25 Things I am looking forward to going home for.

Blah Blah Blah, lists aren't proper writing, blah blah.... I couldn't think of a better way of presenting this post so I just wrote a list of reasons why I am looking forward to going back to the UK! There is an equal, or maybe even longer, list of things I will miss and why I don’t want to go back. But this will make me far too depressed about the fact in 3 weeks’ time I will be on a flight back to the UK so I won’t write it now.  

In no particular order, I am looking forward to: 

1. Food. I could probably name 25 different food items and meals I am looking forwards too but that would be dull.
2. A proper cup of breakfast tea. I haven’t had anything other than green tea in far too long.
3. Quiet. Spain is loud. But then I am going home so there is unlikely to be any peace there.
4. Not having to use plug adaptors. Hate them, hate them, hate them.
5. Pounds. I have given up trying to convert the cost of things in shops, so I will probably be able to budget a bit better back in the UK
6. Probably should add something about seeing my friends and family…
7. Fluffy warm towels. It’s the simple pleasures.
8. Which brings me on to radiators. I miss being able to make things, including myself, toasty.
9. I am so looking forward to being reunited with all my shoes. 2 pairs on rotation is not cutting it at all.  
10. ROSIE CUDDLES
11. Being rid of the vpn to watch iPlayer. Or any TV in English come to think of it! Dubbed telly drives me mad.
12. No longer nearly dying every time I cross the road. Thank god for the green man as I can’t get used to looking the wrong way when I cross the road.
13. Not sounding ‘posh’ compared to every other single person I meet. Yes I have a British accent, no I’m not from Downton Abbey.
14. Lined paper. What is the obsession with squared paper?
15. Not being charged at every cash point which is not your bank. So much effort. So much thinking ahead.
16. Shops being open on a Sunday. Nope still not used to everything being closed on Sundays.
17. No longer having to master a Spanish keyboard. Typing on a computer at work takes nearly double the time! Who even knew they were different?
18. Understanding things. I still don’t really know how my phone contract works, I just go into the shop and point.
19. Not feeling weird for wanted to eat dinner at 6.30. It is not the afternoon, its tea time!
20. Ann the tea lady. Nuf said
21. Having a haircut. I am far far far to scared to go here. Probably irrationally but I am way to fond of my hair to let something happen to it.
22. Not feeling so young all the time. Who knew that in most places they think you are crazy for doing your masters at 21…
23. Phone Calls. Facetime and Skype are too much effort for me and I have never been a fan!
24. My fluffy blanket. And a double bed. Not that my bed at home is a double but I am sure here is a seriously small single.
25. Not having to do lab work. I have realised I am much too emotionally unstable and over dramatic for lab work. I think undergrad teaching labs taught me that, but working here has double confirmed that I am way too nervy and on edge to work in a lab full time. It’s not good for my health!

That blue sky! Just one of the things I'll miss. Overcast isn't going to cut it.

Also: Every single thing on this buzzfeed is right - especially the one about boredom - weighing out 25 vials on a Friday afternoon makes the whole weekend seems more fun!!!! 

http://www.buzzfeed.com/floperry/ways-being-a-science-student-changes-you-forever

Monday Ramblings!

I know I said I was going to write a post about my parents visit but I want to write that one properly and I don't really have time right now to do that, but I wanted to post something! So I have written a little ramble for you to read.

Firstly, I have to get it over and done with early - HOW IS IT NOVEMBER ALREADY & IT'S SO AMAZING I CAN STILL GO OUT IN A T-SHIRT! Seriously I can't believe its November for 2 reasons. One being how can time be going fast that quickly and that I only have 6 weekends left in Barcelona or something crazy like that? And Secondly, I never thought it would still be this warm, its crazy nice still. I don't know if I have just been lucky this year but I would definitely recommend coming this time of year to visit this area of Spain. The tourists are less, the weather is lovely and its much more pleasurable walking around when its not 'too' hot ad full of people. (But I do kind of want it too get a bit more autumn-y now strange as that may sound!). (I wrote a lot of this yesterday, ans surprise surprise it CHUCKED IT DOWN today - maybe it is November now..)

I also recently read a book called the 'Shadow of the Wind' by Carlos Ruiz Zafón which came with very high recommendations from some friends. I really enjoyed it, and as I read quite a lot here (especially on public transport) I read it super fast! I kind of which I hadn't because now I don't have anything good to follow it. And the main reason I was told to read it whilst I am here is as it is set in Barcelona, and I have decided reading a book set in a place you have spent any significant amount of time inn makes the story feel a bit more real whatever the genre. And to be honest I haven't come across many (any) books set in Southampton or Leighton Buzzard, so it was a highly enjoyable read. I would recommend it to anyone who has spent any amount of time here in BCN purely for that reason! And also if you can recommend me a new book to read I would be highly grateful - my kindle is currently looking a bit sparse....

Finally a quick catch up with what I have been doing. Yesterday I went to Palau Guell, which is a house designed by Gaudi as one of his first commissions. It wasn't quite as I was expecting, but that was probably as the only other Gaudi architecture I have seen on the inside is the Sagrada Famillia which really is in a league of its own. This house was darker and less colourful than I was expecting on the inside with a lot of wood paneling ect:

Inside the Palau Guell! 

But the terrace was amazing, unfortunately the views aren't that amazing from there now as I think new building have probably been built since it was designed but all the chimneys were so colourfull! I am not sure I would pay to go inside though, we got in for free as it was the 1st Sunday of the month.

On the Roof. Shame the view isn't better but it was so much fun (and blue skies as you can see)

I have also drunk a significant amount of coffee, tried to read a lot of stuff about carboranes and written some words for my dissertation (its already verging on being too long... and I have barley started on the results but I wouldn't be able to write any other way!)

So really this post wasn't as exciting as I would have hoped, I thought I had done more but I will write a post very soon when I have a little more time about my parents visit. Be prepared for lots of photos of food!

It's not always as it seems...

After a friend comment that they had been reading my blog (thank-you!!) and felt pretty up to date with my life out here and what I had been up to I wanted to share some of the more day to day goings on of life. Oh I wish that was the case and my days were filled with cultural activities and my evenings filled with Sangria. Unfortunately no, there are still mundane and boring things which need to be done. Shopping; Laundry; Cleaning; Working; Studying; Cooking; blah blah blah. You get the message. Once the original, ohh this is all new and exciting feeling has left life these tasks soon loose any interest you had with them for a couple of weeks. I promise doing your washing in a different country is no more exciting than in your family home. 

I think that studying abroad (which I have explained numerous times is not quite what I am doing) is sold as a romantic dream of a semester long holiday full of weekend trips, nights out, constant socialising and generally no hard work at all. Maybe that is the case for some, but I can guarantee it ain't always a holiday. Not only does it rain here *shock horror* you still have to work. And you have to work away from the support system you made back at your home uni. The people who understood when you literally didn't want to go to your room because it just meant there was another few hours of work waiting on a Sunday afternoon, the people who would get drunk with you on a Friday night because you were fed up after 3 long days in the lab where nothing had worked, and the people who would meet you during a lib session for tea to make you laugh!

I am not in anyway saying that life is bad here. It is not. For example last Saturday I went out, got free G&Ts, visited a street food festival and saw some cool music. And I constantly get to chat to people from all over the world (although there is no reason I can't do that back in the UK it's just less often). I am also still wearing shorts in October which has to be a plus right.

But I just wanted to point out that life isn't always what it seems on social media, blogs and the like. You really can put a different persona out there which only shows your life in a good light, and makes out that you are always having fun... Maybe this isn't a bad thing though. Since starting my #100happydays on instagram I really have had to find good things which happen everyday, and these are the parts of my life I want to share with people. Yes I can moan to my close friends and family about the not so exciting thing but there is a reason I only share the good stuff. At the end of the day it makes me happier. I enjoy scrolling down looking at the cake I had 5 weeks ago and remembering where I was ect. I wouldn't want to look back and see a load of work pilled up which I did one day.

Just a quick look at some of my favorite instagram snaps which highlight in my day to day
life. (Mainly food I know but you should have realised that by now!)

So what I am really trying to say is no life isn't always what you see on social media, but I think personally the good happy times are what you want to share with people!

But enough moaning! I have drunk far too much alcohol this weekend, acted a little out of character probably because I wanted to live the crazy study abroad dream, but at the end of the day I only have 2 months left here so I will just have to make the most of it...  My flight is officially booked for the 17th December and time is passing scary scary scary fast as I am sure my fellow Barcelona girls (and all the other chemists abroad) will agree with. 

Love these crazy ladies! 

My parents and little bro are visiting next weekend which I am very excited about especially now mum is fit and well enough to come for sure. I can't wait to show them around especially because mum and Tommy have never been to Spain and it'll be Tommy's first time on a plane. I do feel a little sorry for my dad having to fly with the both of them. And if anyone has any ideas on the best thing to do with the family when they've visited you abroad let me know. 

I'll make sure I will update you all soon with some of the fun I have next weekend! 

What's the big deal?

I was just sitting on the bus the other day and I suddenly thought 'why is being here so different?' and it made me think. Really what difference does it make that I am in another country? It shouldn't really should it? I can still pick up the phone and talk to my parents. I can still probably get home within about 5 hours. I can still go to the shop and buy food. I can still pretty much do all the things I did when I was living in Southampton.

There is clearly a difference from living at home with my parents, but why is it different from living at university? Loads of reasons. That's why. And its more than just a new flat.

Sometimes when you are just in your own little world its hard to know why living away from your home country is so much harder then living in a new city within it. You wouldn't have your old friends there, you wouldn't automatically know what bus to take to work, you wouldn't know what time the local shop was open until, you wouldn't be able to remember the names of all your new flatmates friends... the list of similarities goes on.
But the point is in your home country; the place you grew up; the place where you have lived all your life, you know how to find these things out.
You take so much for granted in your own country. You know where you can go for a cheap dinner. What shop on the high street you will be able to by plasters in. You vaguely know what time the bank will shut. You know the the nearest supermarket will be a Tesco/Sainsburys/Asda. You know that you will be able to look up all the train times on national rail. That you just need to search for a post office to send a letter. Little things you don't even know you know.

Obviously I live in a Country with a language barrier. But I don't this would stop all the problems. Yes, its genuinely tiring to keep up whilst listening to a foreign language all the time until you actually switch off completely. You stop even trying to understand what the people around you are talking about let alone what they are saying. But that's not the real issue. The issue is everything is new. Sometimes I wander around a shop looking for something as simple as a notepad before I realise there is no way the local supermarket is going to sell one. They would in the UK. I could go to Tesco express and buy one within 5 minutes of my house.

The cultural differences are always there as well, and I am only just starting to really notice them. People eat at different times, people have a different work life balance, TV shows are on at different times, appropriate clothes are different. For example in the summer here it all revolves around family but once the summer starts to leave it all becomes much more work orientated. Not that that's a bad thing, but its something which is different. And I couldn't go much further without mentioning greetings. I WILL FOREVER BE AWKWARD WITH THE CHEEK KISSING. FULL STOP. This might just be an ingrained part of my personality or it might be that its just so different from the UK I never learnt as a child what you should do. But I have a strange feeling I will have to stop myself trying to kiss everyone when I come back to England; here you kiss the person you have just meet when you are saying bye. But you don't kiss work colleagues in the mornings which I have come to understand you would do in France. Oh and I think the German's go for one kiss, and Romanian people have more of a hug involved. The list goes on. Good job I am used to awkward moments.

So why is it harder. It's harder because you have to think about everything all the time. You wonder if the person next to you on the bus is offended you don't speak the language. Its a constant battle of trying to 'fit in' without making it feel alien. None of these things are an issue in your home country. But it's not bad, it's a challenge. It has also made me realise I am willing to go for a job anywhere in the UK because at least I will be able to have a propa cuppa when I sit down at the end of the day in my strange new scary flat.

Next time I promise I will update you on what I have been doing! But for now here is a nice picture of Catalonia's independence day 'celebrations'

I cannot even begin to explain how crazy this was... I felt like the only person not wearing red or yellow on the streets. (I wasn't, and it would have been even more weird wearing the colours if I am not even sure if I support it or not) Quite a site really. 

Waterfalls, Flamenco and Fun

This week I have had lots of fun even though it was my first proper week back at work for ages! (That was a bit of a killer, its strange how quickly you forget how tiring working in a lab is...) 

Anyway enough about work. This is a post about all the other fun things I have seen and done this week and I am going to try and make it short and sweet seeming as I have actually managed the one post a week thing. 

So on Tuesday I went to a place where all the tapas is 1€. Sounds amazing but I have to admit I won't be running back in a hurry. What it really is is different toppings, some of which were yummy, some not so much, on slices of bread. And then they bring around different hot tapas from time to time. It was fun though and great to meet up with some people on an otherwise quite dull Tuesday evening. But this kind of sums up how I feel about Spanish food at the moment, nothing is really wowing me about it - it seems most of the time to be a bit too carby which is not good for the waste line at all and the cake here is seriously lacking. (plus I still haven't got round to sorting the gym out again.. oppssss) Maybe it is just a case of having to try loads of new restaurants to find the hidden gems! I have also been thinking about what I miss from the UK and  the only food I crave is a proper tea and cake and also HP sauce. Random I know....

This is the totally crazy flamenco lady
 who I was quite convinced was
 going to slap the old guy in
 front of us who kept calling her guapa
and clapping! Something I
 have learnt you do not do in flamenco shows!! 

Thursday evening I went along to a free flamenco show in a bar. It was different to say the least, a crowded Spanish bar (obviously very noisy as everywhere in Spain is) being told of by this crazy lady making everyone be quiet for the show with varying levels of success! It was good fun though and I quite enjoyed it. I know its not really a big thing in this part of Spain so I would like to see a traditional show if I am ever in the south of Spain. 

Then yesterday we jumped on the metro with some food we had brought from the market and went to nearly the end of the line, at least further than I have been before and found this amazing park. It was the Parc del Laberint d'Horta and it was so quiet and peaceful, you wouldn't even know that you were still in the city. To set the scene I saw at lease 2 different wedding parties having their photos taken in the park so  I have however been eaten alive by some evil insects but other than that totally worth it! I have also been shown this super cute cafe which has its seats in the window, and this is somewhere I would have to take anyone who comes and visits! Too addicted to coffee.... 

Shot of a waterfall we found in the park. It was so worth the 2€ entry

Girls enjoying some drinks alfresco

Also trying to plan some weekend trips away in the next couple of months so if anyone has any suggestions of cities you have to visit in Spain (or anywhere else in Europe really) let me know! I also so put out the offer again to anyone to come and visit. I am quiet the tour guide now :) 

Finally feeling at home?

I promise myself that I will blog every week - but I don't. Maybe I will have to set aside blog evening once a week to ensure I do. (But don't quote me on this!). Also thank you to everyone for their great responses to my last blog post! It is great to know it is being read (even if its only by a few) so all comments and feedback are welcome.

The week I came back I spent in the lab, and did very little practical work because the lab was still officially shut but I did finally admit defeat and remind myself I have to write a dissertation whilst I am here. Limited work has been achieved but there is a word document none the less. That is an achievement right?

I went on another walking tour last Saturday, and it was slightly different to the others I have been on. It was aimed at a younger audience, backpackers, students ect.. so it was slightly less orientated around history as the previous tours but more information about visiting the city itself but good non the less! (I wish I had done them the other way around but if you are only here for a short time I would highly recommend the runner beans tours most)

From the Parliament square in Barcelona - Not sure why I love this photo but I do! 

Then as the lab was going to be virtually empty for the next week I decided to use the time to do a 'super intensive' Spanish course last week! It was great fun. I would like to spend longer there and improve more (but I am living in Spain so I should be learning all the time yes?) but maybe I will have the chance to do something similar next summer to help me keep up the skill. I also meet some really lovely people, went out for dinner, went to the beach and had great fun all week. I want to keep in touch with some of the people I meet there for sure!


I then yesterday went to the 1st meeting for Erasmus Student on the Beach and meet more lovely people - who I am  actually meeting this afternoon to attend another Erasmus meeting! Finally I feel as though I am meeting so many people, and I have made more contacts in the last week or so than the whole month I was here to begin with. Maybe I have finally turned a corner (or Spain is finally leaving the vacation period!) Both are probably true. It's totally relevant to me here that friends aren't going to find you unless you put yourself out there.





Anyway unfortunately its back to 'normal' next week! Not that any 2 weeks are the same here - and I am determined to keep that up but it does mean I can start gym classes again (YAYYYY I have been seriously missing a stress relieving aerobics session) and can finally go to the bank ect.

So a final word of this post is that I am finally feeling much more at home here. I am finding friends, catching the night bus alone - not dangerous because I have never seen so many people on a bus here is Spain before, scrapbooking my time here, ensuring I watch my favorite TV shows on i-player and getting back to a slight routine. Maybe this summer wasn't quite as I would have planned but the next 3 months are going to be great, I am sure of it!

Also if you can't tell I ate lots of great food this week!