"Life in the Streets"

While living in Sevilla, when I asked a student what they had done over the weekend, a common response was "I went to the streets." As you can imagine, I wasn't quite sure how to take this! I quickly realized that this was a literal translation from Spanish and meant they had gone out with friends and spent most of the night outside, on the street.

Although life in Barcelona doesn't revolve quite as much around "the streets" as Sevilla does, it is still a big part of the lifestyle here. To this day, almost ten months since I moved here, I have never walked outside after 11am and not seen someone enjoying a coffee, beer, or tapa at a bar or restaurant. Now that spring has arrived and summer is around the corner, everyone is outdoors enjoying a drink with friends.

Needless to say, this makes Barcelona a very difficult place to save money! Even when I have the best intentions of just going home and not spending a cent, it's so hard to do when you pass people on every corner enjoying Spanish life! Matias and I always go to a nearby bar with the intention of having only one beer or glass (or bottle :) of wine. Yet, once we're around the people and the conversations and the energy that is life in this city, that one drink always turns into a few more. You just don't want to leave!

I know, it's not exactly a big problem - save a couple of euros or enjoy a beer or two outside. However, it is something that never ceases to amaze me. Today, I managed to save a few euros, but only because I didn't take a stroll outside my apartment :)

Visca Barca!

Wow - what a weekend it has been in Barcelona! Last night was the Champions League Final between Manchester United and FC Barcelona. I'm happy to report that Barca won, and deservedly so!

Even though I feel like sports in general are watched more in the US, I have never seen anything like the support of football here in Spain. Being here for last year's World Cup began to show me the passion they have for it, but last night definitely confirmed it.

Arc de Triumf

We watched the game on big screens outside at Arc de Triumf, only about 10 minutes from where I live. I have no idea how many people were there, but it must have been thousands. There were equally as many in Plaza Catalunya. Barca chants, jerseys, and fans could be seen and heard everywhere. Fireworks were exploding and if I never hear the sound of a horn again, it might be too soon :) The party continued long into the morning and it sounded like more celebrating was happening outside my window just a few hours ago.

We were in this crowd somewhere!

Needless to say, it was a really exciting time to be in Barcelona! Although I miss NFL football and college basketball a lot, I have become a surprisingly big soccer fan. I think living in a country and city that love it so much, especially one that currently has the best player in the world in Messi, as well as after wins like the World Cup, La Liga, and now the Champions League, make it pretty easy. I can't wait to see what my football future holds!

Matias and I after the win!

Meet the Artist

As the school year is starting to wind down (3 weeks and counting!), 5th graders are finishing up lots of projects. One project we just celebrated was "Meet the Artist." This is an interdisciplinary project that happens annually.

Each student is assigned an artist by our art teacher. They then research their artist, write a biography about them and compile a list of their favorite paintings during their literacy time with me. In their art class, they choose a painting that inspires them, then create an original piece in the style of their artist (pointillism, impressionism, etc.) At the end, they create an oral presentation to tell about the life of their artist, their painting style, and their personal piece of art.

Although I would like to shorten the amount of time spent on the project, I have to say that the final results of it were amazing! To see kids so fascinated by art, be able to speak so fluently about their own artist, and see their paintings that show they understand an art style was just fantastic. In addition, I learned so much about art and famous artists as well. (I discovered that Barcelona's Joan Miro is one of my favorites!)

Meet some of the artists from 5C!

The Love Between Latin Men

I love watching Matias, and other Spanish and Latin men, interact with one another. Unlike most American men I know, they are so affectionate! Greetings between friends always include a hug, if not a cheek kiss as well. Phone conversations usually end with "un abrazo" or "un beso." And they so often put an arm around a shoulder, wrestle, or something similar.

I even see this with my students. The boys always sit right next to each other, often put an arm around a shoulder when having a "serious" conversation, and are just so affectionate. I love it! It's just so clear how not homophobic most males are. Although I'm sure American men love their friends just as much, they don't show it in the same ways. In fact, I bet many of them would be quite uncomfortable around some of the men here! Yet, it is a culture that makes feelings and emotions very transparent, and showing affection between friends and loved ones is evident for all to see. And if the men are that way with each other, one can just imagine how they are with women :) Another small difference that I love . . .

Past, Present, and Future

While in Sardinia, Tessa and I had many conversations about life, love, and relationships (as you do when on an island with very little to do besides sleep, read, and listen to music!). Something she said really stuck with me in regards to relationships - "You have the present and you can have the future, but you can never have the past."

When I first moved to Spain, I remember thinking about how in many ways, I was reinventing my life. I was moving to place where no one knew a thing about me - where I came from, my past, or what I was like before living in Spain. In so many ways, this was such an exciting thing! Although I was leaving a pretty amazing life in Denver, there was still something really exciting about the feeling of getting to be whomever I wanted because no one knew otherwise.

Although I did essentially begin my adult life over again, I also realized that I am who I am, especially at this age. I wouldn't take back any of my experiences and my personality traits, even the ones I don't love, are pretty much here to stay. I've also realized that it can be really hard to be surrounded by people who will never truly know what your life was like before meeting them.

You can tell story after story, share photos, and do what you can to make your past come to life, but it's just not the same. With new friendships and relationships, it seems you really do focus on your life together in the present and try to fill in the pieces from the past.

When Tessa and I first began this conversation, it was due to not wanting to know too much about someone's past because it didn't have, or shouldn't have, an impact on the present or the future. However, we also talked about how hard it is to never truly know or understand where someone has come from because you weren't there and didn't know them in the midst of that experience.

I do really believe in the idea of "living in the moment" and I still believe that it is exciting to have the opportunity to reinvent yourself and strive to be more of your ideal self. Yet, the reality is that our past makes us who we are and can be something that we want to share with the people we care about. But, since we can't rewind, I guess stories and photos have to be enough . . .