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Hasta Luego,

So I have a little secret, I had never been to a laundrymat or lavaderia before my trip to one in Madrid.  Unfortunately, this was not by choice but necessity, since our washing machine or lavadora decided to stop working.  So, I stuffed what I thought would only be two loads of laundry into some shopping bags and walked four blocks over to our neighborhood lavaderia.  They have six washers and three commerical size dryers, I unfortunately needed four of those washers, which is when I learned the drum size for their washers is a little smaller than back in the states.  The owner felt sorry me and helped load the clothes in and fill them with complimentary detergent.  She even asked if I wanted anything ironed, including the sheets.  So all in all not a bad experience, except I did have to shell out 3 euros per load in the washer and an euro per load for the dryer.  They are open M-Th 8:00am-8:00pm, Sat and Suns 8am-11pm  (Calle de Leon, 6 near Metro Anton Martin)

I have enjoyed our new washer (thank you Carmen and Lou) because it has a couple of “new features” on it, that sometimes you don’t see on all Spanish lavadoras.  It has a rapido or fast wash setting for 30 mins, I can’t tell what a convenience it is to have this because most of my friends here complain that a cycle can take at least an hour and a half.  It also has a very fast spin cycle so that the clothes aren’t dripping wet when you pull them out.  This is important because most Spanish apartments don’t have dryers or secadoras, instead they hang their clothes to dry on their terrace.   We’re lucky its just the two of us, so I’ll do laundry twice a week in order to have enough drying space.  (i.e. two clothesline in the bathtub)

One last option is the dry cleaners.  We go to Saigon Dry Cleaning near the laundrymat on Leon St, 12. (open M-F 9:15am-2pm and 5pm-8:10pm, Sat 9-11:30am, closed on Sun)   One time we took two pairs of pants and six sweaters, and the bill was only 25 euros. (not bad compared to Hawaii’s prices)  It took three days before they were ready for pickup, but they also have overnight cleaning as well.  Everything was the same as back home except they aren’t open on Sundays, and instead of leaving your clothes on hangers to take home, they neatly fold them and wrap them in tissue paper.

So what is VO?  Luckily the words easily translate in English…VO is Versión Original (original version) movies.  This means, instead of dubbing over the voices of foreign language movies there are simply subtitles for Spanish speakers.  Yes, you NEED to know this because most movie theaters in Spain have dubbed films and no offense to the voice actors (who must enjoy a bit of fame and wealth due to their demand) but it just doesn’t feel so right watching Brad Pitt’s mouth move out of sync with his new faster and seemingly more nasal spanish speaking voice.

There is some interesting history behind the dubbing..I read somewhere once that in 1941 obligatory dubbing made the showing of original versions of foreign films illegal unless they were first dubbed in Spanish studios.  But I think more shocking is that this seems to be the one thing the Spanish haven’t thrown out the window and worked at break neck pace to get passed.  I found this interesting case study on Spain as a Dubbing Country which helps us understand just a little more about the Spanish…for those interested.

And for those of us who find value in someone’s real voice…a list of VO movie theaters:

Cine Renoir – Locations all over Madrid.  Sometimes you purchase a specific seat (like the rest of Europe) and sometimes you have open seating (like the USA).  The seats are comfortable and the theater is nice.

Yelmo Theaters – Many locations.  They’ve got a good central location in Sol.

Pequeño Cine Estudio – (the website doesn’t appear to be functioning) Calle Magallanes 1. Madrid, 28015 in Chameri.

Cines Golem – I have not yet been to this theater but it appears they have a good selection of independent films.

Just make sure when you plan your movie trip that VO is written somewhere on the movie poster (usually in the corner).  And then next make sure the movie script doesn’t have too many other languages than what you’d hoped for – we had our own comedic experience of watching Inglorious Bastards in VO and were lucky enough to resort to the Spanish subtitles for half of it.

Happy Movie Watching

When you arrive in Madrid, you will almost certainly come through Barajas Airport.  The majority of flights go through either terminals 1 or 4 and each one has it’s ups and downs.

One of the best things about the airport is that it is so near to town, around just 15mins on the metro. There is a special ticket which costs just 2euros each way (or a 1eur supplement to an existing metro ticket) and is clearly signposted, especially from Nuevos Ministerios where the line starts. Taxi’s cost from around 25euros  to/from terminals 1, 2, 3, and from 30euros to/from terminal 4. There are also buses from 1euro from Avenida de America which are meant to be efficient as long as it isn’t rush hour.

Terminal 4 is fairly new and has excellent facilities. It is where many of the bigger airline fly from but is also a bit of a pain to fly from there as it is a little further out than the other terminals and enourmous to get around. I almost missed a flight as the gate was so far away – the furthest one from the terminal is 25mins so make sure you leave enough time! The good news is that there are plenty of shops and restaurants to keep you occupied if you do get there early. Arriving in terminal 4 can also take some time as it takes longer for bags to come through.

The metro has one stop for terminals 1,2 and 3 and they are basic but functional. Terminal 3 is the nearest to the metro, with terminal 1 the furthest and a good 6-8minute walk. These terminals don’t have the same number of shops and facilities as terminal 4 but they are usually quick to get through.  Terminal 3 is a bit of a mystery as only one airline (Lagun Air seems to use it)

Everything you need to know is available on: www.madrid-mad.com

To track a specific flight go to: www.flightview.com/traveltools

In a previous post, entitled Obtaining a Student Visa for Spain (from the US), I discuss the difficulties we had with this process, and had thought the worst was behind us, now I can try to find a job here in Madrid.  It turns out, however, that what the Spanish Consulate told me in my interview for the Student Visa was true, that finding a job in Spain is almost impossible as a US citizen.  In Spain, unlike the US, you are allowed to enter the country and look for work with a Student Visa.  The catch, though, is that most companies want you to already have a NIE number in order to apply, especially if you are non EU.   Unfortunately, as I found out, this NIE number can take months to obtain, and you can only apply for one after you  have received your Visa, another daunting task.

If finding a job in Madrid becomes an impossible task there are some alternatives.   Some people who own their own businesses are licensed in the US, while living in Madrid, but they get paid in US dollars.  Another option is  to have your US based company transfer you to their Madrid office.  A friend of mine tried this, but found the pay was lower over here, and her position wasn’t exactly what she was doing in the US.  There are also a lot of English schools looking for native English speakers, but they want teachers with experience, legal working papers and/or NIE numbers.  The other thing to remember is that as a US citizen you are competing with native English speakers who are from the EU, and thus don’t need to be sponsored by a company or go through the headache of obtaining an NIE number.

I found that the Spanish don’t use craigslist.com like in the US to post job listings.   Instead, I see most job listings in local newspapers like El Pais or sites like www.spainexpat.com, which also has good information about labor laws.  Good luck, and if you do end up working in Madrid, then tell us about your work experiences.

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, we have a bank account here in Spain at the Caja Madrid because it was the only place that would accept us without a NIE.  Are you beginning to see a general theme here?  Life is damn tricky here without that NIE (which takes a good few weeks to couple months to acquire).  But as you see from our posts – there are ways around it!

Opening an account here for Will was simple.  However, for me it wasn’t such a smooth process as I didn’t have IE backing me as a student.  While my name was added to the account and I was given some access, I could not get a debit card until I got my NIE.  In the interim I was given an online ordering credit card which before any order was placed the primary person on the account (in this case my husband) had to approve the order.  That didn’t pair so well with my “we’re equals in this relationship” mentality…but it is what it is I guess.  I am still picturing the glazed eyes of shopaholic wives happily sitting at home in front of their computers.

One important thing to point out is we can only do our banking at this one designated Caja Madrid at Serrano, 114 – 28006 Madrid.  However, we can pull money with no fee from any Caja Madrid ATM.  The staff at this branch are really nice and speak English – they’re even nice when the waves of new IE students come in to begin their accounts (all at the exact same time of day).

Pay close attention to banking hours because they’re almost absurd (actually this might drive you to new employment aspirations in banking in Spain).  Hours are approximately from 8.30 to 13.00/14.00, Monday through Friday. Some are also open on Saturdays until 13.00, but they are few and far between.

The steps to opening an account are not exceptional.  Just come prepared with proper identification (including passport), visa, and if a student – an official letter of enrollment.

I have learned that many of the students from IE have subsequently switched their bank accounts to Santander due to the fact that it is more international.

For more thorough details on rates, laws and a list of Spanish banks please click here.

I am highly entertained by the different eating hours in countries that are so close to each other. A while ago when I was in the UK I was hungry into the evening and was told by the bar/restaurant that I was in that the kitchen had closed, it was 10.05pm. In Madrid they don’t start cooking until 10pm.

And lunch times are different too. In Paris 1/1.30pm is normal, in Madrid it’s usually 3pm. Many people still have their main meal at lunchtime, often washed down with a glass or two of tinto (red wine). In Spain, companies often give out luncheon vouchers to employees for this reason. I love the menu del dia culture which offers fantastic value for money – for around 10euros you can eat a (good) three course meal with a glass of wine – look out for them around town and pick somewhere busy as the locals know best.

When people come and stay in Madrid they find it strange meeting friends at 10pm, but that’s the norm. In Madrid we usually meet at 10pm, and the real Madrilenians often don’t eat until 11pm or 12am.

Also, at tapas bars, it is a custom that you receive a small tapa with your drink (at no extra charge). This can range from a few crisps or peanuts to a mini sandwich or even a small plate of a local dish. You will notice this mainly in small places when you aren’t ordering food straight away.

The first night that friends come and visit, we usually meet in Plaza Mayor and then I take them for an apero in Mercado San Miguel – a must do for any foodie visiting the city – before heading off down the famous Cava Baja tapas street.

Mercado San Miguel is wonderful (probably why it won best gastronomic shop with El Mundo’s Metropoli awards). It’s a relatively recently converted market that has various food and beverage stalls around the edge and seating in the middle – it’s a like a posh food hall.  Depending on your tastes, I usually start with a vermut (a bargain at 1.5 – 3€/glass) or jerez and the most fresh green olives I have tasted (usually I am not a big fan). Then a wander around the stands to see what is on offer. I highly recommend trying the Carrasco Jamon Ibercio Bellota (Bellota is the key word). You’ll see the stand easily enough and it’s well worth getting the good stuff at 14€/100gms. Note that when it is busy, some stands have tickets and serve people in order.

Make sure you don’t fill up too much here if you are then planning to go to Cava Baja!

The Cava Baja street has some superb places to eat, all full of atmosphere and too many to name names. Most specialize with one type of food so make sure you visit a few bars. Coming from Plaza Mayor and going from north to south down the street you can stick to the right of the street and be sure to get the variety you need.

Start at the bar with the tostas – a wide selection of open toasted sandwiches. Try the goats cheese (queso de cabra) and onion (cebolla) marmalade. Further down try the street you will see a bar with jamon being sliced from the bone – again, have the Jamon Iberico Bellota). There are a number of bars so it’s best just experiment depending on how you feel on the day. The other thing to note is that the window of time for the tapas crawl is short – 9pm until 1am.

Some of the specialities, apart from the Jamon Iberico Bellota,that are worth trying are:

• Gulas: baby eels, usually incredibly garlicy and surprisingly tasty.
• Morcilla: known as black pudding in the UK and blood sausage in the US but this tastes a little different and often has more rice. It’s one of my favourites in Spain.
• Cochinillo: roasted suckling pig traditionally from Segovia (more on this here)
• Lechazo: roasted suckling lamb traditionally from the area north of Madrid in Castilla y Leon

An Irish friend, who I met in Paris, summed up the joy of eating tapas with friends perfectly: In Paris eating is so slow and boring, you only get to talk to the people in your immediate vicinity; in Ireland people go straight to the pub and forget about food entirely – maybe a packet of cheese & onion crisps if you’re lucky – and come out hammered when pubs close; But Madrid, well it’s a perfect mix of socializing and eating. I love that philosophy.

Just before we left Hawaii, I was about ready to drive our cars into the ocean.  I was tired of owning a car (I know so very unAmerican) with all of the repairs that come with it, and worse, the gas.  So, when I realized that you could actually get around in Madrid without a car, just like in New York, I was elated.

I personally like the Metro.  For someone who knows very little Spanish, I still find it easier to navigate than most metros in the States.  For example, you don’t have to figure out which side of the street you need to be on in order to enter the metro, either side with take you to either direction.  In Boston or New York you need to know whether you are going downtown or uptown, but in Madrid you just need to know what your final destination will be.  Also, on most lines they actually announce the stops, and you don’t have to pay extra to change lines.  You can go to their website www. metromadrid.es and put in the stations you will begin and end at, and it will calculate the shortest route depending on the time of day and day of the week you plan to travel.  I have tested this feature out many times, and they are spot on as far as the amount of time it will take you to ride from point A to B.  Plus, it is one of the cleanest and cheapest metros, I have come across.  One downside, which I discussed in my Studentphone post, is the pickpocketing.  The abuelos (grandparents) on the metro will point to their eye and say mira, mira tus las bolsas to you, or watch your bags.  Recently, though, I have seen more security guards catching pickpocketers in the act, and escorting them away. (last week I saw two being apprehended within hours of each other)

My second most favorite mode of transit in Madrid is the bus.  The bus to me is a little more confusing because you have to know the exact street address of where you want to go to determine which line to take, and  sometimes you have to walk a ways to change from the metro to the bus, unless you arrive in an Intercambiadores (bus, metro, train all in one place) such as Plaza de Castilla.  (please see their website www.emtmadrid.es) Also, if you ride during the non peak hours after 9:00pm or before 6:00 am you may have to wait 10 mins or more for the next bus to come, or wait until the driver has finished his smoke break.  Madrid in notorious for horrible rush hour traffic, so this could double your trip easily on the bus as well.  However if you are going against traffic or, according to my friends, going to the outskirts of Madrid, sometimes its faster to take the bus.  For example, my husband will ride the metro to school in the morning and in the evening take the bus back home.  The bright side is is that you get to see Madrid above ground, and for a euro per leg, it makes for a cheap tour bus.

Each trip or leg costs 1 euro, and you can’t automatically transfer from the metro to the bus for free.  You can buy 10 trips or viajes at a time for the bus and the metro at most stations for 9 euros.  There is also a monthly pass you can buy for $46 euros a month.  I admit, though, I have had a tough time using my American debit card or credit card in the automated ticket purchasing machines, so you might have to pay cash at the ticket window.

I feel that up front I should admit that I have a granny trolley – one of those ones you wheel to the market to stock up with food. It’s not tartan though, so I feel like it’s ok. And the reason I own it is really because I get carried away when it comes to food. One of my favourite weekly excursions is to my local market. I’ve heard people say that you can tell a lot about a country from going to the local supermarket. I disagree, well I do when there are markets around. There is some great food around, and some easy ways to shop depending on your needs so here are some options.

1. El Cortes Ingles is probably the best food store. And the most expensive. It’s like popping to Harrod’s Foodhall or Paris’ Bonne Marche for your weekly groceries. However it is easy, there are El Corte Ingles’ all over the city, and the food is good quality. El Corte Ingles is open at normal times too, which makes life easier.

2. Supermarkets: If you are on a bit more of a budget, trial one of the local supermarkets: Eroski and Dia are the cheaper brands, plus there is Carrefour (also good value) as well as individual local stores. These are often good (although some don’t stock fresh milk, just the UHT Spaniards seem so fond of). I usually stock up on my household and standard stuff here. Beware of the Spanish siesta too – many places close between 3pm and 5pm, although most stay open until around 9pm. Supermarkets, like other shops, are closed on Sundays.

3. Markets in Madrid: each area in Municipal Madrid has its own market. They are permanent, covered markets that are usually open every day during the week, plus Saturday mornings. The hours are usually along the lines of 10am to 2pm yes, the good old siesta again) and then they reopen at 5pm until around 8pm. On Saturdays they are just open in the mornings.

I keep getting told off for touching the fruits and veg to see if it is ripe….if you do this, try not to get caught. I’ve also had market stall holders drop veg on the floor and then still put it in the bag with the things, so make sure you keep an eye on the stall holders too. But sometimes the same rules apply as with other countries – if you see a stall with a long queue…go there! The locals know the best places to go for food so follow them and you will likely be rewarded. As I said, this is one of my favourite weekly tasks and it helps my Spanish no end. Given that my Spanish isn’t fantastic, conversations at the market can be hilarious, but this is the best way to learn a language and I’ve only had one major cock-up to date (my friends enjoyed a ‘chunky’ chilli one night as I couldn’t ask to have the beef ‘minced’). Besides, I have to say that Spanish people are generally friendly and they seem to have been incredibly patient with me. One guy even used props of a bag of beans and a frying pan when he was trying to work out how I was going to cook the morcilla that I was trying to order.

I often find that I can stock up on British goods from the steady stream of visitors (I give them a weekends accommodation so don’t feel the odd jar of marmite is too much to ask) but for those from across the pond, there is an American store called Taste of America – which is near plaza de Argentina.

The other day I picked up the book Madrid Cuaderno de Viaje at the recommendation of a trusted English language Madrid newspaper.  Madrid Cuaderno de Viaje (Madrid Travel Notebook) is a beautifully illustrated book on the history of Madrid with interesting descriptions and explanations on various sites – both common and off the beaten path.  The book is written in both Spanish and English….sort of.  I am actually not convinced an English speaker was ever involved in the writing, production and publishing of this book.  How do I know this?  Well I only needed to open the book and read the first sentence to understand that I was in for some interesting reading ahead ["When we walk with a traveler's mind, many places take an extraordinary sense: easily, events that took place there can be supposed."].

The thing is you HAVE TO KNOW SPANISH to live in/understand Spain.  I am not saying you need to be fluent, but in order to get by, enjoy your time, truly experience and be able to actually comprehend Madrid you need to at least learn the basics.  The basics would allow you to realize that this book was actually very well written…just only in Castilliano.

Will and I [between us] understand a fair amount of Spanish.  Speaking is a whole other thing, but we’re still learning.  The Spanish are notorious for not learning other languages and while we may be in a large city which happens to serve as the capital…English is almost never spoken.  I happen to think this is great – I am trying to perfect my Spanish and I couldn’t do this in a city where the people accommodated me.  However, I think you should be prepared prior to your arrival in Madrid.  I am sure you can spout off 10 different language learning options but I still thought I’d share a few more…especially some options specific to Madrid.

Earworms MBT® – This is learning Spanish to a beat and you know what…it works.  Seriously, it’s a product based on a study that we retain information through rhythmic repetitions.  The music is light enough to not get irritating but nice enough to want to continue listening.  The language taught is useful conversational.  Do you want to give it a shot?  The answer is “Por Supuesto – Of Course, Por Supuesto  - Of Course“.

Jesus Milla – I had Jesus as a professor in an intensive Spanish course from IE, now I use him as a private tutor.  Jesus has a great understanding of language as well as a personable disposition that makes for easy learning environment.  Best of all…he gets the stereotypes and idiosyncracies of cultures…very entertaining.

busuu – As a last minute cram session – Will and I used busuu before leaving the States.  It is a community of people learning other languages who assist you in basic review and input.  What we liked was the interactive exercises which aided in reading, listening comprehension as well as sentence structure.  You have a personalized home page to track progress.  I believe this is also a company founded by IE MBA alumni.

Learn Spanish.com – This website comes very recommended and often serves as the guide for a couple Madrid based language courses.  Its free…give it a try.

Once you’ve mastered Spanish, go pick up Madrid Cuaderno de Viaje and you’ll see how good it is right from the beginning…“Cuando caminamos con la mente del viajero, muchos escenarios adquieren un sentido extraordinario: facilmente, se pueden imaginar low acontecimientos que sucedieron alli.”.