Marty Kaplan's Blog

Saturday, December 1, 2012

Well, there’s good news and bad news.  The good news is that our goods have gone through customs and on Friday the port fees were paid.  On Monday we will arrange for delivery.  It may be next week or the following week.  There are two holidays next week and that may prevent a sooner rather than later delivery.  That means that we will have everything unpacked and in its place well before the new year arrives.

The bad news is that Patraix continues to be a pain in the ass.  We got up at 5:30 yesterday morning and were in line at 6:30.  We were number 104 on a list that ended up with more than 200 names on it.  At 8:30 numbers were distributed.  They only handed out 60 numbers.  The process takes all of five minutes.  You hand in your document saying that you have been granted a two-year extension, your proof of payment of the 16 Euro tax for your application to be processed, your photos and they take a thumbprint.  Last year there were six employees attending to the public.  To make matters worse, nobody in an official capacity came across the street where we were lined up to say that all the numbers for the day were given out and you might as well go home and not wait around in the cold.  And so, the saga continues.

At around 11:00 we decided to stop in at the Central Bar at the Central Market in hopes of finding a seat at what is a very popular space.  We were in luck and we finally got to try the croquetas de pollo and the buñuelos de bacalao. The croquetas had an abundant amount of chicken in them and it was obvious that there was a goodly amount of curry in the mix. They were some of the best that I have tasted.  The buñuelos de bacalao were excellent, also.  The codfish taste was much more apparent in these than others we have tried.  They get high marks, also.  We walked out of the Market very full and agreed that there was no need for us to have lunch after this experience.

At 7:45 we left the house bound for the Teatro Flumen where we had tickets for what was billed as a magic cabaret.  Its title was Échame un polvo y desparece.  The title is both a play on words and a rather common joke that magicians always hear from a spectator.  The joke is as follows: “Ah, eres mago.  Eres de los que echan un polvo y desparecen.”  The literal translation is “Oh, you’re a magician.  One of those who sprinkles magic dust and disappears.” However, the expression “echar un polvo” is slang for the act of making love.  The show was billed as appropriate for adults over the age of 18.  There was nothing in the show that merited that warning.

The show stars Karim who mixes comedy with magic, María Rayo who does a dance number and a well executed and choreographed Dancing Cane, Jaime Figueroa who, under the stage name of Fettucini does a comedy magic act that had everyone rolling in the aisles, and last, but not least, Las Linas Morgan, a cross-dressing duo who begin the show dressed as nuns and then change into chorus girls.  Funny!!!!!!! The show lasts 70 minutes and is well paced and very enjoyable.  We needed a good laugh after yesterday morning and this show was just what we needed.

We took a cab home and read for a while before heading for bed.  I have started the new Harry Bosch novel, The Black Boxand it looks very promising.

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Today I received a call telling me that our belongings have made it through customs and that once we pay the port fees they will be released and the moving company will then deliver them here.  The fees are similar to handling fees and are not duty that needs to be paid on our personal goods.  All our goods have been deemed duty free.  It looks like there is an unpacking party in our future.

There has not been a lot happening around here as we finish recovering from the Thanksgiving extravaganza.  We have however managed to have a meal or two at some of our favorite places.  Monday we had lunch at La Fórcola and yesterday we had lunch at The Ginger Loft.  It’s a lot like catching up with old friends because we are, in fact, catching up with old friends.

There was a meeting of the CIVAC Monday night that focused on some of the basics of mentalism.  I hung around until 9:45 and passed on the opportunity to grab a sandwich at The London Café.  Speaking of magic, I finished my translation of a Juan Tamariz interview that turned out to be twenty-five pages long.  I have sent it off and I think the translation business will quiet down for the next month or so.  That’s good news because I have a proofreading date with a 400-page book in early January.

Twenty-nine years ago yesterday Pepe’s father passed away and Pepe wrote a very moving post on his blog in memory of his father and his father’s legacy.  http://www.malditosmagos.com/noticiasnews/2012/conexiones-benditas-conexiones/ Pepe is an incredible writer no matter what the subject and yesterday’s entry was no exception.  What really struck me was his saying; “I live in a parenthesis between my father, Jaime, and my son, Jaime.” That is a very powerful sentence that succeeds in suggesting an incredible number of images and ideas.  It makes me think that we all live in a parenthesis between our past and our future.

That’s the word from Valencia.  We are going out for tapas with Jim and Yun this evening and I am looking forward to an evening of interesting conversation.

Monday, November 26, 2012

Our weekend was fairly quiet.  We did not do much of anything until Saturday evening when we walked over to Brian and Ofelia’s place for a repeat of Thanksgiving.  Olivia was in for the weekend and since she is a great fan of the Thanksgiving meal, Brian was happy to oblige her.  In addition to the turkey we enjoyed the usual accompaniments.  The best surprise showed up on the dessert table.  Brian made a pecan pie with the pecans that Susan had bought at Trader Joe’s just before we left.  I can’t remember the last time that I had a piece of pecan pie, but every time I get to taste it, it brings back memories of Foxcroft days.  I always think of Loretta at The Coach Stop and her customary greeting – “Hey y’all!  How ya doin?” – and Bette Livingston, Applegate Dorm Housemother and the baker of some of the best pecan pies I have ever gobbled down.

Brian and Ofelia had invited their neighbor, José Antonio, to join us.  He had always heard of Thanksgiving dinner, but had never experienced it.  José Antonio is a rather talkative fellow and it was hard to get a word in edgewise all evening.  To use my mother’s favorite expression, he must have been vaccinated with a phonograph needle.  I did do some magic after coffee and dessert and everyone seemed to enjoy my selection of effects.

Sunday was a lazy day, too.  We did venture forth in the late afternoon to go to the movies.  We saw a Ken Loach film called “The Angels’ Share”.  Set in Scotland it deals with one man’s attempt to escape from a life of crime and poverty.  It certainly has its dramatic and violent moments, but it is, for the most part, a rather enjoyable comedy that leaves you with a good feeling at the end.  We saw the original version with Spanish subtitles.  That was a good thing because without the subtitles we never would have understood half of what was being said.

Sunday night has become Inspector Lewis night and we watched another episode from the second season.  The three episodes that comprised the first season have finally been made available of iTunes and we purchased them the other day.

We need to pay another visit to Patraix this week since we were unable to get a number on Friday.  We will try again either on Wednesday or Thursday and I am afraid there is no alternative to getting in line at 7:00 AM and waiting until 9:00 AM when they hand out numbers and then spend an additional hour or two or three waiting to get into the building.  Oh, well!

Friday, November 23, 2012

Burp! Excuse me.  I am still recovering from Thanksgiving and what a Thanksgiving it was.  The day started rather early because we needed to get the turkey in the oven in time for hoped for 3:00 PM start time.  Susan had spent a good deal of time yesterday getting things ready so that they just needed time either in the oven or the microwave.  While she continued with this and that, I paid a visit to the supermarket to pick up some ice and other necessities.  I would head out later in search of a meat thermometer because, as it turns out, the oven needs a bit of calibrating.

Vilma came by at 1:00 and helped peel potatoes for the mashed potatoes and then she worked on setting the table.  Brian and Ofelia came by at 2:00 loaded with goodies.  Two pumpkin pies, a pear upside down cake and some green beans were added to the groaning board.  Juanjo was next to arrive and helped relocate the kitchen table to the dining room.  The good news is that there was more than enough room for all around the table.

Little by little the other continued to arrive.  In no particular order we greeted Mike and Santi, Klaus and Zahava, Paquito, Pepe and late to arrive was Jordi who came directly from lunch service at his restaurant.  Nobody came empty handed and we were able to add more wine, champagne and dessert to yesterday’s offering.

While we waited for the turkey to finish cooking along with other elements of the meal, we toasted each other with a lovely concoction of champagne, cranberry juice and triple sec.  We snacked on some homemade chopped liver, dried fruits, an assortment of salted nuts, pickled and olives.  The turkey was taking its time, but everyone was so engaged in conversation nobody really cared that the turkey’s arrival at the table would be delayed.  After all, it was a Spanish turkey.

Mike helped put the finishing touches on the cooking of the turkey and Jordi swung into action and did a masterful job cutting the turkey.  Service was buffet style and everyone helped themselves to turkey, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes with mandarin orange slices, acorn squash, green beans, stuffing, and lima bean loaf for the vegetarians in the crowd.  There was cranberry relish, bread and wine set out on the table.

As is our tradition, we all joined hands and each of us said what we were thankful for.  Some of us spoke in Spanish, others in English.  Of the thirteen of us gathered around the table, five were from Spain, one from Germany, one from Canada, one from Scotland, one from Peru, one from Honduras and three from the USA. Just about everyone went back for seconds and after a brief pause we attacked the desserts.

We finished the meal with coffee and chupitos.  Everyone pitched in when it came to clearing the table and washing the plates, as well as the pots and pans.  The kitchen table was transported back to its usual space in the kitchen.  Some of our guests had to leave early for a variety of reasons, but the party did not end until 9:00 PM.  Susan did a bit more cleaning up.  We were surprised to discover that there were not that many leftovers.  In truth, there would be enough for one more meal for the two of us and that would be it.  Interestingly enough, we have been invited to Brian and Ofelia’s tomorrow to help them and Olivia celebrate Thanksgiving.

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Wednesday, November 21, 2012

The turkey’s in the house!  Susan has just returned from the Mercado Central with the remainder of the goodies that we need for tomorrow’s Thanksgiving feast.  The good news is that the turkey fits into the oven.  Susan will spend the morning getting some dishes ready so that tomorrow all that she has to do is pop them into the oven.  Brian has lent us an electric oven so getting everything ready at the same time will be a piece of pie – pumpkin of course!

I spent a goodly amount of time working on translations.  I am in the process of translating a twenty-page interview with Juan Tamariz who is, at age 70, a magical inspiration for all of us who practice the art of magic.  He has some incredible insights, as well as some valuable advice.

We had lunch with Francisco at Ballando Nudi.  We began out meal with an interesting salad that combined potato with octopus, peppers and red onion.  We then chose a pasta made with mushrooms and pork belly.  Delicious.  In between courses Francisco let us taste an artisanal salume that a friend of his had brought back from Italy.  It was truly a slice of heaven.  We finished the meal with coffee and a chupito of a vanilla infused vodka.

The rest of the day was rather uneventful.  We did manage to catch up with Rachel via Skype and when we hung up from her call, we received another from our good friend, Ruth Slater.  Afterwards we watched TV for a while and then it was off to beddy bye.

The forecast for yesterday was overcast and rain.

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

The pace has slowed after Saturday’s adventure.  Sunday seemed to be a good day to mostly rest and relax.  Susan was and is dealing with a bout of sinusitis and Saturday’s five-mile hike to and from Levante did not leave my knee very happy.  We did decide to have brunch at The Ginger Loft and, as always, that was very enjoyable.  We chatted with Mike and Santi and we got to meet the Carolina of the restaurant Vuelve Carolina.  How nice.

There is still no new about exactly when our “stuff” will be delivered and yesterday when we went to Patraix to finish the visa process we discovered that all the numbers for the morning had been given out and were told that our best bet was to return Thursday or Friday.  Since Thursday is Thanksgiving, that means we will pay a return visit on Friday.

Santi had given us a recipe for a possible cocktail to serve on Thursday and we ventured forth to Las Añadas de España to pick up two of the ingredients.  It turned out that they had neither.  We tried a different Bodega and again no luck.  We then decided that our welcoming drink would be something that we used to have in San Francisco at Saul and Sue’s house when we all gathered together the weekend before Thanksgiving.  It is a delightful combination of cranberry juice, sparkling wine (Cava here in Spain) and a touch of Triple Sec.  The good news is that the only talent one needs to make it is the ability to pour liquid from a bottle.

On our way back home we passed by a Middle-Eastern restaurant and we decided to stop in and have a pita.  In addition to our sandwich we got a plate of fries and a beverage.  The tab was 11 Euros and when we finished we went happily on our way.  I briefly dropped by the CIVAC meeting, but was back home a little before 9:00.  I spent the next hour or so working on a translation.

I have struck a deal with the group that is publishing El Manuscrito in English.  I will translate the articles that deal with the magician who is on the cover and will not translate any of the effects.  That makes my task all the easier and I do not have to try out any of the tricks I might have translated to make sure they work as advertised.  The first issue of El Manuscrito will include a supplement that is a very extensive interview with Juan Tamariz who is Spain’s gift to magic here and abroad.

We are off to shop for supplies for Thanksgiving.  Tomorrow we pick up the bird.  There are no new photos to post, but I am uploading a view of Valencia in 1930’s.  You can see the train station and the bullring in the background.

Sunday, November 18, 2012

When I was working, getting up at 7:30 would have been an infrequently enjoyed luxury.  Now that I am retired, getting up at 7:30 is a chore.  I usually sleep in until 9:30 or later.  However, yesterday we needed to be fed, showered and dressed so that we could meet Zahava and Klaus at the Ángel Guimerá metro stop at 9:00.  The metro for Liria was scheduled to leave at 9:13 and the trip takes forty-five minutes.  That would give us an hour to walk the two plus miles from the metro station to the town of Benisanó, which is where the restaurant Levante is located.

The Vidal family opened the then Bar Levante in 1968.  It was your typical roadside bar that offered rather traditional tapas, bocadillos, and other assorted goodies.  Day laborers would come by at 9:30 for their morning break, return in the afternoon after their workday ended and also to see if there was work available for them the following day.  People would stop by for coffee after lunch and on warm evenings would stop in for an aperitivo.  All that would change one Sunday in 1971.

On any given Sunday back then just about every family would have paella for lunch.  On this particular Sunday a couple entered the bar.  They were in town looking to rent a place for the summer and come lunchtime they were looking for a place to eat.  There best bet was to find a bar that was open and see if they could get a sandwich or two to tide them over.  Rafael’s mother had just placed the paella on the family table when the couple walked in.  Their intent was to ask for a sandwich, but when they saw and smelled the paella they asked if perhaps they could have some for their lunch.  They returned the following Sunday for paella, but this time they had called during the week to ask if it would be possible.

Word of mouth began to spread and the people in the neighboring towns learned that there was a bar nearby that served great paella.  The transition from bar to restaurant had begun and there was a consistent need to expand the dining area. In 1987 the space was totally renovated.  The restaurant was and still is family owned and operated and the team that is responsible for the day to day operation consists of Rafael, his wife, his two sons, his sister, his brother-in-law and his nephews.

There are several events that have served to help spread the reputation of the restaurant and its head chef worldwide.  In 1976 they were invited to prepare paella at a luncheon in honor of the King and Queen of Spain who were visiting Valencia to introduce themselves to their new subjects.  The restaurant that was hosting the event, Barrachina, would not allow the Vidals to enter the dining room to present their masterpiece nor did they mention that the Vidals were responsible for the excellent paella.  The good news is that, a few days later, there was a reception for the royal couple attended by all the mayors of the surrounding cities and towns in Valencia and Rafael’s mother and father had been given an invitation as compensation for the episode in the restaurant.

Everyone had been given strict orders not to engage the King and Queen in conversation because the guest list was enormous.  The instructions were shake hands, bow and move on.  Rafael’s parents, however, strictly disobeying orders, shook hands with the King and told him that they were the ones who had prepared the paella at Barrachina.  In 1990 when the King and Queen were spending their summer in Mallorca, Rafael was invited to come and prepare paella for them.

In 2006 Rafael was invited by José Andrés to make paella for some 1500 attendees at the 9^th annual Tastes of the World Convention where the focus was the food of Spain.  The event was held in Napa and almost every famous Spanish chef was in attendance including Ferrán Adriá. Rafael continues to work with Andrés and as he opens new restaurants he flies Rafael in to teach his chefs how to make an authentic paella valenciana.

Rafael has succeeded in defining what is an authentic paella valenciana angry at what was being passed off as the authentic version in other parts of Spain and the world.  On his days off he and his wife would travel all over the Valencian Community and would ask people how they made paella.  When that task was over, he looked at all his data and concluded that an authentic paella valenciana.  The ingredients are ten in number and they are: chicken, rabbit, olive oil, ripe chopped tomatoes, wide green beans, large white lima beans, Valencian rice, water, and saffron.  Salt is added toward the end of the cooking process.

The walk to the metro station took less time than we anticipated and we were the first to arrive.  While we were fiddling with the ticket machine Klaus and Zahava arrived and went down to the platform.  When we made it down to the platform we discovered that another couple would be joining us, Ana and Marc Boyer.  Ana is from Valencia and Marc is from Northern Ontario.  They both teach at the American School of Valencia.

We got to Liria at 10:00 and we stopped in at a nearby café for a cup of coffee.  We then made our way to the restaurant and got there a few minutes before 11:00.  Rafael greeted us and invited us down to the bodega where, in addition to an incredible selection of wines, there is a table for twelve reserved for special groups only.  We waited for ten minutes for other attendees to arrive, but when nobody else appeared, we began.

Rafael told us about the history of the restaurant and his search for the perfect paella recipe.  As he finished his part of the presentation another participant arrived, Julio Casillas.  Since today’s class marked the first time in the history of this class that something other than a paella valenciana was to be prepared, Rafael’s son, Victor, then joined us to explain how to prepare an arroz a banda.  Arroz a banda is traditionally prepared with a seafood stock and includes both fish and shellfish.  With this dish the focus is the rice and the quality of the stock that is absorbed by the rice.  Traditionally the rice is first served by itself so as to appreciate the quality of the preparation.  Then the seafood is served apart from the rice.  A banda is valenciano for apart.  The lecture portion of the course having concluded, we headed upstairs to watch the preparation of our lunch.  However, we needed to put on our aprons and our toques before we headed up to the second floor.

The second kitchen is located on the second floor and it features a firewood paellera that is some forty-five feet long and where as many as eight paellas can be prepared simultaneously.  Olive wood and orange wood are the best choices for the fire because of their density.  We watched and listened as the ingredients were added and we were told how to determine the optimum moment for adding the next ingredient.  At one point in his presentation, Rafael stopped to ask us what the most important ingredient was at this point in the process.  Everyone ventured a guess, but Rafael told us that none of us had guessed that the most important ingredient as this point were the cold beers that were about to be served.  Out came the beer, followed by a parade of tapas that included a croqueta of aged cheese and one of tuna.  There was also a tosta covered with a bean spread, as well as a taste of esgarraet.  Properly nourished we watched the final steps of the preparation and when both were cooked to perfection we headed downstairs to where our table was waiting.

We had the arroz a banda first and it was indeed exceptional.  Next came the paella valenciana, which was one of the best that we have ever tasted.  White wine was served with the arroz and a red was served with the paella.  Next came an array of desserts all of which are made in the restaurant by Rafael’s wife.  Klaus insisted that we had to taste the fig ice cream and the waitress quickly attended to our request.  The ice cream had an intense fig flavor.  It was just like eating a cold fig.  We ended the meal with coffee.

Graduation followed our meal.  We were each presented with a diploma and a wallet-sizes ID that attested to the fact that we were graduates of the course.  In addition to the toque and the apron we also received a bottle of wine, a sizeable quantity of the rice they use in their paellas and some dried beans they grow on their property.  We also got a copy of the recipe.  We left the restaurant with both our belly full and our arms filled.  What a great experience.

We walked back to the metro station and waited a half hour for the next metro back to Valencia.  We all got off the train at the same stop, but we then went our separate ways.  When we got home, we were in for the rest of the day and we did a little bit of this and that before we went to bed around 11:30.

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Saturday, November 17, 2012

Today started off overcast with intermittent rain.  Susan and I woke up at 7:30 so that we could meet up with Zahava and Klaus and the metro station to catch the metro out to the town of Liria.  Our plan was to walk from the metro station to the town of Benisanó to take a class on the making of the perfect paella valenciana.  I will give you the details tomorrow.

Yesterday we paid an early afternoon visit to the central market and picked up a few things to get us through the weekend.  Around 2:30 we decided to visit with Eddy at La Comisaría and to let him feed us.  Eddy has now instituted a menú del día, in addition to offering the regular menu.  Since we had never tried the menú, we decided to give it a go.

The menú del día includes three shared appetizers, a paella, dessert and a beverage of your choosing.  As always, Eddy spoiled us and we enjoyed four starters.  We began with two fried ravioli, followed by two vegetable won tons, a dish of fried eggs, potatoes and ham (huevos rotos), and a couple of langoustines.  We then enjoyed individual servings of paella that was dotted with Bok Choy, ham and mushrooms.  Each serving of paella was made to order, as opposed to those restaurants that make a large paella that sits on a counter and then give the individual portions a quick pass through the microwave.  Dessert was a brownie, served with a banana and topped with a sweet foam.  Both the brownie and the banana were cut into small squares.  A cup of coffee finished off the meal and we passed on the offer of a chupito.

As it turned out, lunch was the activity of the day and we spent the rest of the day reading, relaxing and watching a bit of TV.  Susan made a curried chicken salad for supper and that was the essence of our meal.  We went to bed at a reasonable hour so that we could be well rested for today’s excursion.

Fresh green beans are now in season at the Central Market!

Susan does brochettes!

Ravioli!

Won Ton!

Huevos Rotos!

Paella Eddy style!

Just Desserts!

Friday, November 16, 2012

Yesterday we did a bit of shopping and Susan did a bit of cooking.  Thanksgiving’s cranberry relish is now sitting in the refrigerator and an apple pie was delivered to Jordi Morera, as promised.  We delivered it in person and then stayed on for lunch.  In addition to the three appetizers we enjoyed a paella made with an assortment of winter vegetables.  There were carrots, potatoes, artichokes, green beans, mushrooms and zucchini.  It was a treat!  Afterwards we headed back home to rest and relax.

I had a meeting of the veteranos last night and I got there a little after 8:00.  Pepe and Gurrea were already there and Gioco would arrive some thirty minutes later.  Our talk centered on magical apparatus and Jerito told us about a gift he received.  It was a piece of apparatus that had a fall away bottom.  He needed to have a similar piece that was not gimmicked.  He went to a metal smith and asked him if he could reproduce the article in question.  The metal smith said there was no problem and told Jerito to return in a week.  Jerito came back a week later and there sat the metal smith’s creation – a perfect reproduction of the gimmicked piece.  As he handed it over he told Jerito that in addition to creating the new piece, he had fixed the other piece so that the bottom would not fall out!  Jerito went directly to the hardware store, bought a file and spent a good half hour undoing the mental smith’s repair.

Gurrea showed us a new effect that he had ordered from the States.  There is a cardboard pet store that opens up to show all kinds of supplies.  In addition there are a number of 8X11 cards that have drawings of various pets on them.  One of the pets is chosen and it disappears.  It reappears inside the pet store.  There is one sleight problem with the effect and it is unique to Valencia and Catalonia.  The front of the pet store reads PETS.  I discovered last night that PETS in Valenciano means FARTS.  It will be interesting to find out how Gurrea works his way around that problem.

Gioco did an effect for us where blank cards turned into mirror images of a selected card and then turned blank again.  I ended up doing three effects, although I had only planned to do one.  Two of the effects were by Paul Vigil that I had learned from a magazine and the third was my treatment of an effect that I had learned from Dani DaOrtiz.  I am pleased to say that they went off without a hitch.

After our meeting, we headed out in search of a sandwich.  Every place we tried was mobbed and it was a Thursday night.  We finally found a place that was not too crowded, but a few minutes after we arrived three groups arrived and filled up the place.  As usual, Gurrea drove me home.  When I walked in Susan was watching TV.  We shut off the TV a little before 1:00 and went to sleep.

Thursday, November 15, 2012

As I predicted yesterday there is a great variance in the level of participation in yesterday’s national strike.  Here in Valencia the official estimate of participation was 4% of the work force.  According to the unions, it was 76%.  Either way, the bottom line is that a lot of people are pissed off at the government for its cutting health, education and culture while raising taxes and do not understand how spending less is going to generate jobs and take the unemployment rate to a more tolerable level.  The current 25% rate is not tolerable.

We decided yesterday that it made more sense to stay close to home since we did not know where the strikers would gather and whether there would be confrontations with the police.  As a result, Susan did not go to her class and I did not go to the gym.  I took advantage of that time to do some work on my magic.  Susan was feeling a bit under the weather thanks to hear sinuses, so she took life easy in the morning hours.

We had lunch at home.  The menu was steak, potatoes and some green beans made with onions and tomatoes.  It was a tasty treat.  I was going to meet with Pepe at 5:00 so I thought I little siesta would be in order before I left.  Susan had agreed to meet with Juanjo, Vilma’s boyfriend, to help him with his English.  They spent the better part of two hours in conversation.  Juanjo is pretty fluent, but he needs a bit of help with grammar and he needs to work a bit more on perfecting his pronunciation.  He is a licensed pilot who is currently employed by Air Nostrum, which is a subsidiary of Iberia.  It is similar to the relationship between American Airlines and American Eagle.  Juanjo’s goal is to become a pilot who flies international routes, hence his need to improve his English.

I headed out for Pepe’s at 5:00.  He wanted to explain to me, in detail, the relaunch of Magic Agora.  The idea is to have people pay a monthly subscription fee to access the Mediatheque, which contains video instruction on every imaginable card and coin sleight.  They will also have access to Roberto Giobbi’s course on beginning card magic that deals with the history of cards, the handling of cards and a number of effects that can be done with few or no sleights.  Subscribers will also have access to a three level course called 52 Steps for the 52 Lovers.  This course will focus on the 52 sleights that one needs in order to perform amazing card magic.  The sleights will be taught in the context of an effect.  Subscribers will also have access to a forum to discuss ideas and issues.  There are a number of optional workshops and services that subscribers can purchase and subscribers will receive a significant discount on those services.  The main focus for the near future will be the Spanish speaking audience.  If this concept flies, then work will begin on the English language version.

I spent a good hour and a half at Pepe’s and I spent the rest of the evening playing around with a couple of magic ideas and trying to build a couple of the components that I will need to perform a couple of new effects that have caught my eye.  We had a very light supper and while I continued to work on my magic, Susan retired to the bedroom to watch several episodes of Castle.