Wednesday, 6 July 2011

Post Derailed. Apple Centralised. Sheep vs. Cows.

I'm supposed to be writing about my trip to Centro Comercial Xanadu (Xanadu mall) to have my fancy phone replaced. In my head, during the trip, it made for a great post: the trauma of losing my phone; the attempt to order a new one on the internet, which was stymied by Spanish credit card issues; the call into Spanish Apple, and the learning that the only way to acquire a new unlocked iPhone was to make a trek out of the city and into the desert outside Madrid. Walking through the heat to the bus/train station I smelled the pine needles and the dry dust. It smelt of a wildfire without the fire. It would be the central image (although a smell and not a sight) of my would-be post. It was fucking brilliant.

But.

As I sit to recount the tale of my journey to the deplorable American-style shopping mall (with indoor go-kart track and indoor skiing) ...

skiing in Madrid in the summer? WRONG!

.... my environmental hackles rise. I hated the experience of a bit of misplaced America. I hated Apple for having such a poorly placed shop. I later learnt that Apple will have a shop in the very centre of Madrid, of Spain ... in the Tio Pepe building at Sol.

Makes sense; but don't take Tio Pepe away ... it's an institution, that sign!

... I am not inspired to write the post, which would be the post to end all posts. Instead, I want to say I'm tired.

Oh so tired.

And I want to say how much I love the Dutch. And when I ride in the Dutch trains and look out on their flat fields, it seems to me that they segregate their sheep from their cows, and I wonder if sheep and cows don't get along. I wonder if they fight for grass. I wonder if it is a livestock requirement: to segregate the species.
Posted by Ellie at 20:49
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10 comments:

  1. I love the Dutch too; they descended in a huge, rippling, orange la ola wave on our neighbouring town for the European Cup football in 2008. They polished off vast quantities of beer without getting aggressive. It was a glorious riot.

    I love my iPhone, I hate malls. Wouldn't touch one with a barge pole. Even Ikea's a stretch. ;-)

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  2. Well, you did ask :·)...Sheep nibble the grass down to the ground, cows curl their tongues around a clump of grass and pull. So sheep get put on the pasture after cows, who have eaten the clumps, to nibble down to the ground. Otherwise, they leave nothing for the cows to eat.

    I used to hate out-of-Madrid commercial centres, too.

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  3. I would love just to be able to see some sheep and cows... but we don't see either, just a herd of local goats :-(

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  4. The longer you wait to write that epic post, the less likely it'll get written. Take it from me.

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  5. London now has two of those stores about a mile apart. Regents Street and Covent Garden, plus the one all the way out at Shepherds Bush (Westfield).

    No sheep or cows though.

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  6. Imogene ~ What is it about malls? Why do people like them so?

    PG ~ What a fantastic piece of livestock trivia. THANK YOU.

    Jan ~ I don't seem them close up though. Just from the train window. I imagine you walking through the herds of goat.

    UB ~ I know. Believe me, I know.

    Rashbre ~ I am proud to say I have never been inside Westfield. To me, it is hell. Though, Centro Comercial Xanadu is probably worse in that it is a pain to get to.

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  7. Goats and Horses do well together, if you have a lonely horse. Go figure.

    I must say I do not understand this European obsession with the american shopping experience. Why oh why would you go to a mall when you have a lovely high street or market? Ok, maybe the rain gets in the way, but still... I took my Americanadian nieces to our local high street, very medieval looking yet full of cloths shops. They immediately started nagging my sister to move. Which would be nice. TB

    PS google still being a nuisance, haven't a clue why. Could be I'm using IE which it hates...

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  8. One thing I found out on my recent travels, of all the nationalities I met, the Dutch LOVE to party the most.

    PS. I think the Dog (love the dog) and the Owl would have been friends.

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  9. Not having a cell phone for any period of time is a nightmare of mine. It is amazing how much we rely on technology. We have become especially spoiled since apple put the iPhone into the worlds hands. I can't go anywhere without mine.

    I am new here, and just wanted to let you know how impressed I am with your writing. It is brilliant. I will be coming back for more, you can count on that. Thank you for giving me something interesting to read.

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  10. TB ~ Goats and horses; but not cows and sheep. I have a mental picture of a cow and sheep battle. It makes me chuckle.

    Jo ~ I've not partied with them so much, partly because my Dutch relationships are work related, but I can imagine. And you know, I think The Dog (glad you love the dog!) and the Owl would have been friends. The Dog is surprising gentle. Just very curious.

    Anita ~ Welcome and thanks very much for the fine compliment! And yes, what did we do before mobile phones (Apple provided especially) and the internet ... was there a time before the Internet?

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