Three Cheers for the Menu del Dia!

There is an unsung hero in Madrid, a hero taken for granted and not given the proper credit. That hero is the Menu del Dia.

I don’t think Madrilenos really appreciate what an institution this is. The Menu del Dia should exist on every continent on earth. Fresh, almost home-cooked food, (dos platos!) offered daily with pan, vino , y postre! The best part is not so many confusing choices. This just does not happen in other places. If you eat from the Menu del Dia you very rarely can go wrong (unless you are super picky) and if you are super picky just drink the cheap wine with some Casera in it and all will be well.

Of course I could go into the ‘I remember when’ stories. Alright I will… I remember when I ate the Menu del Dia con un companero de pension, Don Luis Carpintero. We would walk around looking for just the right place – cheap but ‘con buena pinta’. We would find places where we would eat – well, (i.e., comer bien) for I think like 350 Pesetas… maybe $3.00, U.S. Don Luis was seventy-four years old and I was twenty-five trying to find work in Madrid. On Sundays the owners of the pension where we lived did not cook so we had to fend for ourselves - so we did, and had a lot of fun in the process.

Today it is a little different (more money of course - about 10 Euros now) but there still is the Menu. I love the freaking Menu del Dia! Sometimes I don’t even know what the Hell I’m eating. I just act like I know, and it’s still good.

So, Madrilenos and all visitors, be proud! You are lucky in Spain. All you have to do is find a place that has a lot of people in it, that has a Menu del Dia, and you are in business. You don’t even need a mother. This comes in handy for those of us who don’t have mothers anymore. And everyone knows that chicks can’t cook now days because their mother’s did everything for them – but that's another story.

"EU Tube" New Exciting Web Destination

Does anyone else think that this new website is a little silly? The EU has announced it's own channel on YouTube. "EU Tube" will publicize EU videos and programs to an anxious Europe dying to get their hands on this information.

Is YouTube the right place to reach out to the world for a government of a block of nations? I guess there was no room on their own website. Sounds like some idea man has run amok in Brusells.

After you finish watching the video of the dog riding the skateboard you can click over and get some important EU info. Hey, why don't we do this too? Yeahh, "You-SA-Tube"!... Uh, maybe not.

Oh well, they are trying to get their name out there I guess. Wouldn't want to forget about them.....

Modern Conveniences

Whenever I lived in Madrid for any long period of time over the last twentyfive-odd years, the piso or Hostal that was my home was always "challenged" shall we say, in regards to modern conveniences. I still loved them and I didn't compare any of the places to the states (at least not out loud) because that's just the way it was in Madrid.

Like when I lived on c/Santa Brigida between Hortaleza and Fuencarral. Not knowing the mysteries of pisos in Madrid, a group of American students (yes, my group) rented a ground floor, interior apartment (Bajo-Interior). It was dark all the time. You could sleep all day and never know that it was sunny outside. The bathroom was OK though, except the water heater broke a few weeks into our stay and there was NO hot water for a long time, so I moved.

To a piso with all Spaniards on c/Hortaleza. Six people in a two-bedroom apartment (one brother and his mother stayed in the living room). Of course there was no heat and brother Jose was very fond of smoking Ducados non-stop.... with the windows closed..... in winter. The water heater was electric and beyond tiny. You had to plug it in 30 minutes before showering. Once in the shower, you would wet yourself down - then you turned off the water - soaped up - then you turned the water back on - and then rinsed off. That's all the time, and all the hot water you had. Next step, freeze your ass off getting dressed.

Or in the Hostal R. Canal on c/Huertas. There, I actually had a very luxurious room with a view of the Plaza del Angel..... but no bathroom. I think we had heat, but since it was Huertas, the disco on the ground floor started thumping around 1:00 am or so, until about 6:00 am - but only on the weekends, so that was good.

Next it was Lavapies, on c/Cabestreros, pretty much all the same conveniences were lacking in this Piso. Couple this with fearing for my life dodging drug dealers any time I stepped out of the Apartment. The neighborhood was pretty dicey back then - but it's getting better.

Between these places there where numerous stays at pensiones and hostales (never a hotel - too broke) where the beds sagged in the middle, the toilet paper was rationed, the tubs were the sizes of buckets, and the streets blared outside. So very early on, I dreamed of my own Piso Madrid where I could do whatever it took to solve these convenience issues. So I did, but I think I may have gone overboard.

These are the modern conveniences of which Piso Madrid now boasts:

- Gas from the city (how did we do without this?)
- Dual-paned windows (this is OK everyone has this now)
- Central heating (everyone has this too)
- A kick-ass German water heater (not too out of line)
- Every light switch on a dimmer (what? - not necessary!)
- A clothes dryer (pushing it ... a little too American)
- Garbage disposer - carried by me on the plane
(This freaks Madrilenos out!)
- Speakers wired through the "falso techo" in Kitchen and salon.
(not necessary - but cool!)

But the COLMO is!.... I am the embarrassed owner of not one, not two, but THREE HUGE air-conditioning compressors hanging in the patio (light well) of my piso for all my neighbors to see. I really don't know how this happened. I sent my L.A. buddy, Agapito, to Madrid for some R & R. I thought that while he was there he could call about putting some AC in the living room? You know, just for those really hot days. Well, I guess the salesman got a hold of him and now I am the poster boy for causing global warming in Madrid! I'm sure the irony does not escape anyone..... An American .... excessive comforts .... everything is our fault.....! It is a little awkward. Talk about living up to a stereotype.

You know, I have improved my surroundings immensely. I have AC, heating, and a freaking garbage disposer, but there was something about the experience of Jose's Ducados and constant cafelitos that will not come again. The electric water heater was a pain, but I will never forget it. And my Spanish rocked back when I lived with five Madrilenos! You can keep the interior piso bajo though.

Like that old rule that always holds true, when you fix one problem you create another. Madrid (like everywhere) is changing, and it's not just my piso with it's modern conveniences. Many of the past charms are no longer. It is just the inevitable improvement (and destruction) of the old Madrid.

Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid...

This story makes me laugh. I found it on a convenient (and aggravating) website that gathers a lot of information from the world press on what everyone is writing about America - WatchingAmerica.com.

Apparently some French business and diplomat types are worried that the Big Brother Americans are spying on them. So, they are being told that they can't use their Blackberries anymore. It turns out that the information from the Canadian-built Blackberry is routed through the U.S. and the U.K. (You know how there are those things that some people do so they think everyone else does them too..?) It seems to me that there are any number of ways to spy now days - there is a lot of technology out there.

It got me thinking that it really riles some Europeans to no end that so much of the technology, innovations, and just plain stuff they use every day originates in the U.S. Let's review what they're thinking:

1. Personal Computers - Guys, we really shoulda came up with this one. I mean these were some college-dropout Californian losers hanging around in their garages for Chrissakes!
2. Microsoft - How come every day I turn on my computer I have to see that damn "Windows" screen! Why doesn't anybody use Linux around here? There must be something evil that the Americans are doing to be on everyone's computer so let's sue the crap out of 'em and try to put a stop to this. We sure don't have Jack to enter in the race.
3. GPS - More nasty American military technology that we use on a daily basis. This really pisses us off. We can do better, right guys? Let's put our own satellites up there - it's easy right? They must be spying or something too. You know that they will probably just turn it off if there is a war or something... We would never do that.
4. Boeing - We are sick and tired of always flying on those damn American jets. They have been so bad for the world. Moving millions of people all over the place since, well for a very long time. Let's get our own company and build the biggest freaking jet in the world. Of course we will have to use government money, but we are gonna kick their asses...
5. The internet - No, no not that too! OK we know it came about because of more nasty military inspired reasons but we really use this one a lot. We woulda done this ourselves right? Uh, maybe not because we don't have a military - armies are so... crude. And our track record with the whole "world war" thing is not great.. Not sure we can make our own.... How about we ignore this one?
6. Ipod - Again with these innovations! Apple must be evil too. They have a monopoly, yeahh, that's it. Their songs don't work on everyone else's MP3's! How can we stop our young people from buying this stuff? Let's sue them too.
7. Google, Yahoo, et al. - Guys, I can feel it coming. Google's going to be bigger than Microsoft and I'm not sure this suing them thing is gonna work... And our people really, really like Google. I don't think we're going to be able to tell them to just not use it...
   
8. The English Language - I guess Esperanto is not going to work out, and it doesn't look like French is really the language of diplomacy. Well, English is really from Europe.. It's not that bad. And everyone knows that English spoken with a British accent is much better than that low-class American babel.

I don't know but it seems to me that when a European company comes up with something better and kicks our asses in the market we just say to ourselves, "Alright, they kicked our asses, let's try harder..." It does not inspire a huge inferiority complex that then turns into paranoia.

I really hope Europe is successful with the airplanes, the GPS, etc., and I'm even willing to take the chance on them getting a military someday too. We could use a break. And just for fun, I want to see protests in front of the EU embassies. By the way, are there EU embassies?

Flicks by Mail

For all of you in Madrid who still go to the video store to get your movies, take a look at what is coming. In L.A., nobody goes to a DVD store. Blockbuster is basically out of business. We either watch cable or satellite T.V., or digitally record the shows to watch at any time, or our DVD's come in the mail – from Netflix. Go on-line, choose from an S-load of movies, and pay one rate per month to get three movies out at once for however long you want – no late fees, no lines at the store, you can download them too. Couple this with new, cheaper, flat screen T.V. technology, and there better be a good reason to go to the movie theater. That's why the theaters are not doing so well. Ticket sales are down.

Knowing this is coming to Madrid, I hear about the new potential genius law in Spain. One that would make theater owners show an obligatory amount of Spanish-made movies. I know it pisses them off that happy-ending, fluff American movies are more popular than seeing deep, depressing, state-subsidized Spanish films about people trying to commit suicide, or of people getting molested and getting hooked on heroin (I wonder why?). But the truth is people want to escape when they go to the movies, they want to have fun. Life is ROUGH and everyone knows it. Why not see some fantasy at the movies?

Unlike the deep, thought-provoking, and government subsidized Spanish movies, American movies (except clearly labeled public TV) are made with private money. Somebody actually takes their money out of the bank to make a movie hoping it will turn a profit. Hence, the people get what they want. Even with this silly market-driven system, Hollywood still manages to make some pretty good, and thought-provoking movies - of course along with some crap.

Guys, is it really so bad to let the people watch American movies? Why the fear? It seems like they may be terrified to learn that the Spanish movie-going public has the same tastes as the American public. That would take one more thing off of the, “Why We Feel Superior to the Americans” list.

I say let the market decide what succeeds. They'll probably even find out that the poor Spanish producers can figure out what sells best at home (without government Euros) and that they can give the Americans a run for their money - if given the chance. If they don't, and they try to legislate behavior, the theater business will suffer in Madrid. People will just stay home and watch what they want to on their flat screens with surround sound.

The First, and Last, Good Spanish Tagger

I hate the graffiti in Madrid. It drives me crazy. And with all the construction going on in town someone just puts the finishing touches on the remodel of some stately 100 year old building and the next day it is covered in very ugly and incomprehensible graffiti. There was a time though when I liked graffiti - at least the "work" of one man, Muelle.

Up until about 1984 there was hardly any graffiti in Madrid. This bad habit had not yet been imported from New York and Los Angeles. But there was this one Tio working hard defacing property. He was a perfectionist and quite famous at the time. We saw his signature all over the place - and I mean ALL OVER the place.

Big and small, in simple black and white letters or very ornate with a whole bunch of colors - it was on telephone booths, mailboxes, in the metro, and on billboards. Muelle ruled the walls of Madrid.

What was different about Muelle was how well done all his "tags" were. He really was an artist. Of course, "muelle" means "spring" and the spring is part of his mark, along with an arrow. He also put the "Registered Trademark" symbol at the top. This seemed to confuse his imitators - and there were many. They would do a bad signature, very messy in simple black spray paint, then put a half-assed arrow on the bottom, then put a "K", or some other letter, in a circle somewhere, with no clue what it meant! You still see graffiti today that vaguely looks like Muelle's.

Muelle was Juan Carlos Arguello from the Madrid barrio of Carabanchel. His tag apparently was a childhood nickname because he built a bicycle using a car suspension. He was just a guy trying to start a rock band during the Movida years painting walls on his down time. I'm afraid he died young so there will be no more "Muelles" in Madrid. I did find one though as recently as 2004 and there still could be a few out there so keep your eyes peeled.

Back in the old days when I of course did not personally know him, I liked Muelle. Why? He chose one thing to do, did it well, and stuck with it. It's true that it was a useless and childish thing, going around painting walls with your name and an arrow, but he did it with such dedication that he was assured success. A lesson for all! He sure made an impression on me, here I am still remembering and talking about him.

Having said all that, here comes comes a healthy dose of hypocrisy. Madrid really has to get serious about eradicating graffiti. And what the heck is going on in Malasana? Did they just give up? They don't seem to even bother to clean it anymore.

Hey Madrid, take it from Los Angeles, don't let this get out of hand! These are not misunderstood youth trying to express themselves. Trouble starts this way. Pretty soon the city looks like crap with gangs fighting over writings on the wall.

And Muelle started it all. Thanks a lot Muelle! Now that you are gone you left us with a bunch of delinquent amateurs.

The Real Grapes of Wrath

This is a picture of my grandparents - as parents. My father is the youngest boy of four children, held by my grandfather. They were share-crop farmers in Oklahoma when the dust bowl hit and they migrated, not to California like the book, but to Arizona. I'm afraid that like most Americans I really should know more about their experiences. My father died when I was ten so I did not have the chance to really ask him about this real life history. I do know that they did not suffer so much like in the book. Of course it was hard in Oklahoma. I remember my grandfather talking about when the farm dog broke his leg he had to get a saw and cut it off. The dog survived many years after that. My father also got a whole bunch of perfect attendance certificates from the public schools in Oklahoma (I still have them). He went on to study at Arizona State University under the G.I. bill.

The migration to Arizona was a success. Unlike the drama in the book, I think they just got in the car and drove to Arizona in a couple of three days, no big deal. After world war II (and after serving in the Filipines) my father moved to Los Angeles and met my mother (from North Dakota). I post this because John at Iberian Notes brought up how the book may be slightly sensationalized.

Now this is heavy, but when my father was ill before his death, his childhood friend from Oklahoma would visit and read to him from the Grapes of Wrath. They got a big kick out of it.