If you want to meet people from all over the world, including many Madridians, join us any Wednesday evening from 21:21 till late at Caf� Madrid (calle Escalinata, metro Opera). It's free and very friendly. See you.

Hey madlen, welcome to the group

From what I know of this night, a lot of people show up and it is pretty fun (I have never gone myself but others have told me this). Maybe one day I will attend.

A few questions, since you the organizer of this event , you can clear up a few things for those of us who may be interested in checking it out.

1) I kow you said it is free but can one just go to meet people or does everyone have to buy a drink?

You see, most of the people who organize this type of event have a deal with the bar, caf� or restaurant that the event takes place at where the organizer gets a percentage of the money that the participants spend there that evening. In order to make money, they require that everyone buy at least 1 drink.

Is this the case with your international night? If so, do people HAVE to drink or eat or can they just go for the company and good times without spending money?

2) I got an e-mail last week about your night at Caf� Madrid and it read...

quote:

Buenos d�as amig@s:
Como creemos que la mejor forma de practicar un idioma es relacionarse con nativos, todos los MIERCOLES a partir de las 21:21 brindamos esa posibilidad en el Caf� Madrid (calle Escalinata, metro OPERA). All� nos reunimos espa�oles y extranjeros en un agradable ambiente en el que no s�lo se puede perfeccionar un idioma, sino tambi�n hacer nuevas amistades, as� que esperamos poder saludaros personalmente cualquier mi�rcoles que os quer�is pasar por el Caf� Madrid. Para cualquier duda, pod�is preguntar por FRAN �Hasta pronto!

So, as it would seem that the idea in part is to practice Spanish (correct me if I am wrong), what percentage of the people who usually show up are native Spanish speakers?

Thanks for answering these questions.

En fin Fran, I hope to see you on my forums a lot in the future. I know you would not join my board just to plug your international night, right?

Saludos,
jer...

Thank you so much for your welcome. With regard to your first question, I repeat that the meeting is ABSOLUTELY free; of course in Spain we usually talk with a glass on the hand, but perhaps there are people who can do it without any drink... I don't receive any percentage as I do it just for fun, so anyone is welcome to join us and have a good time without spending money. Every Wednesday we are a pretty big crowd approximately 50/50 Spanish/foreigner -from very different countries-, and the most used language is Spanish, so I think it is an excellent meeting place for any foreigner wishing to practise the language and getting in touch with Spaniards. In fact I am a lover of Madrid, foreign languages and international relations, so I congratulate you very warmly for your initiatives and hope to participate in your fora as often as I can. Hope to see all of you at Caf� Madrid or wherever you want. Kindest regards. Fran.

Hey madlen...

quote:

I don't receive any percentage as I do it just for fun...

... very cool More people should be like you and just get people together for the sake of having fun and making new friends

I agree that it is best to chat with a drink in yer hand, just wanted to make sure it was ok for people to go and not feel obligated to buy anything, thanks for clearing that up.

I truly salute you for your efforts!!!

I promise that I will make it by one of these cold Wednesday nights this winter for a "warmer-upper" drink and some good times :cheers:

Saludos,
jer...

The only way I speak to anyone is in a bar with glass in hand, who pays your telephone bills? :cheers:

ummmmmm, intl' evening.... didn't know about that. i'll try to go next wednesday.

what kind of people use to go? age? bla bla bla?

All kind of people, any age: great atmosphere. Hope to see you next week. Fran.

My classmates and me were looking for something like this because we want to improve our English. We want to get our BEC2 exam in June and we would like to go next year to London, to study there. This would mean 5 Spanish students, would it be ok? We will try to start this week!

Hi Aidah, I am pretty sure anyone can go, just show up, no need to ask if it is ok.

I too will probably pop in this Wednesday

Saludos,
jer...

Ok, I missed tonight at Caf� Madrid, got home late and was waaaaaaayyyy too tired to head out in this crappy weather

So, I know that Candela as well as Aidah & friends were planning on going.

How was it? How was it? How was it?

Saludos,
jer...

I stopped by Cafe Madrid and met up with some former Bilingual Madrid Members that have taken over the event as well as Candela.
My first impression was that I missed the tertulia part of it, because when I arrived everyone was doing there own thing. It looked just like any other pub/bar. There were a lot of English and Spanish speaking people milling about, but no structure that I could see.
I spoke with Francisco, the guy who coordinates it and he told me that it is just a free form gathering of people and that the crowd changes every week.
After this he began to introduce me and Candela to people and it became more interesting.
I met some Spanish girls that spoke some English and some English girls that are here studying Spanish. Candela met two American fellas from Arizona I think. Finally I was having a conversation with a girl from Sueden who had read about the event in the In Madrid.
All in all I felt no pressure to have to buy anything, but could tell that until someone breaks the ice and presents you to the other people that it is no different than meeting your friends at any other pub/bar where you do not know anybody.
I recommend meeting your friends there or just stopping by and asking Francisco to introduce you to the other people who have also just showed up.

couldn't pop in Caf� Madrid last night! I guess, Madrid Insider, that it's very important in these kind of meetings to be really proactive, not just stop by the caf� thinking that everybody is going to say "hi!" to every single person in the caf�....

in fact, it seems that in the end you spent a great time!!!

hey all, fran's shindig at cafe madrid was a lot of fun. like madridinsider aka rocco said it was really freeform and quite bar-like. however, really i felt it was more like a party. you know how you go to a houseparty and you feel like it is okay to strike up a conversation with anyone, that is how this was. i felt comfy just talking to people--which is a rarity for me being the shy southerner that i am. :b: je je je. anyway, also i liked that it was not a bunch of jovenes. the ages seemed to be late twenties on up with the majority like me, 30 sumptin.

i did meet two american boys probably the youngest folk there, but they were from tennessee, not arizona, hence we had the ya'll thing in common. i also met a hilarious spanish woman who after meeting rocco kept telling me about an italian porn star named rocco and then compared his, um, assets to a leg of jamon!

i'll definitely go back. thanks for a fun gig fran!

quote:

i felt comfy just talking to people--which is a rarity for me being the shy southerner that i am.

hmmmmmmmm... are you sure you are the Candela I met a few days ago

Saludos,
jer...

I will have to participate in these tertul�as when I get back. It will be nice to meet other people and hear about their experiences in Madrid.

Shawn