One week of my time in Barcelona is already up!
I won’t be counting down on this blog, but so far my feelings are that I never want this trip to end.
I am here, ostensibly, to study Spanish, Catalan and the history of the region along with three other classes of my choosing. I will also be teaching children between the ages of seven and 12 to speak English. Apart from those classes and volunteering, I’ll be soaking up the rays of the Mediterranean sun.
I have already been enjoying the Barcelona weather this past week. Compared with winter in my hometown of Arlington, Va. and even more so with winters in Chicago, winter here is a nice spring day. Of course I am noticeably American every day because while all the Spaniards are bundled up in their parkas, I am walking around sweating in a light sweater. Clearly they are not used to temperatures so cold that your head begins to ache if you are outside too long.
But what the Spanish lack in sensible attire, they have to make up for in street smarts. Pickpocketing is an industry unto itself here.
I haven’t been robbed yet which is something that makes me quite proud because I met a student from UNC who was pickpocketed his first day on the metro. I won’t pretend that growing up in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. has made me street smart, but I am taking tips from the Barcelonese citizens I see on the trains.
Always keep your bag in front of you where you can see it. Make sure it is strapped securely to you. When you are in areas of high tourist traffic, watch out for scams and distractions from one person while another person robs you. Don’t get that wandering-eyes-glazed-over look that seems to accompany all tourists. Pretend you know where you are going even if you don’t. Keep moving even if a weird modernist sculpture captures your eye.
Although none of the other students on my program have been robbed, some of the other students have started to get sick which I expect is a part of encountering new cold viruses and germs in public places. Luckily I have kept my Purell on hand so I haven’t gotten sick yet, but I assume it’s just a matter of time.
Ignoring the thieves and the germ attacks, my favorite facet of Barcelona at this point is without a doubt it’s location. Being right on the Mediterranean aea keeps the climate mild and Barcelona takes great care of its many beaches. At night restaurants and bars open up right on the beach and stay open all night.
Wait, I take back what I said; my favorite part of Barcelona is the schedule it runs on. Wake up, go to work, go to lunch at 1 p.m. and drink. Go home and relax for a few hours.
Go back to work in the afternoon and at 6 p.m. go out to dinner with friends. Stay at dinner for a couple hours at least. At 10 p.m. go to a local bar for drinks. The clubs open up around midnight, but don’t get there until 2 a.m. or there will not be anyone there. Stay until 4 a.m. and then local coffee and confection bars will open up and you go relax and recount your amazing night.
Go to bed at sunrise and then wake up, take some shots of espresso and do it all over again.
This is the life for me.
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