My best friend moved to Italy almost 40 years ago. Her visits here to Brooklyn are always a treat but also enlightening. She has the distance to see American life from the outside. Pharmaceutical Ads were a big shock, but she also comments on the constant commercial vibes. Everything is a push to buy something.
Free market capitalsim is our religion. Looking out and caring for one another is fading into the background. Looking forward to experiencing the Spanish life you describe so well.
Last night, my wife and I went to a local pizza place. One 16” pizza, 1 drink, and 2 beer were just over $45, before tip. The food and service are consistently great, and it’s finally nice enough here to sit outside… except that means sitting next to a 4 lane thoroughfare.
It was 95° yesterday and my kids wanted Chipotle. Because of the heat, their patio area was too hot as the tables & seats were concrete. So I did takeout. Two kids meals (2 sm quesadillas and rice), 1 steak burrito, and an adult quesadilla with rice and beans on the side. No drinks. -For $45. Ouch! I would have rather picked up the fixins from the store and had enough for a couple days of meals.
Oh, and a dozen eggs are still $12.99 here, except at TJ's -but they limit you to one dozen per purchase, and the are usually out before I can get to them still.
I am not kidding about the egg prices. You will see again when you get back. Everything has gone through the roof. A 32oz of plain yogurt (Fage) is $9. Ground beef 80% is $8.99/lb, and 90% is $9.99/lb. Oranges are $1.50/ea for the Sumo, but you can get a bag of mandarines for $6. Bell peppers are $1.50/ea. A single kombucha bottled drink is $3.99.
Maybe your prices reflect the shipping to the East Coast? The Sumo oranges are grown here in California (where I am) and in Southern Australia. When they are in season here, they are $1.50ea. When we are off season in California, and they are being shipped from Australia, they are $2.50ea.
It's just ChatGPT (.com). I pay for a premium version, which might impact the utility. I am not 100% sure. All I know is that it's a great learning tool for language. Amazing actually the more I use and explore it. I
Youngest is coming out for the summer. Elliott just finished his second year of college and is home for the summer. Two oldest, we'll, they are surviving. We are in the new place. A fixer upper of an apartment in Alton, Illinois, but no bugs, lol. We are getting by, which you.know gets harder here all the time. Say hi to Melise!
Good to hear! I just looked up Alton on Google Maps. I started at the American Oddities Museum and used Street View. Lots of parks and the water. Looks like a cool, classic small town. There are so many "main street towns" like this in the US that could be so incredible. I hope you like it there. The parks seem like a nice amenity.
We are learning our way around. We have several festivals and the farmer's market opens today. We going to check it out. Amphitheater in town by the river, does concerts also.
My best friend moved to Italy almost 40 years ago. Her visits here to Brooklyn are always a treat but also enlightening. She has the distance to see American life from the outside. Pharmaceutical Ads were a big shock, but she also comments on the constant commercial vibes. Everything is a push to buy something.
Free market capitalsim is our religion. Looking out and caring for one another is fading into the background. Looking forward to experiencing the Spanish life you describe so well.
It's going to be interesting. We're only four months out, but, in many ways, it feels like it has been decades. Vamos a ver.
They do capitalism pretty well here. At least, relative to what we have become accustomed to in the US.
Just as a (rough) comparison:
Last night, my wife and I went to a local pizza place. One 16” pizza, 1 drink, and 2 beer were just over $45, before tip. The food and service are consistently great, and it’s finally nice enough here to sit outside… except that means sitting next to a 4 lane thoroughfare.
Those are LA prices!! That is crazy. What kind of beer? Leinenkugel's!!
lol. This time it was one from Delaware (Dogfish Head).
It was 95° yesterday and my kids wanted Chipotle. Because of the heat, their patio area was too hot as the tables & seats were concrete. So I did takeout. Two kids meals (2 sm quesadillas and rice), 1 steak burrito, and an adult quesadilla with rice and beans on the side. No drinks. -For $45. Ouch! I would have rather picked up the fixins from the store and had enough for a couple days of meals.
Oh, and a dozen eggs are still $12.99 here, except at TJ's -but they limit you to one dozen per purchase, and the are usually out before I can get to them still.
Wow.
You're serious about $12.99? That's insane.
I am not kidding about the egg prices. You will see again when you get back. Everything has gone through the roof. A 32oz of plain yogurt (Fage) is $9. Ground beef 80% is $8.99/lb, and 90% is $9.99/lb. Oranges are $1.50/ea for the Sumo, but you can get a bag of mandarines for $6. Bell peppers are $1.50/ea. A single kombucha bottled drink is $3.99.
Sumo oranges are $2.50 at Trader Joe's in Brooklyn and $4.50 at the regular grocery store
Maybe your prices reflect the shipping to the East Coast? The Sumo oranges are grown here in California (where I am) and in Southern Australia. When they are in season here, they are $1.50ea. When we are off season in California, and they are being shipped from Australia, they are $2.50ea.
makes sense. They are the only citrus here with any flavor. The season of availability has increased I guess due to their popularity
What is the name of the app(?) that produced the critique of your Spanish at the end of this piece?
someone just recommended the App Language Transfer to me. i have yet to try it but it looks interesting
It's just ChatGPT (.com). I pay for a premium version, which might impact the utility. I am not 100% sure. All I know is that it's a great learning tool for language. Amazing actually the more I use and explore it. I
Youngest is coming out for the summer. Elliott just finished his second year of college and is home for the summer. Two oldest, we'll, they are surviving. We are in the new place. A fixer upper of an apartment in Alton, Illinois, but no bugs, lol. We are getting by, which you.know gets harder here all the time. Say hi to Melise!
Good to hear! I just looked up Alton on Google Maps. I started at the American Oddities Museum and used Street View. Lots of parks and the water. Looks like a cool, classic small town. There are so many "main street towns" like this in the US that could be so incredible. I hope you like it there. The parks seem like a nice amenity.
We are learning our way around. We have several festivals and the farmer's market opens today. We going to check it out. Amphitheater in town by the river, does concerts also.
It looks pretty cool. Enjoy!
Congratulations to your daughter! I hope the trip is a good one. Enjoy the time with her.
Thanks, Monique. I really appreciate it. Looking forward to hanging out with her and my wife's daughter.
I hope all is well with you and your kids.