I forgot to name this shit

I have an important test tomorrow so, naturally, I’m choosing to update our blog. (If I had a hair straightener, we all know what I’d be doing instead…)

It’s been a little over a month since I’ve been in Barcelona, and I think I’ve finally decided to stop being an emo shit. Yay!

I won’t lie: Barcelona was a little unsettling for me at first. I guess it’s what they call culture shock. The thing is, I’d always imagined culture shock would be a little more sudden, a little more dynamic. Turns out, culture shock is just a constant feeling of annoyance. For the first month, Barcelona was always finding new and creative ways to piss me off. Like that time when I tried to buy lunch, only to discover all of the restaurants were closed for siesta. I ended up buying crackers and canned tuna. There was a similar incident involving tampons, but we won’t go into that.

Anyway. That said, I’ve come to accept the fact that I am not home, and that means accepting that things will be different. I think I’m maybe starting to embrace that fact as well. I live literally right across the street from la Sagrada Familia, a cathedral designed by Gaudí. It’s the single-most popular attraction here in Barcelona, so it leaves the neighborhood pretty crowded. Even so, I’ve come to love the sound of the bells tolling in the same way I loved the sound of the train in Athens. My favorite melody plays at 7 every night. 

My host family is really nice, albeit slightly overbearing. Tonight my host mom called me her niña and hugged me while we were watching House. Yeah, it was a little awkies, but sweet nonetheless. Then there is 17 year old Dani, poster-child for teenage angst. He failed out of high school so now he’s studying to be a hair stylist. After he graduates he wants to move to the Bronx. (Yes, you read that right.) His interests include rap music, dreadlocks and doing hoodrat things with his friends. He just got his ear pierced because his mom wouldn’t let him get a motorcycle, and last week he came home with a massive hickey on his neck. 

At any given time there are atleast two other international students living in my residencia as well. Right now there are three 15 yr old French boys living in the next room. They are clumsy and hopelessly uncool, bless their hearts. Apparently they broke the bed last night? I love them.

School is not really worth talking about. I’m taking two literature classes, Spanish, and a Spanish Cinema course with an adorableteacher. Too bad his teefs are fugged, y’all.

Then, of course, there is the drinking. Ethan and I have found some cool places, most of them being in the Born district. We’ve managed to become regulars in a few places, which is pathetic, but predictable. Sidecar is one of the best bars we’ve frequented. Unfortunately, SDMQ* has reared her ugly head there once (or twice), so going there is a bit of a shameful experience for me.

 

 

intimidating.

What else? Oh, yes. I went to Amsterdam a couple of weekends ago with my friend Francesca. Amsterdam is pretty much exactly the way one would imagine. Our hotel was conveniently located in the Red Light District, so the view from our house boat was basically just naked grrrlz. I didn’t go to any hos or sex shows, but I did take a picture of a nice little mom n’ pop condom shop.

The last night in Amsterdam we met a bunch of crazy French kids + one American who is studying literature in Paris. They taught us the proper way to drink absinthe (involving fire and sugar) at this place called “Wonder Bar,” and afterwards we went to their hotel for wine and an impromptu rap performance (we were later kicked out by the grump-muffin receptionist). 

the “parisian-bohemian” way to drink absinthe, apparently

I don’t think there’s anything else fascinating to tell just yet. This weekend we are off to Sevilla, and I’ll try to make some poor life decisions that will feed into good blog postings. Until then, be good and remember I love you.

 

*Super Desperate Makeout Queen

Still Here

Since those abroad doing fabulous and unusual things are too busy to be bothered with blogging, here’s an update from Athens.

The “Am I in Athens?” Checklist:

• House parties with silly themes
• Getting to Go Bar at last call
• Alfredo rocking your face
• The Grill at 4 a.m.
• Knowing everyone who works at the Grill at 4 a.m.
• The temperature changes by 30 degrees in one day
• Big City Brunch
• Constantly being astounded by your stupid friends’ exploits
• Watching BP Helium’s lego car accumulate more parts
• Joe Havasy has new paintings up at Transmet
• Frontier/Helix/Agora/Junkman’s/Bizarro/Minx stealing my $
• Bikes, bars, buses, and cars ≈ everywhere
• Dumbass students saying dumbass things
• Male revue at Toppers!
• All u can eat pancakes @ IHOP
• Living off hummus and coffee otherwise
• Matinees @ Ciné
• Seeing Minna’s husband in the Zell all the time
• It’s like everyone has a cat but me. Oliver, Seiya, Tara Reid, Mufasa… One of Yasmin’s co-workers named his kitten “Terminator 2: Judgment Day”. They call her “T2″ for short.
• Campus. Movie. Fest. Allison Weiss’ won best comedy
• Taking Polaroids before the film runs out 4ever!!!

Yep. I’m pretty sure I’m still in Athens.

“Piss faced”

So I haven’t updated this in a while I feel. So it’s time for a post!

School is going real good. I’ve made friends, but its quite different over here. I love everyone I’ve met/went out with but it’s not like I can go out with those people every night. I’m not saying they’re annoying or I don’t like them, but am nice to their face, but everyone has shit to do. Including me (whether it be going to the grocery store, getting food, and getting drunk and making this food by myself, or whatnot).

I still love it here though. Ethan came and visited me this past weekend. I’d like to compare London to NYC but in a way, it’s only a fraction of how NYC is if that makes sense? I can’t explain it in an understandable way but I’ll try.

London has lots of history (and so does NYC) and it is an international city (like NYC), but the people and atmosphere here are different. I can’t explain it, but it is. I mean, everyone is always on the go, but not in the same way NYC is. For the most part, everyone in London is friendlier. Sure we have a lot of knife crime, but it can for the most part be avoided. Just dont wander around in sketch areas.

Maybe it’s only because I’m in school, but I’ve also met more people from around the world than when I was in New York. I’m going to school with kids from Greece, Norway, England, Japan, China, France, and Iran. And I’m the only American. It’s like a fucking round table full of people from around the world. It’s amazing. And culturally intriguing. Anyways, here’s pictures:

Party party in my tummy

This blog has not been updated in a hot minute! So I’m going to try and pick up the slack. 

First of all, thank you for all the intrntnl phone calls! Keep them coming, plz.

So here’s what I did in Athens this weekend: XXXTina and I made plans to keep it chill on Friday, drink some margis, watch some laguna beach… you know, the usual (yoo-sh).  Oh, I just realized, you guys probably don’t get the “margi” reference. It is short for “margarita”, and came out of Brody Jenner’s mouth on his hit MTV show “Bromance”. It’s all about searching for friendship and buttsecks a la Paris Hiltron BFAB Showdown or wtf that mess was. Erin enjoys an unhealthy obsession of this “show”, so it gets discussed quite a bit in the Poonanny Palace here on Boulevard. Here’s a good summary in video format:

Barcelona, yes.

Please refer to this link for nice photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/33746188@N03/

 

Well, Spain. Let’s backtrack to the past week – its time for me to start having a life of regularity here and I will start by actually updating. I promise. So, let’s begin:

 

Hey geyz

I kind of forgot about this thing until our house surprisingly gave me internet access in the kitchen, and now I can’t get off. I have to go to the bathroom but it’s not happening. 

Hem Haw, I feel a little boring blogging from little ole Athens, but thangs is good. Erin is totally awesome and she has pretty much eradicated the need for a cat replacement for Minna. Me, Xtina and Tessa bought seasons 1 and 2 of Laguna Beach, which has been real inspirational. 

I’m in the middle of trying to apply for the France study abroad and I am gonna be real nice and facebook ex-boyfriend and ask her to gimme some shit about how to do it. Were baby friends now, or maybe fake friends. Enh?  Maybe I’m just using her for her fashion blog(s?)

Back to skool ‘09

this starts the day before the first day of school. so… back-to-skool eve. xtiña and i spent the day like any housewives of thirty years might pass the time. we went to cofer’s nursery on mitchell bridge for houseplants and potting soil, then to target for some adorable mixing bowls and a valentine’s day placemat for oliver’s food bowl, and over to michael’s for martha stuart stamps and a metallic ink pad, and finally to lowe’s for hearty outdoor plants and ornamental cabbage.

and of course we picked a day with a “high wind advisory” to do all this. the dark hazy sky made it look like the apocalypse was nigh, and the greenhouses flapping around sounded like they were going to collapse on top of us any second. it was a bit terrifying.

but after any day of being super productive/domestic, there is nothing better than repotting some plants, chowing down on some krispy kremes, and curling up on the couch to watch laguna beach! you know you love it.

Willesden Green !!!

So I officially found a flat. I was able to move out of my stupid small dinky ass hotel that wreaked of burnt bacon grease and into a cute studio flat located 3 blocks away from the Willesden Green tube station (IE: 20 minute tube ride into central London!!). It’s a nice area too. Lots of cute homes/buildings and no ghetto things crawling around (you know what I’m talking about Minna). Anyways, today I’m going to the Brick Lane Market. It’s basically a market for young, up and coming designers to sell their shit. In layman’s terms, hipsters with too much money and nothing to do on a Sunday getting wasted.

Count me in.

Barcelona! You shouldn’t have!

I promise a lengthier post is in the works, but for now guess-fucking-what?:

MY APARTMENT HERE IS CADDY-CORNER TO A KENTUCKY FRIED CHICKEN.

I think someone told Barcelona I was coming!

(disclaimer: but for real though, kfc is bad, kids. check it out.)

Photo op. pt. 2

So since this is a travel blog these are the kids I went to have a drink with today after school. They’re all very fucking awesome too.

From L to R: Hatty (from Salsberry, England), Naobi (from Japan), and Elisabeth (from Oslo, Norway).

This is me freaking out on a mannequin in a window.

And this is Hatty and I being tipsy. Cheers!