a little lesson on dialect

Although Spain's vocabulary is not even close to as bizarre and unique as Chile's vocabulary of chilenismos, there are a couple words that you Latin-American Spanish-speakers may not recognize:

1. venga - they don't just use it as the subjunctive or command form of venir...it's more something that they tack on the end of sentences, or use as a sign of understanding. when my students understand the directions I give them, venga!

2. guay - pronounced "why" means cool

3. chulo - also means cool (I only know slang words that mean cool because no one labels me anything else. jk.)

4. pijo - ritzy, posh

4. Spaniards use the vosotros frequently. Ustedes is only used for very formal situations. It's easy to understand but not quite as easy to remember to use, after years of training the ustedes.

5. People in Andalucía speak with "the lisp" that people associate with Spain Spanish. Meaning the "c" and the "z" are pronounced more like "th." I've grown accustomed to listening and understanding "the lisp," but am reluctant to pick it up.

Becca's bloggity blog

During Becca's two week visit, I (as per usual) gave her a full gastronomic tour of Sevilla and Madrid. Here, Becca writes about some of the culinary highlights:

1. Tinto de Verano
I drank tinto like I drink water. It’s a delicious mix of red wine and a carbonated drink such as Lemon Fanta. I can’t wait to make it for my friends, but I'll miss it terribly when I leave. Only a year and half until I can enjoy tinto in the states.

2. El Botín in Madrid
El Botín is considered the oldest restaurant in the world, has long been a favorite among  famous artists. We walked down a very narrow, steep, brick passage to our underground table. It was possibly one of the best meals I have ever had: artichoke hearts with strips of jamón, a cheese plate, and roasted lamb.
(side note from Elizabeth: I was especially excited to go there, as the restaurant was a favorite of Hemingway's. He became friends with the owners, and in his novel Death in the Afternoon, write: “…but, in the meantime, I would prefer to dine on suckling pig at Botín than sit and think about the accidents which my friends could suffer.")


3. Tortilla Española (Spanish Omelette)
This traditional Spanish dish made from eggs and potatoes is great anytime of the day. I loved it on bread.

4. Churro con Chocolate
This isn’t the typical American churro with cinnamon. It is pure, fried, non-flavored dough, although it's not as fried or heavy as the American churro. The best part: it is enjoyed with a cup of melted chocolate! Many eat this around 6 a.m. after coming back from the discotecas. I enjoyed them at around 11 a.m. for breakfast, at the famous chocolate shop, San Ginés.

5. Berenjena con Miel
I know Elizabeth already blogged about this dish, but it was too amazing to leave out. Although it was not technically a dessert, it was so sweet that it was the perfect ending to my last meal in Spain.

6. Jamón Iberico
Although I never eat pig in the states, I couldn’t go a day without eating pig in Spain. This special type is only fed acorns. Spain has given me a new love for ham.

7. Becca left out one tapa that we shared together that I feel cannot be left unmentioned: capuccino de mejillón (mussel capuccino). Towards the end of a delightful dinner at Zelai, a boutique restaurant in the center of Sevilla, we debated the important decision of what our next tapa would be. As a compromise, we asked the waiter what he recommended, and he went into detail about why he loves the capuccino de mejillón.

What he said rings true: the capuccino de mejillón is a complete dish. Nothing could be done to make it more complete. In a small cup, a pumpkin flavored soup with tiny shrimp is covered with a layer of coconut foam, which first tastes of sweet coconut and then brings a surprising kick of spice. Laid across the brim of the "capuccino" are two mussels on a toothpick. It's a baffling dish - unusual, striking, and satisfying. Except for the fact that it comes in a small cup.

Pictured below: Capuccino de mejillón and tinto de verano

the capital

For most college-aged kids gallivanting around Europe, Barcelona is all the rage. I, too, for a time, was under the same impression. Barcelona feels truly European, unlike any other city in Spain, and it's coastal location and Gaudí creations mean it is not a stop to be missed. But after my weekend trip to Madrid, I say, Barcelona, Shmarcelona. Madrid is the Spanish city. Madrid is Spain. And for someone with an Andalusian spirit and years of studying Spanish and Latin American culture under her belt, Madrid is it.

Some artistic highlights, including Dalí, Picasso, Miró, and a few others... 

 

 

 

  

...fave photo of the weekend...

 ...gorgeous day in Parque Retiro...

...Madrid marketplace, fruit and veggie stands, fishmongers, and a whole lot of chatty people drinking wine in excess and grabbing mini bites from various food stands...

 

...and the whole trip (minus one cranky sisters-be-sisters day) was so fun because I was able to spend time with Becca Boo... 

 

 Here we are in front of the royal palace.

Euromaaaniaaa

100 Montaditos Euromania - todo a un euro, everything for one euro!

   

Euromania defines Wednesdays. A montadito (little sandwich) and una jarra (big mug) of beer or tinto de verano, each for a euro. Add french fries for a euro, and keep the rounds comin'. A Wednesday tradition, I face the crowds and the cold with roommates and friends for cheap food and drinks, along with the rest of the Sevillanos!

recreation

At Casa Cuesta on Becca's last night, we tried a fabulous tapa that I haven't been able to stop thinking about...berenjena con miel, or eggplant with honey. We ate the fried eggplant with drizzled honey as our last tapa and it was the perfect, sweet ending to our dinner.

I decided to attempt to recreate eggplant with honey. Felix was curious, especially because I hadn't stopped raving about it. We covered sliced eggplant in flour, eggs, and breadcrumbs, and after frying the slices, drizzled hot honey over them.

Casa Cuesta's tapa was better than ours, with softer, more tender eggplant (and I bet they didn't fill their kitchen with smoke when they cooked it)! And of course, they had the element of surprise. Regardless, I  thoroughly enjoyed my version of this Spanish dish, and imagine this won't be my last time recreating it.

NO8DO

 

I've lived in Sevilla for four months now and only recently learned the story behind "NO8DO", the city's emblem and official motto that can be found on street signs, flags, manhole covers, and bus cards, and almost anything you can think of.

The 8 represents a piece of yarn called a "madeja." When read all together, "no-madeja-do" sounds like "no me ha dejado," which in Spanish means, "It (Sevilla) has not abandoned me."

The emblem comes from an old legend about King Alfonso X, whose son tried to take the throne from him. The people of Sevilla remained loyal to their king. The allegiance of the Sevillanos prompted the king to create the city motto, "Sevilla has not abandoned me."

    

I find it quite appropriate, considering the modern Sevillano's very obvious love for the city.

NO ME HA DEJADO!

movie review

Though the following movie is unrelated to the Spanish culture, as many of you know, I am also gaining a deeper understanding of German culture during my time in Spain.
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The Baader-Meinhof Complex (2008) tells the story of the first generation of the Red Army Faction (RAF), a German terrorist group in the 1960's and '70s. After setting the stage with a vivid account of the events leading up to the formation of the group, the film follows the radical founders through their daily life and the planning and execution of several attacks of escalating violence. A view of the opposing side shows politicians struggling to shut down the group and restore order in a time when young people are protesting the Vietnam War around the world. What starts as an exciting chain of events inspired by idealism and youth activism quickly becomes a misguided, violent and foolish game, as the police force, too, turns more and more towards oppression of the people. Though more sympathetic to the left, the film does not shy away from showing the crazed and twisted minds of the extreme leftists. The viewer is torn from left to right and develops a growing sense of disillusion with the entire ordeal once he witnesses the mental and physical degeneration of the RAF's founders and the birth of the second generation of terrorists. The protagonists begin to lose any redeeming qualities they might have once had, and the final result is a resounding sentiment amongst the viewers that violence is never the answer.

I recommend this movie to all. Find a way to see it.

prohibido fumar

As of January 2, 2011, smoking is no longer legal inside of any restaurant, store, or public building Spain. As thrilled as I am to not have to breathe smoke while trying to enjoy a good meal, the anti-smoking law actually turned out to be an inconvenience the first time I heard of it. A waiter in a hookah bar informed me of the law and regretfully denied me my shisha. Oh, well. I resigned to drink sweet Arabic tea on the floor cushions and enjoy my smoke-free environment.

small town livin

Although Sevilla is the fourth largest city in Spain (following Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia), with 700,000 Sevillanos living within the city limits, I often feel as if I'm in a small town. (Granted, almost anywhere is a small town compared to L.A.'s 17 million, and the city of angel's population has probably grown during the time lapse between the moment that I write this entry and the moment that you read it. Well, unless you're one of my many un dia en sevilla obsessive fans, in which case, maybe only a few minutes have passed, and the population is still probably hovering around 17 million.) Anyway, the point is that I frequently run into people I know despite my only knowing a few people here. And every day I witness others running into their friends on the street; today, my taxi driver yelled out his window at a pedestrian he happened to know.

The pueblo of Bormujos, the town where I work, is a small suburb of Sevilla. Today, while waiting in line at the bank, an old woman walked through the door and loudly said, "Buen día" (good morning),  greeting everyone in the room . Hard to imagine someone walking into a Wells Fargo in L.A. and greeting everyone in a friendly manner; you may even be more likely to fall victim to a bank robbery than be greeted by a friendly stranger.

As I waiting in line with the "buen día" lady and a few others, another elderly woman walked in and barged her way to the counter. She shoved a bag of hard candy (cough drops or vitamin C-type hard candy) in the teller's face, insisting that she take one. Weirder still, the teller paused her transaction and took a hard candy while chatting with the lady, who then proceeded to offer a candy to a second teller while pushing aside a customer. Oh, I forgot to mention that her leash-less dog was running around the bank whilst barking. This type of small town, let your customers wait so you can have a chat with a neighbor, irks me and my American-efficiency-loving, time-is-money ways.

I'm not sure if it's a Spanish thing, a small town thing, or both, but I found these moments worth remembering. If you're still reading this, send me an email to elizabeth.j.thorne@gmail.com with the word "buen día." I want to know who my true fans are.

the holidays

I had a wonderful three weeks back in the states for Christmas and New Year's Eve, spent mostly in L.A. and stole away for brief getaway to Deer Valley, Utah. Here's my weak attempt at a tag cloud of the buzz words of my vacation (I did use a tag cloud generator, only it produced a less than impressive and might I add alphabetical cluster - the bane of my existence) including a few good books, dog names, and of course, food highlights:

• Biggie
• bluffs
• Chili
• christmas ale
• dog park
• driving
• emergency landing
• engagement party
• lobster
• mac 'n' cheese
• mountains
• my bed
• new boots
• No & Me
• ornaments
• rain
• rainbows
• Roxy
• Saki
• spa day
• sunsets
• sushi
• sushi
• sushi
• Thorne family Christmas
• Tinkers
• Tron 3D IMAX
• wine tasting 
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• and some blackberry uploads: