this is why it's "oldschool"

so this is really more for me, but i just want to remember what my place was like ;)
i don't know if it's more "lack of upkeep" than "oldschool," i think it's more a combination of both, but here we go:

my kitchen, which looks like it's from the 70's. add to this a gas stove/oven, which by the way i can't use the oven anymore. i singed some of my hair off trying to light it and now i'm too scared! (i'm okay mom, don't worry). also, a coffee pot that operates on the stove and barely makes one cup at a time. automatic coffee maker, i really miss you!

yeah, our fridge doesn't have a light.. it hasn't always been like this, but it's been probably almost a month since it's been out and he hasn't fixed it.

no dryer, but i feel lucky, i knew some friends that didn't even have a washer.

now this has been like this since i've been here.. you have to reach in there to flush it! so dirty.

ehh, this is in the other bathroom, self-explanatory.

no locks on the doors, this is no good.

ahh, the cellphone that i hate. i can't even change the sounds or make it vibrate or anything.

heat, but no AC.

looks like someone got lazy and didn't feel like finishing painting.

but i still love this place!!

sant joan

last night was "La Nit de Sant Joan," or, the longest day of the year and the beginning of summer. so what else could that mean but party in the streets!

any excuse for a fiesta, right? the party starts at sunset and ends at sunrise. everyone is in the streets burning things and setting off fireworks. i mean, even if you want to sleep, there is no way you would be able to.

another part of the celebration is to burn furniture in the streets with HUGE bonfires. and it's on every main street in the city. i mean, who really has all this old furniture waiting around to be burned?

in the underground!

and then of course, la playa, the beach! thousands and thousands, i'm not kidding, of people running around the beach and everyone has bottles and firecrackers and smoke and music and it's just a crazy party on the beach. you couldn't even move! it was kind of scary because the metros were sooo crowded they had to rope it off to make the traffic move easily and they had to block people from crowding in where the train came and only let so many go at a time. and the buses were so full they would just drive past the stops with the word "complet" on the front because they were so full they couldn't handle any more people! the taxis were charging 5 euro just to step in the car. i thought for sure one of us would get robbed. luckily i had nothing on me! and i actually saved someone else from getting pickpocketed. five guys were getting on after this one guy who had a backpack.  right before the doors closed they all left and i was like, that's weird. and then it hit me, so i told the guy and he ran out the doors before they closed. i guess each of the robbers had opened one zipper because all of the pockets were open in his backpack! there was a lot of security tho so i'm sure they took care of them !

i met a lot of new people yesterday, as usual. and it was my friend david's last day. he goes back to london today. i'm sure it was a good night to go out on though! yesterday was also good because we went to watch the england game and the US game for the world cup and they both one! so everyone was happy. i love the chaos in the bars after the games ;)

so of course since it was an all night party, today is a "holiday" and everything is closed. everyone needs to catch up on their sleep!

PRAGA

again, i could rattle off my usual list of adjectives that consume this blog every time i come home from a new place...
but Prague is beautiful!

the bridge with the beautiful stone bridges at night with the castle in the background and the "eiffel tower" of Prague up on the hill and all the beautiful buildings in the mountain all lit up. one of my favorite things.

the many many crazy art fixtures of people who were angry at Prague and the Communism, etc. etc...

yes, that is what it looks like, and underneath, that's the map of the Czech Republic

the main castle itself with it's gothic design and enormous stature.

the gorgeous buildings, each one different and now clean that they have money to take care of them. from above, they all look white with orange and turquoise roofs.

the greenness of it all! so many parks and gardens you can sit and have a drink. although many Czechs say Prague is so gray, it has a certain something to it that shines. maybe it's because everything is so old and interesting, or maybe it's just because i'm from America where nothing is old.

Marta said i was very lucky because the weather has recently been really nice (hotter than Barcelona even) and the people were so happy because of it. in the winter, everyone is depressed and she doesn't even like to go out and talk to them. she has a very interesting view on Czechs, considering how proud of her country she is.

she had so many stories to tell me about the history of everything, they way things were built, the art, the communism, and she had so many secret places to take me that i wouldn't have found on my own. one of them was a hotel near this really big, busy square, and on top was a terrace with a bar that overlooked the entire city. we sat there for hours.

some random things about the language:

• "ano" means yes. but sometimes they shorten it to just "no." so no = yes.
• "ahoy" = hello (this was very fitting for our Marina-themed party!)
• there is no "the" at all.

and, of course, the food. first of all, dirt cheap. i was thinking i should just move there for the rest of my stay and get twice as much out of my money! i probably spent about 70 euros my whole trip there. and the food is sooo good but sooo heavy! lots of meat and vegetables but the sauces are all really rich and thick. the soups are the best, and the beer is the greatest! i also learned that budweiser is a Czech beer, and they want you to know that. but it's not their top beer. Pilsner is the good one. and the dumplings are to die for!!

also, people still drive these around like it's normal--

and here are a few more i just like--

pink

the John Lennon Wall

another really cool wall, right next to the Senate building

a clock in one of the main squares that plays music and has puppets dancing around it every hour

the travels aren't over yet!

so i know i haven't been writing much lately, but i'm going on a break for a long weekend. the time has finally come for me to go to my most desired destination!!

it's time for Praga with my old roommate, Marta, who is probably the sweetest person i've ever met. she said she already has places to take me in the city. we also have a party tomorrow night called Decadance, and she said it's going to be mostly gays, but the DJs will be awesome and it's a really hyped up event. she went last year and said it was crazy. i'm excited! the theme is "Marina" so i guess we are supposed to dress like navy. i didn't want to buy anything new for it (or, rather, i don't have the money to!) but i have a cute red dress and some boots, and a sailor necklace i will wear.. Marta's going all out, she had a dress made for her by a friend! i'm pretty excited, i'm sure i'll have crazy pictures to share ;)

so i am leaving in a few hours and i will be back tuesday night!

the list goes on

more things to miss about bcn:

• 1 euro bottles of wine
• walking down passeig de gracia almost everyday just for the sake of people-watching
• the crazy-themed bars (tree house, chupitos, buddha bar, etc...)
• how in love everyone is with the tv show How I Met Your Mother (it's just so random?)
• watching all the tourists on passeig de gracia and how confused/in awe they are (is that cruel? i help people who are lost. i really don't know why they fascinate me so)
• the way people actually tell you what they're thinking, nobody is fake!
• no humidity ( i may have mentioned this )
• walking everywhere!!! it is never dull outside
• all things Gaudi-related

things i will not miss:

• the terrible selection of cereal

the fashion

BARCELONA, where anything goes...

the girls:

• scarves can be worn any day of the year and it's normal. in fact, if you don't wear a scarf at some point in time that you are here, you are definitely foreign
• they can wear silk pants with the crotch hanging down to their knees and it's normal (this is not attractive whatsoever)
• crazy multi-colored sneakers
• tights in june 
• flip flops in november are a no-no. even if it's 25 degrees
• no matter what the economy is like, the shoe stores are always packed
• even with a 30% discount, a pair of simple flip flops can still be 85 euro 
• high, high heels 
• nobody straightens their hair everyday
• winter = black and gray
• much more conservative than Americans

the boys:

• expensive sunglasses
• tight pants
• cigarettes like they are accessories
• no flip flops ever
• suits and ties are worn to school on a normal basis, and they don't get weird looks (this may be because i am at a private school?)
• scarves are also a must for men
• dreads are very very common
• pants are worn at a normal waist/hip level, no sagging!
• a white stud piercing under their bottom lip on the side (so ugly)
• preppy is not looked down upon
• they wear more pink and purple than the girls