Hundreds of Lives; Hundreds of Stories



Photo Credit: Nate Long

My favorite sport in Madrid, home of the Real Madrid fútbol team? People watching. And the best part? It's free. Gratis.  

So just plop down on the brick surface in the center of the Puerta del Sol or pop a squat on the ledge that surrounds the Templo de Debod and take a look around at the wonderfully eccentric people of Madrid:

You will see five muscular men dancing without music, somehow completely in sync with one another, their bodies convulsing to a beat that only they can hear. What's their story?

You will see a group of four older ladies, sporting heavy jackets despite the balmy late-February air. They clutch one another's arms along with their handbags as they gossip and giggle like a gaggle of giddy school girls. What's their story?

You will see a flock of gawking tourists surrounding the men moving to that mysterious rhythm; all of them sport camera bags, sunglasses and the ever-so sensible tennis shoes. What's their story?

You will see weathered old women and lurking in the sombra of the group, clanging cups of tinkling change. Seeking out the most empathetic-looking of the group? Hoping for someone to temporarily forget about her half-open satchel? What's their story?

Photo Credit: Nate Long

You will see three older gentlemen; each bears a different hat and a different musical instrument. Together, the trio made up by an accordion, a bass and a saxophone, add some spring in the steps of people passing by. What's their story?

You will see two men dressed in buttercup-yellow Egyptian attire, mysteriously levitating off the ground, a ragged Winnie-the-Pooh with a scratched eyeball and tattered red shirt to boot. What's their story?

You will see Spanish youth, some standing on the ledge staring at one another as if nothing else in the world matters. Others attempt to master the art of slack-lining. Some can barely keep their balance as they tilt precariously from side to side while their arms flair; others, much more graceful, can jump and flip and balance on one foot without batting an eye. What's their story?




Photo Credit: Nate Long

You will see a young girl with blonde ringlets, a book in her lap. A book for school? For pleasure? Palm to her cheek, she is completely lost in the world of the story that sits in her lap. What's her story?

Hundreds of people. Hundreds of stories.

So take some time from the whirlwind tour of Madrid, give your aching feet a rest, sit down, and enjoy one of my new favorite pastimes.

*fútbol: soccer
                                                                                       *gratis: free
                                                                                       *sombra: shadow

Inside a Screensaver

We are ants. No, smaller than ants. Tiny insignificant specks posing for the perfect profile picture, munching on bocadillos courtesy of our lovely Spanish host madres, and staring fixedly at the grand majesty that stands proudly, valiantly, before us.





Her cara, mostly rocky; her cheeks, sprinkled with tints of rosy blush; her hair, lush and green pine trees draped along her face; her body, strong and without a doubt, the most beautiful thing I have ever seen.

Her legs stretch impossibly and inconceivably. She cradles to her chest, as a mother would a child, her most precious jewel: a deeply turquoise lake, sparkling in the afternoon light. And she knows that right behind her is her companion, el sol, reassuring her with his warm touch on her shoulder.

 Sitting in the shadow of such a beauty, I had never in my life felt so small. So insignificant. So awe-inspired.

I had stared at this screensaver for months through my scratched computer screen and now, I am in it. Living, breathing, existing inside a screensaver.








*Bocadillo: a type of sandwhich
*Madre: mother
*Cara: face
*El sol: the sun