Is Dali rubbing off on me??

For the past few weeks, so many things have seemed so surreal to me! I don’t know what’s going on or why, but it definitely hasn’t seemed like particular things are part of reality.

For example, as I type this, I’m in the Pyrenees, chaperoning a ski trip with kids from ASB. I’m snowboarding for free, enjoying wine and beer with every meal, and being paid to be here (every penny of which is well deserved – it’s been exhausting!) – it doesn’t seem real at all! I think this is for obvious reasons. I also wonder if because snowboarding is something I associate with Colorado and particular people, it seems even stranger to be doing it in Spain.

Dating someone here has also seemed really surreal. I think it’s partially because of how things started and because it’s just so different – the guy, the city, my life – all of it is such a different situation than what I’ve been in before.

So, for the past few weeks, I kind of feel like I’ve been living in this alternate reality! Overall, things are great, so I can’t complain. Yet, because things are so great, I want them to feel real! Otherwise it seems like a dream that I’m going to be waking up from, which isn’t nearly as fun. Hmm . . . hopefully reality will set in soon! J

Calçots!

My first calçot experience!

As you may have seen in photos, it has been calçot season in Catalunya! Having not experienced anything like this in Andalucia, I have really been enjoying it this year.

What are calçots? They are a variety of green onions that grow in Catalunya. During late January and early February, they are picked by the hundreds and roasted over a fire. To enjoy them, you have to pull/peel off the roasted layer, which is kind of an art form in itself. Then, you dip the calçot in romesco sauce– a roasted pepper, cream, tomato seasoned sauce. This is definitely the best part of the experience! Finally, you open up and attempt to eat the whole thing in one bite. Needless to say, it’s a bit messy! The last place I went provided bibs, gloves, and wet wipes!

a platter of calçots

Open up!

After anywhere from 5-20 calçots, depending on your appetite, a calçotada follows with lots of meat – usually butifarra (sausage) and white beans, steak, or lamb. In addition to all of this, there is always pan con tomate and lots of wine. The perfect end to this meal is some type of dessert (my favorite is crema catalana) and a coffee.

A calçotada is definitely a feast! By the end, you should feel completely stuffed. And although they are so delicious at the time, the calcots definitely have a tendency to cause a bit of heartburn later. Overall, this is a tradition I plan to enjoy every year I live in Barcelona.

A Matter of Perspective?

I've had a few interesting conversations in the past couple of days that have caused me to think a lot about perspective and happiness, and their relationship with one another.

The way different people see the world has always been fascinating to me, as well as the way people deal with the situations that life throws at them. Of the many adjectives I could choose to describe myself, "positive" would be one at the top of my list. And I often wonder why I'm so positive. (I'm sure it can be an annoying trait at times!) What has happened in my life to cause me to be that way? My family? Friends? The experiences I've had in my life, the majority of which have been very positive (I've been really lucky thus far!)? Nature? Nurture? All of the above?

And is it even a question of these things? I don't know! This is definitely a topic that is full of many more questions than answers for me. Regardless, I am constantly fascinated to see the way people, particularly women, react to certain situations in ways so completely different than I would, not that either way is right or wrong. Why does one see the glass half empty when I would see it half full (so to speak :)?

As usual, I was curious to see what quotations I could find about this topic. I know there are many people out there that can say things much better than I will ever be able to! Here are some quotations that resonated with me:

“There are three constants in life... change, choice and principles.” - Stephen R. Covey

“Being happy doesn't mean that everything is perfect. It means that you've decided to look beyond the imperfections.” - Anonymous

“Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.” - Anonymous

“Happiness is like a kiss...you must share it to enjoy it.” - Anonymous "It isn't what you have, or who you are, or where you are, or what you are doing that makes you happy or unhappy. It is what you think about." - Dale Carnegie This is the one I like the most, because I do believe a lot of happiness comes down to the way we choose to live our lives. I also found it very interesting when looking for quotes about happiness and perspective that SO many of them referred to love . . . it's interesting to think about the effects love can have on our view of life! Definitely no answers here, just a few things I've been thinking about recently. I hope it fills up your glass a little today! :) ♥ (I can't take credit for the photo in this post, but . . . isn't it fantastic?! I think it sums things up . . .)

A year and a half later, and still SO in love with Spain!

In the past few weeks, I have had a number of conversations with people - co-workers, ASB students, my English student - about life in Spain. It's hiring time at the moment, so many people have been making decisions about whether to move or stay at ASB, which often leads to the question: How long do you think you'll stay in Barcelona?

It's interesting to hear people's response to this. More often than not, people expected to stay for a year or two, but it turned into many more. Barcelona seems to have that effect on people! I've been asked this question a lot as well. My response? I know that I'll be here for at least two years and (don't read this, mom!) I could easily see myself spending much, much longer here. I love it!

My English student (a 21-year-old Catalan who lived in Houston for three months and thinks it's the best city ever) is always asking me why I like living in Spain and what the differences are in life. I've been thinking about this a lot recently - why do I love it here so much? It's a combination of big and little things. I'm sure some of them seem ridiculous, but for whatever reason, they make me love this place! Here's a few of them:

*Spanish lifestyle - it's what brought me here in the first place! The importance of living over working, enjoying time with friends and family as much as possible, living every day to the fullest (meaning sleeping in, late dinners, and even later nights!), and life revolving around food and drinks. Does everyone in Spain live this way? Of course not! But the majority of people I've met share these values.

*Spanish - I love it. As I've written before, I'm kind of obsessed with learning Spanish. I love the intonation of the language, the way people speak so expressively, the literal translations of many words to English. As someone who's not very loud and doesn't use a lot of slang, I feel like I can be a different person when I speak Spanish (poco a poco!) and I love it!

*Travel - it's so easy. I feel like Europe is a treasure chest of places to visit. There are just so many amazing destinations that are so close! And it's obviously so much cheaper to travel when living within Europe.

*Diversity - Barcelona, in particular, is such an international place. I love seeing people from so many different countries and cultures living in one place. There are so many styles, looks, and languages!

*Fashion - although I often miss the casualness of Colorado, I love how much style and fashion are valued here. In general, people just look so put together. And it's affordable! I hope to someday truly embody the Spanish look - boots, scarves, tights, and tunic-style dresses being the key pieces!

*Tax included and no tipping - what the price on a menu or clothing tag says is what you pay. Call me lazy, but I like not having to think about it. :)

*Walking - between the size of cities and public transportation, Spanish (and most European) cities are built for walking. This means people are constantly outside and getting exercise. I love this! Although a car might be nice at times, it's even nicer to not need one or have to worry about everything that goes with it. And there are so many options for public transportation - bikes, buses, metros, and trains.

*A culture of reading - I think it's connected to time on public transportation, but I love how often you see people reading here! On the metro, on the bus, in a cafe, on a park bench. People are always reading.

*No more smoking! - This was one of my few complaints about Spain, but since January 1st, it's no longer an issue in bars and restaurants. Yea!

Well, that's my list for today! I often wonder if there will be a day when these things don't hold the appeal they do now . . . Until then, I plan to continue enjoying them as much as possible!

Money, Money, Money!

I vividly remember writing a blog while in Sevilla about the stress of earning so little money last year. Never in my life had I been so concerned about if I would have enough money to pay rent or to eat. Before leaving Sevilla, I determined that I made about 8,000 euros ($10,000) in my year there - less than half of what I've earned since graduating from college!

Although I hope to never be in a similar financial situation again, I have to say that I think that experience was one of the best that could have happened to me. I'm constantly surprised by how often co-workers complain about how little money we make in Barcelona. Yes, it's a more expensive place to live, and yes, we don't get nearly the benefits that teachers in other international schools might (paid flights home, paid rent and utilities, crazy high salaries), but it's certainly enough to live comfortably on (in an amazing city!) and still get to do a bit of traveling.

I wonder - if I had not had the experience I did last year, would I think the same thing? Of course, I would love to make more money! I have TONS of debt to pay off, which is preventing me from saving and traveling as much as I would like, but I'm feeling pretty lucky financially, especially in comparison.

It's just another reminder to me that life is all about perspective. If I could go back in time, I wish I had an experience like that 10 years ago - I think it would have changed my spending habits much earlier (which I know my dad would have really loved! :). But, since I can't, I'll just remind myself that I don't have to go out to dinner too often, or buy everything at Mango rebajas, or travel constantly, as nice as those things might be. And maybe someday, I 'll actually manage to save some money . . .