Laura Davy reflects on life as an editor in her newest comic…
Bullfighting at Las Ventas
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They say that if the conditions are right and you are close enough to the ring, you can smell the blood being spilled at a bullfight in Spain. Certainly the gruesome and violent nature of this centuries-long Spanish tradition has been condemned by animal rights activists internationally and has even prompted the Spanish province of Catalonia to outlaw the sport all together. However the sport endures, especially in the southern region of Andalucía and in Madrid.
Plaza Mayor, Madrid
It was mostly curiosity that compelled us to buy tickets to a bullfight at Madrid’s legendary Las Ventas bullring. Admittedly, we were also swept up in the romantic idea of attending a bullfight in Spain. Visions of passionate crowds yelling “olé” in unison as brave and daring toreadors in gleaming costumes waved colorful capes in the air seemed to distract from the fact that the bulls were there to be killed. This fact only became more and more clear in the days leading up to the bullfight. Proponents of bullfighting defend the sport as a wholly invaluable cultural practice that has defined Spanish culture around the world. While the iconic status of the toreador cannot be denied, one must ask if this is worth the lives of innocent animals. To go even further, do the Spanish people want to be known as a culture that celebrates the slaughter of animals for entertainment? Pushing aside these conflicting feelings was not easy but necessary if I wanted to remain objective. So on a drizzly Sunday afternoon in late September, we caught the metro to Las Ventas, hoping to be enlightened, but anticipating sadness.
Bullfighting in Spain generally takes place on Sunday evenings from mid-spring to early autumn. We were fortunate to be in Madrid for one of the last corridos of the season. We climbed the stairs, away from the dark, humid metro and emerged to stand in front of the brilliant Las Ventas bullring, widely regarded as the “Madison Square Garden” of all bullrings, where only the best bullfighters have the privilege of performing. The graceful arches and mosaic details of the building helped establish an undeniable sense of place. It felt as if we were in the inner most chamber of the heart of Spain. I expected to see tourists, like us, lured to the bullring out of morbid curiosity. But there were also older Spanish gentlemen who looked as if they had been coming to bullfights their entire lives. There were families with kids, young couples and even bands of old ladies with colorful umbrellas. Once inside the bullring, our anticipation was almost palpable but tinged with a tiny bit of fear. Continue reading
Foods of Spain
Recently I traveled to Spain for a two-week vacation. My three traveling companions and I were in agreement that the main objective of the trip would be to eat and drink our way through the country. We visited three main regions: Madrid/Toledo, San Sebastian and Barcelona. With its cheap wine and beer and a wide variety of snacks and meals to fit every budget, Spain is an ideal food-lovers destination. Please enjoy the following photo tour!
COMMON FOODS
Snacks comprised of olives, pickled vegetables and fish are heavily featured throughout Spain. The trays shown above were in the Mercado de San Miguel in Madrid.
Padrón peppers, also quite popular, are commonly served fried and coated with olive oil and course sea salt. On the spicy scale they are mostly mild-to-medium, although every once in a while you’ll find one in the bunch that is tongue-numbingly hot.
Fried potatoes are also a common dish. The patatas bravas variety comes slathered in a spicy tomato sauce and served with garlic aioli for dipping. The dish pictured above was topped with chorizo “chili” and fried egg.
One of the best late night snacks in Spain: churros dipped in hot chocolate. It’s important to note that this is not the kind of hot chocolate you find here in the States. Hot chocolate in Spain (and indeed, in many other European countries) is deliciously rich and thick, with a consistency that is less watery and more like fondue.
Next up, a Spanish classic: paella. This creamy risotto-esque dish flavored with saffron and meat/seafood is another staple you see everywhere in Spain, although you’ll find the best paella in its originating city, Valencia (which we did not visit). Fun fact: authentic Valencian Paella is made with rabbit and snails. Other common types are paella de marisco (seafood, pictured above) and paella mixta (mixed paella, usually with chicken and seafood).
FOR THE LOVE OF PIG
The most prevalent food throughout Spain is undoubtedly jamon: dry cured Spanish ham. To be more specific, Jamón ibérico, from the black Iberian pig found throughout southern Spain and Portugal. You know jamon is big when it gets its own Pringles flavor…
Keeping with the piggy theme, in Madrid, we ate at Restaurante Botin – the oldest continuously operating restaurant in the world, according to the Guinness World Records. Sucking pig happens to be their specialty and it didn’t disappoint, with crisp, crackling skin crunching with each bite.
PINTXOS/BAR SNACKS
In the Basque country, in particular San Sebastian, almost every bar top is covered in platters of pintxos: bite-sized bar snacks usually skewered by a toothpick onto a piece of bread. They can be very basic or incredibly fancy. Some places charge you based on the number of toothpicks left on your plate after you finish; others make you pay up front after you load up your plate. Prices generally range from 1-3 euros per pintxo.
The highlight of our pintxo experience was probably Bar Zeruko in San Sebastian. The pintxos here were the most creative, going above and beyond the simple toothpick-and-bread variety.
MOLECULAR GASTRONOMY
Spain has a large quantity of restaurants which feature experimental cuisine. The term “molecular gastronomy” best describes the food and cooking techniques at these places, where dishes are transformed, deconstructed, and more or less are not what they seem. I was lucky enough to visit two such restaurants: Akelaŕe in San Sebastian, and Tickets in Barcelona. The former boasts three Michelin stars and the latter is run by the Adrià brothers of the famed (though now closed) elBulli. Our dining experiences were entertaining and delicious, although definitely a splurge in both cases. Check out this sampling of photos of things that were as fun to stare at as they were to eat (hover over each picture to see a description).
RELATED LINKS
Mercado de San Miguel Official Website
Have you been to Spain? What did you think of the food? Have any recommendations? Let us know in the comments section or via our Facebook and Twitter accounts.
My Visit to SFMOMA
Meet Zhuoran, one of our new interns visiting from China. A few weeks ago we took her to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA), a few blocks away from our office. Below are her reflections.
When I first walked into SFMOMA, the first thing I saw was thousands of white computer-controlled LED spheres hanging from the ceiling; they dimmed and grew brighter, creating shapes. It was hard to see what the shapes were, but later when we went upstairs the shapes were clear: two dark figures boxing or practicing gongfu (kung fu). Very interesting. It was a new temporary installation designed by Jim Campbell, a local SF artist.
SF MOMA Lobby
Visiting SFMOMA was a good opportunity for me to better understand the fine art of photography. Before, I imagined photographers were just people with fancy cameras. I thought if the camera was good enough and the subject matter was beautiful enough (for example, super models or a scenic view) then their job was easy. After visiting the museum, I learned that photography is more than that.
Spotlight: Sretsis
Sisterly Fashion Love in Bangkok ~
Bangkok Thailand, a place known for its buzzing street markets and mega shopping complexes, is a shopper’s paradise. Trying as I did to experience all that Bangkok shopping had to offer, I was taken on an exciting ride. From scouring the endless, cramped, humid markets that stayed open until the wee hours of the morning, to strolling the countless gleaming air conditioned malls Bangkok, proved to have something for everyone.
That something for me was Gaysorn, Bangkok’s premium shopping center. This shopping experience was on the opposite end of the sweaty street market spectrum. Gaysorn was a breath of polished, (air conditioned) fresh air. Dior, Fendi, and La Perla all have homes here, but the store I was most interested in locating was Sretsis.
With the annual release of their Summer Love collection, this store was on my must see list. The collection, titled “Oh, My Dear, Deer!” held true to the Sretsis signature: playful, feminine, and sophisticated with these components reflected in the décor of the store. Black hardwood floors met light colored fabric panels on one side and clean white walls on the other. Furniture straight out of a Victorian fairytale invited the clientele to sit and try on the drool-inducing shoe collection. Ruffled jumpers and lace tops hung from the branches of a faux tree planted in the center of the store. From their collection to their store, Sretsis hit the nail of femininity and luxury on the head.
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Sretsis, which is “sisters” spelled backwards, is the brainchild of three fashion-forward sisters. Graduating from New York’s Parson’s School of Design, Pim Sukhahuta embarked on creating this international brand. With her sister Kly who handles the marketing, and Matina who created an accompanying accessory line, these three sisters went from playing childhood dress up to dressing fashionable women across the globe.
Sretsis
999 Ploenchit Road
Gaysorn 2F-28, Bangkok
http://www.sretsis.com/
Photos by Heather Perry
What did you think of Heather’s review? Or the Bangkok shopping scene in general? Let us know in the Comments section or via our Facebook and Twitter pages!