Random Blips

Don't Eat Me!!!
I laughed out loud when I saw this ad for vegetarianism in the metro. The text says, "Look me in the eyes. Please don't eat me!" For all my vegetarian friends :)




Jizm
When I first walked by this auto dealer, I thought that I must be reading this wrong, but no, it definitely says Jizm, right? It's right next to the Ferrari and Lamborghini shops... they must sell some hot rods there. Hahahahahahaha.




Telepizza
I just have to drop a blip about the Telepizza delivery system. Their drivers zip around on these little scooters with the hot pizza box on the back. So cute... and efficient, too!




Cassette Tape
Recently, I saw a guy on the metro pull out his beat up cassette player and change the tape. He actually had like three cassettes and was trying to decide which one to play while tightening the spool on one of them. I think the artists were Englebert Humperdink, Lawrence Welk, and maybe some classic Slim Whitman. Anyway, it was sooo comforting to me that everyone else on the metro looked at him like he was from another planet, too. They were all kind of straining to figure out what he was doing, and then when they realized it, they were like, OH, and tried to act like they weren't looking at him like a freak. Honestly, not that tapes are a bad thing, just not something you see everyday in this era of CD and MP3.

It got me to thinking that I was maybe too harsh on Spain's technological backwardness. When I finally found a few solid wifi hotspots to cling to, I started to notice that they are actually everywhere here. And, there are many things here that should definitely be implemented in the U.S. (Maybe they are already somewhere, and I just don't know it.) The escalators automatically slow to almost a stop if not used for a period of time to conserve energy. The lights in most public buildings and the common spaces of apartments are either motion activated or you switch them on when you enter and they go out after a short period of time. The subway is a MODEL of efficiency and their signs explaining everything are far and away better than the information given in San Francisco.

Which Metro Exit - Stairs, Escalator, Elevator?

I could go on, but you'll probably read more about it in the forthcoming Integration Issue of the blog, if things continue to go as planned :) That's not to say that many of the technological and efficiency complaints are resolved, just that they're not as ubiquitous as initially reported.


Are You Getting a Signal Yet?
A few weeks ago, I was strolling through Plaza del Sol and spotted two people crouched on the stoop outside a pharmacy with their laptops searching for a wifi connection. I had to stop and ask them if I could take a picture for the blog. I explained how much I had searched for wifi when I arrived and how it had driven me crazy.

I ended up bringing them to FNAC bookstore nearby, where I had encountered one of my first solid connections. It worked, yeah! It was really nice to be able to share the knowledge with fellow net denizens.

Miren & Nans on Wifi Search


Random Is Right
This weekend, I went to the Madrid's Mado celebration for Gay Pride 2006. I'll be doing an entire entry on the parade and festival, but I wanted to recount this story, because, well, it's cool. The main night of the Gay Pride festivities, they had a HUGE party in Chueca and the surrounding neighborhoods. The organizers said 1.5 million people, but I haven't seen the official estimates. I was overwhelmed by the numbers, but also by how solitary I felt going to an event with so many other people by myself. Later in the evening, I was dancing to a great DJ in Plaza Vazquez de Mella, and this really cool group of folks sort of descended on the area by the fence where I'd taken refuge from the crowd. They were beautiful, creative, and completely insane. I loved watching them, dancing with them, laughing with them for the half hour that they shared my space. I spoke for a while with one of them, but then they suddenly all had to go. They said goodbye, and POOF I was back to alone. Well, I was kicking myself for not getting the guy's number, because it's not too often that I meet people with whom I really connect. Oh well, right?

So, today, I decided to make the trek out to the airport to find the only American Express offices in Madrid so that I could cash the cheques without any sort of fee or commission. I knew from previous experience on voyages such as these that this would be a pretty long and sordid adventure - as figuring out anything always seems to be here... is it me?! Well, I was correct, but a few hours later, when I finally found the American Express window, there was Gustavo, the guy with whom I'd spoken that night in the square. We were both sort of shocked. I think he was just starting his job there, so looked really occupied with training, but this time, I asked for his number and he gave it to me! I will be calling soon.


It's Definitely the Heat
I had heard of the intolerably hot Madrid summers, and have been dreading it since I arrived. I was unable to find an apartment with air conditioning, so knew that it could get ugly in the dog days of summer. The first few days that it got up near 100, I was teaching at the insurance company, wearing dress pants, long-sleeved shirts and a tie. I seriously thought I was going to melt. Worse yet, this was only in May. Apparently in August, it gets up to 110 on occasion.

As soon as the heat kicked in, there was this proliferation of fans. I think that most people have probably seen the Spanish hand fan, probably associated with Flamenco dancing. Well, it's a common accessory here. Everywhere I go, every metro train, walking in the street, ladies are gently fanning themselves or frantically fanning themselves (depending on how hot it is, or... their mood, I guess) with these fans. There are many classes and varieties. It's definitely a bona fide accessory, though. I've seen some really smart color combinations, perfectly coordinated with a knock-out outfit. The Spaniards definitely have style.


Pretty Fans in the Window

So, I've learned tricks to deal with the heat: stay very still when possible; always walk in the shade, even if you have to knock someone else into the street to keep yourself under the awning or tree; shower with cold water many times a day; try not to use appliances that cause heat, like lights, computers, the stove; wear as little clothing as possible (consider nudism as a lifestyle); avoid other people, as they cause heat (lesson learned during gay pride, when it was still 100 degrees at midnight due to the multitudes of people in the street); and keep anything remotely perishable in the refrigerator (fruit goes to mush in a day or two).