on that note

so i've passed my nine month mark here in spain recently and my six month mark here in barcelona....bizarre! say nine years or nine days and it might sound more reasonable than reality. with the spanish rythym of life, a day can often feel like a week, but somehow when i look back on the week i've travelled, i'm amazed that it is already over. i'm finally settling into life here and feeling more at home in my city. that has taken a lot of awkard experiences, tons of coffee, many lonely days and more than one prayer, but it has finally happened. i'm glad. on that note....amanda, a friend from the states, has come to live as a roommate and study here. she's only been here a week, but is adjusting beautifully. she is thoughtful, funny, hard-working and very relational. i'm glad that crazy girl is here and i know she'll fit right in soon.

flower pot

in honor of halloween comming up, i thought i would share a halloween memory....what oh what was i thinking when i decided to be a flower pot(that is right....not a witch or a skeleton or ballerina...no...a flower POT)? man...i used to rack up on the candy...the envy of all the neighborhood kids. why can't adults trick or treat? all i want is some junior mints! if i have to dress up like a flower pot, so be it! :)

lives

These fish are brought to you courtsey of the Zona Antigua here in Barcelona. I like this picture because it is clear and messy, vibrant and muted, alive and reflecting. Not to be too philosophical or cheesy, but it is often like my own mind...my own life. As soon as I think I know what I'm doing or I have my mind made up about something, the direction changes or the rhythym picks up and I find pieces of others (their advice, love, characteristics) randomly being reflected in my own life here. I love that...that our lives end up rubbing together and intersecting so often, we can hardly just call it our own...it is more of a shared life...a communal experience...especially in the city where so much is shared (meal as tapas, space in city parks or metro). Maybe that is why I like the city so much...by necessity lives intersect for the better or worse...and sometimes the result is quite nice.

business

Susanna, Amanda and I were walking around the Old City Sunday and stumbled into a courtyard behind the Gothic Cathedral...I'm not sure this little guy wanted visitors. Those BCN birds mean business!

grandaddy

my granddaddy ben passed away saturday morning in north carolina. i love and miss you grandaddy. i'm so thankful that i got to be a part of your life for 24 years.

five bucks

i went to madrid this week and am so i'm now a resident of spain...officially! had to have a lil' five-bucks (otherwise known as "starbucks") to celebrate.

GUAC

old el paso

NEVER eat guacamole from a jar...let me spare you some dissapointment and pain. i was at el corte ingles getting groceries last night and stumbled into the mexican food eisle...well OK..i went straight there...and i thought...hmmm...guacamole?!...in a JAR?!...how fun! how convenient! it only took the 20 minute walk home and the three mins of trying to open that blasted lid to find out that my lovely guacamole tasted like elmers glue. since glue doen't actually enhance the flavor very well of fajitas, my dinner was a little boring...but ah well. i've learned my lesson.

street wise

this is a pic of a sign that we saw in london and liked. what it really means for those london commuters, i haven't the slightest idea. anybody able to help me out on that one?! i'm not sure why a street sign would advertise a change in priorities, but i like the idea that we can change ours, if those be those things that are most important to us and direct our lives. i'd like to think that i try to model my life after that of Christ, but i know i don't always pick the best or healthiest things to live for. i'm glad that can change. i still want to know why that would be on a street sign though.

Two Cities

Mom and Dad recently came to Barcelona for a week and then we went to London for a week. It was such a great experience for me to be able to show them around "my city" and get to discover a "new" one with them as well. I love you guys and am so glad you got to come! This shot was taken outside of the Sagrada Familia here in BCN. I'll try to get some shots from London up soon. Ciao.

Mom and Dad had their first horchata experience on the Portal del Angel. They seem to be pretty excited about it. Dad seems almost giddy! :)

Dad, Mom and I went up to the top of the Sagrada Familia. So much for seeing the cityscape, but a good father - and - daughter shot, huh?

Mom and I ran across some rather large natives in my barrio. They were nice enough to let us take a pic with them! These are called "gigantes" (giants) and each neighborhood or pueblo has their own that they parade around during festivals. These are the giants of the old town where I live. Cool, huh?