"And the whole Oscar thing, that is just surreal: you spend months and months doing promotion, and then come back to reality with this golden thing in your hands. You put it in the office and then you just have to look at it sitting on the shelf. And, after about two weeks, you go: 'What is that doing there?'"

Javier Bardem's quote offers an informative reflection on the nature of popularity and accomplishment, particularly in the context of winning one of the most coveted awards in the film market-- the Oscar. It catches the paradoxical mix of exhilaration and anticlimax that typically accompanies significant successes.

Bardem starts by describing the Oscar experience as "surreal", highlighting the dreamlike state that winners find themselves in. This surrealism highlights the disconnection from routine life, recommending that the process and result of winning an Oscar are so remarkable that they feel practically unreal. The months invested in promo signify the intense journey of marketing, interviews, and keeping a public presence, which can typically become overwhelming and separated from the craft of acting itself.

The expression "return to reality" represents the unavoidable return to daily life, advising us that no matter how grand an achievement, one's everyday presence waits for. The "golden thing" signifies not just the physical Oscar statuette but likewise the peak of success it represents. Putting it "in the office" shows how awards, despite their significance, eventually become simply part of the decoration-- a piece of one's professional narrative instead of the specifying component.

Bardem's reflective awareness--"What is that doing there?"-- catches humor and humility. It works as a pointer that life continues beyond honors; while achievements can embellish one's career, they do not always alter personal identity or day-to-day truths. The reflective nature indicate the ephemerality of external validation, prompting a much deeper exploration of what truly matters in the larger scope of an artist's life.

In essence, Bardem's words convey an universal truth about success: while awards can signify acknowledgment and hard work, they are just markers along a much wider individual and professional journey. The real essence of accomplishment, he recommends, might depend on continued devotion to one's craft instead of in symbols or titles.