The Soundtrack of my Morning

It's off to Edinburgh for the holidays. But as we pack this is on the TV... fingers crossed...

Gracias

Missing Thanksgiving this year. Last year my mom’s side of the family was all together in Mexico. Two years ago I wasn’t working and got to host a big Thanksgiving dinner with the Spanish side of my family. This year… I’m working. My closest work friends are all in a training course for the day. I had TV-dinner lentils for lunch. It’s sad. But that’s what I have to deal with for being across the pond.

All in all it would really be shortsighted of me to complain. I have lots of things to be thankful for, including:

• Both hubby and I have good, solid jobs (no small feat these days). Knock wood.
• My sister and brother-in-law live “close” and we got to see them a couple weeks ago and will again over the Christmas holidays.
• The internet. It’s true. Being an immigrant must have been infinitely more difficult even just 15 years ago.
• In true Spanish fashion I have a 4-day weekend next weekend. It’s my Thanksgiving make-up stint and may even involve a turkey…
• Thanksgiving is a Thursday so at least the weekend is always just around the corner.

Above all, this particular Thanksgiving, I am especially thankful that we have two very good friends visiting this week. So thank goodness for air travel and adventurous spirits. And thank goodness for Thanksgiving because without it and its 2 days off work we might not have gotten to enjoy their company. Even if we don’t get turkey tonight, we’ll still have tapas, drinks, laughs, and good times. And that’s enough for me.

A-lo-in

Last weekend we inaugurated our new apartment in proper style – with a Halloween party. It was a resounding success. Halloween is not typically celebrated here, but it’s well-known nonetheless thanks to TV and movies. When we first proposed the idea of a costume party to our closest friends they were more than excited. They jumped at the chance to get dressed up and hang out drinking. We were treated to some gorgeous Indian summer weather and were able to spend almost the entire evening (until about 4am) out on the terrace. I’d say that it was a successful fusion of America and Spain. The jell-o shots, candy corn and jack-o-laterns mixed nicely with the sangria, chorizo, and pomada.

When I was here for my first Halloween 10 years ago, the day more or less passed unnoticed. Back then Halloween parties were hard to come by, but today they are a much more common occurrence. It was easy to find decorations and pumpkins (although the candy corn had to be shipped especially from the States) and most of the news programs had at least a short blurb on the festivities. I imagine that in the coming years they will continue to grow in popularity. It is probably to Halloween’s benefit that it falls roughly 6 months from the other costume-donning holiday – Carnival – and, in fact, fits nicely into the more or less holiday-less Fall. Otherwise I think it might get lost in the shuffle. Don’t get me wrong – there are plenty of holidays in the autumn months (this coming Monday for one) but not quite of the drunken – debauchery sort.

Martes y trece…

...ni te cases ni te embarques.

In Spain today is the unlucky day and not a Friday of the same numerical persuasion. And, as the saying goes, you should neither get married nor start a trip. In order to follow that advice, it’s probably better that it is a Tuesday and not a Friday, since neither weddings nor trips are common on Tuesdays. Perhaps they were years ago.

I’ve searched online but can find no history of why it’s a Tuesday in Spain and a Friday in the States. Although I did find a few references (including Wikipedia) to it having been a Tuesday, the 13th when the whole mess at the Tower of Babel occurred… it would be fitting that in Spain the day were somehow tied to religion.

Junk in the trunk

Last night I went to a costume shop to pick out a Sevillana dress for our trip down to the Feria de Abril this weekend. As I was trying on one of the dresses and chatting with the salesgirl about whether or not it looked too big, I was suddenly accosted by an abuela shopping for a Spiderman costume for her grandson. I should have known better. These kinds of conversations are an open invitation for butting in by anyone within hearing distance. The woman began pulling on the sides of the dress and then she tells me that the dress will look good if I just take it in a little bit… because, as she so kindly put it, “Your waist is small, but you’ve got a lot back here.” The gall of the abuelas never ceases to amaze me.

Felices Fiestas

My office is empty. It’s been like this all week. Apparently, this year, the Christmas holidays started last weekend.

My bosses and many of my coworkers are already on vacation. It was a smart move on their parts. This year, with the way the holidays fall, to get off from December 20 to January 7, one need take just 6 work days. 6 days. To get a full 18 glorious days of vacation. Who wouldn’t take advantage of such a gift from the calendar gods? Of course, stringing together the days off would have been a natural step for people to take in any corner of the world. 18 days. Seems like a lot, right? Hardly. Here in Spain (or at least here at my company) where you get 26 paid vacation days and where the national tradition is to take a month-long vacation at least once a year… most people also took this week off (bringing their grand total of days off work in a row to 25). And so the office is empty. The cafeteria is empty. Heck, the METRO in the morning is even empty. Las fiestas have arrived.

Thanksgiving (and money)

Last night we celebrated El Día de Acción de Gracias, better known in the English-speaking world as Thanksgiving. In preparation for the 36 hour cooking spree I went to one of the stores dedicated to American foodstuffs and holidays products. These stores are notoriously expensive but they are inevitable if you are trying to plan a good-old American feast. While there I picked up my Thanksgiving necessities such as canned yams, marshmallows, and cranberry sauce. The few items pictured above cost me about 40 euros, $60 or so. A serious gouging. But for a once-a-year celebration it’s worth it.

When my friend was visiting a couple weeks ago she kept commenting on how expensive things were. It’s certainly true when you look at American products like Special K cereal and Diet Coke (and with the weak dollar). But, those prices are probably offset by other things – like the pack of 15 Christmas cards I picked up for 50 cents.

Winter's on its Way

After more than three years living in tropical South Florida, I now find myself truly appreciative of the changing seasons in Madrid. It doesn't seem as though it's been all that long since I wrote about the arrival of autumn, and the city is already transforming into winter-Madrid. The grocery stores have brought out their displays of holidays sweets – mantecados, polvorones, turrones, and mazapanes overflow from their baskets. (I'm going to get a better picture tomorrow. My camera battery died on me!)

Ice cream stands are being replaced with makeshift stalls selling roasted chestnuts, sweet potatoes, and churros. And finally, my favorite sign of winter, and one of my very favorite things about living in Madrid - the holiday lights. Although they aren't lit yet, they have been hung all along the streets in my neighborhood. Makes me happy just to see them.

August 15

Today is the Assumption and, good "Catholic" country that it is, that means a fiesta in Spain. Here in Madrid it's also the Virgen of the Paloma - patron saint(ess) of the City and of the bomberos (firemen). From what I understand sometime in the late 1700s a very pious Madrileña saved a picture of the Virgen from a group of rowdy neighorhood boys and then built a chapel in her honor. After the queen's sick son was reportedly cured by a pass beneath the picture, the Virgen became cause for celebration. It's still common practice for mother's to carry their children beneath her picture and she's honored today as the "most revered of Virgens." Translation: in addition to a mid-week work break, Madrileños get a big party in the streets down in the La Latina neighborhood.

We headed down there for lunch today and it of course turned into a full afternoon of drinks in the street. This evening the party will be even bigger - the steets are decorated with banners, flags, and flowers and all of the bars have set up outside bars to serve the party-goers. Right now we can watch the parade - a group of fireman will carry a picture of the Virgen through the streets for all to see.

Today is also the big summer lottery drawing - 20,000,000 euros to the winner and various smaller prizes to those who match parts of the winning number. This drawing is basically the second biggest of the year - after the Christmas Lottery. Fingers crossed!!

P.S. I still plan to blog on last weekend's trip to Tarragona and Reus. But mid-week fiestas get in the way... :)

Up in Smoke

To celebrate the arrival of summer, Spain was set on fire last night. In small towns all over the country and most famously on the beaches of Alicante, hogueras, or bonfires, were the center of the festivities. We were in Ciempozuelos, a small town south of Madrid, for Nacho’s aunt’s party, when we happened across the town’s celebration. The celebration cannot compare to those on the beaches, but the meaning is the same. They say that if you make a wish as you jump over the bonfire you’re guaranteed your desire. The same is true if you write your wish on a piece of paper and toss it into the flames. That’s quite different from the old saying of something, “going up in smoke.”

San Isidro (Happy Birthday, Kelly!!)

Today is the fiesta de San Isidro, patron saint of Madrid, and, of course, a holiday in the City. Like most madrileños, Nacho and I took to the street in traditional celebratory style. Well, perhaps not exactly in the traditional style, but in the typical one. Plenty of other people were out and about in the traditional style - young and old dressed up the regional outfits - long ruffly dresses for the ladies and vests and caps for the men.

Anyway, we went for tapas with some friends to the neighborhood of La Latina and la cava baja. The area was packed with people and all of the terrazas were full. In search of a bar with room for 4 (standing room only, of course, but today even that was hard to find) we wandered down la calle del almendro. In honor of the fiesta, there were banners and streamers draped across the narrow distance between the buildings and stands were set up with beaded jewelry, scarves, and hats for sale. Groups of people moved in and out of the small bars along the street. Others lounged on the cobbled stones drinking and smoking and chatting. It seemed to us as though we'd left Madrid behind and, in a few short steps, had moved to a small pueblo elsewhere in Spain. Strangely, although the setting was certainly not quiet, it was definitely tranquil.

We did find space for 4 in one of the bars and after a while even managed to grab a table. Later as we walked back towards the metro, remarking how special the environment was, we were interrupted by a car horn from behind. A taxi was making it's way up the narrow street, bringing us back to the reality of modern Madrid. As we typically end up in the neighborhood for dinner and copas, we aren't sure if what we experienced was a result of the fiesta or was a regular occurrence. Regardless, it was unique for us, and a reminder to me that Madrid is a big city that unites small barrios.


P.S. Today is also my sister's birthday. I told her that all of the City is celebrating with her!
Love you, Kel!!