Barcelona: The Wonderful World of Dan Juan

The wonderful world of Dan Juan
October 7, 2001

Hola todos los personnes (I think that´s Spanish for hello everybody)

I am alive, well and now living happily in Barcelona, though a bit tired after a bit Thursday, Friday and Saturday night. Martin and I finished the 5 week road trip (Luke´s chateau, Biarritz, Bilbao, San Sebastien, the Picos de Europa mountains, Santander and a bit of Galcia) before getting to Barca three weeks ago.

I´ve just finished my 3 week language course at International House, or the Barcelona School for Young Swedish Girls as it´s unofficially known. I was pitched into the deepend of a class that could already speak Spanish so spent most of the time doing what I usually do in any acadesitutationtion and lied, cheated and copied my way through it. I can now order 2 beers and say Hello in Spanish so I´ve got all the vocab I need to live the good life.

I´ve been living in with a ´host family´ or as it turns out a little old lady called Dora. Things have had there ups and downs - I could only take one shower a day (this may come as a surprise to some people but I actually wanted to take more than one a day), I had to eat out all the time and she had a bit of a problem with my football kit making her flat stink but I got through it by saying Hello and asking for two beers in pidgen Spanish with a cheeky grin on my face. My Dad, who has been over for a week, was very pleased to see that after I made a pig´s ear of trying to open the front door that my nice little old lady started hitting around the back of the head.

Barcelona is fantastic, lots of stuff to do and see - I obviously recommend a trip out here to everyone, though I think every weekend in November is now booked with Dan-related tour parties. The weather has been unusually hot for this time of year so my tan is regularly topped up with some horizontal leisure (ie lying around) on the beach after school.

I can seem to do everything here that I could do in London but just with better weather. A typical Sunday involves getting in at 5am, getting up at midday, buying the Observer, sitting in a cafe drinking Earl Grey tea, then going to an Irish Pub to watch the Sky Sports English football match. Tough life really. I am of course taking in the local culture and immersing myself in Spanish life as well, just not on Sundays.

I am of course playing football. I tried to play for the team we played against on our football tour at Easter but the Disorganiser (our crap tour rep) had too many players so I ended up playing for their opposition in a pre-season friendly. I came on as sub after 35 minutes and scored a 25 yarder into the top corner with my first touch in Spanish football - I told you things were going well. Another goal 5 minutes later and the respective managers were having an arguement over who was going to sign me. I´m now playing for the Black Sheep in a team of ex-pats and slightly mentalist Catalans. Yesterday, I´d been out on a big night out until 6 in the morning and was feeling pretty shitty and they made me play in midfield in 30 degree 2 o´clock heat. I nearly died and spent most of the game trying to hide, find some shade or drink water - i may not be needed next week... I´ve also found a Yoga class to go to on Tuesday´s which is a bit different to back home - it´s run by a bit of and hippy American who makes me go Ummmm and talks about energy flows - it helps the back ache though.

Missed the England - Germany game - I was in the mountains with Martin trying to kill me by making me walk up at 4000 foot sheer slope which says in the guide book "no-one makes the mistake of making this ascent more than once in their life". We only read that afterwards. Saw England amazingly draw with a supposedly crap bunch of Greeks but who cares now we´re all part of Sven´s barmy army and off to the Far East.

I moved out of the house with Dora, the flyweight boxing champion of Catalunya, and unfortunately accommodation things have taken a turn for the worse. I know live further out from the centre in a boiling little, dirty box room, with a single bed and bad sheets. I have to lock my door because the flat owner, Enrique, has a un-housetrained 5 month old labrador, which is cute the first time it shags your leg but it get right on your tits after a while. It pisses and shits as well, which is nice. There´s an Irish bloke in the other rented room who is helping me come up with some sort of domestic "accident" to get rid of it. Enrique is gay, which is interesting, and has less of an interest in the workings of the sweeper system than I´d hope for.

I start my TEFL course tomorrow, which I've been warned is pretty intensive and stressful - a bit like workthing. I should be able to understand more of what the Spanish students are saying that I could the teccies at least. The course itself is in the English so I can get back to being tongue tied in my own language. After I finish in a months I will have to be lucky to find a job. There are lots of schools to work at but they take on most of their staff around this time of year and I will have to get a spot where someone has left or run off. January is much better apparently so I may have to just have more of a holiday.

All in all things are going very well. Made lots of friends - though the majority are a bit younger than me. Been out dancing a lot and found lots of clubs and bars to go to. Perhaps you should come out and sample it for yourselves.

If anyone has an overwhelming urge to speak to me I have a Spanish mobile phone. The number is 0034 651 519 141 which I think works. So if you´re bored at work and want to waste someone else´s phone bill give me a ring and I´ll give you a weather check while you sit at your desk. Don´t though leave any voicemail messages as the woman on my voicemail speaks in Spanish and I have no way of knowing what she wants me to do -a bit like my language classes. And of course there´s always the miracle of the interweb to contact me on.

Hope you´re all well and that your jobs, love lives, babies, football teams and good health are all !Estupendo! as they say here.

Lots of love

Dan