After a hiatus of about six weeks, I decided that I needed to get back on the saddle and do a little blogging, so here goes. Here’s what’s on my mind these days:
(1) Spain — had a wonderful two week trip to Spain with my wife and daughters at the end of December and beginning of January to visit our former AFS exchange student and her family outside of Madrid (where we were treated so wonderfully) and see the sights. Highlights were as follows:
- Granada — this city in Andalusia is a beautiful example of Moorish architecture and the Al-Hambra, the medieval Islamic castle, is one of the most spectacular buildings I have ever seen. It was especially beautiful surrounded by the Sierra Nevada mountains which sported a fresh coating of snow.
- Toledo — Another example of mostly well-preserved 1000 year old buildings and the confluence of Islam, Judaism and Christianity. Loved walking around the cobble-stoned streets and absorbing the sights and smells.
- Seville — Despite a stomach bug that prevented me from eating 12 grapes at midnight (the Spanish custom for good luck in the New Year), the other large city in SW Spain was quite a contrast to Grenada with its more modern feel and wide flat boulevards. The holidays lights and laser light show in front of the City Hall were spectacular, as were the royal palace (the Alcazar) and the art museum. My wife and daughters loved walking all around the city, especially in the early evening as is the Spanish custom.
- Passat TDI — We rented a six-speed Passat turbo-diesel and had a ball with it! It gets about 50 mpg and it really books. Despite a dispute with the rental car company about a scratched bumper that I now dealing with, it was a great experience to drive a fun economical car like this.
(2) Teaching — After a month away from teaching I am now fully back in the classroom teaching four classes. While I love teaching, I think that four classes, especially two new ones (Law and Econ and Bureaucratic Politics) may be a bit much. Will keep you posted if I have time to do so!!
(3) Superbowl XLVII — Although my beloved Giants were not part of the post-season this year, I still managed to have fun watching the Ravens and the 49ers play in the Superbowl, especially since the game seemed to actually be quite compelling after the blackout. I think that Beyonce should bring her own power source next time…
(4) Public Radio Rant — My local station is once again fundraising and now it seems like they spend a month doing “pre-fundraising” and a month doing “post-fundraising” so that most of the year is spent “schnoring” for money. It’s really annoying and I don’t like it. So there.
(5) New Blogger — My good friend Dan Ornstein is blogging regularly for a new on-line Israeli newspaper (The Times of Israel) and is worth a read at — http://bit.ly/WzdS1R.
A Man in the Middle 