Kings of Convenience Concert-11/1/09

On Sunday night Julio and I went to see the Norwegian musical duo Kings of Convenience



[http://17.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kp7tcrVlSc1qzuqrmo1_400.jpg]

http://www.myspace.com/kingsofconvenience
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kings_of_convenience

perform at the Teatro Circo Price here in Madrid. The theater is circular and pretty small so the sound echoes and amplifies in a delightful sort of way. Erica Reisman introduced me to the band back in high school (yes, eons and eons ago) and simply handed me a burned copy of their CD “Quiet is the New Loud” and said “I think you’ll like these guys.” The band recently released their 3rd official CD and I bought it here in anticipation of seeing them live and I don’t regret it. I knew every song they ended up playing except for maybe two so that was quite nice!



The opener was a shy girl from Chile named Javiera Mena who played 3 songs (piano) and had a nice voice in the strong moments but seemed SO nervous overall that her voice was pretty wavery. Sweet and in Spanish with nice chords but nothing tooooo spectacular to write home about (although that’s what I’m doing right now…? Hah not funny).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJu14mejmYQ&feature=related

As soon as Kings of Convenience stepped on stage (just Erlend and Eirik at first, then after about 6 songs a violinist and cellist came on) you could tell they were about as hipster-y as you could get but they were so cute and earnest that you didn’t feel totally intimidated. Maybe that is silly but anyway, they were so dorkily cute, especially Erlend. Just look at his Napoleon Dynamite dance moves (34ish seconds into this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7fVinwH12o&feature=related)

and you will know what I mean.

Some people like live concerts because they get to hear artists perform original/covered music in a different/new way than they have recorded and are bored or disappointed if the concert turns out to basically be a re-shuffled medley of the artists’ music. Other people like to attend live concerts because they like so much what they’ve heard on CDs that hearing it live is a sort of transcendental experience. I’m basically in the second group, at least I was in this instance, because Eirik and Erlend have managed to record their CDs in the same way (a similar way? Same voice quality, for example??) they perform live. Except live is more fun. Did that make sense? Point being, I wasn’t going to the concert expecting a sort of Adam Duritz (Counting Crows)-y wack-o-very-different-from-the-track-on-the-CD-but-still-awesome-in-its-own-special-way experience and I was happy to get what I wanted!

What I like about the group (live and on CD) are their lovely harmonies, the way their voices overlap and switch and mesh together so perfectly (until I saw them live I couldn’t really tell which parts Erlund sang and which parts Eirik sang on the CDs because their voices are so well-matched), for their lyrics, and for how comforting their sound is (has been) to me over the years, especially in the fall. Chilly weather, darker days, nostalgia, etc.

Anyway, back to the concert.

A few songs in, Erlend told the story of how his great aunt (from Norway) was a war correspondent in Madrid during December 1936 (ooh, something related to my honors project? Yessssssss? You have my attention…) and was on top of the Telefónica building on Gran Vía (a 5-minute walk away from my apartment here, p.s.) with other journalists such as “that Hemingway guy, of course” watching Franco’s troops advance towards Madrid from one side and the International Brigades advance from the other, wondering what sort of future awaited her and the whole of Spain…

Watch this clip in which he tells the story (only 2 minutes long) even if you watch none of the others in this post, please.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WE_fkQRay2g&feature=related

That in and of itself was delightful and totally worth attending the concert for, but then they played this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzhb3-J9Z7o&feature=related

And I cried.

(This song is one of my default Songs to Fall Asleep To and also makes frequent appearances on rainy day, nostalgia-heavy, homesick playlists. It’s called “Homesick.”)

But they kept playing songs I knew and loved and eventually brought on a violinist and cellist and the crowd just got happier and louder and the quartet pretty much brought the house down. I had no idea they had so many fans in Madrid, but it was a unique experience that I am so glad I was able to take part in.

Here are links to some of the rest of the concert (the 2nd half, because we weren’t meant to take photos for the 1st 30 minutes, inexplicably) if you’re interested in that sort of thing (they are really good quality from RIGHT up close if you’re hesitant to check it out):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=On1G3ebxvnk&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTguZO2Wo_M&feature=related
(one of my favorites, listen to the crowd sing)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-a_IglMURo&feature=related
(beginning of the encore)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7fVinwH12o&feature=related



Thanks for reading! (Comments always, always welcome)

Love,
-c-

Did You Know...?

-That wifi internet here is pronounced "Wee-fee"?

-That most bank branches make you walk through a sort of beam-me-up-scotty glass chamber security door? You enter the lobby, press a button and the first door opens. You enter a small cylindrical chamber as the door shuts behind you. The door in front of you opens and you are allowed into the bank. When you are going to the bank with friends this can be extra annoying but I guess it's to prevent people from storming the teller?? Or robbing the place?? Very space-y.

-It's not the tortoise and the hare, here, it's the tortoise and the hedgehog. Whaaa?

-Refunfuñando means grumbling or being grouchy (refunfuñar is the verb). I learned this in Salamanca but I thought you should all know.

More to come soon, including photos.

Love!
-c-

My Beautiful Poster of the Human Eye for a 3rd Grade Science Class

Complete with velcro'd vocab terms so you can practice!

Let me give you a basic idea of what it's like to make something like this:

Buy poster board, markers and contact paper at a Bazar (or Los Chinos ie the Chinese, ie cheap stores that Chinese people own and are well-known as the places to get all those random essentials you need but don't want to pay 5 times as much for at El Corte Inglés), buy velcro at a Ferretería aka mini-local-hardware store, create the gorgeous poster, write the terms on extra poster board, cut them out, cover all of them in contact paper TWICE (on both sides), then affix the velcro. Discover that the velcro is REALLY strong and all that work you put into extra-contact-papering the labels was useless because they will bend all over the place and practically rip the poster itself apart as you try to remove them. Arrive at school, hand it in and hear that you should have laminated the entire poster before affixing velcro. Oh well.

But we've used it in science class twice now and Miss Lucy is always quite effusive with her praise and gratitude so it was mostly worth it. As long as I never have to do it again. Har har.

More photos to come soon,
looooove
-c-
p.s. Comment! Commentcommentcomment. Now.

Bragging about weather

Ideas Sueltas (loose ideas)

(written on Monday, October 26th)

Because there are so many things that happen on a daily basis here that are wayyy too good to keep to myself.

I try to have a daily “hilarious moment/quote” every day at school as well as a daily “memorable metro moment/sighting” and have a few recent ones to share. I will try to share these more frequently/regularly and not get so hung up on posting such long epic novels as posts! Although this one sort of got out of hand in the end…

Recent metro moments/sightings:

- Yesterday evening, a young saxophone player on the train, not only playing horribly but carrying an angora bunny rabbit in his other hand. Inexplicable. However, the bunny looked totally miserable, which was understandable.

- Last week, a 20-something guy and his 2 gal pals boarded the train carrying a 4ft by 4ft poster (on posterboard?) of the most recent album by the spanish pop group “La Oreja de Van Gogh” (Van Gogh’s Ear). And the poster was signed by at least 3 of the members, as far as I could tell. Where did this guy get the poster? Was there an album release party? Did he meet the band or just win this poster in an auction? I should have asked him but I was too caught up in contemplating the whys and hows of the poster’s mere existence that by the time he and his friends got off the train it was too late.

- Today, an older man wearing a denim sweatshirt. With the Union Jack on the front. Made out of patches of differently-shaded-denim. Ack.

Somewhat recent hilarious moments/quotes from school (most made funnier by the fact that the kids think I don’t speak or understand Spanish):

- During science class, Francisco, a 1st grader, turned to me and asked me in Spanish, “what’s your name?” I told him, and he replied in Spanish as he continues completing the activity in his workbook, “my grandma loves people who have blue/green eyes.” The teacher heard what he said and we looked at each other, smiled and shrugged, and I just patted his back and said “Thanks, Francisco.”

- During morning meeting (whispering when they’re not supposed to be talking at all), two 1st grade girls arguing in Spanish over whether or not one of them has freckles or pimples covering her cheeks. Since 1st grade teachers frequently listen to comments in Spanish and reply in English (I avoid doing this but even when I do the students haven’t seemed to pick up on the fact that I understand every word they say…in both languages! Muahahaha…), I settled the matter quickly (freckles, duh.) by following the conversation and waiting until one of them asked me if they were freckles and just said “yes.” I could (and should and will) write a whole SERIES of blog posts about the little tricks you learn as a teacher, especially when you aren’t supposed to understand most of the things your students are saying.

- A 1st grader who sits alone close to the teachers desk (he needs extra help sometimes, he’s new to the school and to the whole bilingual thing) whispers to me in Spanish while the teacher has her back to us and is explaining the next activity to the class, “which is stronger, a lion or a wolf?” I just smiled and shrugged my shoulders and told him to listen to the teacher. I know, I know, I’m so laaaaaaaaaaaaaame.

- Last week one of the 3rd grade teachers was working on rhyming and pronunciation with his students and was writing out the vowels. Most students weren’t really paying attention so he was like “come on, tell me your bowels, what are the bowels??” and I smirked. Sorry.

- Last week the other 3rd grade teacher was reviewing parts of the eye and pronounced “Retina” to rhyme with a very special part of the female anatomy. Then she was like “oh, how do you pronounce it, again? I think I am saying it differently” and I told her. Not a big deal but kind of awkward. Maybe I’m a 13-year-old in disguise. Snort.

Other memorable stories that aren’t so hilarious:

- Two weekends ago I was getting into the shower and as I put my left foot into the tub, the rubber bathmat slipped and the inside of my right knee whacked into the outside of the tub. Ow. Luckily I didn’t slip further and crack my head open on the sink or whatever. Last Monday I was sitting at the table in the teacher’s “lounge” at school with Lindsey, eating lunch, and I got up to get my yogurt from the fridge in the other room (to the right) and my right leg got totally tangled in the floor-length table cloth and as I twisted my left leg over and around my right one, my arms splayed out and I fell completely onto my right knee/shin. On the hard, cold, tile floor. With nothing to break my fall. I was mostly embarrassed and less concerned about pain though it hurt like CRAAAAZY. Now a full week later you will be happy to know that a fist-sized light green/purple bruise has developed and is very much visible and thus somewhat validates my clumsy and painful fall (but seriously it feels like it should be yellow and blue and all those awful bruise-y colors for the misery it felt when it happened).

- Last Thursday I left the Metro around 2:15 (Thursdays I go in only for an hour anf a half in the afternoon, yay!) and started walking towards my school. The high school I have to pass before arriving at my destination releases its prisoners at exactly this time and the sidewalk is so narrow and high schoolers can be such self-centered assholes that frankly it is torture to make my way up the hill, fighting for the slightest bit of space on the sidewalk against the menacing current of tough-looking high schoolers (the crosswalk is a good 100 yards up the street but I do try to dart across as early as possible). On this particular day, I had barely reached the front lines of the impending wave of doom when 2 girls passed me on my right and one of them screamed this bloody-murder scream RIGHT in my EAR (well, she didn’t know I existed, but it just so happened to be right there). My heart stopped, so I didn’t even turn around to see what the hell was happening, but I think it was just one of those bizarre asshole high schooler moments that took a few days off of my life.

- About 8 minutes into the first period today when I was sitting on the “carpet” aka foam tiles where we have morning meeting (1st grade class) the girl sitting next to me threw up. It did not get on me at all but all of us were like “….she just barfed!” so I took her to the bathroom and she cleaned herself up and seemed to feel a lot better but within the next 5 minutes she had her head on her desk and was basically begging to go home, so the principal called her mom who had just gotten to work and had an hour commute…but her daughter was throwing up so she turned around and came to pick her up. Lindsey and Marisa (the other auxiliares) haven’t been into school all week and one of the students has our first confirmed case of swine flu. Yay! Fingers crossed, knock wood, I’m fine….!

Anyway.

Halloween is coming and I “taught” my 3-year-old class the itsy-bitsy-spider song today (spiders are spooky! Just ask Sammie!) and helped them learn the colors orange and green by having them color in pumpkins. Woo! Also I am planning on giving out Kat’s AWESOME pumpkin erasers as “good job!” prizes on Thursday. The kids are going to FREAK out. Seriously, Kat, I cannot thank you enough for your epic epic piece of correo. I heart you.

More to come soon, as always!

Comment at will…

Love,
-c-

I can't believe I haven't written about this yet...

In my 1st grade classroom, the song they have to remember/learn/remind themselves about the days of the week is sung to the tune of "The Addams Family."

"Days of the week {snap snap}, days of the week {snap snap}, days of the week, days of the week, days of the week {snap snap}. There's Sunday and there's Monday, there's Tuesday and there's Wednesday, there's Thursday and there's Friday, and then there's Saturday. Days of the week {snap snap}, days of the week {snap snap}, days of the week, days of the week, days of the week {snap snap}."

Everyone sings it together when we start English class and when whoever is called on (I call on kids by tossing them "Mr. Blue," a small blue sort of koosh-ball character with eyes...not my idea, already part of routine!) to tell us what day of the week it is can't remember (4/5 days...they're only 6, I guess) the answer.

Bizarre and hilarious.

Also because the kids basically pronounce it "daze-o-de-wee" because it's sung so fast and English pronunciation is killer for them.

It's currently thundering and raining like crazy so let's just hope that goes away pronto. Also I am working on an epic poster of the human eye for one of my 3rd grade classes. Not my idea but obviously it is epic because I am making it so. Photos to come.

Many besos and thanks to Kat, Aaron, my dad and Julio for commenting on my photos,
-c-
p.s. OUR OVEN THERMOMETER ARRIVED FROM AMAZON.UK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Fall nostalgia

Hi all-

The sun has risen and then sunk again to the point where it peeks out from behind the office building next to our apartment and fills the dining room/kitchen/living room with light and warmth. I think it's telling me to get outside, take in the beautiful day from outdoors and appreciate it for what it is: true heat on what began as a definite FALL day.

I don't know if it's due to the whole homecoming weekend at Bowdoin or the exhaustion of a 2nd week of school (not even a full one due to the holiday on Monday!) following a tiring but fun trip to Barcelona or from the general nostalgia and homesickness and sadness that overcomes me when it is truly fall, or what, but these past 2-3 days I've been feeling particularly achy for home, not to mention discombobulated and disorganized. It's like during the week I can barely make it from breakfast to bedtime and then during the weekend I need to decompress and relax but more importantly I have to run errands and make the most of my free time (this is why I'm not in Salamanca this weekend--I needed 3 days of completely empty time in Madrid). I have written in my journal 2 times since arriving here, which, as many of you should know, is about 30 times too few for my sanity. That's partly why I haven't been blogging hardly at all (at least in comparison to my Salamanca blog)--I want to get it all down on paper for ME before I put it online! Nonetheless, here I am, hoping you will understand where I am and why I haven't been as good at being in touch with most of you as I would like and as I plan to be, soon.

It's just barely gotten cold enough during the days (not just chilly early mornings) to feel like fall, with that slight bite in the air. I love fall, HOME fall. Fall here is okay, but seeing as how it is the season of thanksgiving, my birthday, leaves changing, field hockey, beginning to spend more cozy time indoors, less light, etc etc, I can't help but think of all of those things at home or at Bowdoin. I know that I need to get used to this sensation or at least begin to anticipate it, given that I will be spending much of the rest of my life away from what I currently consider home and certainly away from Bowdoin, but it doesn't make it feel any different. Sigh.

I know I'm not being very eloquent, but my point is...it's hard to be away from home during your favorite season, when you're settled into your new place enough to have a routine but not enough such that part of you is still in daily denial and disbelief that you're here for another 9 months. Ouch. (to those of you concerned about my negativity--I have plenty of positive and sunny things to say, and they are coming soon, I promise!)

I bought the Kings of Convenience new CD (Declaration of Dependence) yesterday and have been listening to it on repeat. I'm going to see them with Julio on Nov. 1st and I can't wait, since I love all of their albums and am so in the mood to hear them live and I don't think they really tour around the US. Erica Reisman gave me one of their CDs in high school and said "I think you'd like these guys" and I definitely still do. Their songs are a mix of melancholy but cute and happy enough to satisfy a whole range of mostly content and nostalgic emotions.

As I write this, it is lightly snowing in Carlisle. So maybe I shouldn't be that nostalgic for home after all, as it is a full 65° here in Madrid!!!

Anyone who wants to send me Libby's pumpkin pie filling is more than welcome to. I am 100% serious and would be 100000% grateful to you for doing so! Once the oven thermometer from amazon.co.uk arrives, I will be in business...

Photos from Barcelona are up and captioned here:

http://picasaweb.google.com/cefreedman/Barcelona09#

(thanks Aaron for commenting on the early ones! Everyone else, please do comment if you can! I love knowing who is looking/what you are thinking!).

Sorry for the scattershot, mildly depressed post. I'm off to buy milk and paper towels and get some exercise and vitamin D.

Lots of love and missing all of you stateside (and those of you in far-off places like myself, ie Scotland and China!),
-Casey