Varias Cosas - 2

Heyo, welcome back for the second installment of my Barca update blog! A lot of cool stuff has happened in the past week, so this post will have a little bit of everything.. Last week we started our 3-week seminar that includes daily classes in Catalan and Barcelona's history as well as weekly cooking workshops. We've also been picking the classes we'll take once our fall semester starts in earnest after the seminar.

Classes: I wasn't prepared to enjoy Catalan class, but it's actually really awesome.. Our teacher, Miguel, is kind of a cross between an English gentleman and a crazy jumping bean. His classes are a fluidly trilingual affair in which Catalan, English, and Spanish rotate around like a revolving door. I get the sense that Miguel takes great delight in language itself, as he always has a twinkle in his eye and loves repeating the same phrases in different languages (even when it is completely unnecessary for the advancement of the lesson). And the best part is that whenever you say anything even remotely Catalan-sounding, Miguel's arms explode upwards and he joyfully exclaims "Molt Bé!" Dude's got MAJOR positive reinforcement skills. Needless to say, he's already one of my favorite teachers of all time.

Barcelona History & Culture isn't quite as dynamic, but it's still interesting. Our teacher has a pretty wry sense of humor.. a couple of classes ago, he encouraged us to obtain Catalan novios/as to help us with our speaking skills! Apparently it's a tried and true method.. While the class doesn't keep me as entertained as Miguel does, I've still learned a good bit about Barcelona's past.

Cooking class was absolutely wonderful. Under the matronly watch of Sra. Teresa, we prepared and ate tomato soup with garlic and nuts, tortilla española (a popular potato and egg omlette), Spanish bread spread with fresh tomato sauce, paella (famous seafood dish), and a lemon postre for dessert. All the food was outstanding, especially because Sra. Teresa showed us how to make everything with patience and love. Three hours is a long time to cook, but it definitely results in great food!

Sightseeing: I was able to see the outside of the Sagrada Familia this past week.. I'd seen it once before (in 2006) but I was still bowled over by the amazing detail and architectural boldness of Gaudí. Gargoyle frogs mix with saints mix with bowls of fruit mix with spires... Crazy. Hope I can see the inside soon and take pics.

Then yesterday, a bunch of other kids in the program and I went to a beach a little outside of Barcelona called Castelldefels (near Sitges). It was incredibly gorgeous. The beach was warm, the water was perfectly refreshing, and the coastline was dotted with little towns nestled in-between cliffs and forest. We even got some beach soccer going, which is why my toes are still swollen ;)

Church/Spirituality: Last week, I stumbled upon a church online called the International Church of Barcelona. Today was my second time going and it was pretty sweet! ICB has a jammin' praise band and plays lots of worship music, including a bunch of Hillsong stuff, which is so great. Today they played a song called "As the Deer," which I loved and can't stop listening to. Check it out if you're interested. Oh and the church has Wed. night Bible study groups over the summer. Planning to check that out this week, so I'll keep ya updated on that front.

Another cool thing: One night this past week, I decided to pray before going out.. In this case, I specifically prayed that God would give me the opportunity to talk to someone about spiritual things. An hour or so later, I happened to be walking alongside the beach's boardwalk before meeting up with my friends. As I was looking around I heard an African voice say, "What you lookin for man?" I said something noncommittal and then the guy asked me if I had any interest in buying marijuana or cocaine. I declined, telling him that I'd never done drugs in my life. The interesting thing was that he didn't seem too into his cause, and he also seemed pretty approachable. For better or worse, I started chatting with him - turns out he's a professed Christian from Ghana who feels that he can't find any work besides dealing drugs to support himself. He told me that the job is very dangerous and 100% stressful and he wants to find something else as soon as he's able. I asked him if I could pray with him about his situation, and he readily agreed. So there, sitting on a stone wall next to a strip of beachside nightclubs in Barcelona, I held the guy's hand and prayed with him, asking God to lead his steps. Obviously, I don't know him and caution is necessary in cases like these, but he seemed genuine and there could be a ton of things beneath the surface that he needs help with. If you're so inclined, I'd ask you to keep my brother Victor in your prayers.

After another marathon post, thanks for sticking with me! Hasta la semana que viene.