Glory-Ah

I have to tell you about Gloria, because she warrants acknowledgment. Gloria is my second local host while I'm in language school. The first woman was....well....more of a chimney with a rhaspy voice. Needless to say that I was literally unable to stay in her home due to the amount of smoke it contained - so I requested a new home and that's how I met Gloria. She is (also) a widow who lives in Barrio (neighborhood) Sant Gervasi.....a really lovely part of Barcelona just near the foothills where there is 'more money'. My room in her home is spacious and has a HUGE window that opens completely to the view of Tibidabo (look it up!). She lives on the top floor so I have a little ledge outside my window that I sit on and eat sliced apples. Gloria call me "mija" (sweet daughter) and doesn't speak a lick of English - so we communicate in my broken Spanish- quite well I might add. A typical day with Gloria:
I wake up around 7AM, push my bed aside and do some asana yoga. I take a quick (30 seconds) rinse in a cool shower and get dressed. Gloria knocks on my door, "Mija, dessayuno!" Breakfast is ready. I walk out the the veranda covered in Gardenias and Geraniums to my breakfast of bacon, eggs, tea and toast. Before I'm finished she hands me a baggie with a sandwich and an apple to take to school with me. We exchange the typical kiss kiss on each cheek before I head out the door to school at 8:30. When I return from school I change into exercise clothes and head out for two hours of walking, running, hiking, stair climbing around the city - there's always somehwere new to go and ALL of it is SO beautiful. I return home and take a shower. When I come back into my room wrapped in my towel there is a plate of freshly sliced fruit on the table! Oh, Gloria.....you're an angel! Oh, she also makes my bed, sweeps the floor, empties the garbage and washes (and irons!) my clothes. All she's 'contracted' to do is feed me breakfast and dinner and provide a clean bed. Gloria rocks! Aside from the royal treatment that she bestows upon me she is also a delight to speak with and to watch. She has this way of moving around the house in her little 5'3" frame with oversized sunglasses on her face, ipod in her ears, cloth band around her head and big smile on her face. She's really fabulous.

I'll be moving out of Gloria's nest on Sunday, off to the big world of a rented flat (apartment) and foreign roommates :) The adventure continues in every way. I'll miss the area of BCN that I'm in now, mostly because it's mas tranquilo (more peaceful) than central bcn. However, I've enjoyed every part of the city so far - I"m just so happy to be here that little else matters....too much!

Beware of pickpockets! They're everywhere - seriously. I've watched it go down, stopped it from happening (with great struggle since they work in packs and you never really know who's all in on it) and have friends who have lost everything: cell phone, wallet, even the clothes from their bags and apartments. I bought a shoulder purse specifically so I could keep my things under my arm and I am ALWAYS aware....especially on the metro and in Placa Catalunya. (The main plaza) You can feel them watching you. They're like a pack of dogs - and the police care very little about it.

I spent a lot of last week with a gay couple from Germany that I met in language school, Tomek and Tholsten. They come to Barcelona often (apparently it's the Gay Capitol of Europe - why did nobody tell me before?) and know all of the fabulous places to eat. Tomek is a gregarious Aquarius who talks enough for the country and Tholsten is a quiet, observant sweet heart. Together they have an odd balance of qualities that somehow meet in the middle with an endearing affection. Our last night together was spean in their apartment drinking Polish Vodka with apple juice - apparently a specialty of Tomeks homeland. I had one drink (very tasty) and then ducked out before they poured me another - I'm not used to this lifestyle! I miss their company but appreciate the absence of their habits - TONS of Tapas and Servesas.

I found a local boy to practice Spanish with. I'll teach him ENglish and he'll teach me Spanish. We found eachother on a language exchange website. This is probably the best way to learn outside of grammar school. Conversational Spanish is what I really need to pick up on. My head is spinning with all of the rules for irregular verbs and present participle conjugations. We're meeting tomorrow for the first time - I'll let you know how it goes!

More to come :)