Hablas ingles?

If you see a tv on around here, it's guaranteed to be a game of soccer. Literally nothing else, except maybe some weird handball game that no grown man should ever aspire to play professionally. You have to argue and then deal with dirty looks from the die-hard soccer fans if you want anything else on el television-o in restaurants/bars. They're all die-hards too. Every bar is full and closes the doors early (just like Cantab?) the night of a good Barcelona game, and everyone has a new best friend by the end of the night if they win. It's like a bar in Boston during a Patriots-Giants Superbowl rematch, which is still happening right? Probably one of the bigger cultural differences is the role of tipping; in America you're viewed as stingy for anything less than 10% in a restaurant, while here if you get a bill for 148 euros you can pay an extra 2 to round it off, but that's it. It's the lifestyle around here- no one really does more than they need to so you only pay them what it says. Guess that's why the waitresses at Sandwich & Friends (yes, they have both) really liked us after giving a 4$ tip on a 18$ bill. That place has really been special to us because of all the diverse Bruno Mars songs they play..

Everyone and everything seems to move a little slower over here, and people just seem to be happier.  A lot of people don't start their day until the sun rises, around 8 or 9 am right now.  Even the homeless people have a faint smile, but I think that's because they usually own a dog. I really don't know why they'd waste their steady income on uno perro (keep up with the Spanish, you guys--if you get that reference, then you are my friend). No one ever seems worried or pissed off, and why would they since they're in this city. It's always clean and surrounded with ridiculously unique and famous buildings. Gaudi is a pretty important bro around here, he just wasn't really a fan of right angles:

I still don't understand why every Spanish person on tv, from soccer commentator to commercial host, sounds exactly the same. Every single guy sounds like a Juan, and every girl is probably a Maria. Same deep voice, little emotion unless he's saying the word GOOOOOOOOOOOOAAALLLLL, and still way too fast for me to understand.  I really wish people spoke normal Spanish around here and not catalan, it doesn't really make sense to me to have different dialects in the same country.  Our school director/tour guide/catalan master tried to explain to us it sort of gives them pride in being where they're from.  I guess it's rare to have someone move from one region of Spain to another for a long period of time.

For those interested in the adult beverages, there are really 2 main types of beer here, San Miguel and Estrella.  Both are pretty heavy, but their taste sort of changes from bar to bar.  We've become pretty big fans of getting this 5 liter bottle thing at bars, great way to make amigos.
If anyone wants some context as to where are apartment is, it's about a 15 minute walk and 5 euro cab ride from the beach, where all the nicer clubs are and where the casino is, where I have had no success.  We're in the south-middle of the city, and within walking distance of any train or metro station to go anywhere, and about 20 mins from the airport.

Lastly for now, I booked a trip to Interlaken Switzerland for the first weekend of February.  I couldn't really think of a better way to spend my 21st  then to skydive over the Swiss Alps.  More pictures will be coming soon.  That's all I got for now, adios.