don’t try to make sense of any of this…

Sometimes I like to imagine spanish words as having some sort of twisting, semi-sensical meaning in English. Examples:

monedas = moneys
Ayuntamiento = helpfulness

and so forth.

There is a mountain in Barcelona called Montjuïc. I prefer to think of it as “Juice Mountain”. Hannah, Jon and I went to Juice Mountain one day by riding the “Funicular” (I cannot even improve on a name like that”

On Juice Mountain, in 1992, they had the summer olympics. We got to see the olympic diving board, set again a magnificent backdrop of the entire city, some odd hundreds of meters below us. And Madrid has the audacity to want to host the 2016 olympics. (Madrid is the only Spanish city thus far I dislike more than Salamanca, and frankly I’ve been a bit hard on the latter lately)

Barça, Barça, Baaaaarrrça!!!

Oh, right, that reminds me, there was some sort of championship game in Rome the day we got there, between Barcelona (Barça en Catalán) and Manchester. We rode the disco ferry (but were too tired to disco) with a bunch of Barça fans going to Rome. A bit tiring at the end, but I loved the city so much that I hoped (very very very sincerely) that they wouldwin. And hey, they did!

Funny little story. We were in such a rush to get on the ferry that I failed to register when we had entered it. I proceeded to ask, at the front desk (within the ferry) which direction to Rome. The twin looks I got from Hannah and the clerk were hopefully more memorable than my idiotic question. Jeez, I barter up, complement a woman on the amount of cocaine in her cake, ask for a phone card and get a gaming magazine, ask how much a beer costs and get four of them, and so on. Let’s face it, there’s a problem here and it’s not related to using a second language. Beside, the ferry desk incident was conducted in English, I think.

Well, hopefully Hannah’s iPod shuffle is charged enough to make it through all the travelling I have ahead of me. I’m amazed at how long it’s lasted, and it didn’t say it was low, but just wanted to make sure. I’m glad I picked the 100 songs I did, cause I’m going to here a whole lot more of them soon! Lots of Radiohead, Okkervil, Mountain Goats, R.E.M, some Marco Polio and Mouse (with and without the love and light orquestra), um, Lola by the Kinks. Anyway, it charges in the USB cable, so that’s part of why I’ve been at the computer so long.

Going to Salamanca: Last Shawarma till the States

Leaving on the early train to Madrid tomorrow, then right off to Salamanca. Just staying the night (in some random hostel on a street I don’t believe I’ve been on), then returning the Spanish phone to Sherri and recogiendo mis maletas from Francisca. Also, I need to get me some falafel and fries (with that amazing garlic sauce!) one last time.

I called the family tonight, partly to burn away some of those extra euro on my phone that I’ll never get refunded. Also wanted to talk, though I was thinking of waiting till I had my old phone in the states again.

Strange how I feel about Salamanca now, I’ve enjoyed several other cities more, but it was still fun to really know the streets in one of them. To be able to walk half drunk amongst what could’ve been a maze if I didn’t lived there. Frankly, the people there (over 30 at least) are not very open, and this is the problem I had. Of course, Francisca was great, and plenty of them were probably very nice too, it’s just that (for the majority), you can’t expect me to keep impressed that you speak “el mejor castellano en el mundo” if you’re too stuck up to speak it with me, if you switch into english and refuse to switch back the second I flounder or fail to speak in your precious Salmantino accent.

I cracked the joke today about Salamancans not talking with me when I was visiting the Orihuels in Benissa (between Valencia and Alicante). In that area, as in Barcelona, they speak Catalan. Granted, it’s a different dialect that everyone from the area prefers to call “Valenciano”, but it’s a subset of the same language. The point is, it doesn’t really matter which language you speak, and getting super precious about your own only shuts away contact. They were very nice, of course offering me an immense amount of food both because they’re from southern europe and because I’m family. I messed up at Spanish more than a few times; I assigned the wrong gender to “ciudad” and at one point commented on how much cocaine there was in the cake. (coconut=coco, cocaine=coca, I think you can see where I went wrong from here). Alicia, Jose’s wife, even corrected me a few times, but at least they heard me out. Same with Jorge and Maria from Murcia. Same with most people in Cordoba and Granada, and in Barcelona.

I could write more about the family, but I think I’ll save that for private discussions. Those who want to know will obviously hear, and I do have a couple of fotos that I’ll email as soon as I can. But that’ll have to wait into I’m in the city.

3 days?!!

Barcelona

is amazing. Had a bit of a rough day as I checked my budget. yikes! Just barely going to squeak through, and I’ve borrowed so much.

I’m clearly mismatched with my hostel, seeing as I want to sleep at two in the morning and just about everyone else wants to drink in the room and talk. I’m just tired, I’ve done all I can do here for now.

About yesterday though, incredible! Started the day at Park Güell, which Maria K accurately described as “Dr. Seussville” It’s a park on a hill, designed by Gaudi (the guy responsible for at least half the amazing things to see in the city). Met a guy from Japan who’s currently biking around the world. Sat and talked with other Americans about studying abroad (we are everywhere, I swear)! Later sat aon a bench in Plaça Catalunya and talked with a Lithuanian kid and a guy who just returned to Barcelona for the first time in 35 years (his family fled the Franco regime when he was 16). I told him that I hope he finds the city better than he left it (which of course is going to be true). It’s such an open, inviting place. People really can just do whatever, at long as they arent hurting anyone doing it. There was a guy not far from us dancing alone, for hours. Strange, but what’s so wrong with that? That’s what I talked about with the Lithuanian kid, but that’s another story I guess.

Glad to know it was worth coming back to Barcelona. Just wish I could save a few more euros somewhere. Oh well, I have what I think is all the food I’ll need till the flight (close at least: 3 large baguettes, 5 apples, a jar of peanut butter (need protein) and these “Digestive biscuits” popular in Spain cause noone seems to eat enough fiber! Or maybe thats just if you’re in a host family…) Of course, I get to eat with the Orihuels on Saturday. I’m excited but a bit nervous. It’s hard for me to start talking in Spanish, especially with the lak of practice lately. I recently forgot how to say “buy”. (comprar, it’s 7th grade spanish vocab)!

Back in NYC june 9th (have I said that on here already?) To Alfred-Hornell not too long after. Details forthcoming.

Where you’ll find me now

just a quick update, cause some things changed:

tomorrow, june 2nd: Fly from Rome to Valencia. Ryanair is a pain but I took care of everything. anyways, train to Barcelona that evening. I fell in love with Barcelona when I went with Hannah and Jon, and want to see a lot more.

there till June 5th, then Benissa, Salamanca to get luggage, flight out.

It was GREAT travelling with Hannah and Jon, felt longer than just 10 days (in a good way, of course). The last day and today I was stressed though, trying to get everything sorted out with Rome.

on rented computer time, so that’s all for a few more days, at least. not that I’ve kept on this.

Miss you, Salamanca people!