Hola de Barcelona!!!!

Wow… so much to say and so little blog. Ok where to start? I guess the beginning would be a good place… so.

Aer Lingus. That’s what I flew. Can’t say much about the airline, except that unlike Air France it did not serve free booze and the food was less than something to write home about, all in all a good budget international airline, but don’t expect too much. On the other hand Air France is quickly becoming my favorite airline and I’m full well behind them in the WC finals; France that is.

Dublin. Landed there at 4:50am and soon discovered that what you read about in the papers and how the Polish have amassed in the city is most unconditionally true. I think I heard more Polish in Dublin than Warsaw, ok that’s not exactly true, but it was rampant, and I’d be a fool to say that a few of my country brethren will not hook up there and go on to have Polish babies in Ireland and eventually move back home. I also found the people to be extremely rude. Obviously I’m not judging the country by the people in the airport but still… in NY they may be incompetent, but at least they try.

Now… Spain, Barcelona, Catalunya. Wow! I now remember why it was so hard for me to leave this place five years ago. I landed, the sun was shining, I walked though passport control without any problems (go EU citizenship), talked and laughed with the cabbie on my way to the sublet. The sun was shining – still is as a matter of fact. Everywhere you turn you’re stricken with one beautiful scene after another, music is everywhere, the drivers are crazy, a pleasant breeze nulls the effect of 30 degree heat, and everyone and everything is just amazing. The place is like a little piece of carved out Eden, placed on the Mediterranean. I the Barcelonese are possibly the luckiest people on earth, and I have no idea why anyone would ever want to leave this place, and while I’m yet to make my way to the beach, or go out at night, or start the inevitable sightseeing (I lost 4 rolls of film in Rome, from my last stay here, so I will need to re-do) I have never felt better in my life. It’s hard not to smile. Looking back now, at NY, it’s a depressing place. Truly. Not to mention that the dinner I ate last night was quite possibly the greatest thing I ever had my taste buds experience – salmon, artichoke ravioli, topped with caviar and roe, in a yoghurt sauce, with essence of plum placed around the plate. Mag-ni-fi-cent. In NY the dish would have been $25 easy, and I paid for the entire dinner w/ wine, coffee and water 15€. The only thing I have to complain thus far about is the fact that my cuticles are falling apart from lugging around 40+ kilos worth of stuff, and the fact that until midnight last night I did not sleep for 30+ hours. Meh.

Now being an MBA blog, I should also add the little bit about ESADE, I suppose ;). I made my way to the school yesterday, and like it says in the brochures, the area of Pedrables is truly amazing, beautiful, and scenic. The main building is architecturally very cool looking, and upon making my way in I went to the full time MBA office. Everyone was super nice, and they advised me on who to contact to help move me along with my NIE, they introduced me to Financial Aid, and I should be getting all my financials, bank account and so on, straightened out early next week. Y en finalmente, yo no neceisdo voy a la clase española introductoria. So, I’m heading to Poland for the last two weeks of August to visit the fam, and walk around in the woods. – Super Bueno! :D