Recently in General Category
I suppose it's more socialization than anything but I feel somewhat ashamed that the Fourth of July NEARLY passed me by here in Madrid, Spain without noticing.
USA's Independence Days is the 4th of July - EVERY YEAR. I think I nearly missed it last year too. Making such a statement almost makes me fear nasty messages and comments about now I must hate my country (United States of America) or how UNpatriotic I must be for A) forgetting Independence Day and B) for leaving the United States in the first place. Should I care! I guess so. But I'll probably care less and less with every year the more and more I become assimilated into my new home, my new country, my new culture.
2.5 years have passed since moving to Madrid and the only (Spanish) flag waving you get here are during UEFA European Cup Soccer Championships (YEAH! ¡¡CAMPEONES!!) and Partido Popular (the Spanish conservative party) demonstrations.
While here, I don't have the constant, daily, hourly reminders of the upcoming 4th of July, no mention of this year's bigger-and-better fireworks displays, no parades with high school marching bands, no ribs-on-the-grill cook-outs and potato salad, no family get togethers.
And I kind of miss it! The country unites to celebrate its independence from the British. Actually, I don't think the majority of people in the United States consider the British when celebrating the 4th of July. I'm not even all that sure they're celebrating our independence. Maybe more so than everything else, we're just celebrating to celebrate. In some ways, it's like Saint Patrick's Day or Cinco de Mayo in the United States - you don't have to be Irish or Mexico - or even know what you're celebrating - to celebrate with gusto!
But I have to admit that with my typical midwestern American's upbringing of flag waving, patriotic movies with patriotic themes, patriotic speeches and patriotic slogans swirling around my head that I do get rather choked-up when a solemn military marching division passes by while carrying the American Flag or even when the National Anthem is sung at the gold medal presentation at the Olympics. I can't help it. It's probably a simple result of socialization. We're taught since birth to be patriotic and so we are. Education and life experiences can somewhat alter this sensation of loyalty but I think it's always there.
So how did I celebrate the Fourth of July in Spain? I simply called my parents and chatted for awhile. A Spanish friend here in Madrid sent me a text/SMS message wishing me a happy Independence day - which I thought was nice. I didn't seek out fireworks displays on YouTube, I didn't make potato salad, I didn't get together with other Americans here in Madrid - although I did receive and email notice about such a gathering. Nothing really. It nearly passed me by. I guess that's what happens when you move abroad.
USA's Independence Days is the 4th of July - EVERY YEAR. I think I nearly missed it last year too. Making such a statement almost makes me fear nasty messages and comments about now I must hate my country (United States of America) or how UNpatriotic I must be for A) forgetting Independence Day and B) for leaving the United States in the first place. Should I care! I guess so. But I'll probably care less and less with every year the more and more I become assimilated into my new home, my new country, my new culture.
2.5 years have passed since moving to Madrid and the only (Spanish) flag waving you get here are during UEFA European Cup Soccer Championships (YEAH! ¡¡CAMPEONES!!) and Partido Popular (the Spanish conservative party) demonstrations.
While here, I don't have the constant, daily, hourly reminders of the upcoming 4th of July, no mention of this year's bigger-and-better fireworks displays, no parades with high school marching bands, no ribs-on-the-grill cook-outs and potato salad, no family get togethers.
And I kind of miss it! The country unites to celebrate its independence from the British. Actually, I don't think the majority of people in the United States consider the British when celebrating the 4th of July. I'm not even all that sure they're celebrating our independence. Maybe more so than everything else, we're just celebrating to celebrate. In some ways, it's like Saint Patrick's Day or Cinco de Mayo in the United States - you don't have to be Irish or Mexico - or even know what you're celebrating - to celebrate with gusto!
But I have to admit that with my typical midwestern American's upbringing of flag waving, patriotic movies with patriotic themes, patriotic speeches and patriotic slogans swirling around my head that I do get rather choked-up when a solemn military marching division passes by while carrying the American Flag or even when the National Anthem is sung at the gold medal presentation at the Olympics. I can't help it. It's probably a simple result of socialization. We're taught since birth to be patriotic and so we are. Education and life experiences can somewhat alter this sensation of loyalty but I think it's always there.
So how did I celebrate the Fourth of July in Spain? I simply called my parents and chatted for awhile. A Spanish friend here in Madrid sent me a text/SMS message wishing me a happy Independence day - which I thought was nice. I didn't seek out fireworks displays on YouTube, I didn't make potato salad, I didn't get together with other Americans here in Madrid - although I did receive and email notice about such a gathering. Nothing really. It nearly passed me by. I guess that's what happens when you move abroad.
Sunday night, 11pm. I just had my dinner (leftovers from lunch) of
baked chicken (in soy sauce) and chicken croquets along with a rosé
Peñascal wine. Very good. Slightly effervescent.
I was having my dinner at the table in the sitting room, near the television, and am watching the movie "Apocalypse Now" - in English. Thank goodness for satellite television where you can choose either the "original version" or the default Spanish version. I MUCH prefer watching American movies in English than in Spanish. I like hearing the actor's voices, no matter their native language.
Odd weekend here in Madrid. The weather was absolutely perfect, nearly summerlike - and I didn't even leave the house, not since Friday afternoon when I came back from the shopping. Most of the weekend entailed work, playing videogames, watching movies, and reading the newspapers. Oh, and lots of cooking.
While I don't do it very often, I really love to cook here. I probably cook much more here than I ever did in Columbus, Ohio. I don't cook anything fancy, mostly chicken, veal, pizzas, and the occasional seafood dish. I haven't been brave enough to tackle cooking fish yet through.
Oddly, now that I'm sitting here with the light, slightly cool breeze passing through the house, I have the inclination to get dressed and go downstairs and catch the bus to downtown Madrid for a walk. But nahh.. I'm settled in for the night. But apart from that, I also have the wants to explore Spain.
This "business" in which I'm involved affords me the opportunity to explore, to visit, to see parts of Spain I wouldn't otherwise be able to experience, all in the name of Spanish tourism - my business. So now I plan, I dream, I wonder where I'd like to visit next. The list is long but so is life.
Now, at 42 years old, I can't imagine ever actually, totally retiring from this business. Why would I want to? I can't see myself at 66 years old, putting the working world behind me and settling down to doing nothing more with my days than going down to the local cafe for my morning coffee and churros, buying the paper, and reading that paper on the terraza until lunch time, taking walks in the evening, and going to bed early. I can't see this for me - AT THIS TIME. I love my work. There's nothing better.
Tomorrow, Monday, is a typical day. I'll wake up and have coffee and bran cereal, do some work, then at about 11am I'll head to the gym. By 2pm I'm back at home, showered, and starting to make lunch. A typical day. I've noticed the topless sunbathers have returned to the outside terraza of my gym. Bonus!
I was having my dinner at the table in the sitting room, near the television, and am watching the movie "Apocalypse Now" - in English. Thank goodness for satellite television where you can choose either the "original version" or the default Spanish version. I MUCH prefer watching American movies in English than in Spanish. I like hearing the actor's voices, no matter their native language.
Odd weekend here in Madrid. The weather was absolutely perfect, nearly summerlike - and I didn't even leave the house, not since Friday afternoon when I came back from the shopping. Most of the weekend entailed work, playing videogames, watching movies, and reading the newspapers. Oh, and lots of cooking.
While I don't do it very often, I really love to cook here. I probably cook much more here than I ever did in Columbus, Ohio. I don't cook anything fancy, mostly chicken, veal, pizzas, and the occasional seafood dish. I haven't been brave enough to tackle cooking fish yet through.
Oddly, now that I'm sitting here with the light, slightly cool breeze passing through the house, I have the inclination to get dressed and go downstairs and catch the bus to downtown Madrid for a walk. But nahh.. I'm settled in for the night. But apart from that, I also have the wants to explore Spain.
This "business" in which I'm involved affords me the opportunity to explore, to visit, to see parts of Spain I wouldn't otherwise be able to experience, all in the name of Spanish tourism - my business. So now I plan, I dream, I wonder where I'd like to visit next. The list is long but so is life.
Now, at 42 years old, I can't imagine ever actually, totally retiring from this business. Why would I want to? I can't see myself at 66 years old, putting the working world behind me and settling down to doing nothing more with my days than going down to the local cafe for my morning coffee and churros, buying the paper, and reading that paper on the terraza until lunch time, taking walks in the evening, and going to bed early. I can't see this for me - AT THIS TIME. I love my work. There's nothing better.
Tomorrow, Monday, is a typical day. I'll wake up and have coffee and bran cereal, do some work, then at about 11am I'll head to the gym. By 2pm I'm back at home, showered, and starting to make lunch. A typical day. I've noticed the topless sunbathers have returned to the outside terraza of my gym. Bonus!
I suppose because relatively few people leave their native countries to live elsewhere - whether temporarily or permanently - it's an oddity to live abroad. It's probably even MORE odd for a United Statesen to leave his "Land of the Free/Home of the Brave" for some second-tier country (tongue-in-cheek ethnocentric comments), leaving all prosperity - and dreams of prosperity - behind.
But WHO chooses to leave their country? Among them include refugees in war-torn countries, poor nations, people whom might have business in their destination country, to re-join family, political, social, and racial reasons are the ones which come to my mind.
The following is a homemade interview of MadridMan by J.C. Ciudano... but some of the questions have been posed to me several times.
Q: Was moving to Madrid for good the right choice for you?
A: For me it was the right choice. Everyone has to deal with his own demons regarding leaving your family, country, and way-of-life behind. I've dealt with mine and feel much more at ease with myself and my future here in Madrid.
Q: Has it been easy?
A: For me, yes. It has been very easy. But I'm also aware that it's very very difficult for 95+% of the United Statesens whom come to Spain to live so I'm the anomaly to the normal equation. I'd been preparing myself both mentally and culturally for my move to Madrid for at least 6 years so my culture shock was nearly non-existent when I arrived. My goal was to assimilate myself to Spain even BEFORE arriving. But shortly after arriving in Spain there was a stretch of months, probably the first 6 months, when I went through some stress for the shops' opening times, having difficulty managing my workday to go to the supermarket during their OPENING hours. You see, many/most of the supermarkets and shops close from about 2pm to 5pm and THAT was just about the time I was READY to go! Adjusting to the change in meal time was easy for me. Nearly without fail I have my lunch at 2pm and my (light) dinner at 10pm and stay up until about 1am every night. Remember, I work at home so my schedule is however I want to make it. This means I rarely get out of bed until 9am, breakfast in front of the computer with some work/emails, then go to the gym, get home by 1pm or 1:30pm, shower, then make lunch and eat in front of the TV, 30 to 60 minute siesta nearly everyday, then wake up, have a coffee and a snack (i.e. a MERIENDA) in front of the computer where I'll stay until about 10pm when I'll stop to have dinner with the 10pm movies on Canal+. It's a relatively short work day during the week, maybe 6 or 7 hours, but I also work a solid 6-8 hours on Saturdays AND Sundays too. LOW STRESS is my lifestyle. I suppose most autonomos work longer days but probably few work on the weekends. I just love my job!
Q: What do you miss most about the United States?
A: There's not much, really. Difficult as it may seem, escaping the United States anywhere on this planet must be virtually impossible. Spaniards ask me this question constantly, "Don't you miss the United States?" And my answer is always the same; "What's there to miss? It's everywhere!" It's CONSTANTLY on the news and in the newspapers - and not usually for positive things but sometimes with regards to scientific breakthroughs. I turn on the TV and I get The Simpsons, Friends, Seinfeld, The Sopranos, CI:XYZ, House, NBA Basketball (which is big in Spain) and nearly all the movies are from Hollywood both on TV and in the cinema. USA based products like Coke, Pepsi, Nike, MacDonald's, Burger King, Hard Rock Cafe, and Starbucks are seen at every turn on the streets. Switch on the radio and, depending on the station, at least 50% of the music is in English and/or from the United States. The USA is inescapable. What's to miss? But there is one thing I miss - my Ohio State University Buckeyes football games on Saturdays. ARGH! That's a tough one to swallow. So I listen live via internet radio and follow on ESPN's GameCast graphical play-by-play coverage. I hope to attend one game in person this coming autumn. On Canal+ there are one or two NFL games shown per week but that's about all - and all the broadcasters are Spaniards speaking in Spanish. That's okay - but not the same.
Q: Are there any things you wish you had done before you left?
A: Hmmm... I don't think so. In my last 6 months in Ohio, USA it was already a certainty that I'd be moving to Madrid. I took advantage of that time "to be present" to my surroundings, my family, and my friends. Those 6 months were the best time. I was going out, meeting with friends, doing things I either never did or rarely did, and put extra effort into every moment. Throughout that time I asked myself, "My goodness! Why wasn't I like this before?" I guess it comes down to complacency. When you know everything's good and moving along you just continue moving along, going with the flow and very little changes take place. Routine sets in. But when you know "These are the last 6 Months of my life - here in the USA" you tend to look at things from a drastically different perspective.
Q: Would you do it again?
A: Absolutely. I just wish I could've moved to Madrid sooner. But as it worked out, I had to wait until I was (just) 40 years old. I'm certainly glad - and fortunate - to have lived the first 40 years of my life in the United States. That's a wealth of knowledge, experience, and opportunity I have under my belt. The USA isn't perfect, far from it - in fact, the general political climate aided in my decision to move to Spain - a much more liberal and generally more socially enriching environment - but living in the USA (or anywhere in the world) for such a long time gives one perspective. For example, if you bought your dream car at 16 years old and that was the only car you'd drive all your life you'd have no idea that other cars might better fit your. But if you buy several cars throughout your lifetime you'd know that while you loved your first car, your second car handled much better on the curves (of life).
Q: Was everything the way you thought it would be?
A: Pretty much, yes. I'd been visiting Spain about once each year since 1995 until 2002 when I started visiting twice a year. In those visits I visited many of Spain's regions and experienced many of their customs, festivals, holidays, and events. Some visits lasted 1 month while others were as short as just 5 days. And you know what, that 5-day visit was nearly the best one of them all. Intense. I already knew that Spaniards were generally gruff on the outside but soft on the inside. I knew that dog owners casually allowed their doggies to leave their "gifts" on the sidewalk. I knew that Spaniards will do just about anything for you, very easygoing, very conversational, very social. These last 2 things were/are an adjustment for me. IN FACT, much of what Spain represents are many of the things I lacked in my own life in the USA. I often joked with people and coworkers in the USA that I had surprisingly more friends in SPAIN than in the USA! That I had longer and more meaningful conversations in the SPAIN than I ever did in the USA. That I drank and ate more in Spain than in the USA!! (that last one is dangerous - Spain is the perfect place for a United Statesen to become overweight and alcoholic VERY easily as we have little respect for moderation). And unlike most others who come to live in Spain, I already had a large network of friends and near-family here in Madrid so I had a kind of safety net and people who would help me with paperwork, knowing how the system worked, how to order a pizza, and little details of day-to-day life.
Q: Do you think you will stay there forever?
A: Short answer is YES. I can't imagine something happening which would cause/force me back to the United States. I suppose if my company was decimated and I had no source of income I'd consider, however briefly, a move back to the USA. But I can't imagine going back after just 2 years here. Here I have FREE health care for any and all of my needs. Wow, I can't say enough about the health care system in Spain. Sure, I pay into the Social Security system, paying now the minimum of about 230 Euros monthy. That not only covers my socialized medicine but also goes towards my retirement pension when that time comes. But at 230 Euros monthly my pension won't be anything worthwhile. Regarding medicines, the prescriptions I'd habitually get in the United States cost me about $50 every 3-months, by mail order, with a state government insurance plan. The same medications here cost me 4 Euros. Wow. Incredible. Shockingly cheap. And there's no co-pay for doctors visits. When I go to the doctor with an appointment, usually the 8:30am group in the morning, I never wait for more than 15 minutes. When I went the first time and explained my medicine wants (not medicine NEEDS because they really aren't necessary) and showed the doctor one of my previous prescriptions, she simply looked at it, then to her computer, and printed out the prescription! ZIPPEE!! ¡Tan Fácil!
Q: Has it been tough financially?
A: Not for me, fortunately. Remember, I had been planning this move for YEARS so I'd accumulated a good nest-egg emergency fund if things didn't go well. But things went even better for my hobby-turned-business once I arrived in Spain. Again, I'm the anomaly. Few people can use me as their "Road Map to Success in Spain" - although I admit I've often considered writing such a booklet. It'd be incredibly difficult for people to follow in the same way, however. Anyway, here in Madrid I'm well connected. I live alone but don't pay any rent. My real expenses include electricity, gas, internet, television, phone, grocery, and comunidad fees (monthly fee to the building). The "over and above" expenses include lunches out, beer or coffee stops, a little on public transportation and taxis, bowling, movies.
Q: Just what is it you do for a living??
A: Good question - and one I'm frequently asked. In short, I sell advertising. That's it. MadridMan.com carried me well for about 8 years but with more competition presenting itself on the internet I found the necessity to diversity, starting BarcelonaMan.com at the beginning of 2006, then GranadaMan at the end of 2006, and ValencianMan towards the beginning of 2007. What's next? My short-term plans include smaller-scale websites for SegoviaMan, ToledoMan, BilbaoMan, SanSebastianMan, CordobaMan, CadizMan, and on and on. I'm also putting forward more effort in the city-specific lodging-only websites like Pamplona Hotels, Zaragoza Hotels, and a great number of others as time permits. Sometimes I feel like I'm burning my candle at both ends. Sometimes I get a little overwhelmed. But I never lack for work to do. And so far, I love doing it. My day is far from monotonous. There's something different around every corner.
Q: Are you "Legal"?
A: Yes. I have my Tarjeta de Regimen Comunitario para Extranjeros - got it about 3 months after arriving on December 29, 2005 but filed for it 3 months before arriving. My company's legal too. It's a registered Sociedad Limitada (a.k.a. "S.L.") company with a C.I.F. (fiscal number) any evvvvrything! I read in today's newspapers that I can eventually apply for citizenship too but so far I'm not in a hurry to do that. Maybe someday.
Q: Do you pay taxes in the United States?
A: Ugh. Yes. Well, I did for the year 2006 because of the date on which my company was registered. Luckily, through the US Embassy here in Madrid, I found an older US military gentleman who does taxes for a few Americans here. Wow, I was happy to find him even though he charged me like $200. For tax year 2007 I don't expect to pay any US Taxes because of my status as "living abroad and having no income in the USA". I don't know the exact figure but apparently if you're a US Citizen living abroad you don't have to pay US Taxes if your personal income is less than $75,000 (or something like that). Any income made abroad over that figure YOU DO have to pay US taxes on the excess. Isn't that ridiculous? I, being my own company's only employee, gave myself a low-ish monthly salary so I don't expect to pay any US Taxes for 2007 - but of course I still have to file a tax return. How do I live on a low-ish salary? I don't. I also live siphon the savings I've accumulated over the years before coming to Spain.
Q: Did you have problems with the language?
A: Problems? I didn't have any problems, per se, but learning a new language is a never ending education. I'll never know it all. I'd started studying Spanish in my junior/3rd year of High School as part of the foreign language requirements. I really didn't go willingly but watchagonnado, right? I didn't do particularly well but at least it went better than my one year of French as a freshman. I put in my time, did my homework, and took two summer trips to Mexico with the Spanish Club - of which I wasn't a participating member but they let me tag along since I was (ahem, my parents were paying) paying for the trip and was at least taking the Spanish classes. After high school, college, and more language requirements - 20 Credit Hours (that's 4 classes at 5-credits each) - so I took Spanish. Well, as we all know, College is MUCH more challenging than High School on all levels. I went to class most of the time, did very well in my first two courses, not so well in my second two courses, but passed and was done with the foreign languages, probably forever. OR WOULD I???.... Life went on and had little occasion to speak Spanish after college so I forgot most of it - happily. Then I met a Colombian neighbor woman in about 1991 who'd just moved to my apartment complex in Centerville, Ohio (a Dayton suburb). Her English wasn't good, probably a little worse than my Spanish, and used me to help her with all sorts of things after having shown the least little bit of interest in her language and Latin American culture - not knowing anything about Colombia except the obvious things you see on the news and in the movies. Fast forward 2 more years, 1995, and I find myself visiting Madrid for the first time and spending 1 month. That's when my eyes and my mind opened. I traveled all around Spain, met some people with whom I'm still friends, and began to take a real interest in this new, unusual, historic country - which had SO MUCH to do with the early development of my entire home continent. Very shortly thereafter I wanted to learn more about the country, had an interest in computers and the burgeoning internet, and needed a hobby. "Hey! How about a webpage!?" In 1996 I started my first webpage, "MadridMan's Yankee Home Page" on Geocities (back then it was totally free), put up some of my scanned Spain photos, wrote a short journal, and started adding little amenities here and there over time. Back then, when the internet was young, there was only one other Madrid-focused, English-language PERSONAL website on the internet. I remember being thrilled when I had my first 15-visitor day! Wow! "THEY LOVE ME! THEY REALLY LOVE ME!!!" Hahhaaa.. Wow, well, that was then. Now I get WAY more visitors per day and, well, I don't know if they love me but they do seem to use what I have to offer so that gives me satisfaction. (don't worry, I'm tying this all into how/why I wanted/needed to improve my Spanish skills) Just a couple years I was telling my parents about the success of my website and my father suggested I contact some Spanish language schools in Madrid to see if they'd like to advertise on my website. I told him he was crazy! WHO in their right mind would want to advertise on my tiny little personal website?! No one. Right? Or would they......? I sent 3 emails to language academies in Madrid and 2 replied saying that YES, they'd like to advertise. I WAS SHOCKED! And they paid a lot too! But from that day forward, correspondence with the hundreds of advertising clients I would have from then, 1998, to now, would all be done in Spanish by email. Wow. So to tie all this up, the daily correspondence with my clients in Spanish, my reading Spanish newspapers, listening to Spanish radio online daily, and listening to Spanish music would help me a lot in improving my Spanish. Now, living in Madrid for a little more than 2-years, I speak Spanish everyday with people on the telephone, the shop keepers, and most of my Spanish friends. The friends are largely bilingual but we tend to speak in Spanish but it's nice to know we can switch to English if necessary.
Q: What do you regret about moving to Madrid?
A: That's a tough one. My only regret is that I don't see my family or friends more than about once a year. But it's not an overwhelming regret. We all stay in weekly contact via email and SKYPE calls. In fact, I probably speak to my family and friends more often NOW that I'm living in Spain than when I lived in Columbus, Ohio those 10 years before moving to Spain. That's about it. I have to admit it was particularly difficult saying goodbye to my parents at the Columbus Airport when the took me for my 1-way flight to Spain. Hugging them then, knowing I'll infrequently see them, NOT KNOWING if I'll ever see them again should something happen. You know. All the usual things which go through your mind when you say goodbye to someone. But these were/are my parents. My ONLY parents. And there I was a 40-year old man, fighting back the tears, hugging my parents goodbye (hugs aren't big in my family) at the airport security checkpoint. "Would I ever see them again?" They'd asked me several times over the years, as any parent would, "Are you sure this is what you want to do?" The answer was always the same. "Yes." And now, as they know how things are going with me, I think they're now proud of their son - after so many years of the torture I put them through. Finally I found my niche. In some ways it's a shame I had to find it outside of my own country, away from my family. But sometimes that's the way it is. Parents want their children to be happy and relatively successful. I think their minds are finally at ease in this regard.
Q: How often do you return to the United States?
A: About once a year. Well, I think I've been to the USA just twice since moving here, both trips were in summer for family reunions. My typical stay is about 10 days. It doesn't seem like much time but before long I find myself "itching" to return to Madrid after only a few days. And when that plane touches down in Madrid Barajas airport, ahhh.. what a sigh of relief that. I'm SO happy to be back in Spain.
Q: Do you get to travel much now that you're in Europe?
A: Not as much as I'd like. I've been known to lament to friends that here I am, living in Europe for 2 years, and I haven't even left the country! I did think I'd have more opportunity to travel throughout Europe, being my own boss and all, but it hasn't happened. Partly due to laziness, I'm ashamed to say. But there are so many places in Spain I want to visit too. In this regard, I have taken pretty good advantage of my time here, visiting Granada twice, Valencia, Tarragona, Barcelona, much of Cantábria, and lots of the towns and cities near Madrid. I'd also visited MANY MANY places around Spain during my frequent visits here. The ONLY places outside of Spain I've visited so far since moving to Madrid include Porto, Portugal, Geneva, Switzerland (twice), and... errr... that's it.
Q: Are you glad you moved to Madrid?
A: That's an easy one. Yes. How many times have I been walking through Madrid at day or night after being out with friends, having beer and tapas and lots of conversation, on my way to get the bus back home, and look up at the magnificent architecture or listen to the sounds around me and think, "My goodness. I'm really here. I'm REALLY here. I'm LIVING in Madrid. I'm living my dream - a dream richer than I ever could have imagined."
A long-time English photographer friend here in Spain made the would-be newspaper headline years ago (before my move to Spain) on an online chat one night which rings so true;
But WHO chooses to leave their country? Among them include refugees in war-torn countries, poor nations, people whom might have business in their destination country, to re-join family, political, social, and racial reasons are the ones which come to my mind.
The following is a homemade interview of MadridMan by J.C. Ciudano... but some of the questions have been posed to me several times.
Q: Was moving to Madrid for good the right choice for you?
A: For me it was the right choice. Everyone has to deal with his own demons regarding leaving your family, country, and way-of-life behind. I've dealt with mine and feel much more at ease with myself and my future here in Madrid.
Q: Has it been easy?
A: For me, yes. It has been very easy. But I'm also aware that it's very very difficult for 95+% of the United Statesens whom come to Spain to live so I'm the anomaly to the normal equation. I'd been preparing myself both mentally and culturally for my move to Madrid for at least 6 years so my culture shock was nearly non-existent when I arrived. My goal was to assimilate myself to Spain even BEFORE arriving. But shortly after arriving in Spain there was a stretch of months, probably the first 6 months, when I went through some stress for the shops' opening times, having difficulty managing my workday to go to the supermarket during their OPENING hours. You see, many/most of the supermarkets and shops close from about 2pm to 5pm and THAT was just about the time I was READY to go! Adjusting to the change in meal time was easy for me. Nearly without fail I have my lunch at 2pm and my (light) dinner at 10pm and stay up until about 1am every night. Remember, I work at home so my schedule is however I want to make it. This means I rarely get out of bed until 9am, breakfast in front of the computer with some work/emails, then go to the gym, get home by 1pm or 1:30pm, shower, then make lunch and eat in front of the TV, 30 to 60 minute siesta nearly everyday, then wake up, have a coffee and a snack (i.e. a MERIENDA) in front of the computer where I'll stay until about 10pm when I'll stop to have dinner with the 10pm movies on Canal+. It's a relatively short work day during the week, maybe 6 or 7 hours, but I also work a solid 6-8 hours on Saturdays AND Sundays too. LOW STRESS is my lifestyle. I suppose most autonomos work longer days but probably few work on the weekends. I just love my job!
Q: What do you miss most about the United States?
A: There's not much, really. Difficult as it may seem, escaping the United States anywhere on this planet must be virtually impossible. Spaniards ask me this question constantly, "Don't you miss the United States?" And my answer is always the same; "What's there to miss? It's everywhere!" It's CONSTANTLY on the news and in the newspapers - and not usually for positive things but sometimes with regards to scientific breakthroughs. I turn on the TV and I get The Simpsons, Friends, Seinfeld, The Sopranos, CI:XYZ, House, NBA Basketball (which is big in Spain) and nearly all the movies are from Hollywood both on TV and in the cinema. USA based products like Coke, Pepsi, Nike, MacDonald's, Burger King, Hard Rock Cafe, and Starbucks are seen at every turn on the streets. Switch on the radio and, depending on the station, at least 50% of the music is in English and/or from the United States. The USA is inescapable. What's to miss? But there is one thing I miss - my Ohio State University Buckeyes football games on Saturdays. ARGH! That's a tough one to swallow. So I listen live via internet radio and follow on ESPN's GameCast graphical play-by-play coverage. I hope to attend one game in person this coming autumn. On Canal+ there are one or two NFL games shown per week but that's about all - and all the broadcasters are Spaniards speaking in Spanish. That's okay - but not the same.
Q: Are there any things you wish you had done before you left?
A: Hmmm... I don't think so. In my last 6 months in Ohio, USA it was already a certainty that I'd be moving to Madrid. I took advantage of that time "to be present" to my surroundings, my family, and my friends. Those 6 months were the best time. I was going out, meeting with friends, doing things I either never did or rarely did, and put extra effort into every moment. Throughout that time I asked myself, "My goodness! Why wasn't I like this before?" I guess it comes down to complacency. When you know everything's good and moving along you just continue moving along, going with the flow and very little changes take place. Routine sets in. But when you know "These are the last 6 Months of my life - here in the USA" you tend to look at things from a drastically different perspective.
Q: Would you do it again?
A: Absolutely. I just wish I could've moved to Madrid sooner. But as it worked out, I had to wait until I was (just) 40 years old. I'm certainly glad - and fortunate - to have lived the first 40 years of my life in the United States. That's a wealth of knowledge, experience, and opportunity I have under my belt. The USA isn't perfect, far from it - in fact, the general political climate aided in my decision to move to Spain - a much more liberal and generally more socially enriching environment - but living in the USA (or anywhere in the world) for such a long time gives one perspective. For example, if you bought your dream car at 16 years old and that was the only car you'd drive all your life you'd have no idea that other cars might better fit your. But if you buy several cars throughout your lifetime you'd know that while you loved your first car, your second car handled much better on the curves (of life).
Q: Was everything the way you thought it would be?
A: Pretty much, yes. I'd been visiting Spain about once each year since 1995 until 2002 when I started visiting twice a year. In those visits I visited many of Spain's regions and experienced many of their customs, festivals, holidays, and events. Some visits lasted 1 month while others were as short as just 5 days. And you know what, that 5-day visit was nearly the best one of them all. Intense. I already knew that Spaniards were generally gruff on the outside but soft on the inside. I knew that dog owners casually allowed their doggies to leave their "gifts" on the sidewalk. I knew that Spaniards will do just about anything for you, very easygoing, very conversational, very social. These last 2 things were/are an adjustment for me. IN FACT, much of what Spain represents are many of the things I lacked in my own life in the USA. I often joked with people and coworkers in the USA that I had surprisingly more friends in SPAIN than in the USA! That I had longer and more meaningful conversations in the SPAIN than I ever did in the USA. That I drank and ate more in Spain than in the USA!! (that last one is dangerous - Spain is the perfect place for a United Statesen to become overweight and alcoholic VERY easily as we have little respect for moderation). And unlike most others who come to live in Spain, I already had a large network of friends and near-family here in Madrid so I had a kind of safety net and people who would help me with paperwork, knowing how the system worked, how to order a pizza, and little details of day-to-day life.
Q: Do you think you will stay there forever?
A: Short answer is YES. I can't imagine something happening which would cause/force me back to the United States. I suppose if my company was decimated and I had no source of income I'd consider, however briefly, a move back to the USA. But I can't imagine going back after just 2 years here. Here I have FREE health care for any and all of my needs. Wow, I can't say enough about the health care system in Spain. Sure, I pay into the Social Security system, paying now the minimum of about 230 Euros monthy. That not only covers my socialized medicine but also goes towards my retirement pension when that time comes. But at 230 Euros monthly my pension won't be anything worthwhile. Regarding medicines, the prescriptions I'd habitually get in the United States cost me about $50 every 3-months, by mail order, with a state government insurance plan. The same medications here cost me 4 Euros. Wow. Incredible. Shockingly cheap. And there's no co-pay for doctors visits. When I go to the doctor with an appointment, usually the 8:30am group in the morning, I never wait for more than 15 minutes. When I went the first time and explained my medicine wants (not medicine NEEDS because they really aren't necessary) and showed the doctor one of my previous prescriptions, she simply looked at it, then to her computer, and printed out the prescription! ZIPPEE!! ¡Tan Fácil!
Q: Has it been tough financially?
A: Not for me, fortunately. Remember, I had been planning this move for YEARS so I'd accumulated a good nest-egg emergency fund if things didn't go well. But things went even better for my hobby-turned-business once I arrived in Spain. Again, I'm the anomaly. Few people can use me as their "Road Map to Success in Spain" - although I admit I've often considered writing such a booklet. It'd be incredibly difficult for people to follow in the same way, however. Anyway, here in Madrid I'm well connected. I live alone but don't pay any rent. My real expenses include electricity, gas, internet, television, phone, grocery, and comunidad fees (monthly fee to the building). The "over and above" expenses include lunches out, beer or coffee stops, a little on public transportation and taxis, bowling, movies.
Q: Just what is it you do for a living??
A: Good question - and one I'm frequently asked. In short, I sell advertising. That's it. MadridMan.com carried me well for about 8 years but with more competition presenting itself on the internet I found the necessity to diversity, starting BarcelonaMan.com at the beginning of 2006, then GranadaMan at the end of 2006, and ValencianMan towards the beginning of 2007. What's next? My short-term plans include smaller-scale websites for SegoviaMan, ToledoMan, BilbaoMan, SanSebastianMan, CordobaMan, CadizMan, and on and on. I'm also putting forward more effort in the city-specific lodging-only websites like Pamplona Hotels, Zaragoza Hotels, and a great number of others as time permits. Sometimes I feel like I'm burning my candle at both ends. Sometimes I get a little overwhelmed. But I never lack for work to do. And so far, I love doing it. My day is far from monotonous. There's something different around every corner.
Q: Are you "Legal"?
A: Yes. I have my Tarjeta de Regimen Comunitario para Extranjeros - got it about 3 months after arriving on December 29, 2005 but filed for it 3 months before arriving. My company's legal too. It's a registered Sociedad Limitada (a.k.a. "S.L.") company with a C.I.F. (fiscal number) any evvvvrything! I read in today's newspapers that I can eventually apply for citizenship too but so far I'm not in a hurry to do that. Maybe someday.
Q: Do you pay taxes in the United States?
A: Ugh. Yes. Well, I did for the year 2006 because of the date on which my company was registered. Luckily, through the US Embassy here in Madrid, I found an older US military gentleman who does taxes for a few Americans here. Wow, I was happy to find him even though he charged me like $200. For tax year 2007 I don't expect to pay any US Taxes because of my status as "living abroad and having no income in the USA". I don't know the exact figure but apparently if you're a US Citizen living abroad you don't have to pay US Taxes if your personal income is less than $75,000 (or something like that). Any income made abroad over that figure YOU DO have to pay US taxes on the excess. Isn't that ridiculous? I, being my own company's only employee, gave myself a low-ish monthly salary so I don't expect to pay any US Taxes for 2007 - but of course I still have to file a tax return. How do I live on a low-ish salary? I don't. I also live siphon the savings I've accumulated over the years before coming to Spain.
Q: Did you have problems with the language?
A: Problems? I didn't have any problems, per se, but learning a new language is a never ending education. I'll never know it all. I'd started studying Spanish in my junior/3rd year of High School as part of the foreign language requirements. I really didn't go willingly but watchagonnado, right? I didn't do particularly well but at least it went better than my one year of French as a freshman. I put in my time, did my homework, and took two summer trips to Mexico with the Spanish Club - of which I wasn't a participating member but they let me tag along since I was (ahem, my parents were paying) paying for the trip and was at least taking the Spanish classes. After high school, college, and more language requirements - 20 Credit Hours (that's 4 classes at 5-credits each) - so I took Spanish. Well, as we all know, College is MUCH more challenging than High School on all levels. I went to class most of the time, did very well in my first two courses, not so well in my second two courses, but passed and was done with the foreign languages, probably forever. OR WOULD I???.... Life went on and had little occasion to speak Spanish after college so I forgot most of it - happily. Then I met a Colombian neighbor woman in about 1991 who'd just moved to my apartment complex in Centerville, Ohio (a Dayton suburb). Her English wasn't good, probably a little worse than my Spanish, and used me to help her with all sorts of things after having shown the least little bit of interest in her language and Latin American culture - not knowing anything about Colombia except the obvious things you see on the news and in the movies. Fast forward 2 more years, 1995, and I find myself visiting Madrid for the first time and spending 1 month. That's when my eyes and my mind opened. I traveled all around Spain, met some people with whom I'm still friends, and began to take a real interest in this new, unusual, historic country - which had SO MUCH to do with the early development of my entire home continent. Very shortly thereafter I wanted to learn more about the country, had an interest in computers and the burgeoning internet, and needed a hobby. "Hey! How about a webpage!?" In 1996 I started my first webpage, "MadridMan's Yankee Home Page" on Geocities (back then it was totally free), put up some of my scanned Spain photos, wrote a short journal, and started adding little amenities here and there over time. Back then, when the internet was young, there was only one other Madrid-focused, English-language PERSONAL website on the internet. I remember being thrilled when I had my first 15-visitor day! Wow! "THEY LOVE ME! THEY REALLY LOVE ME!!!" Hahhaaa.. Wow, well, that was then. Now I get WAY more visitors per day and, well, I don't know if they love me but they do seem to use what I have to offer so that gives me satisfaction. (don't worry, I'm tying this all into how/why I wanted/needed to improve my Spanish skills) Just a couple years I was telling my parents about the success of my website and my father suggested I contact some Spanish language schools in Madrid to see if they'd like to advertise on my website. I told him he was crazy! WHO in their right mind would want to advertise on my tiny little personal website?! No one. Right? Or would they......? I sent 3 emails to language academies in Madrid and 2 replied saying that YES, they'd like to advertise. I WAS SHOCKED! And they paid a lot too! But from that day forward, correspondence with the hundreds of advertising clients I would have from then, 1998, to now, would all be done in Spanish by email. Wow. So to tie all this up, the daily correspondence with my clients in Spanish, my reading Spanish newspapers, listening to Spanish radio online daily, and listening to Spanish music would help me a lot in improving my Spanish. Now, living in Madrid for a little more than 2-years, I speak Spanish everyday with people on the telephone, the shop keepers, and most of my Spanish friends. The friends are largely bilingual but we tend to speak in Spanish but it's nice to know we can switch to English if necessary.
Q: What do you regret about moving to Madrid?
A: That's a tough one. My only regret is that I don't see my family or friends more than about once a year. But it's not an overwhelming regret. We all stay in weekly contact via email and SKYPE calls. In fact, I probably speak to my family and friends more often NOW that I'm living in Spain than when I lived in Columbus, Ohio those 10 years before moving to Spain. That's about it. I have to admit it was particularly difficult saying goodbye to my parents at the Columbus Airport when the took me for my 1-way flight to Spain. Hugging them then, knowing I'll infrequently see them, NOT KNOWING if I'll ever see them again should something happen. You know. All the usual things which go through your mind when you say goodbye to someone. But these were/are my parents. My ONLY parents. And there I was a 40-year old man, fighting back the tears, hugging my parents goodbye (hugs aren't big in my family) at the airport security checkpoint. "Would I ever see them again?" They'd asked me several times over the years, as any parent would, "Are you sure this is what you want to do?" The answer was always the same. "Yes." And now, as they know how things are going with me, I think they're now proud of their son - after so many years of the torture I put them through. Finally I found my niche. In some ways it's a shame I had to find it outside of my own country, away from my family. But sometimes that's the way it is. Parents want their children to be happy and relatively successful. I think their minds are finally at ease in this regard.
Q: How often do you return to the United States?
A: About once a year. Well, I think I've been to the USA just twice since moving here, both trips were in summer for family reunions. My typical stay is about 10 days. It doesn't seem like much time but before long I find myself "itching" to return to Madrid after only a few days. And when that plane touches down in Madrid Barajas airport, ahhh.. what a sigh of relief that. I'm SO happy to be back in Spain.
Q: Do you get to travel much now that you're in Europe?
A: Not as much as I'd like. I've been known to lament to friends that here I am, living in Europe for 2 years, and I haven't even left the country! I did think I'd have more opportunity to travel throughout Europe, being my own boss and all, but it hasn't happened. Partly due to laziness, I'm ashamed to say. But there are so many places in Spain I want to visit too. In this regard, I have taken pretty good advantage of my time here, visiting Granada twice, Valencia, Tarragona, Barcelona, much of Cantábria, and lots of the towns and cities near Madrid. I'd also visited MANY MANY places around Spain during my frequent visits here. The ONLY places outside of Spain I've visited so far since moving to Madrid include Porto, Portugal, Geneva, Switzerland (twice), and... errr... that's it.
Q: Are you glad you moved to Madrid?
A: That's an easy one. Yes. How many times have I been walking through Madrid at day or night after being out with friends, having beer and tapas and lots of conversation, on my way to get the bus back home, and look up at the magnificent architecture or listen to the sounds around me and think, "My goodness. I'm really here. I'm REALLY here. I'm LIVING in Madrid. I'm living my dream - a dream richer than I ever could have imagined."
A long-time English photographer friend here in Spain made the would-be newspaper headline years ago (before my move to Spain) on an online chat one night which rings so true;
"COLUMBUS MAN DISCOVERS SPAIN"
It's amazing to me that for the last 5 days, "Super Tuesday" is a headline across Spain and probably across the globe. A lot is riding on this one for both the Democrats and the Republicans - and for the world.
The topic seems to be on the lips of most Spaniards as well. Just in the last 24 hours it seemed that every commercial break included a news clip about today, "Super Tuesday".
Last Sunday I went to a luncheon here in Madrid with about 12 other people, mostly Spaniards. I was the only American. The American Primaries were on everyones mind. Is this normal? Do Spaniards really care that much about the PRIMARIES in the United States? I can understand the Presidential elections being of great interest to everyone in the world.... but the primaries? Maybe it's more for the novelty of the two Democrats running; one white woman and one black man. Or maybe it's the possibility of "newness" of power for a woman or for a black man in The White House - a first in US History.
I'm registered with one of the political parties and to no surprise they've been sending me about half a dozen emails per day!! The Democratic Party is holding "Live Elections" here in Madrid and also in Barcelona. The Republican Party, is seems, is not. I'm not sure why. If anyone knows where/if Republicans one can vote here in Madrid please send me an email or include a comment to this post and I'll include it. Thanks!
In Madrid, the Democratic Party is having a Super Tuesday/Fat Tuesday combo party at Star Café on Calle Serrano Jove, 5 - Metro Arguelles) from 8pm to 2am where one can vote live (or online if registered) and Mardi Gras party with live music.
What's going to happen? Who knows. Will we be better off with a new political party in the White House? Who knows. Time and history will tell.
The topic seems to be on the lips of most Spaniards as well. Just in the last 24 hours it seemed that every commercial break included a news clip about today, "Super Tuesday".
Last Sunday I went to a luncheon here in Madrid with about 12 other people, mostly Spaniards. I was the only American. The American Primaries were on everyones mind. Is this normal? Do Spaniards really care that much about the PRIMARIES in the United States? I can understand the Presidential elections being of great interest to everyone in the world.... but the primaries? Maybe it's more for the novelty of the two Democrats running; one white woman and one black man. Or maybe it's the possibility of "newness" of power for a woman or for a black man in The White House - a first in US History.
I'm registered with one of the political parties and to no surprise they've been sending me about half a dozen emails per day!! The Democratic Party is holding "Live Elections" here in Madrid and also in Barcelona. The Republican Party, is seems, is not. I'm not sure why. If anyone knows where/if Republicans one can vote here in Madrid please send me an email or include a comment to this post and I'll include it. Thanks!
In Madrid, the Democratic Party is having a Super Tuesday/Fat Tuesday combo party at Star Café on Calle Serrano Jove, 5 - Metro Arguelles) from 8pm to 2am where one can vote live (or online if registered) and Mardi Gras party with live music.
What's going to happen? Who knows. Will we be better off with a new political party in the White House? Who knows. Time and history will tell.
The village of El Escorial is an easy daytrip from Madrid. It can be done by bus or by car. The 16th century royal palace and monastery there, San Lorenzo de El Escorial, was built by King Philip II and is one of true jewels of La Comunidad de Madrid. It's also where past - and future - Spanish royals are buried.Yesterday, 4 Guys from 4 Nations visited the nearby (to Madrid) village of El Escorial by car. We were 1 person from Spain, 1 person from Denmark, 1 person from England, and 1 person from the United States. Talk about your international representation - all ambassadors for our countries in El Escorial. We tried to behave ourselves.
We'd arrived at about 12:30pm at the gate to enter the "park" of Valle de los Caídos. There was a short line, not moving. We asked what was happening and the guard told us they were removing ice from the access road and putting down salt and that we should go into El Escorial and come back later. Okay. Fine. No problem.
It was a cold day, very cloudy, and rained lightly at the beginning of our visit to the large village. 2 of our group went into San Lorenzo de El Escorial and gave themselves a self-guided tour while 2 of us went walking into the village. I was a walker and not a tourer of the El Escorial Palace because I'd seen it just last summer as had my buddy Steve. Steve and I took to the streets and visited the numerous belénes or nativities throughout the town, finally stopping at a back-street bar for a coffee. While chatting and sipping our drinks, a waiter passed us with a large ceramic bowl of sopa de marisco or shellfish soup and had to ask for a small bowl to hold us until lunch. Very good. Tasty. And HOT.
Back to the streets, up and down, back and forth, looking over the nativities, some rather comical, others more traditional. We finally got the call from the other half of our party to meet them at the exit gate of San Lorenzo de El Escorial so we made our way there and did some "shopping" at the monastery gift shop while waiting. They arrived a few minutes later, satisfied with their tour, and we four headed back through the city to see more nativities and to find someplace for lunch as it was already about 2:30pm.
We found a bar with a small dining room which had a good Menu del Día and sat down, ordered, and at our lunches along with a large, shared order of Patatas Bravas. Mmmm.. So good. We ate briskly as we needed to get back to the Valley of the Fallen before the last funicular went up to the foot of the cross at about 4:30pm (at this time of year). We paid, drove to the entry, waited in line with our car, and the guard at the gate remembered us and waved us through without paying. Wow. He was nice! It's typically 5 Euros per person for NON-European citizens so I was ready to pay. But apparently since two of us were European citizens, one was a Spanish resident, and one didn't have any documentation whatsoever - but was wearing a LONDON sweatshirt - he just waved us through.
We buzzed up the winding hillside access road, about 5 minutes or so, and parked at the funicular parking lot and apparently made the last or the second to last car going UP to the foot of the cross. It was 2.5 Euros per person.The area around the tall granite cross, apparently the tallest cross in Europe, was impressive and the views from up there were even more impressive. We walked around somewhat quickly because the last funicular going down was in 25 minutes. The clouds parted for us as soon as we arrived, giving us some blue sky overhead as the sun set just behind the hills on the other side of the Benedictine Abbey of Santa Cruz and monastery.
We took the funicular down after snapping a few photos and went walked quickly to church, the tomb of General Francisco Franco and José Antonio Primo de Rivera - the founder of the falange. NO PHOTOS ALLOWED. Inside the tomb, which is built into the mountain (see photo above), is an impressive structure for its architecture. The tombs themselves are nothing to see, flat slabs on the floor surrounded by red velvet ropes. Above is a beautiful mosaic dome, probably the nicest part of the entire "Church". Apart from that and the fact that it's built into the mountain, I felt surprisingly nothing while inside. Knowing what I know about the Franco dictatorship I didn't feel the religion surrounding the tombs of the people responsible for tens of thousands of murders. The counterintuitive hypocrisy of this religious monument seems to remove any sensation of God. Often I walk through cathedrals in Spain and I feel something important. Here, I felt nothing - except anger.
The monument was built BY and FOR General Francisco Franco - a monument to himself and to all those who died on the fascist, winning side of the Spanish Civil War. I understand the current government will take steps change its use, making it more of a monument to ALL those who died in the Spanish Civil War, representing BOTH sides.
MANY MANY Spaniards refuse to visit this monument as it represents something which hails fascism, murder, and the division of a country. I can't say I blame them. I think many tourists choose to visit it because it represents a part of Spain's history. And it does. But I also believe few tourists understand that it only represents one side and not the other. The stone cross and the tomb is worth visiting. But be informed before going. Realize that many Spanish prisoners, political prisoners whom were incarcerated long after the end of the Civil War, died during its construction.
(notice the shadow of the cross in the foreground)
Funny how we accidentally find things on the internet which interest us or make us laugh. This is what happened just a couple minutes ago and felt it was an appropriate, relative thing about which to make a posting.
I happened upon a specific, Madrid Christmas-related posting on a technology Spanish blog (i.e. "WebLog") called Clipset.net entitled "Árbol de Navidad Comecocos, oseasé Pac-Man Xmas Tree". In English that's "Coconut-Eating Christmas Tree, or Pac-Man Xmas Tree".
It seem that in Spain, "back in the day", the popular Pac-Man video game was instead lovingly called "Comecocos" or "Coconut Eaters". Cute, huh!
In the posting they said the Pac-Man Christmas Tree is apparently located in the Azca business district of Madrid. The tree is a 4-sided pyramid and shows the video game in lights complete with dot-eating ghosts and also a few stars and tiny Christmas trees thrown in to make it more Christmassy. Apparently the dot-eating ghosts are stationary and do not move around the Christmas tree. But wouldn't it be COOL if they did? Harder to make too, I'm sure.
Below I'm including the YouTube video which ClipSet.net posted in that particular blog entry. Enjoy!
I happened upon a specific, Madrid Christmas-related posting on a technology Spanish blog (i.e. "WebLog") called Clipset.net entitled "Árbol de Navidad Comecocos, oseasé Pac-Man Xmas Tree". In English that's "Coconut-Eating Christmas Tree, or Pac-Man Xmas Tree".It seem that in Spain, "back in the day", the popular Pac-Man video game was instead lovingly called "Comecocos" or "Coconut Eaters". Cute, huh!
In the posting they said the Pac-Man Christmas Tree is apparently located in the Azca business district of Madrid. The tree is a 4-sided pyramid and shows the video game in lights complete with dot-eating ghosts and also a few stars and tiny Christmas trees thrown in to make it more Christmassy. Apparently the dot-eating ghosts are stationary and do not move around the Christmas tree. But wouldn't it be COOL if they did? Harder to make too, I'm sure.
Below I'm including the YouTube video which ClipSet.net posted in that particular blog entry. Enjoy!
MadridMan asks on his 42nd birthday, "Where is the Love?"
The following IS NOT a self-centered attempt to garner birthday well-wishes but rather to make all of us think about the world in which we live.
If the below video or its lyrics don't make you become teary eyed with thought-provoked sadness - like it does to me - then you may be breathin' but you sure ain't livin'.
"Where Is The Love" by the Black Eyed Peas
Lyrics of song "Where Is The Love" by the Black Eyed Peas
(Please read these song lyrics, carefully, slowly, mindfully...)
What's wrong with the world mama?
People living like ain't got no mamas
I think the whole world's addicted to the drama
Only attracted to the things that bring you trauma
Overseas yeah we tryin' to stop terrorism
But we still got terrorists here livin'
In the USA the big CIA the Bloodz and the Crips and the KKK
But if you only have love for your own race
Then you only leave space to discriminate
And to discriminate only generates hate
And if you hatin' you're bound to get irate
Yeah madness is what you demonstrate
And that's exactly how anger works and operates
You gotta have love just to set it straight
Take control of your mind and meditate
Let your soul gravitate to the love y'all
People killing people dying
Children hurtin' you hear them crying
Can you practice what you preach
Would you turn the other cheek?
Father Father Father help us
Send some guidance from above
Cause people got me got me questioning
Where is the love?(where is the lovex3)(the love2x)
It just ain't the same all ways have changed
New days are strange is the world the insane?
If love and peace so strong
Why are there pieces of love that don't belong
Nations dropping bombs
Chemical gases filling lungs of little ones
With ongoing suffering
As the youth die young
So ask yourself is the loving really strong?
So I can ask myself really what is going wrong
With this world that we living in
People keep on giving in
Makin' wrong decisions
Only visions of them livin' and
Not respecting each other
Deny thy brother
The wars' going on but the reasons' undercover
The truth is kept secret
Swept under the rug
If you never know truth
Then you never know love
Where's the love y'all?(I don't know)
Where's the truth y'all?(I don't know)
Where's the love y'all?
People killing people dying
Children hurtin' you hear them crying
Can practice what you preach
Would you turn the other cheek?
Father father father help us
Send some guidance from above
Cause people got me got me questioning
Where is the love?(where is the lovex3)(the lovex2)
I feel the weight of the world on my shoulder
As I'm getting older y'all people get colder
Most of us only care about money makin'
Selfishness got us followin' the wrong direction
Wrong information always shown by the media
Negative images is the main criteria
Infecting their young minds faster than bacteria
Kids wanna act like what the see in the cinema
Whatever happened to the values of humanity
Whatever happened to the fairness and equality
Instead of spreading love, we're spreading anomosity
Lack of understanding, leading us away from unity
That's the reason why sometimes I'm feeling under
That's the reason why sometimes I'm feeling down
It's no wonder why sometimes I'm feeling under
I gotta keep my faith alive, until love is found
People killing people dying
Children hurtin' you hear them crying
Can you practice what you preach
Would you turn the other cheek?
Father Father Father help us
Send some guidance from above
Cause people got me got me questioning
Where is the love?
Sing wit me y'all:
One world, one world
(We only got) One world, one world
(That's all we got) One world, one world
And something's wrong wit it (Yeah)
Something's wrong wit it (Yeah)
Something's wrong wit the wo-wo-world, yeah
We only got (One world, one world)
That's all we got (One world, one world)
Sometimes it's like that. Get-togethers with friends can be fine, good,
or leave you feeling really really fortunate to know such wonderful
people. (of course drinking lots of good beer helps too)
Yesterday, we had another Movie with MadridMan gathering as discussed on the message board. We went to see "La Jungla 4.0", or "Die Hard 4.0", or "Live Free or Die Hard" as it was named in the USA. Wow. What a movie. I REALLY enjoyed it - lots of rather unbelievable action as is the recipe for Hollywood movies of this type. It was MUCH better than "Die Hard 3". Bruce Willis can STILL be an action hero, I say.
Anyway, message board members Jamongris, Valenciano_en_Madrid, & I met at the Cine Ideal where they show (mainly) American movies in Versión Original with subtitles in Spanish. Got our tickets and chose middle-center seats in the theater which, by movie's start, housed about 10 person for the 4:30pm movie. I was NEVER bored during all the action, but exercised lots of eye-rolling with each inhuman action scene. Action, explosions, fights and falls but not very bloody and several tongue-in-cheek statements by Willis as is his "motus operandi" in these DIE HARD movies.
Yesterday, we had another Movie with MadridMan gathering as discussed on the message board. We went to see "La Jungla 4.0", or "Die Hard 4.0", or "Live Free or Die Hard" as it was named in the USA. Wow. What a movie. I REALLY enjoyed it - lots of rather unbelievable action as is the recipe for Hollywood movies of this type. It was MUCH better than "Die Hard 3". Bruce Willis can STILL be an action hero, I say.
Anyway, message board members Jamongris, Valenciano_en_Madrid, & I met at the Cine Ideal where they show (mainly) American movies in Versión Original with subtitles in Spanish. Got our tickets and chose middle-center seats in the theater which, by movie's start, housed about 10 person for the 4:30pm movie. I was NEVER bored during all the action, but exercised lots of eye-rolling with each inhuman action scene. Action, explosions, fights and falls but not very bloody and several tongue-in-cheek statements by Willis as is his "motus operandi" in these DIE HARD movies.
So enough about the movie. We nodded to each other with entertained facial expressions upon leaving the theater and headed out into the street. "Okay! Now what?" Valenciano_en_Madrid offered to take us to one of his favorite bars in Madrid. It's called CafeeKe and is located near the base of the steps of the Arco de Cuchilleros (just out of above photo to the right) on Plaza Mayor's southwestern corner. I called my buddy Steve and he joined us there soon after arriving. Got a nice 4-person table on the terrace with good views.
Time passed as fast as topics of conversation and consumption of delicious Belgian beer (called Chimay, I think). The generous waiters (from Morocco and Cuba) were great, friendly, talkative, and gave us good cheese cubes and nut-mixers for free tapas with our somewhat pricey beers. MAN, how time flies when you're enjoying yourself. Before we knew it it was about 10pm and TWO of us had to get make trains and buses to get home before it was too late.
Steve and I, having more flexible work (?) schedules, decided to walk
through the Plaza Mayor on the way to our respective homes. Steve says,
"Shall we have a last drink? And maybe something to eat? I'm hungry."
Eh! Why not. We look around the still-crowded Plaza Mayor and try to
decide on an overpriced, touristy terrazas. But which one? They're ALL
so wonderfully touristy! hehehe... How 'bout La Torre de Oro?
Sounds good to me. We sit down at the terrace near Plaza Mayor's
northwestern corner and the waiter approaches immediately. OKAY! Let's
go wild! We chose a high-priced Gambas al Ajillo and the Chopitos. All turned out to be fair-to-good. Wine for Steve and beer for me.
Chit chat, enjoy the view of the illuminated paintings of the northern side's "Casa de la Panaderia", drink, eat, more chit-chat. I notice a table of 3 American girls/women at the adjacent table and we all begin to talk. They're from Chicago and just off the boat (plane) in Madrid, arrived that day. They're staying for quite awhile it turns out, all English teachers.
Once again, time flies, the girls/women leave, the bar starts to turn off its lights, and Steve and I shake hands and say our goodbyes until next time. I walk towards OPERA where I usually catch my bus but I know it's already too late for that. It's shut down for the night and so I'm in no hurry to get there. Will take the metro at Opera instead.
What a walk. My head's full of memories and beer. I'm walking down one of Madrid's narrow streets in Old Town. It's after midnight. And then a smile crosses my face when it hits me. $%/*&! I'M IN MADRID!!!!! It happens like that sometimes. Joy washes over me like a summer rain - or maybe it's just the warm beer, or something, I spilled down my leg. JUST KIDDING! But regardless (or "irregardless" as a masters degree-educated former coworker used to constantly say, making me crazy!), I'm in heaven on earth. I'm in Madrid. Hope I never wake up from this dream come true.
Photo from left: Steve (UK), Jamongris (UK), Valenciano_en_Madrid (ESP), & MadridMan (USA)
Time passed as fast as topics of conversation and consumption of delicious Belgian beer (called Chimay, I think). The generous waiters (from Morocco and Cuba) were great, friendly, talkative, and gave us good cheese cubes and nut-mixers for free tapas with our somewhat pricey beers. MAN, how time flies when you're enjoying yourself. Before we knew it it was about 10pm and TWO of us had to get make trains and buses to get home before it was too late.
Steve and I, having more flexible work (?) schedules, decided to walk
through the Plaza Mayor on the way to our respective homes. Steve says,
"Shall we have a last drink? And maybe something to eat? I'm hungry."
Eh! Why not. We look around the still-crowded Plaza Mayor and try to
decide on an overpriced, touristy terrazas. But which one? They're ALL
so wonderfully touristy! hehehe... How 'bout La Torre de Oro?
Sounds good to me. We sit down at the terrace near Plaza Mayor's
northwestern corner and the waiter approaches immediately. OKAY! Let's
go wild! We chose a high-priced Gambas al Ajillo and the Chopitos. All turned out to be fair-to-good. Wine for Steve and beer for me.Chit chat, enjoy the view of the illuminated paintings of the northern side's "Casa de la Panaderia", drink, eat, more chit-chat. I notice a table of 3 American girls/women at the adjacent table and we all begin to talk. They're from Chicago and just off the boat (plane) in Madrid, arrived that day. They're staying for quite awhile it turns out, all English teachers.
Once again, time flies, the girls/women leave, the bar starts to turn off its lights, and Steve and I shake hands and say our goodbyes until next time. I walk towards OPERA where I usually catch my bus but I know it's already too late for that. It's shut down for the night and so I'm in no hurry to get there. Will take the metro at Opera instead.
What a walk. My head's full of memories and beer. I'm walking down one of Madrid's narrow streets in Old Town. It's after midnight. And then a smile crosses my face when it hits me. $%/*&! I'M IN MADRID!!!!! It happens like that sometimes. Joy washes over me like a summer rain - or maybe it's just the warm beer, or something, I spilled down my leg. JUST KIDDING! But regardless (or "irregardless" as a masters degree-educated former coworker used to constantly say, making me crazy!), I'm in heaven on earth. I'm in Madrid. Hope I never wake up from this dream come true.
¡De Madrid al Cielo!
Today is the 6-year anniversary of the September 11 2001 terrorist attacks in New York City and Washington D.C..
Time helps to heal wounds but rarely helps us forget the events themselves. Violence is never the answer in resolving issues.
I had the radio turned at work on the morning of September 11th, 2001. The announcer broke in to say there was an explosion in one of the Twin Towers in New York City. One of the first report was that it was a small airplane so I didn't think TOO much of it at the time but the rest of the story would unfold over the next 2 hours.
The first tower fell and people were in shock. The office had setup a TV for us to watch and I walked in minutes before the second tower fell. "Wow. This is really BIG," I thought. All I could imagine was that 10s of thousands of people may have just died in this very moment - and I was a witness. This single event would change me forever in some way, I knew it.
The phone lines were flooded. All lines busy as people called family and friends, asking about their safety.
About an hour later they sent us all home. Some were seen running down the hall in a panic. Some were calm and chatting. But we all grabbed our stuff and walked outside to the downtown Columbus, Ohio gridlock. I'd never seen ANYTHING like this before in downtown Columbus. It was bumper to bumper traffic, no one was moving, cars lined up as far as you could see in all directions. By chance, I did NOT take the bus to work today - and it's a good thing too because the buses were not running for security concerns. By chance, that morning I'd parked my car just outside of the downtown in bohemian "The Short North" neighborhood and walked in from there. Making my way to the car that day, walking faster than the stopped traffic, I was careful to observe the blank, expressionless faces of people in shock. My car was parked far enough outside of downtown to be able to make my way home without too much problem.
Got home about an hour later at 1pm or so, turned on the computer to find the internet understandably a total BUZZ. I had CNN turn on behind me too. That's when I got the story about what had happened and who claimed responsibility. All airplanes were grounded. Looking out my BIG picture window up to the sky, not a plane in sight. I got dozens of emails from Spain-based friends and strangers expressing their sorrow, shock, horror.
Throughout the day and for the subsequent days I had frequent episodes of tears and anxiety. It was almost as if I could hear the screams in my head and the pain in my heart as the dead, grieving souls flew past me on their way to some other place - or no place - as well as the pain of all those people whom had lost family and friends in those moments. The world seemed so full of pain & fear.
So odd. So strange. So surreal was this day. The world would never be the same again.
Time helps to heal wounds but rarely helps us forget the events themselves. Violence is never the answer in resolving issues.
I had the radio turned at work on the morning of September 11th, 2001. The announcer broke in to say there was an explosion in one of the Twin Towers in New York City. One of the first report was that it was a small airplane so I didn't think TOO much of it at the time but the rest of the story would unfold over the next 2 hours.
The first tower fell and people were in shock. The office had setup a TV for us to watch and I walked in minutes before the second tower fell. "Wow. This is really BIG," I thought. All I could imagine was that 10s of thousands of people may have just died in this very moment - and I was a witness. This single event would change me forever in some way, I knew it.
The phone lines were flooded. All lines busy as people called family and friends, asking about their safety.
About an hour later they sent us all home. Some were seen running down the hall in a panic. Some were calm and chatting. But we all grabbed our stuff and walked outside to the downtown Columbus, Ohio gridlock. I'd never seen ANYTHING like this before in downtown Columbus. It was bumper to bumper traffic, no one was moving, cars lined up as far as you could see in all directions. By chance, I did NOT take the bus to work today - and it's a good thing too because the buses were not running for security concerns. By chance, that morning I'd parked my car just outside of the downtown in bohemian "The Short North" neighborhood and walked in from there. Making my way to the car that day, walking faster than the stopped traffic, I was careful to observe the blank, expressionless faces of people in shock. My car was parked far enough outside of downtown to be able to make my way home without too much problem.
Got home about an hour later at 1pm or so, turned on the computer to find the internet understandably a total BUZZ. I had CNN turn on behind me too. That's when I got the story about what had happened and who claimed responsibility. All airplanes were grounded. Looking out my BIG picture window up to the sky, not a plane in sight. I got dozens of emails from Spain-based friends and strangers expressing their sorrow, shock, horror.
Throughout the day and for the subsequent days I had frequent episodes of tears and anxiety. It was almost as if I could hear the screams in my head and the pain in my heart as the dead, grieving souls flew past me on their way to some other place - or no place - as well as the pain of all those people whom had lost family and friends in those moments. The world seemed so full of pain & fear.
So odd. So strange. So surreal was this day. The world would never be the same again.
How time flies. It passed almost without notice. MadridMan.com's 10 Year Anniversary passed me without fanfare, without parties, without cork-popping champagne bottles. The 10-year anniversary passed on July 20th, 2007 for the domain name registration (then $100 per year to buy/renew!). The previous year, 1996, "MadridMan's Yankee Home Page" was actually born.
On July 20th, 2007 I was in Ohio, USA visiting my parents and other family after a 1-year absence in the homeland. That day came and went and I didn't give it a thought. How does that happen? Something SO PROFOUND in my life, something that shaped my character, my focus, and my professional future, and it went unnoticed.
My sister recently told me the same thing with the passing of her 10-year wedding anniversary in that a friend had to remind them of the milestone reached. I guess it happens. We tend to take things for granted to a certain degree WHILE taking care of the day-to-day details of maintaining the organism; in this case, MadridMan.com.
Ideas are tossed around in my head about how to observe or commemorate the occasion, the 10-year anniversary of MadridMan.com, and I really can't decide if it even warrants such commemoration. Like any big birthday, 16th (you can drive in the USA), your 21st (you can legally drink alcohol in the USA), your 30th (you're 30, for God's sake! No more fooling around with your life. You're finally a real adult!), your 40th (oh gawd. You're halfway there!) your 50th (wow, you're really old now), your 75th birthday (wow, you're REALLY REALLY OLD now! Tick Tock. Don't buy a new car!) probably deserves at least some small cake and gathering of close friends, right? I'm not sure. Maybe it SHOULD be taken for granted.
Should press releases be sent? Should the local TV stations be called and potentially face video cameras in my home - and with my awful Spanish (which is improving) and face potential public humiliation? Should I call the local government and request a meeting? hehee.. Okay. No. Not that much. But a dinner, at least? A big, blow-out "Party With MadridMan in Madrid", maybe?? At the very least this last one, right? But how? Where? And would anyone attend? Wouldn't it be shameful and embarrassing if I rent out a large, elegant hall, invite a hundred people, and 15 show up only looking for free food and beer? AND THEN I have to report that!? The potential for disaster always exists, I know, but the potential BOOM could be great as well. Regardless, it's a risk.
But who needs it, right? I doubt USATODAY.com publicly celebrated their, what, 20th Anniversary. I don't know. I just don't know what to do. I welcome comments on this one. I'm sure the majority of comments will be supportive and positive, thank you for those, but I'll welcome the negative ones too.
Saludos, MadridMan (2 glasses of Rueda wine and I'm all nostalgic)
On July 20th, 2007 I was in Ohio, USA visiting my parents and other family after a 1-year absence in the homeland. That day came and went and I didn't give it a thought. How does that happen? Something SO PROFOUND in my life, something that shaped my character, my focus, and my professional future, and it went unnoticed.
My sister recently told me the same thing with the passing of her 10-year wedding anniversary in that a friend had to remind them of the milestone reached. I guess it happens. We tend to take things for granted to a certain degree WHILE taking care of the day-to-day details of maintaining the organism; in this case, MadridMan.com.
Ideas are tossed around in my head about how to observe or commemorate the occasion, the 10-year anniversary of MadridMan.com, and I really can't decide if it even warrants such commemoration. Like any big birthday, 16th (you can drive in the USA), your 21st (you can legally drink alcohol in the USA), your 30th (you're 30, for God's sake! No more fooling around with your life. You're finally a real adult!), your 40th (oh gawd. You're halfway there!) your 50th (wow, you're really old now), your 75th birthday (wow, you're REALLY REALLY OLD now! Tick Tock. Don't buy a new car!) probably deserves at least some small cake and gathering of close friends, right? I'm not sure. Maybe it SHOULD be taken for granted.
Should press releases be sent? Should the local TV stations be called and potentially face video cameras in my home - and with my awful Spanish (which is improving) and face potential public humiliation? Should I call the local government and request a meeting? hehee.. Okay. No. Not that much. But a dinner, at least? A big, blow-out "Party With MadridMan in Madrid", maybe?? At the very least this last one, right? But how? Where? And would anyone attend? Wouldn't it be shameful and embarrassing if I rent out a large, elegant hall, invite a hundred people, and 15 show up only looking for free food and beer? AND THEN I have to report that!? The potential for disaster always exists, I know, but the potential BOOM could be great as well. Regardless, it's a risk.
But who needs it, right? I doubt USATODAY.com publicly celebrated their, what, 20th Anniversary. I don't know. I just don't know what to do. I welcome comments on this one. I'm sure the majority of comments will be supportive and positive, thank you for those, but I'll welcome the negative ones too.
Saludos, MadridMan (2 glasses of Rueda wine and I'm all nostalgic)
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