Back to the harbor?
Well Folks, I'm back in Madrid!
I awoke at 4 AM to get the airport. Which was a mistake - my driver go there in 20 minutes. I had over 2 hours to kill. Lucky for me, the lounge was open! I pried my eyelids open and drank coffee after coffee. Eventually I got on the plane and promptly fell asleep.
After some London office "emergencies", the details of which shall remain shrouded in mystery, I successfully articulated the move of our Madrid office to a new location - said location being decided 2 days prior to the move. Awesome! Tomorrow I get to watch as everyone hooks up their computers. I also get to tell the local support staff how to do things right, or in low French, "MY WAY!"
I had a very Spanish lunch of cold tomato soup and a skewer of fried scallops and prawns. Prawns are what the English call shrimp. Apparently they don't deturd them here either.
I finished up my work around 7:30 PM, and the local FD took me out for Tapas - it's 2 hours too early for actual dinner. We had some Jamon ("ham"), fried prawns, Anchovies on Toast, and some cheese thing that made me want to die. Picture Blue cheese without the blue and 100x more fragrant. I tried it because I want to start finding cheese I like. This cheese was good for about one bite. I also found out that Spanish people like to put lemonade in the beer - it tastes good. Oh, Lemonade is not Lemonade. It's a lemon fizzy drink. Crazy, I know!!
I just watched the most ridiculous CNN euro weather report. They showed PA - specifically flooding in PA. "very luck for you if you are in Philly! Many delay in the areas."
I had a beer in the hotel "bar". Don't get me wrong, this is a very nice hotel. However, the bar is empty - it's an area of the lobby. The bar itself has many bells on which one may ring. If one were so inclined to the ring the bell, the following action occurs:
Man leaves the reception counter through hidden back doorway
Man appears on other side of lobby behind said bar
Customer requests beverage
Man provides requested beverage and a small bowl of chips/crisps.
Customer signs for beverage and drinks it in awkward silence. After which he retreats to his room.
German MTV shows American videos. The Spanish video channel shows early 90's videos. Spin Doctor me up a pocket full of Kryptonite baby!
---
Day 2 - Setting up the computers for everyone went well. I used my pidgin Spanish to communicate. Pidgin as in "Necissicito cable de Electridad?", "Aiedo?", "Si, Dos Cervacas", "Comma se desay, This blows?" Pardon my spelling.
I had an "early lunch" at 1:30 - 2 is the normal early lunch. I ate squid on potato slices. It was what it sounded like, but it grows on you.
Everyone left at 3:00 - Summer hours have started for our office. They work until 7-8 most of the year so they can beg off early in the summer. The new building actually follows "old" Spanish hours - they close from 2:30 - 4:30 in the afternoon. I sat and fixed all of the computers "my way" while I was alone. Done, back to the hotel for a nap and some refreshments, and the World Cup in Spanish or German depending on which announcer annoyed me the most.
I had dinner reservations at 9:30 with the Finance Director and her husband - I jumped in a cab at 9:00, showed him the address and away we went! We started driving through the old part of Madrid, which is pretty cool. Then the driver stops, points to the traffic and tells me that this is as far as he can go. The "traffic" was actually an impromptu parade - some DJ's in the back of truck were driving through the city with a crowd of kids walking behind. After vaguely understanding the directions to my destination, I brave said kid crusade.
I actually did not get lost. Oh, don't be so proud. Turns out I only got the first part of the directions "Straight until you can't, then make 2nd right" Actually after the comma there was a left, a right, and another left. Oh well. Thank goodness for Google Maps Mobile on my phone! Typed in my current address, and where I was going and BAM! Directions. Albeit driving directions, but I was able to improvise my way around.
I had a lovely dinner - More Jamon, Fried fish, and salad. Now "salad" is actually a plate of the following: A full grown peeled Asparagus, and lettuce. Dressing consists of Oil and mayonnaise - separate, so you can just have oil or mayonnaise as your prefer. Aside from the asparagus, it was like eating the topping of a McChicken sandwich. Sounds gross to you, but you know me - I loved it! I had sorbet for dessert - it comes in a glass with a straw and is melted.
We decided to have after-dinner drinks - unfortunately my hosts were very unfamiliar with the local bars and got lost. We wandered and found a cab - they remind me of Chicago cabs, white small cars. We went to their old "disco" by their house. Apparently they used to have a pool that everyone would jump in at 5 AM when they closed the club. But now the pool is filled in as a dance floor. After our drink a cab was found for me and home I went.
-----
Saturday - I rescheduled my flight Friday night so I could come home Saturday. The original move plan was for me to go and finalize some server stuff on Saturday and fly home Sunday. Due to everything going smoothly it was unnecessary. I got home right when the England game started. I quickly changed and went to the pub across the street. BORING. The crowd at the pub were subdued and blocked the TV. At half-time I went to the Alexandra which I knew would be jumping. Pushing past the sweaty people (it was 87 outside) in the first room I made it to the back room. We screamed, sang, and gave the TV that weird British V finger thing. England lost in overtime penalty shoot-out and we all were quiet. I grabbed one last drink and headed outside to enjoy the nice "it's so hot!" weather.
I turn around to see a man sitting on a picnic table outside. What catches my is that there are two women, one on each side, holding his arms above his head. I then realize there are red rags around his wrists. I ask the man next to me what happened - apparently this idiot punched both fists through the window of the upstairs bar in frustration/despair/craziness when England lost. He did not look good - I waited until the ambulance came to see what would happen. That was a let down. He walked into the rear of the ambulance and away they went. Away I went with my new pint glass. Calling his survival a let down is morbid, but I feel it highlights man's need for spectacle.
--------
Sunday - I helped Jamie at her Art's festival, which is now over!!!
Our friend Beth's band played and was awesome, the mobile Midsummer was executed well, and my beekeeper suit and mittens kept the sun from turning me purple. All in all a good Sunday. I wish I could take the day off tomorrow and relax. Oh well! Back to the harbor.
I awoke at 4 AM to get the airport. Which was a mistake - my driver go there in 20 minutes. I had over 2 hours to kill. Lucky for me, the lounge was open! I pried my eyelids open and drank coffee after coffee. Eventually I got on the plane and promptly fell asleep.
After some London office "emergencies", the details of which shall remain shrouded in mystery, I successfully articulated the move of our Madrid office to a new location - said location being decided 2 days prior to the move. Awesome! Tomorrow I get to watch as everyone hooks up their computers. I also get to tell the local support staff how to do things right, or in low French, "MY WAY!"
I had a very Spanish lunch of cold tomato soup and a skewer of fried scallops and prawns. Prawns are what the English call shrimp. Apparently they don't deturd them here either.
I finished up my work around 7:30 PM, and the local FD took me out for Tapas - it's 2 hours too early for actual dinner. We had some Jamon ("ham"), fried prawns, Anchovies on Toast, and some cheese thing that made me want to die. Picture Blue cheese without the blue and 100x more fragrant. I tried it because I want to start finding cheese I like. This cheese was good for about one bite. I also found out that Spanish people like to put lemonade in the beer - it tastes good. Oh, Lemonade is not Lemonade. It's a lemon fizzy drink. Crazy, I know!!
I just watched the most ridiculous CNN euro weather report. They showed PA - specifically flooding in PA. "very luck for you if you are in Philly! Many delay in the areas."
I had a beer in the hotel "bar". Don't get me wrong, this is a very nice hotel. However, the bar is empty - it's an area of the lobby. The bar itself has many bells on which one may ring. If one were so inclined to the ring the bell, the following action occurs:
Man leaves the reception counter through hidden back doorway
Man appears on other side of lobby behind said bar
Customer requests beverage
Man provides requested beverage and a small bowl of chips/crisps.
Customer signs for beverage and drinks it in awkward silence. After which he retreats to his room.
German MTV shows American videos. The Spanish video channel shows early 90's videos. Spin Doctor me up a pocket full of Kryptonite baby!
---
Day 2 - Setting up the computers for everyone went well. I used my pidgin Spanish to communicate. Pidgin as in "Necissicito cable de Electridad?", "Aiedo?", "Si, Dos Cervacas", "Comma se desay, This blows?" Pardon my spelling.
I had an "early lunch" at 1:30 - 2 is the normal early lunch. I ate squid on potato slices. It was what it sounded like, but it grows on you.
Everyone left at 3:00 - Summer hours have started for our office. They work until 7-8 most of the year so they can beg off early in the summer. The new building actually follows "old" Spanish hours - they close from 2:30 - 4:30 in the afternoon. I sat and fixed all of the computers "my way" while I was alone. Done, back to the hotel for a nap and some refreshments, and the World Cup in Spanish or German depending on which announcer annoyed me the most.
I had dinner reservations at 9:30 with the Finance Director and her husband - I jumped in a cab at 9:00, showed him the address and away we went! We started driving through the old part of Madrid, which is pretty cool. Then the driver stops, points to the traffic and tells me that this is as far as he can go. The "traffic" was actually an impromptu parade - some DJ's in the back of truck were driving through the city with a crowd of kids walking behind. After vaguely understanding the directions to my destination, I brave said kid crusade.
I actually did not get lost. Oh, don't be so proud. Turns out I only got the first part of the directions "Straight until you can't, then make 2nd right" Actually after the comma there was a left, a right, and another left. Oh well. Thank goodness for Google Maps Mobile on my phone! Typed in my current address, and where I was going and BAM! Directions. Albeit driving directions, but I was able to improvise my way around.
I had a lovely dinner - More Jamon, Fried fish, and salad. Now "salad" is actually a plate of the following: A full grown peeled Asparagus, and lettuce. Dressing consists of Oil and mayonnaise - separate, so you can just have oil or mayonnaise as your prefer. Aside from the asparagus, it was like eating the topping of a McChicken sandwich. Sounds gross to you, but you know me - I loved it! I had sorbet for dessert - it comes in a glass with a straw and is melted.
We decided to have after-dinner drinks - unfortunately my hosts were very unfamiliar with the local bars and got lost. We wandered and found a cab - they remind me of Chicago cabs, white small cars. We went to their old "disco" by their house. Apparently they used to have a pool that everyone would jump in at 5 AM when they closed the club. But now the pool is filled in as a dance floor. After our drink a cab was found for me and home I went.
-----
Saturday - I rescheduled my flight Friday night so I could come home Saturday. The original move plan was for me to go and finalize some server stuff on Saturday and fly home Sunday. Due to everything going smoothly it was unnecessary. I got home right when the England game started. I quickly changed and went to the pub across the street. BORING. The crowd at the pub were subdued and blocked the TV. At half-time I went to the Alexandra which I knew would be jumping. Pushing past the sweaty people (it was 87 outside) in the first room I made it to the back room. We screamed, sang, and gave the TV that weird British V finger thing. England lost in overtime penalty shoot-out and we all were quiet. I grabbed one last drink and headed outside to enjoy the nice "it's so hot!" weather.
I turn around to see a man sitting on a picnic table outside. What catches my is that there are two women, one on each side, holding his arms above his head. I then realize there are red rags around his wrists. I ask the man next to me what happened - apparently this idiot punched both fists through the window of the upstairs bar in frustration/despair/craziness when England lost. He did not look good - I waited until the ambulance came to see what would happen. That was a let down. He walked into the rear of the ambulance and away they went. Away I went with my new pint glass. Calling his survival a let down is morbid, but I feel it highlights man's need for spectacle.
--------
Sunday - I helped Jamie at her Art's festival, which is now over!!!
Our friend Beth's band played and was awesome, the mobile Midsummer was executed well, and my beekeeper suit and mittens kept the sun from turning me purple. All in all a good Sunday. I wish I could take the day off tomorrow and relax. Oh well! Back to the harbor.
posted by Jamie & John | 1:29 PM
1 Comments:
This was a fun read. I especially like the part where you danced with matador. that was awesome. Keep em comin.
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