far too much writing, far too many photos

runswithscissors


Friday, March 04, 2005

According to the local media, on the day before my return Madrid suffered through the coldest weather seen in these parts in 105 years. Newspaper stories featured arty photos of local fountains covered in icicles, something I've never encountered during my five years of coming and going here. And yes, it's been chilly. Until I compare it to the brand of winter in the part of the world I just left. Then the local version barely qualifies. The sunlight here burns through the early morning cold, giving the air a quality that hints at springtime's approach (this while the locals walk around with shoulders hunched, sporting winterwear).

All of which is to say the breezes wafting through the portals at the luggage carousels, post-flight in Madrid, had a little bite to them. All fifteen or so of my fellow-passengers waited there with me for our luggage to appear, pacing around, talking into cellphones, one or two retreating to the designated smokers' prison for a hit of nicotine. Ten minutes of waiting became twenty, patience gradually gave way to muttered complaints. At the 25-minute mark, I walked down the concourse to the Spanair baggage window, mentioned how long we'd been waiting, asked if they could look into the delay. The 20-something speaking to me switched to English, his tone slightly condescending, looking up what might have happened to my monster wheeled duffel, apparently ignoring the idea that no one else's luggage had appeared. Until another passenger -- an older, physically heftier Spanish male with an insistent air -- appeared at my side, wanting to know where our bags were. The 20-something switched back to Spanish, his attitude sobered, he promised to get some information.

When I first arrived in Spain five years ago, long waits at baggage carousels were normal. Long, long waits -- 40 minutes, 50 minutes. An hour one time. With Madrid's higher international profile and growing popularity as a tourist town, details like that changed. Attitudes shifted from those of a latin backwater with a 'maņana' attitude to more first-world efficiency. If my fellow-flyers this trip were any indication, locals have gotten used to that kind of improvement -- this group did not take the mass disappearance of luggage well. A lot of the Spaniards in the group were world travelers, loudly ridiculing an airline that could lose an entire flight's bags, which had the 20-somethings behind the Spanair counter looking nervous. Until one of them fielded a phone call saying the luggage had been located -- not left behind in Frankfurt as they'd been fearing, but here in Madrid, where it had all been sent on a leisurely tour of the city's fine airport. (Now that I think about it, I've gotten used to my luggage appearing almost instantly, post-flights, no matter where I go -- an event like this one gives me an opportunity to appreciate how much I've come to take for granted in the part of my life lived in transit.)

Five minutes later, everyone's bags magically materialized on a nearby carousel. I grabbed mine, headed to the Metro and home, where I dropped luggage, grabbed schoolbooks, sprinted to language class, arriving just as it began.

The story since then, drastically oversimplified: classes, studying, sleeping. Writing, eating, strolling around the neighborhood. A trip to see 'Finding Wonderland' yesterday. (Loved it.) Thinking about my little life, about all sorts of as yet unanswered questions about where it's heading. (Boring stuff I'll get into another time.) Settling into a version of normal existence or what passes for that when I'm in this part of the globe.

Normalcy -- an elusive, unbelievably subjective concept. But something to shoot for.


Madrid, te quiero.

rws 9:14 AM [+]

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BLATHERINGS

August 2001
September 2001
October 2001
November 2001
December 2001
January 2002
February 2002
March 2002
April 2002
May 2002
June 2002
July 2002
August 2002
September 2002
October 2002
November 2002
December 2002
January 2003
February 2003
March 2003
April 2003
May 2003
June 2003
July 2003
August 2003
September 2003
October 2003
November 2003
December 2003
January 2004
February 2004
March 2004
April 2004
May 2004
June 2004
July 2004
August 2004
September 2004
October 2004
November 2004
December 2004
January 2005
February 2005
March 2005
April 2005
May 2005
June 2005
July 2005
August 2005
September 2005
October 2005
November 2005
December 2005
January 2006
February 2006
March 2006
April 2006
May 2006
June 2006
July 2006
August 2006
September 2006
October 2006
November 2006
December 2006
January 2007
February 2007
March 2007
April 2007
May 2007
June 2007
July 2007
August 2007
September 2007
October 2007
November 2007
December 2007
January 2008
February 2008
March 2008
April 2008
May 2008
June 2008
July 2008
August 2008
September 2008
October 2008
November 2008
December 2008
January 2009
February 2009
March 2009
April 2009
June 2009
July 2009

.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .


MORE FOCUSED BLATHERINGS


Travels:
London '01
Pamplona
Italy '03
U.K. '03
Sevilla
Casablanca
Stoke-on-Trent
Barcelona
Québec/Ottawa
Boston/Lisbon/Madrid
Italy '04
Montréal
La Sierra

Events:
Madrid -- arrival
9/11
Emergency Room I
Holidays 2001
Holidays 2002
Holidays 2003
Holidays 2004
Holidays 2005
A neighbor's passing
Madrid -- March 11 bombings
  and aftermath
Emergency Room II
Israeli friend/Madrid Marathon
Madrid -- Royal Wedding
The DELE exam

GONE, a novel:
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10

THE BASTARD CHILDREN OF
JOE ROCCO, a novella:
-- Part 1
-- Part 2
-- Part 3

BURBANK SHRUGGED,
a screenplay:
-- Part 1
-- Part 2
-- Part 3
-- Part 4

Short stories:
Murphy's Wife
Another Autumn
La Queja de Una
  Hermanastra Muy Conocida

Autobiography
-- Personal History
-- Hormones On Parade
-- Accidents, Random Mishaps,
    Personal Problems

.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .


OTHER SOURCES OF WHOLESOME ENTERTAINMENT

People/Weblogs:
dooce
foxvox
fudge it
fear not
rebekka
bookslut
802online
idle words
madhaiku
wockerjabby
grow-a-brain
rebel market
letting me be
out and about
kung fu grippe
fanatical apathy
baghdad burning
wfuv's music blog
kexp's music blog
mimi smartypants
between the miles
just a hippie gypsy
the impossible cool
tomato can brushes
vermont homestead
sugar mountain farm

Good Clean Fun:
gizmodo
futurismic
postsecret
dave barry
human clock
mcsweeney's
spaceweather
book-a-minute
internet archive
self-portrait day
my cat hates you
out of context quotes
surrealist compliment
  generator
strindberg and helium

Makin' Musical Whoopee:
last fm
stereo8
pandora
soma fm

.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .


ABOUT RWS/CONTACT





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