Happy New Year!

Looks are deceiving

Would you believe me if I told you that this butt is the best-singing one I've come across since I saw the Boss? Ok, so his butt is not singing, but the rest of him certainly is.

Amazing to think that he's attractive to the ladies, isn't it? He certainly hasn't got the body, and yet he scores. Every time. Gotta have something to do with that star quality whenever he enters a stage. That charisma just pours out.

And tomorrow I shall be there being a groupie :)

Bones

Know that song about the thigh bone connected to the hip bone, hipe bone connected to the back bone and so forth? That's exactly how I feel. That twisted muscle in the neck is now radiating down to my right buttock. Very painful. It's almost like I have an infection, since I'm also very tired. Ah f... it! Tired of popping pills. I'm going on the serious stuff. The fluid. At least it'll more fun being sick-ish.

Lots and lots of water

Hard work yesterday. Lying on all four sponging up 100's of liters of water. With a neck I still cannot turn other than to the left. No fun at all, I tell ya. Good thing is that both my carpets from the boat are now in my bathroom, cleaned with carpet-foam and scrubbed thoroughly. It'll be a pleasure starting the new season. Spoke to the previous owner, and he had never had the waterproblem. I so wonder where it got in!?!

Wild Friday night

Yeah right. Dinner was nice though, long talk with "all-together-personality", sorted out differences and cleared the air. Very nice indeed.

However, instead of hitting town going wild letting my hair down and getting all so drunk, I have to behave and stay home. Ok, so partly it is due to having to turn half my body if I want to turn my head but mostly due to commitment tomorrow.

This is my big investment in order to clean out the boat. Tomorrow at one this is what I'll be doing.

PS. It's really really nice having a boat. In the summer...

Tablegrill

After having several great dinners with raclette and tablegrills I decided now is the time to get one of my own. Ordered one today. http://www.burny.ch/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=2880&osCsid=e4f061db16bdca2be7f644c97a6045a6 Click on the pic to get a closer view. Looks good, doesn't it?

Frenum

Learned something new today. Not sure I wanted to have a close-up, but dinner with a gay friend makes you hmmm kinda-open. Frenum? I had no clue. Google it was the answer. And here it is. Indeed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frenum_piercing

At the same time I was informed about a prince Albert piercing:

http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prinz_Albert_(Piercing)

So much you don't know being a hetero...

Birdie nam-nam

Well you know my view of birds. Shoot'm all and then eat'm. My friend has another take on it. He bought some fake birds and placed them outside his window to scare the real birds off. Crow-like. I am now in the process of convincing my friend that it would be a good idea to share one of his fake birds with me. I mean, just in case he wants to come on the boat next summer...

Just a thought

I kinda thought over Christmas that I've been in Switzerland more than 5 years. I have no interest in moving to yet another country. I've settled here, and love it. Why don't I buy a place? Yes ok, I know. The money thing. It's so friggin expensive. On the other hand, they are building like crazy here now and I don't see that demand goes down. Which should mean that prices will only go one way from here. Up. So now would be the time to buy? Heck if I know. But I do know that I've triggered something. Saw one (only one!) ad that might be of interest, so am meeting with the agent next week. Can't hurt to look, right?

Legit

Thinking of going legit on the cleaning thing. Now, the question is: is 37 CHF per hour a little on the expensive side? I just cannot find somebody who can be here on a regular basis, and do exactly what I require. Gosh, I miss putz-Peter! Opinion anybody? http://www.putzfrau.ch/

Neck pain

Again I have been sleeping funny, and cannot turn my head without turning the whole body. Very painful and painkillers don't seem to help. I see no other option than switching to wine to take the pain away. Good thing it's Friday :)

Shitty jobs

Talked to my ex today. Told him we're meeting on Saturday, armed with sponges and rubber gloves to clean up in the boat. That's when he asked "when do I finally get the nice jobs?". Never is of course the answer, but it doesn't hurt to have him hanging...;)

Mobilezone

Got myself another stalker. Ok, in all fairness they only called once so far. Today. On a "Sunday". Speaking Switzedutch. When I not so kindly informed them I only speak real German, she said "hochdütch?". Which only goes to show that Swiss people cannot speak high German. Anyway, giggling in the background and a presentation that involved "we're the second cheapest telephony provider in Switzerland". Somebody should send her to a course. Why wouldn't I choose the cheapest if price was that I was after?

Memory

I have a lot of memory. Like an elephant. 320 gigabyte to be exact. Plus whatever is left in my own head of course :).

Bro thought it would be a good idea for me to back up my dear old computer which still amazingly enough works after almost 5 years. And I'll get around to it one of these days. As soon as I've found an adapter...anybody got a British to Swiss adapter lying around?

Good news and really bad news

Took a long walk today in a -1°C Zürich in a feeble attempt to walk off all that Christmas food. Went to check on the boat. Oh dear. Full of water. Somehow it must've leaked in. Just not sure where it got in. And nothing I can do about it now. That is indeed not good news. The good news was that no birds were in it. They were however present in the form of birdshit all over the cover. Friggin pigeons. Somebody should shoot them. And it didn't add to the festive times when one of them shit on my head! I'm tellin' ya. Getting a gun seems like a really good idea right now.

A mafia present

My Christmas present to Bro was all the seasons of Sopranos that he had wished. And the reason he already got it was because he had to order it himself. He didn't want the German text. Fine. We watched the first episode together. And I thought it was ok, but nothing more. The mafia, violence, surely good but not all that. Bro loved it. He has been watching it a lot already. His comment "I cannot believe you do not like it, it's all about relationships". Me: "I cannot understand that you do like it, if it's all about relationships". Perhaps we have more in common than we thought? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sopranos

Ho-ho-ho

Merry Christmas to all my readers!

Food for people

Yum! Much better than that yike-thing the cats liked.

Bro makes a friend

Personally I think it's the blue eyes...

It was all a blur in Hallau

This is what happens what I give my camera to my brother to take nice pics of Hallau...

Old Swiss tile stove

Only a coupla hundred years old. But it still works! Or so I was told. Apparently it takes a long time to heat up.

Funny though. In the little door you see there are cushions. Those get warm from the stove and you can take them into the bed for heating. How extremely old-fashioned! But nice. And I was indeed told that the cushions were new, not from when the house was built. Phew!

The most popular person in Hallau

That was most definitely me today. It included me, four cats and a bag of oh-so-delicious-food. Ok, so not nearly as delicious as we homo sapiens got later but in the little creatures eyes, I was the woman of the hour (or the minute it took to eat it!).

PS. Ever heard of the word opportunistic?

Flop

Here was I putting in a lot of effort to write a card for the guy I do not know well, and guess what? He didn't even show up! This morning I was thinking I was a bit hard on him in what I wrote. Now I want to write him another card with even more forward advice... The rest of the Christmas lunch was nice though...

To-do-list

On my still-to-do-list this evening is to write a card for the "secret-Santa" present I bought for this guy I do not know. And I have to disguise my hand-writing so that he doesn't know who it is from. Right. Not that he's ever seen my hand-writing but still. How difficult can it be when I bought him a wine-thingie from Spain? Everybody knows I was in Barcelona. Well, I will write a card with some good advice, which I'm fairly sure he will ignore but hopefully it will give the rest of us a good laugh...

It was better before

You think girl who requested my snail-mail address respected my wish not to send a paper Christmas card? Of course not. It was much better before when she worked for me, and had to do what I said. Those were the days. Until now I have received something like 15 paper cards. I'm drowning here people. And you know, I just cannot throw them away. It's impossible. I get tear-eyed and sit there thinking that somebody thought of me, making the effort of actually writing a whole card, my address on the envelope, putting a stamp on it and walking to the mailbox. It's impossible to disregard that. But I'm still drowning in papers...

Favourite - once again

Somehow when I saw ex-flatmate today I thought of this. Know I posted it before, but it's good so why not again? http://www.rentagerman.de/

A sign

Just came home and thought that a(nother) glass of wine would be nice. Only, run out of my fine house wine but found a nice bottle of Sancerre. And because I'm worth it, I opened it. Cut my finger on the wrapping. Bleeding like hell. The message? Don't drink expensive wine, stick to your cheapo one...

Wine-tasting

Wish I had to been to a wine-tasting session tonight, but in a way I was. Visited ex-flatmate who invited me for dinner. Brought a bottle of wine. Turned out it was the only wine in the house, except for a bottle he opened 2 weeks ago. Hello vinegar. But I tell ya. After finishing a fine bottle of Luis Felipe Edwards Gran Reserva 2005 we had to have something more. Which was the vinegar stuff. Yikes. Did he not learn anything from living with me for 5 months? Yes I forgot. I was the wine provider... PS. Flat has transformed into a home. It was very nicely decorated and minimalistic. I really wish I could have the same. No clutter...a dream.

Good news and bad news

Got a letter from the authorities today saying "you are now a bit more wanted in Switzerland so you won't have to pay "quellensteuer" anymore". So ok, maybe they phrased it a bit differently, but that was the contents. Meaning I am not liable to pay this type of tax anymore. Hurray I thought, so maybe there was something in getting this C-permit after all. Less taxes are always a good idea (makes me think of a certain American president who uttered the unforgettable phrase "read my lips, no more taxes". He then got elected and promptly raised the taxes. So much for promises). Until I talked to a friend who informed me that all it is is that I now have to pay taxes once a year, instead of every month. Hmmm. Friend is German so what does he know? Other foreign people who have lived here longer tells me it's a good idea. Who knows?

George sent a message

Crooked lawyer III

And here he is. Finally after the computer transfer problems. I present to you: the Swiss crooked lawyer!

PS. And doesn't he look almost happy being out with me? Well, it was the second try...

On the train in Barcelona

Don't you just love the attention to detail, like the 5 cents. Personally I think the Swiss and Spanish are like hand in glove...

Las Ramblas

This is what they sell at Las Ramblas, the touristy area in Barcelona. And I was thinking. Yes, why don't I go out and buy a bird? Or a hamster? Isn't that what people do on a Sunday?

20 minutes

Yes, zwanzig minuten exists in Spanish too...

Ze Swiss trying to speak English

So finally the transfer from the phone to the computer worked. This is what I saw on a street in Zürich. And I'm not shitting you...sorry kidding.

Hate object II

And while we're at it. Technology issues I mean. When I switch on my Sony-Ericsson Z6101i (I'm sure the i is really important! And what kind of a name is that anyway for a friggin telephone?) I get prompted to answer "flight mode" or "normal". Hello? First of all, how often do I fly compared to not (and especially with a blue phone that no "business man" wouldn't be seen dead with). And even if I was flying (which I was as a matter of fact) would I like to challenge the security of airlines saying "yes". This is so silly, that only a man could have come up with the option. "Hey, that's cool. Let people think they are important and that we as a provider understand their needs". Yikes. Sorry, but I need to puke.

Hate object

Know what I hate? People going on the bus, taking the outer seat. Blocking for other people to sit. So you have like 25 people standing in the bus, with these people sitting comfortably with their bag on the second seat or just on the outer one blocking passage. When I get really really irritated I make a point of walking over their legs to sit just for two stops, but most of the time I cannot be bothered. I just bugs me. Why be so selfish? I'm guessing they didn't have parents who taught them right from wrong. Fuck'em.

Crooked lawyer II

Well, guess I forgot to tell you that I'm still good friends with the "homeless". Turned out he's the owner of a lawyer firm with offices in two cities. And the Zürich one I met tonight for a few drinks in town this evening. Perhaps lawyers are not such bad people after all? You know like the joke...who's a good lawyer? On the bottom of the ocean. Or something like that. I'm bad in telling jokes :) And crooked lawyer II approved of having his photo posted on the blog. Too bad my phone is not cooperating...meaning not friggin working to transfer photos to computer. Technology? Love it. When it works...

Crooked lawyer

I have two friends who are lawyers. None of them are fitting into the typical attorney-template. Figures. One of them I met some 12 years ago, when he was trying to pick me up in a bar in Utrecht. I thought he was a homeless. The other one I ran into here in Zürich. He's a musician. And is very far from a lawyer-lookalike. I either have a really good feel for people, or I'm clueless...

Singing girl

Remember her? Finally she made it to my place for dinner tonight. She's the one who changes hair colour more often than I change men...sorry underwear :) We had my fish-dish that is famous all the way to Australia! Ain't bad, huh?

Christmas cards

Got an sms this evening. What's your address? Replied that I only give that out if you promise not to send a paper Christmas card. I have a compulsion not to throw away personal letters/postcards and the likes. Can you imagine how many there are after hmpth years? A lot. Gad bless people who are online...

Stone cold

...was the floor in my flat in Barcelona. Which is why I had to invest (EUR 9,99!) in new slippers. Which may not be a completely bad idea since my other blue fluffy ones have gone to see their maker.

Masts

Ok, so some people have bigger boats...

Perspective

Now which one is taller? The palm tree or the building...?

Ah gad

...just realized it is soon Christmas. Meaning I have to venture up to the attic, getting my plastic Christmas tree. Perhaps I should buy some of that pine-tree smelling spray?

Skyscraper

Lotsa tall buildings in Barcelona...not at all as I remember Spain in the 70's. Was it indeed better in the old days?

Dinner

Gonna do something I haven't done before. Posting a pic when I haven't asked approval from the people. But since none of them ever read the blog I'm taking a chance.

One evening in Barcelona I invited some people over for dinner. Which turned out nicely (I wasn't the cook). We had a good time.

Cava

Ok, so in France it's champagne, in Italy it's spumante, and in Spain it's cava...same shit if you ask me. I just don't like that bubbly thing. Yes I have to drink it on new years eve and other so called festive evenings, but I just don't like it.

Sorry. But it looks good...

Cafe Zurich

Yes, Zurich is popular everywhere. Even in Barcelona...

Can Culleretes II

Ok, so this is kinda cool. But I still think it doesn't replace a website...

Can Culleretes

This is the place that is the second oldest restaurant in Spain...but who knows? They don't even have a website...

Anonymity

I tell ya. There is a lot to be said about anonymity. I mean, why else would one want to live in a city? I really do not want to be too close to people. Which is why I like my place so much. They know me, they like me, they leave me alone. Or so I thought. Tonight one of the waiters was on a drinking streak. And that apparently involved me dancing with him. Not once. Not twice. But to every song. Along with telling me what a nice and goodlooking person I am. Repeatedly. I may have to find another place...

Lunch in Barcelona

Yum! One of the (few) things I miss...

Inside out

Raclette-girl was staying overnight here on Friday, so had to make up the guest bed. Used the sheets in the guest room drawer, and found them folded inside out by ex-flatmate. "Who in their right mind folds sheets inside out?" I said. "We do that in Switzerland", was the answer. Oops. But why?

Ripped underwear

Once in a while I pick up a pair of underwear being a bit on the dodgy side, you know ripped and not really the sexy ones I deserve. Besides, I can actually afford to buy and wear fresh underwear. So I usually decide to wear them just this once more and then throw them in the trash. But every time I forget, and when I wash the next time, then they appear again. And I think, it's a shame to throw away clean ones even if they are a bit ripped so I wear them once again. I tell ya, it's a vicious circle.

Letter to Santa?

C-permit

When getting back from Barcelona I had a large stack of envelopes waiting for me. Mostly bills, but also my C-permit. Finally! Only I don't get what the difference is from the B-permit I had which was valid for 5 years. I thought a C-permit was permanent, and that I wouldn't have to renew it. Wrong. Says on the new permit that "kontrollfrist" is in 5 years. Means I will have to go through that painful exercise with getting all the documents from the police, the "kreisburo" and whatsit. Ah well, 5 years is a long time... PS. Ze Swiss are not a trusting bunch. Especially towards us foreigners. It just doesn't matter how good and trustworthy you are, they don't believe you. And I doubt they ever will...

Itchy breasts

Running out of clean underwear I took a bra on this morning that I normally don't use. And I had forgotten why. It makes my breasts itch. It must look really funny when somebody tries to scratch their breasts in public, and at the same time not showing it. Had to get another envelope from the post office (and friggin yes, it was another raise of the rent!...next time I will refuse to pick it up) and of course it was a long line. Very uncomfortable with itchy breasts I tell you. Wanted to rip the damn thing off, but realized it would have caused some commotion...

Another one converted

Remember raclette-girl out in the woods? She was in town yesterday, and joined me for a small party. And of course we ended up you-know-where. And she enjoyed it. How many times do I need to tell you. That place is fun! However, for the first time in a long time I was a tad hungover this morning. But a shower and a short walk back from Coop in the very crisp Swiss air made wonders. I feel ok now.

Smart

Lotsa Swiss things in Barcelona like a smart car. Love the way you're allowed to eat and drink in the car, but not smoke...

PS. Notice Mediamarkt in the background...

Happy holidays

And now all the Christmas messages are starting dropping in...

500 Internal Server Error

Just got this error message. Somebody must be joking with me... 500 Internal Server Error Sorry, something went wrong.A team of highly trained monkeys has been dispatched to deal with this situation. Please report this incident to customer service.Also, please include the following information in your error report:htOUWRw2ywUMISyLnT4EoLoFYxOJNHT3jf0Ompq-iJA2-QBrkxNGJoHw-QjV hQ4sh0LhGzQZV18UfDz2Xu5gT9v-7HWpKKc6SmscJZ3Lv-O6vVQ_ANAGU01v OMeVvNsjPEfW5P53Bt4mrJN8vXnuXk6t0Q26lKMHukZPtlHRHpOvdyvuFX56 DRYnWt92bi4NgXXPqvsGJWCs4nQHdPqpe9qozfmS0DeyoWOwkBH-lgVZJEy2 6MDlVpyCBjk-CMN5xdwzCYGnZ9jwst49-VhN8oTczA29m_jB5QwOMSv4lFML J_9S6tAC5iHwyp9kp315rKs23Gtqp2olMfPVet37o47x4ANrLwOnJAp7KIsy _SSvq_Yoo-aoHdWKhXjOs8WfCwH0G6fmOKHALFVeiExVmuS2u6y3zlLgNJ8U pCGbmK22_GV0Qj9RmbVXOQ9yEOzV8ebIwk1YaxKivNTvQQap93uB_3G3zSjA 1OQyfpiOngFEd9JghdOZN4uxIIyfDheIt9InWu89UBNmmRWV4klWRieYE4o4 hcfhyM6SqTz0SGVCGzRPFVSrs0F3L5HNEnq-qwUOYkPPbSK8pfe-1ijfo8v2 l5HDAgHOB3XZEYifaop3pONcPfh9UgDOfCkoUMmCbqKnCNMRIIKqFxWkKx2W 8JKHfYX2oin-B92Cs8_voVcKJXPkh--6o_6EhCMqIJ5uyTSUllVySh3u7bPK 9Lis9Ro46JxpD93u-VRYYurSIwk4_38ePwF8nWiKTQqgiGBZ6lPXQjohABSC 5ykvM3OoVS8BBAjrn5JwuFgzt6snjoKjF_KYV3GI260CdT6WK_JXl0ANIJvS 3aEjUPVzOzAKQYo_EHb_kPpFGthDuzkaSKrx1Yys9g-3rTDLgHF1rVAZTqTT 6DAAvQ_8lersejkR2MwFuAh55W52bHdqjiQNbPCiMpo9iOaeFVbKaomyun9X aQwF9P82tn4tdO207tTteg==

Opinions

Love the previous link where the guy says "women don't want a man's opinion. They want their own opinion in a deeper voice". Haha! Brilliant! And oh, so right.

Europe is one country...or?

The American education system might need some improvement... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lmgNqFuXwc

I am home

First ex showed up to cook dinner for me (well, that didn't exactly happen due to Peru circumstances), then friendgirl sms'd to say she's on for a Barcelona-update. Then another friendgirl said she would pick me up to go to my usual place, where I met some other people I know. Gosh is it good to be home! What was I thinking taking on an assignment for three weeks without being able to go home in between! Guess I've been out of "ze-business" for too long. I promise you. Will never happen again. I looove Zürich. This is my place. And don't anybody try and take it away from me again!

Forbid kids

The flight back was quite uneventful and on time. Would've been great, if it wasn't for this friggin kid (or perhaps I should say friggin parents) who couldn't stop squealing and screaming. People who cannot control their kids shouldn't be flying. It annoyed many people around. And all I could do was shooting them black looks. If they indeed really have to travel then make sure the kid sleeps, feed it so that it doesn't cry of hunger, do something for gods sake! I would pay extra flying on a plane with no kids.

From 17 to 4 to...13,8

Back home! I am so happy. Left a 17° Barcelona for a 4° Zürich and I was still happy. It felt so familiar to hear German! I thought I'd never say that. Then I got home to be met by 13,8°. Indoors! Yes, I did switch off the heating when I left, but I kinda hoped that somebody taking care of my flat (3 people have keys) would have perhaps thought of switching it on... Ah well, I just have to wear my new cool Barcelona-slippers, and sleep with a sweater. No biggie. My own bed! But first, perhaps a little visit to my place to say hello :)

Christmas present

10.12.2007 21:11 Somebody had this stupid idea of “let’s all team up for Christmas lunch and buy presents”. And equally stupid I signed up for this idea of picking a note with a name of one in the group, ending up having to buy a present for somebody I really do not know. What was I thinking? Another somebody I know said “it’s easy. It’s a guy. Just buy a Playboy magazine and a box of tissues”. Which indeed is an idea that appeals to me. Only I just don’t know this guy at all. But I did pick up on the theme. So tonight when I was shopping in “Al Campo” for the last time I passed the household area and spotted this very Spanish carafe/flask, you know the one with the pour-thing that pokes out of the actual bottle. And an ashtray. I know for a fact that this guy doesn’t smoke. So the message to him will be: you should drink some more. You should smoke at least some. And then when back in Zürich I will buy a pack of condoms. I just wanted to avoid being known around here as “remember that blond woman who wanted to buy condoms?”. If I had known what the word condom is in Spanish no problem, but I really didn’t want to demonstrate… Think he will appreciate the gift? He’s German and doesn’t appear to have a sense of humour. This can be really ugly…

CNN strikes again

10.12.2007 20:05 Quote from CNN “and there is this country with 2 million people and everybody knows each other”. HAHAHAHA! I want to ask these people, “do you know 2 million people?”. I have a quite big circle of friends and acquaintances, but 2 million? Hello…

Calamares

10.12.2007 19:03 One of my favourite dishes here is calamares (octopus or whatever it is in English). I know, it’s tacky and common and touristy but I love it. And I’ve seen lotsa Spanish eat it, so maybe not so touristy. Bought a portion over the counter in the local supermarket here and nearly fainted when I saw the bill. 79 eurocents. Is that a steal or what? Mental note: must check if this is available in Zürich and what the cost might be.

Spanish service – an oxymoron?

10.12.2007 18:53 Like most places I’ve been to (with the possible exception of the US of A, but on the other hand you’re not expected to dish out 15-20% tip) the service leaves a tiny bit to be desired here. Yesterday I took a stroll on the beach (that sounds kinda cool doesn’t it? In December) to a place I spotted which serves paella for one. Normally you have to be two people to order this dish. So ordered a quite delicious mixed paella plate and a litre of Sangria. They first served me a bottle of water – agua minerale sin gas (see, I’m being half fluent already :) which I sent back. Then they had to come back to confirm that the whole litre of Sangria was just for me. But hey! Half the carafe consists of ice, and the other half of fruit. Very little drink. And guess what? The agua ended up on my bill. Which I tried to pay with several times, and ended up having to go to the counter with. Needless to say I didn’t leave even a small tip.

For security reasons not happen

10.12.2007 18:46 Sometimes you have to laugh about the darling Spanish (yes, some of them are pretty nice actually). Around where I am there is some maintenance going on, so a poster was placed to warn people, along with plastic tape sealing off the area. It was announced in what I believe to be Catalonian and “proper” Spanish, with somebody who tried to translate into English. It turned out to be “For security reasons not happen”. I do understand what they’re trying to say, but it sounds funny, doesn’t it?

Thank you for your hostility

10.12.2007 18:43 It’s easy to exchange one word for the other on an evening when I’m leaving, and got stood up by the people who were supposed to meet up with me for a farewell drink. I hate to leave on a fuck you Barcelona note and I seriously do not believe that I should. I’m just pissed off right now, when all I wanted was to be pissed…

Hasta la vista baby

Well, in an hour or so I'm taking a few people out that I've gotten to know here. We will be visiting some bar with a tropical rain forest theme (!) near the wax cabinet...who knew they had one here? I plan on being thoroughly drunk here my last night in Barcelona, since I have been behaving far too much...how the heck did that happen? I best go back to Zürich and misbehave again!

Stint almost over

Tomorrow it's time to pack up and go home. I have missed Zürich! Even though there are positive factors like the weather, the food and the sites, it's just not home here in Barcelona. I shall bring fond memories though. And I'll miss the calamares...

Paranoid

05.12.2007 20:12 Think I might have gone a bit paranoid here, hearing so much about pickpockets and their strategies. Tonight when coming home I had this guy walking behind me. That alone is scary. So pretended to look in a shop window. He continued to walk, but was turning around as if to see if I was following. I did, but with several stops along the way. He continued to walk in my direction. Finally he crossed the street towards the shopping mall. So either he realized I was on to him, or I am getting paranoid. I ain’t no victim, and don’t intend to be! PS. The woman who got robbed got back to Switzerland all right with her temporary UK passport. Apparently they are used to passports being nicked in Spain...

Scam

05.12.2007 19:39 It is hard to believe that people would fall for this shit http://www.leveluplife.dk/bootcamp/ but they are. Heard about it from an acquaintance of mine. His brother is going to attend next time they appear in Zürich. And listen to this! They charge 600 euros for the course! To learn about how to chat up women! I lack words… PS. All they gotta do is to go to my usual place…lots of chatting up going on there!

No towels

05.12.2007 19:35 Is there no end to the flat problems? Got home today and found that the cleaning service had been around. Only, they took the dirty towels and didn’t leave any new ones. Fortunately there is a tiny hand towel that I was using that’s still here. Guess I will have to use that one tomorrow. To add insult to injury tomorrow is a bank holiday here in Catalonia (all of Spain?) and the agent handling my flat will be closed, as will the shops I imagine.

Sms from home

04.12.2007 21:56 My fav place at home is missing me. Tuesday is my going-out-almost-in-the-middle-of-week day. And they haven’t forgotten me. That is good to know. In a week I’ll be there. I can see it happening already. Landing in the evening. Going home, hoping that the ex has switched on the heating (it was about 16° indoors when I left having switched off all the radiators!) and dump my bags. Then off to my fav place to say hello and have a few drinks, celebrating “I’m home”. Can’t wait!

Waste

04.12.2007 21:43 Guess I’m triggered by this friggin CNN, but as is well known the global warming is a big issue on the political agenda these days. It’s like it’s a new thing to the Americans (and I guess it is) that waste is causing problems. I find it an oxymoron that Americans only now have found out, but I guess better late than never. The fact that not having a car, using public transportation, energy-saving activities at home like using good-for-the-environment-lamps, not have excessive heating on, always switch off lights in the rooms you’re not using, not having the tv on when nobody’s watching, not flushing the water to wait for cold or warm (ok with the exception here in Barcelona when waiting for the warm shower water), and all those other little things you can do as a citizen helps the environment. I find it common sense. Guess it’s my upbringing. But it seems to be a steep learning curve for many…

Slippers

04.12.2007 21:30 Finally got myself a new pair of slippers to accommodate the stone-cold (literally!) floors in my flat here. They are not bad actually. Pics of all Barcelona adventures including precious new slippers will be posted next week when I’m back. This time I got more modest ones, not fluffy, no flashing colours, pretty ordinary as a matter of fact. Perhaps it displays how I feel here :) But they serve the purpose. Preventing my previous little feet (foot fetishist should be happy!) from freezing. Functional I think is the word.

CNN

04.12.2007 21:21 As much as I detest this tv channel I must admit I do enjoy that commercial with George Clooney and the “Nespresso”. He is seriously cute. A man in my taste. And yes, I know, meeting him would not be the same, but a woman can dream ok? But the issue of the day seems to be this woman in Sudan, a teacher who allowed the class to name a teddybear Muhammed. And this caused a scandal amongst the muslims of gargantuan proportions. Excusez-moi? What is your fuckin’ problem? No sense of humour, no sense of proportion, no what-is-really-serious type of sense. It’s a friggin teddybear for gods sake. Or should I say for muhammeds sake :) These fundamentalists I will never understand…

Diet

04.12.2007 20:52 A good idea would be to stop talking about diet on this blog. This I discovered after meeting some people who I do not see very often, commenting something like “I know from your blog you went on a diet, but I don’t see a difference” kinda remarks. Oh gee, thanks. Seriously, I did lose quite a bit of weight for the summer and the boat season, but hey. Then came autumn and things changed. I re-discovered Häaegen-Dasz and stopped moving about so much. I gained again. Big surprise. But after this stint here in Barcelona with all the so-lovely-you-cannot-resist food I really have to think about it. Perhaps after Christmas I will be serious… PS. Yesterday lunch was in a Japanese(!) place with a 4-course-lunch and today in a local Spanish place with only 2 courses (I got told off by the staff for leaving something on my plate. “We don’t leave food here in Spain!” “Would you like a shot of brandy?”. This at about 2.30pm. Hmm I don’t think so, even though it was tempting :)).

Homesick

04.12.2007 20:44 Am actually starting to feel a bit homesick, almost doing the countdown until I can go home. Next Tuesday evening I’ll be back in my beloved Zürich. Three weeks is a long time being away from home. And perhaps it is like the guidebook says, people are not exactly outgoing and friendly here. Or perhaps it’s because I mix too much with international people, rather than the locals? Heck if I know. Of course, it could also be that I’m less inclined to go out and try. Feel after all my moves that I deserve an easier life with familiar places and people around me. Ah Gad, am I getting old? The horror… PS. And Aussie girl, before you have a witty remark, try moving as much as I have on your own…but then again, don’t let me stop you from challenging me…;)

Entertainment options

03.12.2007 19:36 You would think in a city like Barcelona that there would be many options for entertainment. And I guess there are. They are just not around where I live. In the summertime this place would be great, with the beach 5 min walk. But now? It’s a monster shopping mall, hotels and offices. Not much of a going-out-close-to-where-you-live-kinda-place. This is the time when I miss Zürich. Just hop on a bus, be in the city in 5 minutes. Great! Now I cannot be bothered to dress, go out, take a taxi to go into town. So I’m stuck with CNN (yeah, that’s how bored I am today!). That channel should be forbidden, more commercials than news, that irritating news banner on the bottom of the screen, and the screaming fast-talking Americans. And hey, I could switch it off! Anyway, it’s probably more me than the city. It’s there and it’s pulsating. Just not with me in it. Tonight.

Pata negra

03.12.2007 19:27 Bro sent an sms (why is it that it sounds better to say/write an sms than a sms?) saying he wanted some pata negra when arriving in Barcelona. I reckoned it was a drink (who wouldn’t?). Turns out it’s ham. Ham from pigs who solely eat acorns. How very weird. And what a boring diet. But ok, the ham is fantastic. Melting in the mouth. Often served as a tapa in very thin slices. You learn something new every day.

Barca

02.12.2007 22:32 We also passed the sports stadium that can take 100,000 spectators. Wow! That’s really big. Football club Barcelona, affectionately called Barca, is the biggest team. In the evening I learned that there is also another team (called ESP I think, but who cares?) when we had some tapas at the local restaurant next door. They unfortunately had a big-screen tv with sports on. At ten the local boys came around, sat down and started screaming “BARCA, BARCA, BARCA”. Think Bro was tempted to stay, but I felt really out of place so we left…

Gaudi

02.12.2007 22:26 Gaudi is a popular guy in Barcelona. The fact that he’s long dead doesn’t seem to put a damper on the fascination. But gotta admit, he’s done some real good stuff. Took one of these tourists buses, sitting upstairs, hair flowing and enjoying the sights yesterday. He’s done for example Sagrada Familia which is a church that they started to build more than 100 years ago, and are still building. All construction work is based on private funding, so unless they get money nothing gets done. It’s got I think four towers that are 100 meters, and they are planning more with the top one to be 170 meters. Pretty cool as far as buildings go. He’s done more than that. The city is full of Gaudi buildings and a park. He certainly was a visionary guy. Never married. Should we guess that he was gay? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaudi

Warmer

02.12.2007 22:24 Kinda amazing to be able to sit on the beach in the sun, reading a book in December. Mind you, I did have shorts and a sweater over my bikini top, but still. There are times when life in Barcelona beats life in Zürich. At least in December…

Freezer

02.12.2007 22:22 Guests last week brought icecream. Which is fine, especially since it was mango. My favourite fruit. But they complained about the freezer, that it was filled with ice and could hardly be opened. Excuse me for moving in to a temporary flat, and not immediately defrost the freezer!

Don’t do today what you can push till tomorrow

30.11.2007 18:24 I cannot friggin believe it! Did the dishes. Half an hour later the doorbell rings. It’s yet another little Spanish man who comes to deliver my repaired dishwasher. If I had only waited, I wouldn’t have to have done it at all! I shall keep this in mind…

Sweet little lady/-ies

30.11.2007 17:35 When I had lunch in las Ramblas last Sunday we were sitting next to this little old lady who looked like she’d been frequenting the place since it was opened, she must’ve been 90 at least. Yet clad in nice modern clothes and with a smile on her face. She enjoyed her food alone, and then rose to leave. At first I didn’t realize she was standing up, so bent was her back. She had real trouble getting her coat on, so I helped her. She was so grateful she kissed my hand! What a sweet old little lady (she was like a meter tall standing up!). Today I was in a bar waiting for them to make me a sandwich (oh, the bread here is absolutely delicious…crispy and fresh) when I saw this I guess other little lady with the same body-frame. Do they have many of these elderly that walk bent-over? Or was it the same?

Stealing bastards

30.11.2007 17:27 One of my acquaintances here had an incident this morning checking out of her hotel. Leaving her handbag unattended for a short while led to it disappearing. EVERYTHING stolen, new ipod, fairly new camera, travel- and credit cards, passport, keys, cash, her lipstick mind you and all that makes up a woman. If that happened to me I would feel like I lost a limb. She spent half the day in the police station and at the consulate getting a temporary passport granting her access to the UK (she’s a UK citizen) but not to Switzerland, which is where she was due to fly today. Poor thing! I guess the people who warned me about not bringing too many valuables to Barcelona were right. Am going out in the city tonight bringing no handbag, just a little cash (hang on, Bro is coming with, he can pay!), my lipstick (obviously!), cig and the key.

The aftermath

30.11.2007 17:19 Dinner went very well after all. It went like this. I came home, greeting little Bro who’s visiting. We cracked open a bottle of wine and sat down to catch up. An hour later the guests arrived, and the one particular with food was promptly shown to the kitchen. Amazingly enough about 1,5 hour later we had a delicious meal, consisting of tex-mex-chips with salsa, guacamole, beans and cheese, tortillas and lots of other delicacies. And I had to do nothing! Isn’t it great to invite people, and then end up being served in your own home? Well, ok then, temporary apartment but still. The only downside coming home today was that the dishwasher still was awol and is hopefully being repaired. It was supposed to be back yesterday. Ah well, that famous business acumen of the Barcelonans… So now I have to go do the dishes! Do I seem like a person who does dishes? This better be an exception to the rule…

Dinner party

28.11.2007 20:24 Not quite sure how it happened but I have invited 4 people for dinner tomorrow. It seemed like a good idea yesterday after all that wine… One of the guests is very particular with food. “I eat no meat, no cheese”. And then she proceeded to give me advise on what to cook “not that you have to, it’s your dinner party” but after repeating that a couple of times I felt the pressure. Well, she gave me a list of groceries to shop. And it was very specific. Like cheddar cheese. Took me a good 15 minutes to locate that particular sort. The sour cream I finally found after consulting an English-speaking family with a phrase book. Not that sour cream was listed, but with two clever heads we figured out where it was. Jalapenos were another tricky thing to find, and one of the spices I gave up on. Now I have gorilla arms after carrying all that stuff home…