!!!

Like reading Steal Like an Artist, something I couldn’t help myself but to think a resounding “YES!” after every few lines.

 

If life gives you themes at random times, I think the best idea is to probably go along with them.

My theme right now is clearly food. It has been creeping up for awhile, a bit at a time in little manifestations of creative baking bursts or exploration into unknown foods but today, it suddenly hit like a brick.

I woke up, skimmed NYT headlines as usual and found myself reading an article about eggs (not a very flattering one, either. I made an egg for breakfast anyhow.) then as I open netflix to search for something as it was on my mind, I see as a new recommendation a group of TED talks all about food. I watched the first one, Jamie Oliver discussing school lunches and preventable disease, during breakfast, and the one above, Mark Bittman, during my lunch at work. I left my office to make some tea when I saw that the new issue of Artvoice had been delivered to the shipping area… with this show on the cover, going on now at Burchfield-Penney Art Center: Edible Complex.

OK universe, I get the message. I read the article that corresponded with the cover story and saw that this is going on tomorrow, conveniently across the street and half an hour after my work day ends. Looks like I’d better go.

Cheese

I need to remember this.

new slang

I started a strange list of things to do or make when I get home. It began with food but is now turning into other activities and will soon become vague ideas such as “walk more.”

1. Eat some good rice. 2. Make some good deviled eggs (good as in, sin atún.) 3. Play racquetball. 4. Listen to the Shins.

I just added that last one after hearing “New Slang.” It has been a long time since I’ve heard the Shins. Fall 2004, to be exact.

I uploaded a few more photos from Bilbao and plan to upload a few more in the near future. I took a total of 468 photos on Friday, about 400 in Bilbao and then the rest back in Burgos since it was the first time I was out in the city when it was dark; it is never dark any earlier than 10:30pm. I uploaded a few of those as well and would love to take more night photos if I get a chance to before we leave. Only 5 more days and so much more studying to do!

As for Bilbao, I loved it and should probably just let the photos speak for themselves. I will note, however, that to me, the most appealing aspect was that it was a place that did not seem afraid of creativity, likely because of the revival the city encountered after the addition of the Guggenheim museum. The Guggenheim’s external artworks also feel like a part of the city, not just the museum. (I was the nerd that introduced the group to “Puppy” by Jeff Koons and actually knew to look around and find “Maman” by Louise Bourgeois.) One of the photos I have waiting to be resized and uploaded is of the Zubizuri bridge, a pedestrian bridge down the river from the Guggenheim and one of the examples that I feel is representative of this somewhat avant-garde attitude the city possesses. Something that certainly needs further analysis but is nonetheless interesting. Medieval cities like Burgos are great; Bilbao was unique.

candy

I volunteer with Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Erie County and am a big sister to a sweet 11-year old girl in Buffalo. I’ve been thinking about what I could possibly bring back for her from Spain as a souvenir that she would be sure to love. It was a candy store in Salamanca that first gave me the idea. Spanish candy, of course! To first try them out for myself to see if they were any good, I bought the candy above, lacasitos. They seem like a Spanish version of M&Ms. I recalled a time when I was younger when my aunt went to Montreal and brought back Smarties for my sister and I, only they weren’t Smarties as we know and love them in the US, they were chocolate! I remember thinking at the time that they were the coolest thing ever. Inspired by both the cute candy store and my aunt, I’m going to see if Spanish candy has the same effect on my little sister that Canadian candy had on me when I was younger.

simple things

Spanish Chinese food. Or maybe it is Chinese Spanish food. Either way, we ate there the other night. Not bad and certainly interesting. I finished writing out my postcards there and finally sent them out.

In general, I like to take time to observe things when I am doing something, even if it is a trip to the supermarket, or here in Spain, the supermercado. I finally went there by myself for the first time yesterday and had to chance to stroll up and down every aisle. I like noticing both the subtle and not-so-subtle differences in products, prices, presentation, et cetera. It may seem silly but I find it interesting to treat unexpected places as if they were museums.  There is a lot out there to be learned.

Yesterday we visited las Huelgas monastery, I don’t really have photos of it because photography is forbidden at almost all museums and tourist places here, it seems. I did get one good photo before they told us that it was forbidden though. 

extra onduladas!

Here in Spain, I have encountered some strange yet interesting flavors of chips:

So of course, like any other normal person, I have to try them. Jamon! Ham flavored chips?! Indeed, they taste like ham… which is so strange when you think about it, a ham flavored fried potato slice… The other ones, york’eso, are like a croque monsieur… I think the Spanish name for that is just “york.” I think the best thing I have eaten here so far is gazpacho. Even though it came from the cafeteria of the residencia which is not exactly famous for its quality food, it was still really good.