Monalia's World

Every Tuesday here in my neighborhood is the day people put all their unwanted furniture, books, appliances, you name it … out on the street. Unlike in USA and other countries, Spain doesn’t have many places that sell used clothing and furniture, there is no Saint Vincent de Paul’s or Salvation Army charity that will come over and pick up your unwanted but still useful stuff. Its actually really fun – When we first moved in here we found a set of perfect chairs (which we still use), we’ve found a bookshelf, etc. and also we have put our unwanted but still functional things we no longer need, like our old vacuum cleaner that still worked, but not very well. People roam the streets scavenging stuff and then the city has a truck it sends out to pick up all the leftover items, so even if your stuff is crap it will get picked up.

This Tuesday Mark comes home with an Olivetti Typewriter he pulled off the street. “Look! It works!” he says.

I take some photos, record the sound it makes while typing, and then out it went back onto the street. We really have no space for it, but it did stay on the kitchen table for 3 days while we both recorded it (I use a NAGRA ARES II, he uses an H4 Zoom)

The sound of me clumsily writing a letter to my dad on the Olivetti.

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When I tool around the city i wear this nifty tek bag:

I bought it in Florence when I was recently there visiting family. Although pricey. it was well worth the euros for it nicely fits my NAGRA ARES II audio recorder in the big middle pouch, the front pouch holds my canon camera, and the other side pouch fits my cell phone perfectly. There is also a zipper in the back for money and house keys.

Sometimes I am a parody of myself, with my camera in one hand and my NAGRA in the other; when I happen upon something exceptionally exciting and unique. I have to choose one medium or the other – in this case I normally go for audio first.

Some squawky birds trying to harsh my mellow

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Here’s a few photos from Mardi Gras day in my neighborhood a couple weeks ago – I took a bike ride and found this Madonna fountain with 4 water spouts at Plaça Virreina, wearing a mardi gras costume. At one point a homeless man with his cart paid homage to the Madonna, washing his face, his chest, his hair, his teeth, drinking the water … it was touching.