Coldcat
10-01-2004, 12:34 PM
Ola! Que tal? I'm back in the wired world!
No, I didn't learn any spanish. Actually, the trying to speak spanish was the most frustrating bit, as I kept speaking italian. Then I'd think to myself; no, no, no, that other roman language, think hard, and more italian would come bubbling up in my head!
Worst thing is, the spanish seem (or so I was told) and especially the catalunyans, to hold a grudge against anyone who doesn't speak their language, which kinda pissed me off. (Italians have that streak too, btw) Look, buster, I speak three more languages besides my own, if thats not good enough for you, too bad!
Catalá was actually less hard, as that felt like untidy french spoken with a spanish flair. But then Catalunyans have this irritable streak to not greet you even when you've greeted them, I got into a discussion over this with a fellow student, a Catalan, of my youngest brother - who is currently studying in Barcelona - about the catalunyan pride, at the end of which I snapped: well, I still dont see why it is beneath you to greet me, after all, we dutch folk did kick the spanish out!
Needless to say, he was not amused...hehe..
What to say about Barcelona? It is the capital of kitch, no competition there. The capital of jugendstil and sillyness. I have never seen as much decorated balconies, lamp posts, window sills, doors, and general funny details, as in Barcelona. It is a city in which you'll be constantly gazing upward at towers, windows, statues, gargouilles of the wierdest kind, and dragons everywhere (St george, known there as Jordi, is patron saint of Barcelona, after all)
It is also the capital of grafitti. The city is littered with pieces, big graffitti works all over, complemented with spray on logo's. Kill Bush, Stop the war, No justice in Madrid, Barceloca. Unfortunately, there is even more stupid tagging going on, even on the walls of 1000 year old churches, and I didn't like that. If you spray, spray something good or don't spray at all. And have some respect for the wall you spray on. Religious houses of any era are a nono as far as I am concerned. But Barcelona is littered with too much young folk who do nothing but party, and f*, and tag, and think that disrespect is a cool thing.
And pee the streets.I smelled pee all day long in the old city. Sometimes in sickening quantities. That shows quite some severe disrespect. Dogs can be toilet trained, but men...
Barcelona is also the capital of young, left, antiglobal, weed smoking, sporting designer sneakers, artistically inclined folk. There were whole flocks of them.
Most notably in the barri Gracia, which turned out to be the most relaxed and tourist free part of Barcelona. I loved Gracia.
(To be continued)
No, I didn't learn any spanish. Actually, the trying to speak spanish was the most frustrating bit, as I kept speaking italian. Then I'd think to myself; no, no, no, that other roman language, think hard, and more italian would come bubbling up in my head!
Worst thing is, the spanish seem (or so I was told) and especially the catalunyans, to hold a grudge against anyone who doesn't speak their language, which kinda pissed me off. (Italians have that streak too, btw) Look, buster, I speak three more languages besides my own, if thats not good enough for you, too bad!
Catalá was actually less hard, as that felt like untidy french spoken with a spanish flair. But then Catalunyans have this irritable streak to not greet you even when you've greeted them, I got into a discussion over this with a fellow student, a Catalan, of my youngest brother - who is currently studying in Barcelona - about the catalunyan pride, at the end of which I snapped: well, I still dont see why it is beneath you to greet me, after all, we dutch folk did kick the spanish out!
Needless to say, he was not amused...hehe..
What to say about Barcelona? It is the capital of kitch, no competition there. The capital of jugendstil and sillyness. I have never seen as much decorated balconies, lamp posts, window sills, doors, and general funny details, as in Barcelona. It is a city in which you'll be constantly gazing upward at towers, windows, statues, gargouilles of the wierdest kind, and dragons everywhere (St george, known there as Jordi, is patron saint of Barcelona, after all)
It is also the capital of grafitti. The city is littered with pieces, big graffitti works all over, complemented with spray on logo's. Kill Bush, Stop the war, No justice in Madrid, Barceloca. Unfortunately, there is even more stupid tagging going on, even on the walls of 1000 year old churches, and I didn't like that. If you spray, spray something good or don't spray at all. And have some respect for the wall you spray on. Religious houses of any era are a nono as far as I am concerned. But Barcelona is littered with too much young folk who do nothing but party, and f*, and tag, and think that disrespect is a cool thing.
And pee the streets.I smelled pee all day long in the old city. Sometimes in sickening quantities. That shows quite some severe disrespect. Dogs can be toilet trained, but men...
Barcelona is also the capital of young, left, antiglobal, weed smoking, sporting designer sneakers, artistically inclined folk. There were whole flocks of them.
Most notably in the barri Gracia, which turned out to be the most relaxed and tourist free part of Barcelona. I loved Gracia.
(To be continued)