Mmmm.. It’s 10pm, it’s still summer, everyone’s windows are open, and some of the most amazing, most delicious smells are coming through my window now. Mmmm.. IF ONLY my own kitchen smelled THIS good – but it never does.
Cooking for me usually entails nothing more than opening a bag, pouring contents into a pan, adding water (or not), and heating for 15 minutes. That’s a typical MadridMan meal for dinner – when I have dinner, that is. Pathetic, ain’t it? Sure it is. Oftentimes I’ll only have a light dinner consisting of nothing more than nuts or fruit or a yogurt, all depending on the size and the time I’ve had lunch. My lunches are usually LARGE, however, and often consisting of soup, or home-cooked pork or chicken fillets, “Cocido Madrileño” from a can, or even the same add-water-and-heat pasta or rice meals. My best lunches, obviously, take place in restaurants when meeting friends downtown. Oh how I long for these meetings to not only meet with good or new friends but also to have a decent meal!
Food in Spain is almost like a religion. And if that’s true, I must be an atheist because I’m no cook! I try and sometimes I succeed with something unusual – or at least something good and totally home-made – but that’s an irregularity, an anomaly. My effort usually comes when someone says, “Hey, I’m coming over for lunch/dinner” and then I have no excuse but to TRY to makes something fresh. Today’s lunch consisted of an American-Style frozen pizza (“Arizona”, it was called, “American Style Pizza”) and Mexican-style rice from a bag (add water). It was very very tasty and made me a little homesick for REAL Mexican food (i.e. “real” from the United States – which isn’t likely to be very similar to Mexican food in Mexico!). I’ve even eaten at Mexican restaurants here in Madrid and, well, it’s just not the same, not as good to these taste buds.
Anyone want to invite MadridMan to lunch or dinner? Send me an email or post an OPEN INVITATION to our message board members HERE! We’re frequently having lunchtime get-togethers in downtown Madrid – I LOVE THESE. And from time to time we schedule a nighttime gathering at some bar or terraza.
I think I love typical Spanish food even more than Spaniards themselves! But then, I’ve only been enjoying it for the last decade of my life. Right now I have an urge for Patatas Bravas! Mmmm…. Guess I’ll settle for nuts, yogurt, and a glass of Rueda white wine.
Here’s to Spanish food! Raise your glass, world! You’re in for a treat!
Saludos, MadridMan
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I love that you started this blog, as there are not very many around from Americans living in a “spanish” Spain (not Catalonia, for example). I have been trying to find a good blog from someone who can describe what it is like to really live there. And that brings me to a question I have for you if you are able to answer it.
I am planning, once I get my BA, to travel to Spain and live for a while, perhaps a year or more if I’m lucky. My main motivation is to get out of the U.S. and learn a second language, namely spanish in this case. I am having somewhat of a difficult time finding a good place to do this however. In addition is finding a good language school where I can be completely immersed for 6 months. The intention is to enroll into a language school and live on the premises for 6 months and hopefully be fluent enough so I can live somewhere. Do you have any recommendations? Language Schools? cities to live in? I read your post about the real image of Madrid and it concerns me a bit if I am living in a place and cannot use Spanish on a day to day basis forcefully (in a situation like this I do not want to have to speak english at all, nor have people speaking it to me). Any suggestions or insights you may have in this regard would be beyond helpful.
The answer to your question likely requires volumes instead of a few words from me here. I don’t have any recommendations for good language schools in Spain to fit your needs. There are a number of Madrid language schools listed here @ http://www.MadridMan.com/studyspanish.html and you can get feedback (previously posted and/or new) in the “Studying In Spain, Education & Language” forum category of our ALL SPAIN Message Board @ http://www.MadridMan.com/bbs.html .
Apart from Madrid, many people enjoy studying Spanish in Salamanca and Granada cities. Salamanca has a large student community where you MIGHT use your Spanish a little less outside of class if you only socialize with classmates. But the same can be said for anyplace.
If you lived in Madrid, for example, you’ll DEFINITELY be using Spanish on a daily basis as few people speak English – or will speak English to you because they may only speak a few words of it. Whenever you go to the supermarket, bakery, bank, or use public transportation you’ll most definitely need to speak Spanish. Is that “immersion” enough for you?
But I don’t think 6-months of immersion studies and day-to-day life practicing Spanish is going to get you “fluent”. It won’t. But it’ll certainly bring you a long, long way towards that end. It all really depends on you and your ambitions. You’ll really have to force yourself to be “out there” daily, making new Spanish friends (essential!), watching Spanish TV and listening to Spanish radio.
I wish you the best of luck. If you come to Madrid, be sure to get in touch with me. It’s always nice meeting visitors from the USA and elsewhere.
Saludos, MadridMan
Thanks for the reply! I truelly appreciate it. As for the messageboard, I have applied for membership but the admins havent approved it yet. When I take a look it sais 16524 posts and 12343 topics but there’s like 1 post in that entire section. Does this mean the topics are closed off to unregistered users?
Also, how long did it take you to become fluent in spanish while living there?
Thanks again!!
Hi idesigner! Consider yourself APPROVED on the message board. Your initial login information should be reaching you soon. To find more postings you have to change the setting to “SHOW ALL POSTS” as it defaults to “Show Posts from Last 15 Days” or something. And I’m not fluent in Spanish and probably never will be but I will improve little by little. I’ve been speaking Spanish DAILY now fro almost 2 years and I feel more comfortable but I’m certainly not fluent. I’ll blog on that topic soon, probably tomorrow, as just tonight I went to a BRITISH movie dubbed in Spanish – SUCCESS!