onward!

Last day in Italy, 6pm flight to Barcelona. I LOVE IT! More soon. About to take a boat ride on an early dreary Friday morning...

xo

VENICE, ITALY via GIRONA, SPAIN

So right now Spanish guy and I are sitting in front of a computer in Girona, Spain, it´s a small province in the North of Spain, and its supposed to be very small and beautiful, but we wouldnt know because we have no time to see it. We spent the night in a hotel here to catch a connecting flight today to Venice Italy, AND WE ARE SO EXCITED! It´s nice though to have had this very calm night in this quiet place and just feel the anticipation of arriving in one of the most romantic and beautiful cities in the world where there are no streets, no cars-- only small rivers and boats. wow.

more soon.
xo

writers write-- escritores escriben

Okay, so we met a cool dude in a coffee shop when me, Spanish guy, an American friend and another friend that was staying over for the weekend, Tracy, were out eating breakfast on a lazy Saturday morning after a night out.

He had big curly dark hair, rayban black framed glasses perched tightly on his nose, an American blazer with a pin that said "beauty" and a mac computer like mine! He reminded me of those super smart dudes that sit in coffee shops all day in the east village of Manhattan drinking cappuccino or Italian wine and talking on their iphones. He started talking to all of us and well... it turns out he has a blog and wrote about his experience with us after we departed... here's the link, (it's in Spanish):

http://miojoderecho.blogspot.com/2010/02/apocalipsis-en-el-laboratorio.html

____________________

Conocimos un chico guay en una cafetería durante el desayuno de un sabado tranquilo, despues de una noche de fiesta. Yo estaba con mi chico espanol, una chica americana, y otra amiga que estaba visitandome este finde.

El tenía el pelo rizado, unas raybans de pasta negra encaramadas estrechamente en su nariz, una americana negra con un pin que ponía, "beauty", y un mac como mio. Me recordó de los chicos típicos del Lower East Side en Manhattan que pasan todo el día en cafeterias tomando cappuccinos o vino de Italia y hablando por sus iphones, me sentí muy cómodo. El empenzó a hablar con nosotros y... pues... descubrí que tenía un blog y escribío sobre su experiencia con nosotros cuando fuimos... aquí es la cadena...

http://miojoderecho.blogspot.com/2010/02/apocalipsis-en-el-laboratorio.html

Operacion BIKINI

Operación bikini-- escuchamos eso (mi amiga y yo) durante nuestra carrera por el centro de Málaga. Habia una calle en obras y la gente trabajando-- (ahemmm... es decir, los hombres trabajando)-- nos dijeron, "operacion BIKINI; ¡Levantad mas los tobillos cuando corrais!"

Porque claro que esa es la unica razon para correr, especialmente para ponernos en forma para parecer perfecta en un bikini, PUES NOSOTRAS, NO! ¡Estamos entrenando para un maratón, no es para estar sexy para los chicos, a mi me da igual si ellos piensan que soy sexy!!

Bueno, en este momento, pensé, QUE GRACIOSO, que risa escuchar eso en la calle, de alguien.

Bueno, esta es mi historia.

mi aportacion a tu blog-novela

Este mac es... vaaale es cute!!!!!! jajaja... bueno, estoy muy contento y me siento muy especial de ser el SEGUNDO(...) guest blogger, aunque yo queria ser el primero. tambien estoy muy muy muy feliz de estar con mi amor ahora mismo. no importa lo que haya pasado, lo importante son nuestros sentimientos y nuestro deseo de seguir estando juntos!!! yo siempre he creido en eso, querer es poder. asi que voy a seguir preparandole el desayuno saludable cada mañanita, y voy a seguir apoyandola en sus decisiones, voy a seguir compartiendo sus sueños y sus ilusiones, voy a seguir despertandola cada mañana, voy a seguir amandola todo lo que pueda, y voy a aprovechar cada segundo de mi vida con ella, porque para mi sigue siendo lo mas importante: ELLA. bueno, ya esta. creo que no tengo nada mas que decir. bueno si, pero podria estar aqui hasta mañana, asi que mejor voy terminando ya que mañana hay que madrugar!! besos para todo el mundo!!! y recordad: ser feliz es posible, y el exito solo se alcanza con la perseverancia! BYE

De: "Spanish Guy"

a kiss.

Sorry, I had to blog about this, because I think it's one of the cutest things in the world! I have a tattoo of my own lips on me, I know, I know, I got it when I was 18, but to be honest I love it, I think it's so great and so symbolic of who I am and what I think of my abilities!
Anyway... I happened to be wearing the same color lipstick as my tattoo yesterday and I kissed Spanish guy and look what appeared, the same as mine!!! HHAHAHHA, am I the only one that thinks this is great? okay, maybe I am.... but it's okay, I'm at home bored waiting for the pizza pie to arrive from TELEPIZZA! yum.

¡Cuanta lluvia!

Esto es ridículo, pensé que vivía en la Costa del SOL, no LLUVIA! No podía ir a trabajar hoy porque las calles estaban inundadas y no había servicio de autobuses hasta el pueblo donde trabajo. Normalmente me gusta la lluvia, pero cuando tengo que entrenar para un maratón e ir a trabajar y caminar muy lejos hasta la estación de autobuses, no me gusta!

Pues, ya estoy en mi casa y me siento culpable porque no fui a trabajar hoy, odio este sentimiento, lo odio.

rain rain go away come back another day...

weekend of lovers!

So another Valentines Day weekend came and gone. Last year was great and so was this year! The only difference was that this year it was raining and last year it was beautiful, sunny and warm! The love birds start to mate anyway, rain or shine!

So every year I take the opportunity to spend this day (or weekend) to share my love with my best friends and lovers! This year I made a little trip to Fuengirola to visit one of my best friends, Tracy! We had tapas on Friday night, went to an English bar and then went salsa dancing, it was SO MUCH FUN, I always love going to visit her! I love the other Americans that live there too, they are all so cool and they crack me up, funny funny funny!

So after partying and dancing my ass off on Friday Tracy and I woke up late on Saturday and had a 3-hour breakfast at the local cafeteria (and talked about everything you can imagine). Afterward, Tracy blessed me with her fabulous cooking and we had a lovely lunch at her house, breaded baked eggplant casserole, yum!

On Saturday night I headed back to Malaga to meet Spanish guy, well, we actually met at Plaza Mayor, which is an American style open mall. we did a little shopping, and then headed back to the house where Spanish guy presented me with the jacket that I have always dreamed of!!!!! I WAS SO SHOCKED AND HAPPY! A soft Italian leather bomber jacket with a faux fur trimmed (removable) collar! woooooYEEEEEEE!! Then we went to one of the only Mexican restaurants in Malaga for dinner and margaritas! :) It was a charming little place with only two tables and one Mexican woman cooking in a house-style kitchen. I loved it! I wish I can eat Mexican food every day, its one of my favorite cuisines! On Valentines morning we woke up fresh, content, and ready to enjoy each others company. Out of bed and out to eat breakfast in our favorite cafe, the first one we ever went to together <3.> After we spent the day cooking lunch, baking cake, I gave Spanish guy the present I bought him, then we went to an American bar to watch the soccer game (his favorite team was playing) then I went home and did my Spanish homework, haha. Fabulous weekend, very fun, lots of sleep, good food, good company, great times!

VEE-DAY 2010!

love.

i shed a tear in the sea.

if you find it,

that's the day I'll love you again...

things.

So I'm typing right now as my nails are drying, I have to be out of my house in 12 minutes to meet my friends for tapas, but I don't think I'm going to make it. My cell phone is ringing too, but I cant answer it because it's in my pocket and if I reach inside of my pocket, I'll mess up my nails! (important stuff, eh??)
I missed my 5 mile run today because I got home from work and got so distracted that I didn't eat lunch and by the time I finished doing what I was doing it was too late, and now I have plans so I cant go, and plus it's too late anyway, it's 9:15pm here right now (3:15pm NYC time and 8:15 Belfast time).

Well, that's all for now. The Andalusian celebration is starting, so I think I'll have traditional food tonight, Porra, salads, bread... yum.

okay doke.
xo

American Popular Culture/ Cultura Americana

So I went to the only American joint here in Málaga the other night called "Cheers" and I was SO excited to see that VH1 was on! I don't have any contact with American pop culture while I'm here. I don't know what the newest songs are, I don't know what the American style is, I haven't seen anything (nor have I been too interested) BUT I saw Leona Lewis' video, "HAPPY" and I LOVED it! Shes British, I know, so maybe she has a more European style, but I love the off-the-shoulder look. AND HER WHOLE VIDEO WAS SHOT IN BEAUTIFUL BEAUTIFULLLLLL CUBA! Que exótico...
http://showhype.com/video/leona-lewis-happy-official-music-video-high-quality/
(I'm interested in video's because it's my profession, to make media, so I like to aesthetically analyze things).

Bueno... I guess what I'm trying to say is that it was nice, even if it was just for a few minutes, to get a little taste of American (and Cuban) culture. Sometimes being so far away from home, any little connection lights a fire that was hiding deep within. It's like sometimes I just crave Dunkin Donuts (even though here it's called Dunkin Coffee) and when I am inside I feel like I am back in Park Slope, Brooklyn, on 5th ave! It's great!

Okay my darlings, I'm going to translate this into Spanish because I have to practice writing in Spanish and also maybe I'll get more Spanish readers!

________

Fui al único bar americano en Málaga el otro noche que se llama "Cheers" yo estaba muy emocionada para ver el canal VH1 en el tele! No tengo nada de contacto con television americano aquí, entonces no se la moda del EEUU, ni los nuevos canciones, pero esta día ví el video clip de Leona Lewis, el canción, "Happy" y me encantó. Yo sé que ella es de Inglaterra entonces a lo mejor su estilo es mas Europea que americano pero me encanta el look de "colgando del hombro".
¡Su video fue filmado en Cuba, el pais de mi padre, que exótico!
http://showhype.com/video/leona-lewis-happy-official-music-video-high-quality/

Bueno... la cosa que quiero decir es que a veces es un soplo de aire fresco para ver algo de mi país, mi cultura, porque vivo tan lejos de Los Estados Unidos. Cualquier conexión pequeño para mí es suficiente. A veces tengo que irme a Dunkin Donuts para sentir si que yo fuera en Park Slope, en Brooklyn, en el barrio donde vengo. ¡Es genial!

¡Ahora voy a volver al mí mundo español, que me encanta tanto!

Feb 6th twenty-ten

What a gorgeous day in Malaga today, well yesterday too and tomorrow again! Like 80 degrees and it's the beginning of February! I had a great run today, well it was a bit too hot, but GORGEOUS to see the sea and all the people enjoying it! Then I had a GREAT lunch on my terrace with my sexy "roommate" haha. Now I'm off to see a Flamenco show in Marbella-- not looking forward to the drive there, but I'm excited to see the performance! I'm going to wear a flower in my hair "senorita rita rita rita with the flower in her hair" , why not, I enjoy my life and have fun with it!! kisssssssssesssssss to everyone!

HEY! look who it is!

FOUR more months in Malaga

So I only have four more months left in one of the most amazing places on earth! I have about 17 more weeks in the most gorgeous city ever! I have until June to enjoy the company of my Spanish friends before I leave my home here and return to New York City.

It seems surreal. I can't ever imagine how I EVER lived anywhere else in my life. This place is so amazing, the weather, the scenery, the naturalism, the people, the fashion, the culture, the food, EVERYTHING!

To be honest, I really like my New York summers too. I don't know what I would do without them. My friends, all of the cultural activities, Coney Island, the night life, the restaurants, oh gosh, I LOVE IT! I am SO excited about the coming months.

In three weeks I am going to Italy and Barcelona. After that I am going to Morocco, then I'll be in Prague. In between all this, I will try to make it around Spain as much as possible for weekend trips before heading back to New York City (and traveling around the USA a bit, Florida, North Carolina, and Texas), and then **hopefully** to live in France for a while!!

Until then, I will enjoy my walks along the beach, lunches in the sun, runs in the mountains, and coffee breaks with friends!

My two FABULOUS friends! I LOVE them!

loser.

I'm a bit disappointed in myself today.

I failed my Spanish exam.

Well, actually, there were three parts, and I passed one with a 100%, another with an 80%, but the 3rd one, I failed by 10 points, therefore I failed the whole exam. I dont really agree with the way that it is graded, other people got 50% on all three parts and passed (50% is the passing grade in Spain). If you average all my marks together, I come out with a passing mark! But oh well... I'm going to repeat the course I guess.

So in my last four months in Spain, Im going to work hard to study more Spanish, it was the writing that I had the most problems, listening and comprehension I passed. I didn't know how to use the subjunctive form of the past participles. To be completely honest I was going through a lot the week before the exam. My friend died, I broke up with Spanish guy, I was an emotional mess, but I still managed to study. I guess not enough though.

Geezzz... I'm so disappointed.