Check out this blog by one of the teachers I work with. Hilarious!!! Way better than mine...and way shorter posts.
Cory's Travel Blog
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Eff you Sarah Palin!
I found this blog post on Expatica.com and this lady pretty much says what I want to say about Sarah Palin's asinine comment about "real" america.
Go home to Wasilla, Sarah!
Go home to Wasilla, Sarah!
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Citychase
For sure, I will not survive the Amazing Race. If I ever do it, I would have to train a whole year for it, like training for the marathon or something. And if I do get in, I'd probably get kicked out after the first round. I realized this this past weekend when I did Citychase, an International cheaper version of the Amazing Race. Winners of the national Citychase goes on to the final in Marrakesh and compete with other countries.
How did I get into this? Well, Iñaki was harrassing me about a couple weeks ago. He originally signed up - and paid - for it with Xalba as his partner. Xalba couldn't do it, so for some reason Iñaki asked me. I kept refusing, even when he said I didn't have to pay him. I didn't want to do it for a few reasons: 1. I'm so unathletic. You all know me. The only sports I like to do are long walks and booty dancing. 2. I'm just not that competitive. If I do something like this, I would do it for fun. I like to win, but I just prefer having fun over frustrating/stressing out/killing myself and others. And 3. I hate the anticipation. Not knowing what I had to do for it makes me anxious. I kept thinking that they were going to make us repel off a skyscraper or eat something nasty like bull's balls. Nevertheless, after a few days of "pleeeasssee", I said yes to shut him up. But, I said, with one condition: I am not running. I told him about my messed up knees and he said that that was fine.
So off we went early in the AM on Saturday. I was nervous, but pretty excited about it. I knew it would be fun - I mean, how many people get to do do something like this - but still had my reservations...mostly about not knowing what we would have to do. After I agreed to doing Citychase, the final in Rome last year just happen to be on TV. One of the things they had to do was pose naked for a sketch artist. Iñaki and I looked at each other and said, "ummm not doing that!!" Now do you see why I was nervous about it??
We arrived in Palacio de Deportes around 9 and saw a long line of competitors. We couldn't help but laugh when we saw a bunch of people wearing running pants and had their Camelback gear filled with water. These guys were totally gung-ho. Here we are, half asleep and wearing normal work out clothes (all I had were Adidas wannabe pants from Target, and a Loyola t-shirt). They passed out waivers for us to sign that said I'm in good health, or that we don't mind that there are no medical stations in the Citychase route. Then they gave us our team numbers, a t-shirt, a map and bags full of goodies (granola bars, gatorade, Playstation magazines).
So here are the rules: there were 15 clues but we only had to do 10 proofs (OMG what is the word for this?! I know it's not proofs but it's the direct translation of pruebas. That's how the Spanish translate it and I've gotten so used to calling it this that I can't remember the real word for this in a race. Tests just sounds funny). Anyway, we could use our cellphones, or go to an internet cafe to figure out the clues. Also, we could only use public transportation (Metro or bus), or walk, or run. The race began at 10:15 and we had 5 hours to finish it.
The first proof was to find a one cent coin, a breakfast item, and underwear. Iñaki and I, like many other teams, ran to the nearest cafe and asked for a churro and 1 cent. Then we had the underwear problem. Who was going to give us underwear??? We realized we had to do give them one of ours. He was going to just take his off but I thought what if they don't give it back? I can imagine any man running around the city without one would be so uncomfortable. So I offered to take off my sports bra...I thought it would be better. Fortunately when we gave it to the Citychase people, the woman was nice enough to tell me to take my bra back. She obviously knew I needed it...ha! After this easy task, they gave us the list of 15 clues.
Iñaki and I first tried to figure out the clues before we started going. Since it was still early, we didn't want to wake anyone to help us out (10 AM on a saturday is still early in Madrid). So we just figured some of it out ourselves and tried to plan our route in the most efficient way we can. Here are the proofs we did in the order that we did them:
1. Go to Calle Montalban close to Retiro Park. There we had to draw the Madrid 2016 Olympic logo. That one was quick and easy!
2. Find one of the RoomMate Hotel chains that is related to cinema. Answer: Roommate Oscar in Chueca. Once there, we had to go up 8 flights of stairs to get to the rooftop deck (it was beautiful!). From the rooftop, we had to find Circulo de Bellas Artes building, look at the giant greek god statue above it and write down the god's name. Answer: Minerva - thankgod for Xalba!
3. Find Loteria Booth #59. We found it in Sol. There we had to line up boxes of granola bars and tip them over like dominoes.
4. Go find Wally (aka Where's Waldo) in Opera. We had to find a man wearing a backpack (not wearing red and white striped t-shirt) and say to him "perea, perea". If he was the right man, he would answer and tell us a secret phrase. We never found him. The area he was at was too big and had too many people.
5. A place named after shoes. Plaza Descalzas. This was my least favorite of all. They made us jump out of a second floor window. Now this doesn't sound so bad but for someone afraid of heights, I wanted to vomit. On the ground was some inflatable thing that I think firefighters use, except there were no firefighters. I stood on that ledge holding on to dear life freaking out and telling Iñaki I would kill him. Somehow, I just did it. I stopped looking down, stopped thinking, closed my eyes and jumped. I'm pretty sure I landed wrong because my neck and back really hurt right after and all the next day. Later on we found out they had to shut this proof down because someone got injured. Just glad it wasn't me...
6. Find a place of panaderia and carniceria. Answer: Plaza Mayor. There we had to do a quiz and answer 11 out of 20 questions using books Citychase provided.
7. Go to Parque de Oeste. We got there and they said "take off your clothes...you have to do the slip n' slide". I refused to take off my pants (for female reasons and I was totally wearing nasty granny panties!). They said it wouldn't work so Iñaki offered his shorts...we thought it would be better than pants. So I changed behind a tree and ran and slid...only to the halfway point. They said do it again. Same thing. So the Citychase guy and Iñaki grabbed my arms and pulled me to the end. It was pretty awesome...and hilarious!!!
8. Find the school for toreros. This is where we lost a lot of time. No one seemed to know where this is and Xalba had a hard time finding it on the internet. So we went to the area where we thought it may be. We get there and asked the locals and most of them didn't know. Finally one waiter told us where to go. It was so freaking far! I've never been to this metro stop before. We get there and an old man taught us how to be matadors. He gave us the capote (the yellow/pink sheet they use to attract the bull) and showed us how to move like a torero. It was pretty awesome! Did you know those things are heavy??? The matadors look so elegant and smooth when they carry that thing but it is heavy! Even Iñaki was surprised. This was my favorite proof for sure.
9. Go to last year's Citychase finish line. We went to Plaza Colon and there we had to do Karaoke. Normally, I would rock this, but we had to do a Spanish song I've never heard of. And to make it worse, it was Flamenco-ish! I sounded like a retard!
10. Go to Calle Francisco Silvela, 42. There we had to answer some quesions about technology. Thankgod Iñaki knows about this crap.
...And that was it. After that we only had ten minutes left and we decided to go back to the finish line and enjoy the after-race party of pizza and coke. Sadly, we only finished 8 proofs. We technically did 9 but the domino one didn't count (because of rules I'm too lazy to explain). But we were happy enough and satisfied with what we've done. My knees were killing me (I couldn't help but run a little every time I'd see everyone around me run), and we were just so tired. We stayed to watch the award ceremony. The winners did it in 2 hours and 15 minutes (jerks!!). They said they basically ran all of Madrid and took the Metro maybe once. I hope they do well in Marrakesh.
As for Iñaki and I, we were simply glad to have participated in it. I was also just glad Iñaki and I didn't hate each other by the end of it. Back in my school days, I've had people get annoyed/angry with me because of my lack of competitiveness...I didn't get too into a game. I thought he would do this, but he was very patient with me and never asked me to run even when it seemed like he wanted to (he only ran when I did). He never got short with me even when he had to re-explain some things to me because I was too slow to translate in my head. In the end, we worked pretty well together as a team. We had a ton of fun and now I can say I've ran around Madrid like a maniac doing silly things.
How did I get into this? Well, Iñaki was harrassing me about a couple weeks ago. He originally signed up - and paid - for it with Xalba as his partner. Xalba couldn't do it, so for some reason Iñaki asked me. I kept refusing, even when he said I didn't have to pay him. I didn't want to do it for a few reasons: 1. I'm so unathletic. You all know me. The only sports I like to do are long walks and booty dancing. 2. I'm just not that competitive. If I do something like this, I would do it for fun. I like to win, but I just prefer having fun over frustrating/stressing out/killing myself and others. And 3. I hate the anticipation. Not knowing what I had to do for it makes me anxious. I kept thinking that they were going to make us repel off a skyscraper or eat something nasty like bull's balls. Nevertheless, after a few days of "pleeeasssee", I said yes to shut him up. But, I said, with one condition: I am not running. I told him about my messed up knees and he said that that was fine.
So off we went early in the AM on Saturday. I was nervous, but pretty excited about it. I knew it would be fun - I mean, how many people get to do do something like this - but still had my reservations...mostly about not knowing what we would have to do. After I agreed to doing Citychase, the final in Rome last year just happen to be on TV. One of the things they had to do was pose naked for a sketch artist. Iñaki and I looked at each other and said, "ummm not doing that!!" Now do you see why I was nervous about it??
We arrived in Palacio de Deportes around 9 and saw a long line of competitors. We couldn't help but laugh when we saw a bunch of people wearing running pants and had their Camelback gear filled with water. These guys were totally gung-ho. Here we are, half asleep and wearing normal work out clothes (all I had were Adidas wannabe pants from Target, and a Loyola t-shirt). They passed out waivers for us to sign that said I'm in good health, or that we don't mind that there are no medical stations in the Citychase route. Then they gave us our team numbers, a t-shirt, a map and bags full of goodies (granola bars, gatorade, Playstation magazines).
So here are the rules: there were 15 clues but we only had to do 10 proofs (OMG what is the word for this?! I know it's not proofs but it's the direct translation of pruebas. That's how the Spanish translate it and I've gotten so used to calling it this that I can't remember the real word for this in a race. Tests just sounds funny). Anyway, we could use our cellphones, or go to an internet cafe to figure out the clues. Also, we could only use public transportation (Metro or bus), or walk, or run. The race began at 10:15 and we had 5 hours to finish it.
The first proof was to find a one cent coin, a breakfast item, and underwear. Iñaki and I, like many other teams, ran to the nearest cafe and asked for a churro and 1 cent. Then we had the underwear problem. Who was going to give us underwear??? We realized we had to do give them one of ours. He was going to just take his off but I thought what if they don't give it back? I can imagine any man running around the city without one would be so uncomfortable. So I offered to take off my sports bra...I thought it would be better. Fortunately when we gave it to the Citychase people, the woman was nice enough to tell me to take my bra back. She obviously knew I needed it...ha! After this easy task, they gave us the list of 15 clues.
Iñaki and I first tried to figure out the clues before we started going. Since it was still early, we didn't want to wake anyone to help us out (10 AM on a saturday is still early in Madrid). So we just figured some of it out ourselves and tried to plan our route in the most efficient way we can. Here are the proofs we did in the order that we did them:
1. Go to Calle Montalban close to Retiro Park. There we had to draw the Madrid 2016 Olympic logo. That one was quick and easy!
2. Find one of the RoomMate Hotel chains that is related to cinema. Answer: Roommate Oscar in Chueca. Once there, we had to go up 8 flights of stairs to get to the rooftop deck (it was beautiful!). From the rooftop, we had to find Circulo de Bellas Artes building, look at the giant greek god statue above it and write down the god's name. Answer: Minerva - thankgod for Xalba!
3. Find Loteria Booth #59. We found it in Sol. There we had to line up boxes of granola bars and tip them over like dominoes.
4. Go find Wally (aka Where's Waldo) in Opera. We had to find a man wearing a backpack (not wearing red and white striped t-shirt) and say to him "perea, perea". If he was the right man, he would answer and tell us a secret phrase. We never found him. The area he was at was too big and had too many people.
5. A place named after shoes. Plaza Descalzas. This was my least favorite of all. They made us jump out of a second floor window. Now this doesn't sound so bad but for someone afraid of heights, I wanted to vomit. On the ground was some inflatable thing that I think firefighters use, except there were no firefighters. I stood on that ledge holding on to dear life freaking out and telling Iñaki I would kill him. Somehow, I just did it. I stopped looking down, stopped thinking, closed my eyes and jumped. I'm pretty sure I landed wrong because my neck and back really hurt right after and all the next day. Later on we found out they had to shut this proof down because someone got injured. Just glad it wasn't me...
6. Find a place of panaderia and carniceria. Answer: Plaza Mayor. There we had to do a quiz and answer 11 out of 20 questions using books Citychase provided.
7. Go to Parque de Oeste. We got there and they said "take off your clothes...you have to do the slip n' slide". I refused to take off my pants (for female reasons and I was totally wearing nasty granny panties!). They said it wouldn't work so Iñaki offered his shorts...we thought it would be better than pants. So I changed behind a tree and ran and slid...only to the halfway point. They said do it again. Same thing. So the Citychase guy and Iñaki grabbed my arms and pulled me to the end. It was pretty awesome...and hilarious!!!
8. Find the school for toreros. This is where we lost a lot of time. No one seemed to know where this is and Xalba had a hard time finding it on the internet. So we went to the area where we thought it may be. We get there and asked the locals and most of them didn't know. Finally one waiter told us where to go. It was so freaking far! I've never been to this metro stop before. We get there and an old man taught us how to be matadors. He gave us the capote (the yellow/pink sheet they use to attract the bull) and showed us how to move like a torero. It was pretty awesome! Did you know those things are heavy??? The matadors look so elegant and smooth when they carry that thing but it is heavy! Even Iñaki was surprised. This was my favorite proof for sure.
9. Go to last year's Citychase finish line. We went to Plaza Colon and there we had to do Karaoke. Normally, I would rock this, but we had to do a Spanish song I've never heard of. And to make it worse, it was Flamenco-ish! I sounded like a retard!
10. Go to Calle Francisco Silvela, 42. There we had to answer some quesions about technology. Thankgod Iñaki knows about this crap.
...And that was it. After that we only had ten minutes left and we decided to go back to the finish line and enjoy the after-race party of pizza and coke. Sadly, we only finished 8 proofs. We technically did 9 but the domino one didn't count (because of rules I'm too lazy to explain). But we were happy enough and satisfied with what we've done. My knees were killing me (I couldn't help but run a little every time I'd see everyone around me run), and we were just so tired. We stayed to watch the award ceremony. The winners did it in 2 hours and 15 minutes (jerks!!). They said they basically ran all of Madrid and took the Metro maybe once. I hope they do well in Marrakesh.
As for Iñaki and I, we were simply glad to have participated in it. I was also just glad Iñaki and I didn't hate each other by the end of it. Back in my school days, I've had people get annoyed/angry with me because of my lack of competitiveness...I didn't get too into a game. I thought he would do this, but he was very patient with me and never asked me to run even when it seemed like he wanted to (he only ran when I did). He never got short with me even when he had to re-explain some things to me because I was too slow to translate in my head. In the end, we worked pretty well together as a team. We had a ton of fun and now I can say I've ran around Madrid like a maniac doing silly things.
 |
| Citychase '08 |
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Election '08: A View from Across the Pond (PART IV: Third Debate)
I've lost interest in the debates. I watched the final one last week - this is a very delayed post - and I swear they both sound like a broken record. I HATE talking points. They sound like robots after a while. However, I give them props for being a bit more entertaining. At times, the debate was a bit intense, which made it a little more interesting. Like the part when they talked about the negative ads both have been releasing. Man, McCain sounded like he was really hurt by what that John Lewis said. I thought it was funny that what that guy said is somehow equal to what his campaign has been saying. Ok, yes it kinda is but at least it wasn't Obama's campaign saying shit about him. It's just some guy who has no direct connection to the campaign. And yes that's nice that McCain "repudiate" his supporters - and it's only right - when they say Obama's a "terrorist" or "an arab" (like that equals to terrorist), but maybe his campaign shouldn't have started that nasty rumor in the first place. I'm so sick of people (i.e. Hasselback of the View) equating Obama's association with a former terrorist to McCain's direct involvement in the Keating Five. When they say that Obama's association is worst gets me even more. Come on! Obama only worked with this guy to do non-profit work, which is a good cause, right? It's like when they made fun of him for being a community organizer. He has no direct connection with this guy's terrorist acts, unlike McCain and Keating. As Whoopi said on the View, if everyone is a terrorist by association, then all of Ayer's students and colleagues are terrorists!! God, why did I start following the View's political discussions??!!
Now back to the debates, Joe the plumber (or Joe the fontanero here in Spain) sucks! I was so sick of hearing about him. I understand he represents the successful hard working small business owners, but he just seems like an ass. "We shouldn't apologize for who we are," he said. What??!! It's one thing to be proud of your country but it's another to never apologize. We ain't perfect. We've done lots of shit to our own people and around the world. I think it's okay to say sorry when we eff up.
On another note, I would like to say that Sarah Palin moved a little bit lower - like a quarter of a point - on my "people I dislike/think is stupid" list. I love it when people are able to laugh at themselves, so I give her props for showing up on SNL. But I still thinks she's stupid. Seriously, if she says, "we need to put America on the side of the people" one more time!!! I swear she just talks for the sake of talking. I don't think she actually knows what's she's saying...I don't think she thinks at all!!!
Lastly, did you know that the Spaniards are really into this presidential campaign? Apparently, hundreds of thousands of Spaniards watched the debates even though it was on at 3 AM here. I found this so interesting. Spaniards I meet always ask me about it and my students, especially, always want to talk about it, but I never expected that many people to actually stay up for stupid debates. I wouldn't even let myself stay up for that...my sleep is way more important. If you want to read about this, check out: http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/10/13/spain/index.html
8 more days!!!
Now back to the debates, Joe the plumber (or Joe the fontanero here in Spain) sucks! I was so sick of hearing about him. I understand he represents the successful hard working small business owners, but he just seems like an ass. "We shouldn't apologize for who we are," he said. What??!! It's one thing to be proud of your country but it's another to never apologize. We ain't perfect. We've done lots of shit to our own people and around the world. I think it's okay to say sorry when we eff up.
On another note, I would like to say that Sarah Palin moved a little bit lower - like a quarter of a point - on my "people I dislike/think is stupid" list. I love it when people are able to laugh at themselves, so I give her props for showing up on SNL. But I still thinks she's stupid. Seriously, if she says, "we need to put America on the side of the people" one more time!!! I swear she just talks for the sake of talking. I don't think she actually knows what's she's saying...I don't think she thinks at all!!!
Lastly, did you know that the Spaniards are really into this presidential campaign? Apparently, hundreds of thousands of Spaniards watched the debates even though it was on at 3 AM here. I found this so interesting. Spaniards I meet always ask me about it and my students, especially, always want to talk about it, but I never expected that many people to actually stay up for stupid debates. I wouldn't even let myself stay up for that...my sleep is way more important. If you want to read about this, check out: http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/10/13/spain/index.html
8 more days!!!
Monday, October 20, 2008
Hablo Español...an update
Before I came back to Chicago this summer, I felt that my Spanish was starting to pick up pace. But then I totally regressed after six weeks in the US. I felt that I had to start all over again when I got back here, but I was able to remember things much faster.
Today, I noticed a bit of an improvement with my Spanish. First, I took the elevator with a neighbor - a very sweet old lady who I've encountered before - and we ended up talking a little. She first commented on my footwear. She was shocked I was wearing flip flops, so I had to explain to her that where I am from, the weather is much colder than here. Then she decided to chat with me about the ridiculous tormenta, or storm, we had a month ago that left huge water stains on our ceilings. The storm was so strong (well, strong for Madrid) that water leaked through the ceiling. We realized that neither of our apartments have been fixed.
Then tonight, I was watching this show called Password. It's a game show that involves connecting words...perfect for vocabulary building. I noticed I recognized more words than usual. After Password, I watched Estas No Son Las Noticias, a Daily Show type of show. I actually understood a joke about Colin Powell's endorsement on Obama...because he's black (pa rum pum). Ok, it wasn't so funny, but I laughed because I actually understood it. Then I watched a show on amazing athletes and almost cried when they told the story of Rafael. He's paraplegic and trained for the Ironman. I've never seen anyone swim with just his arms before. I can barely do the doggy paddle and this guy was swimming a couple miles with just his arms!!! WTF!!!
The last time I blogged about my Spanish learning (in January), I could barely speak a word. I mentioned how my roommates and I planned on alternating weeks speaking English and Spanish. For the most part, we never really enforced it. We would try, but in the end spoke English to make things go faster. Since I've been back, we've been speaking more and more in Spanish. Well, I speak Spanglish, but they've been speaking English minimally to me.
I also mentioned intercambios which hasn't quite worked out for me yet but I'm going to try more. Guille is forcing me to speak more Spanish with him, and I'm trying to participate more in organized intercambios. I went to one last week that was pretty fun. The only problem with intercambios is that most of the Spanish people want to speak English only. I'm still trying to figure out how to make it fair for both parties.
Ademas, I've been trying to watch more TV or more movies in Spanish, even though I hate watching dubbed movies. Luckily we have cable and it allows us to put subtitles. So if they are speaking too fast, I can at least follow the Spanish subtitles. This summer, I tried to read my first Spanish book (a book of poetry) but I think I aimed too high...it was way too difficult for a beginner. With the suggestion of a co-teacher, I am reading a children's book. It is called Sopaboba. There is an expression that goes, comer sopaboba, which means to be a moocher/freeloader. I'm enjoying it so far.
Pues, estoy muy contenta ahora. Tengo que mejorar mas, pero...bueno, poco a poco, no?
Today, I noticed a bit of an improvement with my Spanish. First, I took the elevator with a neighbor - a very sweet old lady who I've encountered before - and we ended up talking a little. She first commented on my footwear. She was shocked I was wearing flip flops, so I had to explain to her that where I am from, the weather is much colder than here. Then she decided to chat with me about the ridiculous tormenta, or storm, we had a month ago that left huge water stains on our ceilings. The storm was so strong (well, strong for Madrid) that water leaked through the ceiling. We realized that neither of our apartments have been fixed.
Then tonight, I was watching this show called Password. It's a game show that involves connecting words...perfect for vocabulary building. I noticed I recognized more words than usual. After Password, I watched Estas No Son Las Noticias, a Daily Show type of show. I actually understood a joke about Colin Powell's endorsement on Obama...because he's black (pa rum pum). Ok, it wasn't so funny, but I laughed because I actually understood it. Then I watched a show on amazing athletes and almost cried when they told the story of Rafael. He's paraplegic and trained for the Ironman. I've never seen anyone swim with just his arms before. I can barely do the doggy paddle and this guy was swimming a couple miles with just his arms!!! WTF!!!
The last time I blogged about my Spanish learning (in January), I could barely speak a word. I mentioned how my roommates and I planned on alternating weeks speaking English and Spanish. For the most part, we never really enforced it. We would try, but in the end spoke English to make things go faster. Since I've been back, we've been speaking more and more in Spanish. Well, I speak Spanglish, but they've been speaking English minimally to me.
I also mentioned intercambios which hasn't quite worked out for me yet but I'm going to try more. Guille is forcing me to speak more Spanish with him, and I'm trying to participate more in organized intercambios. I went to one last week that was pretty fun. The only problem with intercambios is that most of the Spanish people want to speak English only. I'm still trying to figure out how to make it fair for both parties.
Ademas, I've been trying to watch more TV or more movies in Spanish, even though I hate watching dubbed movies. Luckily we have cable and it allows us to put subtitles. So if they are speaking too fast, I can at least follow the Spanish subtitles. This summer, I tried to read my first Spanish book (a book of poetry) but I think I aimed too high...it was way too difficult for a beginner. With the suggestion of a co-teacher, I am reading a children's book. It is called Sopaboba. There is an expression that goes, comer sopaboba, which means to be a moocher/freeloader. I'm enjoying it so far.
Pues, estoy muy contenta ahora. Tengo que mejorar mas, pero...bueno, poco a poco, no?
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Juicin' some zumo de naranja
For the first time in my life, I made fresh squeezed orange juice with my own hands...well, with the help of a machine. I started feeling gross a week or so ago and decided I needed some natural vitamin c in me. So I got myself a big fat bag of oranges and started squeezing. We have an orange squeezer so I thought it was about time I learned how to use it. These handy machines seem essential in Spanish households. Go to any bar and you'll see an electric orange squeezer (ours is not that fancy). I've never been a fan of orange juice (neither fresh nor that Tropicana stuff...so gross!), but I've come to really enjoy them here in Madrid. Someone once told me Spain is one of the biggest producers of oranges...or something like that...don't take my word for it. But they're really good! It kinda sucks that it takes like four oranges to make a whole glass, but it's totally worth it.
So I'm really proud to say I've finally juiced an orange...a good one too! As for my sickness, I think the oranges helped. Now if I can only get rid of this cough!
P.S. Ma, please don't worry about me. I'm okay...it's just the change-in-the-weather kind of cold that everyone else has. I'll survive, I promise.
So I'm really proud to say I've finally juiced an orange...a good one too! As for my sickness, I think the oranges helped. Now if I can only get rid of this cough!
P.S. Ma, please don't worry about me. I'm okay...it's just the change-in-the-weather kind of cold that everyone else has. I'll survive, I promise.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Election '08: A View from Across the Pond (PART III: Second Debate)
The second round of debates: BORING!!! I had stopped paying attention half way through because I kept hearing the same thing over and over again, the same crap they said in the first debate, and Tom Brokaw reprimanding them for the time limit. And yet, I kept the video going to the very end. It was like I had this tiny bit of hope that they would bust out some fisticuffs. Oh well, maybe the next debate.
But I did enjoy SNL's version of the debate. You should all watch it if you haven't. It's hilarious. Also, I really dig Michelle Obama. She was on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and she seems really cool. I probably wouldn't want her to be my boss, but I'd probably want her to be my friend. She'd be one of those friends that would tell you if you had food stuck in your teeth, or if you bought some nasty outfit, or if you were dating an asshole/creepster/idiot/etc. She seems to keep Barack grounded. You go, gurl!
But I did enjoy SNL's version of the debate. You should all watch it if you haven't. It's hilarious. Also, I really dig Michelle Obama. She was on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and she seems really cool. I probably wouldn't want her to be my boss, but I'd probably want her to be my friend. She'd be one of those friends that would tell you if you had food stuck in your teeth, or if you bought some nasty outfit, or if you were dating an asshole/creepster/idiot/etc. She seems to keep Barack grounded. You go, gurl!
Monday, October 6, 2008
You know you're in Madrid when...
- You constantly smell like cigarette smoke: outside, inside...it doesn't matter.
- You get up close and personal with complete strangers: If there's one thing that still gets to me every once in a while here, it's the lack of personal space. A couple weeks ago, the Metro was so packed that this guy had no choice but to stand right in front of me with his face about six inches away from mine. I did everything I could to put my face down, up, sideways, whatever just to avoid looking like we were going to make out...aaawwkkward.
- Hot scruffy men are all around: no need to elaborate on that one
- People are inappropriately dressed for the weather: or maybe it's me. Everyone is wearing boots and coats and I'm still wearing flip-flops and short sleeve shirts. Ok, so the past few days I've broken down and wore a coat, but only at night or very early morning when it IS COLD. It's still freaking hot during the day!
- It's a surprise to see toilet paper in public bathrooms: I guess the Spanish are just not as anal as we are (or at least don't have as many regulations) because it's not rare to find a toilet paper-less bathroom in a restaurant or bar. So note to self: always have some kleenex with you.
- Everyone around you is making out: yup, still happening...
- You watch TV and see someone's penis: oh the lack of censorship! I love it! I've always been impressed by Spanish TV and the fact that I never hear bleeps on shows. Swearing is obviously allowed. The other day I was flipping through the channels and ran into a documentary on nudists. At first it was quite interesting - not because I liked watching naked people, but because I couldn't believe they had this on a respected news channel on regular time - but then they started showing the nudists partake in a nudist race. There were just too many things bouncing around. All different kinds: hairy, shaved, young, old, fat, skinny, wrinkly. Oh man...I definitely respect them for their openness and no censorship but that race really killed it.
So back to switching commas for decimal points (or vice-versa); back to reading military time; back to reminding myself that the week on a calendar starts on a Monday not Sunday; back to putting days before the month. All so silly but can easily mess with your mind sometimes. But as always, despite all these things, I love this city.
Also, you'd all be proud of me. I finally found the U.S. Embassy! Just thought I'd make a random turn one day while walking and there it was - a white rough-looking building that looks like it was built in colonial times. Good to know in case I ever need to pull a Miss-Saigon-helicopter-on-rooftop escape.
Saturday, October 4, 2008
A Very Delayed Homecoming Post
I've come up with a theory: culture shock will never go away regardless of how long or how many times you've been in that place. I remember during orientation at the Rome Center when we were warned that we will most likely experience culture shock when we return to the U.S. - much like the culture shock we were experiencing at that moment. I just thought, no way! I've lived in the US long enough to not be surprised by anything.
Oh was I wrong! That feeling I got home after four months in Rome was the same feeling I had when I got home for the first time from Madrid this summer. I felt so disoriented, to the point of feeling a bit like a retard. How do I buy a train ticket? Is Damen east or west of Ashland? Are drunk American boys always this obnoxious? Why do chaches still exist? Why do I have so much personal space? Why is everyone moving so fast like time is going to run out? After a week or so, I fell back into the groove and got used to things again. So of course, once I got back to Madrid, I had that same feeling again. It's really a strange thing to go from one world to another within several hours. Thus, my theory also is that if you stay somewhere for more than a month, culture shock will always get you even if you've been where you are now before. Does that make sense? Whatever.
Anyway, I would have to say my first trip back home was a success. It was great seeing everyone and being able to do most of what I wanted to do; although, I'm still pretty sad about not being able to go to Huey's Hot Dogs or Burrito House (sigh). I would like to take this moment to thank everyone who helped me check things off my list, let me crash at their place, invited me to their wonderful bbqs, and bought me a meal and/or a beer or two. I had a great time in Chicago, Vegas, and Tampa. I really enjoyed my vacation because of you wonderful people. Now if only all of you guys could move here with me...
Well, I'll be back for Christmas - I'll be there from the 20th 'til the 3rd - so hope to see you all again.
Oh and speaking of home, what the hell happened to the Sox and the Cubs?!! So much for representin'!
Oh was I wrong! That feeling I got home after four months in Rome was the same feeling I had when I got home for the first time from Madrid this summer. I felt so disoriented, to the point of feeling a bit like a retard. How do I buy a train ticket? Is Damen east or west of Ashland? Are drunk American boys always this obnoxious? Why do chaches still exist? Why do I have so much personal space? Why is everyone moving so fast like time is going to run out? After a week or so, I fell back into the groove and got used to things again. So of course, once I got back to Madrid, I had that same feeling again. It's really a strange thing to go from one world to another within several hours. Thus, my theory also is that if you stay somewhere for more than a month, culture shock will always get you even if you've been where you are now before. Does that make sense? Whatever.
Anyway, I would have to say my first trip back home was a success. It was great seeing everyone and being able to do most of what I wanted to do; although, I'm still pretty sad about not being able to go to Huey's Hot Dogs or Burrito House (sigh). I would like to take this moment to thank everyone who helped me check things off my list, let me crash at their place, invited me to their wonderful bbqs, and bought me a meal and/or a beer or two. I had a great time in Chicago, Vegas, and Tampa. I really enjoyed my vacation because of you wonderful people. Now if only all of you guys could move here with me...
Well, I'll be back for Christmas - I'll be there from the 20th 'til the 3rd - so hope to see you all again.
Oh and speaking of home, what the hell happened to the Sox and the Cubs?!! So much for representin'!
Friday, October 3, 2008
Election '08: A View from Across the Pond (PART II: VP Debate)
In last week's first presidential debate, I was pretty impressed with McCain. He did a lot better than I expected, especially considering he almost didn't do it. Overall I didn't think the debate was that exciting. I felt that both sides pretty much agreed on most things. Of course both are going to do their best in correcting the economy and our foreign relations - no one wants to see the country get worse in both aspects. Although I do disagree with McCain on diplomacy. And I'm kinda tired of Obama and the democrats referring to past events and blaming everyone and their mother about it but themselves. Unfortunately, shit's happened already, so stop wasting your time bitching and start telling us what you're gonna do about it. The past is the past; you can't change what happened, you can only change what's going to happen. In the end, I didn't hear anything I didn't hear before from them or other politicians. I do have to say they need to stop talking about how one is a war hero and the other one is half black/half white. Really, we get it!
But last night was what I've been waiting for: the Palin-Biden debate. Based on her past interviews, I expected Palin to get stumped. Okay, she didn't completely bomb but she still totally sucks. Again, half of the things she says are empty and pointless, and she constantly veered off the question. How many times did she start her rebuttal with, "let me just get back to (name an issue: energy/afghanistan/iraq) for a moment. I feel that we really need to get back (name an issue: energy/afghanistan/iraq) because it's very important"? If I had a euro for every time she did that, I'd have a good chunk of change...in dollars. But seriously, she did that...a lot.
She also said a few things I just want to comment on:
1) PALIN (on diplomacy): ...with some of these dictators who hate America and hate what we stand for, with our freedoms, our democracy, our tolerance, our respect for women's rights, those who would try to destroy what we stand for...
ummm she doesn't respect women's rights either! If a girl got raped, not only by a stranger but by someone in her family, she definitely should be able to choose to keep it or not. And, victims of rape should not have to pay for the investigation of the crime against them! WTF!
2) PALIN (on taxes/healthcare): That doesn't cost the government anything as opposed to Barack Obama's plan to mandate health care coverage and have universal government run program and unless you're pleased with the way the federal government has been running anything lately, I don't think that it's going to be real pleasing for Americans to consider health care being taken over by the feds. But a $5,000 health care credit through our income tax that's budget neutral.
I would rather pay taxes so children and retired people can have guaranteed health benefits. Taxes are no fun, but they are necessary. And if you are going to tax me, at least use it for good, not for a war or for rich companies like Halliburton. Universal healthcare has worked for other countries, why can't it work in ours? I may not be an expert on budgets or whatever, but I would hope the government would use my money wisely.
3) PALIN (on intervention in Darfur, etc.): John McCain who knows how to win a war. Who's been there and he's faced challenges and he knows what evil is and knows what it takes to overcome the challenges here with our military.
Maybe I'm just misinformed, but when did McCain win a war? We for sure did not win Vietnam, and we for sure haven't won either Iraq or Afghanistan.
4) PALIN (on Biden's equating patriotism to paying higher taxes): Now you said recently that higher taxes or asking for higher taxes or paying higher taxes is patriotic. In the middle class of America which is where Todd and I have been all of our lives, that's not patriotic.
Is she really middle-class? I would assume anyone in an "executive" position in the government would stop being middle class after the first couple of paychecks. At some point she also said, "Todd and our marriage in our past where we didn't have health insurance and we know what other Americans are going through...." If she can relate to and is so concerned with our health care and the struggling middle class, why not provide them with easy access to health benefits?
5) PALIN (on current administration): There have been huge blunders in the war. There have been huge blunders throughout this administration, as there are with every administration.
Yeah, I don't think the war is simply a "blunder". I don't think the death of over 4,000 soldiers in an unjustified war is a blunder. And they say us anti-war liberals don't support the troops! Jerks!
As for my overall reaction, Palin still has not won my vote (and she never will). A friend sent me a link to Palin Bingo, a bingo game based on how often she would say certain words/phrases. I didnt' have the means to print the bingo cards or have the time to re-create them, but she definitely had some good ones in there: "Maverick", "greed from Wall St.", "bring America back to the side of the people". Again, if I had a euro...well you know how it goes. I also just can't stand how she talks. I understand that her whole image is supposed to be like the average American, but seriously??? Like Jon Stewart said, if all average Joe Schmoe could be president, then we're screwed. I hate how she does the wink thing and says things like doggone it, or Joe Six pack (what is that supposed to mean? Like a man with a six pack abs or a six pack of beer? What??), or at ya, or with ya. Aargh!!! There is a way to be down-to-earth in a presidential campaign without having to sound like you're just having a casual conversation at a bar.
As for an American living in Spain, I do appreciate that Spain keeps getting represented in these debates. I can't believe McCain made a stupid comment about not talking to Zapatero. Apparently, he's met all world leaders except Zapatero. That was one name he couldn't drop in his debate. I also have to say that I'm pretty proud to be able to see a woman and a black man in a debate. It just hit me today as I watched the VP debate that it's kinda weird, yet refreshing, to not see two white men on the podium.
Lastly, I just want to comment on how much I hate how politicians refuse to admit to mistakes. If they voted on one thing and later went against it, they can never admit it. Just say you changed your mind. What's so wrong with changing your mind?! We're human! We're fickle and change our views on many things as we learn more about it. Isn't flexibity a good thing? Nothing good ever comes out with being from one end or another. They totally freak out when accused of flip-flopping...and simultaneously forever ruining the reputation of my favorite footwear!
Alright I'm done! I can't wait for how this all turns out in the next month. I would really like them to physically start punching each other in the debates...that would make things more interesting. But I guess that will never happen. In Sarah Palin's words, "oh darn it!"
But last night was what I've been waiting for: the Palin-Biden debate. Based on her past interviews, I expected Palin to get stumped. Okay, she didn't completely bomb but she still totally sucks. Again, half of the things she says are empty and pointless, and she constantly veered off the question. How many times did she start her rebuttal with, "let me just get back to (name an issue: energy/afghanistan/iraq) for a moment. I feel that we really need to get back (name an issue: energy/afghanistan/iraq) because it's very important"? If I had a euro for every time she did that, I'd have a good chunk of change...in dollars. But seriously, she did that...a lot.
She also said a few things I just want to comment on:
1) PALIN (on diplomacy): ...with some of these dictators who hate America and hate what we stand for, with our freedoms, our democracy, our tolerance, our respect for women's rights, those who would try to destroy what we stand for...
ummm she doesn't respect women's rights either! If a girl got raped, not only by a stranger but by someone in her family, she definitely should be able to choose to keep it or not. And, victims of rape should not have to pay for the investigation of the crime against them! WTF!
2) PALIN (on taxes/healthcare): That doesn't cost the government anything as opposed to Barack Obama's plan to mandate health care coverage and have universal government run program and unless you're pleased with the way the federal government has been running anything lately, I don't think that it's going to be real pleasing for Americans to consider health care being taken over by the feds. But a $5,000 health care credit through our income tax that's budget neutral.
I would rather pay taxes so children and retired people can have guaranteed health benefits. Taxes are no fun, but they are necessary. And if you are going to tax me, at least use it for good, not for a war or for rich companies like Halliburton. Universal healthcare has worked for other countries, why can't it work in ours? I may not be an expert on budgets or whatever, but I would hope the government would use my money wisely.
3) PALIN (on intervention in Darfur, etc.): John McCain who knows how to win a war. Who's been there and he's faced challenges and he knows what evil is and knows what it takes to overcome the challenges here with our military.
Maybe I'm just misinformed, but when did McCain win a war? We for sure did not win Vietnam, and we for sure haven't won either Iraq or Afghanistan.
4) PALIN (on Biden's equating patriotism to paying higher taxes): Now you said recently that higher taxes or asking for higher taxes or paying higher taxes is patriotic. In the middle class of America which is where Todd and I have been all of our lives, that's not patriotic.
Is she really middle-class? I would assume anyone in an "executive" position in the government would stop being middle class after the first couple of paychecks. At some point she also said, "Todd and our marriage in our past where we didn't have health insurance and we know what other Americans are going through...." If she can relate to and is so concerned with our health care and the struggling middle class, why not provide them with easy access to health benefits?
5) PALIN (on current administration): There have been huge blunders in the war. There have been huge blunders throughout this administration, as there are with every administration.
Yeah, I don't think the war is simply a "blunder". I don't think the death of over 4,000 soldiers in an unjustified war is a blunder. And they say us anti-war liberals don't support the troops! Jerks!
As for my overall reaction, Palin still has not won my vote (and she never will). A friend sent me a link to Palin Bingo, a bingo game based on how often she would say certain words/phrases. I didnt' have the means to print the bingo cards or have the time to re-create them, but she definitely had some good ones in there: "Maverick", "greed from Wall St.", "bring America back to the side of the people". Again, if I had a euro...well you know how it goes. I also just can't stand how she talks. I understand that her whole image is supposed to be like the average American, but seriously??? Like Jon Stewart said, if all average Joe Schmoe could be president, then we're screwed. I hate how she does the wink thing and says things like doggone it, or Joe Six pack (what is that supposed to mean? Like a man with a six pack abs or a six pack of beer? What??), or at ya, or with ya. Aargh!!! There is a way to be down-to-earth in a presidential campaign without having to sound like you're just having a casual conversation at a bar.
As for an American living in Spain, I do appreciate that Spain keeps getting represented in these debates. I can't believe McCain made a stupid comment about not talking to Zapatero. Apparently, he's met all world leaders except Zapatero. That was one name he couldn't drop in his debate. I also have to say that I'm pretty proud to be able to see a woman and a black man in a debate. It just hit me today as I watched the VP debate that it's kinda weird, yet refreshing, to not see two white men on the podium.
Lastly, I just want to comment on how much I hate how politicians refuse to admit to mistakes. If they voted on one thing and later went against it, they can never admit it. Just say you changed your mind. What's so wrong with changing your mind?! We're human! We're fickle and change our views on many things as we learn more about it. Isn't flexibity a good thing? Nothing good ever comes out with being from one end or another. They totally freak out when accused of flip-flopping...and simultaneously forever ruining the reputation of my favorite footwear!
Alright I'm done! I can't wait for how this all turns out in the next month. I would really like them to physically start punching each other in the debates...that would make things more interesting. But I guess that will never happen. In Sarah Palin's words, "oh darn it!"
Election '08: A View from Across the Pond
First of all, I really wish I could be in the States during this election year. Yeah it sounds kinda exaggerated when people say this is the election of our lifetime, but I'm really hoping it is. I really don't feel like having to go through another 8 years of Bush-like policies and having to put all my hopes and expectations on one guy, like he's god or something. Definitely sucks to be Obama if he becomes President...he's got nowhere to go but down. But in the end, I'm an ocean and thousands of miles away, which might be good considering the economic crisis at the moment. My only complaint is that I have to wait for hours or until I get up the next day before I can see important interviews, debates, speeches, etc. I think we all need to pull a China and just have one time zone...ha!
Today I'm going to talk about Sarah Palin - and how much she makes me want to vomit. I have to admit I'm ridiculously biased against her. The first time she ever came on the spotlight, I immediately thought she was being used by the McCain peeps. It's like a one night stand times 100. I would love to see a woman up there but in the end, it's not about whether the candidate's got a vajayjay or a peepee. Neither is it about that person having a particular shade on their skin, or their age. In the end, it's about their policies.
Sarah Palin has annoyed the crap out of me and we've only met her about a month ago. When she made her first speech, I wanted to gouge my eyes out. I mean half of it was her introducing her family. And she felt the need to use Hillary's glass ceiling line and I just wanted to be like, gurl, you ain't even close to being like Hillary.
Secondly, I thought she was the biggest bitch on her Convention speech. Since when do community organizers not have real responsibility? They're the ones that actually go out there and help those who really need it. Reforms by elected officials may get the spotlight, but community organizers (and there are way more of them than mayors I'm sure) do a lot more changing and make more of a difference in people's lives.
Thirdly, I seriously get nervous every time she speaks. I watched the few interviews she's given and it's like when I watch a horror film. My body starts curling up in a fetus position and I constantly put my hands over my eyes. I just get so scared of what she's going to say, or her making a big mistake. I get the impression that she's been crammed with so many talking points that she gets them all confused and can't express her opinions meaningfully and substantially on interviews. Everything she says sound so empty and just plain retarded. And for god's sake, having a maritime border with Russia does not make you an expert on foreign policy. I would've believed her more if she said Canada instead. At least Canada is literally next door - why does everyone alway ignore Canada??!!!
Uggh! I've got so many things to say (and I will in the next post or two...I don't want to bore you with all of this in one) and so few people to discuss it with. The U.S. elections are covered here (as well as the financial crisis), but obviously not extensively. People talk about it sometimes - and most are pro-Obama - but of course, not as much as I would like to. I'm pretty sure they've got other things to worry about than our elections. So this leaves me to bitch about it in my head, or with my sister on our almost daily Skype sessions, and now, on my blog.
I may be far away but I'm still very interested in this. As sucky as politics can be, it very much affects everyone's lives. The outcome of this election can have a huge impact on the US, the world, and my own decisions. I would really like to go home someday...
Today I'm going to talk about Sarah Palin - and how much she makes me want to vomit. I have to admit I'm ridiculously biased against her. The first time she ever came on the spotlight, I immediately thought she was being used by the McCain peeps. It's like a one night stand times 100. I would love to see a woman up there but in the end, it's not about whether the candidate's got a vajayjay or a peepee. Neither is it about that person having a particular shade on their skin, or their age. In the end, it's about their policies.
Sarah Palin has annoyed the crap out of me and we've only met her about a month ago. When she made her first speech, I wanted to gouge my eyes out. I mean half of it was her introducing her family. And she felt the need to use Hillary's glass ceiling line and I just wanted to be like, gurl, you ain't even close to being like Hillary.
Secondly, I thought she was the biggest bitch on her Convention speech. Since when do community organizers not have real responsibility? They're the ones that actually go out there and help those who really need it. Reforms by elected officials may get the spotlight, but community organizers (and there are way more of them than mayors I'm sure) do a lot more changing and make more of a difference in people's lives.
Thirdly, I seriously get nervous every time she speaks. I watched the few interviews she's given and it's like when I watch a horror film. My body starts curling up in a fetus position and I constantly put my hands over my eyes. I just get so scared of what she's going to say, or her making a big mistake. I get the impression that she's been crammed with so many talking points that she gets them all confused and can't express her opinions meaningfully and substantially on interviews. Everything she says sound so empty and just plain retarded. And for god's sake, having a maritime border with Russia does not make you an expert on foreign policy. I would've believed her more if she said Canada instead. At least Canada is literally next door - why does everyone alway ignore Canada??!!!
Uggh! I've got so many things to say (and I will in the next post or two...I don't want to bore you with all of this in one) and so few people to discuss it with. The U.S. elections are covered here (as well as the financial crisis), but obviously not extensively. People talk about it sometimes - and most are pro-Obama - but of course, not as much as I would like to. I'm pretty sure they've got other things to worry about than our elections. So this leaves me to bitch about it in my head, or with my sister on our almost daily Skype sessions, and now, on my blog.
I may be far away but I'm still very interested in this. As sucky as politics can be, it very much affects everyone's lives. The outcome of this election can have a huge impact on the US, the world, and my own decisions. I would really like to go home someday...
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