I have only been to the movies a few times since I have been in Spain. The first time I went was a bit of a shock. I went with two friends and we each bought our tickets. Unfortunately, when you buy tickets here, you get assigned seats like it´s a damn football game. So, we had three individual tickets bought from different cashiers and we were sitting in three different parts of the theater. Luckily, the movie wasn´t filled and we could sit together.

I´m not sure if I like this or not. It´s a total crapshoot. Sometimes you get a great seat (like yesterday we got some aisle seats) and other times you are sitting in the middle of two 300 pounders or next to a screaming child. And wouldn´t you know it, the last time I went I was sitting with my friend Sarah waiting for the movie to start. We are in a near empty theater. Maybe 10 other people there. A group of 4 guys comes in a sits directly in front of us. What are the fucking odds of that? I can´t stand it when people sit right in front or behind you in an empty theater. It´s so annoying.

Republicans would probably love this assigned seating though. It probably reminds them of the 1950´s they are so painstakingly aching to re-create. There are ushers that show you to your seats with little flashlights and everything. The Spanish Donna Reed comes out of the back and hand-delivers cookies to each patron and then we practice air raid drills for five minutes until the movie starts.

Yesterday was the first time I saw a movie in the theaters here in Spanish...with no subtitles. After that experience I can safely say that I´m not quite at that level yet. I understood about half of the movie...but I got the gist of it. It was called "Princesas" and it´s about the life of prostitutes in Madrid. And wouldn´t you know it, my girl from last New Year´s Eve had a starring role...