Posts Tagged ‘Madrid’
Life in Málaga—Namedropping, Boxing Day, and travel recap
I’m a name-dropper here in Málaga. A couple of months ago, I tagged along with my friend Fiona to a book discussion group where everyone described a book they’d read recently. The mention of one book generated mentions of others and at some point, Viet Thanh Nguyen’s book The Sympathizer came up. It’s one of…
Read MoreLife in Málaga—Crying while learning Spanish (and triumphing)
Learning Spanish has always come with an emotional element for me. But I hadn’t cried while learning Spanish until this month. I took the insane step of signing up for a creative writing workshop at the local library here in Málaga. I’d written some short pieces in Spanish, usually essays, for my online teacher Nathalie…
Read MoreLife in Málaga—Comings and Goings
People come, people go. So goes the line in the movie Grand Hotel. And so goes our lives. In Seattle, where I lived most of my adult years, I established friendships, some close, some casual. I saw some of those friends move to different cities, while new people came into my life as a result…
Read MoreLiving and Learning in Málaga, Year 2—Otra Vez Madrid
January meant another trip to magical Madrid where I spent time with my friend Miguel, whom I first met in Málaga at the now-defunct writers meetup. With a Dutch father and Spanish mother, Miguel grew up in the Netherlands speaking three languages. He’s very much at home in Spain, is well-versed in Spanish history and…
Read MoreLiving and Learning in Málaga, Year 2—Four Joys
I’m not a big celebrant of Christmas. Organized religion and I parted ways many decades ago. But I’m still a believer in the family, friendship, and community aspect of the season. And the joy of solitude. I made a point to experience each of these this month. Family James and I took the train…
Read MoreLiving and Learning in Málaga, Year 2—Distractions and Illumination
First, the joy. The end of November is marked by the illumination of the luces de Navidad that span Calle Larios and other streets throughout the city. A light show with music happens three times a night until January 5. But the first part of November was anything but joy for me and nearly half…
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