IndependenSongs, Shellytoes

           Walked off the metro last night, in past and the gates, and right into a dream…
our tickets to the FC Barcelona match were acquired through family friends and Chad, Xenia, and myself made our way down to field level to get our seats. I was a little boy in a candy shop and couldn’t believe I was where I was…17 or so seats back from arguably the best team in the world, in the worlds biggest stadium, the best player in the world on the pitch….i really considered jumping the barrier and joining Lionel Messi out there… but then I thought id rather stay in Spain a little longer. Maybe ill give it a go on the tail end of the trip. During the 17^th minute and the 62’ (17 minutes past half) the crowd symbolically sang their independence song. On September 11 1714 Cataluña lost their independence and with Spain’s economy not looking so hot, the Catalans want out even more. Culture and football clash quite well, they always have. I am still blown away that I got to sit that close, writing the family a letter after this post. Goodness me it was a lot to take in. You can probably tell I was over the moon. To top it off we snuck down to 5 seats away from the action for the second half…

           Another recent happening, which is worthy of reporting on, was the karaoke place that some friends ventured to. Amidst all of the Spanish and Catalan songs being sang it felt a bit out of place to bust out the Maroon 5…. But we did anyway. American songs kicked off with “Party in the USA”, which we made our Catalan friends sing up on the stage… priceless. The other Spaniards in the bar actually started selecting some of the English songs on the list and they actually did fairly well! Possibly they just needed someone to break the American ice… if so, you are welcome. Upon finishing my duet with Chad to Gabriel Iglesias’ “Do you Know”, I threw a “Gracias España” out there as I exited stage right… bad call. A corrective echo of… “CATALUNA!!” was my response. Like I said, they take a lot of pride in being Cataluña. I apologized sheepishly as I got off stage.

Before I got into bed tonight I wiggle my toes and out popped off a shell looking thing off my toe. As I looked at all my toes I seemed to have developed little pads between all my toes, presumably from walking so much. I do that a lot here. About 5 miles a day, sometimes 10, I enjoy it and it has helped me get a grasp for the town and I can easily navigate my way around my usual routes now. Believe it or not i have found two routes to class...yes indeed. The callouses that are lonely are the ones on my fingertips. I miss my guitar back home and I have visited over a lot of guitar shops here in search of a little travel guitar, nothing worth buying and hassling back to the states, I think my Martin back home has just spoiled me…

Parc Güell & a Party

Parc Güell, The park that Gaudi constructed and decorated every inch of elaborately, also our destination for the day. Our friend Xenia bought tickets for me, Chad, and my roommate Chris to get into the park, we set up a meeting point outside the metro that’s next to the park, and off we went. As an afterthought I grabbed my rain-jacket as I headed out the door…good call. It was raining the hardest it has yet as I exited the house and my lightly colored pants quickly became streaked with dark marks as I made my way to the metro. Chad, Chris, and i made our way down into the warmth of the metro and realized we were on the wrong side… so we went out of the metro and back in the other side…. That was a waste of a ticket…attention to detail huh? Anyways, we made it successfully to the right station and our friend Xenia was there to greet us (of course with the customary two kisses for each cheek).

       We walked from the metro and made our way to the hill which we had to climb to get up to the park. We joked about how in the states people would demand a shuttle to be put in so that they don’t have to walk up the big slippery hill. Right on cue we came to a rise where there were elevators built in…score! Maybe we are all lazy and just show it differently? The park was amazing but ill let the pictures do most of the talking. It is extremely elaborate and the notoriety that surrounds the park is very well deserved. I loved it. Gaudi is strongly influenced by nature and as a result tried to limit his straight lines and go for more intrinsic shapes. His intentions definitely showed and i liked being surprised by unexpected things here and there.

      From the top of Parc Guell we saw a hill with some cool looking crosses on the top. Xenia said that there typically are people playing music and that it is a really cool spot so we went to check it out. We hiked up that hill to the sound of pidgeons cheering us on and reached the windy summit. Indeed there was a man playing music up there and what a sight he was. Dressed in full leopard print, boots with jingle bells on them, a rusty old guitar, and as he sang loudly he had foam gathering at the corners of the mouth. His singing was made up of grunts and howls and he danced all the while kicking his boots around. He was insane. The crosses were windy, crowded, crumbling, and out of fear that i might get pushed off the side like a game of "king of the hill".... i went back down. 

    I thought i missed dinner the other night. it was rounding the corner on 10 o'clock so i hung up my Facetime with the parentals and went to go eat the left overs... No leftovers. So i walk to the kitchen and Josefa is still slaving away making the food, good grief! We surely don't get feasts every saturday? At 11 Josefa's son Fabian came and got chris and i and ordered us out the front door and down out into the entree-way of the apartment complex. One in the entree-way we were led into a cellar through a door which i thought was always just there for decoration. It felt like a scene from harry potter as the candles on every other step illuminated the skinny spiraling tiled stairs and cast our shadows on the adobe walls. We got to the bottom and after going through two more ancient iron gates Fabian led us into the main room. Goodness i would have never guessed we lived under an old ancient cellar that the romans built! Seriously, i asked Fabian's wife and the romans built the thing back when "Barcino" was just a roman colony. Oh, the perks of living in the gothic part of town!! Anyway, it was Fabian's brothers birthday and the room was filled with kid, adults, and elderly. Chris and i were greeted by about 30 or so "Holas" before we took our seats. The atmosphere was warm even though the stone cellar was pretty cold, most people kept warm by sipping wine. We had appetizer plates of meat and salads to warm up for the main dish which was a rice and chicken. Good stuff. Then out came the fruitcake with candles and one of the cousins grabbed the classical guitar to lead us in the happy birthday song. The words "Cumpleanos Feliz" replaced the "Happy Birthday to You" but at least the melody was the same so i could pretend like i know what i was saying. I was pretty pooped but i didnt want to be the first one out the gate. The presents were unwrapped as a song was sang to the classical guitar once again. Pretty cool, i wish we had a present opening song at our birthdays, everyone seemed to know it too. Luckily at 2 in the morning we had sleeper of a grandpa so he got up to leave and i was in the clear. After a handful more had followed his lead of leaving the party I gave a "feliz cupleanos" to the birthday uncle and a lot of "hasta luegos" to all the others. It was great to get into bed that night. it felt well deserved. it was about 2:30, i could still hear the kids screaming and having a good time down in the cellar with the adults. Good thing 3 others in the family have birthdays in February :)

Finding a Rthym

            Life here is city life. It is vastly different from the peace and uniformity of Point Loma, San Diego. There is a hustle and bustle here with smoke coming up from the cars and mass amounts of cigarettes, quick walking with different languages accompanying, abrupt honking, and it seems every inch of space in the city is utilized. This compactness is all fine by me, because the architects and city designers seemed to know when space is worthy of being given. The buildings that have space are magnificent, breath taking, and are the buildings that often I have sat and looked at for 40 minutes before walking on, and I say it’s a 40 minutes well spent. Can’t say that about many buildings in the states!

            Family life has changed from gathering around the table at home with familiar faces and a dog snoozing in the corner to a different language being thrown around the table, a cat sleeping on the heater, and much smaller servings of food. These servings consist of lots of white fish, rice, salty and oily salads, bread, ice tea, and my personal favorite, the post meal espresso. These new meals typically conclude with “gracias” and “hasta luego” as my new roommate Chris and I make our way upstairs to relax. Our living area consists of a rather small bedroom, which is balanced out by us having a nice little living room area upstairs. That living area has been host to a few TV watching sessions with friends as they come over with snacks to enjoy some TV that isn’t in Spanish, quite a breath of fresh air to my ears.

     People have been rushing to get into the public transportation system, which is actually great here, but I chose otherwise. My feet seem to do just the trick and I have enjoyed many great walks through this city. Although my Tuesdays and Thursday have a class that is a 12-minute metro ride away and it’s a 55-minute walk otherwise, I still opt for the walk. Seeing the Sagrada Familia on my way to school is something that I will never grow weary of. I have walked into the backsides of many people as I try to walk and look at that thing at the same time… doesn’t work out.

       This weekend I had the pleasure of joining my host family at their house in the country, dubbed “El Campo”. They showed me a tattered old photograph of a building, which looked similar to a California mission, it did not disappoint. After driving 2 hours south through lots of side streets, freeways, roundabouts, switchbacks, and dirt roads we arrived at El Campo and got out our groceries while the rest of the family headed off to their house further down the road. Me and Josefa (my host momma) started a fire, which at first smoked us out of the house but then turned into a great friend to sit next to. We ate food and watched a Spanish version of Charlie’s Angels with Drew Barrymore and Cameron Diaz… what more can a boy ask for. I tried to read a basic level Ninja Turtles Spanish book that she had lying around but I felt bad stopping her from her coffee every 10 seconds. I decided to pick up an old cracked guitar that was laying around and sit out on the porch.

                   Nature is another thing that is the same everywhere. Languages will never be able to confuse the clarity that nature brings. Nature brings a solitude to the rhythm of life. It is something that can be found across the world and that same feeling of peace rings true. Nature also happens to be God’s creation coincidentally, funny huh? God likes to whisper to us in ways that are unmistakable, experiential, and constant. HE surely is a rock but also his creation is something that should never be overlooked as we seek for peace in new surroundings.

PS: 
     We got held up on our way back into Barca as we tried to take the metro home. No dogs allowed. Our dog Liz (pronounced Lith) named after Liz Taylor was stuck...Until I carried the groceries and Josefa stuffed her in her backpack. Job done. HAH! Here is a picture of us awaiting the metro, everyone in the family jokes that she looks like an Ewok from Star Wars. Agree?

kings, Kings, and kittens

BE #2

Later January 6

            Finally about to about to go to bed at Jan’s house. It was great to finally see him after Chad and I waited downtown on the curb with all of our luggage for an hour. Many strange looks were thrown our way. It was a strange beginning. Anyway Jan picked is up and took us to a beautiful look out point on the mountains about Barcelona. From there he pointed out some of the key landmarks, for me just to see the tip of he Barcelona stadium was a bit surreal. We followed that by going to his house where I met his family and we celebrated a holiday called “El Dià de los Reyes). Where the “kings” are celebrated. We formerly know them as the 3 wise men. Anyhow, we each got a slice of what was similar to a Bundt cake with frosting in the middle and fruit on top. In the cake was hidden a bean and a figurine king. Whoever gets the slice with the bean has to pay for the cake and the person who gets the king has to wear a crown the rest of the day and gets to keep the figurine. The first round of cake eating was uneventful so we all got another slice. Relief washed over the table as Eloi got the bean in his second peace and we jokingly told him the cake was 75 euro… I don’t think he fell for it. We all kept eating our second slices with a bit more relief until yours truly found the figurine in his slice. I sported the crown with pride and I’m looking forward to celebrating again next year. Maybe with an old fashioned donut or something? Who knows?

Crowned.

           

Early January 7

            I woke up early at my friend Jan’s house and couldn’t go back to bed so I read for an hour or so this morning. It was actually a good little dose of alone time where I got to reconnect with God a bit more than my busy schedules in the past had allowed for me. Barcelona has amazing streets like Santa Barbara and amazing look out spots which show the whole city just as Santa Barbara, there is no denying that they are two completely different places. So even though familiarity can be found, it still isn’t home… a bit saddening that home won’t be found for 4 months no matter how I try to find it…BUT… God prevails….I had a nice piece of  peace this morning as I cracked open my bible. I read some of the passages that I had memorized for extra credit this last semester and it was a bit surreal reading those amongst the Catalan being spoken downstairs. I used to memorize them in the company of my friends in the second floor of the library and now I am sitting across the world in an unknown place reciting those same words. But just knowing that God was the same no matter where I go has been the most comforting thing this trip. The family that I miss is across the world and the friends that I am chatting with this morning are still “with me” but not in the familiar way that I know. The way that God is with me back home is identical to how he interacts with me here and that’s really cool. It is the one thing that is 100% consistent and identical to home. Maybe he is home? Yo no se! (I don’t know)

           

A bit later January 7

          
     Anyway, I am writing this one from my room, finally a little place to relax! All the people met with their host family and others took off on buses to their apartments but there I sat alone with the staff members. However, Josefa Munoz did show up and since we haven’t exchanged a word in English! I tell myself it is because my Spanish is so good but I think it is really due to the fact that she doesn’t speak English. I am actually rather excited because it may be difficult at times, but it will ultimately benefit me much more in the end. Anyway I organized my room and I got my bags sitting under my bed and my dress shirts hanging as I write this with the cat (Momo) snoozing next to me. She is a cute little kitten but can’t be scratched more than 5 seconds before she starts trying to tear your arm apart. I will tame her.

Momo in timeout #tame

En route....

Travel Day:

Goodbyes were said in the airport with minimal tears from the accompanying family. A great send off considering they are some of my favorite people on this earth. I swear those hours went by in seconds!

            The first flight was extremely straightforward thanks to the signs at LAX being in English and most of the people in line were able to answer any questions I had.  This however was less and less of the case as I traveled from JFK airport in New York and then later onto Rome. That being said the staff is a massive help and at every airport the staff (including Rome’s staff) are able to speak some form of English, enough to get by, enough to help me, and that’s good enough!

           A few travel tips from yours truely...

            Moral of the story is ask questions, because one wrong step when you are on a tight schedule can throw off that flight for you, and thus the following flights of your itinerary can all be lost. At JFK I arrived at a terminal that was for from the one I needed to be at so I had to navigate an outside shuttle that took my over to the proper terminal. There were two tracks for the outside shuttles, one that took you around the airport, and another that took you away from the airport and into the parking structures ( I found this out afterwards)... I am rather happy that I made it on the right one. If I hadn’t, that would have been a domino effect of missed flights that would not have been enjoyable to deal with. Hoorah for good fortune.

            I didn’t organize my itinerary because I went through a travel agency but one thing that they did and I was grateful for was that for the long flight from NY to Rome, they bought up a class for my ticket. I only noticed this when I went to the bathroom and realized that the back of the plane was quite as roomy as my row 8 seat. I enjoyed my flight, watching movies between naps and playing an occasional game of Tetris.

            One slightly frustrating thing was that it is rather hard to get back to your parents and siblings with updates. Obviously that is understandably #1 on their list, to know that you are where you need to be and that you are safe. But with short time between getting to your gate and getting on your flight, I would rather double check that I am where I need to be rather than texting someone but messing up on the important steps somewhere along the line.

             The last thing I will say was that I liked traveling with pockets that had zippers. Just for the security when I went to sleep on the plane or a brief nap at my gate… I knew that nothing was going to slip out of my pockets and also nobody could make a grab very easily.