#not that there isn’t differences but I would never experience a culture shock just by going to another state

[devine-fem]

Damian lovers (and by extension of this ask,damijon lovers) don't explore the fact that Damian was extremely cultured for the majority of his life before coming to live with Bruce. Like that 10 yr old is experiencing culture shock!! Ofc he's gonna act out and disobey authority figures he doesn't even know

Yes he had rules and obligations as an Al ghul,but he traveled and saw so much of the world that most,if none of the robins never got a chance to see at their ages... Then he's expected to be by his Father's side in order to learn and grow.. NOT TO SAY HE HASN'T!!! but to be stuck in such a gloomy place like Gotham when he grew up in such a beautiful island surrounded by the very flora and flauna that the Al Ghuls strive to protect...

The damijon part is where Damian shows Jon how other parts other than the Western world work,showing him all the wonderful cultures and history he's seen throughout his life before him,before his father. How integral this is to his identity as an Al Ghul and now he wants his closest person to be able to experience it with him... Jon showed him how to adapt to western culture when they were kids and now Damian shows him what the world has always looked like to him,how hard it was to let go of his cultured past when coming to America

I don’t talk about the culture shock because I admit to not knowing a whole lot of how culture shock works to be honest. Like I know if I took me as I am now and dropped me into China I’d be extremely confused and lost as to how things functioned around me but to survive I’d have to pick up on it and Damian’s a smart kid I think it wouldn’t be too bad for him…?

I think Damian functions entirely differently from a normal person no matter where he is, lol, like what Damian al ghul has experienced and isn’t common for any child… ever… so is it culture shock as much as it is… constantly perpetual states of shock?

His whole character is him relearning everything. Or maybe, I am misinterpreting it? Is culture shock a bad thing? or is it just an interesting concept?

Is it a trauma?

I’ll take it as an interesting concept for now and just discuss the damijon part of it because that’s what I’m good at.

Do you realize that Jon has grown up on a farm his whole childhood? LOL. Do you realize that Jon Kent would be fascinated by an ice dispenser??

Could you imagine the awe and ooing he’d do going to Nanda Parbat? The Himalay? He’d be so out of it LMAO. Oh, that would make for such a cute interaction of Damian showing him around his culture and him knowing nothing, it’d also be so damn romantic.

Even then the aesthetic would be gorgeous, that’s why I love Damian Al ghul, imagine Damian Al Ghul taking his superman to his beautiful private chambers to indulge in romantics for a while? just so cute.

[r3starttt]

Hi Ren I absolutely luv luv your work!!!

I wanted to make a request on Ellie with a Mexican girlfriend yk ? Like a little blurb or head cannons or even a small one shot if possible 🥹🥹🥹 it would really make my day !!! It could be sfw or nsfw

Thank you very much!

Mwah besos !!! 🩷🧸

Bonita

ellie x mexican r!

a/n: lysm!!! besos 🩷 I’ve been wanting to write something about this for soooo long so I really appreciated this request

Warnings: none

Since she met you there was no day were she didn’t try to learn a new word in Spanish or ask you to teach her.

Her favorite words are the ones to curse of course.Those are also the ones she pronounces better.

She also shows a lot of interest in your culture. The food, the traditions, the clothes. She loves asking you about it because she knows you’re gonna tell her every detail.

And god, she absolutely adores the way your face lightens whenever you talk about Mexico. She looks at you with the must pretty puppy eyes ever.

“How do you say pretty in spanish?” “bonito” “You’re fucking boni-“ “Wait! Then it’s bonita, Im bonita” she nodded “extremely fucking Bonita” her pronunciation sucked so much but god, how bonita she was too.

She likes to celebrate all special dates in your way and learn about how is life like in Mexico. She’d always ask you to tell her about your experiences there when Ellie she can’t sleep.

“There’s no prom in Mexico?” she stopped the movie you two were watching, in complete shock. You shook your head “There’s something like that but it’s not really like prom”

She’s absolutely convinced Mexican food is the best food ever and gets confused at how the flavor changes even though it’s basically the same ingredients just in a different presentation.

“Aren’t tacos the same as these?” she pointed to the plate you’d just served her, they were enchiladas and it was the first time trying them “good point, I’ve never thought about it” you two stated at the plate, in silence “tacos have more verity though, and these have lots of sauce so, I guess they’re kinda similar but not really the same”

She just shrugged, already with food in her mouth. Once you took a bite too you could hear a hum, she had definitely liked them.

She can’t really choose what her favorite food is. However she really likes pozole and enchiladas of course, tacos too but she says it’s a basic answer. And even though most of the times food isn’t necessarily spicy she struggles sometimes because it’s too much for her.

She also finds it funny how your family calls her “güera” and insist that you teach her how to pronounce it properly.

At first she thought it was an insult and felt very awkward whenever she’d had to visit them but once she understood the meaning she found it cute.

———

“Babe, I’ve got a surprise for you” you murmur softly on her ear

You’ve been planning a trip to Mexico with your family since some months ago but didn’t want to tell her until if was official.

She groaned, still too sleepy to even understand what you were saying.

“Come on el, it’s also too late for you to keep sleeping” you rubbed her back, gently. Giving it some pats too.

She rubbed her eyes and sat on the bed. Half leaded eyes, plump lips, rosy cheeks and messy hair tied in a small ponytail. How pretty.

“We’re going to Mexico” her eyes sudden opened wide. She stared at you in pure confusion “Are you for real? When?” you nodded “Next month so… in two weeks or so. You excited?”

She didn’t respond. Instead she grabbed your face with her warm hands, pulling you closer to her and kissing every inch of your face. You giggled.

“I’m gonna eat like crazy” kiss “and I’m gonna spend all my money” kiss “and we’re going everywhere” kiss “and I’m gonna insult everybody” kiss

You slapped her shoulder softly, she let out a loud ‘owww’ and the kisses stopped

“Actually no, you cannot do that. Don’t even think about it” she rolled her eyes “I’m serious”

[uchu-no-bashira]

The Cookout - Gyomei Head!Canon w/OC!Kiana

Authors note: This was a very self-indulgent Head canon that got waaay too long and was too much fun for me. The scenarios could have gone on and on, but I had to stop eventually lmfao. Enjoy, or don't. i know I did! LMFAO. Head Canon beneath the cut.

When they got married, Gyomei had no idea how different his life would be. That isn’t to say that it was in a negative way, but it was definitely something that he wasn’t used to. Needless to say, he was apprehensive about the four day stay at Kiana’s family home; they wanted to celebrate, with a cook-out, of course.

“Is… He crying?” Kiana’s sister would ask when he’s introduced, his prayer beads tightened in one hand while Kiana grips his other hand.

“He is! He’s tearful and sensitive in the best way.” She says, the smile on her face was so large that Gyomei could see it. But something about that grip on his hand, and the happiness in her words, made meeting her family a little more comforting.

Gyomei’s heart crumbles to bits when he feels a firm hand palm his bicep - he could tell from the imperishable grip that it had to be the hand of a father, or at least a very protective older brother.

He wasn’t expecting his height to be so cherished, loved, and made fun of all at the same time. It was a strange experience.

“Damn, Gyomei!"

He's startled when he bumps into a smaller body while walking through the door.

"You know ya ass can’t fit through the door with me!” Kiana’s sibling would giggle before immediately turning to him with a hand on his forearm and stating, “Just playin’.”

Gyomei was absolutely shocked when he was greeted warmly by everyone in the house when he walked in. Normally, it’s a pretty casual thing to say “I’m back” and receive a “Welcome back.” But Kiana’s family was different…

“Tadaima… Ah.” He remembers that none of them speak Japanese, and tears up.

Okaerimas!!” Kiana would shout, causing a few glances from the family.

Imagine his surprise when they took an interest in his language because of that one interaction.

Gyomei wasn’t expecting to feel so welcomed by a group of people that didn’t share the same culture as him. Even more shocked when they all tried to learn things to accommodate him. It was very polite.

Gyomei’s favorite thing is family functions. Something about his Kiana and her family getting together brought him a sense of joy.

“Who this lil’ Asian boy?~” Kiana’s grandma would ask with a lifted brow.

“Nana, this is my husband and his name is Gyomei..” Kiana would respond - respectfully of course. She ain't wanna get slapped in the mouth. Gyomei could sense that this woman was the progenitor, and that title held much weight. Silence was his only option.

“Ooookayy!~ He cute! Tall too! Mhm, and strong! You hit the lottery with this one!! Back in my day he coulda been used to hoe an acre-long field!....” She continues, causing an apologetic Kiana to whisper ‘I’m so sorry, honey.’

Gyomei couldn’t forget the way he was brought to life by the scent of food alone in the mornings. He’d never smelled such a combination of things…

“What are those, love?” He’d ask curiously, mouth practically watering.

“I’ll feed it to you and let you figure it out~” Kiana would whisper - poorly.

“AWWWWWWWW!~”

Gyomei never knew that biscuits and gravy could go so well together, or fish and grits, or chicken and waffles, watermelon with salt or sugar. What a variety of odd combinations to make an amalgamation of wonderful flavors.

“You eat like this at home, Gyo?” Nana would ask, giving him his nth serving of whatever it was he was eating.

“Mm-mm.” He responds, steadily placing more food in his mouth with more grace than anyone else, struggling to keep his demeanor calm as he tries not to shovel food in his mouth like Kiana.

“Kiana! Start feedin’ that baby! He can’t live off scraps!” She scolds with her hands on her hips, brow furrowed and lips curled.

From that point on, every other Sunday, Gyomei would perk up - anticipating his return to a family that showed him hospitality on a level he thought comfortable and familial.

“It’s nice being invited to the cook-out, ain't it babe?

With a blush, Gyomei nods once. He understood that being invited to "The cookout" was more than just the bringing of good food. It was the integration of him into a family that wanted him there.

[foggyfanfic]

Train of thought:

Drawing Julieta for the first time and I am honestly shocked by how light she actually is, like I went through and color picked from a few scenes and even in the darkest one she just wasn’t as dark as I remember. Probably because she’s always next to one of the lighter people in her family like Agustín and/or Pepa. At the same time her skin tone is so warm and it really puts things into perspective like how Agustín and Pepa are lighter than Julieta, but Bruno is paler. And that got me thinking about how one of the advantages of having such a big cast is that they can show off the diversity of skin tones, especially in the case of a Latino family.

And that got me thinking about that one interview Stephanie Beatriz did where she said when she got cast for Brooklyn Nine Nine, she hadn’t been expecting it because they had already cast a Latina actress and it’s sort of unheard of to cast two actors of the same gender and color unless the story requires it or that color is white. But because Brooklyn Nine Nine had two Latina women they had more freedom to characterize both because they weren’t saying something about Latinas as a whole if Rosa is angry while Amy is anxious, they were saying something about just those characters as individuals.

And that got me thinking about how there being so many Madrigals means there’s technically room for so many different forms of representation. You can headcanon that Camilo and Antonio have completely different relationships with their race, because there being two black boys who have mixed race parents means there’s room to tell more stories about those experiences. You can headcanon Bruno and Pepa as having varying anxiety disorders whether they be OCD or something else, because there’s room for that. You can headcanon that multiple Madrigals are bi or demi or gay and they all have very different experiences when it comes to exploring their sexualities because there’s room for that. And you can headcanon that these characters are dealing with the way their race, their sexualities, and their potential mental health disorders all mesh together to form small parts of their complicated identities because that’s realistic to people’s lived experiences there’s room for that too.

And that got me thinking that Disney probably won’t get into any of that if we get more canon content, because they’re motivated by profit margins. I can sit here and think about how being GNC in a small catholic village would affect Luisa’s relationship to her gender, but Disney definitely isn’t going to give us an episode about how racism and sexism blend together to tell WOC they’re not feminine enough. That won’t sell well in conservative markets. I can sit here and wonder how long it took Camilo to notice that the difference between transforming into a man and transforming into a woman is way less distinct than he thought it’d be, but Disney definitely isn’t going to give us a Pride month special about how biological sex is more of a spectrum than we think and gender is a cultural construct. That won’t sell well in conservative markets. And I can play around with a fic idea about Luisa and Camilo eventually comparing their relationships with gender, but I know Disney is never going to show that sorta discussion happening in one of their IP’s. Because that won’t sell well in conservative markets.

(Wait, my dog needs to go out. Seriously? It’s almost 3 am? If I get murdered taking you on a walk at 3am then you’re grounded from milkbones for a week. Not enough stars out tonight. Hold on, let me pick it up, you might be an animal but I’m not, can’t just leave your mess where somebody might step on it. Ok, let’s go back. No, you don’t get another chicken jerky just because we’re doing bedtime again, the bag says a dog your size should only have one a day. Ready for lights out? I love you too, sleep well.)

And that got me thinking that I sorta hope Disney never confirms any of the Madrigals genders or sexuality. Would it be awesome if Disney took advantage of this giant cast to introduce kids to the sheer variety of experiences life holds? Of course! Do I believe for one second that’s what’s going to happen? Not with the current leadership. If we’re lucky, they’ll give Bruno a “friend” who happens to be a man, and Bruno will hold his hand once right before the show gets canceled because it “isn’t doing well with its target audience”. Then because they won’t have confirmed if he’s bi, gay, sexually fluid, ace and gay-romantic, demi and pan-romantic, or any one of the many sexual identities a person can be when they hold hands with somebody the same gender as them, there’ll be fandom wars over it. I will once again have to see somebody say that saying a character is bi is LGBT erasure because it means you can ship that character in a het ship. And I don’t want to deal with that.

And that got me thinking about all the people that are “not marginalized enough to count”. People who supposedly have passing privilege, people whose gender or sexuality is considered trendy, people whose disabilities are invisible. I’m hungry for discussions about those folks, about people like myself. I don’t think I’m going to find a nuanced discussion about identity on the Disney channel, but I wish that when I was a kid there had been a Saturday morning cartoon that sat me down and said “Someday people might tell you there ain’t a place for you in the mainstream, so you’ll go find other folks who don’t fit, but they’ll tell you you’re too mainstream to belong with them. All of those people will be wrong, almost nobody gets a full privilege bingo, life isn’t a dichotomy between mainstream and weirdos. We’re all shades of gray”. But that’s an incredibly complex thing to teach a kid, and again, it doesn’t sell well.

And now I am thinking about how incredibly nuanced the original movie is, and maybe I shouldn’t be so pessimistic, maybe Disney will let the original creative team take the helm. Sure, it’s still doubtful that we would get to see all the shades of queer on a Disney show, but we might get good representation for mental illness. And if the original creative team is in charge it will definitely have a plethora of fleshed out, complex female characters. Not to mention, while I may not be qualified to judge whether or not they’re giving accurate representation to people of color and folks from Colombia, I did read a lot of happy reviews from people who are qualified to judge that. I wouldn’t have gotten so invested in the movie if the writing team hadn’t done such a good job making believable characters, maybe I should trust them.

My dog is snoring, can’t see her but it sounds like she settled in the bed next to her water. I should sleep too. Good night.

[ourflagmeansgayrights]

saw a post a while ago that was like “the donkey comment towards ed was mean and classist, but it wasn’t racist bc donkey isn’t a slur/insult against Māori people” and then it went into more detail abt what kind of slurs colonizers have used and invented for different racial and ethnic groups which was kind of cool as a history lesson and i do get what they were saying abt how not all racial/ethnic groups have had the same experiences and whatnot

but like. i’ll be the first to say that i know next to nothing abt the history of persecution that Māori people have faced, and as a white person i’m not gonna tell anyone which insults they should take more seriously. but i WILL say that my people are not smart enough to use slurs accurately. yes white people have come up with some very specific slurs for all the cultures they’ve encountered while colonizing the entire world, but your average white american (bc this IS an american show, even tho the actors are from all over the place) are not gonna think “wait that’s the wrong insult for this person’s ethnicity” they’re just gonna make demeaning and derogatory comments with little thought aside from “this person is inferior to me.” like calling pretty much any BIPOC a donkey is bad. calling someone a donkey is another way of calling them stupid/uneducated and while that might not be an insult developed specifically as a way to demean BIPOC, it takes a different edge when used on BIPOC that’s not there when it’s used on a white person.

and on a somewhat related note, i know there’s been discussion abt how ofmd uses extremely old-fashioned insults for gay people to soften the blow of homophobia for modern audiences. because there IS homophobia in ofmd, but it’s not done in the same heavy-handed style that pretty much every show that has homophobia does it. nobody’s being called a fag, there’s never a “coming out” scene where people respond with shock/surprise/disgust. and the result is that when the show came out, queer viewers were all gushing about how great it was to not have to wince though any scenes of explicit and potentially triggering homophobia.

but racism in ofmd is not done so subtly. when the british guy yells “enough, slave!” to frenchie in episode 1, i grimaced. the guy calling roach “darkie" or "dog” (i cant tell which he's saying but either way it's bad) in episode 9 also made me very uncomfortable (shoutout to roach for slapping him across the face right after, legend behavior). part of this makes sense bc of the time period when ofmd takes place; making the racism subtle might accidentally come across as downplaying the atrocities going on at the time (and ofmd has done an Excellent job at taking a very firm anti-colonialism stance). but whenever i hear people say “it’s so great that queer people can finally watch a show where they don’t have to wince through triggering insults!” im like. well. the WHITE queer people don’t, maybe.

so the donkey comment makes sense as an insult that’s very clearly reacially-coded, but it’s not super specific to ed’s culture because like… why would we want that. why do we need to hear ed or any of the other BIPOC in this show get called slurs that are extremely specific to their race/ethnicity to know that the insults being hurled at them are motivated by racism. just like how chauncey doesn’t have to call stede a faggot for us to understand that the “monster, plague, defile beautiful things” speech is motivated by homophobia, we shouldn’t need the british to start calling people the n word to know they’re being racist

[eoieopda]

i’m going to discuss this one (1) time in full and then i will no longer devote my time, energy, or blog space to this topic. i simply cannot be assed to keep having this conversation. i will continue to block these anons as they pop up. in fact, i'll see y'all in a minute when you inevitably come calling.

here’s the tldr for anyone who is curious but does not have the capacity and/or desire to continue seeing this shit*.

*i have neither, and yet this is somehow still not over??

this whole thing is both buffoonery and goonery. i am so, so tired.

the people doing this are more concerned with hurting M and M’s friends than they are with their allegations of racism.

it’s gross as hell that people have misappropriated and devalued what could’ve been a meaningful discussion about an important topic... to instead shit on people they don't like.

i see you, besties 👀

tw: racism as written by white creators & as i have personally experienced (examples of micro-aggressions, racist messages i’ve received, etc.,) anonymous messages, harassment, cyberbullying.

p.s. i recognize that this is an exercise in futility and that literally nothing will convince these people to stop. i also recognize that saying something will probably make things worse for me. that's a problem for future jade™️, though, because present jade™️ is on one.

as we’re all aware, somebody is engineering an anonymous hate train against some of the writers on this site. these anons have been in their feelings (and the inboxes of writers, hate blogs, their own vagueposts, etc.) for weeks.

for what is probably the 100th time: my opinions are my own. i speak for myself, loudly and exclusively. not everyone is going to agree with me; that’s fine. my problem is not — and has never been — that people have different opinions than i do about the things i’m about to discuss. i’ll get into that later.

where it started:

an anon sent a message to a tea blog (read: hate blog) about M, who is white. the anon’s stated issue was that M included a depiction of racism/xenophobia in a chapter of a fic; and anon didn't feel that they should have. the position they took (if it existed in a vacuum) was valid and within their right to take. the way they went about all of this (by posting on a hate blog? in the year of our lord 2023?) was — in my opinion — sus as hell.

and that was before we all figured out what was happening here.

my position on white ppl writing about racism:

if a white writer can’t depict nuance or demonstrate any meaningful understanding of the issues they want to discuss, it’s my opinion that they have no business doing so.

for example: i’ve seen stories by white writers in which BIPOC react exclusively with violence or harsh words when confronted with racism. this, to me, is an “orange flag” because actual BIPOC have to do a lot of calculating in these situations. sure, the impulse to hulk out is there, but so is the risk that our immediate safety would be compromised further by hulking out. if that ^ kind of consideration isn’t fleshed out, i have a problem. when i see that ^ in stories, it tells me that the writer is not viewing the events they’re writing about through the lens of someone who actually experiences them and has not done their due diligence.

when i read racism as written by white authors, i primarily look at four things:

is the racist action depicted believable, or is it clear that the writer has absolutely no clue what they’re trying to talk about & made no attempts to learn?

does the inclusion of racism make sense in the context provided, or was it included for nefarious purposes (shock value, wokeness points™️, etc.)?

is there inclusion of the characters’ race, ethnicity, and/or culture in the fic outside their experiencing racism, or is that the only representation we get?

how do the characters process/react to this racism?

important context:

at the time i read the fic that sparked this whole ordeal, i’d just “met” M. this was around the time we became mutuals and started getting to know each other. all that to say, when i read this fic and formed an opinion on it, that was done as a reader, not a friend.

not as an “ass-licker,” “boba liberal,” worshipper of whiteness, and/or whatever else these anons have called me, either.

my opinion on the fic/situation hasn’t changed now that we are friends. if anything, getting to know M as a person (and not just as a writer whose fics i liked) has reinforced my opinion. regardless of what these anons have said, the M i know is a deeply empathetic and supportive friend. they consistently uplift me — and others — and make me feel seen/heard.

the only people who are indicating otherwise haven’t publicly identified themselves or stated any basis upon which their opinions (or borderline obsessive behaviors) are founded.

for what it’s worth, none of them that i’ve seen have even claimed to be asian. this will become relevant in a moment.

my position on the fic in question:

i'm a korean immigrant living in the united states. the chapter in question showed racism experienced by korean people in the united states. i'm qualified to make up my own damn mind about this.

i didn't have a problem with it, based on that four-part analysis i described up yonder. here's why:

(1) the depiction was of something i personally experience on a semi-frequent basis. in my life, racism often takes the form of micro-aggressions, as was the case in the chapter.

for example: being compared to people i look nothing like and/or aren’t korean simply because they’re also asian; people rolling their eyes when i correct the pronunciation of my (obviously) asian name like it’s not worth their effort; and tokenism/fetishizing, as if i’m a collectible item based on where i was born and not a full-fledged human being who is many things beyond simply being korean.

in my opinion, M’s portrayal of this more “subtle” racism (aka no slurs, no violence, etc.) was believable. to me, them making this choice demonstrated an understanding of what others experience, despite not experiencing it themselves.

(2) the scene made sense to me in the context of the chapter. bts encountered racism when they broke into the US, and the characters were in the US for an award show. frankly, i appreciated the acknowledgment of how asian immigrants/international tourists are treated in america because it’s not something i noticed non-asian people pointing out at all until COVID hit.

(3) the MC is a reader-insert who lives in korea and speaks korean. yoongi is obviously korean. the racism/xenophobia experienced by the characters in this chapter is not the only time i saw these things depicted in this series. importantly, the other references to korean culture were thoughtfully made, and they were either neutral or positive, not negative. the conclusion i came to was that M took this seriously, as they should have.

(4) the reaction of the characters is one i frequently have (not engaging, walking away) and i think it was communicated well in this scene why they reacted the way they did.

this was significant to me.

reading that, i got the impression that M had discussed this with BIPOC in their life and listened when they shared their experiences. that impression turned out to be accurate, though i didn’t have confirmation of this at the time i read the fic.

(conclusion) if i thought that any of these four things weren’t handled well, i would’ve brought my thoughts to M directly because it is important that these conversations happen. it’s also important that white writers listen. from where i’m standing, M has been open to those conversations with others, on or off anon. i believe that they do take this feedback to heart; and that they were taking steps to remedy those things — prior to being bullied off the platform at the end of april.

why ✨ i ✨ have a problem

i’ve discussed this issue already here, but i’ll elaborate further.

i have no reason whatsoever to believe that these anons are/were looking for changed behavior or remedial action because they continued to harass M — on M's blog, through the hate blog, and on the blogs of literally any person who has so much as perceived them — when M was addressing the issue. based on that, i have serious doubts that these anons care about the issue of racism the way they purport to. worse, they’re now harassing BIPOC in their inboxes and on the aforementioned hate blog.

on park jimin's internet, no less!

i haven’t spent much time discussing the substantive issue (hence this post) but have been very vocal about how shitty the anons’ behavior is. again, see here for the only take i’ve posted thus far (spoiler alert: cyberbullying is bad.)

for reasons that aren’t clear to me, that take resulted in metric ton of shit in my inbox. here’s a small sampling of what i've been forced to read with my own two (2) eyes in the past 24 hours:

*i did not include screenshots of other users’ inboxes in which anon messages reference me, or untagged submissions on the hate blog that very clearly allude to me.

at some point ?? they were mad about racism ?? but now the racism ?? is calling from inside the house ??????

and one last thing before i go touch grass….

i have reason to believe that this entire situation was orchestrated by small people with big feelings about M as a person, not about what they wrote. that’s not my story to tell, though, so i won’t.

when this shit kicked up, the majority of us who were/are being harassed installed IP trackers on our blogs because the identity of these people was suspected but not confirmed. that means we can see who they are, what they do on our blogs, and how many times per day they view our blogs (hint: a lot). we know that they are jumping from one blog to another as if they’re stopping on a goddamn mail route.

some of us (myself included) have alerts set to notify us via email when they pop by for a visit.

their presence on my blog this week lines up with the hostile and blatantly racist anonymous messages i’ve been receiving. i don’t think that’s a coincidence.

they’re either the ones sending them, or they’re lurking to see if/how i react to these messages.

that’s categorically fucked up.

[aventurasdeunatortuga]

Thursday, July 18th

Quiet day today, been a bit overwhelmed by all the people. I know its not like this in all of Korea but at least in the touristy areas of the big cities it is really materialistic and superficial, shopping is a really big deal and that is kind of the main thing people do and everyone seems very caught up in all the shopping. If its not the shopping its the countless photo ops every 3 feet, everything has to be instagrammable all the time and honestly that sort of stuff is fun at first but it very quickly becomes so exhausting, especially when there are so many people and it is so hot. There’s also a much higher ratio here of tourists to locals than there was in Seoul, mainly tourists from China, the US, and Russia. Not to generalize entire groups of people because that is neither accurate nor fair, but tourists from these three countries tend to at least in my experience be a lot rowdier.

For Chinese tourists at least I know it’s not out of trying to be disrespectful. In Korea there is a high value on personal space and maintaining tranquility of environment, meaning people are generally speaking very quiet in public and keep to themselves; but culturally in China there isn’t really a concept of personal space, I remember that being really hard to get used to traveling in China last summer, it’s not personal and it’s not out of trying to be disrespectful, but it can be jarring to go very quickly from an environment that values personal space to one that doesn’t. It’s the same thing with noise level for US tourists especially, in general people just aren’t aware of how loud they’re being because culturally in the US being quiet in public isn’t something that is really taken into account or valued, but it is very jarring to be in a very quiet environment and suddenly have a group of very loud people come in. I don’t think it’s out of being disrespectful, and certainly not everyone acts that way, it’s just a cultural difference.

I don’t know where I was going with that, and I know I’m guilty of not being culturally aware as well, but it was a bit of a culture shock to go from the huge city of Seoul that despite being so huge never felt overwhelming or crowded or loud; to going to a smaller city with lots of tourists who don’t have always the same values of being quiet and maintaining personal space in public.

I spent most of the day in bed recovering from yesterday, I tried to go out in a different neighborhood that wasn’t the one I was staying in at Haeundae Beach because its so touristy there, but I just ended up wandering around lost in a business/ residential district called Choryang for a long time, I didn’t know what to do so I just took a cab to a nearby mall, not even one of the big malls here, but let’s face in malls in Asia don’t joke around. This tiny mall had 8 floors worth of so much going on.

I ended up going to the Shake Shack in the mall and watching TV on my phone to tune out the crowds.

It took me forever to get back from the mall to the beach where I’m staying, the crowds of people, music, neon lights, and suffocating heat even at night got very overwhelming. So I just walked all the way out to the ocean and laid in the sand for a while. After a while it started raining and it was actually so refreshing.

I’m considering leaving Busan early and going back to Seoul. I just haven’t been having a very good time here in Busan. No offense to Busan. The weather being simultaneously boiling hot and rainy/dark/ cloudy combined with the constant neon lights and loud music and tourists probably has a lot to do with it. I’m sure if the weather was nicer or I wasn’t in such a touristy area this city would be lovely.

This usually starts happening at the tail end of long trips, I start getting burnt out and easily overwhelmed. I think I need to just let it happen and rest. I’ll give Busan another chance to redeem itself tomorrow, but if not, I’ll head back to Seoul a little early.

Until tomorrow,

[timetravetimetraveltimetravel]

★✰✰✰✰

We arrived in Japan just as the sun was rising, in Heian-Kyo. The streets were starting to be filled up with the local people, rising early to get on with their days. The arrival brought a jet lag with it; not as it would with a change at just time zone, but a kind of culture shock times four. It wasn’t how we thought it would be, not fully. When you look at the past it can never be through the lens of how the people of the time see it; regardless of whether or not you were there when it happened, we always have bias. It doesn’t matter how objective we try to be, because in their nature humans are not objective. We are not and have never been. You can look back on a period and see the art, see the culture and natural beauty, see paintings of beautiful scenes, and read the philosophies taught and nod along with their ideologies. It makes you feel smart as if you’re in on a secret shared between the well-educated, but in reality, we don’t know that much. We never had conversations with the people of the time, we never experienced their struggles.

I think going into this whole time travel journey, I and everyone else in our group had read up on the beauty and culture of the period, seen through the eyes of the nobles who wrote of it, while not being able to see how tough life for the common people of the era was. Going back we expected a painting to come to life, with all the beauty and perfection you see in the art, but life isn’t a painting regardless of the period or place in the world. We can capture beautiful moments, put them together in an album, and admire how the two-dimensional view seems perfect, with the people painted out or portrayed as furthering the scenery, but this album never records the conversations and arguments walking up to the area, or the stress of weight on the back of the one carrying the easel.

For our first day, we were supposed to spend it meeting nobles and visiting the palace to see the architecture and witness some of the courtly rituals that go on. We were dressed in nobleman's clothing and got to look around for a bit, but the expectations and conversation were crushed. We didn't know these people, we had no names attached to us to give us respect, or general acknowledgment. Regardless of how we were dressed or how we acted, we weren’t important, and we were treated as such.

We were foreign and had no name for ourselves, the translator worked but the dependence on it felt isolating, and pushed us further out of this society. The food throughout our stay was good, but because of its foreignness, and the general new environments and sanitary conditions we were exposed to during our trip, we all got sick. Over and over, our bodies just weren’t used to the conditions we were presented with. There are so many diseases that differ from now and then, and we weren’t used to any of the sanitary systems, with no plumbing or anything of that kind. There were times I was afraid I would die just based on random sickness. None of our sleeping places went through, in the advertising they made it out as though all these noble people with beautiful large homes would just let us stay with them, but regardless of the time that doesn’t work. We had nothing to our name, and though we love to look back on past times and think of how superior we are to the people of then when you're there it just doesn’t matter at all. We are all people, and sometimes people are cruel and build systems that hurt people, and leave people without a roof over their heads.

Despite the fact the nobles didn't let us in, we did find refuge in the house of a common family, but this just made us realize how hard life was for the common people of Japan during this period. Even though most stories that come from this period come from the upper class, and show lives of luxury, the general people of the era did not experience this at all. The vast majority of people, including those who let us stay with them, lived in incredibly small cramped quarters, barely protected by the elements. Most lived on farms and were exploited by this small group of elites, through taxes put on food production. The upper class used all this money on themselves, ignoring the rural communities that needed help. Famine was common, and malnutrition was extensive. Not even the nobles were excluded from sickness and poor health, many died quickly from deadly epidemics. The sickness we experienced while we were stuck there was worse than anything I have caught in the current year. This plus the non-developed healthcare, meant we just had to wait it out through the week. This was more than just a scare, I feared for my own and my group members' lives.

The sickness and poor sleeping conditions left the group exhausted and ill every morning, which meant we could not go through with most of the activities on the itinerary. We spent most of the time resting and trying to keep up healthy. We had to be cautious about what we ate, to not further sicken ourselves, which meant we could not try all the food as planned. Despite our exhaustion and general unwellness, we still tried to force ourselves on some of these excursions. The temples were the most calming, giving us more opportunities to rest, but the hikes just added exhaustion on top of what we already felt.

The samurai training just wasn’t planned well; samurai didn’t hold much respect for the common people, just as with the nobles. They were above us and made that clear. It sort of leads back to the idea of bias, because, in the end, the common person isn’t the one writing the history book at this time. We read these books written with objective language while ignoring the fact the sources are completely subjective and ignore a huge chunk of the population in favor of who can pay the most. No one wants the country they run to be known in the history books for how poor its citizens are, or how the majority of people die as children from sicknesses and never make it to the age to be able to do anything for society.

As a concluding set of thoughts on this experience, I do think it was eye-opening, but not in a way that makes me want to recommend it to others. I feared for my life over this trip and those of the people around me. I met children dying of plagues and malnutrition. I think all the journeys taught me that I need to do more research before signing up for experimental time travel expeditions, and generally learn more about history than just the positives. Not just in history but modern day as well, it’s easy to forget how hard the world is when the only view you’re seeing is from your own eyes and those of the people who were taught to see the same. When you’re forced into a position where you have to see through a different person's gaze, it shows just how isolated your viewpoint is.

[notalkingbusiness]

Caryl’s Road Trip

How many of us took travel for granted before March 2020?  When the pandemic hit, a lot of us were subjected to stay-at-home orders, travel bans, curfews, limited outdoor recreation etc. – our worlds suddenly became a lot smaller.  Just leaving the house was a big deal.

Our relationship with travel shifted so drastically during the pandemic.  It stands to reason that travel would also be a big deal in other catastrophe scenarios, right?  Like in a post-apocalyptic narrative?

I’ve enjoyed Kang’s tenure as TWD’s showrunner for lots of Caryl related reasons, but honestly there are so many niche and nerdy things that I’ve loved too.  And I really appreciated Kang’s attention to post-apocalyptic geography and travel in Seasons 9-10.

In post-apocalyptic narratives, the world gets a whole lot smaller, and societies become a lot more tribal.  We can see these ideas coming into play after the time jump in Season 9 - Alexandria, Hilltop, and the Kingdom aren’t that far apart but as Michonne says, “There’s a whole lot of broken world” between the communities.  Michonne’s line emphasizes the post time jump cultural shift and is sharply contrasted against Seasons 7 & 8 where characters were racing here, there, and everywhere with no concerns about dwindling fuel supplies.    

I love that Kang recognized that even a few miles down the road is a long way in a post-apocalyptic scenario – concerns about travel feel really authentic and act as a marker for just how much America has changed.  There’s a saying that, “The difference between America and England is that Americans think 100 years is a long time, while the English think 100 miles is a long way".  You can debate the validity of that statement amongst yourselves, but from a non-American perspective, there’s definitely a perception that Americans are pretty unflappable when it comes to driving long distances.  But in a post-apocalyptic scenario, the idea of travel would invoke panic in almost everyone.  Never mind 100 miles being a long way, 10 miles would be a long way.

So, if even local travel is a big deal in these sorts of worlds, Caryl’s proposed road trip is made all the more special, isn’t it?  It’s a uniquely Carol x Daryl suggestion - they’ve never expressed a desire to travel with any other character. And it’s also the sort of trip that they could never have undertaken in the old world: Daryl had never left Georgia before Season 5 and any trips Carol took with Ed would not have been pleasant experiences.  Post-apocalyptic travel conditions disempower most people, but Carol and Daryl have been empowered.  By Season 10, Carol and Daryl are free from their abusers, free from the economic restraints of the old world, and are confident in their ability to survive on the open road.  New Mexico is simultaneously a bit of a pipe dream and a viable option. They could just “get on the bike and go” if they didn’t have a million other things to deal with.

I love the idea of them taking off together so much.  I love that they don’t know what they’ll find out west.  In a way, it’s not about finding anything out there at all, it’s more about them finding each other again.  It’s about Carol and Daryl reconnecting, deepening their bond, and taking the next big step in their relationship.

Obviously, I was excited for the Caryl spinoff for Caryl-related reasons, but I was also really curious to see how Kang explored post-apocalyptic geography in a roadshow. Given her attention to geographic constraints in Season 9, I’m confident that she would have pulled it off.  You really wouldn’t have to go very far for things to feel alien in these sorts of worlds and you definitely don’t need to go abroad to experience culture shock.  

The Caryl spinoff would have been true to the spirit of the show, true to the spirit of the characters, and it would have allowed Kang to shine – what’s not to love?

We don’t know where we’ll be after the finale, but I’m not forgetting what we’ve lost any time soon.

[lys-9-10]

Ch. 2 + 3 of "Connection" posted

Read on AO3 Preview:

There’s a ginger scrub staring at Tobio through the window. 

His nose is smushed up against the glass, making it look piggish. His mouth is hanging open, breath causing steam to gather around his face. Every once in a while, he pulls back to wipe the window clear with his sleeve—and then smushes up his nose all over again. 

It isn’t abnormal for their Lindy Hop practice to draw the curious eyes of passing students. After all, with partner dancing being close to dead in mainstream culture (because people are idiots), most of Tobio’s peers have never seen something like this before. And normally, Tobio revels in the fact that his dancing is forcing people to watch. 

But … this is different. None of the other students stare like this. 

It isn’t just the smushed up pig nose. It isn’t just the wide open mouth. It’s the scrub’s eyes. They’re glittering. Positively enthralled. Delighted… 

It pisses Tobio right off. 

He whips Yachi too aggressively into a frisbee spin. She stumbles and bumps against him clumsily when he catches her. Looking up at him anxiously, Yachi clears her throat.

“Um! Are—are you alright, Kageyama-san?” 

“What?” he snaps. “Of course I am.” He leads Yachi into a quadruple turn, then a cartwheel aerial, so she won’t be able to say anything else. 

She lands back on her feet, looking slightly frazzled. “Well, ah,” Yachi says, struggling to catch her breath as Tobio mercilessly leads her straight into kick-throughs. “You just—seem a little—bothered—is all”—

She’s cut off by the sound of the door crashing open. 

Jerking up his head, Tobio is shocked to see the ginger scrub hurtling toward them, pushing his way through the dance floor. 

“PLEASE TEACH ME HOW TO DANCE!!!”

Tobio makes a sound that is most definitely not a squawk as the scrub launches himself forward and flings both arms around Tobio’s middle. He looks up at Tobio through wide, earnest eyes. 

“Please, please, please!!'' the scrub begs. “You guys look so awwwwwesome!! I wanna learn how to do this!! Can you teach me how to do that fancy flippy thing you just did?? And the kicky thing you were doing right after?? Please please teach me, senpai!!” 

Tobio recovers enough to find his tongue. “What the hell! Get off me, dumbass!” He tries to wriggle out of the scrub’s grip, but those scrawny arms just tighten around him even more. 

“Pleeeeeease!! I’m a fast learner, I swear! Please, this is the coolest thing I’ve ever seen in my whole entire life!! You have to teach me!!” 

Beside them, Yachi lets out a tiny squeak as she attempts to say something. “Um!” she stammers. “I-if you want to learn, I’m sure Daichi would be happy to welcome you into the club!” 

The scrub’s head swivels towards her—though his arms stay locked tight around Tobio’s stomach. “Who’s Daichi?” He jerks his head up at Tobio. “Is he Daichi?” 

“N-no. Daichi is our captain. You should talk to him if you want to”—

“Hey,” Daichi’s voice sounds, as he strides up to join them. “Everything good over here?” He turns to the ginger scrub and asks, not unkindly, “Who are you?”

The scrub finally lets go of Tobio’s middle (thank the gods), claps his hands together at his chest, and swoops down into a low bow. “I’m Shoyo Hinata, first year at Karasuno high!” he declares. “I want to learn how to dance!”

Daichi chuckles. “Shoyo Hinata, eh? I’m Daichi Sawamura. Welcome to Karasuno’s Lindy Hop club, Hinata-kun.” 

Hinata’s eyes blow wide. “Welcome? Does that mean I can join??” 

Daichi smiles. “Of course you can. The Lindy Hop club is open to everyone. No experience or audition necessary.” 

“WOOOOOOOOWWW!!!” Hinata spins around in a hyper-energetic pirouette. (A poorly executed pirouette, of course. Idiot.) “That’s so awwwwwwesome!!” 

Daichi erupts into a warm belly laugh, and even Yachi lets out a little giggle. Tobio, however, is frowning. “Captain,” he says, brusquely. “Do you really think this is a good idea? We’re in the middle of training for Lindy Bout. This is a crucial period for the club, we don't exactly have time to babysit newbies.” 

Daichi folds his arms over his chest and levels Tobio with a cool stare. “And of course, Kageyama would be thrilled to be your teacher. What an excellent idea, Hinata-kun.” 

Tobio’s jaw drops to the floor. “What?” he gasps. 

Daichi takes a step forward and claps Tobio heavily on the back. Tobio buckles forward, the rest of the air that was in his lungs leaving in a swift whoosh. Daichi turns a smile on Hinata. 

“We’re just about to wrap up practice for the day, but the two of you can start first thing tomorrow morning, if you like. We have open practice in this room every Saturday at 8:30 am, and every Monday, Wednesday, Friday at 3:30 pm. If you can’t make all of those, just come to the ones you can.” 

Hinata’s face breaks into the widest, sunniest grin Tobio has ever seen. It makes him want to vomit. 

“YEEEEEEES!!!” Hinata exalts, pumping one fist then the other into the air, in rapid succession. “I’m gonna learn Lindy Bop!” 

“It’s Lindy Hop, dumbass!” Tobio snaps at him. Then he turns to Daichi and grips his arm, desperately. “Captain, please,” he begs. “You can’t do this to me right now. Yachi and I are training hard for Lindy Bout, all my time and energy needs to go into that. Get someone else to teach the scrub.” 

“Newsflash, Kageyama,” Daichi says calmly, “Everyone is getting ready for Lindy Bout. You aren’t special.” 

Tobio blanches. In his peripheral vision, he sees Yachi clap both hands to her mouth, her eyes shooting wide as saucers. 

Daichi turns to Hinata again. His mouth pulls up into a kind smile ... but it hides a hint of a smirk under the surface. “You know what,” the captain says. “I think this teaching arrangement just might be mutually beneficial.” 

Read on AO3

[rabbitholesitrippedon]

Culture shock and the internet

I’d like to talk a bit on the nature of culture shock, and how it works on a mechanical level in our brains. Some people who tend not to ever leave their country or region don’t necessarily think about what it’s like to live in another country, and explaining the nuances of how another countries culture works would take an age, so instead i'm going to use the internet as the example, a place we’ve all migrated to sooner or later.

I’ll leave a link to a video here, put it on in the background while you read this, or better yet, on a second monitor/phone. That way you can see and understand what it is I'm explaining as I explain it.

This video is technically funny, but also a full on vibe, it’s a bit of an old meme but that doesn't make it any less of a banger song. First it’s based on the song gangsters paradise, that a stranger with minimal contact to the internet might know by heart, so it’s a strong start, but that's where the simple ends.

Vocoding is the process of taking the audio for one thing and compressing it against another signal, this can lead to unexpected and fun artifacting that in this case is used to turn beatboxing into a more melodic format. Vocoding in this way is uncommon at best outside of the internet, but still possible.

The beatboxing used is Verbalaces thanos beatbox, the movie itself is common outside of the internet but the beatbox is wholly original and exists only on the internet. All of these levels combined make the audio portion of the video and that alone is a lot of information to have to explain to a “foreigner” to the internet.

If someone with limited or no understanding of the internet were to hear this, they’d simply think it was a worse version of the song they’ve heard, not understanding the potential enjoyment or comedy of the song, and this is only the beginning.

The video is RTX Morshu with a funny filter over it. RTX, in the modern age of the internet, is used when a common or simply modelled thing becomes suddenly more complex and well animated. It’s a bastardisation of the RTX branding used to describe a particularly powerful line of graphics cards used to produce complex lighting.

Morshu is a character from an old and obscure legend of zelda game that people who make jokes on the internet decided could be made to do and say funny things, it followed naturally that someone would have him sing/beatbox.

Bringing all the elements together we have the totality of the video, stretched to 1 hour in respect for the old 1 hour challenges from the early days of internet funnies. Now that you have full context, consider what a tourist sees.

A 1 hour video of a random fat guy making incomprehensible sounds in the tune of gangsters paradise. It makes no sense, yet most of the people who saw the video understood innately. Culture shock isn’t the shock of realising everything is different in another region, it’s the check that those differences have meaning.

Culture shock is realising that the little details of your life are arbitrary, and that if you’d lived somewhere else you’d be a totally different person, it’s realising that these strangers from a distant land are just as deep and complex as you and your friends are.

My most memorable moment of culture shock was on a visit to japan, I sat in the common area of my hotel looking out the windows at a massive billboard of a naked woman trying to work out what product they were selling that could possibly warrant such an advert.

Then it struck me that it was an advert for the mall across the road, the advert wasn’t special, it was common, this was simply how such businesses marketed themselves, and i realised that in the UK a billboard like that could only be used for certain products and services. I realised how arbitrary it all was.

Culture shock is ultimately subjective, and you’ll never experience it until you travel and experience it, but I hope I've given some small insight to those who’ve never travelled.

[abroadchangedme69]

Four nights in Lyon.

I’m still behind but I’m catching up. I’m writing this in Porto and I’ve been to Avignon and Nice before this, but that’ll be in the next post.

I really enjoyed Lyon, and it was nice to spend a bit more time in one place. The city is beautiful but I don’t understand what it is about being French that makes a person unable to pick up after their dogs. It’s really striking, there’s just dog shit on the sidewalks everywhere. But I had a nice slow-paced stay, though I wasn’t able to rest as much as I would’ve liked due to the inhuman snoring by my bunkmate. The noises and the volume at which he made them were truly concerning. Sounded like a duck was choking to death in the bed next to mine. Most of the time when a person snores it’s on and off during the night, but this man snored all the way through the night. And he slept like 12 hours a night. First in bed and last to leave. He actually almost never left the room. He also smelled disgusting so we chose to open the windows and sleep in the cold with the mosquitoes. I’d rather be eaten alive by mosquitoes (and I was) than sit in that stench. I try to be tolerant and compassionate but -without speaking a word to me- this man tested me. I haven’t felt contempt for a person like I did in that dorm room, sleep-deprived, being wrestled back into consciousness as soon as I’d manage to slip out of it by that man’s violent snoring.

While Lyon did not prove to be the relaxing experience I had hoped for, there’s nothing like a common enemy to bring people together. I was pretty much instantly friends with the other roommates. Hell of an icebreaker.

I met a 23-year-old German named Carl who just graduated college and plans to keep studying law. We went out for drinks. He falls into a category in which I would include Jonathan (the Swede from Faro) and a few other friends I’ve made over the years. Mature, thoughtful, cultured, intelligent, humble. We had some really enjoyable conversations about a wide range of topics. One moment that stuck out to me was when we were talking about travel, and people that travel. We both agree that traveling isn’t a personality trait, though some people you meet might make it seem otherwise. You don’t become a new person by traveling, you’re just the same person in different circumstances. Traveling does give perspective though which is important for self-understanding, and that can lead to growth. But it’s not automatic.

I spent the next evening with Thinh, a 29-year-old Vietnamese-Polish cook (formerly a digital marketer) and Charlotte, a 22-year-old gemologist. I had fun hanging out with them. While we were at a bar after I’d had a couple drinks I got on the topic of ants (shocking). I think I started by talking about how I used to dissect ant brains, then I moved on to what makes ants such an effective animal. I brought up game theory to try to illustrate my point, and I even ended up drawing the prisoner’s dilemma matrix on scrap paper. I have no idea if I got my point across effectively but Charlotte was very complimentary of my passion so I’ll take it. I also asked Charlotte for her initial impression of me and she said introverted and “adorable.”

On my final night I went to dinner with Thinh. I really don’t enjoy going to restaurants alone nearly as much as I do with company. Especially when the person I’m with is a cook that can speak the local language. Thinh quit a comfortable desk job in London to become a cook with very little experience, which is something I respect. But I’ve gotten used to being around people like that. When someone else me that they quit their job, sold all of their belongings and decided to live a nomadic lifestyle, that’s not out of the ordinary to me in the slightest. I’ve met so many people with a similar story. It’s odd to think about. Before I left, lots of people told me how they’d be afraid to do what I’m doing or that I’m somehow “brave.” I don’t think about it that way, it’s more that I got bored out of my mind and needed to break the cycle. That’s very much been the norm among the people I’ve met on this trip.

Later that night a pair of 18-year-old Canadian girls named Rosie and Octavia invited me to get ice cream with them. I’d met them earlier that day while I was doing laundry. All the ice cream places were closed so we ended up just walking around Lyon for an hour and a half. They were a funny duo. I enjoy seeing when friends develop a sense of humor between them. Most of it was them excitedly telling me stories about their travels while I’d inject dry humor into the conversation.

So yeah, that was Lyon.

[umichenginabroad]

Madrid Week 18: Ultimate Guide to Madrid

Hola a todxs!! 

Foreward to this super ultimate epic guide: I started this when I was in Madrid. I’m finishing the blog now, over a month later. Is my memory as sharp? No, but maybe that’s a good thing — only the most memorable things will make the list :). Hopefully this guide helps, even in its immensity! Onwards.

______________________________________________________________

Introduction

I think this post may be one of the most useful ones to any prospective study-abroaders who end up choosing Madrid as their destination. I hope that it's equally as useful to someone who might want to travel there for vacation. I wanted to pour as much of my knowledge of Madrid into this post -- a kind of all-encompassing guide, if you will. Of course, this will be nowhere near all-encompassing, because Madrid is an incredibly large city with endless things to do.

Nonetheless, I did my best to capture things I’ve experienced and learned from living here for 5 months, from January to June. This guide will be separated into sections/lists, and it will be long af (what’s new).

Also of note, I’ll mention “CEA” a few times in this post, which was the study abroad program I was involved with in Madrid. This guide still applies if you’re not with CEA, and it still applies if you’re not studying there. 

By no means is this post meant to be read from start to finish, but the information is all here so you can pick and choose what to focus on yourself. Let’s jump in.

Notes About Culture

Generally, Spaniards tend to live life at a slower pace than Americans. Mealtimes are later and longer, people value rest and time with loved ones very highly, and punctuality isn’t as important (in social situations). In general, this follows suit with the Mediterranean lifestyle, similar to Italy and Greece (my roots <3). Of course, it’s hard to say exactly what it would be like living in Spain as a real person instead of an exchange student studying there for 5 months, but I really loved Spanish culture.

Moving to Spain will certainly come with a culture shock, but many things are very similar to the USA — both are ‘Western’ cultures, so you won’t be flipping your entire way of life upside down (maybe just sideways). Anything I could say, you’ll find out yourself firsthand (most of the big differences will be explained in a study abroad orientation anyways). 

Adapting to and learning how to exist in this new culture was one of the most enjoyable and rewarding things I experienced in my time in Spain. Embrace the discomfort of it all and be kind to yourself, and I think you’ll experience the same!

A couple things I thought of randomly that I wish I knew beforehand:

You pay for your grocery bags. Don’t accidentally steal them and get called out by the cashier (embarrassing) (who would make that mistake…)

Madrid’s tap water is incredible (the locals will make sure you know that). Don’t pay for bottled water, ask for agua del grifo (tap) or un vaso (glass) de agua.

Public Transportation

One of my favorite things about Madrid? Its metro system. It is extremely well connected (and reliable), so much so that you’re never more than a 30 minute trip away from almost anywhere you could want to go around the city center. Combined with its pedestrian focused urban planning, this makes Madrid extremely walkable, which really improved my quality of life and happiness here (do better, US cities). Trains come really frequently, and the system is intuitive and easy to use.

Past the metro, Madrid also has a bus system and a regional above ground train system called Cercanias. I used the Cercanias to get to Leganes and Getafe, where UC3M’s campuses are located. The Cercanias are also very reliable, usually running on time and as expected. The buses are a tiny bit less reliable, but honestly I didn’t have to use the buses that often — metro covers most of the city.

Important things to know about the public transportation: 

It costs 8 euros (!) a month for adolescents under 25. This works for all public transportation in Madrid (not just the capital city of Madrid, the entire region). You need to have a special metrocard for this with your identity on it, which you can get by making an appointment with the metro company. More info here. Many study abroad programs (CEA included) will do this for you if you give them the right information in time.

The metro runs from 6 a.m. to 1.30 a.m. It’s very safe at night. Be aware of pickpockets at all times, especially on crowded metros.

The Cercania runs from 5am to 12am. Careful taking the Cercania alone at night when you’re far out from Madrid’s city center, the farther away you are from Madrid city center the weirder the people get (speaking from experience).

The buses run all day, and less frequently at night. Ditto on weird people on night buses, especially far out.

Settling in & Shopping

Where do you buy the essentials to get set up in Madrid the first week or so? Two recommendations:

Primark: Huge department store, they have a home section with a bunch of cheap stuff with pretty much anything you might need to get set up (towels, bedding, homey stuff, etc). Probably not the best for the environment but very good for your bank account.

El Corte Ingles: Corte Ingles is another huge department store common in Spain. The stuff here is a bit pricier, so I wouldn’t recommend getting things like linens here. It is great, however, for electric appliances (hair dryers, electric razor, straighteners —  Do NOT plug your appliances from the USA into the wall [don’t bring them], the voltage difference will fry your shit [rip my razor]), school supplies, etc. Some Corte Ingleses also have grocery stores in them — maybe on the pricier side, but still relatively very cheap compared to USA.

How do you set up your phone to work in Spain? There are plenty of options, but the one that I chose was an eSim from Holafly. If your phone is newer, you can download the Holafly app and get a new sim card digitally. Holafly is great if you anticipate using unlimited data -- you can get unlimited data that works across Europe (not just Spain) for $90 for 3 months.

Also, check out City Life Madrid and Smart Insiders. These organizations offer help/resources for internationals in Madrid. Check them out if you’re looking for housing, community, financial/legal guidance, etc. They have a ton on their websites.

Los Barrios

Madrid, much like many other cities, is split up into barrios (neighborhoods). Each one has a distinct vibe, but it all feels really cohesive (unlike Barcelona, which I talked about in a previous post). Madrid has their own website with great information, but here I’ll provide some more personal takes about each one. This isn’t all encompassing — there are more barrios that I didn’t mention!

Sol: The historic city center. This is where you’ll find all the most typical touristy stuff, which is awesome and definitely a must see. I lived directly in the Puerta del Sol, which is smack dab in the center of it all. Sol gets really crowded on the weekends, especially during tourist season, so it’s best to explore during the week or at odd hours. My best recommendation for exploring the area? Rick Steves tour! He does an amazing job, per usual, and I highly recommend it. Check out the listen tab and scroll down a bit for the audio tour and the map (free). The streets surrounding Sol are a bit pricier and more touristy, but there are still a ton of great options for nightlife and food (especially tapas).

Gran Via: The main street in Madrid, with all your big brand name stores. Some of the most beautiful architecture is there. Super busy big city vibes. I <3 the Schweppes sign.

Malasaña: Trendier neighborhood. Tons of thrift stores, cool bars, sweet cafes, tight streets, and generally great energy. Plaza dos de Mayo has great vibes at night too.

Chueca: Right next to Malasana, they are really similar. Chueca has a bit more shopping. It’s also the gay neighborhood of Madrid, you’ll find many queer-friendly shops and bars here.

La Latina: Probably my favorite place to walk around in the city, feels very open. La Latina has a ton of terraces, bars, and cute restaurants, perfect for a springtime outdoor meal. To me, it feels less trendy and more like, ooh yeah Spain. If that makes sense. El Rastro happens here.

Lavapies: A really pretty neighborhood. Very hilly with colorful houses, nice plazas, and cute cafes. Lavapies is a predominantly immigrant neighborhood, and consequently they have great African and South Asian restaurants.

Las Letras: Another great neighborhood for an evening stroll. Kind of feels like a mix between Malasana and La Latina, tight streets but still a ton of terraces. There are words on the ground with some cool history behind them too.

Salamanca: Little bit more high end neighborhood. Newer too, so there’s a grid system (makes it feel a bit less walkable, but it’s still nice). Didn’t spend too much time here, but there are some good restaurants and fancy shops to be found.

Madrid Rio: South of the city. Some really pretty walking paths. The place to be if you rollerblade.

Moncloa: Moncloa has a ton of chill, cheap bars. It’s right next to a ton of universities, so you’ll find a ton of young people hanging around here. Good vibes.

Chamberi: A really lovely vibe. Very chill, older and more traditional architecture, with some authentic cafes and bars for some tapas. Great for a walk (as well).

Attractions

Here is a non-exhaustive list of some of the major attractions to see/do in Madrid. Like I mentioned above, the Rick Steves tour gives a great overview the the most obvious stuff around the center.

See also the related google maps list: Cool Spots in Madrid 

Royal Palace: The Royal Palace of Madrid is the largest palace in Western Europe, and is 100% worth it to see the inside — it’s extremely ornate and beautiful. Make sure you book tickets pretty far in advance, because they do sell out (and you don’t want to wait in an extremely long line). I’ve had friends also book group tours which they said were worth it.

Puerta del Sol: See ‘Sol’ in the neighborhoods above. The literal center of the city (and country). You can’t miss it. 

Gran Via: Also see the section above. Also can’t miss it. But so beautiful. Definitely see it at night and day, all the buildings are lit up at night and the signs are so iconic.

Plaza Mayor: Old square. Very pretty. Look a bit closer at the walls to see the paintings, they’re underrated.

Retiro: The biggest park in Madrid. More on this in the parks section. Fantastic vibes year round.

Faro de Moncloa: Not enough people know about this! A huge tower in Moncloa that gives you panoramic views of the entire city. Very cheap and worth seeing once.

Chocolatería de San Ginés: Historic Churro restaurant, must try. Bomb af. Lines get long at peak hours. Open 24 hours on weekends (check their hours beforehand), which is so clutch after a late night out.

El Rastro: Huge flea market in La Latina. Happens every Sunday morning to afternoon. A good amount of touristy stuff, but a ton of great thrifting, artisans, and antiques as well!

Mercado de Motores: Huge market/fair that happens once a month in the train museum of Madrid — art, thrift, food, concerts. I never got to see it because I didn’t plan ahead — it happens infrequently so look it up in advance if it’s something you want to see.

Flamenco (Tablao las Carboneras): Flamenco is a must see while in Spain, IMO. Totally improvised, epic rhythms, very unique and exciting. Tablao Las Carboneras is the venue I went to — they rotate out the dancers and are very authentic. CEA takes you to one (for free!). Bonus points if you see Flamenco in the Andalusia region, where it originated.

Bull Fight (Las Ventas): Another incredibly unique cultural experience in Madrid. I went to one at Las Ventas arena, and I’m not going to sugarcoat it — it was brutal. 6 bulls get killed at a show, and it’s really sad to see it happen. Simultaneously, the whole experience was unforgettable. Bull fighting is kind of like a look into the past. It’s one of the few remaining blood sports that is still accepted and celebrated in the world (by some — many people protest it), and the entire event is rooted in centuries old tradition. The event I went to was nearly full, and seemingly all Spaniards. Not something I would go back to, but something I’m glad I experienced.

Templo de Debod: An Egyptian temple reconstructed on top of a hill in Madrid. The temple is cool, but the sunsets at the park that surrounds it are cooler. Every night, people gather here to watch the sunset go down over a beautiful view of the city & the Royal Palace. There is always great energy, buskers, and people singing/dancing. In the warmer months tons will bring a blanket and some food for a picnic. 10/10 vibes.

Catedral de Santa María: Another cathedral in Europe (you will see many). Right next to the Royal Palace. This one’s not a must see — but it’s free to enter and the stained glass / painted ceilings have a really colorful modern look to them that’s pretty unique out of the many cathedrals I saw in Europe.

Santiago Bernabeu Stadium: Real Madrid’s stadium. I never visited, but people say it’s epic. You can book tours there. Real Madrid games are really expensive, but if you can snag tickets (look ahead for cheaper games), the environment is insane.

Food

I won’t go into too much detail here either. The classic dishes can be found all across the city (and country), and you’ll get to know them quickly.  I loved the food in Spain, and the tapas lifestyle never got old. A couple notes:

Spanish food puts emphasis on the ingredients that make up the dish and shies away from using a ton of spices.

Spanish food is highly regional. Depending on the city/province you’re in, you can find very different specialized dishes. Look them up beforehand, and try the specialties!! They’re always better in their region of origin.

Spanish ham is the best ham. They feed the Iberian pigs acorns

Tortilla in spain is not a flat flour yummy thing. It’s more like an omelet. Better with onions.

Spaniards don’t really do spice. The normal takis (the purple fuego ones) you buy in the USA are labeled as the EXTREME MAXIMUM SPICE level in Spain. The other flavors with less spicy levels are still pretty good though.

Here’s a google maps list of restaurants and whatnot that I tried out when I was in Madrid (and some other Spanish cities): Restaurantes de España

Mercados

Madrid has a ton of great food markets that are nice for a friendly hangout, a grocery run, a lunch, dinner, etc. Each has a distinct vibe and some awesome food.

Mercado de San Miguel: This is probably the most famous market in Madrid. It’s really old, cool example of cast iron architecture, and will top many lists of attractions in Madrid. It’s right next to la Plaza Mayor in Sol. This is definitely the most expensive and touristy food market of all the ones on this list, but the food there is really good, and there’s a ton of awesome traditional Spanish options. I’d recommend going at an off time — otherwise you won’t find a seat. Look out for the giant severed fish heads sitting on ice in the corner.

Mercado de la Cebada: El Mercado de la Cebada is right in the heart of La Latina, and has a much more laid back, local vibe when compared to San Miguel. You can get quality meats and cheeses here, along with other ingredients you might be looking for. It’s also huge, and has as many restaurants as chill bars where you can grab a drink with friends.

Mercado de San Ildefonso: San Ildefonso is around the Malasaña area, and totally fits that vibe. The space is a lot more industrial, and has plenty of seating and tons of great food options (some spanish, some international — it’s kind of like a gourmet food court). The options here don’t sell groceries/ingredients, only meals.

Mercado Anton Martin: Similar vibe to la Cebada — a mix of (some really cute) restaurants, bars, and ingredients, but much smaller. The space itself isn’t dressed up as nice as San Miguel or San Ildefonso, but that brings some of its charm. Great if you want to buy some ingredients without feeling overwhelmed with options.

Yatai Market: An asian street food market near the center of Madrid. There are options here from a ton of cultures, and while I wasn’t blown away by the food, it was good, and the vibes were nice. If there’s a specific Asian dish you’re missing from home, they probably have it.

Cool/Iconic Landmarks

Madrid in itself is iconic, but there are a couple of memorable landmarks that I think are worth seeing (and whose image will be etched in my mind for eternity).

Palacio/Fuente de Cibeles: My favorite building in Madrid, with the fountain right in front. The palace bathed in golden hour light is required viewing.

Puerta de Alcalá: Right next to Cibeles/Retiro, a massive gate. Super cool. Also great in golden hour.

Metropolis: One of the most iconic and recognizable buildings, right at the entrance of Gran Via. Very photogenic.

El Oso y el Madroño: A sculpture of a bear and a strawberry tree in Puerta del Sol, representing the coat of arms of Madrid. Very cute.

Schweppes Sign: Yes, it’s just a billboard, right on Gran Via. But I liked it a lot. Wait for night and it lights up in fun colored patterns.

Tio Pepe: Another billboard, in Puerta del Sol. But an old billboard (Tio Pepe is a brand of wine). You can’t miss it.

Palacio de Cristal: Deep in Retiro Park, a glass “palace” that faces a lake. You’ll have to look for this one.

Las Ventas: Even if you don’t go to watch a bullfight, this building is really beautiful to visit! A bit out of the way, something you’ll probably only see if you seek out.

Puerta de Europa: A less visited part of the city for tourists, but worth seeing if you have the time and energy. This is located in the Financial District north of the city, which doesn’t have too much else except cool buildings, but the buildings are very cool. This was a stop on a rollerblading route I took once — highly recommend visiting it on wheels.

Museums

Madrid has a ton of amazing museums. The most important thing to note upfront? Many of them offer free entry for students. Do your research beforehand to make sure you’re not paying when you don’t need to! For almost all of these, I would recommend reserving tickets in advance to avoid lines, unless you’re going on a weekday in the offseason. Some museums also have periods of time where they let everyone in for free. Avoid these times — lines get insanely long, and you will probably wait a few hours unnecessarily.

Museo del Prado: Classical art, one of the big three in the “Art Triangle”. A beautiful building that has tons of super iconic paintings, especially from Spaniards (Goya, Velazquez, El Greco, Bosch, more). I liked it a lot. Reserve online beforehand, especially if visiting on a weekend. The area around the museum is also very beautiful, I recommend exploring.

La Reina Sofia: Modern Spanish Art, with a big focus on Dali and Picasso. In the Art Triangle. I’m not a huge fan of either, so the museum wasn’t my favorite, but I still think it’s worth seeing if you have time. The museum also has a cool cafe and an epic library that’s open for students to study in (if you register, for free). Highly recommend if you like quiet spaces.

Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza: A massive private art collection in the art triangle. I never got the chance to visit, but I have friends that say it was their favorite. It has a wide range of art throughout history with a focus on later centuries.

Museo Sorolla: One of my favorites. Sorolla was a very influential impressionist Spanish painter in the 1800s, and this museum is set inside of his house. It takes you through his most important works of art while you tour through his studio, living room, garden, and more. The house and the art were beautiful, and the museum is small. It’s very cheap for students. I recommend going on a nice sunny day so you can enjoy the private gardens to the max.

Matadero: Matadero resides in an abandoned slaughterhouse, and was repurposed into a cultural center. The space is quite industrial, and has a classical architectural style at the same time (really cool). Exhibits are constantly rotating in and out, from live performances to multimedia art pieces. They also have free screenings of movies for students, and an epic cafe. Worth exploring. 

I never visited the following museums myself, but I heard great recommendations for friends — worth checking out.

Archaeology Museum: Apparently, a very impressive collection.

Naval Museum: Self explanatory. My friend swore by this one.

Museo ABC: Drawing/illustration. The architecture of this space is really unique.

Royal Collection of Art: Classical stuff at the royal palace.

Museo La Neomudejar: Another more cultural center kind of vibe. Very modern, very chic, very industrial space. Apparently there’s room to study, too?

Parks

Madrid’s parks are top tier. You’re never far from green space, and “park culture” is also very strong — you’ll always find enjoying the parks with you, especially when it’s nice weather! One of my favorite things about this city.

Parque del Retiro: Absolutely massive and beautiful park next to the center of Madrid, and a must see. It used to be the private garden of a king. You could spend an entire day exploring — green space, running trails, a museum, a lake (with boats you can rent), fountains, monuments, the list goes on. An absolute vibe for any day of the week, especially a Sunday.

Botanical Gardens: Huge, beautiful, and worth checking out. They have a huge variety of plant species here. The greenhouse is my favorite part!

Casa de Campo: Even bigger than retiro. Less infrastructure/people, but more space and miles of trails for biking and running. There’s a pool here too that you can reserve spots for online for those hot days.

Parque de San Isidro: A nice park farther outside the city center. Notably, the Festival de San Isidro happens here on and around May 15th — a huge ‘county fair’ type setup, with rides, games, and free concerts. A huge botellon gathers here as well in the evenings, which is fun for a pregame.

Parque del Oeste: Equally as beautiful as retiro, but much more of a chill vibe, in Moncloa. It doesn’t get as crowded here, and is fantastic to set up for a peaceful picnic.

Parque de la Quinta de los Molinos: The place to see Madrid’s cherry blossoms when they bloom in the spring (February/March).

Parque Madrid Rio: A great development on Madrid’s river in the south, fantastic for walking, running, chilling, etc.

Cafes & Cafe Culture

Cafe culture in Madrid is quite different than it is in the USA. In Spain, there are two types of coffee. The first: regular coffee, which is a not so carefully crafted shot of espresso, with or without milk — kind of the equivalent to a pot of coffee you might get at a diner in the USA. Quick, easy, functional. You can find it at a more traditional spot, or at your university’s cafe. 

Then there’s “Specialty coffee”. Think of a nice cappuccino or cortado with that perfectly steamed milk, the beans freshly roasted, etc. The cafe itself will probably have a cute vibe too that’s nice for studying, meeting friends, etc. 

Because my university was far away from the city center, I did most of my studying in cafes like the one above — but this is a bit trickier than it might seem. Presumably because Spanish culture values social connection very highly, it’s really difficult to find cafes to study in on the weekends. Most will prohibit the use of laptops to preserve a vibe, which I simultaneously really appreciated and found quite inconvenient. Always check the website or call the place you want to go to before setting out — you may show up and find a “no laptops” sign on the table you sit at.

With that said, there’s no shortage of awesome cafes with great coffee and awesome vibes, for studying or hanging out. I visited over 20 and that’s barely scratching the surface. Below I’ve listed some of my favorites.

Rut Cafe: Very small, cute vibe, good wifi. The best thing about it? It’s one of the rare cafes that lets you study/do work every day of the week. Grinded here for my finals, very clutch. Also, I’m pretty sure it’s family owned <3

La Bicicleta: A very popular coworking space in Malsana, which is great if you don’t mind sharing a table with someone. The coffee here is quite good, and you can also get great food (and natural wine!). Study only on weekdays.

HanSo Cafe: Most notable for their brunch options. They make really good food (along with coffee), and have some really interesting japanese style options. Cool vibe inside too, study only on weekdays.

La China Mandarina: Less of a cafe, more of a bar — but a great vibe to work (in the afternoons, not in the evening, to preserve the vibe) if you want to switch things up a bit (trade a coffee for a vermouth? Yes please)

Ambu Coffee (Las Letras): Super tiny shop. Not the best for studying, but a very intimate space with bomb coffee (probably my favorite cortado) for a journaling sesh or a (friend) date?

Faraday: Never tried it, but looks so awesome. It’s a record shop with a cafe inside. Laptop restrictions definitely apply, so don’t try it on a weekend or in the evening (I got turned away :( )

Here’s a google maps list with these and more: Cafe de Madrid 

Communities

“Communities” is a very vague category. I would argue that solely living in Madrid comes with a feeling of community. I really felt a sense of connection and belonging to the city, which I believe stems from the culture of Madrid's vibrant city life (again, thank you walkability). 

Everyone can find their community in Madrid, as long as you actively seek it out. Here are some examples:

Rollerblading/skating: 

Integrating into Madrid’s rollerblading community was one of the highlights of my time there (I wrote a blog about how I got involved). There is a truly massive amount of people who blade/skate in Madrid, and people love getting together to go on routes around the city.

If you already love and practice rollerblading/skating, I promise that you will not regret bringing your skates (pack them in your carryon = no weight restriction). However, even if you’ve never tried it before, there’s a place for you in the community! Community members will regularly host lessons for all skill levels at the explanada (a big flat piece of asphalt covered ground, the rollerblading Mecca for Madrid) and lead routes through Madrid nearly every night of the week of varying speeds, distances, and vibes. 

The larger community also hosts Madrid FNS (Friday night skate), which is a very well organized route through the city with police assistance for road closure and an impressive attendance (try 500+ people!). Everyone I met was really welcoming of me as a newcomer and foreigner, and by the end of the semester I would see someone I knew at every event I went to. Speaking Spanish is a plus, but it’s by no means required — many people speak English (and some are looking for opportunities to practice!).

So, how do you get involved?

Follow @madrid_fns on Instagram — they post information (when, where, how, etc) about the big monthly skate nights. These are a blast, and a great way to meet people.

Follow @madridrollernight on instagram — basically the same event as Madrid FNS, just a different name.

Follow @rollerbirra on Instagram — they post some events and cool rollerblading videos of Spaniards.

Click on the link in @rollerbirra‘s bio (or right here) and join the Telegram group, nearly 2000 members strong. Telegram is a messaging app, similar to Whatsapp. In this group, people post information about lessons, city routes, and other rollering events in the city. Some will ask rollerblading/skating questions as well. Pick a route that corresponds to your skill level and go, no invite needed! From there you can meet people, who might add you to sub-groups, and maybe sub-sub-groups, where there are even more opportunities to meet up.

Follow @roller.secret.society on instagram and join their Whatsapp/Telegram group, links in their bio. Yet another group that posts about meetups, routes, etc., but a little smaller.

There are about a million more accounts and groups that you can find with a little bit of research. Getting involved was really intimidating for me at first, but all it took was getting to one event. From there, I felt welcomed and encouraged to attend many more throughout the semester. I hope you can get involved and have as much fun as I did.

More Communities!

La Bicicritica: I blogged about this too. Madrid’s version of critical mass, on the last Thursday of every month. Basically a party on wheels, more bike focused, a fantastic time.

Salsa, Bachata, Kilombe: There’s a ton of bars where people go to practice latin dance, and there are a ton of events that are free if you know where to look! Many venues hold weekly lessons/free dance events, and many of the same people will show up on a weekly basis. A friend of mine got heavily involved into the community of @mymo_latindance (the people there are really good!). This Whatsapp group posts flyers for events all week, many of which are free.

Couchsurfing Madrid: Madrid has a very vibrant couchsurfing community! If you don’t know couchsurfing, it’s basically a way to meet cool people and get free housing when you’re traveling (I wrote about my experience couchsurfing in Amsterdam). People also host a ton of great events for members of the community, and Madrid has a very strong one! The people there are a bit older, but all super dope and well traveled — I had a lot of fun at the events I went to. They’ll host bar nights, game nights, watch soccer games together, go to fun city events… the list goes on. Worth checking out! Just set your location to Madrid and browse.

Sputnik Climbing: Climbing may be huge in the USA, but it’s pretty big in Spain, too. Sputnik Climbing is a gym that I went to, and they have a bunch of locations throughout the city. Would recommend, great way to meet people.

ESN Madrid: I mentioned this in the UC3M blog I posted previously. Erasmus Student Network is basically an organization that hosts events for international students. There’s probably one for your university, and if there isn’t, you can join events from another Uni (they’re pretty open). Another good way to meet people — and go on some awesome cheap trips around Spain, too!

Social Rugby: I met a british guy at the bicicriti once, and he added me to the whatsapp group for their team. I never ended up going, but if you love rugby (or have ever wanted to try — no experience necessary), here ya go. It’s a very open, international group of people, and they have weekly practices and frequent matches. I would follow and DM them on instagram @madridlionsrfc and ask to join their whatsapp group. Alternatively, show up to their pub and see what’s good.

Alfar de Lavapies (Ceramics): I never got a chance to practice ceramics in Madrid, but this was the closest studio to me. They offer classes, but you can also just work in the studio — send an email and someone will respond to help you get set up (like they did for me).

Nightlife

Madrid’s nightlife is top tier. People are out and about every season, and you can find a party to go to nearly every day of the week. Things start late (club is empty at 12am) and end late (6am is a normal closing time), and there are seemingly endless options for things to do based on your preference. I wrote a blog about Madrid’s nightlife (another blog? go figure) with lots more details on the timing of things, the typical sequence of events, and drinking culture (+ a healthy amount of self reflection :P). 

There are two categories for recommendations I’ll make here: Bars and Clubs. Both of these are on the google maps list: Nightlife in Madrid 

Here are some highlights with more thoughtful descriptions below:

Clubs

The biggest, I repeat, biggest piece of advice I can give to anyone who wants to have a good night out clubbing in Madrid is to follow @mucho.fomo on instagram. This instagram account is goated. Basically, they post about every single electronic music event happening around the city, for every day of the week. All of that information can be found on their website. They’ll also frequently post lists you can sign up for to get into events for free. With this account/website, you’re golden for electronic music.

Another great resource for clubbing that is used around the world is Resident Advisor. Promoters list their events on RA Madrid. Similar to @mucho.fomo. 

Almost all club parties require buying tickets, either at the door or in advance. I’ll assert that all of my recommendations come from my personal preference in music and vibe, so take all of these with a grain of salt. These clubs/promoters are more well known in Madrid. There are countless lesser known events that are incredible and have fantastic music (and will still be listed on @muchofomo)!

Laster Club: The place to be if you like purist type techno. The biggest names in techno get booked here (Rodhad, Rene Wise, Luke Slater, Marron, DVS1, Oscar Mulero, etc). The sound system in Bassement is very good, and the club is pretty intimate. The crowd, while a little commercial, gets hype, I met really cool people there. Buy tickets in advance!

Mondo: Another one of the more famous clubs in Madrid, with a little more of a fun/light vibe and less of a dark/serious vibe when compared to Laster. Big names come here, maybe a little more mainstream than Laster. The club itself has great sound and an awesome open dancefloor.

Fabrik: The most insanely massive club in all of Madrid. At peak, it has 7 stages, all with huge sound systems and elaborate decorations and tons of people. Generally very intense, and can be overwhelming. It is quite far outside of the city center (look into their shuttle service), and going is a commitment. Events they host are less like parties and more like festivals (check out the CODE event for techno), and they get some big names. A good time if you’re in for a proper rave with thousands of people.

Goya Social Club: Great venue if you like house, deeper and groovier. Good DJs are always booked there on the weekends.

Laboratorio Octogon: Never got to go but it looks so sick. Look up @octogon360 on instagram to see what I mean. All kinds of music gets played here.

Also:

Kapital: This spot is really hyped up (7 floors, 3 stages, etc), but if you go there expect a transplantation of American party culture into Madrid — not necessarily a bad thing, but not an intercultural experience. Their disco ball was very pretty though.

Fucking Mondays: Same thing as above; It’s pretty much only tourists that go here. It is on a Monday though and almost always sells out, which is cool. If you want to go, get tickets pretty far in advance, or better yet, join a bar crawl (shoutout our guide Ben from pubcrawl! This was fun).

Bars

For every club in Madrid, there are even more bars. You can get a huge range of vibes depending on where you go. Bars open earlier and end a bit earlier (3 am ish) than clubs. Here are some recs:

La Vía Láctea: Super cool rocker type bar, with a pool table and generally great vibes and interior. Also historical — this was one of the main venues of La Movida. The crowd here is pretty international. Sometimes they have a DJ spinning vinyl old school bangers, and people bust down. Would recommend, get there early on weekends to avoid a line.

El Chapandaz: Being in Moncloa, Chapandaz gives much more of the college bar type of vibe. It gets really fun and rowdy, and the crowd is pretty local (There are also tons of other bars in Moncloa to grab a cheap drink beforehand). The inside looks like a cave (cool). Try their leche de pantera, but be careful — it sneaks up on you FAST (like it did on me). Get there early on weekends to avoid the line.

Jack’s Library: Cocktail speakeasy. There’s literally a secret password to get in (look it up online), it’s super fun. The cocktails are a bit pricier but very bomb af. Sit down chat vibe with amazing interior decor. Get there early on weekends to avoid a line.

Sala Equis: Bar that is located in a previous porno theater. The space itself is really chic and industrial looking — high ceilings, ivy, seating everywhere — great vibes. They also host events here frequently, and have live bands on Sunday during the day!

La Gílderia: Nothing too special about this place, but they specialize in vermouth and have a nice seating area in- and outdoors. Vermouth (Vermut) in Spain is a must try IMO. Spaniards drink it solo on the rocks with a little olive or orange peel and it’s just a great vibe. One of my favs, you can get it everywhere.

Haircuts

Just wanted to shout out Yolanda @yolbecool at Corta Cabeza (Barcelo), she did me so well and was sooo nice. They do edgy cuts well (i got a… mullet). Speaks English but is more comfortable with Spanish. Let her know Niko from USA recommended you if you go to her, and if not, they have tons of other talented stylists.

School/University

I already wrote about my experience going to university in Madrid at UC3M. Read on here!

Travel Within Spain!

Spain is an incredible country with a huge diversity of cities, natural beauty, and culture. A well connected train system makes travel around the country accessible and cheap. Here are some ideas:

Day Trips

Madrid is located smack dab in the middle of the country. Combined with the amazing public transportation, there are tons of day trips you can take!! CEA organizes a bunch of these, I recommend hopping in on the (free!) trips whenever you can, they’re well worth it and the staff is awesome (tell Dana and Miguel I miss them <3). The following descriptions are short blurbs, with my most recommended listed higher up in the list.

Toledo: A must see. Epic cathedral, tight streets, chill vibes.

Segovia: Roman aqueduct, amazing food, cool palace.

Valencia: Vibey town, nice beaches, modern museums, good paella.

Cuenca: Historic moorish city, with hanging houses.

Salamanca: Beautiful college town.

Cercedilla: Great hiking in the mountains outside of Madrid.

Ávila: Medieval vibes, walled city.

El Escorial: Palace, monastery, etc.

Alcalá de Henares: Birthplace of Miguel Cervantes, with a cool university.

Valley of the Fallen: Monument commemorating deaths of those in the Spanish Civil War. Has a huge cross.

Parque de Atracciones: Theme park. Very close to the city, and I heard that it had some pretty good rides.

Weekend Trips:

First, I would highly recommend checking out tour groups for trips within Spain and around Europe/Africa. The two that I know of are City Life Madrid and Smart Insiders, which I also listed in the Settling In section. I did a trip to Northern Morocco with Smart Insiders, and it was great — cheap price, well organized, awesome itinerary, and a fun/young group of people. Super nice to forget about the planning and just follow along for a change.

Of course, planning trips yourself is awesome too, and Spain has an incredible array of destinations. I could have spent every weekend traveling somewhere new, and regret not seeing more of the country. Big cities in Europe will always be easy to get to, smaller Spanish destinations not so much — take advantage! Here are some more noteworthy cities in Spain that deserve a weekend trip, again with my highest recommendations up first in the list:

Barcelona: Self explanatory, a must see (I compared Barcelona to Madrid in this post)

Costa Brava: A nice extension to a Barcelona trip. Mediterranean coast, small towns.

Sevilla: There’s so much to see here! The capital of Andalucia. CEA does a trip here as well, don’t miss it.

Granada: La Alhambra alone makes Granada worth visiting. Lots of Moorish influence.

Córdoba: Close to Granada, can see both in one trip if you plan it right.

Málaga: Big beach city on the southern coast.

Basque Country (San Sebastian/Bilbao): Basque country and language (Euskera) is very distinct from the rest of Spain. Super interesting, beautiful cities (and coastline), and incredible food. 

Mallorca: Island beach vibes. Palma is the biggest city, and parties a bit more — it would be worth checking this out and then one of the smaller towns for a more peaceful vibe.

Canary Islands/Tenerife: Ditto on the above. More tropical, and a bit calmer. People that went to Tenerife said they were joined by a lot of old British tourists.

Ibiza: Island beach vibes, but party to the max.

Picos de Europa National Park: Incredible national park in Spain. The mountain landscape was amazing and unique, and the small towns that surround it are charming. If you love nature, I wouldn’t miss this park.

Galicia: Galicia is a region, not a city. Regrettably, I never got the chance to go, but a trip to Galicia provides a chance to experience another unique Spanish subculture (and language — they speak Gallego). I hear that the coast is incredibly beautiful. The Camino de Santiago stops here, too, in Santiago de Compostela.

Lists

I made a lot of google maps lists during my travels, which is a hobby/impulse of mine, for better or for worse.  An important note about those — they contain all the places I’ve been, not just ones that I like. Make sure you check out my notes, because not every single one has a good review 🙂. Here’s all of them in one place, some of which were included in sections above, some of which were included in previous blogposts:

Madrid

Nightlife Madriz

Café de Madriz

Spots Guayes de Madriz 

Places to Try (things I didn't get to in Madrid) 

Spain

Restaurantes de España (mostly Madrid)

Sevilla 

Granada 

Barcelona (+ Costa Brava) 

Northern Spain (Picos de Europa, San Sebastian, Bilbao) 

Europe

Italy (Milan, Rome, Florence, Bologna, & more) 

Amsterdam

Berlin  

London 

______________________________________________________________

So, here ends my incredibly long and (hopefully) comprehensive guide to Madrid. If you get even one thing out of it, I’ll consider that an incredible W. I loved my time in Madrid, and the idea of helping others get the most out of their experience there too brings me a lot of joy. Let me know if one of my recommendations led you to an awesome experience, I would love to hear it :)

Don’t hesitate to reach out with questions, comments, or recommendations for how I could make this guide better — I’m always open and willing to talk! Have an amazing rest of your day, wherever you are in the world!

Ciaooooo,

Niko Economos

Aerospace Engineering

Universidad Carlos III de Madrid

Madrid, Spain

economos@umich.edu 

P.S.: This post is on substack too, which is a bit easier to share because you don't need an account to read on mobile. Read here.

[marlair]

Could you please write about first years x really tall reader who is above 6 feet? I'm talking 6'4 - 6'8 🙏🙏🙏 love your writings sm <3

he needs some milk

syn. in which you humble the NRC first years with sheer power (height).

gn!yuu

ACE TRAPPOLA

he’d probably invite you to the basketball club. sorry but i’m right, i’m the writer here. he would.

if you did join, good for you! you can enjoy your time together. kinda.

if you didn’t, though, i’m sorry for you- because this man will literally ask you everyday. 

outside of that though, he’s—

actually, he’s still not that good.

Ace would say he’s a fair person. He doesn’t do anything wrong, he was never rude; honestly? He’s sure he’s a saint.

You, carrying him on your shoulders, would like to say otherwise.

“Uhm, Ace,” you start, sighing exasperatedly before you continue, “why the heck are you on my shoulders? And why do we need to beat up Deuce?”

Ace scoffs haughtily at you, waving his shoulders and causing you to waver a bit, you weren’t really made for carrying others. 

“I’m on your shoulders because we need to beat up Deuce. We’re gonna intimidate him.” The redhead responds, as if anything he said makes sense.

“Ace, what the hell.”

DEUCE SPADE

he’s pretty normal about it. perchance. maybe not.

he probably also assumes you’re good at sports. long legs do have that effect on most people, i guess.

it’s not like he’s a short guy, so he doesn’t really need your help with anything.

he likes to think he doesn’t really care about your height, but you know otherwise.

it’s not like the dude would make fun of you— unlike a certain someone—, so you don’t really have to worry.

You find it kinda funny how Deuce always tries to look like he doesn’t have to crane his neck up to see your face. 

Scratch that, it’s really funny. He’s looking up, but his eyes are kinda looking down. What, is he trying to convince himself there isn’t a difference or something?

Actually, yeah, sounds about right.

Another thing you find funny is the fact that somehow, even with your towering height, Deuce is more intimidating than you. It’s not like you really put any effort into being scary, but it was just a little offensive! 

JACK HOWL

the poor guy experiences culture shock. lol.

he’s been the taller person for, like, most of his life.

imagine his shock when seeing you, a— sorry— rather plain human, being taller. by more than just a little bit.

imagine his shock when he lends his clothes to you, and they don’t even look that big! (unless you’re on the lanky, idia shroud side of tall. but still).

other than a mild and short-lived shock, he just doesn’t really care.

doesn’t seem like the kinda guy to.

you two, together, though? killer combo.

“Uhm.. We said we’re sorry—” the brown-haired 3rd year said, backing up slowly while the two second years behind him quivered— which was funny considering their rugged appearances.

But like, if two people who were well over 6 feet tall just walked up to you in the middle of lunch, demanding you “give grim back his chicken sandwich”, wouldn’t you be pretty scared?!

They didn’t even take it—

“Uhm,” the dark purple haired 2nd year hiding behind the 3rd year squeaks out (sounding very weird considering his deep voice), “I took it. I apologize!”

Oh!

…

All this, and for a literal chicken sandwich that was, what, 15 madol? That isn’t even expensive!

EPEL FELMIER

i’d like to apologize to epel in advance because it would actually look so hilarious to see you two together.

it’d be even funnier if, between the two of you, you were the calmer one. 

if you were the babygirl, so to speak.

there’s not much more to say than that the whiplash seeing you two together could kill a small cat.

When you think of a short student in NRC, the first person that usually comes to mind is Epel Felmier.

The boy in question doesn’t appreciate that.

And when you think of a tall student in NRC— well, a lot come to mind but one of the few most prominent is the Ramshackle prefect.

The prefect in question doesn’t really care.

And therein lies the issue. You don’t care about who is tall and who isn’t, but Epel does care. Very much so.

He eventually learns to be fine with being seen around you, though, even if it does mean his own height comes in comparison with yours.

SEBEK ZIGVOLT

a ‘weak human’.. being around his height? or taller?

culture shock 2.0. i feel so bad for him.

if he were any lesser person, he’d have attempted to recruit you to be a knight.

you’re a weak human, though, so he didn’t. 🤗

be grateful!

are you taller than malleus? you are, right? terrifying.

sebek would ask you to shrink.. sorry, but it’s true.

“WEAK HUMAN!” and just like that, your ears are broken. You don’t even know how you handle him screaming at this volume all the time. You’re dying, Lilia, help.

You look down (scary stuff) to meet his eyes, and he immediately starts talking.

“I’VE NOTICED—“

“Shh, keep it down.”

“Ahem, I’ve noticed that you are taller than the Young Master, so, I humbly request you shrink!”

…

Man, what the fuck.

[yuna-writes]

Is the grass greener on the other side?

Lately, I’ve been having thoughts about moving somewhere else and “starting over.” I’m unsure whether that’s a good idea or not. I currently don’t have strong feelings to move but I’m not exactly thrilled at the current area I’m living in. I thought about moving somewhere with more nature and wildlife but I also think I won’t be able to relate to anyone there and there won’t be anything to do but just look at nature. It’s going to get boring after a while. Peaceful, but not what I usually enjoy most of my time. Unless you like concerts, cowboy culture, southern food, and vintage lifestyle then it would be an ideal place to live in. 

Ideally, I think the best city that fits my personality and interests is probably Tokyo. The land of anime, video games, technology and convenient living which pretty much fits into my interests. The country is small enough for you to drive somewhere with a lot of nature, but the city is nearby and there are tons of things to do. I’m unsure whether life would be better there because Japanese culture is different. It’s a very competitive and a workaholic culture. I saw foreigners who decide to move to Japan only to move out shortly after because of the culture shock. There’s a saying, the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. The only way you know is to actually cross over and experience it. 

Currently, I don’t have strong desires to move to Japan. I live near NYC and they do have something similar but it’s not as technologically advanced or as interesting compared to Tokyo. NYC has a vast culture which I like, but sometimes I feel like the city is kind of dirty, expensive, overcrowded and loud. Tokyo is overcrowded but the city is much cleaner. I’m not sure what their noise level is, but I doubt it would be as loud compared to NYC. It’s just on my bucket list of places I might want to reside in, but I have no plans currently to move anywhere anytime soon. 

It’s not really so much I’m happy or unhappy in my current location but I realize I can’t really relate with the residence here and the events surrounding them don’t interest me as much. I can see how someone who likes concerts, sports, partying and likes to ride on boats would love it here. It’s really a place to raise a family. It’s just not exactly the right fit in terms of my interests and what I enjoy. I really spend my time in NYC going to anime conventions, gaming conventions, art exhibitions and tech meetups. I think I realize I tend to gravitate to cities that have more intellectual and cerebral type of events. Which a typical person around my age would find it strange and weird because normal people like to just go to concerts, meet their favorite celebrity, play a sport, or party. 

I’m still looking into places but I’m also trying to find content in my current location. I’ll never know maybe moving might have been a mistake, and I was far better off when I was in my previous place. I don’t think I would move countries, because that requires a lot more planning and I need to learn the language of a country to assimilate properly into their culture. I think NYC would be perfect if they took the advance technology from Japan and displace their current infrastructure. NYC does have events pertaining to Japanese culture, but it’s occasional and not really the norm.   

[lizzierybackwrites]

Top of the 1st

Home plate seems like a logical place to start. I was a catcher, after all. 

I never played baseball, only softball, but not for lack of interest. I like to tell people that when I was a little girl, my dad told me I couldn’t play baseball, but in truth it was less overt and more implied.

I’ve been thinking a lot about home lately, and not just home plate. 

My Marlins lost 6-4 to the damned Atlanta Braves tonight, damned only because they have an uncanny ability to constantly beat the pants off us. It was a loss largely due to home runs, and untimely walks. It’s so familiar it's almost comforting. Ever the superstitious fan, I mentioned to my mother, “I don’t want to lose this game,” on my way to say goodnight to her. Is the familiar where home resides? If that’s the case, I should’ve felt right at home tonight, but instead, I was restless.

I’ve lived in a few different places in my 33 years. I was born and raised in south Florida, and I’ve lived briefly in different spots in central and northern Florida, too. I did 7 years in Nebraska, which was a good dose of culture shock. I got to experience 101° at home and -26° in Omaha in the same year. 

My two brothers and the roots they’ve set down in the last 14 or so years reside in Cleveland, Ohio. Like many families, we’re spread out. California to Philadelphia, then down here to Broward County (Ft. Lauderale), and up to Cleveland in the middleish. My father, deceased, was born outside of Cleveland. His uncle and one cousin have been there more or less their whole lives. But it was my Marlins that defeated the Cleveland Indians in 1997, to win it all 4 years after becoming. I was 4 when Charlie Hough lobbed the first pitch in Marlins’ history before a sold out crowd at Joe Robbie stadium in Miami Gardens.

I saw so many innings in the heat, weathered endless late night Pro Player (neé Joe Robbie) rain delays. When I couldn’t be at the stadium, I listened with rapt attention to TV broadcasts where Tommy Hutton would teach me the difference between a slider and a curve. He’s my Vin Scully, the tone and pitch of his voice an indicator that I could leave it all alone for the next 9 innings, at least.

Is the familiar where home resides? Next to nothing about Cleveland is familiar to me. Visits here and there, good times and excursions, sure, but familiar is swampy heat. It’s the taste of sweat on my upper lip as clay falls out of my catcher’s mask and curtains in front of my face after a throw down to second.

We’re moving, my mom, dog and I, up to Cleveland next year. Our roots have shriveled up, cast into the ocean with a small box of ashes. Infield dimensions are regulation in major league baseball. The fences can come in, or move out, but home plate stays true. 12 inches on each side into the point towards second, and eight and a half inches down the sides–17 inches for the base. I’m reading a book on Cleveland baseball that Clare, my sister-in-law, gifted me. I’m learning and exploring in my own way, trying to hollow out a familiarity before I pack a single box.

The Cleveland Indians (now Guardians) started planning a grand stadium in 1927, the year my mom’s mom was born in Philadelphia. Municipal Stadium (Cleveland Stadium) housed much of the baseball history I’m familiarizing myself with, burrowing into.

The Indians played their last game at Municipal Stadium at the end of the MLB season in 1993, the same season imprinted in my mind as the Florida Marlins’ inaugural season. Construction on the site of the demolished stadium, to become the new home of NFL’s Browns, began in 1997--the year my Marlins held off the Indians for their first World Series championship.

This season, my last full season as a dedicated Marlins fan, is the 30th anniversary of my Marlins’ first season, and 20 years since our second World Series title. Somehow, as with so much in this damned sport, the stars are aligning to remind me that home isn’t always a house, a permanent, stuck place. Sometimes it's in the crisp pages of a new book holding the keys to your proverbial home.

How can you not be romantic about baseball?