'1491', Music, and Microwave Cookin'

I've been spending the last several days reading, running, and relaxing around my pueblo.

Reading
The main focus of my reading was Charles C. Mann's 1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus. I enjoyed the book from the perspective of a former history student and an interested reader for pleasure. 

To be sure, Mann is a journalist working in the world of ethnographic history, archaeology, and anthropology, leading to some mistakes and an uncharacteristically stylized form of writing for the genre. His undertaking is also a bit extreme: he includes two entire continents under the ideological umbrella of "Pre-Columbian Indian societies" and sets to work spinning his narrative, trying to help a reader picture what life was like "before contact". 

The organization of the book is at times problematic. Rather than following a chronological or geographical organization, he follows a more journalistic-line of thematic ideas, jumping between eras, societies, and vast geographical regions. This leads to sometimes concentric, sometimes overlapping circles of narrative. He also attempts to give both sides of the modern academic debate surrounding various issues, but with somewhat tenuous segues, so at times he seems to be deconstructing a wall as he is building it. This organizational pattern can leave a reader thinking, "Wait, didn't I just read that?" or "I thought he just dismissed that theory as inaccurate..."  There are also some easily avoided errors which I easily found during my reading, (a quick example: he calls Extremadura, Spain a town for example,) but the intention and the overall content made for a nice read.

When considering the intention of the author, I believe 1491 was pretty successful. This book is an attempt to address modern, mostly American interpretations of native peoples. Though not necessarily "dispelling myths", it's an interesting way of perceiving cultures which are often marginalized or discredited as being true "civilizations". My incredibly Euro-centric education has often minimized the impact of Indian groups, and it was nice to see things from a different point of view. At the very least, it's increased my interest in reading more about many of these groups on my own.
You can read an excerpt from the book at Charles Mann's website.


Music
NPR's First Listen has really impressed me lately with their musical selection. Leonard Cohen's Old Ideas, Ana Tijoux's La Bala, Gotye's Making Mirrors, and Kayhan Kalhor's I Will Not Stand Alone are all worth a serious listen. For free. Each in its entirety.
Old Ideas                                                                                              3 pairs of mirrored sunglasses
Cohen's dirty old man image remains preserved in his latest album. His crusty voice with gospel-inspired lyrics and accompaniment are reminiscent of the good ol' "Hallelujah" days. Check out "Amen" specifically.

La Bala                                                                                                             A glass of fine vino tinto
This album includes a lot of what was refreshing about M.I.A.'s work, just in Spanish. Great beats, forceful lyrics. The best part: I can understand a lot of what Tijoux's saying now, but I must warn that it's very political.

Making Mirrors                                            8 obscure candy bars you've probably never heard of
Gotye's album is sort of an eclectic mess, but a fun listen for a lighter mood. Synth, pop, and catchy melodies in a slightly high-pitched voice make his work pretty unique. (And I'll admit, maybe a bit hipster.)

I Will Not Stand Alone                                                       1 comfy couch and endless cups of tea
Kalhor's work is of an entirely different animal. It's Iranian sounds, sans-lyrics, often combining various string instruments such as a kamancheh in a free-formed shape of the audible. Something perfect for a more meditative mood or just quiet relaxation. Beautiful.

Health
In one of my earliest posts, I mentioned my goal of running a half-marathon at some point. The past few months, I've actually been training for it. I'll be going home for Easter break, and I've signed up to participate in my hometown's running festival.
I've been using Adidas's free miCoach application on my phone to prepare, and I've really been enjoying it. Of course, we'll see how well I've actually been prepared at the end of March...
I've also been doing a little yoga following my runs to keep my muscles loose. I found a free video podcast that I kind of like on iTunes: YOGAmazing. I'm feeling more fit and have noticed some of the benefits of regular exercise.
Both sites are careful to mention that they're no replacement for professional consultations, so be sure to do what's right for you and get advice from a doctor.

Recipe 

Following my long runs as a mini-celebration, I have a little recipe which has allowed me to indulge my ridiculous sweet tooth and love of molten lava cakes, even though I don't have an oven in my apartment.

Chocolate Molten Lava Cake from Instructables
I decrease the sugar and flour a bit, and use part of the butter called for to grease the inside of the mug rather than directly including it in the batter. From my own calorie checking, this cake is probably really enough for two, (about 900 calories I think,) but if you decide to half it, the cook time would need to be adjusted.

Natural Spain and some new music

Extremadura's gentle winters and large tracts of land have always drawn migrating storks to stop in the region, but global warming has, in more recent years, lured them to take up residence for a vast majority of the year.
The five churches in Fregenal de la Sierra with towers high enough for the storks to build on have ensured my town as a sort of haven for the birds. Though, I have also seen nests built on power lines, telephone poles, and other precarious places. There's something very majestic about the sheer size and steadfast silence of the storks. They seldom make noise and almost never move.

To give some scale to the nest: that bell is actually very large.

Perched as high and as still as the ornaments surrounding it.

They seem to defy wind and gravity.

Again for scale, look at the cars below.

There are also a number of fields around and within the town that host sheep, horses, chickens, and a variety of wildflowers.  Yes, I often wake up to a rooster's crowing, but I always have something wild to look at while I'm running.  It's peaceful.
The supermarket happens to be right next to a nice little field where I was able to peek through the rock wall and get these pictures.

For Christmas, I was given a little Bonsai plant to bring a bit of nature into my apartment.  I have no idea how it will do, but I've begun the planting process.

And an interesting Swedish band I've recently discovered: First Aid Kit.  An unusual sound (sort of like Julia Stone) with sweet lyrics.  Their single "Emmylou" is up for free download on iTunes this week. The Lion's Roar, their newly-released album, can be streamed in full for free from NPR's First Listen.  Stephen Thompson wrote a good article to accompany it.  Do it!

Robert Redford Western mini-fest and some music to match

Strange as it may be, over the holidays I had a mini-festival of Robert Redford Westerns.  I'm going to share my impressions and a little tip for a recently released album.

Jeremiah Johnson.                                                                                                  5 Southwest Indian Tacos

Love, loss, and a search for fulfillment with some dry humor.  

Although there are some obviously unavoidable category traits, this movie seems to have deeply inspired both Dances with Wolves and Legends of the Fall.  Even Brad Pitt's rugged beauty appears to borrow something from Redford's original role.  

Into the Wild also displays elements of this oldie-but-goodie.  A man with a bright mind leaves his past in hopes of starting anew, alone.  

It's not the kind of film that will leave you speechless, but it offers solid entertainment and an escape from life to the beautiful landscapes of unsettled lands.

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid                                          A new pair of spurs and a shiny revolver for each hip

No self-respecting report of Robert Redford's Western legacy could neglect to mention this pinnacle of cinema.  

What could be a very violent subject is depicted in a tasteful, artistic way.  From a technical standpoint, it is nearly flawless.  Eye-catching montages, music which is perfectly tailored to the scenes and mood; beautiful.  

At the time, it was groundbreaking for the industry, and a lot of techniques piloted in the picture have become standard practice among high-quality films.

The story also offers pure entertainment to the viewer.  Criminality is not only interesting, it's glamorous.  The audience revels in rooting for the bad guys.  It has the same kind of power that Mafia movies hold: intelligent, suave, and comical, Paul Newman and Redford's characters are the kind of men most people dream of being--or at least knowing. 

My Western-esq musical suggestion: 

For The Good Times by The Little Willies                                                            A stiff whiskey and dancin' boots

This album was released just over a week ago, and features Norah Jones's smokey vocals accompanied by other talented musicians in a parade of classic country covers.  The single "Pennies on the Floor" is up for free download on iTunes this week.  Definitely worth a gander.  The same goes for the rest of the album in my opinion.  The band's previous releases are also easily available and deserve a listen.

In keeping with the Western theme, I've included some pictures of my family's trip to the Southwest a few summers ago.  

Techie Stuff, Lovecraft, and Howler

A little something different today. I'm including some music and reading, but also some nerd knowledge I've recently acquired. On with the show.

Ear candy. If you need a little acoustic inspiration in your day, you can stream the band Howler's premier album America Give Up before its official release at NPR's First Listen. I'm already excited to follow this band in the future.

Hooray for compacts! I got a camera for Christmas, and I must say it's not too shabby. It's a sleek-little-retro Panasonic DMC-LX5. I wasn't born a photographer, but this machine lets me capture some nice images in a user-accessible way.
If you get giddy looking at this kind of thing too, you can check out my model at the Panasonic Site. Look forward to more pictures taken with this camera in subsequent posts.

Mac Apps
Smartr. Free for Lite, $2.99 for full. This is a neat little flashcard application available in the Mac's App Store. Simple design--it's as Swedish as IKEA--but it meets its purpose quite well. You can import files directly into flashcard format or export and share them. It cycles through different portions of the stack each time you initiate a study session, so it's not fantastic for major cram sessions, but it's good for retention over time. Updates are in the pipeline, so I'm looking forward to expanded features and functions in the near future.

Stanza. Free. Open a wide variety of formats from PDFs to reader docs, and read them on your computer screen, or convert them to another format for iPhone. *NOTE: You've probably already heard of Stanza app for iPhone, but there have recently been a lot of problems with crashes.
This software has actually been out for years; I just hadn't found it until recently. You can download it for Mac at CNET.
Practical example: I've been on a Lovecraft kick the past couple of months. All of his works are now in the public domain, so they're available in their entirety online, for free, and I can save them to my computer as PDFs. However, I can't seem to find them for free in an ePub format in the iTunes store. Solved with this freebie. I just convert and transfer them to my phone. Now I can give myself the willies on the go.

And in case you're also in the mood for creepy Poe-inspired sci-fi, you can find a long list of complete Electronic Texts of H.P. Lovecraft’s Works. "The Colour out of Space" is a fun short story to start with, though "The Call of Cthulhu" is probably his most famous work.

January Holidays

New Year's Eve was quite a night.
I traveled to a little village near Roquefort (like the cheese) and spent time with a large group of friends. Dinner lasted hours because there were quick breaks for dancing after each course.
The meal began around 9:30 with a pastis toast. Pastis is an anise-flavored liquor that usually kicks off big meals. There were five courses to follow our apéritif: Small savory pastries and other hors d'oeuvres opened; homemade foie gras, shrimp, and salmon came next. Duck breasts and baked apples were the main course, then a nice variety of cheeses was passed around. For dessert: champagne and galette des rois à la frangipane. I was a maniac.
I went to bed at 5:30 the next morning, and I was the first to leave.

Aix-en-Provence a few days before the New Year.

Kings' Day was the next big celebration of January. Here in Spain, it's the day that families open their presents together, not Christmas.
Of the several King Cakes I've tried over the years, everyone seems to do something a bit different. I've seen/consumed three different kinds in France, a few more here in Spain, and countless others in New Orleans. I've also noticed King Cake season seems to be just a few days here in Spain, about 2 weeks in France, and the whole season from Kings' Day until Ash Wednesday in Louisiana.
However, the same basic rules apply to each. If you find the hidden goodies, you get the crown and some luck, but you have to buy the next cake.

Two styles of King Cake and some other French favorites including Bûche de Noël below.

Just in case you feel the need to bake a little something sweet, I'm including some festive links!
For a galette des rois à la frangipane recipe, you can check out Piratage Culinaire in French, or Lost in Austen for an English translation.
For one version of roscón de reyes you can look at the I love tortilla de Patatas! blog.

Music...
I also want to recommend Bill Ryder-Jones's interesting new album If... NPR's First Listen has a nicely written article by Bob Boilen, and you can stream the entire album for free. First Listen: Bill Ryder-Jones, 'If...' .

I've returned!

After a wonderful winter break spent in the South of France, I've returned to my beloved Fregenal (and internet access).

On vacation I did a lot of reading, watching movies, lazing about, and cultural exploration. I'm going to pass on some memories and pictures of Christmas in this post; New Years and some reviews and recommendations will be coming later.

Christmas Eve was a quiet evening with family. There was a small present exchange (I was pretty spoiled), then a very nice home-cooked dinner. What made this dinner incredibly French for me can be summed up with side dishes and dessert. With the salad with had foie gras.  As a side with the main course, we had green beans and (wait for it....) chestnuts--cooked like any normal bean or potato. Really, really good.  We had a variety of cheeses of course: goat, blue, brie, sheep's milk. And for dessert: a French cake called gâteau Castel.  I've found another blog with a recipe and pictures, Multiple: THE Castel, but I'm pretty happy to let a real baker take over until the fork-part comes in.  
The only bad thing about this meal is that I'd not yet gotten my shiny new camera to take pictures.

Christmas Day: More presents, more people, a lot more food, and some photos!  This was a very uniquely French meal throughout.  We began with a salad with olive oil (from the trees surrounding the house) accompanied by scrambled eggs with morels.  The next course was vol-au-vent (which literally means "fly in the wind"), a hollow little pastry with something similar to a beef stew poured inside and around.  Main course: venison and more chestnuts!  Another assortment of cheeses, and a brief respite before dessert.  This is when I got the chance to really test out my new photography equipment...  After coming back in, a wonderful series of desserts including champagne, the homemade black nougat of Provence, a bûche de Noël (what we'd call a Swiss cake or a "log" at home), choux (puff pastries with cream inside), and a variety of nuts, fruits, and chocolatés as part of the 13 desserts tradition.  

The village of Montfort

Notice the formations in the distance on the right. Local legend's given them the name "Rocks of the Penitents."

Olives!

Although I was away from my family, it was a beautiful day which I am happy I could share with others.