So let's start with Thursday. Xavi (my aunt's friend from Barcelona) called me and I ran downstairs only to be greeted with a big grin, besos, and a moto. I love how the first day I decide to wear a dress in Spain is also the first day I've ever ridden on a motorcycle. I'm finding out you have to just laugh at the awkwardness of life sometimes. Like when Gemma was explaining something about the little one and she didn't know the word "penis" and she asked how to say it in English. I was practically bursting out laughing even before she asked because of her hand gestures. Haha!
On the other hand, my trip to the museum afterwards was anything but awkward. I've realized museums are probably the easiest places you can visit alone. You'll be shunned if you talk in those exhibits anyway-and I could walk as slow or as fast as I wanted. The only awkward part was when tourists would stare at me as if I was a lost puppy. I'm alright, people! I mean, if you want to take my picture and not run away with my camera that would be superb, but other than that-you don't need to call the Spain version of 911 :)
Something I've realized:
-When you're a foreigner walking alone in Barcelona, they assume you know Spanish/Catalan because who would be silly enough to walk around alone in a city where you don't know the main language?! Haha...
A perfect example: Today we rounded the corner only to find people dressed up holding cameras and videorecorders telling us to stop walking and pointed at the ground. All of a sudden it sounds like I'm in the 9th ward of New Orleans. They lit fireworks on one of the smallest streets in the entire Placa de Sants! I almost had a heart attack. We soon learned it was a wedding procession. Of course, this was AFTER an old man talked to me for about 3 minutes in Catalan before Laia was nice enough to say "Ella no sabe Catalan-solo Castellano" Thank goodness for my mini translator.
What I eventually learned from Gemma was that on your wedding day you leave your parents house with the guests caravaning behind you and then you go to the church and get married. Gemma said most people don't set off fireworks though. Thank goodness! So next time I hear a noise like that, I'm just going to hit the ground and start praying...
Friday I went to a cafe with the people from the COINED program. I walked there with a girl who speaks German and sort of knows english and spanish. We took the metro and after we got off there was a group of about 8 people that stopped and seemed to be waiting for us. Luckily this street-smart German (who I literally had just met) is used to being out late so we slowed down and walked with a bigger group of people. Later she told me she heard them talking about how much money they thought I had. They would have been sorely disappointed with the "gems" in my purse-a map, a pen, copy of my passport, and my camera (all my money was in my bra)-and by that point my heart was beating so fast I felt like I could've channeled some ninja moves. From then on I was daydreaming about kicking someone in the gut! Of course when we used the metro later they followed us again-so they may be good at pickpocketing, but they need some lessons in being inconspicuous...Anyway all the adrenaline from the 1st encounter died down when we got lost for about another hour (story of my life here), but we eventually found the Arc Cafe, and I laughed to myself while I said this in my head:
"So an American, German, Mexican, Argentinean, Brazilian, Irish, and British person walked into a bar..."
...and so my night had begun!
The tapas bar was really nice-I didn't actually eat anything but I did get licor de manzana (apple) and apple juice. It was REALLY good, and way stronger than anything in the U.S. Afterwards we went to a bar called El Gato Negro and took shots of something that had the force of Barcardi 151. It was intense. I also learned that no one tips in Spain-harder alcohol, no tips?-c'mon U.S.!
All in all it was a great night-many of them knew English which was a nice relief, and many were older than me and are teaching their respective languages here in Barcelona! I've also realized it's much easier to meet people when there's a language barrier, because you tend to focus more on the language than on trying to figure out normal social questions. I spent half my night explaining that Miami isn't near Pensacola. I'm on the other side, "near the oil spill..."
After waking up late we went to Guille Park! That is one amazing place. I also learned a lot of cool facts because Xavi once studied GaudÃ. The kids were with us, so we didn't stay very long and I didn't get to see the whole park. But I have a lot of time here, and I know I'll be making at least one more visit, if not more. His architecture really takes your breath away.
Tonight we had homemade pizza (crust, sauce, everything was homemade) and I watched a singing competition on TV where 25 European countries compete to see who is the best. In true European fashion, there was an entire choreographed part of the program where they had a camera in each country's capital and had a flash mob dancing to the same music. Needless to say the entire program was quite interesting, and I got a mini geography lesson just by watching it! Thank you Google Earth..And Congrats Germany! Haha.
Hasta luego amigos!
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