Roses
When people talk about the Mediterranean being paradise, they aren´t kidding. I spent the weekend in a little town, a lot like Santa Cruz, really, called Roses (pronounced: Rosas). It is north of Barcelona, the point farthest east in Spain, and the bay is so beautiful. The hills and mountains surrounding the water are full of green trees and colorful houses spot the hillside. (if anyone is into real estate, I have the place for you, as houses are still only 120,000 Euros or so...)
My housemate is from there, and I met a friend of his last month. We got along really well, and when I didnt understand him, I just smiled and nodded :) --like I always do. He invited me to his town for the weekend. What a sweetheart. He showed me all around. We went to the largest fortress in all of Europe and a history museum. It is just so rich here, the things that happened and the old, vacant buildings. Some of it is thousands of years old, it just blows my mind at times.
The night was sort of funny. We went to the store to buy vegetables, because I am a vegetarian and he didn´t know what to feed me. Well, here you have to weigh the fruits and veggies before you get to the counter. Even I figured that out, but he didn´t know. I guess he doesn´t cook. So when I asked him, he said, "oh, no" and proceded to the check-out counter. Well, she sent him back to weigh them. When he finally came back, he had done it wrong, so she had to go do it herself and wasn´t very happy with us. We laughed and laughed. Then we headed to his mom´s house to borrow dishes and oil and salt!!! because he didn´t have any at home. Not even silverware! And his mom was so funny. She kept offering us more stuff: juice and toilet paper and all kinds of stuff. It was cracking me up.
As it turns out, he just moved into that house, out of his mom´s house...at 33 years old. So there was really not much in the house, no warm water or cold fridge, so we had to keep the milk for breakfast outside where it was cold. When it came time to sleep, he only had one blanket. Well, I didn´t really know what to say. He was respectful and didn´t try to take advantage of me...he really is sweet, but we had to sleep really close to stay warm. I tried, but couldn´t sleep cuz I am not really used to sleeping with someone I hardly know. So finally, after the sun came up and I hadn´t fallen asleep yet, I moved to the couch and used my jacket as a blanket. Originally, I´d thought of staying one more night, but decided not to for obvious reasons. As you could imagine, I was so tired after that.
As for what we did during the days, mostly we spent the time with his friends and family. I was all smiles. That is why I do this: give up everything I have to go somewhere else. It´s to sit at a big table, full of his brothers and sisters and their partners and kids, and his way-to-generous mother, and talk and laugh and try to understand what is going on. And there are few things in this world that give me the satisfaction of finally understanding, of having a conversation with all these people in another language and being able to be an active part in the conversation. And we were talking about politics and religion...it isn´t easy stuff. Although, somedays are better than others and some times I still have no idea what someone is talking about. Poco a poco, as they say (little by little).
I do miss California, though, and one reason is because it pains me to see EVERYONE smoking all the time. I mean, everyone, and with the cigarette´s second hand smoke right in the kids faces, too. It makes me sick and I worry about them all in the future. But, of course, it is not for me to say anything, so I pretend it doesn´t bother me. I didn´t come here to be a "greater than thou" American.
So that was my adventure in Roses. It was wonderful and the beauty of the trees and nature and ocean was healing. I get a little burnt in the city all the time. I am back in Barcelona for my last week!! How does time fly so fast? I head back to California in a week and then just before we say goodbye to 2005 (wow!) I will be in NYC.
Love to all. If anyone needs a hug or has an extra bed or needs childcare the week of Christmas and lives in the bay area, my number and email will be the same. Hugs!
My housemate is from there, and I met a friend of his last month. We got along really well, and when I didnt understand him, I just smiled and nodded :) --like I always do. He invited me to his town for the weekend. What a sweetheart. He showed me all around. We went to the largest fortress in all of Europe and a history museum. It is just so rich here, the things that happened and the old, vacant buildings. Some of it is thousands of years old, it just blows my mind at times.
The night was sort of funny. We went to the store to buy vegetables, because I am a vegetarian and he didn´t know what to feed me. Well, here you have to weigh the fruits and veggies before you get to the counter. Even I figured that out, but he didn´t know. I guess he doesn´t cook. So when I asked him, he said, "oh, no" and proceded to the check-out counter. Well, she sent him back to weigh them. When he finally came back, he had done it wrong, so she had to go do it herself and wasn´t very happy with us. We laughed and laughed. Then we headed to his mom´s house to borrow dishes and oil and salt!!! because he didn´t have any at home. Not even silverware! And his mom was so funny. She kept offering us more stuff: juice and toilet paper and all kinds of stuff. It was cracking me up.
As it turns out, he just moved into that house, out of his mom´s house...at 33 years old. So there was really not much in the house, no warm water or cold fridge, so we had to keep the milk for breakfast outside where it was cold. When it came time to sleep, he only had one blanket. Well, I didn´t really know what to say. He was respectful and didn´t try to take advantage of me...he really is sweet, but we had to sleep really close to stay warm. I tried, but couldn´t sleep cuz I am not really used to sleeping with someone I hardly know. So finally, after the sun came up and I hadn´t fallen asleep yet, I moved to the couch and used my jacket as a blanket. Originally, I´d thought of staying one more night, but decided not to for obvious reasons. As you could imagine, I was so tired after that.
As for what we did during the days, mostly we spent the time with his friends and family. I was all smiles. That is why I do this: give up everything I have to go somewhere else. It´s to sit at a big table, full of his brothers and sisters and their partners and kids, and his way-to-generous mother, and talk and laugh and try to understand what is going on. And there are few things in this world that give me the satisfaction of finally understanding, of having a conversation with all these people in another language and being able to be an active part in the conversation. And we were talking about politics and religion...it isn´t easy stuff. Although, somedays are better than others and some times I still have no idea what someone is talking about. Poco a poco, as they say (little by little).
I do miss California, though, and one reason is because it pains me to see EVERYONE smoking all the time. I mean, everyone, and with the cigarette´s second hand smoke right in the kids faces, too. It makes me sick and I worry about them all in the future. But, of course, it is not for me to say anything, so I pretend it doesn´t bother me. I didn´t come here to be a "greater than thou" American.
So that was my adventure in Roses. It was wonderful and the beauty of the trees and nature and ocean was healing. I get a little burnt in the city all the time. I am back in Barcelona for my last week!! How does time fly so fast? I head back to California in a week and then just before we say goodbye to 2005 (wow!) I will be in NYC.
Love to all. If anyone needs a hug or has an extra bed or needs childcare the week of Christmas and lives in the bay area, my number and email will be the same. Hugs!
posted by Louise Lovelle @ 9:54 AM
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