All this Catalan is killing my Spanish!

Why hasn't my Spanish improved much over the past few months?  Because I'm not immersed in the language. 

I thought I moved to Spain, but what happened, in effect, is that I moved to Catalonia.  Or is it Catalunya?  Whatever... I think they're making the rules up as they go along. 

Why, then am I not improving in my Spanish?  Because EVERYTHING is written in Catalan.  From the frozen foods section in the grocery store "Congelats" instead of "Congelados" <--- i'm not even sure that is right.  Because I'm not seeing Spanish in the written form on a regular basis.  All I know is that I'm vaguely understanding the signs without knowing how the words are pronounced.  And then when I'm trying to have a conversation in Spanish  - I get so tongue tied - I freeze up... I say the wrong words.  or the right words in the wrong language.

Case in point - I was telling my mom that I needed to go down to the Tabacs to get a targeta to add more minutes to my phone.  All wrong.  Despite the fact that all the cigarette stores are called Tabacs, that's not the Spanish word (which is something similar, but I can't remember it because it's not a word I see written anywhere).  Also, I pronounced targeta like "tar jetta" instead of "tar hetta".  Here I am, thinking I'm speaking in Spanish with my mom, but no.  I'm speaking some bastardized combo of Spanish/Catalan. 

I'm just about at my wit's end in trying to speak the local language.  I spend most of my time speaking English with my American friends here, or my mother... or French with my Aunts and cousins. 

Think you might get some lessons on a menu?  Well, you might get a laugh...

Varied Kitchen? Lids? Embers?  

This English language menu was full of mistakes.  Whoever they hired to edit it only translated the words and didn't take the context into account. 

Lids? 
What are lids? 
Tapas.
Embers?
I think they mean charbroiled.

...and the radiator is "on" for the season

It had to happen.  Eventually.  And it did. 

The unseasonably warm weather has finally given way... and Autumn has befallen.  Not gradually, either. 

It was just 10 days ago when I was leaving my friend Mick's place down in El Born - and heading to the subway when I glanced at the giant neon thermometer near Plaza Catalunya and saw that it was 24 degress - at 23:45, no less! (Translation:  upper 70s at 11:45pm.)

Halfway to/from Vegas? not quite.  I always feel like craps when i pass this.

I knew it was gonna end soon - the lovely weather.  That's why I opted to continue walking from Plaza Catalunya up Paseo de Gracia and over onto the Diagonal to my home.  Well, reality is that I missed the last train, and figured that I should walk-off all that wine (or was that the night of the Cynar?). 

It always amazes me how many people are out and about walking the streets so late at night - sitting at cafes or tapas bars or just walking about.  All demographics, too!  From old people to teenagers and everything in between, tourists and locals alike. 

Barcelona truly is a beautiful city, with amazing architecture and grand boulevards, and a fabulous public transportation system, and vibrant cafes on just about every corner.  If you get tired, you can just sit right down at a bar or terazza, and get a cheap cana (beer), or a copa (wine), or an espresso or something for about 2 Euros... and they just let you sit there for as long as you wish. 

Turo Cafe - evening special - 1/2 cana & patatas bravas for 2 euros.

That week, I clocked in with about 12 hours of walking and I probably covered over 20 km (it sounds so much more impressive in kilometers, so i'm sticking with it). 

Today, however, it was cold.  I was listening to the weather forecast and it was talking about how it would be chilly with a chance of showers later.  I was thinking how they got it right because it had jsut started to rain until i realized i was listening to KCRW - and that was the weather report for Los Angeles. 

And then I saw this:

"you're so random"

Yes, I suppose it's true. 

That quote was blurted out by my friend Liza, who I graduated from UCLA with.  I had this great book (in Russian) about the artist Aubrey Beardsley that I'd borrowed from her way back when we were in school together.  I needed to return it to her before I left town for good.

We hadn't seen each other in years, so obviously there was a lot of catching up to do. 

L - "when are you moving to Spain?"
S - "after my internship ends - sometime after September 10th"
L - "internship? what internship"
S - "I'll be interning at a temporary restaurant"
L - "you're so random!"

Now would I really delay my return to Spain for just any restaurant?  You must know that this has to be something big to make me want to change my plans.  This is for Chef Ludo, and his insanely popular LudoBites - this one is version 007.  It was random.  I "liked" his Facebook fan page - and within a week, there was a post that they were looking for their staff for their next incarnation. 

So I sent my resume - with a cover letter saying I have no experience. 

I got a call.

I got a second call the next day scheduling me for an interview the following Friday.

Interviewing for an unpaid internship... WTF?  Why?  Well, it's for Chef Ludo!  This guy:

Moments after i took this picture, he grabbed his iPhone and pretended to take a picture of me. 

 This was the menu for last year's 5.0 - our table of 4 ordered a mix of  and we all sampled a little bit of each dish.  This was my first introduction to Pork Belly.  I became an instant fan.  None have come close to touching this version.  We only ordered about 6 or 7 items off the menu.  But if my budget (and belly) would have allowed for it, I'd have tried everything.  And come back for more the next day.

 LudoBites 5.0 which I was lucky enough to go to last year. 

 I try not to make a habit of taking pictures of food in restaurants, but I felt left out as the rest of the girls in our party were snapping away, not letting me dig in - so i took a picture too. 

caramel souffle...

Now can you see why I jumped at the chance to take this internship?  Culinary School? for amateurs.  I'll be learning under a world class 5 star Chef with a capital "C".

How did the interview go? I thought wife Krissy was doing all the interviews.  No - she did half of them. 

(in a heavenly French accent) "Hi, I'm Ludovic, it's a pleasure to meet you" (reaches hand out)
Me: (shakes his hand) (nod) (hand him my resume).

Nice start!  Can't even say "hello".

At least the rest of the interview went OK.  And then... the waiting game.

Until finally I get this email on Wednesday July 6th. 

Hi Sharon,
              This is Brad from ludobites.  It was great to meet you last friday. I wanted to let you know that Chef Ludo would like to offer you a stage postion at Ludobites 007. We are very excited to have you part of the team.  I wanted to give you a heads up of how the first week looks so far. Saturday the 30th of july will be the first day where we will be moving into gram and papas and start prepping during the day.  We will also be prepping on sunday during the day and on monday. I believe Chef is going to have you work with him prepping tuesday through friday that first week during the day probably from 11-6.  The schedule is not set in stone yet but wanted to kind of give you an idea.  Thanks again Sharon and if you have any questions feel free to contact me. See you on saturday the 30th
                                                           
                                                                                                                     Brad

"Chef is going to have you work with him..."  

I haven't been this happy and excited about working for someone for free since i interned at 106.7 KROQ-FM back in '94-'95.  That was a pretty bad-ass internship - I got to see lots of shows for free.

But I'm all about food now.  This is right up my alley.  And I'll be able to sample the whole menu! And learn from an awesome Chef (with a capital C).

The girl is back in Los Angeles, and making the most of the time that is left here in the City of Angels.  My flight has been reserved, and I'll return to Spain September 20th.  In the meantime... happy cooking!

Still Without a Map...

... But not without a clue.  I'm just wandering the streets, and walking wherever my interest leads me.  Sometimes I pass down a street I've been down before... other times, I turn a corner and find something completely different.  Found: in the Barri Gothic - how's this for a statement against all the CCTV cameras all around us? 

Yet today I needed to use my GPS feature on my iPhone.  The data roaming fees are painfully steep, so I've been keeping it off - only going online when I have a wi-fi (or as they say here "wee-fee") connection.  When seeking out a specific place in the middle of a maze, when it's already a challenge to find the names of the streets anywhere, you kinda need a map.  

I was trying to get to my friend's place, and I knew I was within 5 minutes of his location... but I couldn't tell which way to turn or go... I only had a vague notion, and things looked familiar - yet it all just looks the same after a while 

me: "so I'm in this little plaza, and there's a tapas bar with some tables outside, by some old church looking building - I can't find the name of the street - oh it's Carrer de ____"

Mac: "That can be anywhere - and I don't know the names of all the little random streets... "

Thank you GPS (and the crazy line outside the Museo Picasso for helping to guide me)

the sidewalks have crazy patterns

view from where we sat for tapas

Once we met up, we found some cute little setting to sit and have a couple of tapas, and some vino blanco.  Still not a fan of tapas.  The wine, on the other hand...

The return home had to be on foot - MANDATORY.  Those Papas Patatas Bravas, Calamari, greasy sausages, pan con tomate & 4 glasses of wine needed to be walked off. I did take a break to snap a couple more pics.  (just a note: Papas is Mexican, Patatas is Spanish for potato)

on Paseo de Gracia

Soundtrack:  The Black Keys, Brothers (x2 - it was a long walk home... longer than i thought)    

You know you're on Paseo de Gracia when the sidewalk looks like this