Madrid, 7th June 2005
Hello everybody. Here is the first message from Madrid, written between 4 and 7 of June 2005. I am writting this text in my new home, where I'll be staying during the next six months. The adress is:
João Paulo Costa
Calle Emilio Ferrari, 38 B, 2º C
28017 MadridEspaña
This house is situated in the center-east zone of Madrid, near a underground station with two lines. The street is formed by small buildings three or four stories high. In our house there are three rooms,a kitchen , a living room a nd a bathroom. I spend around 45 minutes to gt to the CIEMAT.
[note: the underground in Madrid is formed by around 160 stations, served by a net of 12 lines, one of them specifically for the airport. there is also a station just near the railroad station of Chamartin].
*Trip:for anybody interested: there is a daily train that makes the connection Lisbon-Madrid. Its name isLusitânia Expresso, leaves at 22:01 from Santa Apolónia (Lisbon), to get to Chamartin (Madrid)at 08:40. It stops by in a dozen stations on its way. This was the train that I got last wednesday, traying tosleep in a sitting place, something that was almost impossible. Maybe I'll try to reserve a bed in future trips.
First Note: an australian man that was seated in the row just next to me (we were both on the aisle) had put its railway ticket between the chair structure and the pillows. however, when the train startedto move, the bouncing movements made the ticket fall just between those to structures, becaming this ticket impossible to retrieve and show to the train inspectors. One of the train employees tryed to reach the ticket but could not. Eventually they gave up trying, but were courtous enouth not to charge another passage.
Second note: just before the train leavs, a young couple quikly run to the end of the wagon, where there was a unocupied bathroom, and did not get out until the train leaves. Unfortunately for them,one of the tickets inpector was very insistent in verifing why the bathroom door was locked. A while later the couple was discouvered and escorte back to a place near the door, and thrown out the next station (still in Portugal).
*Madrid: so far this sity has not made a huge impression on me. However, as of this writting I have not seen muchbeyond some innhabitant places, while i was lookng for a place to live. Last sunday I visited the bookfair, that took place in Parque do Retiro, a very nice park right in the center of Madrid: this park is huge. It has trees, gardens, a enourmous artificial lake (where dozens of small boats can be rented), several paths, under the sun or shade, low buildings. There are also several cafes, street vendors - that sell from sunday snacks to illegal movie DVDs. Also present are paintors: of portraits, humurous portraits, normal and phantastic landscape. Just next to them are the statue-men and also fortune-tellers: some respectable-looking ladies and men sitting just by some tables, with decks of Tarot cards,stes of stones and other objects, that charge 10 euros to read your future.
*D. Quixote de la Mancha: Maybe due to the birth or death of the author, Miguel de Cervantes, or due to the publication date. But right now there are dozens of references to this character and book almost everywhere. In the book far, naturally, several stands presented different edtions of the books, fromthe very simple to the luxury ones, covered with leder and with lots of footnotes. Besides, yesterday,in the television, two people were reading from this book, in a program that was something like "ten minutes of reading a day".
*The project:After two conversations with Ignacio Cruz, during the week of 23 to 29th May, I could establish the mainlines of the project, inlcuding what should be done, wh what schedulles, etc. At the time I was here fora brief visit of two days, and left in a bad mood, with too much heat, hating the constant worries andrunning around to get this nad asking myself whether I had done the right decision. At least I had a project.
This will take place during the next six months, finishing (I hope) around the end of November. It is about the development if a control strategy to an hybrid system: what to do to make sure that we getthe most possible energy? Or to get the longest lifetime? Or the least possible polution? etc...
For that, I am, for the time being, dewlving into papers that deal about energy systems control, which should take me a while until I get a clear picture of what to do and how.
*News: During the last couple of days the news have been mainly about two things: (1) the vitory of the spanish tennis player Nadal in the Roland Garros, being only 19 years old - one of the daily newspapers published aphotograph of the player being complimented by the King Juan Carlos, with the headline "Spain has twokings", and (2) the fact that Madrid is a candidate city for the olympic summer games of 2012: there are banners everywhere in the city to support that decision, an already a celebration went on, for wich one of the big avenues had to be temporarely closed (I only knew about this by the TV news). The decision is to be made whithin a month.
*Last small considerations regarding Germany
- Punks, dogs and beggars: I read somewhere that the punk movement originated in Germany. In Kasel I could see several groups of punks, almost always with one of more dogs, in the street begging. Despitetheir marginal loks, they did not seem violent nor a huge menace.
- Open sky: One of the things I miss the most is the open sky views and trees everywhere, as they were in Germany. In the nordic countries, the Sun i precious and rare: therefore the windows are huge and thestreets open and large, for the light to go in. In Spain, where the Sun burns, the natural light entrances are rather narrow.
- Nice climate: In retrospective, my stay in german lands was done with exeptionsl good weather: almostno rain in Oldenburg (which was excelent, for we had to ride the byke constantly), and only some snow.We'll see whether the climate in Spain is also nice, in its dryness, high radiation level and heat.
*first differences observed between Spain and Germany:
1- climate: it' hotter in Madrid that there ever was in Kassel or Oldenburg.
2- It' really hotter in Madrid that there ever was in Kassel or Oldenburg.
3- It' really really hotter in Madrid that there ever was in Kassel or Oldenburg.
Allow me to explain: here in Madrid, during the morning, there is still a fresh wind, as in Lisbon afresh wind comes from the river Tejo and the sea. Madrid seems to be only built by concrete buildings,reflecting sufaces and not many trees.
4- Trash: like their iberic cousins, also the spanish seem to lack the streght of will to put the trashobjects into the correct containers. This is visible almost everywhere I went.
5- Working hours: sevral stores ("tiendas"), though not all, close during the worst heat hours (betweenmidday or two o'clock and three to five), and reopen again from that time until about eight or nine o'clock. Cafes, on the other hand, open later but stay open until ten pm or even later. However thereis not much noise in the street. After having been used to store hours in Germany, I'll have to mentally reorganize to a complete different schedulle.
6 - Telephones: as in Germany, there a re several stores that sell phone cards and internet times. LikeGermany, they seem to be managed mostly by emigrants: here in Germany they are motly from South America.However, the cabins present inside the shops work in a different way: the costummers cannot use their cards to phone form there (!!!!!!!), but must take it to a normal payphone or used a domestic one. MaybeI just got a not vey honest shop. With more explorations, I'll know more...
With this news I say goodbye, and until my next post. Greetings to all!
João Paulo Costa
Calle Emilio Ferrari, 38 B, 2º C
28017 MadridEspaña
This house is situated in the center-east zone of Madrid, near a underground station with two lines. The street is formed by small buildings three or four stories high. In our house there are three rooms,a kitchen , a living room a nd a bathroom. I spend around 45 minutes to gt to the CIEMAT.
[note: the underground in Madrid is formed by around 160 stations, served by a net of 12 lines, one of them specifically for the airport. there is also a station just near the railroad station of Chamartin].
*Trip:for anybody interested: there is a daily train that makes the connection Lisbon-Madrid. Its name isLusitânia Expresso, leaves at 22:01 from Santa Apolónia (Lisbon), to get to Chamartin (Madrid)at 08:40. It stops by in a dozen stations on its way. This was the train that I got last wednesday, traying tosleep in a sitting place, something that was almost impossible. Maybe I'll try to reserve a bed in future trips.
First Note: an australian man that was seated in the row just next to me (we were both on the aisle) had put its railway ticket between the chair structure and the pillows. however, when the train startedto move, the bouncing movements made the ticket fall just between those to structures, becaming this ticket impossible to retrieve and show to the train inspectors. One of the train employees tryed to reach the ticket but could not. Eventually they gave up trying, but were courtous enouth not to charge another passage.
Second note: just before the train leavs, a young couple quikly run to the end of the wagon, where there was a unocupied bathroom, and did not get out until the train leaves. Unfortunately for them,one of the tickets inpector was very insistent in verifing why the bathroom door was locked. A while later the couple was discouvered and escorte back to a place near the door, and thrown out the next station (still in Portugal).
*Madrid: so far this sity has not made a huge impression on me. However, as of this writting I have not seen muchbeyond some innhabitant places, while i was lookng for a place to live. Last sunday I visited the bookfair, that took place in Parque do Retiro, a very nice park right in the center of Madrid: this park is huge. It has trees, gardens, a enourmous artificial lake (where dozens of small boats can be rented), several paths, under the sun or shade, low buildings. There are also several cafes, street vendors - that sell from sunday snacks to illegal movie DVDs. Also present are paintors: of portraits, humurous portraits, normal and phantastic landscape. Just next to them are the statue-men and also fortune-tellers: some respectable-looking ladies and men sitting just by some tables, with decks of Tarot cards,stes of stones and other objects, that charge 10 euros to read your future.
*D. Quixote de la Mancha: Maybe due to the birth or death of the author, Miguel de Cervantes, or due to the publication date. But right now there are dozens of references to this character and book almost everywhere. In the book far, naturally, several stands presented different edtions of the books, fromthe very simple to the luxury ones, covered with leder and with lots of footnotes. Besides, yesterday,in the television, two people were reading from this book, in a program that was something like "ten minutes of reading a day".
*The project:After two conversations with Ignacio Cruz, during the week of 23 to 29th May, I could establish the mainlines of the project, inlcuding what should be done, wh what schedulles, etc. At the time I was here fora brief visit of two days, and left in a bad mood, with too much heat, hating the constant worries andrunning around to get this nad asking myself whether I had done the right decision. At least I had a project.
This will take place during the next six months, finishing (I hope) around the end of November. It is about the development if a control strategy to an hybrid system: what to do to make sure that we getthe most possible energy? Or to get the longest lifetime? Or the least possible polution? etc...
For that, I am, for the time being, dewlving into papers that deal about energy systems control, which should take me a while until I get a clear picture of what to do and how.
*News: During the last couple of days the news have been mainly about two things: (1) the vitory of the spanish tennis player Nadal in the Roland Garros, being only 19 years old - one of the daily newspapers published aphotograph of the player being complimented by the King Juan Carlos, with the headline "Spain has twokings", and (2) the fact that Madrid is a candidate city for the olympic summer games of 2012: there are banners everywhere in the city to support that decision, an already a celebration went on, for wich one of the big avenues had to be temporarely closed (I only knew about this by the TV news). The decision is to be made whithin a month.
*Last small considerations regarding Germany
- Punks, dogs and beggars: I read somewhere that the punk movement originated in Germany. In Kasel I could see several groups of punks, almost always with one of more dogs, in the street begging. Despitetheir marginal loks, they did not seem violent nor a huge menace.
- Open sky: One of the things I miss the most is the open sky views and trees everywhere, as they were in Germany. In the nordic countries, the Sun i precious and rare: therefore the windows are huge and thestreets open and large, for the light to go in. In Spain, where the Sun burns, the natural light entrances are rather narrow.
- Nice climate: In retrospective, my stay in german lands was done with exeptionsl good weather: almostno rain in Oldenburg (which was excelent, for we had to ride the byke constantly), and only some snow.We'll see whether the climate in Spain is also nice, in its dryness, high radiation level and heat.
*first differences observed between Spain and Germany:
1- climate: it' hotter in Madrid that there ever was in Kassel or Oldenburg.
2- It' really hotter in Madrid that there ever was in Kassel or Oldenburg.
3- It' really really hotter in Madrid that there ever was in Kassel or Oldenburg.
Allow me to explain: here in Madrid, during the morning, there is still a fresh wind, as in Lisbon afresh wind comes from the river Tejo and the sea. Madrid seems to be only built by concrete buildings,reflecting sufaces and not many trees.
4- Trash: like their iberic cousins, also the spanish seem to lack the streght of will to put the trashobjects into the correct containers. This is visible almost everywhere I went.
5- Working hours: sevral stores ("tiendas"), though not all, close during the worst heat hours (betweenmidday or two o'clock and three to five), and reopen again from that time until about eight or nine o'clock. Cafes, on the other hand, open later but stay open until ten pm or even later. However thereis not much noise in the street. After having been used to store hours in Germany, I'll have to mentally reorganize to a complete different schedulle.
6 - Telephones: as in Germany, there a re several stores that sell phone cards and internet times. LikeGermany, they seem to be managed mostly by emigrants: here in Germany they are motly from South America.However, the cabins present inside the shops work in a different way: the costummers cannot use their cards to phone form there (!!!!!!!), but must take it to a normal payphone or used a domestic one. MaybeI just got a not vey honest shop. With more explorations, I'll know more...
With this news I say goodbye, and until my next post. Greetings to all!
posted by João Paulo Costa at 22:57
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