I just thought this was pretty funny. This Charles Brooks guy has a bunch of videos on Youtube, well worth checking out.
And this is another take on general American television. The host wonders how it is that we Americans seem so friendly and laid back when we are surrounded by fear-based shows.
You really get the best feel for this when you travel a lot or live overseas for anytime at all. But check out his other videos on how to be a newsreporter and other subjects. Very funny.
the Lion Rampant is the only tattoo I have
I’ve been thinking of my Mom a lot over the last few days. I’m not sure why, she passed away almost 15 years ago now. She always wanted to return home to Scotland for one last time, but never could. We were quite poor and that dream never came to pass. So this year I do plan on going to Greenoch, her hometown near Glascow and visit for her. As you grow older, you think more about the dreams that may not have come true for you, and what you can accomplish in your life. I’m the longest living male in my direct family’s history, so perhaps I think of this to often. but you must still have dreams, and leave something behind. And sometimes, you have the chance to finish the dreams of those who never had the chance. So, Mom, this is for you and Scotland the Brave:
This is not meant existentially.
I loved my time in Madrid, and I would have loved to stay there a bit longer. But people ask me why I came back to the States, especially given how CRAZY the politics seems right now. Saw this and wanted to give you an idea of just how challenging living there is right now for even the Spaniards, let alone an immigrant without a job.
“We believe that Spain is a disaster waiting to happen [and] is set for a long, painful deflation that will manifest itself via a very high unemployment level for an industrialized economy, a real estate collapse and general banking insolvencies… Spain had the mother of all housing bubbles. To put things in perspective, Spain now has as many unsold homes as the US, even though the US is about six times bigger. Spain is roughly 10% of the EU GDP, yet it accounted for 30% of all new homes built since 2000 in the EU. Most of the new homes were financed with capital from abroad, so Spain’s housing crisis is closely tied in with a financing crisis… Spanish banks, in our view, are now facing a very bleak outlook. Spain’s unemployment rate reached over 17%; there are now four million unemployed Spaniards and over one million families with not a single person employed in the family. “
Read to whole thing if you have some time. It’s sort of sad to watch. The Spanish economy had been one of the strongest over the last 15 to 20 years, and now it looks like many of the decisions and foundations, just like here, were built on faulty credit and over consumption, especially in the housing markets. How bad is it? The article ask the question, does Spain = Japan 2.0.
I have not adjusted to the change in weather yet. I was used to the 95 degrees in Madrid. I even grew to like it. Now, I can’t get warm. I originally moved to SF years ago because I hated hot weather.
I’m sure I’ll adjust again, but yikes!
I’ve been living the last seven or so months in the Center of the city, mere steps away from Gran Via between Plaza Calloa and Cibeles. It’s a great neighborhood being well-connected to all the mass transport and within walking distance to almost all of the better known tourist areas of Madrid. But it does have its downsides. It is very crowded and as the summer months have worn on, some of the sleazier streets near my home have become rich in the odor of urine and the number prostitutes have grown like wild flowers. It is also not the best neighborhood to have a dog. My globe trotting fellow has gotten into the terrible habit of spending most of his walk time searching for discarded food like some rat weaving back and forth eating anything in his past. It’s pretty disgusting.
So we are moving to a new neighborhood today. We have a larger apartment with a balcony and plenty of parks nearby. It is still in the Center of Madrid, but in a slightly quieter area. We will be within walking distance to the Latina neighborhood where Sundays are a blast. The streets are full of terrazas and everyone is out for tapas and beer.
The neighborhood is called Madrid de los Austrias (or the Madrid of the Habsburgs). This area is famous for its architecture and the growth of the Spanish Capital during its Golden Age. The most famous construct being the Plaza Mayor. The streets are narrow, the restaurants old, and the parks beautiful. We will be right on the outskirts of the area, near the Royal Palace. In fact, I’ll be able to see the Cathedral on the Royal Grounds from my balcony.
I’ll let you know how it goes, and what the neighborhood is like as time goes on.
Always another option for cooling down
The weather in the Spanish capital continues to run hotter than usual. Normal temperatures at this time of year are in the low 80s. We have consistently been in the mid to upper 90s. The daily sunshine is bright and strong and their is little relief at night. There are times when one would kill for a bit of a breeze. So what to do in this kind of heat, especially during the parties and festivities of Madrid’s Orgullo Festival.
I’ve learned to dress much more appropriately for the heat. The typical American wardrobe of a pair of blue jeans and maybe a polo shirt or t-shirt just is too warm and uncomfortable. You really need to find very light and very breathable clothing. Light cotton, linen, and hats can be terrifically helpful. I have even gone full bore European and wear what some might call Capri pants (the 3/4 length pants that are seen all over the place). Why do you wear them, well, it’s cooler!
The City by the Bay
I haven’t been in the US for about 7 months now, and I’m looking forward to seeing my friends and old haunting grounds. I have not really experienced the homesickness that a lot of expats talk about, but here are some things I am looking forward to:
Can you think of any more?
It is the first really hot day of the Spring in Madrid today. The weekend will continue the heat wave. And, yes, a dry heat does make a difference.
Madrid is interesting when it is hot. My apartment is actually pretty cool in temperature, I have an interior unit without a lot of sunlight and it just hasn’t heated up that much. So, I, like many in the city who can, will work from home today. Since my day generally includes talking to India in the AM, Spain in afternoon, and the US and Paraguay later in the day, the schlep to the office on a day like this is a nice option. Not sure my boss likes that I take it, but its effing 100 degrees!
So when I went out with the dog to buy the paper and a pack of smokes, the streets were pretty quiet. There is a distinct difference in the shade. But tonight is when the streets will be alive.
I still remember my first time in Madrid about 6 years ago. It was a day like this, and I had arrived late in the afternoon by train from Malaga. I took a nap. The city streets were pretty empty at 7 PM, but when I woke up at 2 AM and looked out the window, the streets had come alive. Like rush hour anywhere else in the world.
Tonight there will be people out all over the streets. There will be botellones in the plazas. Botellones are (illegal) outside drinking parties, mostly youth, who are getting blasted early in the evening so that they can save their money to go to the dance clubs later at night. The clubs really won’t start hopping until about 4 AM. Restaurants will be full from 10 or 11 PM onward, filled with families, including babies and toddlers. The entire city will be out and strolling.
Fuencarral Street, a fashionable and hip street near the gay neighborhood is being turned into a pedestrian only zone and is almost done. So a lot of people will be out there too.
I will be with the crowds. Sweating, walking, bringing the dog, swigging a beer on a terraza and being thankful for a perfect madrid night like this.
Plaza Cheuca, Madrid's Gay Heart
From the wonderful people at the LesGaiCineMad International Film Festival, one of the best in the world (disclosure: I am doing some work for them)
LesGaiCineMad Spanish Film Market (SFM) is an event that will take place for the first time as part of Madrid’s 14th International LGBT Film Festival (LesGaiCineMad)
LESGAICINEMAD IS BECOMING A STRONG PRESENCE WITHIN THE INDUSTRY AND IS CATCHING UP WITH THE LEADERS IN THE INTERNATIONAL MARKET
Organized by Fundación Triángulo, LesGaiCineMad is one of the world’s most important independent film festivals, clearly positioned on the map of international festivals and events related to the 7th Art. With 14 years of professional history, 9 venues, and 120 movies, LesGaiCineMad will for the first time bring together members of the international LGBT film industry in a space of exchange, education, and business that will take place at LesGaiCineMad Spanish Film Market (SFM), coordinated by Spanish director Mariel Macia.
This first edition of Spanish Film Market (SFM) is born with the objective of supporting and promoting the production of independent cinema. “The international industry has been with us,” says Mariel Maciá, head of Industry & Market at LesGaiCineMad, “in each edition for the last 14 years. We believe that acknowledging their presence, haviing independent LGBT cinema professionals mix and network to create new projects and business, and structuring their visit so that they share their experience and knowledge with Spanish directors is the next step that our festival should take.” A logical evolution if we consider that LesGaiCineMad yearly attracts over 20,000 viewers and directors from all over the world; a circumstance that in previous editions made it possible to count on the presence of respected figures such as Pedro Almodóvar, Bruce LaBruce, and Barbara Hammer among others. Following the San Sebastián, Valladolid and Sitges’ film festivals, LesGaiCineMad is one of the cinematographic events with the most media coverage.
Mariel Macia, who has recently joined the festival team to accomplish new objectives, is a movie and theater director, producer, and distributor who has won several awards and international recognition. Since her short film “Flores en el parque” opened at LesGaiCineMad’s 2006 edition obtaining the Best Short Film and Best Spanish Movie Awards, her work has been featured at film festivals around the world, making her one of LGBT cinema’s role models. Later, with the opening of “A domicilio (o incluso también el amor)” and obtaining her second Best Short Film Award at LesGaiCineMad the next year, Mariel has had the opportunity to travel the world through the presentation of her work at LGBT film festivals which has given her the contacts, hope, and ambition to translate her experience into the local market.
For this first edition, LesGaiCineMad Spanish Film Market (SFM) will get important filmmakers, distributors, and programmers together.
1. SFM will provide its participants a selection of Spanish movies produced from 2006 to today, in DVD format with English subtitles. The same movies will also be viewable at SFM Booths – located at the SFM Meeting Point. The films participating in the official selection of the Festival will also be available.
2. SFM will organize debates, seminars and meetings with renowned international professionals dedicated to the production and distribution of LGBT contents.
3. SFM will create a meeting point (SFM Meeting Point) where all participants will meet, organize reunions and see movies at SFM Booths.All these activities will be presented at Frameline 2009, the San Francisco LGBT Film Festival, to give this project its initial boost.
Independent cinema is growing strongly. Throughout these years it has obtained a privileged place within the national and international scene and also a bigger sector within the actual cinematographic market. The movie industry is transforming and adapting to the new times finding the niches that have been exploited in the international market for a long time. As a response to these challenges, LesGaiCineMad has created this new platform to promote and professionalize the LGBT independent cinema in the framework of its 14th edition.
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