Funny Bumping Into You!

Never in a million years did I think I would randomly bump into someone I know on the streets of Barcelona, but yet, it happened not once, but twice last night.

I was coming back from a new teaching job, on a high from a good lesson, listening to my Mamma Mia soundtrack (I know, very cool) and thinking I would treat myself to a hot meal. Some things I don’t take for granted and one of those are hot meals since I don’t cook many of them for myself. Remember, I’m only Chef Hoolia in training!

Anyway, I stopped in a kebab restaurant to order something to go when I saw Rohan and Adam (both who said they wanted a mention in my blog, though they don’t read it, so here they go). We had a beer, then moved on to another place, a gentleman’s club of sorts, and did a cheers. Adam was having a bad day, so I asked what the cheers was for and he said, “I’m celebrating tomorrow being a better day than today!” I liked that 🙂

Later on, Adam and I were walking home and I saw my friends David (nicknamed “antipatico”) and Jordi (who calls me his English teacher, though we usually just speak Spanish). They just finished a French class, so we too went for a drink and just like that, I went from a night in English to a night in Spanish.

Going to bed at 1:30 a.m. on a Thursday was no biggie because I have a day off on Friday and thus, plenty of time to catch up on my beauty rest. Ahhh, the life.

Who Let the Dogs Out?!

Barcelona is a very dog-friendly city and with that comes a lot of, as the Spaniards say, “caca” on the streets. I think that one needs no translation! I have noticed it on the streets more so in the past couple weeks than before and let me tell ya, it’s not a pretty site. Quite nasty in fact. I guess owners who don’t pick up after their dogs is a global problem, but seemingly worse here because there is no grass or surface beyond city streets. I’ve become pretty good at the walking swagger, avoiding it at all costs and so far, no accidents. Let’s hope it stays that way.

I think it’s really funny to watch dogs respond to Spanish commands too. “Ven aqui” or “vamonos” are probably the most common. Most of the dogs I have seen are little yelpy ones, like Yorkies or Terriers, but I do see the occasional lab or Hunter dog (my Golden Retriever at home being named Hunter and all). Also, dogs here are very rarely, as Bob Barker likes to say, “spayed or neutered,” so that’s another, well, interesting thing as well. I’m sure you can imagine why.

Everytime I see a pug, the type of dog I want, a King Charles Spaniel, the dog my brother and his wife got, or a Golden, I tend to smile. Below is Hunter, the most special doggie in the world, with his doggie friends Stanley and Gus. Sometimes I talk to Hunter on the Skype, but he always runs away. I think the voice without the live person scares him. Awww…

The Tie that Binds

My home futbol (soccer) team, Barca (pronounced Barza), is currently one of the best teams in the world. So given how good they are, I have been bitten by the futbol bug a bit and I really enjoy watching them play. I’m lucky though because unlike with my Oakland A’s and SF 49ers, I never even had a chance to be a fair weather fan, liking them through good and bad, because they have always been good!

It’s most fun watching Barca play with the locals. A few weeks ago, I went to an Irish pub with a friend and two Spanish guys sat with us. We all gasped after each shot at the goal, cheered when Barca went on an exciting run and gave each other high fives when the team scored. The same was true on Sunday, where I was the only non-Spaniard, and it was quite a game! Messi, the best player on the team and one of the best in the world, is by far my favorite. One of these days I’ll make it to a live game. After all, Camp Nou is the biggest stadium in Europe, holding 100,000 people, so this I have to see.

It’s like if you are a Barca fan, you are “in.” Apparently, more than 25% of all of Barcelona are fans of the team. Barca fans seem to have a common tie that binds and while I’m not a full blown official member of this society, I’m getting there. I even bought a Barca t shirt to show my pride watching games, though no one actually wears Barca clothes while watching at a bar. I may just have to start a new trend. And speaking of trends, apparently it’s quite cool for players to have long hair because so many do.

So in conclusion and in relation to my Spanish check up from yesterday, I’ve also noticed how amazing the Spanish flows after a few drinks and a few Barca goals 🙂 Ole!

Check Up on the Good Ol’ Espanol

It’s about that time where I feel I should fulfill my promise to ALL my loyal readers and give a progress report on my Spanish. I am proud to say that it is indeed getting better. Phew! If it wasn’t, I would question how effective absorption actually is, but there is currently no questioning of the sorts.

On a scale of 1-10, when I got here, I probably spoke a 4. Now, I would say I’m at a 6, so not close to fluent, but definitely climbing the scale a bit. I do have some focus areas to work on though. When I watch TV (we now have a TV with about 3 channels), I get so excited when I understand one sentence, I forget to listen to the rest! Then of course, I get lost.  But hey, progress is progress. Soon, I’ll understand two sentences in a row 🙂 Whoa, I know. I’m also speaking the infamous Spanglish at times, starting a sentence in Spanish, not knowing a word in the middle, saying the word in English, then finishing in Spanish. That needs to stop, stat.

A lot of people tell me I have a strong American accent when I speak Spanish, to which I say, “Well, yeah, I’m American, duh.” But I am working on the accent and trying to speak faster, speak with more confidence and just go with it without thinking so much. BUT, my tongue, no matter how much I try, will not make the double “r” sound that is so common in Spanish, so that poses a challenge I probably can’t get over, but I’m not too worried about it. I mean, I wouldn’t want to lose my accent all together 🙂 As if that would happen, but still…

All in all, I really enjoy speaking and I feel less and less uncomfortable when being spoken to. I still can’t understand a lot of things, but I try to listen more for context than every single word, so we’ll see how that continues to go.

Another progress report to come next month! Hasta pronto!

Rebajas Galore!

The never ending holidays have indeed come to an end (though the store across from where I live needs to get with the program and take down its nativity scene) and with the end comes rebajas, rebajas and rebajas. Translation, sales! Similar to the day after Thanksgiving in the U.S., the day after Kings Day, January 7, is the start of massive sales across all stores, both big and small. There is signage in the windows, saying both “rebajas” and of course, “rebaixes,” the Catalan version, enticing shoppers to come in and see what they can find.

What surprises me is how many shoppers there actually are! It’s like a sea of people on the streets lately, each with a different shopping bag. I know sales can be quite enticing (I am a girl after all), but given all the buzz around the economic crisis, the lack of jobs, the hurting economy, I’m surprised to see such a groundswell of people emptying out their wallets. Now, it could be that they are just getting what they “need,” but that’s hard to believe unless they have to have that new scarf, that new wallet or that new top, which is actually quite possible. Yes, yes, that’s the girl in me speaking 🙂

I am proud to say that I have become an expert window shopper and no more. I look, I admire and then I move on. Every so often, I’ll walk into a store, but ultimately, I have yet to give into temptation. Maybe it’s cause of my own economic crisis without a full time job and all! Regardless, I hope to take advantage one of these days because, after all, if I’m really a resident here, I better start looking like one!

Come One, Come All

It’s about 2.5 months into my trip/move/perma vacation and I would like to give an official call for visitors. I know I have pestered people individually about making their way across the Atlantic (sorry!), but just think, a trip to a Spanish city on the Mediterranean, good wine, amazing sites and history, great food, incredible views, fun day trips….and of course, Hoolia!

My parents have already answered the call and they booked their flights. Done and done. I will have 10 days to show them around, go on day trips, explore, eat, etc. and I plan to show them a very good time. And hopefully that plan will come to fruition. It will be their first hurrah in Barcelona, so similar to what I like to do in San Francisco when I have visitors, I can be the unofficial tour guide. I better learn the city a bit more though before I start counting my chickens:)

Various friends have also suggested visiting and I really appreciate it. I know as well as anyone that it’s far and it’s expensive, so when people want to make the effort, that goes a long way with me. And hek, a European vacation in Barcelona, one of the greatest cities in the world (of course coming from the most objective perspective), ain’t too shabby!

And the icing on the cake is a free place to stay. Though small and cozy, I have my own bathroom and a nice area to blow up the air bed with an extra set of sheets and blankets. Not too bad a deal, huh? All I can say for sure is that a visit here will be a trip to remember. So see you soon? Hopefully!

Who can resist this?!

Chef Hoolia

Ok, it may be a little too far fetched to be called a chef at this point, but I am officially going to kick it up a notch in the kitchen. I know, I know, I have said it many times, but the time feels right to up the ante, so to speak, and put my skills to the test!

After I graduated college, I had a crazy idea to race in a triathlon. I had none of the equipment, no idea where to start, but low and behold, I raced in not one, but two races. I then had the idea to pursue photography and by no means am I a photographer, but it has become a fun hobby. I like to take on new challenges and develop new interests, so why I ask is cooking any different? Please, hold the laughs for those who know me well.

I’m already off to a good start. Well, a start 🙂 The other night, I got a vegetable mix, put oil in the frying pan, turned on the burner and swished around the veggies. Let me tell ya, I was on a roll, holding the handle of the pan, pushing the veggies right, left and even flipping them a little until they were perfectly cooked. So while I’m no Wolfgang Puck or even close, ya have to start somewhere and that was my most basic of starts.

Here is a photo of some pasta I made, adding corn, peas and of course, parmesan. Are you getting hungry yet?  Soon enough, I’ll be making dishes where people ask me for the ingredients, ha! A little ambitious, maybe, but ya never know what escapades can happen when I get my mind set on something!

Business Up Front, Party in the Back

It has become more than clear, in fact, crystal clear, that the 80’s “style” is making a comeback in Barcelona. I have seen more mullets, and even tails, than I would have imagined possible in this day and age. From little kids (where I wonder why the parents do that to them) to adults (where I just wonder), wherever I walk, the mullets and tails abound. From the metro to the grocery store to restaurants, I think Spain is trying to bring back the style, if it really ever was one.

And it’s not always safe to assume when you are talking to someone they are mullet or tail free. For example, the other night, at dinner, I was chatting with a Barcelona native, doing the whole spiel of why I’m here, ladida. No sooner did he turn around to get something or look at someone did I notice he had both a mullet AND a tail! That certainly took me by suprise since I didn’t notice it at first, but I am certainly not one to judge.

European style as a whole is definitely different than in America. A lot of the teenagers also have face piercings, or a single stud piercing in all areas of their face. I see black or white dots on noses, on cheeks, on the side of the lips, etc. At first it looks like a mole, but oh no, it’s not.

For a visual of the mullet, see below (and no, I do not know him, it’s courtesy of Google Image). I can’t find one of a good tail, but you can use your imagination on that one.

The Wonders of Google Earth

Last night, I was hanging out with a group of friends and after dinner, we went for drinks and then more drinks. Then, we went back to my friend’s place for, well, more drinks 🙂 I opted for tea though, so not to worry about me going overboard. Anyway, we got into a random discussion about the major cities in Switzerland, which lead to us looking on the computer at a map, which then lead to each one of us showing each other where we lived via Google Earth. And that program is amazing!

We took a tour of my friend’s city in Australia and where he used to go fishing, my other friend’s place in Ireland, another friend’s place in England, etc. And of course, I was no prouder to show them the grand tour of my SF apartment, full deck and all, down to the water where I went running and along Chestnut St. Personal photos can say a thousand words, but nothing beats an actual virtual tour with real photos. It was definitely neat to get a sense for where my friends grew up and have a visual for what I imagined based on what they have told me. And to see everyone get excited to show off their hometown was another cool thing altogether.

I may be stating the obvious, but I continue to be impressed with how far technology has come. From tools like Facebook, Skype, email, instant messaging, videos and more, it’s great to take advantage of all these ways to stay connected. I can only imagine what’s next…

Stop with the Stank Eye

I can’t resist referencing another quote from some pop culture movie or show, this time, Juno. And when I say stank eye, or stink eye in case it’s not immediately obvious, I’m referring to Catalans. In the world of Catalans, I definitely feel guilty until proven innocent because in my opinion, they just aren’t friendly.

Though I’m expressing an opinion (and will go on one of my first rants), this opinion seems to be shared among a lot of people. The Catalans have built a reputation for themselves and in my experiences it’s true! If there is a crowded street, they won’t move, instead, they will just bump into you or nick you without an apology (it’s like a game of chicken to see who will move first). I’m accustomed to making eye contact with someone and then naturally just smiling, but not here. Catalans will never offer a free smile to a stranger. And the stank eye from the retail staff is unbelievable. Whenever I go into a store, I get an attitude if I ask a question or try something on and the same goes for when grocery shopping. The custom here is to bag your own groceries, which I like doing, but God forbid I don’t do it fast enough. One time someone stepped in to help with such a sigh of impatience so I could get on out of there. It’s like, similar to my reference earlier about 2007, “don’t let the door hit you in the a#*”!”

I pride myself on generally being a friendly and social person. When that is not reciprocated, which can be often here by Catalans, I wonder why. I also wonder why, with 4 million tourists a year to this city, the Catalans don’t embrace them more and make them feel more welcome.

Maybe in time my perception will change. I hope it does!