by Sima Kalmens

The day draws near, very near. On October 2—this Friday—the International Olympics Committee will announce the host city of the 2016 Summer Olympics.

I look forward to the Olympic Games, summer and winter, biennially, but the 2016 bid is particularly important and exciting. Two of the bids are Chicago and Madrid (I actually had no idea what the other two bids were until I snuck a peak at Wikipedia, answer to all questions).

I am a bred Chicagoan, having lived there for the last sixteen years. I use linguistic aberrations such as pop when talking about soft drinks and some people pick up on my Midwest accent. So the prospect of the Olympics being held fifteen minutes away from my house (everything is 15 minutes away in Chicago) is horribly exciting. To think! No airfare, no hotel fare. Just gas money, horrible traffic, and time wasted trying to find parking.

What makes the bid even more interesting than the possibility of the Olympic Games in Chicago, is the fact that the other bid city, Madrid, is my current place of residence. Therefore, I cannot help but take part of the festivities. I consider it cultural immersion, not betrayal.

On Sunday, I attended the candidature celebration at La Plaza de Cibeles and contributed to the human mosaic of Madrid’s Olympic logo:

This is the aerial view of the incredible human mosaic, which thousands of madrileños assisted in making:

While it is entertaining being part of Madrid’s Olympic pride, my corazonada is for Chicago, because, well, I don’t need a $1,000 ticket to get there.

by Isaure Cointreau

For the fiftieth anniversary the bi-annual Cibeles Fashion week will stage once again Spain’s greatest designers. Between the 18th and the 22nd the show will be on at the Feria de Madrid while a special edition of the show will be presented to mark the 25th year of the event.

The IFEMA will be showing off some new features launching and promoting Spanish Fashion as a whole. While announcing the return of Adolfo Dominguez and Roberto Verino on the Madrid catwalk, could there be more? The Cibeles stage will be awaiting the work of fifty six designers, and to that number we would have to add another thirty five who will present their collection in the EL EGO showroom featuring direct sales to the public.

However on the 21st the Feria will pay a huge tribute to a great Spanish fashion master Elio Berhanyer, who just celebrated his eightieth birthday this year. This September edition will also fire the most outstanding Spanish models such as Tammy, Natalia lopez, Esmeralda Martin and Irene Jimenez.

An event to look forward to.

by Isaure Cointreau

From now on until the 30th of October the Casa Asia of Madrid has inaugurated a fabulous exhibition portraying China from its early communist years until now. Through a brilliant selection of photos and documentaries China will have no secrets for you.

The history of this country is one that the world has forgotten to acknowledge stopping at the red flag and leaving a shadow behind it. However the Casa Asia sheds some light upon the subject throughout a short but very well laid out exhibit.

All that is presented can be seen as a real archive or document that retraces what has happened, what was there and who were these people who fought for an ideal, linking the past to the present. It is about the story of a country and the people behind it, who have now become authentic symbols of history. Although it is a long tryptique, I would recommend any visitor to sit in the leather couches and watch the documentary that is showing.

The pictures have been collected during four years of research by the curator Liu Heungshing. The aim of the exhibition is therefore to document through shots, either of private or public life, the grand political moments of China from 1949 to 2008.

by Isaure Cointreau

At the center for contemporanean art, the last play of F. Garcia Lorca will be performed with two leading ladies of the Spanish theatre. The Matadero center will be enjoying the performance of Nuria Espert and Rosa Maria Sarda in “La casa de Bernarda Alba”.

They will star in this famous theatrical tragedy about the mourning of a husband. Bernarda Alba is the main character and as she suffers being a widow she demands that her daughters do not leave the house to pay homage to their long gone father.

Lorca had written this rural drama in 1936 wishing to denounce the Spanish traditionalist society. Therefore the story is set in Andalusia. Bernarda is tyrannical imposing eight years of sequestration upon her five daughters and two servants. All women in the cast, none of them hardly knew any man. Angustia is the only one who got engaged before this tragic fate, but Adela the youngest secretly meets the fiancé. This little twist is what leads the story.

What is this really about? To be sure it has a hidden purpose in the lines written by the famous playwright and poet, aiming for a severe criticism of moral and religious prejudices.

Therefore from the 10th of September until the 25th of October you will be able to meet with the finesse of Lorca and the wonderful act of N. Espert and R. M. Sarda. Enjoy!

by Isaure Cointreau

La Noche en Blanco’s fourth edition is a night everyone can be looking forward to. From 9 O’clock PM to the very early hour of 7 AM Madrid will be filled with music, theatre representations and art exhibits. On one night the day will see no end giving you no reason whatsoever to go to sleep.

This concept of gathering people around the arts through different genres of activities and entertainment is spreading throughout Europe as the white night has been adopted in several capital cities such as Paris, Rome, Brussels, Riga and Bucharest.

As a public and completely free of charge Festival, one can expect Madrid to steel New York’s appellation for a night as in the “city that never sleeps”. Around a million and a half are expected to walk down the capital’s street so prepare yourself to have a good time on the town.

There will be 295 performing artists participating at 172 different activities following one central theme of “the gift”. The center will be overthrowned by the festival’s lights and leisure around locations such as Tirso de Molina, Plaza de Chamberi and el Rio Manzanares . However one has to be aware of the fact that the activities have been divided into four zones. Center, North, South and College perimeter are where they are spread out so check out the shows that will take over you neighborhood.

On the 19th of September prepare yourself for a night trip you will never forget. Sharing Art and contempory performances with Madrilenians, what else?

by Isaure Cointreau

Watch out, this show could slip through your hands without you noticing it, though what a shame it would be! The illustrious Bolshoi Ballet will be in the capital of Spain for six night performances at the Teatro Real. One can be sure that it will be an incredible experience.

The fact that it is the Bolshoi Ballet performing from the 5th until the 10th of September makes a big difference. Not only does the name refer to a historical muscovite theatre, it is also a reference to the oldest and greatest ballet and opera companies of the world. Therefore, as the chosen piece for the opening season Spartacus will be playing in Madrid.

This Ballet was launched in Moscow in 1968 and forty years later it has its place among the classic and most vibrant pieces of the Russian masterpieces known worldwide. While Yuri Barlaka pulls the strings of the show, the Teatro Real’s stage will set us in ancient Rome where Spartacus leads all the slaves of the Roman Empire into rebellion. Grigorovich’s choreography is known for its extraordinary dynamism and with moments such as the “pas de deux” of Frigia and Espartaco, one can expect to be swept away.

This is one of September’s hot shows and one not to miss. Indulge yourself with Spartacus’s beauty and ideaology, the Russian company’s grace and thrilling rhythm will set you free.

by Isaure Cointreau

A little science if you please?
Celebrating the scientist’s bicentenary, as well as the 150th anniversary of the publication of the once most outraging book ‘The origin of species’, the Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales is having from now on until next January an exhibition on the work of Charles Darwin.

Shedding some light upon the life on earth and therefore reestablishing truth upon our knowledge of nature, genetics and human history, Darwin published a theory he knew would feel as a revolutionary earthquake. As Copernico discovered earth was not the center of the universe, Darwin discovered that we were all animals and every living thing was once somewhat related. Adam and Eve were there dethroned from their explanatory position upon the subject of the human race, and genetics made their way.

Today we all know that our cousins are monkeys and that worldwide we are one big family, however lets not forget that the one responsible for this understanding is Mr Darwin himself. Another fact that he had proven during his career was that of the natural selection. Only the strongest would survive.

The exhition illustrates the life of this geologist, naturalist, and thinker of the 19th century, throughout which we can find parallels to other scientists. Therefore the exhibit is organized into four main sections as in the historical scientific context, Darwin’s precursors, Darwin’s history and discoveries, and Darwinism in Spain. A rich program for a well displayed show of explanations upon the evolution of nature and life on Earth.
This is one not to miss.

by Isaure Cointreau

One night while I was walking down the street I was surprised by the number of people hanging out in front of the supermarket. From where I stood they looked pretty busy as if they had lost something. The closer I got to them I realized they were actually looking for something very specific: food.

Looking into the trash bags for edible fruit, meat and bread; they organized their finds in little piles carefully guarded by their partners. They didn’t look as hoboes or anything; they were just smart enough to take advantage of the situation. However I was pretty shocked of the amount of goodies they would later on take back home. The street then appeared to me as the illustration of the waste Capitalism makes us all contribute to. Though it made me realize the tragic fate of consumerism, I was still a bit skeptical upon Freeganism. Because I had so many questions upon this movement, I decided to join in as a tryout.

Apparently when the supermarkets close they take out all the products they cannot sell anymore so that an hour later they would be picked up by the garbage collectors. Since I saw the Freegans at 10h30 and the Carrefour closes at 10h, it made sense.

At 9 O’clock one night, a friend and I met up in Malasana to have a drink. Although the police was present the botellon on plaza 2 de Mayo was on. Dogs running around, their owner happily enjoying their friend’s company with beer or sangria, summer was in the air. In between conversations, I brought up the subject of dumpster diving. Explaining to Abby the movement and what I saw the other night, she agreed to join me. When our glasses were emptied we then moved to the supermarket for our little experience.

Just as expected, a bunch of people were checking out the belly of the bins at the exact same time. Stopping their activity for a few seconds, they all looked at us as if we were intruding. They seemed to all know each other, and it felt as if they were related, as one could feel somewhat of a family vibe going on. They were all Latin American looking women of different ages; some could be around 20 others maybe 60. It seemed pretty obvious that they had been there for a while as their bags were already full. I counted 5 of them.

Starting to put our hands to work, we found baguettes, steaks and salad. All were wrapped up in cellophane so the question of sanity needn’t to be asked. Seeing that we were actually going for it, the Freegan’s attitude changed completely. We started talking and they gave us bags to put our finds in. The wall between us had been destroyed as for a few minutes we would share a same motivation in the lookout for interesting products.

When we parted we could not believe the amount of stuff we had found, and the fact that all of this was considered waste felt incredibly wrong. Having a wild guess, the food we found altogether would have been able to feed at least 20 people. Considering this process takes place everyday, why not make a donation? I’m sure many shelters would be delighted by this contribution. Multiplying the number of supermarkets in Madrid to the amount of edible food that goes on the street, one gets a heartbreaking picture of perfectly avoidable waste. Although some people find it profitable to them, it still feels outrageous.

However I can’t help it wonder, does Starbucks‘s people by any chance carefully wrap up their muffins when they throw them out? 

by Ruth Kenny

EARTH HOUR is a global initiative by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) which asks people to turn off their lights for one hour to show their support for action on climate change. It was created two years ago by environmentalists in Sydney and up to one billion people are expected to partake in tonight’s black-out. It is a symbolic event, designed to engage people in the climate change discussion.

This evening at 8.30 on a small archipelago off the coast of New Zealand the lights will go out, sweeping from time zone to time zone across Asia, through Europe and North America spanning the globe. Last year more than 50 million people representing over 400 cities on all seven continents participated in the project. The idea is to create awareness of the issues surrounding climate change, to promote carbon efficiency in our daily lives. In Madrid several buildings will extinguish their lights in consolidation with the venture. Among the buildings to be included are the Royal Palace, the Congreso de los Diputados as well as several enterprises with offices in the city. The political parties have also voiced their support for the initiative.

From 6.00 to 9.30 this evening there will be activities in the city to mark the event, notably at the Plaza de la Independencia in Retiro, where there will be a series of workshops, artwork and a performance by drummers “Tazajo Tamboó” . Not to be missed! Also don’t forget that daylight saving starts tomorrow and clocks go forward by one hour at 2am. Roll on Springtime! The longer evenings in the weeks ahead will put a spring in the step of the average madrileño and are a perfect excuse for post-work cañas y tapas at a lively terraza!

by Tim Anderson

In August, Zara, the fashion phenomenon from Galicia, overtook GAP to become the world’s leading fashion retailer.

In an extraordinary year of growth, the Spanish giant increased sales by 25% in 2007. Their recent growth was so strong that it allowed it to overtake long standing numero uno GAP at the top of the table. How much is that worth? 2.22 Billion Euros in jackets, coats, t-shirts, pants and accessories. And that was only in the first 3 months of 2008.

Started in the late 1970, Zara revolutionized the fashion industry by changing the distribution model. Where normally a fashion house would try to predict the coming season’s style 6 months in advance so that it could design, have made and then distribute their designs to their stores, Zara cut the cycle down to just 2 weeks so that it could instantly respond to changes in the market and get clothes out into the stores before the trend disappeared. It also meant that they were rarely left with excess stock because they could replace a failing line with something better in such a short time without having to make massive pre-orders.

Zara’s reclusive owner Amancio Ortega, who shuns the limelight and rarely interviews, still lives and breathes his fashion behemoth from his home outside La Coruña, in Galicia. His policy of investing in more stores rather than spend on advertising has made Zara a label of envy around the fashion world.

It’s just a shame that they don’t have more excess stock, the New Year sales won’t be so great for us!