Doin´ Time in Madrid
I arrived in Madrid, Spain last night to visit my brother and his wife (mi cuñada) for a few days. Today is my brother´s birthday (su cumpliaños), and we celebrated with a big lunch in their new flat in the North of the city.All day long I have spoken Spanish and really should be blogging over at Dos Equis, the blog en Español that Adriana Cabrera and I co-write. Speaking Spanish is much more forgiving than speaking Swedish. Ugh, Swedish! Svensk! In Spanish if you mispronounce a word, people typically know what you are trying to say, but in Swedish, you end up saying an altogether different word (and somehow one that is always embarassing).
On this trip I have proven that change is possible. I started out with US dollars, changed those for British pound sterling, then moved on briefly to the Danish krone, then to the Swedish krona, then back to the pound and now onto the Euro. I am not sure what has gotten a bigger workout, my language skills or my math skills. I say let´s bring on the one-world government and currency and get it over with!
My brother has a vast DVD collection. In fact, we couldn´t be more different in that regard. I own no more than 10 DVDs, most of them anime or things people gave me that I have never watched (except of course Hedwig!). He has a library of over 250 films, including the entire Disney Classics collection (even though they have no children). Most impressive is collection of actual movie classics. His favorite is The Philadephia Story with Katherine Hepburn.
While I was with Spädbarn Alex and Spädbarn Daniel in Stockholm a few weeks ago, we went to Moderna Museet (Museum of Modern Art). There we watched some silent films including Charlie Chaplin´s Modern Times, which I think was very much inspired by Fritz Lang´s 1927 film, Metropolis. Breathtaking in its humor. I learned so much about comedy in the few minutes we stood there watching.
It is getting close to 10 PM, so that means we will have dinner in the next hour or so. Such a strange time table here in Spain. Tomorrow I will have lunch with a former Exodus leader who is now happily partnered with another man here in Spain. I can´t wait to tell him all about bXg.
On Saturday my brother, his wife and I will go North to Bilboa for a few days. I´ve always wanted to go to that city in the Basque Country. Okay, wine and gazpacho is on the table, so I am off. Hasta pronto.
But first some video.
Here is a clip from Modern Times
And a video teaching you how to make me gazpacho
Labels: family, Spanish, Sweden, tour
posted by Peterson Toscano @ 3:01 PM
6 Comments:
Hahah... "Change is possible" would have been hard for American tourists in Britain to believe before they went to decimal currency I think...
20 shillings in a pound? No wait...a 'bob'. That's it. 12 pennies in a shilling?? 240 pennies in a pound??? A farthing is a quarter penny... crown... half crown... half-guinea... No...I'm sorry...change is Not possible...
Of course...they probably have the same problem over here trying to figure out our units of measure. And we never did get over that.
Oh great, now I'm envious. I love Spain. ¿Como se dice 'envious'? Well, I'll just live vicariously. Say, isn't that the whole point of reading personal blogs?
If you have a chance, go to Galicia in the northwest, beautiful place, particularly this time of year.
I haven't been to Bilbao but I know there's a Guggenheim Museum there, definitely go.
Ahh, former Exodus leaders now partnered, you should write about this phenomenon.
Have fun...
I NEED Mr Chaplin's machine there. I'm a notoriously slow eater.
I am waiting for the picture of your brother and his wife.....
--Tom D.
hey there! i was directed to your site by my friend C. Wess Daniels. i immediately recognized your picture from the soulforce website. i did not realize you were a performance artist...and you speak spanish...and you're ex-ex-gay...we have a lot in common! please keep up the great work you have been doing. i am constantly amazed at how frightened and double-closeted many people are after coming out of an ex-gay experience. for me, it just catapoulted me into activism and reading every queer theology book i could get my hands on! anyway, would love to chat sometime. maybe in June? i am trying to make it to the conference, as mel has been a huge mentor and has pastored me through much of my post-ex-gay trauma (you know, the 6 months or so when you can either lose your faith or make it stronger by accepting god's love for you)! anyhow, blessings...i'm beginning to think quakers are the coolest people around...
gaytheo, great to see you! I do hope you get to the conference and we can chat!
bruce, I am so glad they changed to an easier system.
PW, it has been wonderful. Off to Zurich in the morning and then back home. Phew.
tom, good luck with that picture of my bro and his wife. they hate every picture I take of them and even the ones they like, they won't let me post them. I am the narcissist of the family. But you knew that already.
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