Foreign families

Salamanca, Spain - Home of the oldest university in the country, capital city to the region of Castile and Leon, and definitely a place to forget yourself, has some of the most evocative and inspirational architecture in Spain, and a nightlife that will make you flip. I had the pleasure of a weekend experience in the capital city while visiting my cousin Emily.

You have two options in reaching Salamanca from Logroño: One is taking a bus to Burgos, then catching an alternate one from there (different ticket as well) towards Salamanca, then repeating this process to return. The second is to take a train straight from Logroño to Salamanca that leaves you with more money in your pocket, less chaotic Burgos bus station drama, and less travel time. You get three guesses and the first two don't count regarding which form of transportation I took. The suns' last rays were lost before I arrived in Salamanca.

                                                                                                                                                                                         tapas

I utilized my new account on Couch Surfing to establish housing for the weekend, but this was a royal mixup that was out of my hands the entire time. However, I made good use of the contacts and always had a bed to sleep in, which was all I could have asked for. The first night, me, Emily, and her friend Leah hit up the most bangingest tapas for super duper cheapworld stylez dinero, then went to cloud 9 (metaphorically speaking). I slept on a cushion-bed-thing on the floor of a Brazilian guy named Almir's room, and had to wait about 30 minutes with Emily and her friend Leah for him to get to his house in the freezing cold so I could get in, but the cold was beyond my senses at that point. What led to my absence of senses were the the phenomenally low prices to do awful, horrible things such as drink as much beer or liquor you want  for 4€ or a similar bewildering price, and the succession of such activities at all bars in the city. The second night I slept in a hotel/hostel thing that Emily friggin paid for out of the blue because she felt bad that I was sleeping on floors of random peoples' places, this was actually my plan and I wasn't too happy about the change, but whatever. Since Emily got me the hotel, I did not sleep in the house of  a Spanish girl named Sara, but instead attended a lunch at her hippy friends' house during the day. It was a spectacular feast with three random girls who were fabulously good company, and more open than sesame. The third night I did not sleep, but rather went out until my train left at 6 a.m., slept on the train, and then collapsed into my bed when I got back to Logroño.
                               Me and Em                                            

                                                   Almir and myself

In between the nights, I had the pleasure of seeing a tatoo convention, the beautiful cathedral, university, casa de conchas, roman bridge, and plaza mayor. The 18th century plaza mayor was amazing during both day and night, and I even saw it in the snow during my last night there. The 16th century cathedral was monstrous and gothically decorated with flying buttresses and ornamental drip castle deluxe fantasy spires. The university had a beautiful facade with a tiny frog on a skull that apparently symbolizes good luck for Salamancans. The casa de conchas is something that I just completely didn't read about, but here is my guess about its significance: since the shell (concha) is used to represent the Camino de Santiago here in Spain, I believe this house to have been a monastery used to house and teach those on the righteous path. How's that sound? The Roman Bridge was long and rocky, as was made of rocks. The tattoo convention stained my mind with ideas and images possibly suitable for my body, but none were realized.
Cathedral                                                                                                                                                                      Casa de Conchas

                                                Plaza Mayor
                                          Tattoo Convention

birdland

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old friends

Friends Conor Mchugh and Dave Mchugh came from the U.S., while Lily Mchugh came from the Andalusian city of Sevilla where she studies, so we had a grand time gallivanting around the town and touring the night scene on my last night. I'd not seen close friends such as these since Jack came and visited in late 2009, and it was really a treat to give a good hug to those close to me. Emilys' friend Kenya, who was hilarious and from Greensboro, had her brother and parents to visit, so the company was plenty and merry. Royal blue skies dotted with clouds during the day, and bone-cutting cold at night made Salamanca all the more appetizing somehow. We went to cool bars like Birdland - a jazz bar dedicated to Birdland Jazz Bar in NYC, where famous musicians like Miles Davis and Dizzy Gillespie played, parks all over the city, and I also met Emily's host family. We had a finger-lickin'-good-yall lunch with them, and I later listened to the family dispute over family things awkwardly from the the couch. I would love to return sometime to Salamanca, it was a city to remember (or not)

Emily's host family

Lose yourself there soon.

*Listening to : Up against the wall - Peter, Bjorn and John

Listenin to : Broken - Gorillaz

good morning

It's Monday again, and the blinding rays of sunshine did not make their way to my face this morning. Blinds closed in Spain means eternal sleep, and a new comforter placed strategically under my sheets for Xtra comfort acts as a catalyst, transforming me into Rip Van Streblow. This is my last week of work before I go on a two week vacation around Spain and into Amsterdam, and I am currently looking to stack my chi up like Kels stacks court charges. The whole in my memory that was a weekend with Emily in Salamanca has now completely filled itself, and its documentation is currently pending. Rich times those were. Time's a wasting, and it's time to go enjoy the day, see some things, teach some willing/unwilling kids English, make some money, boss some €€€, normal monday stuff.

They're back - Plastic Beach

Recently I caught word that Gorillaz had produced a new studio album called Plastic Beach. This is one of the most exciting things to happen to me in the year 2010 as I have been a fan of Gorillaz since 2001 when they first released their self titled  album. I have always revered them as a genuinely diverse and post modern (whatever post modern is) "group of musicians" who refuse to adopt a style known by the rest of the music industry, and while maintaining a decent fan base, never quite giving in or conforming to societal pop norms.

Gorillaz creator Damon Albarn has a keen sense of connecting various artists of all genres and making something wonderful out of a heavily eccentric assortment of styles and sounds. While Albarn is the only actual contributor and fixed "band member" of Gorillaz, Jamie Hewlett works with him and does the artwork which creates the fictional, animated characters that are the bands' image.

Fictional Gorillaz Members

Plastic Beach presents itself with serene ambient beach noises overlaid by a small selective orchestra and leads into a very intricately planned, brass infused synth hip-hop beat with Snoop Dogg. As is typical, they also incorporate some hip-hop artists from the UK (which I quite despise) and successfully estrange me from their album for a moment, but always bring me back with something catchy to follow. The majority of the album is complemented by well known artists and an undulating wave of energy to push and pull you around the room, emotionally speaking that is. Full of strings, brass, keys and electronic versions of all of these, the album really has a strangely gritty yet smooth feel to it, and I find that you can find different appeal in each song depending on when and where you are listening to it.

Ultimately, I seriously enjoyed the album, and look forward to some possible B-side remixes that might arise. I caught wind of the album by randomly running into one of their songs on Hype Machine - a constantly refreshing and updating site where you can stream music from peoples' blogs about music. I suggest you check that site out, and give Plastic Beach a good listen.

Tstreb out.

New travelers

Number 4 Calle Ciriaco Garrido Flat # 2b was the home-base last weekend for a pre-planned visit from my long lost twin - Collin, whom I met in Madrid randomly, share a job title with, and have since visited in his city of Oviedo. Since the trip from Oviedo to Logroño is quite a long one (6 hours), he got into the city at 1:30am, and was greeted by yours truly at the station. 


Undoubtedly a friend with a place to stay is quite standard, but I upped the ante and brought a tray with drank and power horse . Now mind you this is not your average energy drink, this one ranks in the upper echelon of terribly cheap and ridiculously named guarang phosphorous testosterone ginseng toting formulas. I showed Collin to a few of the frequented bars and met with friends for a good first night, which led into a nice touristic day of parks on a long walk around the city.


Did you know that hot and cold actually mix magnificently? Hot being thermal bath water divided into 3 stone walled pools each with a different temperature, and cold being the naked air above these riverside baths. We had the pleasure of going to these baths in Arnedillo. *Please click links to see the place as I did not bring my camera* We were four deep : Roddy the Scot (de guess where), Miguel the Salamander (de Salamanca), Collin the Duck (de Oregon), and me the Chameleon. It was an hour drive in Miguel's car through beautiful red rocked spires of earth to the tiny village tucked back into the mountains. It was almost dark when we got there, and navigating down a series of steps past handball courts, gardens, and official spas was quite difficult. We spent about 2.5 hours wallowing in the water, and found that for some reason the rocks at the bottom of the pools (which were about 3 feet deep) felt incredibly heavy, as if we were on another planet. My face was melted at the concept, and by the sure ecstasy and comfort of the water. You could feel the cold water coming in from the walls touching the river which was also an interesting experience. After spending an eternity there, and becoming quite pruny, we went home, made a tortilla, and I had a few friends over for a calm evening that sparked some of the most ridiculous conversations and internet videos I have ever been a part of. I was kicking my legs in the air like a dead bug and laughing so hard it hurt. GET IT TONE!!!!!!!!!


The next night was anything but calm. REALLY long story made fairly short - It was Chris's birthday, we went out for pinchos, I was separated from my friends in a freakish 5 minute time lapse, my phone died, I ended up wandering around with some derelict 18 year old student of mine, ran into Chris, but not Collin, and got home at 9am to find Collin sleeping in the hallway outside of my door, sans jacket. Nuts. 


Collin got on the bus and headed home the next afternoon. Convoluted is the proper word for all thoughts, actions, and representations of humanity attempted by me and Chris the next day, and then I did chores around the house like a zombie.


Collin and I had a blast, and kicked it OG style once again which was good.


APFA : After.Pinchos.Faces.Aqui.

Pinchos March

The young and the old, the good and the bad, all faithful to music and consumption will be seen on this path throughout the city of Logroño. The warmer it is, the less pavement you see.

         

Bar March

The search for good music, good beer, and good company after filling yourself with pinchos and wine, this is the 2cnd level of weekend evenings.           

Ali >     

Kebab March

The "Kebar", as I call it, is always the ultimate headquarters for the select clandestine bar dwellers who are hungry, want cheap food and beer, and have no other options as the bars are closed at the wee hours of the morning.

3in1 haircut

So, I decided to get my hair cut by a non-professional-professional. There are only a few steps to this process.

1) Go to a Chino Store and buy a pair of scissors that look like they'll cut har - 2.35€

2) Don't really do that because Katrina will do it for you, and bring a comb to divide your monstrous hair

3) Slap a chair down in your kitchen.

4) Sit and talk about life until Katrina tells you she thinks you should look at the hair (horror ensues?)

5) Horror doesn't ensue and it looks good, but you tell Katrina to keep going.

6) You are left with some silly bangs you've never had, but embrace them and keep them.

7) You thank Katrina, and promptly sweep up the pile of your once attached hair.

8)Wake up a day later and decide you don't know what to do with your new bang things

9)Cut them off yourself.

^

This is Katrina

These are flock of seagulls bangs

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This is an ALMOST free haircut

I like to grunt when I get my swell on at the gym.