Subtlety....Not Much of a Strength Here

Hola mis amigos! 

It has indeed been a little while since I have posted a blog for you to read. Bryndan and I are back in Barcelona - still dreaming about our time in Paris...or maybe it's just me doing that. 

Anyways, we are adjusted once again to our schedule and back at school teaching three days a week. The past two weeks have been full of bizarre moments - of course there isn't a day when something weird seems to happen to us. I'll go through a few things that have happened. 

1. The Pink Rice Krispie Phenomenon 

The staff at the school decided to throw a lunch (which really was more of a breakfast) at 11 AM a week or so ago. Our partner teacher requested that we bring something to share with everyone. While normally I would be all for this back home - what with a well-equipped kitchen and numerous pots and pans to whip up something tasty...I was a little more hesitant here. First of all, if I haven't already mentioned it - we have one hot plate, one pan, and one pot along with a small assortment of other kitchen tools. So what did we make you must be wondering? Well - we made a one pot wonder ....rice krispies! In the title of this wee paragraph it notes that they were pink. Yes - bubblegum pink in fact because they apparently don't have white marshmallows here..which leads me to believe that they have never experienced the campfire wonder that are smores. Too bad, too bad. 

So in we go to this lunch (given the fact that the break is only half an hour long it was more like a stuff your face while you try to look decent and say a few words to someone else kind of shindig) and everyone is quite puzzled by the pan of pink something sitting on the table. It was somewhat embarrassing given that no one knew what they were - and I'm really not convinced that they liked them.

So Bryndan and I ate half a tray of pink rice krispie squares during our prep that day. 

Which brings me to the next realization....

2. People Stare

Yes, it's a known fact in life - generally speaking - that people stare. Well in Spain, people stare for a good long time and here's the kicker...they don't seem to understand that you can see them staring at you! 

For instance...we went for pizza last night (man was it good!). Bryndan and I were sitting in a corner that was mostly hidden by walls on two sides therefore, if the person who decided to deliberately swing around in his chair to look at us actually wasn't looking at us - well then he was just staring at some pasta art on the wall. Yeah right. I'm not sure if he was amazed that I ate an entire pizza or that I liked extra ice in my sangria - I don't know! Nonetheless, it was awkward. I've learned to just stare right back. It doesn't seem to help. 

Other occasions at which people tend to stare at us: 

-walking down the street

-talking to people nearly our own age (shocking, I know) 

-walking down the street with a to go mug of tea at 5 in the morning

-eating a croissant on the train in the morning

I suppose they just aren't used to people eating....and walking.... hah. 

3. Chocolate and Churros - suck. 

Yes, I'm sorry but you did read that one right. We read the travel books, we mapped out the best churro eating spots, we found said churro spots, we waited in line for 20 minutes to sit in said restaurant and.....well usually someone says something about conquering the churros but in this case - we found, we tried and..................

we enjoyed our bottle of water more than the churros and chocolate. 

Disappointing EH??

Here's the thing - typically I don't go out just for chocolate so I suppose my outlook on the whole thing wasn't great to begin with. Secondly, Spanish hot chocolate is thick...kind of like fondue...but not sweet. Normally, this would suit me just fine because I like really dark chocolate - but this was just not good! Since churros are rather cheap - I am willing to try it again in the hopes that chocolate and churros can redeem themselves. 

Speaking of more food...

4. Cravings

I'm always amazed to hear from other people who travel talk about food cravings they have while they are gone. I mean really - there is probably a lot better food where you are as opposed to being at home. 

Well, apparently I was wrong because Bryndan and I seem to have mad cravings for things that we can't buy here. 

For example - maple syrup. How cliche. We made pancakes the other morning for breakfast to shake things up a little bit and I was eating said pancakes and realized, quite abruptly, that it really just wasn't the same without maple syrup! You can buy maple syrup here, but my goodness it's expensive. 

Next example is Kraft Dinner. Let me just preface this by saying that I rarely eat Kraft Dinner at home because it's so bad for you and what not, it goes on and on but at this moment in time - whatever! I don't care, I just want one bowl. Amazingly, there is an "American" food store a few blocks away and we are going to visit there tonight to see what 'home comforts' we can find. 

Yes, Spain has amazing food (too bad we don't know how to order! haha) but sometimes you just crave a taste of home - or a taste of every food available in Canada.....

5. Mice

I suppose the order of my blog topics isn't the best today as I'm sure you are thinking of Kraft Dinner right now and I'm going to start talking about unwelcome visitors. Alas, there are two animals - or categories of animals in the world that I absolutely cannot stand. And I mean I can't stand them as in I can't even look at pictures of them. These two categories are reptiles and rodents. Well guess what? We have mice in the apartment. I'm not handling it well. It also is amazing to me because we are on the third floor. Seriously. 

I don't even want to re-hash how I found this all out because it was such a traumatizing experience. In a nutshell, I was washing dishes and one ran on top of my foot. AH! That's all I can bear to talk about it. 

6. You're Probably Wondering.....about Teaching

Yes, it's not all just chocolate and awful churros here. We are teaching as well. I must say the kids - in small groups - are wonderful! The problem that we seem to encounter everyday, is that classroom management is almost non-existent in the classes Bryndan and I are involved with. Of course this generalization does not apply to every teacher we are in contact with - but there are numerous classes that prove to be so incredibly frustrating because we can see the potential oozing out of these students and yet it is masked by perhaps an unwillingness to contribute to the overall well-oiled machine like quality that a classroom can exude. For more details, you may look at any of my assignments which talk about educational ideas in more detail. 

Apart from this, Bryndan and I continue to learn innumerable amounts of things about education, the world and teaching - along with learning more about ourselves that will no doubt be of incredible use in our future jobs (fingers crossed - CBE announcements on Thursday!) 

Off to find me some Canadian food delights! 

B

Sur la ciel de Paris...

Bonjour! 

I am back from the most amazing trip I have ever been on in Paris. Words cannot describe how much I love Paris! To recap my trip, I have chosen to blog about it here - day by day, with all the scrumptious details! 

Jour Numero Un 

The day started with a trip to the Louvre - to get the biggest attraction over first. To get to the Louvre we of course had to take the Metro. Having been in Barcelona for several weeks Bryndan and I are quite accustomed to taking the Metro. Despite the fact that the Paris Metro system is easy to maneuver, it's rather gross, and a little sketchy at times. Be forewarned if you go! 

Now don't get me wrong, Bryndan and I wanted to savor the Louvre, but let's face it, the Louvre is freaking huge. The guidebook even notes that there are maps for when you get lost (continuing in brackets - note the when not if you get lost). Well, we did get lost - several times - and walked until we could walk no more. The Louvre is full of wonderful pieces of art and of course houses the famous Mona Lisa and several other statues. I would agree that it is a must do in Paris  - you walk in awe the entire way!

After perusing the Louvre we made our way to the Mariage Freres tea store just outside the museum. I, of course, was in heaven and it took a long time to settle on two different kinds of Parisian tea. After finally making a decision we put on our coats to make the trek to the next destination - only to discover that I had lost my scarf in the gigantic Louvre. I'll just mention now that it was one of my favorite scarves so I raced back into the Louvre, through security again,  to ask the coat check if anyone had turned it in. No luck. Moving onto the Information desk I quickly asked if they had seen it. After waiting for a few minutes, the nice Louvre woman appeared from afar - my scarf in hand! I was so happy. Lessons learned - 1) don't tuck your nice scarf into the sleeve of your coat while walking around because it will fall out. 2) Though the Louvre is freaking large, it seems to be very efficient. 3) Always go back and ask if you lost something! 

Quite relieved, Bryndan and I made our way down rue Rivoli to L'As du Fallafel for lunch. One word: AWESOME! I can't even describe the yumness that is the falafel from this particular Marais district foodhouse. It was so good that we went back on jour numero deux. 

To finish off day 1, we traversed to the Arc de Triomf and the Eiffel Tower - mostly so that we really felt we were in Paris. Although the Louvre was amazing, I still couldn't conceptualize the fact that I was in Paris (a life-long dream for those of you that don't know me!) On the misty way back from seeing these two landmarks we stopped for our first Parisian pastry (me: a millefeuille and Bryn a giant macaron) and went back to our hostel for our 1 Euro cup of noodles dinner (we are students don't you know). 

I should mention for those of you that share my love of the home and garden network (HGTV) I ran into rue Cler where one lucky lady found a Parisian apartment on House Hunters International. Neat! 

Jour Numero Deux 

Day two was just as ambitious as day one. We took the RER out to Versailles which was INCREDIBLE! It's hard to believe we were walking around a castle that once was home to Marie Antoinette! It was very luxurious and interesting! 

After going back to L'As du Fallafel for round number two (and eating it in a near by park) we wandered around rue Rivoli again and happened upon a macaron store and of course stopped. This was probably the best macaron I had ever eaten in my life. Passion fruit macaron. Need I say more?????

We eventually made our way back to the Louvre to use the washroom (since those aren't so easy to find) and pay 0.80 Euros to do so! 

Our mission in Paris was to find a Pandora Eiffel Tower charm. No such luck. Our wanderings and searching for said charm did not result in much at all, just incredibly sore feet. We limped back to the hostel for cup o'noodles round deux. 

Jour Numero Tres

Notre Dame is one of the most incredible places I have ever set foot in. I found there to be an incredible peace existing in this cathedral, not one that I had experienced before. Bryndan and I were excited to find out that later that night there was a Bach organ and gregorian chant concert being held - in the cathedral. How many times does this kind of opportunity come around??? So far, once in a lifetime! 

After getting our photos of the church and reveling in it's beauty, we went across the street to find some lunch. We found a delightful little bistro with a 10 Euro 'plat du jour'. We feasted on french onion soup, salmon pasta and the best dang creme caramel I have ever had. SUCCESS! 

There is a bridge towards the back of Notre Dame with locks on it left by Parisian travelers. Our next goal was to find a lock (and a Sharpie) to be able to take part in this tradition. 

We continued wandering around visiting several shops killing time before the Notre Dame concert. As per previously mentioned, bathrooms are not readily available unless you are a customer. Several times we ran into a McDonald's and ordered a petite frite so that we could use the washroom and have 20 minutes of free wifi! I tell you, McDonald's is uber popular in France - way more so than in Canada. It seems almost chic to eat there. They even have macarons! Definitely an experience. Speaking of, we picked up a box of macarons and an 'extra pita greque' from a recommended Greek food stop. We hurriedly wandered back towards Notre Dame for the concert. It was WONDERFUL! 

We soaked in some Bach and made our way back to the hostel for a much needed sleep.

Jour Numero Quatre 

Day four began with breakfast at our hostel (as we had every morning - they had wonderful jam!) and then we trooped over to the Sacre Coeur and the Musee d'Orsay. Musee d'Orsay was another wonderful museum, much like a train station, holding workings of Monet and Van Gogh among others. 

We found ourselves a little picnic lunch consisting of a baguette sandwich, Orangina and slice of 'tarte au chocolat' pour moi. Delish! 

More wandering brought about lovely views of the Eiffel Tower and Place de la Concorde along with the Opera Garnier and Ecole de la Musique. 

 

Jour Numero Cinq 

On day five Bryn and I were able to meet up with my saxophone teachers from UofC who are currently studying in Paris. It was so great to see them and catch up - and have people to show us the best place for crepes in Paris. Definitely delicious. After dinner we carried on to The Great Canadian pub where we enjoyed the company of a few other musicians as well! 

Prior to that we conquered the hunt for Pandora charms - indeed a relief! We also got our locks and left a little piece of ourselves in Paris - for the next visit. 

Jour Numero Six

Our last day in Paris! Sigh.... 

After sleeping in a little after our late night we had our last Parisian hostel breakfast and set out to see the Pere Lachaise cemetary to see the graves of some wonderful people: Oscar Wilde, Bellini, Rossini and Chopin. 

We stopped for a sushi lunch (so good! My sushi cravings were at a high) and our last Parisian pastry (citron meringue) before lugging our much heavier bags to the Orly airport. 

Overall it was a glorious trip and I hope to go back ASAP! The pastries are unreal, the views spectacular and the charm that Paris is so famous for certainly exists. 

Now that we are back in Barcelona, our attention has turned back to teaching at our school which will begin to intensify soon. 

Stay tuned!

 

The Daily Dish.

Hello everyone!

I have just returned from a day at the school! It was actually warm enough to go out without a coat today which was very exciting! Bryndan and I stopped for a chocolate croissant on route to school this morning and ended the school day with our new ritual of a donair lunch followed by gelato on the steps of the Barcelona Cathedral listening to flamenco guitar. Not bad my friends, not bad. 

Other Things to Report: 

1 - Gelato = Yum

Yes, it was warmer today but not overly great. I did however indulge, as previously mentioned, in some delightful gelato. Flavors? Rocher (as in the FERRERO)  and coconut (for my mom, because she always has coconut ice cream. Mom - it was amazing.) It was actually very reasonably priced which just means we can consume more of it. 

2 - Travel Mugs 

You may remember that I was superbly excited to find tea stores and a Bodum travel mug. You wouldn't believe the stares we get on the train and walking around with travel mugs of coffee in hand!!!! As if our blonde hair wasn't enough! 

3 - The Metro

AGAIN! Ohhhhh the metro. It just never ceases to surprise us. Today we were surprised with the smell of burning......sugar??? We were just hoping to make it to our stop with our lives still in tact.

4. Cheap Airlines

Yes, it is widely known that flying within Europe is affordable. This is sometimes the case. HOWEVER: if you plan on using a cheap airline, take note. 

• The websites suck. We tried booking with RyanAir and it failed. We then tried booking with EasyJet. Guess what???? FAILED! And finally, we made some progress with Vueling. So, Bryn and I are flying to Paris on Wednesday with Vueling airlines. (2 round trip tickets for approx. 330 CAD)
• They charge you for everything. Want to check in online? (This really isn't a question because you have to do it) Well you have to pay...but don't worry! That fee is tacked onto the flight fee. Phew! Luggage? Oh yes -that's another 15 Euros each way. Would you like to pick your seat - just hand over 4 Euros each way. 
• If you fly with RyanAir, you MUST print your boarding pass before you get to the airport (or they charge you 40 Euros to print it off, no joke) and it has to be on A4 sized paper. Also, European paper sizes are different than North America and their binders only have two holes. Tres bizarre. 
• I'm sure we'll find out about other hidden charges when we get to the airport and can't get on the plane because hand baggage is the wrong color or something equally as ridiculous. 

5. Veggies 

I like veggies and often feel vegetable deprived when I travel. Like I do now. Having said this we passed by a fruit and veg store and I noticed that they had a sign for cauliflower. Except it actually said COL-I-FLOR. I had to laugh. 

Speaking of veggies, today was the third day of eating at the same place for lunch. I love donairs, and there is a cute and cheap donair place in Sant Cugat that I now have a constant craving for (KD Lang song anyone???). Anyways, it helps that the guy working there now knows us and speaks English. WIN! 

Bryn and I are now on a petite vacation as there are holidays at the school so we are jetting off to Paris (did I mention this is the life long dream of yours truly???) for almost a week so I shall let y'all know how that goes. If Paris is anything like Barca, there will be lots to tell. 

More to come! 

Fantastic Food

Good Sunday Afternoon everyone!

Since everything is virtually closed here in Barcelona today, we are staying in and getting some laundry and other fun things like that done. After just finishing my daily cafe con leche and reading various news articles and emails I remembered that I have neglected to write anything about the food here in Barcelona! I know....I can't believe I haven't done so! For those of you that know me, or are anything like me (and there are a few), you may know that I quite enjoy various cuisines, along with grocery shopping, cooking and lusting over Jaime Oliver on the Food Network. I bet you do too. 

So far we haven't really eaten out too much as we are saving our pennies to indulge in Paris in a few weeks time. (lifelong dream of yours truly.) Having said this, we have observed, read about, and grocery shopped in Barcelona therefore, I can actually tell you something. 

1. JAMON

Ahhhh... the Jamon!! The famous prosciutto like meat that is consumed here like the world is going to implode tomorrow. So here is how it works, you walk into pretty well anywhere serving or selling food and you can purchase jamon. Typically, there is a animal leg set up and people just select what leg looks best and off you go. Or for the very reasonable price of 75 euros, you can walk into your neighborhood Carrefour (basically a Wal Mart) and buy your very own hunk o'Jamon leg. We have chosen to purchase smaller packages of said meat (mostly because we don't know how to order from the deli counter) and enjoy it with our eggs at breakfast. Tis' very good and certainly a Spanish delicacy. Not only are half the grocery stores, delis and restaurants dedicated to jamon, but so is the junk food. If you can believe it, Lay's makes jamon flavored chips. I think if we consume too much while we're here, I'll never be able to look at prosciutto again...which would just be sad. Must pace self!

2. YOGURT 

In all my guidebook reading prior to arriving in Barcelona I have yet to read about the madness of yogurt here in Spain. I'm not sure if it's because the Spanish consume a lot of yogurt or if they just have better fruit here which results in a bigger yogurt selection. Nevertheless, I have come to the conclusion that yogurt in Canada is now boring. While in Carrefour yesterday we stumbled upon THE YOGURT AISLE. Meaning a full aisle, stocked with yogurt on both sides. Not just a little section like you would see in Safeway. They have a bajillion varieties of yogurt; different flavors, drinkable, spoon-able etc. It's like paradise. This morning I indulged in a 'cookie' yogurt that tasted like creme caramel. Delightful. Last week was coconut. Also sooo good! 

3. SALT COD AND SEAFOOD 

In one episode on the Food Network of From Spain with Love, salt cod was featured. Now, as far as I know the cod is imported (because they don't have it here) and preserved in a crazy amount of salt so that it makes it to it's destination. Again in the Carrefour seafood section I saw a bucket o'salt cod and had to stop and look because it was just thrown in there for you to pick out. Not even wrapped! Now, I don't know about you but this is boggling to me. We are hoping to go down to the beach tomorrow and I'm hoping to try some authentic seafood. It's bit expensive but how often does an Alberta resident have access to quality seafood? Nada.

4. NESPRESSO

Buying a Nespresso machine or going to buy some refill pods is like walking into a car dealership. Everything has spotlights on it, is shiny and smells nice. People rush to help you, you can 'test-drive' the different espressos (better to not go at night) and after much contemplation, you make a purchase. We have a Nespresso machine in our apartment and are now accustomed to having one, and sometimes two cafe con leches (lattes) per day. Amazingly, our Nespresso makes a better latte than do most cafes we've tried so far. The only downside is our lack of a milk steamer/frother. Alas, Nespresso, you make darn good espresso. I think I may splurge on a machine here and bring it home (if I can get one with a North America plug-in!)

5. TEA

Prior to coming to Spain, I was a little worried that I would not have access to tea. You see, for those of you that don't know me, I am a huge fan of tea and consume large quantities of it each day. Not to sound a little pretentious but we aren't talking Tetley Orange Pekoe here, we are talking David's Tea. Now, if you haven't experienced tea from David's, you should. There is one in SouthCentre mall at home. Here, there is no David's (other than the stash I shoved in my suitcase) BUT there are tea stores!!!! Hallelujah! I have already come across two gourmet tea stores and if you read Bryndan's blog lately, you would know that apparently I was 'giddy' upon arrival. I don't remember it, it was a bit of an excitement blur for me. So don't worry, I have my tea stash, I found a Bodum travel mug for 9 euros and I'll be OK.

More to come! 

B

Amazing Architecture

Hello everyone, 

The last couple days have been a whirlwind of exploring Barcelona! 

I'll begin with the other day when Bryndan and I were able to hit a few of the tourist spots including the Museu Picasso and the beautiful Santa Maria del Mar cathedral. Despite knowing I would be in for a treat as far as architecture goes in Europe, I am continually surprised every day by the mammoth objects standing before me and their most incredible beauty. 

 Continuing on with the theme of architecture, we headed to the Hospital de la Santa Creu Sant Pau which, considering my knowledge of what hospitals look like, wasn't anything like I expected it would be (compare the pictures below to say....the Rockyview. Mucho different) Unfortunately, most of the hospital is under construction so we couldn't get too close to it but it was incredible nonetheless. The building is primarily made of stone but what makes it so wonderful (similar to many other Barcelona landmarks) is the use of mosaic tile which adds a lively splash of color to these centuries old buildings. 

Perhaps the most famous Barcelona landmark is Gaudi's Sagrada Familia cathedral. We have a spectacular view of it from the house but it really is something else upon closer inspection. Today we trekked down towards the ocean front to find this work of art. It was well worth the cold and windy walk to see the masterpiece. To be honest, from far away it kind of looks like a messy cathedral - almost as if something threw concrete onto the framework and just let it drip dry. If you look closely, the building really tells a story. I probably could have taken hundreds of pictures, but I think I'll wait for a warmer day to do this. Here is a taste of the outside of the famous Sagrada Familia. 

Other Realizations: 

1- Yes, transit may be efficient but IT IS NOT EASY. The metro/FGC/fifteen other kinds of train system is still baffling to us. Today's adventures really required the use of quick problem solving skills. On route to our destination, Bryndan and I took our usual L7 El Putxet train to exit our area of residence. This was normal, except that upon going into the station we noticed that the ticket validation machine (for lack of a better explanation) wasn't functioning - so you just walk in. Ok, not a problem. Mais no! Upon getting to Provenca, we figured out that we could not exit the station because the machines knew our tickets hadn't been validated to get on the train in the first place. We were told by a machine that it would be a 50 Euro charge to let us out of the train station. Having come to the conclusion that a life lived in the Barcelona transit station wasn't really in the cards for us we hopped back on the train to Placa Catalunya because I remembered that we didn't need our tickets validated there to exit the station. Having accomplished this, we went back towards our destination. Huge waste of time? Yes. But also worth NOT paying 50 Euros and/or a life spent in the train system. Word of advice? The people in charge of transit here really don't want you to mess around with the system. So don't try it. And if it looks like you're getting a free transit ride due to machine malfunction, DON'T BE EXCITED ABOUT IT! Because clearly, it isn't going to end well. 

2- Guidebooks are useful. Yes, you shouldn't carry them around with you and whip them out on the street to look something up but they really do have good advice. Example - when going to the Sagrada Familia either go early in the morning to avoid lines or buy your tickets online so again, you don't have to stand in line with 100 other people. See, this is the type of knowledge a savvy traveler should know. To be honest, Bryndan and I have fun pointing out the obvious tourists. We are trying to fit in as much as possible but our blonde hair pretty well gives it away. We were walking down....some street...the other night and a few guys behind us were talking about us (in Spanish, assuming we didn't know what was being said...wrong!) and guessing that we were American. Wrong again, but I suppose despite what we wear we may just always be pegged as the tourist. By then again, they're right -aren't they?

3- Being a tourist/visitor is exhausting. By the time you get up and ready, figure out how to order a coffee and croissant at a nearby cafe for breakfast, see a couple major sites, get lost and then find your way again, you are just EXHAUSTED! Oh and by the way, that's exactly what happened today. We conquered, and then really just lost. I don't know where we ended up en route to a shopping center (which really disappointed us upon arrival) but it was clearly a sketchy part of town. I'm shocked we weren't robbed walking through it. I must admit that our little humble abode in the fenced in Putxet area is really a comfort when you see places that aren't so safe. Being from somewhat smalltown Okotoks doesn't really give you an idea of what it's like to go through really sketchy areas in other countries. It's all part of the experience but I'm definitely glad I'm not getting completely lost, during siesta, by myself. On another note (with regards to being tired), I ended up buying hair mousse instead of hair spray today before we left the mall. Apparently I was completely dysfunctional. Sigh. 

Tomorrow is Sunday, which means there is next to nothing open. I do believe it will be a homework/school prep/tea drinking/ Paris planning type of day. Sounds good to me. It's still freezing outside anyways! 

That's all for now! 

B

Realizations, confusions and surprises...

It has officially been one week since I arrived in Barcelona and everyday brings along new surprises and realizations. Let me indulge you...

1) If you take the Sant Cugat S55 or Terrasa S5 trains, you will be pleasantly surprised to have a private musical performance displayed in front of you. So far Bryndan and I have seen accordion, harmonica and clarinet (with boombox accompaniment) performances. Quality? Not really -but interesting nonetheless. I suppose a more accurate description of this would be busking, not a private performance.  Potato po-tah-to.....

2) There are no limits to the types of questions your students will ask you. Here is a list of what Bryndan and I were asked today: 

-Where are you from? (fair enough)

-How old are you? (on the walk back to the train at the end of the day Bryn and I discussed whether or not we would tell our students in Canada our age. We both said probably not. Things are more casual here, that is certainly evident.)

-Do you have a boyfriend? 

What happened: Bryndan said yes, I said no. This of course excited the group of grade ten boys. Next question (to me): Do you like Spanish boys? 

...awkward pause....Now I had three options with regards to responses 1)Yes...and bring about much cheering 2)No...and possibly offend them and finally 3) respond with a general 'maybe' and quickly change the subject. 

I chose option 3. 

3) See Bryndan's blog re: The B**** and the Beach

4) Canadians use bizarre slang phrases. 

While working with high school students today, we read a petite tale about two sisters who like the same guy. Of course one tries to steal him from the other (go figure). In the end, the sister who had the guy first kills the sister that stole him away. Seems like this happens all over the world (maybe without the killing). 

Anyways, we were asked by the students and our partner teacher what would be a better way (as we were summarizing the story) to describe a couple kissing "and stuff". We responded with the phrase 'making out'. And then realized how ridiculous it sounded. Of course everyone else in the room responded with a 'huh?' at first because really, does that even make sense? Not really. Then we realized how much time we were spending on the particulars of describing the act of making out in class. I'm pretty sure these conversations don't occur in Canadian classrooms. 

5) It takes longer than a week for foreigners to figure out the Barcelona transit system. Just in case you are planning for coming for less than a week, be prepared for many failures. 

6) People in Spain evidently do not drink coffee on the go. I knew I should have packed a travel coffee mug...and didn't. This may seem like an unnecessary item to pack, but given the FRIGID weather, I really wish I had one. I also have a massive tea addiction and am currently not having my fill. I'm determined to fine a mug someday soon. 

B

Domingo...nada

It is Sunday evening in Barcelona and if you can believe it, it's snowing. Yep, SNOWING. It's still warmer in Calgary than here! Mediterranean does not always mean warm! It is a little bizarre to walk past palm trees and breathe in the smell of rainforest...in the snow. We experienced this blustery weather on the way to the grocery store- which was closed. Don't believe what Google tells you. EVERYTHING is closed on Sundays. Literally. We are fortunate to have bought a little extra at the grocery store last night because we would have been hooped otherwise!

Bryndan and I are making a mental list of things we wished we would have packed that we didn't for future travel experiences. Or, for those of you who are reading this and haven't gotten to your TAB destination yet, perhaps this could be of some use to you. 

Ahem - THINGS WE SHOULD HAVE PACKED 

1. Warmer clothes (due to much rain, wind and snow. Apparently it hasn't been this cold in Spain at this time of year for about 20 years.) Check the weather before you leave. 

2. Water Bottle/Travel Coffee Mug

I bought a water bottle yesterday after realizing that I really am not drinking enough water. Also wish I had a travel coffee mug to bring drinks on the go with me - again to make sure I (and Bryndan) are hydrating. Despite the fact that I have pondered a 15 Euro mug at El Corte Ingles twice now, I still haven't gotten one. This week, it's happening. 

3. Movies

Thinking I should have loaded more movies on my iPad. They really are a taste of home when you need some reassurance. Which, since this is my first time abroad sans the family, is needed. 

4. Not to do with packing, but general information - check your electric appliances before you leave to make sure they work in Europe or wherever you happen to be going. My hairdryer blew a fuse in the house yesterday. Turns out it's the same fuse as the wifi. Oops! 

I'm sure more will surface later. We are experiencing interesting moments every day and we haven't even been here a week! 

Tomorrow will be our first official day at the school getting to know our way around and how the school functions. It shall be interesting! It's also supposed to be warmer...fingers crossed!

Stay tuned!

Aprender de las lecciones de pasar 3 días en Barcelona

There are several things I have learned from living abroad so far.....

1) Crossing the street involves taking your life into your own hands if you decide to not follow the lights. When it says walk, you walk. When it says don't walk, you really shouldn't even try to cross the street. As is turns out, unlike Canada where someone who almost hits you might feel bad, people in Spain are just angry that you are in the way. Despite the very narrow streets and hectic avenues, the speed limit seems to be rather high! So...Bryndan and I have learned that one must be patient when trying to cross the many streets in Spain, because buses will plow into you.

2) Yes, there is a siesta. I was reluctant to think that people actually took the siesta seriously here but alas, in the afternoon shops close for about 2.5 hours. My question is, where does everyone go? Does everyone sleep? The stores are closed, and the streets are empty. Especially in the non-tourist areas around our house. Nada. 

3) The Metro - Getting around Spain is very easy (after initial troubleshooting and error making) and also ridiculously expensive. The city is broken up into zones that require different tickets, therefore mucho Euros. To most popular areas from our house, it costs 2.70 Euros PER JOURNEY. So you have to pay to go and to come back. Throw in the fact that none of the big sites are near our house and our school is in the Barcelona suburbs and you get a tres expensive subway fare total (keep in mind we are here for three months). There are also several lines running through the city- unlike the simple transit system in Calgary. Fortunately we met a couple British folk who were equally as confused trying to get to.....they didn't even know. The other interesting fact about the metro is that there are two systems running in addition to the zones, lines and explosive prices. One is known as the "Funicular" and the other the "Metro". We haven't figured this out yet. It seems that you can access both from all stations, with the exception of the Metro lines that don't run through the center of the city. Talk about confusion! People also play Rondo Alla Turca (on the ACCORDION) on the metro...and no one blinks an eye. Tres bizarre.

4) Currency: Everything seems reasonably priced (minus transportation) until you convert it to CAD and then it really just seems the same. For instance, we got excited that our first grocery bill consisted of items costing all under 2 Euros each. I suppose in a sense it is a little cheaper than home, but deceiving to a foreigner! On the bright side, there are major sales happening until the end of February! Leather also seems to be really reasonable here.

5) There is a lot of Catalan around here, not even Spanish. Signs are posted in two languages. We aren't sure if it is Catalan and Spanish, or Catalan and Castellano. Fortunately, the Metro ticket machines have a English option. Have I mentioned our Spanish knowledge is how you say...nada? We are getting by, but are intimidated to try restaurants. Most store clerks assume we are American. Once we say we are Canadian they get quite excited. Perhaps we are a rarity?

6) Our house is gorgeous with a lovely view of the Sagrada Familia. We have a room/kitchen on the third floor. Our landlady had to buy us a monster heater because we freeze due to lack of heating in the house and poor weather. We have been promised that this is not normal for Barcelona. Both Bryndan and I sure hope this is the case because we brought clothing for nice weather, and it is not doing the trick. Fortunately I brought tea, gloves and a warm-ish coat just in case. It has been needed indeed! The only downside to our chilly house is getting to it after a long day of walking. We have about 100 stairs leading up to the house. After a few hours of walking around today we bought groceries and then attempted to go up the stairs. Not so fun. Apparently one street over there is an escalator...we really should find it for high intensity shopping days.

7) Yes, there are numerous Starbucks in Barcelona. Of course. 

More to come! 

Ciao!

Dos dias en Espana...

Hola! 

It is nearing the end of my second day in Barcelona, one that primarily comprised of sleeping to try and catch up to the clock here. Bryndan and I successfully bought groceries and went to a cafe on our own today which we thought was a rather monumental moment (granted, we ordered our food in English but the groceries were in Spanish!). It is rather obvious that we are travelers here, given our lack of Spanish and obvious blonde hair. Most people speak Catalan here, a dialect of Spanish -so even our poor Spanish attempts are met with a look of "Uh huh...you're not from here." This is of course, all part of the experience.

We are planning to visit our school tomorow if ....(get ready!)....if it doesn't snow! It was awfully rainy here today so school was cancelled! Both Bryndan and I were surprised by this. Hopefully there won't be snow tomorrow...I hear it's almost spring like in Calgary! Go figure! 

This being my first 'big' travel experience, I am starting to really realize all the things I take for granted, for example, using a blow dryer! Even the power here seems to pose some petite hurdles in taking care that I don't light something on fire! Luckily, Bryndan and I discovered that my laptop does indeed work and charge here which is a blessing. On the blow dryer front, we may just buy one that is guaranteed to not implode. 

Both Bryndan and I are excited as aforementioned to hopefully a) find our way to Sant Cugat del Valles tomorrow and b) see the school and preferably c) find our way back home. I have a feeling there will be some large differences between schooling here and at home in Canada which will be very interesting to hear about. 

Gracias por leer!

¡Hemos llegado!

Hola! 

I'm bringing you this message from Barcelona, Spain! Yes, at last Bryndan and I have finally arrived. We haven't sleep since...yesterday (?) after flying all night and all morning but with a stomach full of Gouda (I'm sorry, but I'm part Dutch and love the Gouda!) from our stop over in Amsterdam and many cups of caffeinated beverages we are ready to power through the rest of our day here. 

I think, speaking for the both of us, we are completely overwhelmed (in a very good way). It has been quite the trek getting here but we are exciting to see the city and get out to our school. This being my first 'major' travel experience, I have come to the conclusion that perhaps no amount of preparation can ensure your readiness for how you feel when you go abroad for a significant amount of time. There is much excitement, hubbub and a little bit of uncertainty! But alas, we've only been here a few hours! 

I will post some pictures soon (granted, so far it's mostly of food.)  so you can see our new digs! We are living in the El Putxet area of Barcelona which is considerably further north than most of the popular tourist areas. It is said to be a more privileged area so it will be eye opening I'm sure to see the rest of the city. Did I mention we have a view of the Sagrada Familia from our garden???

Stay tuned!