Grave Error

I had already made my book and music online purchases for my trip back home when I realized that there were two other books that I had forgotten. One minor setback — that actually helps with my personal finance — is that I always travel obsessive-compulsively light. I do not check in luggage, and I take only one reasonable carry-on and a computer case.

Between the incredibly efficient (yet probably not environmentally friendly) American washer/dryer technology and already having a stockpile of underwear and toiletries back home, I really don’t need to pack much anyways. Thus when on the trip to the States, I basically just fill my suitcase with clothes that I no longer wear (I essentially retire or relegate them to my U.S. closet) and a few small gifts (if any). While in the States, I permit myself to purchase only a quantity of goods whose to volume is equal to the size of my reasonable carry-on.

Not only does this safeguard me against spending an absurd amount of time running errands to make random purchases for friends and co-workers in Europe, it also allows me to stay within a budget. The items that can accumulate and become costly are iPods and CDs. CDs don’t take up any space at all. Once I buy them, I reduce them to electronic format anyways and store them inside my computer. Ipods — much cheaper in the U.S. because of the weak dollar — are inevitably what everyone asks me for and also do not take up much suitcase space. I can also get iPods for a bunch of different people in just one trip to the Mall — for some reason, everyone I know thinks that there is an Apple store on every American street corner, and sending me out on an iPod and/or MAC shopping spree is like walking to the end of my driveway to pick up the mail.

Why am I telling you this? (more…)

My very good friend and former co-worker, William, has recently left FON and migrated to Mozilla where he will serve as European community manager. As part of his new responsibilities, William has just started a Mozilla-centric blog. Two weeks ago in Paris, William and I brainstormed on what domain name to give this new William’s blog (his previous blog has long been abandoned). As we are both die-hard Jazz fans and after seeing that most of the cool Thelonious Monk related names were taken, we came up with http://somethin-else.org in honor of Cannonball Adderley’s historic recording of the same name.

If your interested in Open Source (or just curious) check out William’s blog. He promises to also occasionally talk about tropical fish and other minor digressions.

My modus operandi prior to traveling to the States for the summer and Christmas is to replenish my garrison with books and music that I cannot otherwise readily find in Europe. Thus, a week or so before leaving, I always go on Amazon or Ebay and make a large purchase (to be shipped State side). The supply — supplemented throughout the year with local purchases — generally lasts me until the subsequent trip. As a matter of fact, I have only two books left on deck that should last me from now until the time I travel. That’s some pretty good timing! In any event, here is what I have ordered.

Books:

• Netherland: A Novel by Joseph O’Neill;
• De Niro’s Game: A Novel by Rawi Hage;
• Morocco since 1830: A History by C.R. Pennell;
• When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris; and
• Arabia Felix: The Danish Expedition of 1761-1767 by Thorkild Hansen.

Music:

• Max Roach: The Max Roach Trio, Featuring the Legendary Hasaan/Drums Unlimited
• Eric Dolphy: Conversations
• Sam Jones: The Soul Society
• Doug Watkins and Yusef Lateef: Soulnik
• Ernie Henry: Last Chorus
• Jaki Byard: The Jaki Byard Experience. (more…)
   

When in Rome or when not in Rome, do as the Romans do, eat tomatoes! The other day I found some great tomatoes and basil at the fruit stand near my house in Madrid. I left them out for a few days to ripen, and today they were perfect. Then I went to a small Italian gourmet shop that I recently discovered in my neighborhood and got myself authentic mozzarella di bufala.

This evening I put them all together and prepared an insalata caprese, or tomato, basil, and mozzarella salad. I peeled and sliced the tomatoes and put them in the refrigerator for an hour to cool just below room temperature. They were sweet and just right — no need at all to even add salt. I barely even added any olive oil or pepper.

There is nothing like fresh, peeled, sweet tomatoes in the summer for dinner, especially when the sun goes down and it’s still 90ºF.

On Sunday, I did two things that have led into a spiral towards a cross-eyed vision and a headache. First, I decided to continue my efforts to revisit and revive music in my iTunes library that I often neglect. This time I selected my entire Thelonious Monk collection and proceeded to play through it at random.

At the same time, I ventured to finally check out The Office — I went for the U.S. version because it was readily and freely available in streaming. You might call me passionate or you might call me obsessive, but I have fully consumed all four seasons of the show and have gotten through all eighteen Monk albums in my collection in the past four days. (more…)

Today for lunch, I elected to play it old school with a PB&J and a good old fashioned Coca-Cola. That’s right. No jamón, no tortilla española, paella, or other local dish. Actually, tonight I have friends in town and will have to do the whole tapas thing.

This morning I woke up and it was finally cooler outside. I opened the window and there was a nice breeze. My refrigerator and cupboards were empty, save for some jelly and a faithful jar of Peter Pan Extra Crunchy that I only crack open for special occasions. And what is a better occasion than a quiet Saturday midday with a fresh breeze?

When I was a kid we were only allowed to drink Coke almost exclusively when we were on vacation with my maternal grandmother. Now that I am more autonomous than at eight years old, I ran down to the corner convinience store and got me a bottle of Coke and a loaf of sliced bread. I came back home and prepared myself two peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to be occampanied by one Coca-Cola.

A Coke, a PB&J, and some fresh air, and that, my friends, tastes like a childhood vacation. The only things missing were drinking the Coke out of an eight ounce glass bottte and a road trip to New Jersey.

I am not quite sure why two year old sporting news is relevant in an interview with a woman who has just escaped after six years as a hostage, but apparently Ingrid Betancourt has recently discussed in Paris Match her reaction to Zidane’s infamous headbutt in the 2006 World Cup finals. As reported, Betancourt fully supported Zizou.

While I did my best to rationalize Zizou’s counter-agression as a political statement against the tolerance of racism and the hyprocisy of patriotism, I still do not see why it is being discussed with Betancourt. Unless she simply felt compelled to assert her Frenchness to the French reading public?

Obama is right. Your children should learn to speak Spanish, but he forgot to mention that I have to learn French ASAP. My guess is that it won’t be so difficult once I put a little more effort into the endeavor.

Seriously, I think Obama is definitely correct (though he failed to mention that he himself doesn’t speak Spanish). After living in Spain for eight years (and having already known the language) and now that I am spending so much time in France, I can’t stress how important it is to speak another language. Your world opens up to infinite possibilities when you speak another language. Not only can you order the sandwich of your choice, ask for directions and understand them, bridge the cliche cultural and political gaps, but most importantly you can “participate” in all senses of the word.

So far it has been a great Summer for Spain. The Spanish national soccer team won the European Cup, and Rafael Nadal just won Wimbledon. You could also say that I have had a great Summer so far. During June alone, I traveled non stop between Madrid and Paris, and have been in Rabat and Rome.

As a matter of fact, I have only spent one out of the past six weekends in Madrid. Ironically, it doesn’t feel much like Summer to me right now. I am looking out the window at a rainy, cold and windy day in Paris. It is 65ºF and feels more like October than July. Meanwile in Madrid — where I am spending an average of two to three days a week — it is 90ºF with clear skies.

At least my summer is better than the Summer of George.

When in Rome . . . eat like you’re at home? One of the things I loved most about Rome was the food. Ironically, the Italian food in Rome is almost as good as it is in the U.S. Seriously, though, the pasta, gnocchi, and pizza all reminded me of home.

As seen above, one night we had gnocchi with tomato sauce, basil, and mozzarella, and then probably one of the best pastas I have ever tasted: linguine with shrimp, zuccini, and fiore di zucca (squash flowers).

You also have to realize that I don’t get good mozzarella or basil in Spain. At Italian restaurants in Spain, they almost always substitute the basil with oregano — and I just don’t go for that. So at every meal, I had to doubled up with a caprese salad (tomatoes, mozzarella and basil) that could have come out of my mother’s garden. (more…)