Devon Cooper

I think Cuba Gooding Jr. and America Ferrera should get married to make a political statement.

When I was in Guatemala, I saw a man riding a bike and wearing a blue jacket that said "Puerto Rican Princess."

To change the subject.
I can't believe I haven't talked about food yet, being that it is one of my favorite topics. I suppose I was a little disenchanted at first. I was expecting this amazing experience... And, for Danny, it was. But I realized I am one of those picky Americans that doesn't like a lot of stuff. But at least I give everything a try. And I don't complain out loud. Because, deep down, I know this food is awesome. I mean, it looks awesome, and everyone loves it. So, obviously its just me. Having said that, there are really just a few very specific things I don't like. There are tons of things I am completely in love with. I have never liked seafood, or anything remotely fishy, so that eliminates a good 50% of the Spanish menu. I also dislike pork and pork-related products. There goes another 45%. So, what, you may ask, do I actually like? Well... here is an overview of some of my favorites in both food and drink.

Judias- a very general term. Beans. They are most often prepared in a soupy stew-like fashion with lots of ham and sausage mixed in. My favorite so far is cocido- made with garbanzo beans.
Gazpacho- so much more than cold tomato soup! Its garlicy and green peppery and oniony and cucumbery.
Bread- oh my goodness, it's everywhere. you are not allowed to eat without a little loaf of crusty bread
Croquetas- I ate these a lot at Dannys parents house. Remember those salmon croquettes they served in the school cafeteria? Its a similar concept, only a million times better. It is a mixture of chicken or ham and cheeses, breaded and fried. YUM.
Tortilla de patata. Egg, potato and onion omelette. The mild flavor appeals to the Irish in me.
Patatas Bravas- french fries with hot sauce
Ali-Oli - a condiment most often used on french fries. Basically a garlic mayonaise
Pimiento Relleno - stuffed pepper
Paella de Pollo- the famous rice dish, but with chicken instead of seafood.
Crokas - pizza with a cunchy crust. Not authenticly Spanish, but yummy!
Cheese! every kind you can imagine.
Flan- creamier than the mexican version
Puding- always a bread puding. super awesome
Buñuelos - common during all saints and all souls days. Yummy pastries filled with cream
Sidra- the spanish version of apple cider. More like champagne than the cider from Hubers.
Vino- yeahhhh red wine everywhere. and its so good. But I don't drink it that often. Honest.

I decided I was in need of thanksgiving. Even if I was going to have to do it myself. So I worked up a menu, invited some friends, and had a lovely Saturday "thanksgiving." On the menu: green beans, corn, mashed potatoes with gravy, cranberry sauce, and Moms famous chicken and dressing casserole. Yum Yum! Plus, a special Pumkin Pie from "The American Store." It was actually quite difficult to round up the ingredients. For the cranberry sauce, stuffing, gravy mix and pumkin pie, I had to hit up two different american stores. (Who would have guessed I'd be willing to spend 13 euros (yes, thats almost 20 dollars) on a pumpkin pie!) Oh but it was worth it! And, I had to do a little recipe tweeking. I could not find cream of mushroom soup, or sour cream. But, since I am just so crafty... I just used a cream of chicken with chopped up mushrooms, and some unflavored yogurt! It turned out just as amazing and yummy as the original. I did, however, end up making enough food to feed at least 15 or 20 people. And since we were only 7... lets just say I have lunch prepared for a looong time. Below are some pictures for your enjoyment. Happy Turkey Day (gobble gobble!)


Okay, so this doesnt look that appetizing... this is the "after" picture. I forgot to take a "before."


Our stupid oven burned the first batch. But I'm still going to eat it!


All of the roomies


James and Evelyn- friends from the academy


Evelyn, James, and Danny (I finally got him to smile at the camera!)


A first-ever taste of pumkin pie... yum yum!

 

When is it NOT cool to be anti-Nazi? When you are a member of the group of so called "anti-fascists" in Madrid , whose only goal seems to be inciting just as much hate and violence as the group they oppose.

Here is what has been going down recently. (And according to the people who have lived here a while, these sorts of things flare up quite often.)

There is a group in Madrid that calls themselves the "Democratic National Youth." (DNJ)
http://dnj.democracianacional.org
 Their slogan is "Against anti-Spanish racism" and their main political concern seems to be immigration... they are against it. In fact, they are so extreme in their thinking that they have been labeled "Nazis" and "fascists." While they don't seem to outwardly incite violence against non-Spanish residents of Spain , their members are often responsible for assaults and acts of vandalism directed at minority groups.

A second group, a group claiming to be "anti-fascist" is composed of people who are vehemently opposed to the line of thought of the DNJ. In fact, this group aligns themselves with the leftist/socialist movement and frequently posts fliers with slogans like "Socialism advances!" I do not think this is an actual organization like the DNJ. It seems to be a loosely affiliated group who are generally opposed to fascism. However... After an organized demonstration by the DNJ, a group of "antifascists" held a spontaneous demonstration in a nearby plaza. The demonstrators at this particular rally were responsible for large amounts of damage down several Madrid streets. The destruction included trash and recycling receptacles that had been lit on fire, and ATMs that were smashed.

The culmination of the tension between the two groups occurred in the metro after the two protests. Members of both groups found themselves in the same metro car. A confrontation ensued. The result: 16 year old Carlos, a member of the "antifascists" was stabbed to death.

Now, days later, the city is covered in graffiti stating things as passive as "RIP Carlos, you will not be forgotten" to the more aggressive claims of "Nazi murderers," "eye for an eye," and "vengeance!"

Both groups are extremists. Both groups are full of radicals who are convinced that their cause is the only cause. Members of both groups are all too willing to show their hatred for the opposition with graffiti, posters, and even acts of physical aggression.

What is the most frustrating? The group DNJ needs to be opposed. This type of group needs people who will stand up against it, in defense of immigration and minorities. But they do NOT need an opposition who is willing to lower themselves to the same violent standards. This type of opposition is self-defeating.

Where is the constructive, intelligent opposition? I know it exists. It just doesn't get any news coverage.

Pictures, if possible, to follow soon

Or, should I say... Egypt came to me....

Okay, enough with the silly clichés. At the top of a very tall hill in Madrid, there is a big park. In the park are ruins of an ancient Egyptian temple called the temple of Debod. It is beautiul. And I must say, after years and years of studying Egyptian history and the like... to actually SEE the hyrogliphs first hand. I even touched them. My hand touched something that was carved out thousands of years ago... I get a little sentimental. Here are some pictures for your enjoyment. The last picture is not part of the park, but just one of the beautiful views from the top of the hill.

Once upon a time there was a man (for he was not yet a landlord) who had a nice little apartment and a nice little family in the suburb of Vallecas. The man and his family lived happily until one day, unfortunately, they needed to move because they could no longer afford the apartment. The man decided to rent his apartment, room by room, to supplement his income. The man, recently converted to landlord, began to work on the apartment, building walls, moving furniture, and disconnecting electrical outlets. He was not finished with his remodeling but, not wanting to lose potential clients, the landlord allowed his tennants to move in before he had finished.
"Don't worry, my friends!" he said. "All of this disaster will soon be fixed."
His tennats, being generally trusting, happy folk, took him for his word. However, days began to pass with no sign of improvement. Then weeks. Then a month had passed and the tennants, who had been trying to remind the landlord now and then of the unfinished work, decided to have a talk with the landlord.
"Have you called the carpenter?" they asked. "Have you called the plumber?" The tennants were growing tired of living with doors that wouldn't close and one bathroom for five people. The landlord, being an immature, somewhat naive man, became defensive and angry. He began to talk as if he were backed into a corner. "I did call the carpenter!" he insisted, "he says the job is too small, he won't accept it." The tennants were not convinced. They continued their attempt to discuss the problems as adults. The landlord, being an immature, somewhat naive man, began to accuse his tennants of breaking rules and damaging the apartment. Upon being confronted with such silly accusations, the tennants decided to let the landlord cool his temper. The coversation waned and the landlord promised that a carpenter would come to the house within two weeks. But the landlord, being an immature, somewhat naive man, did not convince the tennants. When he left that evening, the tennants were very doubtful of his promises.
to be continued...