* Porque Madrid se mueve, muévete con Madrid

churros con chocolate

el camaron

"Because Madrid is moving, move with it!" I think the word “fiesta” doesn’t have a proper translation in other language, because Spanish take their enjoyment very seriously and there is every opportunity to join them. It is also a lively metropolis with many pubs, cafes, discotheques and nightclubs open late into the night. What I like here the most is that everybody goes out at night. In the middle of the night you can see old and young, children and grandparents,…I really mean everybody. It seems they all stay out late, as though some unwritten law forbade sleeping before dawn. You can't be surprised if you get stuck in a traffic jam at four in the morning, and the people you meet are not necessarily going off to work…

Normally people meet around midnight and stay out till 6 or 7 in the morning. And before going home you have to grab some “Churros con Chocolate”. I have also noticed that Madrileños can be offended if you leave the party sooner in this strange sense, that maybe you don’t like the party (they don’t think of maybe you are tired or too drunk,…). Anyway. Last weekend we went to one really great bar in barrio Lavapiés, called Candela. Here you can often see jam session of gitanos (gipsies) practicing their music as the bar is filled with Andalucian flamenco atmosphere. I would recommend it to everybody who wants to have a feeling of the real flamenco. Everybody is clapping and dancing. Olé!

* soon

Yes, yes...I will write something soon.

till then enjoy some of the photos...

love

j

* Siesta and Spanish biorhythm

Everybody likes to take a nap, especially during the work after the hours sitting in front of computer. Spanish do it every day. And a lot of them are really going to sleep, not just eat or rest. One of my friends even changes into pajama so the feeling of going to bed is more realistic.
Even though we like the idea of sleeping during the day, I still think the siesta wouldn’t be the most appropriate habit for Slovenians. The working hours here are incredible and the social life during the week almost doesn’t exist. The normal job starts at 9 a.m. They work till 2 p.m. and then the siesta begins. It lasts till 5 p.m. and then they all start to work again till 8 or 9 p.m. depends on which sector your work in. That means that you come home only to sleep and eat. Forget about your family (this part I don’t understand – when do they see their children? Especially in Madrid, where it takes you an hour to come home and another hour to go back). At the time you really come home after the work is done, the day is almost over. It is true that Spanish days are longer then Slovenian, also because we start working at 7 or 8 a.m., so we go to bed earlier. Normally they go to sleep after midnight, so I guess the evening is the time that they spend with their family and weekends are for friends and fiesta!
My biorhythm here is still very Slovenian…which can be very annoying, especially when I go to the supermarket at 3 p.m. and it is closed! I better not be hungry from 2 – 5 p.m. :D

* Cold or Hot?

I don’t understand what is with this weather and Spanish people. Maybe they just want to think it’s not cold or what? The winter is here as well, like in all other parts of Europe. Of course, it is not like we were living on the other side of this planet. But sometimes I get the feeling they do. It is not snowy and the temperatures are a bit higher, comparing to Slovenia, but still….why on earth they don’t turn on the heating earlier? I wake up everyday at 7:30, and I am freezing till 12 o’clock, before they decide to finally do it. I was just checking the weather forecast in Slovenia and yes, the difference is big (Madrid: 4°C – 14°C, Ljubljana -1°C – 6°C), but at least in Slovenia you are not cold at home! And I am! On the other hand, I can turn air-conditioning on whenever I want. It is like living in the nightmare of never-ending summer. I don’t even want to think how it’s gonna be if the snow falls.
Bye for now, I am going to prepare myself a hot cup of tea!

* in madrid

* Flea Market “el Rastro”

Since I am living in Madrid at the moment, I guess I should write something about it as well, so you won’t think I am being patriotic.
One of the things I love in Madrid is shopping. Of course. But not just any shopping, this one is one of a kind. I am talking about the flea market called el Rastro which offers millions things to see every Sunday. Thousands of sellers and buyers goes to el Rastro where the most traditional items can be bought, sold and enjoyed in the plaza de Cascorro and its surrounding streets. It is amazing what people are selling and buying, from old batteries and razor-blades to new clothes and furniture. One of the guides says: “To fully appreciate its essence, the best thing to do is to walk its streets, blend in with the crowd, learn the art of bargaining, and to let its ambiance enthrall you.” All of that is almost true; the only thing I disagree is the “bargain” part. I tried (of course), but nobody would go along. The prices were fixed, so take it or leave it. So, that brought me to a new assumption. They really sell everything (also the things mentioned above). Though I also bought a lot. The prices are really low, so it would have been a shame coming home empty-handed. As Christmas will be here soon, you know where I will be buying my presents :D

* tIMe fOr Art

Today I decided to devote some words to a young artist who is yet to rule the world. By the meaning of his name, which is Gregor (meaning “Going Up”) he is a perfect example that believing in your self is the most important! His life was never perfect, but he gained the most out of it. All situations brought him to the point where he could easily say “****” to everybody who has ever doubted in him. But he won’t, because his personality is far beyond that.
Even though he has no university education he has a lot to show to the world. Working on his work of art a long time, occupying with every little detail, putting all the money for new dyes-stuff, he surprised us last year with his first independent exhibition. He was the star of the night and he sold all his paintings. Now we are desperately waiting for his upcoming exhibition, which you can’t miss.
It is going to take place on 21st of December 2007 with the title “Emotional Landscapes” in MIKK Slovenia.
I can’t wait to see it, so you can expect review with photos on late December.

There is no need for further writing. Picture tells a million words.

Gregor keep up the good work!

His contact: http://www.myspace.com/gpmaira
e-mail: Gregor.purgaj[at]gmail.com

* Laibach

As it is my first writing I was thinking a lot about what to write. While I was surfing on the net and reading news from Slovenia I found the thing that is worth to mention. (I am not going to write about our new president, although I like our Ata Turk).
I was reading about the best Slovenian musicians who are on the tour at the moment. Their name is Laibach (they are named after the German “Ljubljana”) and on this tour they are presenting the latest album called “Volk”. The album itself couldn’t be any better, that is why you should put “going to a concert” to your must list. Unfortunately they are not playing in Spain. But if you’ll be by any chance in other cities in the Europe you can’t miss this show!
Here are some of the concerts 2007 (excluding Slovenia, because Slovenians already knows where are they playing).
23.11. – Zagreb (Tvornica Jedinstvo)
12.12. – Amsterdam (Melkweg)
13.12. – Brussels (Botanique)
14.12. – Rostock (MauClub)
16.12. – Goteburg (Storan)
18.12. – Jena (F-House)
19.12. – Prague (Lucerna Music Bar)
20.12. – Krakow (Studio)

You can find everything here: http://www.laibach.nsk.si/