I marvel...

These are things that make me happy, and nicely distinguish here from there. The little differences.

1. The winter tomato (above). Oh my, right there in the supermarket. So juicy it's indecent. So cheap it makes you want to have it in the alley on the way home. The mighty Ensalada-grade tomato, maybe a Euro-and-a-half per kilo. Sure, the fancy, striated, multi-colored showoff (we'd say "heirloom") varieties are there too, at twice the price and very nice. But these which look much like our staple disappointments turn out to be the real deal once you get them home. If you do. Ha-cha.

2. The metal pull-down shades. Nearly all buildings have black or white metal perforated shades on the windows, built-in, which, when pulled down nearly fully, release sparkling stars of light all over the room, and when pulled down totally, bring complete blackness. Bump into furniture blackness. Not only is this amazing for someone who works nights, as Gus sometimes does, but it can really give you a sense of privacy and containment at any time. And then, the sheer joy at lifting them in the morning (or afternoon) to discover blinding sunshine! Well, not today. Anyway, fantastic things.

3. Men kiss each other hello, with tender grace and true affection. This really contrasts with the chest-butting, horn-locking pantomine, "I'm not gay!" brand of physical greeting. Oh sure, YOU don't do that, male friend of mine, but neither do you warmly grasp your friend's shoulders, gently plant one on each cheek, and show some real unburdened love for your man. You also don't say "Besos" or "besitos" when you sign off on the phone (kisses, mua) to other men. Well, maybe that's just a Gus thing, but seriously, the men in the social world I'm observing are a lot less guarded around each other here. I like it a lot, it's natural and not at all provocative, just genuinely warm. Don't try this at home.

4. People here talk freely about sex, even when they're not drunk. And not as a passive-aggressive means of trying to get some. At least I don't think so. I see it as a real backlash against the old guard, repressive atmosphere of bygone dominant forces. The crowd I'm getting to know mostly range in age from about 25 to 35, so these are the people born in the first era without dictatorship. I won't make a lot of considered comparisons, you can do that on your own, but the upshot is there's a relaxedness about saying things right out, which invites frank discussion and a lot of exciting opportunities for sharing stories, laughing, and then getting drunk. See, it's all a chicken and egg game. Fun!

5. It's a lot more multicultural around here than I expected, in a limited way but one I appreciate. The crowd is heavily veined with Latin Americans and Caribbeans, North Africans and a light spread of East Europeans (mainly Romanians and Bulgarians), with a dusting of 'other'. Oh, and gypsy/Roma/etc. people. They're fascinating, without trying to romanticize their lifestyle and other-ness, I'll say that it's a treat to hear a drunk gypsy/Roma/whatever guy walking home singing in the middle of the night. But back to the main point, the effect is that in the neighborhood, I can hear Dominican music and buy Mexican or Ecuadorean foodstuffs, or hear Moroccan music and ... like that. Pretty cool.

Oh surely there's more but, it's time to go to the supermarket while it's still early.

Hasta luego!