15 September 2010

Missing Madrid

Posted by admin @ 22:29 pm    categories: Miami • Spain

Shortly before I left Madrid, I started a post about what I was going to miss as I left Madrid. I never finished it. Today, I can’t really write that post. But I can write about what I miss now. Mostly they’re things that aren’t so much Madrid, or Spain, as Europe. Anyway, let’s just jump into it.

Spanish
I miss speaking Spanish regularly. It was fun, challenging. I’m not saying I didn’t always want to speak in English with native English speakers, because I did. But I liked spending some of my time speaking in Spanish. And that doesn’t really happen in Miami.

Fruterías and carnicerías
Part of this is just living in a big city that’s not as sprawling as Miami. But I miss being able to stop in a fruit-stand on the way home from work, and buy veggies and fruits for the day. I also was trying to figure out if there’s a single butcher shop in Miami that’s not in a supermarket. Not that I really need a butcher’s (I don’t eat much meat), but just because I was curious.

The metric system
I have no real problem with Fahrenheit temperature, but fuck people let’s stop teaching our children the imperial system! (actually, I’m not sure why I call it that — apparently the US system is based on an earlier system before the imperial one, which is to say we use a centuries-old measuring system.) If we started today putting in only road-signs that have both measurements, and putting everything else in, at the worst we could switch in 50 years. At best, if it was pushed, we could switch a lot sooner. It probably won’t happen, though. (I also don’t think cooking measures will change anytime soon — but measuring in cups and tablespoons is actually kind of more reasonable than measuring in centiliters…)

Air conditioning
As much as I hate to admit it, I got used to not having A/C in my flat in Madrid. It was nice when it was on in buildings, but as long as I had a fan at night I was fine pretty much every night, and rarely too hot during the day. It’s kind of nice having A/C again — but I like not having to use it. Also I think my entire body feels the difference — my lips and hands have been ridiculously dry since I came back.

Tipping
I hate tipping, especially at restaurants. Not because I don’t like rewarding good service, but because I hate being required to reward every service. The entire system is fucked up. We need to pay servers (and, clearly, hosts and bussers and so forth) fare–no, good–wages and charge diners what they owe from the outset. Then if the service is exceptional, or if the server is really charming, or if the server does something really helpful, then you tip. Or, at least, include the tip in the price on the menu. Don’t just warn “20% tip expected.” It’s different for other professions where tipping is customary, especially the ones where they’re not paid anything specifically for you–things like bellhops. But at restaurants it really bugs me. (In much of Europe, tipping at restaurants is customary, but rather as you do for a taxi — a few euros, more for great service.)

Taxes
This is really the same complaint — prices should reflect the price. Come on, man! If the book costs $13.37, then say so, rather than saying “$12.50 plus tax.” We do our taxes differently than they do in Europe — but that’s an excuse. You can still list your prices as they are with tax included, and just show it on the books. Airlines have finally started doing this, although not always. You can always put a slightly larger sticker: “$13.37 — $12.50 + $.87 tax.”

Pennies
While we’re on the subject of money. In Spain they do use one- and two-cent pieces, which I found really annoying. But in some European countries they essentially ignore coins below five cents. Which I really appreciate — rounding a bit is really fine. Anyway, came across a video today of why we should stop using pennies, and I totally agree.

Public transportation
This is partially just a fault of Miami’s, but Madrid had a fantastic public transport system, and I really miss it. I also miss living five doors down from the entrance to the metro. I miss the night buses. I miss the ease of transit there. Although I may give it a try, it’s really pretty ridiculous for me to take public transit to work in Miami.

Olive Oil

There are some obvious things, too; people I liked there, my flat, living on my own, getting to explore a new city. And obviously, things I don’t miss at all.

« « Older post | More recent post » »

12 September 2010

Looking Through

Posted by admin @ 21:30 pm    categories: writing

One
In which the boat is set adrift.

The boat was sailing in the shallow waters off of Key Biscayne, dipping through the swells and riding cross the troughs. Occasionally, its bow plowed under the crest of a wave, soaking the sailor with its tender lappings. The water was warm, but it carried with it tidings of the deep sea, of far-aways and not-quite heres.

Perhaps you’ve never sailed a one-man boat, and perhaps you’d rather not. The nice thing about such boats is that you can set off in whatever direction you choose. As you will. The wind has its own opinion.

Two
In which a task is assigned.

After every end must come a beginning. It need not be a true beginning, or a beginning in kind. But nonetheless.

A pause is rather like an ending, is it not?

You call yourself lazy, you who looks to windward, you who spends the days dreaming. But it is not enough to sleep. Somewhere in the evening, a task was imparted. There are plans to be carried out.

Three
In which we learn to dance.

In some cultures, celebration is tantamount to dance; a child learns to move his or her feet with the a semblance of rhythm. For some women, and some men, the beating of a drum calls the heart to keep time.

Once, dancing was a rite of passage. Dancing meant learning dance-steps, and keeping time. It was heady, frustrating at times, sometimes awfully prudish. But it was normalized. Today, so many of us treat dancing as work. We have never learned to dance with ease, and even as our head nods the time, our feet lose track.

Four
In which water is useful.

He closes his eyes under water, eyelids squeezed tightly, the soft light not penetrating his thin, wrinkled skin.

Water washes clean. Skin feels elastic, pliable. His hair swims alongside him, his fingers prune, his nostrils let out bubbles of air.

Swimming below the surface is a different world from such actions above. The stroke is more fluid, and water eddies about your body more softly, more elegantly. The human body stretches and revels in its own fluidity, its own elegance. Skin is slippery, seamless. Liquid clears the mind.

His strokes are smooth and strong, until he breaches the surface.

Five
In which Justin rolls into a ball like a kitten.

Sometimes it’s easiest to stay in a fetal position.

(Note: I’ve done this sort of post before. A while back (July 09, 2007). I did it better last time, I think.)

« « Older post | More recent post » »

4 September 2010

the in-between

Posted by admin @ 19:02 pm    categories: Spain

I’m in this odd state in-between things. Last weekend I was in New Orleans, which was really excellent—I hung out with my sister a lot, met some of her excellent friends, saw Tharrison!, saw Rachel’s old friends who I already know, and explored the city. I’d never been there before; it was in general quite a lot of fun.

But when I got back to Miami I was sick (it turned out that I had strep throat), I was kind of feverish as such, and then the city spent the next few days raining. By Friday, though, I was feeling sort of more up-beat. I started reading the Scott Pilgrim comic books (great), hung out with Murray (fun), and managed to work on a job proposal with him. Oh, I should add that I’ve found a job in Miami—it’s temporary for the moment, but seems quite likely that it will turn into a full-time two-year gig.

Something about all of this, though—I’d guess the liminality of it all, the moments where I’m just waiting, where exciting things have happened and for the moment it’s all slowed down—has resulted in my spending some free time feeling rather morose. It doesn’t help that I’m sometimes a romantic, and that even though I know folks in Miami I feel kind of lonely in some ways.

I think this coming week will help enliven me, get my blood flowing at its normal speed. It would be good to feel healthy, spry. Up for anything. Adventure!

« « Older post | More recent post » »

This is the online journal of Justin Dainer-Best, detailing my adventures. To the right are links to other parts of the site.

I'll sometimes cross-post things from other online manifestations of me, perhaps.

If you're primarily interested in reading about children's or YA lit, there's a section for you that's just starting up.

View posts about psychology, art, food and cooking, the Spanish language, or teaching. You can also read my writing I've posted here. Or read old posts about Argentina.

To syndicate, use RSS