Teatro Kapital

Last night (Saturday) Ben and I went to Teatro Kapital, an 8 story club here in Madrid. This was the most awesome club I have ever been too, including all the ones I went to in Vegas. It's an old theater that has been converted into a club, the old classic feel, combined with thumping music, and amazing

lights is so cool. We happened to go on their birthday, and were treated to an amazing light show, glitter cannons, go-go dancers wearing rhinestone bras and g-strings, and a shower of balloons.
The different floors have different themes, separated by sound proof glass. The main floor is house music, the third is hip hop, one of the floors had Latin music, and the roof top had an open view of the night sky had no music (which was nice if you needed a break).


It was great dancing the night away. One of the girls I went with is an amazing hip hop dancer. She looked so cool in the club, I'm sure it emphasized my absolute lack of dance skills. I really enjoyed the glazed over look other people would get, when they saw her awesome moves, and couldn't take their eyes off her.  I desperately wish I could dance, and have been working really hard at it lately, but I'm fairly certain I am missing whatever gene she has that allows here to move more than two body parts at a time to music.
If you're looking for an awesome club in Madrid, Teatro Kapital is great. There are lots of tourists there, which means you'll here and see lots of English, but it's a great environment, good DJ's, and packed floor.

 

 Ben is now a die hard fan of the club, because they had a giant Star Wars reference....

Coppelia-National Ballet of Cuba

Last Thursday, Ben and I went to a performance of Coppelia by the National Ballet of Cuba, choreographed by Alicia Alonso. Coppelia is a comedic ballet, where a doll (Coppelia) captivates the hearts of her creator (Doctor Coppelius) and a young Franz. Swanilda, Franz's girlfriend is determined to show Franz his folly by dressing as the doll to prove that Coppelia is not a real girl, this ultimately saves the life of Franz, and the two are happily wedded at the end of the ballet. The premise rings true of a love-bot tale, and the comedic portrayal through ballet is charming. Coppelia should be on the top of any ballet enthusiasts list of ballets to see.
The National Ballet of Cuba's performance of Coppelia was remarkable. Yanela Piñera's performance as Swanilda was amazing, she is an incredible ballerina, who's range of character, and ability is awe inspiring. I can't imagine a better performance than that done by her. Paired with Arián Molina as Franz, The National Ballet of Cuba's performance of Coppelia is one of the best performances I have ever seen.
Many ballet companies I have seen, over stretch their ballerina's. They give them choreography that is too difficult, which not only can they not execute, but their performance becomes completely void of personality. The choreography of Coppelia was some of the most technical I have ever seen, but never for a moment was I unsure of what their character was telling me.
The National Ballet of Cuba is one of the best ballet companies in the world, I would gladly go to any performance by them. I am so glad I saw their performance of Coppelia. I know this will stand as one of the best performances I have ever seen, and feel so fortunate that I was able to go to a performance by The National Ballet of Cuba.

Brain Drain

You know that feeling after you take a really hard test, where it is difficult to think, and simple words and phrases are impossible to remember? Apparently that's a real thing called brain drain, or mental exhaustion. Brain drain is my limiting factor here (and often the reason I end up skipping a post...), I've been over clocking my brain. Way before my body winds down, my brain gives up.
Learning a language uses a lot of mental energy, and since I have been working really hard at my Spanish here (with great success I might add), I've been wearing out my poor little brain. It can get to the point where I can't form coherent sentences in my own language.
I have noticed that stress, and not enough sleep make brain drain set in faster. So I really have to manage my time effectively.
I'm getting better at resting my brain drain gauge, and have come up with two great tricks that work as mental fatigue reset buttons.
1. Coffee naps!
I'm lucky to be learning a language in a country that has siestas. When I hit that two o'clock slump, where my brain can do nothing more than make train noises, I drink a shot of espresso, lie down, and take a 15 minute power nap. The caffeine wakes me up, and my brain is fresh and ready for another round of abuse. 
2. Exercise
A walk works really well, but I think it's better to break a sweat. My favorite way to reset my mental gauge is to cranks some really girly music (Miss A, Katy Perry, 4minute, Ke$ha...) and dance like a drunken monkey. After about 15 minutes, my brain resets and I'm capable of forming coherent thoughts again.
I find that more exercise I get, the longer I can work my brain before brain drain sets in.

(this is how I imagine I look while I'm dancing to my K-Pop)