minutia (eg. words of book appear to be magnified -- they're larger under the eyeglasses) and the depiction of the monsters and demons of hell (think Den Bosch). The Spanish Renaissance painters try to incorporate some architectural perspective, but it's a little off -- the building arches look a little bent and rubbery. There were some fabulous depictions of Santiago (beheaded, being loaded into a boat, I think) and various saints. One guy's face had been painted with such detail, the stubble on his face actually looked as if it'd be rough to touch. I think it was by Bartolomé Bermejo. Another painting Isabel said was "politically incorrect" depicted a saint standing on a screaming Moor. Yikes. Each painting was filled with so much detail -- you could spend so much time looking at each one!

After Isabel took me to the famous Cerveceria Cervantes, just a few blocks from the Prado. It's also close to the government buildings so it's frequented by politicians too. We had mussels and olives with our cañas and then serrano ham sandwiches with tomato. There are all sorts of drawings and ceramics on the walls, and the place was filled with the afternoon sunlight.

After we stopped by a beautiful little exposición of 20th century Spanish sculpture. I liked the idea of the sculptures being "drawings in the air". Interesting little aerodynamic sculpture by Dalí (woman looked like a dolphin fin haha). There was a really cool piece by Picasso ("Femme Debout") in which there were hands/arms made of metal, but no legs. Instead, the shadow of the hands projected onto the surface beneath the sculpture -- so the feet were "created" by the shadow. The Pablo Gargalio "Jeune fille a la frange" beautiful and delicate too. There were some cool 3D engravings of views of the Buen Retiro (actually the view from the artist's house). Isabel knows something about all the artists and how they influence one another. Many of the Spanish artists put references to Spanish culture in their work (for ex. the bottle of tio pepe on the slanted table).

Next we went to a famous "pastelería-cafetería" called La Mallorquina right in the Puerta del Sol. Had a quick coffee and little square cream pastry before dashing off to Plaza San Martín for 2:30 tour of the Jardines Impresionistas at Caja Madrid.

Fantastic exhibit!! It's an extension of the one in the Thyssen right now. First floor had mostly French artists: Pissarro's painting of Henri IV statue in Paris (beautiful subdued colors of autumn). There were paintings of exotic flowers -- chrysanthemums and dhalias  (having exotic flowers in your garden was a sign/symbol of modernity and culture). Isabel knew so much about the back stories of each painting too. For example, one painting called "undergrowth" by Vincent Van Gogh depicted the undergrowth of the foresty gardens of the mental hospital where he was interned. He wrote in his letters to Theo that the undergrowth reminded him of the sickness in his mind and how persistently it grew back. Another good back story: one of the artists painted his three daughters and an empty chair on the far right. Isabel informed us that the painter's wife had died giving birth to the youngest daughter -- the3 girls and the chair thus represented the entire family, the mother/wife still very present in their lives.

I loved the Sorolla paintings, once again. Many of the painters kept gardens of their own, and they felt strong pride in their work as gardeners. Sorolla painted his garden (I recognized it!) as well as the garden chair he would sit in. Monet said the work he was most proud of was his garden. We saw a great painting of the pond in his garden -- horizontal lines of the lily pads contrasted the vertical lines of the willow tree -- definitely towards the end of his career as his eyesight deteriorated. Isabel said Monet painted this, in part, by smelling the garden -- he knew the location of the plants by the scents he experienced while painting. What an interesting way to paint! So resourceful of Monet haha

Gustav Klimt was represented by 3 paintings as well. Interestingly, they looked flat when looked at head on, but from the 2nd floor, looking down at the paintings, they had profound depth! I actually preferred these garden paintings of his (especially La Casa del guardabosques) to those gold figures he painted so often later on. Saw a couple of Renoir paintings. Renoir also had a garden, and he painted one portrait of his gardener (who was the same age as the artist) and to him, it was somewhat of a self-portrait. I think Renoir and Cezanne were probably my two favorite painters here...

The exhibition highlighted three contrasting dimensions in the gardens represented in these paintings: the city garden vs. country garden, the public garden (eg. Luxembourg gardens of Paris) vs. the private gardens (there were several of girls reading, sewing, siestaing in the shade -- the shade and shadow always seems to indicate privacy), and finally thr decorative garden vs. the productive garden. Pissarro especially liked painting the productive gardens -- reflects his own collectivist political beliefs too and his faith in a agricultural workers' revolution.

There were some Americans and Scandinavians upstairs too. Mary Cassat's "Summer" painting of the 2 girls in the boat. The Americans tended to paint on on much bigger canvases than the Europeans -- so typical haha. One Scandinavian painted a garden covered in snow -- didn't look like a garden but I guess it was one! Often there were portraits of people in a garden-- sometimes artists gazing out into the garden, perhaps thinking about what aspect of the garden to paint? There was an odd one of a young mother pushing her daughter in a baby pram. She was looking at her daughter while the daughter looked at a doll. Behind them was a ball, discarded. Apparently this artist believed strongly in stages and progression of play or something. So the fact that the daughter had abandoned the ball and moved on to playing with the doll was symbolic of reaching some developmental milestone. Another way to look at the painting was to consider that the young mother depicted was pregnant with her second child -- was she choosing which child to focus her attention on? Is a picture about playing favorites with your children? Not sure...

Anyway, fabulous exhibit, and I'm so grateful to Isabel for letting me tag along! Next took metro home, finished Spanish homework, went to Spanish, talked about renting "pisos" (flats) walked home, dinner (fish in yellow sauce, potatoes, salad, pear) and news. Massive picture upload -- they're all up on facebook now!

Paris! And the Aftermath

Weekend in Paris

Friday afternoon.
Took metro and bus to the airport. Airplane left Madrid at 3:30pm; once we arrived in Paris we took the RER train to Chatelet-Les Halles and then walked around to find our MIJE hostel, near Hotel de VIlle. The MIJE hostels (there are 3) all used to be mansions or big houses of wealthy people hundreds of years ago (they are OLD buildings). MIJE fixed them up and preserves these historic houses, and obviously rents out the rooms. Walked past the actual Hotel de Ville --it's all lit up and sparkly with an ice skating rink in front. Paris is not as cold as I expected, which is nice. Annie and I went out for dinner at one of the nearby cafés (we're in the Mairet sp? district, which is one of the oldest in Paris -- used to be marshland!). The café was actually somewhat lounge-like, packed with people, full of music and dimly lit. We had a funny waiter who was very excited about his upcoming trip to Miami... The french bread was delicious; I had a Chevre Chaud salad (with honey)and Annie went for the foie gras. We let the waitress recommend a French wine for each of us (I got a red from Cote du Rhone because I recognized the name haha). After dinner, went back to the hostel to meet Rachel at 10 and had fun sneaking up on her from behind! When we tried to bring her up to the hostel, the security guard was very strict and said no. Then we made a poor life choice -- tried to run up the stairs with Rachel when he wasn't looking. Of course, he caught us and scolded us in French (I didn't understand it but Rachel seemed to appease him). It was an amusing start to the weekend haha! Rachel and I went to stand outside while Annie and Miriam got ready. The security guard then came outside to try to tell us he was a nice guy after all and that we should come out of the cold.

Anyway, we left the MIJE around 10:30 and walked along the Seine and then past Notre Dame to get to the neighborhood near the Odéon metro stop. Went to Bar Dix and met up with some of the other Stanford-in-Paris kids (Anneke, Merissa I knew from before). It was so crowded though so we went downstairs, underground, to get sangria (I know, we'd just left Spain, but this place is known for its sangria and it was delicious!) Talked to some Parisians and caught up with Rachel. Then we took the metro (barging through, 4 at a time) to Champs-Elysees to go to a club called Showcase. It was a really cool place -- under one of the bridges, right along the Seine. The whole Madrid gang was going there too, so there must have been at least 30 Stanford kids that night. Lots of electronic techno music and the place was packed--I loved how the pillars of the bridge were just part of the decor. Stayed until 3am when we took a taxi back to the MIJE (again, so grateful for Rachel and her excellent French skills). Went right to sleep!

Saturday 5 de febrero
Woke up at 9:30am just in time for the MIJE breakfast, which closed at 10. It was the largest breakfast I've had in while (bc Spaniards eat so simply in the morning!) -- yogurt, bread, apple tart, orange juice and tea. Then we went walking along the Seine in the daylight to the Louvre. Passed through several monumental Gothic towers and churches. Meandered through the big Louvre plazas and the glass pyramids at the main entrance. Lots of Scottish people were dressed in kilts, doing various dares around the fountains. Curious indeed! Met Rachel at the fountains and walked over to the mini Arc de Triomphe and the beautiful gardens around the Tuileries. Then we regrouped with Annie and Miriam to walk to the St. Germaine district. SO many cool art galleries and elegant cafés. There was a funny one by a transgender artist -- all sorts of inverted gender norms and meanings using objects ranging from Kinder Surprise chocolate eggs to lipstick,  and Tolberone boxes to soccer balls. Went by one old café which was frequented by Voltaire. Also walked through several covered pedestrian streets and the doorway where the guillotine doctor lived during the French Revolution! Stopped for crepes at a cozy little restaurant nearby -- I got my chevre cheese again. Then went to the patisserie Paul for desserts -- blueberry tart and an apple pastry, which we enjoyed in the Louxembourg Gardens. The fountains and statues strike me as more delicate and more floral than the Madrid ones -- maybe the Madrid ones are just so massive it's hard to notice much beyond their sheer size! Sat in the famous green chairs (my forced me into extreme reclination! and watched the little children feed birds and drive their little boats in the fountain. So many people were out and about even though the day was quite grey.

After our desserts, Annie and Miriam went back to rest while Rachel, Wyles and I set off on a mission to find this "maker's exposition". We didn't know exactly what it'd be but eventually we found the giant exposition hall at Port du Versailles. It was part career-fair, part craft festival. Basically, a whole bunch of craftspeople were gathered in this hall to compete with one another in their specialized craft. There were welding competitions (we saw the final products -- they looked like chunky versions of the Eiffel Tower), car-painting competitions, car part assembly competitions, landscaping competitions (everyone was given a plan and the materials and it looked like judging was according to skill in grout-work or smoothness of sand, etc), hairstyling competitions (the manekin heads were creepy!) , horticulture competitions, macaron-making demonstrations, chocolate scultpure competitions, road pavement competitions, clothes-making, electric car-making, chiminey-making -- basically everything that could possibly require some sort of specialized knowledge had a competition. We managed to get free scarves (they look like Real Madrid scarves!) which say something about "World Skills" haha

After the expo, we zipped over to the Pompidou Centre for a dose of modern art (free for students!). First went to the contemporary section -- lots of "feminist" art and art about gender. There was a room called "Genital Panic" and a film which displayed the torso of a naked person hula-hooping with a hoop made out of barbed wire! So cringe-worthy... I liked the glass table whose supporting "legs" were 4 bicycle tires which could roll around. There was another room about disfigurement -- a very striking photo (huge) of an old, leathery face (cheek, nose and mouths) with a big scar and stitches at the base of the nostril. Also a series of disturbing films: one called "climbing around my room" -- the artist slithered around her wall and bookcases and shelves. Another featured a naked lady holding a chicken upside down... This combination of nudity, grotesqueness and incomprehensibility -- in so many different creative forms -- could only be found in a Parisian museum. On a different note, I really liked this one film which featured a cellist sitting on a cliff, surrounded by enormous mountains (maybe Swutzerland?). The film was called Echo -- she'd play a line of music and pause -- the echo of the music swelled in the space. It was really cool to see and hear how this one instrument had such a magnificent, enduring sound. We also saw all sorts of kitchen designs and appliances -- reminded me of remodeling. After we'd had our fill of the super modern stuff, we went upstairs to see the big blue canvas (brilliant color!), a cool colorful piece which displayed different patterns of colors depending on whether you looked at it from the front, left or right. Found s couple of Balthus paintings which threw me back to AP Art in Senior year at Castilleja and all my attempts to create eerily mysterious compositions with Anna and Laura as my models. Breezed by the Picassos and went towards the back room to see this piece which consisted of: a guitar string, a magnet that turned on and off (some sort of electrical current), and a metal pin dangling from a string. When the electricity turned on, the magnet pulled the metal pin towards the string, the pin hit the string a few times, causing virbations through the string, which sounded like someone was strumming the guitar. When the electrical current turned off, the pin (having been pulled towards the string) swung away and then back towards the string, creating more vibrations. There were two of these contraptions -- sometimes they would play in unison, other times not. I'd love to have them in my house -- so soothing, and they'd definitely be helpful for falling asleep, haha. Might be disturbing to people who hear them for the first time.... They actually reminded me of Japanese koto instruments. Also saw another machine which could only be started up every 7 minutes (Rachel pushed the foot pedal, unknowing that 2 German tourists had been waiting for a while to do it themselves haha) -- it made such a ruckus! Rachel was particularly happy to find a series of canvases (with paintings of bird wings or something) which also had the palettes used for each canvas displayed alongside the completed painting! We had just been talking a few minutes earlier about how a cool art exhibit would be to show the palettes of several different artists who had all been instructed to paint the same thing (with the same colors). Their palettes at the end of the day would all be so different and beautiful!

Finally, the last Pompidou exhibit we went to see was the Mondrian & De Stijl exhbit upstairs. (Actually, in the gift shop was a table like the coffee table we have at home with four platforms that slide out in 4 directions -- except it was a Mondrian table so each of the surfaces was a primary color!) I really liked seeing the progression of Mondrian's style. In the beginning, he used a very wide variety of colors and used recognizable figures and objects (like a tree in the center of a painting) to divide the canvas into blocks of color. Then the black dividing lines became more prominent and more geometrical, and colors became more pure. These paintings often looked like mazes. Finally we came to the black, white, grey, yellow, blue and red rectangles -- he made so many of them!! I liked seeing the replica of his studio -- it basically looked like a giant 3D version of one of his paintings. He was working inside his paintings, to a certain extent. At the end of the exhibit came a slough of drawings and building plans by artists inspired by Mondrian and the De Stijl movement -- plans for a city in the air, skylines in which certain building facades would have one whole face painted red or blue -- so the city version of a Mondrian painting. It was very cool.

After the Pompidou, we went scouting down Rue de Rivoli for dinner. Ended up at Rue de Archives at an organic bakery -salad place with a giant communal table. I got the Salade de Roquette but the waiter definitely screwed up my order (Rachel's too actually) and I ended up with the side salad version, which was good but meager. So afterwards went to Crepe Suzette for dessert -- I got a fabulous fresh crepe with freshly cooked apples. Rachel and Wyles got a crepe with flaming Gran Manier haha! It was a very cute little place -- supposed to be one of the best creperies in Paris. Afterwards though, so tired and so I went back to the hostel. Met our fourth roommate (a girl from Quebec) and went promptly to sleep.

domingo 6 de febrero
Woke up at 8 for breakfast (eavesdropped on the leaders of a British school group who were also staying in in the hostel -- they were deciding between the Louvre and the Musee D'Orsay). Then took the metro out to Port Dorée to the Vincennes park where I met up with Rachel and Wyles. We tried to rent bikes but the bike rental place wasn't open. Also tried to use the city bike system but it wouldn't take our money. So we walked around the lake, observing all the Parisian people out for a run that morning, greeting the swans who chased each other in the lake, exploring the little cave/grotto next to the lake. Found some very colorful, bundled people doing Tai Chi and another group doing martial arts. All sorts of people in this park.

Walking away from the lake, we reached a little petting zoo area and gardens. There was also a big carshow going on -- old cars and motorcycles and ladies with fabulously colorful fur coats! We stumbled upon a Giant Chateau -- de Vincennes or something. First visited the church (huge vaulted ceilings, Gothic design, rosette stained glass windows) -- it was built in the 15th century but was first used as an arsenal. Next we visited the giant towering Chateau. I liked the design -- four cyclinders bundled tightly. But the rooms were frigid and tiny! King Charles V worked in the studies. Some of the chapels had been used for prisoners at times -- their etched grafitti covered the walls. The latrines were interesting -- the urinals were square and we were only able to identify them because we found the little drainage hole on the side. After the Chateau, took metro back to the Mairait. The metros here are definitely older and a little more jerky than the metros in Madrid. As we disembarked the train, I almost tumbled over the lady at my left. Haha!

Walked down Rue de Rivoli (if I were to have a souvenir from my weekend in paris, it would probably be a road sign of Rue de Rivoli) to Dans Le Noir for lunch! Met up with Anneke & Chiar, put our coats and bags in the lockers and met our waiter (mondre? not sure how to spell it!). All of the waiters are blind. The food, we were informed, would be a surprise (after we ate, we'd be able to see a menu to see exactly what we'd tasted). Formed a congo-line/train and walked through the curtain into the pitch black room. The dining experience is supposed to replicate that of a blind person's. We sat around a table, I guess, it was a little hard to find my chair, I pulled it up close to the table to minimize the distance between me and my food haha. Once we were sitting, we talked to each other a lot, just trying to figure out how we were oriented, acting as a team to pass water around the table, fills our cups with water without overflowing them, locate forks and knives and napkins. We also tried to get an idea of who the other dining guests were. There were two other birthdays celebrated in the room --  they sang very loudly in French! We decided people sing more loudly when no one can tell who is singing haha. Then one of the French groups started singing "happy birthday" to Sonja! (our waiter would call us by name to give us our food, so they'd overheard my name a few times). We tried to correct the misinformed Frenchies and then they started singing happy birthday (with their funny French accents) to "Rachelle" -- very amusing!

Had some table conversations about whether it was easier or less tiring to close your eyes while we sat in the dark. I kept my eyes open the whole time. Saw those squiggly purple and yellow "worms" that you sometimes see when you close your eyes to fall alseep. Wyles was convinced that our eyes would eventually adjust and we'd be able to see something, but I never did.

As for the food, Wyles was the only one to get a starter. He described it as a pastry thing with green beans. On the side was a buttery-textured lump that we eventually decided must be foie gras. Rachel and Wyles got wine -- we weren't even informed if it was red or white, but I'm pretty sure it was white (tasted like a Riesling to me). Then we got our main dishes: discovered carrots first, then fish, then scallops. I thought there was beef too, but maybe not. We'd each say aloud each thing we thought we'd eaten. Definitely zuchinni too. I kept my face close to my plate and kept my left hand holding onto the plate as I speared my food. I felt so klutzy! As Wyles said, every other bite is air because sometimes you miss the food or it falls off the fork as it travels towards your mouth. I'd like to see what the plate looks like after each person is finished. I was afraid I might have pushed some of the food off my plate too because I had no idea where the food was at times. Sometimes I'd discover a whole new "pocket" of food on the far side of my dish. It was definitely a process of trial, error and discovery! My favorite part of the dish was the scallops and the carrot stuff.

Next we had dessert. I had told them ahead of time that I was allergic to chocolate, so I was given a slightly different plate. I thought I was eating dried apricots, but the menu afterwards said they were mandarin oranges. Also had a big profiterole-type cream puff. There was another fruit too that I have not yet been able to identify -- raspberry-mango-citron flavor but with lots of seeds inside and oblong in shape. The other diners had a chocolate cake thing, but Rachel never found hers I think, hahah! Who knows what we ate. I think I got a bit confused with all the different textures and flavors (at one point I thought the tropical fruit coulis on my dessert was sorbet, but clearly it wasn't cold so I was just confused).

After lunch, we got to look at the menus and see what we'd eaten which was amusing -- we mostly guessed correct! Then the group split off -- Rachel, Wyles and I went exploring through the Louvre area and the Marais -- everyone was out and about in the streets, which are closed off to cars. Almost made it to the Bastille but not quite. Instead, stopped at a cute little bakery for macarons. Sampled the raspberry and the caramel -- absolutely delicious!

Then back to the hostel to check out, grab my bags and take the RER to Charles de Gaulle. Unfortunately, this is where my happy weekend came to an abrupt halt. The LAN flight was supposed to take off at 7:40 pm. We boarded around that time, waited on the plane for 2 hours, were informed there was a technical problem and they were unable to get a mechanic. Seriously, the stewardesses were bringing passengers (who said they were engineers) up to the cockpit to see if they could get the plane to start. All in vain. So we got off the airplane, then waited in the airport for instructions which never came. Received sandwiches to eat. Called mi madre to tell her I probably wouldn't be home until tomorrow. Followed the other passengers when they crowded around the LAN desks, and again to wait in line for hotel vouchers. Took bus to hotel "All Seasons" 30 minutes from the airport. Got a room and went to bed, frustrated, confused and exhausted at 1:30 am. The only thing we were told was "maybe we'll have more information for you at 11am tomorrow."

Monday 7 de febrero

Woke up at 7:30am with the way-too-optimistic hope that we could get a plane by 9 to make it to my afternoon class in Madrid. Had breakfast -- started to recognize the other passengers -- everyone was hoarding the chocolate croissants (people took plates with 10, 11, 12 pastries!) in bitterness. Businessmen made phone calls, people tried to use wifi on their little cell phones to contact people. Many of these people were actually supposed to be going to Santiago, Chile with the airplane, so they were furious to missing hours of their vacations. We saw co-workers and workers with their bosses eating awkward breakfasts together... most people wearing the same clothes from the night before because no one could access their checked luggage. We weren't allowed to leave the hotel, so the smokers huddled around the parking lot to smoke. I planted myself on a coach and wrote this excruciatingly long blog post out of sheer boredom. Then tried to study for my "women in art" midterm on Wednesday. At 11am we heard we would get a bus at 1pm and a flight at 2:15. That didn't happen. Waited and waited and waited in buses and more lines until we FINALLY made it through the boarding gate. Except, there was no plane there! Instead, we boarded a bus which drove us to a plane. So we left at 4:15pm. The Spaniards clapped very loudly once our wheels left the ground.

Exhausted, arrived in Madrid, so happy to hear Spanish around me. Took metro home, checked email, had dinner (tortilla and salad! my favorite) and went straight to bed at 10pm. Consuelo didn't even try to have a conferencia because she said I looked like I was going to die of exhaustion. I appreciate the Spanish frankness.

Tuesday 8 de febrero
Run through Retiro park -- lovely weather, 16 degrees celsius!
Charlas turned into a one-on-one conversation with Macareña about her ex-boyfriend and my weekend in Paris. Caught up on some homework, had tapas, met with professor Baker about the material I'd missed. Spanish class was pretty relaxed -- we all gave presentations about different Spanish political parties. Annie and I presented on the Izquierda Unida (dominated by the Spanish communist party). They are exactly what they say they are -- The United Left -- and they're actually the 3rd strongest party (but only receive like 3% of the votes each election). They've been really riled up lately about pension reforms. They want to raise the retirement age to 67 while others want to maintain it at 65.
I like how all the acronyms for the political parties are pronounced as if they were words: PSOE, PP, IU, CiU.
After class, met up with the Spanish girls for the actividad con estudiantes españolas. We went to a bar called Chapandaz (looks like a cave inside; it's in the Moncloa area) to drink "leche de pantera" --  "panther's milk" -- basically the alcoholic equivalent of horchata. The bartender filled the glass from some sort of tap in the ceiling -- it looked like he was milking the cave somehow, haha -- then he added a whole bunch of other liquids. We ordered 2 liters (the glass was ENORMOUS but it ended up being a lot of ice) and we quickly polished it off with 9 people. The snack that accompanied the drink was gummy candy. I liked the gummy pulpo (octopus). Enjoyed the 90s music videos, tried to keep track of our own colorful straws in the giant glass... I liked how there was cinnamon in the drink!

Took the metro home, had dinner. Watched los políticos de España on the news. Consuelo me dijo que Zapatero es iluso (idealistic, naive, a dreamer) but that's because he's young. He's also very honest.
Consuelo has great respect for Josep Antoni Duran i Lleida of the CiU party (the Catalan party) -- says he's one of the best politicians. She also greatly respects the Mayor of Madrid, Alberto Ruiz-Gallardón because of all he's done for the city, it's metro, bus systems, etc.

 I have been wondering if I could ever see myself living in Spain, and the answer is definitely yes. I love the vibrancy of everything, the sincerity and fun-loving attitude of the people, the extended schedule of the day. About the people, my experience in the Paris airport was actually a great example: while the French and American people on our airplane scowled and huffed and puffed (as I was doing.. not gonna lie) the Spaniards congregated in groups, making jokes, laughing, taking the opportunity to just relax and have fun since there was nothing we could do. The plane just wasn't going to go anywhere and the airline wasn't going to explain anything to us, so why get more frustrated?

Wednesday 9 de febrero
Flamenco this morning -- learned the arms for the Sevillana dance, which was fun (they're very similar to ballet arms). Talked about intermediaries in Baker's health care class. Studied for women in art midterm as I walked home. Lunch, more studying, Consuleo went to a computer class!! Her first one ever! She was instructed by high school kids, and it sounds like she enjoyed it so far (the kids seem to be very encouraging even though she has literally never touched a computer and was nervous). I'm so happy for her. She was finally convinced to learn how to use computers when she realized there were all sorts of DVDs and photos of her grandkids that she wanted to be able to see. It sounds like the class is full of funny characters (lady with lots of bracelets, for example) too. Anyway, had my women in art midterm. It was challenging because we didn't actually have a question to write about -- we were just given the paintings and told to write. Oh well, glad it's over.

Afterwards, walked to La Casa Encendida near Ronda de Atocha. Saw some interesting videos made by "Generation 2011" -- students with banderas. Another cool exhibit by Elena García Jiménez -- she cut up maps and dictionaries and German grammar books into strips and then move the strips together -- almost like paper quilts. It turned out beautifully; I'd like to try to make something like that. Another interesting series of photos of people on "holiday" -- massive photos, people appeared like little ants in comparison to the spectacular natural sights (hot springs, water falls, melting glaciers) around them. Another photographer had a series of pictures from the outskirts of Valencia.

Downstairs was a big exhibit of "Desaparecidos" by Gervasio Sánchez. There were portraits of people from around the world holding pictures, mementos, teddy bears, bones belonging to their loved ones who had gone missing in any one of the wars or dictatorships that have plagued various countries over the last century. Lots of people from South America, Chile, Colombia, Guatemala, also Cambodia, former Yugoslavia, and then, of course, Spain as well. The most striking picture I saw was of a very old lady (she had a respirator tube through her nose) sitting on her hospital bed, clutching a giant teddy bear that had belonged to her son who went missing decades ago as a teenager. There were also many photos of remains -- skeletons, fragments of bones -- lain out for identification. Reminded me of my forensic anthropology class back in freshman year. So many tragedies represented by these photos -- but they emphasize the importance of remembering these stories and "fighting forget" in hopes of a more tolerant, just future.

Afterwards, walked home. PHE interview. Dinner with Consuelo, talked for 3 hours afterwards about her computer class, my family (I showed photos on my computer and from my photo album), my midterm, politicians, technology in general. Consuelo says if her husband were to see the world now (he passed away in 1973) he wouldn't recognize the world because computers have changed it so much. Consuelo's grandson can use a computer and he's only 7 yet Consuelo is just starting to learn now. I can have a job interview from thousands of miles away.... yet when computers are down, the world is paralyzed, haha.

Exposiciones de la Luz

jueves, 3 de febrero
Went for a run through Retiro this morning -- it's amazing how sunny and warm it is at 11am! Plenty of people are out in shorts.
For lunch, Consuelo made "acelga" (chard) with potatoes -- it's her grandson's (Sebastian) favorite dish and he came over last night for dinner (at 10:30pm) in between studying for his exams.
Walked to school to get my subsidies, and then headed over to the Sorolla Museum. The museum was actually the home & studio of Joaquín Sorolla (Valencia-born Impressionist) and after he died and his wife died, the family gave the house to the public as a museum in 1923. I had seen Sorolla's famous beach scenes before (ladies in white dresses at the beach -- lots of pale blues and pinks) but I didn't know his name. The museum did a great job explaining the transformation and evolution of Sorolla's painting styles over time. He started out doing very tight, realistic paintings with tiny brushes and extremely precise details of backyard scenes and Spaniards in traditional clothing. Then he started to loosen up his brushstrokes, doing more portraits and larger paintings, working with bigger brushes. He dabbled in social realism for a while, trying to illuminate the challenging living and working conditions of the underclass (eg. big painting of "the white slave trade"). After he went to Paris and encountered a bunch of different art movements (including french Impressionism and also the luminous works of Scandinavian and northern European artists) his paintings start to take on incredible experimentations with light.

Probably my favorite painting was "The Pink Bathrobe" (1916). It was painted in Valencia (!!) and is considered "the culminating work of his luminismo and beach scenes. There are several different sources of light in the painting -- from some skylight or windows on the right and also through some venetian-blind-style beach door on the left. The two figures are "dappled" in light and the assortment of white, lavender, blue and coral colors make you feel as if you're at the beach too.

"Seaside Stroll" (1909) hung in the main studio -- depicts a lovely young girl (his daughter) and his wife in white dresses that billows behind them in the sea breeze. These pictures remind me so much of Allie -- she also is so talented in capturing luminosity and her color palette is very similar to Sorolla's.

I also loved all the studies and paintings of Arabic gardens, particularly the Alhambra and Granada gardens.

In addition to the spectacular paintings, I loved having the chance to see his studio (huge room painted red with tall ceilings and skylights -- decorated from floor to ceiling with paintings, studies, statues and collected artifacts). The house was built in 1910 and Sorolla actually helped design some parts of it (he gave significant input about the studio). In the dining room, he painted Valencian oranges and Valencian harvesters -- it was cool I had just been to Valencia! The house also utilized lots of blue and yellow ceramic tiles, which are characteristic of Valencian decoration. Around the house were 3 beautiful gardens, also designed by Sorolla. One is a Sevilla-style garden, another is inspired by the Generalife in Granada (with some Italian accents -- like the statues). Sorolla actually brought some myrtles from the Alhambra and planted them in the garden. Below the house was a beautiful little Andalusian courtyard -- just like the patios we saw in Córdoba! Sorolla seemed to collect ceramics, and so they've been hung all around the kitchen area.

Afterwards, had Spanish class
Researched the Spanish political party "Izquierda Unida" (mostly dominated by the Spanish Communist Party) for class and made a powerpoint.

viernes, 4 de febrero
Run through Retiro
Adam Fuss exhibition:
1) daguerrotype of peacocks. Basically, the peacocks and their feathers look ghostly white -- almost like a skeleton of their bodies and their feather. Makes me realize that, aside from their beautiful coloring, the delicate shape and textures of their feathers are exquisite in and of themselves. Also, makes me think about all those old black and white photos -- how does seeing people in black & white change the way we view the image?

2) Photos -- looked entirely black at first glance and first examination, but when I walked away from them, I saw that there was the faintest image of a child staring at me! These four photos were very disarming.

3) Photos taken from underwater of a child in the water. The form of the child was entirely dark, but there were brilliant ripples in the water, surrounding the child like many halos. I love how the water had been tinted with a touch of blue or pink.

Off to Paris!!

Groundhog = marmota

Wednesday 2 de febrero

Groundhog's Day is a very difficult thing to explain in Spanish. Other items on the news included: demonstrations in Egypt, Chinese New Year celebrations, and a Spanish middle school which has exchanged its desk chairs for big rubber yoga balls (they claim to improve students' posture). I tried to explain this to Consuelo as well (she just stepped out and wanted a recap of the news) and her reaction was "madremia, what is the world coming to?!" -- luckily we could laugh pretty hard about this one though. Still, Sebastian informed us that the unemployment rate in Spain has risen from 20% to 24%, and still the only "solution" that the news ever seems to talk about is in reference to the job opportunities available in Germany...

This morning, in Flamenco we learned a learned sevillana step. Talked about central planning vs. market-based economic approaches to health care. Made reservations for our Morocco hostel; then I walked home for la comida -- lentils, fish and potatoes and banana for postre. The weather is so much better now -- up to 10 degrees celsius and lots of sun! Walked through Retiro to class at the Prado where we studied Peter Paul Rubens paintings (particularly his numerous rape scenes) and various mythological pieces-- always so many allegories, (particularly using myths from Metamorphosis) to European politics. Also discussed "las musas" and the use of females models. Rubens, of course, paints a lot of nude women, but it would have been very frowned upon to use nude female models in his day. Thus, Domenech insists, the women we see in the paintings are not "images" of women but abstract, imagined "representations" of these women.

Also examined a bronze statue of (an older but not old) Emperador Carlos V, clad in armor with lance and sword in his hands. What's interesting about this piece is that the armor can actually come off -- when removed (which it never is), Carlos is displayed completely naked, just like one of those classic Greek gods or Greek athletes. I don't know if Carlos wanted this piece done this way or whether the artist did so of his own accord, but it's very curious indeed!

After class, I walked over to the Royal Palace but was 10 minutes too late to enter. Instead, went over to the Caixa Forum again for their new exhibit: "El efecto del cine: ilusion, realidad e imagen en movimiento." Basically, Caixa Forum is officially one of my favorite places in Madrid. Not only is it's architecture and sideways garden amazing, but I love their exhibits! This one featured a collection of films by international  artists, often the films were displayed in an interesting way too (for example, 4 screens side by side or 4 screens, one on each wall of a square room, or in one case the film was actually a projection of silhouettes on the floor). The exhibit is really about the line/the border between reality and fiction -- in a world where we have so many opportunities to "capture life" in film, how do we discern what's actually reality and what's been fabricated? My favorite pieces:

1) "Double" by Kerry Tribe. Kerry, living in LA, hired 5 actresses who look kind of like her to play her, her personality in real life, in this film. It's really interesting because the 5 girls have some similar mannerisms (which I assume, but who knows, are characteristic of the real Kerry --maybe these are just things Kerry wanted the actresses to do?) but they are also very different from each other (one is super ditzy, one has several piercings, another is more mom-like and perfectionistic). I loved thinking about how we project our ideas of "self" and who I would choose to "play" me on film (probably Anna or Laura), what things I would want the actress to do and say, what things I wouldn't want the actress to do and would probably cringe at when I realized she was playing the part of me truthfully... it was a really cool project! Makes you also think about how first impressions differ and how each person has or might have multiple selves depending on their context.

2) "Lonely Planet" by Julian Rosefeldt. This was a film that at first appears to be a simple chronicle of a typical idealistic, Che-face-brandishing American guy in his 20s backpacking through India. He seems to be alone at first but over time, we start to see they're are sets involved, makeup artists, Bollywood style backup dancers, and it's really a film production. I think I liked it because it made me think about my own travel experiences -- not only in India (though it was fun to think back on that summer and many things about the film reminded me of my own experience!) but also everywhere I've traveled and felt a need to chronicle myself for some reason (this blog = perfect example). When I travel, I'm often very conscientious of the fact that I want to and will be expected to somehow recount or share my experience in some form -- whether to friends, my family, with pictures or words. The film in particular suggests that the idea of (western person) traveling solo (through underdeveloped, "3rd world" countries) has been romanticized so much and turned into a cliché that when we do travel this way, we feel like we're in a movie. Maybe we just want to feel like we're in a movie, having this fantastic, amazing "experience" that we can talk about later -- we want the cameras and sound crew trailing behind us to make us feel like it's the "journey of a lifetime"? I don't know exactly. It also struck me the main guy in this movie (the western traveler) is so very clearly "the protagonist" -- individualistc, adventurous, youthful, etc. -- while the dozens of Indian people in this movie are anonymous. It's the same pattern of a story that we've seen in movies and read in books over and over... I liked how this film played off of that idea to make me think more deeply about traveling (during this time that I am traveling abroad, booking bus and plane tickets for all sorts of places...). Why do we travel, what do we expect from traveling, how is the role and the expectations of the traveler shaped by his/her home/place of origin?

3) "Godville" by Omer Fast. This was a fascinating film -- 3 "interviews" with a woman, a man and a male "slave" who are all living actors in Colonial Williamsburg in the US. They were dressed in their historical dress and at times they talked about their lives as if they were living in the 18th century, but sometimes they talked about themselves as 21st century citizens, and it was all very confusing and "schizophrenic"! What made it more jarring was the editing -- very abrupt and Fast often scrambled words and sentences, so I actually have no idea if the sentences I heard were actually sentences spoken by the persons on the screen. As the interview progressed, the interrupted cut-and-pastes became more frequent and more obvious. For example, the "slave" guy was on screen saying different versions of "God is ___" for at least 5 minutes -- and the words inserted in the blank included money, life, dead, weak, powerful, man, woman -- all sorts of contradictions and weirdness. The film was 51 minutes of very carefully pieced together footage and it was almost entrancing to watch. Sometimes the characters even started to refer directly to the filmmaker and his motives (who knows if these were actually criticisms because again, it was all cut-and-pasted footage, but it was very interesting to think about what the filmmaker might think these interviewees might be thinking about him -- sorry, that's confusing!) I'd like to try this film technique sometime...

There were some other cool ones too (an Irish boy who had been hired as an actor to play himself...) but those 3 were to the most engaging for me. I highly recommend the exhibit!

After, walked home for dinner (tortilla and salad and apple) and noticias and a nice long "conferencia" with Consuelo about the crazy state of "el mundo"!

Adventures with Madrileños

Sunday 30 de enero
Went for a run through El Retiro this morning -- it's overcast so wasn't too cold but very refreshing. It seems like "todo el mundo" goes running through the park on Sunday mornings! And they all wear neon-colored jackets with spandex leggings haha. At Mediodía I met up with Isabel y Jaime -- the parents of Jaime from Daddy's Sloan program. They were full of energy as we hopped into their cute red volkswagen and headed downtown; I found myself enthusiastically speaking in Spanish almost as rapidly as they did!

Driving down La Calle de Alcalá, I learned that this street, one of the main arteries of the city, is the longest and one of the oldest in the city. When we came upon the Plaza de la Independencia, Isabel pointed out that the two facades of the Puerta de Alcalá monument are actually different (something apparently most Madrileños don't even realize): the columns and archways are rounded when you approach from the east but rectangular and pointed when you approach from the west.  The puerta was built in 1778 by Rey Carlos III and designed by the architect Francesco Sabatini (who also designed the gardens of the Palacio Real).  Only the king and the Pope are allowed to pass through the central archway, but Jaime pointed out that tourists--like the girls we saw taking photos of each other -- don't know otherwise haha.
Next we encountered the  Fuente de Cibeles, also built under Rey Carlos III, with its massive fountain and marble statue of the goddess Cibeles (goddess of fertility), pulled in a chariot by lions (these lions were people, but after they ruined Cibeles's temple, she turned them into animals). She's carrying a scepter and keys to the city. Around this Plaza we have the Banco de España, Buenavista Palace (army headquarters), Casa de América, town hall and the main Post Office. This is where the soccer team Real Madrid celebrates its victories -- these events get so out-of-hand with people trying to chip off pieces of the fountain that the city often sends police to board it up and protect the fountain before, during and after important games. We also drove past the Casino -- like a social club -- where Jaime and Isabel's daughter was married!
Next walked over to Plaza de la Puerta del Sol to check out Kilometre Cero -- the exact point from which the distance of all roads in Spain are measured. It's right in front of the old post office (now house of the Regional gov. of the Comunidad de Madrid) but Jaime said it was once the most hated building in all of Madrid because it was the seat of Franco's State Security forces and operations.

Next we had a whirlwind tour of churches (many of them in the middle of or in between mass services) and plazas! Jaime y Isabel were full of stories about how every street and corner got its name and how the layers of history stacked up. The red brick tower of Iglesia de Santa Cruz (definitely an interesting mix of Moorish and European design elements) was once the tallest building in the city. Very neo-gothic inside, all white-stone. The Virgin Lady of the Pillar is considered "mother of all Hispanic peoples." Next door was the Palacio de Santa Cruz (characterized by typical grey slate spires) where the Ministry of Foreign Affairs sits (though when the building was built in 1643, it was used as the court prison). Then went to Iglesia de San Isidro, a Jesuit Baroque church named in honor of the patron saint of Madrid (and of farmers). Then Iglesia de San Andrés, which San Isidro actually frequented during his lifetime. There's a little chapel adjacent to the church dedicated to San Isidro after he was canonized in 1622. Also went to a little Museo about the origins of Madrid--there was a well inside from which San Isidro saved a little girl (paintings inside depict the story). My favorite of the churches was the Basilica of San Francisco -- a beautiful church with a round nave, and every inch of its ceiling and wall space has been painted with frescoes. It's supposed to be the largest dome in Spain and 4th largest in the world... St. Francis of Assisi is said to have built a chapel here  at this site in 1217, but the existing church was designed by Sabatini (once again!). All around the central circular space are huge marble statues of the 12 apostles.

Wanderings through more churches (don't even know their names!) and La Latina -- a neighborhood which got its name from one of Queen Isabel's closest advisors (15th century). This advisor was very well-educated and actually taught Isabel Latin (hence the advisor got her name La Latina).

Next went to Plaza de Villa -- Jaime's favorite plaza; he much prefers it to the current buildings of the "ayuntamiento" (city hall). Also peeked into the Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Almudena, next to the Palacio Real. The building was proposed by Carlos 1 in 1518, construction didn't begin until 1879 and it wasn't complete until 1992. Inside, it's very white, neo-gothic and full of chapels belonging to important families, princes, etc. Isabel informed me that every single one of  296 columnas inside the cathedral is topped with a unique capital design. Next visited Palacio Real, or at least it's outside. Then the Plaza de Oriente in between the palace and the royal theater house. This plaza is full of estaturas de todos los Reyes y Reinas of Spain, including all those from Spain even existed (for example, princes of Asturias, etc.)  Jaime likes the statues very much. Isabel's family is from Asturias. In the center of the plaza is a giant bronze statue of Felipe IV on a rearing horse. Velasquez designed it and the statue is perfectly balanced (a difficult feat since bronze is so heavy). The front legs are actually hollow to help the statue reach its equilibrium (this was Galileo's idea!).

Next we started our rounds of tapas. First went to a very regal, classic Madrileño tapas bar for vino y gambas y mussels. The to Las Cuevas (caves) for tortilla (watched the cook make the tortilla on a giant stove -- I'm pretty sure tortilla is the only thing made at this place!). Then one last place (the most beautiful cueva I've seen; stone with wood finishings) for jamón (ham) and pimientos (greeen pepppers). Everything was delicious, and I loved being able to sample the food and atmospheres of each different place.

Afterwards, it started to rain a bit so we returned to the car and drove out of the city, up north towards  El Pardo, the former seat of Franco's dictatorship. It was amazing how quickly we left the big buildings and busy streets behind and were suddenly surrounded by acres of trees! El Pardo is a royal retreat that "gained infamy" during Franco's time because Franco made it his seat of residence for himself and much of the army. Franco's palacio -- austere, Austrian style -- is surrounded by military barracks. It had been used as an alternative royal residence of the kings before Franco's time. The population, around 4000, is made up primarily of employees of the state or palace. It's very residential and it's actually almost impossible to build new things in El Pardo because it's inside a protected nature space, a regional park. Very nearby is el Palacio de la Zarzuela where the actual, current Rey Juan Carlos I lives. We saw the road leading up to it (and the hunting grounds and tennis courts that surround it) but the Palace is obviously off-limits. They king prefers to live here instead of the Palacio Real (in front of Plaza de Oriente) and so the Palacio Real is only used for big events like EU treaty signings, etc. We also visited church -- Convento de los Padres Capuchinos -- to see the famous wooden sculpture of Jesus by Gregorio Fernández. Isabel pointed out the characteristic open mouth, showing Jesus's teeth. As we drove around, I noticed kots of advertisements to rent out estates for weddings and events. Learned that the "Infanta" is the word for princess  "Princesa" is used when there are no sons and so the daughter is the one to inherit the crown.

On our drive back to Madrid, passed through Arguelles and Moncloa and all the huge university buildings before heading back to my home around 6:30. I'm so grateful to Jaime and Isabel for a wonderful tour of the city and its surroundings!

Monday 31 de enero
Flamenco class, first quiz in Los sistemas de salud, got tickets for Morocco later this month, home for lunch. Walked through exhibition at Casa Árabe on my way home -- beautiful pieces on paper, on papyrus, on leather, made of bronze... It was a showcase of Arabic writing as an art form. A very cool little institute -- tucked in a brick building that resembles the tower of the Iglesia de Santa Cruz in the old part of Madrid. I loved the watercolor pieces especially. Afterwards, had Women in Art class (talking about the mystification of sexual violence in Rubens's work "Rape the Daughters of Leucippus"). Prof. Domenech cold-called on me, which was nerve-wracking, but I managed to articulate myself ok and summarize the reading (which was in English) in Spanish.

After class I walked downtown to Testigos de Olvido -- "Witnesses of omission" -- at the Cervantes Institute. It was a human rights exhibition, using film, photographs and journal entries by Spanish-speaking journalists, authors and activists to call attention to abuses of power and extreme poverty in Colombia, Guatemala, Congo, Bangladesh, Somalia, Malaysia, Zimbabwe and Haiti. Since everything was in Spanish, it was definitely good vocab practice and I'd learned about many of these countries and their situations before. I thought the most striking photo was one of a teenage boy living with HIV -- he stands in front of the camera but his face is blurry; instead the camera is focusing on his outstretched palm, in which lie the 2 antiretroviral pills that he takes everyday. Clearly, these pills give him life, but in a way, they are his life too.


Tuesday 1 de febrero
Finished one of my summer job applications!
Watched "Los diarios de motocicleta" in Spanish con Annie. Tapas al Instituto. Spanish class -- talked about la injusticia y los derechos humanos (good followup to the exhibit I visited yesterday!). A little bit of shopping with Annie, then met up with Gustavo en La Plaza de Sol. I think I might have accidentally introduced Gustavo as a "ordenador de fútbol" (a computer of soccer) when I actually meant to say "entrenador de fútbol" (a soccer coach) -- whoops! haha -- hopefully I mumbled enough that no one noticed. First we went to a bar for cervezas and then to a restaurant called Sushi Milaaya in the Huertas neighborhood. The Sushi was good -- obviously not as good as Japan or Fuki Sushi or Jinsho, but the fish was very fresh and I realized how much I'd missed Japanese food! I was pleased we spoke in Spanish the whole time; talked about my homestay, my trip to Valencia, Spanish youth being unable to find jobs, vespas (Gustavo has one), San Sebastian, France, Gustavo's soccer team (today his 14-yr-olds had a tournament), Japanese food, American movies, the Madrid discotecas, my flamenco class (he tried to trick me into thinking I should wear my flamenco skirt in the streets of Madrid...), roller coasters (which are peculiarly called "montañas rusas" or "Russian mountains" here in Spain) and typical Spanish food (next time we're going to try "morcilla" -- a Spanish blood sausage which sounds horrible to me but apparently I can't leave Spain without at least trying it -- and "pulpo gallega" -- octopus from Galicia). Got home around 11 to finish up some homework, shower and go to bed.