I flew back to Barcelona yesterday night. It has been a soft landing so far.
On the plane, in the row behind me, sat three extremely conversational elderly Catalans who immediately made me practise my Catalan skills as I eavesdropped on their conversation and reminded me of my students as their practised their English phrases.
Spain´s football World Cup quarter finals game against Germany took place while I was in the clouds somewhere between Gatwick and El Prat , but as soon as we landed, the stewardess told us the news of Spain's 1-0 victory. The passengers cheered and dug into their pockets for their mobile phones even faster than usual to check the score for themselves, chattering away happily on their way out into the terminal building.
I was met at the airpot by the Anthropologist, who made it very clear that he was happy that I had come to stay indefinitely. He joked about me looking scared and worried on my way out of the baggage claim, which I denied with a laugh. Then it occurred to me that he had thought the same of me when I first moved into the flat where we met, so although I don´t think his observation was exactly true (or maybe a little), it can't be a bad start to this new phase in our lives.
We took the airport bus to Plaza Catalunya, which, along with Plaza Espanya, was closed because of World Cup celebrations. The traffic was embellished by Spanish and Catalan flags (the goal scorer Carles Puyol being Catalan) and plenty of honking and joyous shouting filled the streets and squares. It was't as crazy as it must have been in Madrid, as the Anthropologist pointed out, what with the anti-Spanish sentiment and separationist politics in Catalonia, but there was clearly an atmosphere of festivity and happiness in the streets.
It was then that I was reminded again of the beauty of the summer nights in Barcelona: warm, humid air mixed with nauseating smells of sewage, people wandering idly on their own or in noisy groups, sitting in the squares drinking cheap beer and eating ice-cream until the wee hours of the morning.
About a year ago I left Barcelona and its filthy alleys and romantic squares, ready to try something different for a while. I am sure I will face moments where I long for the tranquility, peace and the fresh air of somewhere a bit further north again, but I'm now in Barcelona, ready to embrace it in all its frustrating, endearing quirkiness, ready to live my life here and live it as fully as possible. I am ready to dive into the deep end of Barcelona.
And Spain winning the World Cup on Sunday would just make this start even better!
Showing posts with label sports. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sports. Show all posts
Thursday, 8 July 2010
Saturday, 19 June 2010
The beautiful game
Football truly is The Beautiful Game.
I am neither a fervent follower of any league nor a fanatic supporter of any team, but when the bigger tournaments are on, I get pretty into it. I have a few favourite players, a few favourite teams, and I more often than not root for the underdog.
This year's football World Cup has already proved to be a great distraction from working on my dissertation. But more importantly, it has proved that football truly is a beautiful game and, as cheesy as it sounds, it brings people together.
The other day I was huddled around my computer screen with a Brit and a Nigerian, watching Uruguay play France. A couple of days later, I went into a pub run by a Scottish man in the centre of Norwich to watch Mexico play France. The pub was full of Mexicans with their flags, face-paints and horns. All the non-Mexicans were included in the fervour of the game and those who had nothing green, red and white on them were embellished with face paint in those very colours. Mexican snacks were served on the house at half time. A day later, I was crammed in a very small living room, watching from a very small screen as England played Algeria. There were almost 20 of us representing at least 11 nationalities, all equally thrilled by the game.
I'd say that's pretty damn beautiful.
Sunday, 26 April 2009
On Running and Writing
"Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional. Say you're running and you start to think Man this hurts, I can't take it anymore. The hurt part is an unavoidable reality, but whether or not you can stand any more is up to the runner himself. This pretty much sums up the most important aspect of marathon running." (Foreword)
"In the novelist's profession...there is no winning or losing...What's crucial is whether your writing attains the standards you have set for yourself. Failure to reach that bar is not something you can easily explain away...In this sense, writing novels and running full marathons are very much alike. Basically a writer has a quiet, inner motivation, and doesn't seek validation in the outwardly visible." (Chapter 1)
"I'm struck by how...you really need to prioritize in life, figuring out in what order you should divide up your time and energy. If you don't get that sort of system set by a certain age, you'll lack focus and your life will be out of balance." (Chapter 2)
"Most of what I know about writing I have learned through running every day. These are practical, physical lessons. How much can I push myself? How much rest is appropriate - and how much is too much? How far can I take something and still keep it decent and consistent? When does it become narrow-minded and inflexible? How much should I be aware of the world outside, and how much should I focus on my inner world? To what extent should I be confident in my abilities, and when should I start doubting myself?" (Chapter 4)
"Exerting yourself to the fullest within your individual limits: that's the essence of running, and a metaphor for life - and for me, for writing as well." (Chapter 4)
-What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami
Sunday, 11 March 2007
Important dates and learning experiences
It´s been three years today since 11-M, the bomb attacks on the commuter trains in Madrid. It was all over the news today, obviously. They´ve also put up a monument para no olvidar. I probably would have forgotten all about it had I not bought the Sunday paper. But I do remember seeing it all over the news when it happened. I was still in Scotland and at that point toying with the possibility of going to Spain.
It was also International Women´s Day on Thursday. I completely forgot about it until the evening when my friend Katja reminded me.
Another less significant day on the grand scale of things was on Saturday - Barcelona and Real Madrid played in Camp Nou here in Barcelona. The last time they played was in the autumn sometime, and I went to see it at a little bar near Arc de Triomf with Leandro and Federico. This time Leandro, Valeria and I watched it on Leandro´s TV. 3-3. I´ve noticed myself becoming less of a Barcelona supporter living here. If you read the papers you´d think Barça and Madrid were the only two football teams in Spain. When I was still in school, I used to watch the Champions League with Kata and support both Barça and Madrid - the unthinkable, ignorant as I was. Now if I had to choose a team, I´d go for Villareal. Let´s face it - they have the best uniform. And they have some nice-looking players. If Raisa ever reads this she´ll roll her eyes and say that there´s more to football than the men. And she´s right. There´s the game. And the money. And the politics. And the money. And...did I mention money? Still, I enjoy watching a good game of football. In December I was lucky enough to get tickets to see Barça play. It was nice, and our seats were quite good. But the passion that I´d expected to feel and the chanting and singing crowds were almost non-existent. Silly me - we weren´t in England. Or in a Barça-Real Madrid game. Is that what it takes to heat up the crowds - an ancient rivalry? Of course there is the fact that Franco was a Real Madrid "supporter" while doing all sorts of horrible things to the Catalans. And the two biggest cities-rivalry is evident just about everywhere in the world.
I have been trying to educate myself in more than just Spanish football. I´ve been in Barcelona for a bit over six months now and it hasn´t been the easiest six months of my life. I don´t know why I thought it would be easier. After all, I´d lived in Spain before. Something that has helped me articulate my confusion and clarify a few things, as well as give me a better understanding of the history and culture of Spain is a book called The Ghosts of Spain: Travels Through a Country´s Hidden Past. It´s a book by a British journalist, Giles Tremlett, who has lived in Spain a good wee while. I´m usually a bit sceptical when it comes to books like that, "history made accessible and somewhat entertaining with personal anecdotes". I don´t know why. This book, though, I´ve enjoyed.
Maybe little by little I´m accepting some of the more infuriating things about Barcelona (and Catalonia, Spain, whatever suits your idea of being politically correct). There are a lot of things I like about Barcelona. The weather. The coffee and croissant you can get for under 2 euros. Reading El País outside (although I confess I´m not always very patient with myself when reading the paper in Spanish). There are various lovely, interesting parts in the city. There are lots of little boutiques for the times you´re feeling rich. The "Chinese shops" that sell everything are open till late. Actually, a lot of things are...but the Chinese shops have a special something. There are a great deal of other things that I appreciate about the city. But the things that drive me mad are people pushing, not queuing, shouting...maybe living in quieter places for too long has made me forget that it´s actually not a crime to sit next to a stranger at the metro stop when there´s plenty of room on the bench, but I´m still not used to it. Still, there are things that I´m learning to accept and appreciate little by little. And I quite like Julio Iglesias now, so that´s definitely something!
Back to learning - a couple of weeks ago Leandro and I had the opportunity to delve into European history when we visited Berlin. Well, we didn´t quite delve, but it was another learning experience even during the brief 4 days we spent there. The city has so much history it´s overwhelming. The Wall, The Holocaust Memorial...On a lighter note, though, another overwhelming fact was the tranquility of the city. After Barcelona, Berlin felt almost eery with it peaceful streets. It was refreshing. The sovietic feel of East Berlin still lingered, and I would have liked to have seen even more. Maybe I´ll go there again one day, but in the summer, as it´s bound to be even more interesting then.
It was also International Women´s Day on Thursday. I completely forgot about it until the evening when my friend Katja reminded me.
Another less significant day on the grand scale of things was on Saturday - Barcelona and Real Madrid played in Camp Nou here in Barcelona. The last time they played was in the autumn sometime, and I went to see it at a little bar near Arc de Triomf with Leandro and Federico. This time Leandro, Valeria and I watched it on Leandro´s TV. 3-3. I´ve noticed myself becoming less of a Barcelona supporter living here. If you read the papers you´d think Barça and Madrid were the only two football teams in Spain. When I was still in school, I used to watch the Champions League with Kata and support both Barça and Madrid - the unthinkable, ignorant as I was. Now if I had to choose a team, I´d go for Villareal. Let´s face it - they have the best uniform. And they have some nice-looking players. If Raisa ever reads this she´ll roll her eyes and say that there´s more to football than the men. And she´s right. There´s the game. And the money. And the politics. And the money. And...did I mention money? Still, I enjoy watching a good game of football. In December I was lucky enough to get tickets to see Barça play. It was nice, and our seats were quite good. But the passion that I´d expected to feel and the chanting and singing crowds were almost non-existent. Silly me - we weren´t in England. Or in a Barça-Real Madrid game. Is that what it takes to heat up the crowds - an ancient rivalry? Of course there is the fact that Franco was a Real Madrid "supporter" while doing all sorts of horrible things to the Catalans. And the two biggest cities-rivalry is evident just about everywhere in the world.
I have been trying to educate myself in more than just Spanish football. I´ve been in Barcelona for a bit over six months now and it hasn´t been the easiest six months of my life. I don´t know why I thought it would be easier. After all, I´d lived in Spain before. Something that has helped me articulate my confusion and clarify a few things, as well as give me a better understanding of the history and culture of Spain is a book called The Ghosts of Spain: Travels Through a Country´s Hidden Past. It´s a book by a British journalist, Giles Tremlett, who has lived in Spain a good wee while. I´m usually a bit sceptical when it comes to books like that, "history made accessible and somewhat entertaining with personal anecdotes". I don´t know why. This book, though, I´ve enjoyed.
Maybe little by little I´m accepting some of the more infuriating things about Barcelona (and Catalonia, Spain, whatever suits your idea of being politically correct). There are a lot of things I like about Barcelona. The weather. The coffee and croissant you can get for under 2 euros. Reading El País outside (although I confess I´m not always very patient with myself when reading the paper in Spanish). There are various lovely, interesting parts in the city. There are lots of little boutiques for the times you´re feeling rich. The "Chinese shops" that sell everything are open till late. Actually, a lot of things are...but the Chinese shops have a special something. There are a great deal of other things that I appreciate about the city. But the things that drive me mad are people pushing, not queuing, shouting...maybe living in quieter places for too long has made me forget that it´s actually not a crime to sit next to a stranger at the metro stop when there´s plenty of room on the bench, but I´m still not used to it. Still, there are things that I´m learning to accept and appreciate little by little. And I quite like Julio Iglesias now, so that´s definitely something!
Back to learning - a couple of weeks ago Leandro and I had the opportunity to delve into European history when we visited Berlin. Well, we didn´t quite delve, but it was another learning experience even during the brief 4 days we spent there. The city has so much history it´s overwhelming. The Wall, The Holocaust Memorial...On a lighter note, though, another overwhelming fact was the tranquility of the city. After Barcelona, Berlin felt almost eery with it peaceful streets. It was refreshing. The sovietic feel of East Berlin still lingered, and I would have liked to have seen even more. Maybe I´ll go there again one day, but in the summer, as it´s bound to be even more interesting then.
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