BARCELONA TRIP - DAY FIVE

Date: Friday; March 14, 2008

Time: 2:15AM (Next Day Pretty Much)

Where: Codorniu Winery & Montserrat

What an incredible day it has been! First, we took a trip to codorniu winery which was, WOW. I mean, I've never been to a winery before but this place was just something else. Bottles and bottles and bottles of wine were stored underground as part of the fermentation process. I heard it took up to a year through three years depending on the taste desired. We took a mini train ride through the caves and there were bottles everywhere. Everyone was taking pictures because the scenery on the outside and inside of the buidings was just incredible.

I had the opportunity to take some pictures with my new found group members. Then it was time for the wine tasting. I have to confess, I really wasn't too crazy about the wine. This time around it was white sparkling wine but geez it was only my second glass ever. I think I'm going to need something very sweet to start off if I ever think of enjoying wine. Yeah, yeah, yeah I've heard it over and over again - "it's an acquired taste and you'll just need to appreciate it." No darn it, I need something sweet! LOL.

Finally we took the elevator downstairs to where we could purchase wine. Pretty much like a mini wine store. Of course yours truly found a nice spot to sit, and just stared at people being excited about buying wine. Some couldn't even decide if they wanted two or three. My goodness! Anyway the whole buying fiasco came to an end and we had to head over to the bus.

Next destination - Montserrat! Alright I'm so excited to talk about Montserrat that I don't even know where and how to start. Maybe I should start with the drive up there first of all. Gorgeous, gorgeous, georgeous! Every little detail made the whole big picture absolutely beautiful. Then I start noticing that the drive to Montserrat was getting steep and weird. I looked around and right there, mountains all around us; and we were on our way up some more going in a spiral motion. Didn't bother me that much cause I was busy taking pictures. After some minutes, we got to our destination. We walked through a courtyard to the main sanctuary and were told that a funeral was going on. How very weird! It was for a very famous woman and there were notable politicians present.

So the funeral came to an end and the moment I'd been anticipating was approaching. See our tour guide had told us earlier that Montserrat has one of the oldest boys choir in the world. I've forgotten what year exactly the choir began but it consists of boys from ages nine to fourteen. After fourteen, the boys leave Montserrat just like boarding school I guess. Okay back to my moment - I made my way into the church and sat with others from the group and waited. As if on cue, the boys filed onto the altar, waited for their director's 'okay' and started singing. Just as our tour guide told us, those boys sang two songs for ten minutes and off the stage they went. It was just like clockwork. They sang so beautifully!

Oh by the way, meanwhile there was a long line from outside the Cathedral to the very top of the altar via a stairwell where people were trying to touch the Black Madonna and say a little prayer. Anywhoo, time was drawing close to get back on the bus back to Barcelona. I was later out late because I went out with a couple of ladies. It was nice to hang out but nothing productive though. Ugh...

FOOD FOR MY SOUL...

The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want
He makes me to lie down in green pastures
He leads me beside the still waters
He restores my soul
He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake
Yes, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
I will fear no evil for you are with me
Your rod and your staff, they comfort me
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies
You anoint my head with oil, my cup runs over
Surely goodness and mercy will follow me
All the days of my life
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever and ever. Amen!

For some weeks now, I've been in need of some divine strength and encouragement. I know I have my wonderful friends and family who do their best with whatever they have to say but it's just not enough. I know it's just not me alone; there's got to be someone else out there who feels so heavy with all of the things they have to go through that requires you to dig down deep within you for something refreshing. Anyway for some reason, everytime I think about all the deadlines I have to meet and all the things I want to keep up with while being there for my family and friends at the same time and all the other committments I have to fulfill, this bible passage keeps creeping into my head. I'm not sure why but I think I know why considering the words of the passage. Now it's just up to me to hold on to them and really believe.Even at this moment, I'm up trying to complete my assignment before morning comes and it's time for me to submit it and I'm thinking "Oh my God, can I really do this?" Arghhhh.... really sucks! This helpless feeling is not my style o. At all, at all - I just can't stand it! So yes, I think this is where Psalm 23 has been coming in for me. It makes perfect sense.

Here's to anyone who feels helpless, hopeless, and alone. You're not. Be encouraged...

BARCELONA TRIP - DAY FOUR (Part 2)

Next stop - The U.S. Embassy Consulate General in Barcelona. The area was really nice; the schools, the other buildings, the color of the buildings. After checking our passports, we were ushered into a room and I thought nothing of it at all until someone beside me said, "You would think they would put us in a better room; I mean what did we get all dressed up for if we weren't going to be in the real building." OMG, I couldn't help but laugh cause seriously, for real! Anyway, I just shrugged my shoulders and smiled because I still thought nothing of the situation. I was glad to be there all the same and get the day over with already. After some minutes of trying to settle down, a Mr. Todd Robinson stood in front of us and began to talk. He talked about everything from how his job works to politics to economics to financials to the U.S and Spain relations to terrorists threats to evacuation procedures. Very, very, very, informative - the man knew his stuff.

Questions were asked and I thought Mr. Robinson did a superb job of getting them answered regardless of whether or not he did so to be politically correct. I was indeed proud to have someone like him represent "us" outside the country. I only hope others are doing a great job too. Then he took us around the property grounds and I thought the environment was absolutely beautiful. We said out thank-yous and goodbyes and walked back to the meeting room.

Same place, next meeting - JWT Advertising Agency. Alright I have a confession to make here: I have to say that by this time I had completely zoned out. Oh I was glad that I caught the nine minutes FREIXENET commercial (see below) with Martin Scorcese as director but most of the other commercials, I just didn't get or understand at all. Anyway I was so sure that I would start figuring them out a week later when I got back. People will think I'm crazy when all of a sudden I go, "Oh, I get it!" Anyway I enjoyed myself all the same. It was now time to head back to the hotel. Got on my bed as usual and went straight to sleep! Yep. Later on that night, I ended up going with five other ladies to PIZZA MARZANO for dinner.

Of course, the food there was semi-great; I had lasagne - couldn't help it! But it was different (very authentic) from the one back home so I guess it still counts as me trying new things. The ladies and I had great converstaion about what we learned earlier during the day. We all concluded that Todd Robinson was fantastic. Someone also brought up the fact that our professor looked stressed and frustrated. Well I personally felt like she wasn't happy with the room we ended in but I could be wrong. Plus she probably has other things on her plate. My conclusion: be patient and try not to take anything out here personal. Because I just about did during the restroom situation back at the consulate building. Great dinner, great ladies, great conversation. Overall, I felt content; was ready to go back to bed though hehehe.

*Restaurant* *My dinner - lasagna*

BARCELONA TRIP - DAY FOUR

Date: Thursday; March 13, 2008

Time: 8:30PM

Where: Scheduled Business Meetings

Overslept a little but woke up on time to get some breakfast and catch up with the others. First stop today - ESEI Business School. We had to take a train ride to that part of town. My first train ride, woohoo! Well actually I found out later that this was the Metro, my first train ride comes later during the trip. Anyway, the Metro ride wasn't anything spectacular but I guess it was nice to be underground for once. Took us a while to locate the school but oh weel, I can say it was worth the walk. Got a nice welcome from the owner of the school, then there was his son, and Karen. Nice lot of people! It was absolutely wonderful to hear from the three American students who were there on an exchange program from California, Washington State University, and Seattle. I need to think about this option seriously soon. Well, I thought Jonathan Hayes', our guest speaker, presentation on healthcare issues was very insightful although he claimed he wasn't an expert in that area. My 'whoa' moment was when we were told how intense people were trained for the healthcare field, precisely 11 years!, and yet weren't getting paid much. Kpssshhh not here, I'll tell ya that much.

Then we finally went downstairs to the patio. There were drinks and all sorts of food for us - very nice. The patio was very beautiful and it was really nice to just stand there and talk to different people. My conversation with Mr. Hayes made me realize that moving here wasn't or shouldn't be all there is to my learning process; it's okay to keep my options open to all locations in the world. I made sure I got lots of pictures hehehe, so far I had been doing okay with taking pictures. Next, I introduced myself to three ladies (in our group) who who in turn introduced themselves as Arlene, Angela, and Helen. Arlene and Helen just enrolled into the program and Angela is their mom who tagged along. Great ladies! We hit it off immediately; we talked about everything from education to graduation to finding jobs to marriage (lol on that one, hilarious!). We even talked about piercings and tattoos!!! And then I asked if they were already in a group for the scrapbook project. I almost couldn't believe it when they told me "NO". Everyone I have asked has told me they were already in a group and I was starting to get worried. Anyway right there and then our group was formed and I couldn't have been more happier. We talked some more, with one other guy pitching in once a while, and then we threw out some ideas for our project and became comfortable. It was time to leave.

*ESEI School* *Food display on patio*

*Mr. Jonathan Hayes* *Sour orange tree*


*Owner of ESEI*

BARCELONA TRIP - DAY THREE

Date: Wednesday; March 12, 2008

Time: 1:45PM

Where: Around Barcelona


What a day walking around Catalunya. It was a lot of walking but I had a mighty great time! Our tour guide is so knowledgeable. She was very patient in explaining the history of the area to the group. One can only marvel and be in awe when each story is told. Had an opportunity to go into one of the oldest cathedrals. I believe it took hundreds and hundreds of years to build. Well, it was definitely beautiful inside with all the intricate designs and nice candle lightings. Goodness, someone got their camera stolen! Pick-pockets are definitely real here, well I was warned very well ahead of the trip so I was prepared. Hopefully I won't be a victim. Plus, do I really need to put a sign around my neck that says "From Oshodi - Lagos, Nigeria"??? Been there (can't believe it actually happened to me even as young as I was back then) so many times. *HISS*

We saw lots of shops with very different things for sale. The one thing that struck me about this is that they were smaller unlike the ones in the U.S. Anyway so we went through the marketplace! Gosh, kinda brought back very vivid memories of the marketplace in Lagos. Absolutely no difference - the buzzing noise, smiling sellers (sometimes anyway), the million and one things one could choose from and purchase. Ahhh... memories, but I still appreciated the experience.

Next major stop was the Museum de Picasso. On our way there I saw more amazing buildings including the umbrella house. I'm glad I got a great picture of that because it looked beautiful. Got back to the hotel and went straight to sleep! I know, me and sleep!!! Woke up later (looked really late but it was only 8PM) and decided to take a quick walk around the area. Well, ended up at a place called ATN Restaurant. The food was really good and my waiter was from Morocco!

HELP ANYONE?

Does anyone know where those who are not in Naija can get 9ice's new album: Gongo Aso? I have searched and searched and searched everywhere (okay just online but I'm trying now) but can't find it o. Even the online store, usually my first option, where I usually go to buy ORIGINAL Nigerian CDs doesn't have it. Maybe I should say they don't have it yet cause they have his debut CD: Certificate. Can anyone out there help me???

Paging Toni Payne. Paging Toni Payne. Paging Toni Payne! LOL!!! Please help a sister out here.

IS THE WORLD REALLY READY?

(Pic courtesy: http://www.oprah.com/)

Was I the only one who caught the 'pregnant man' saga on The Oprah Show yesterday? Supposedly it's been all over the news, the media has taken the story and they're having a field day with it. I think TMZ also took a stab at the story claiming it was a hoax or was that a totally different story? I dunno, I only caught a glimpse of it so I might have been mistaken. For some reason, when the Oprah Show advertised the episode as an upcoming one, I really wasn't moved. As in I wasn't bothered or perplexed or shocked. I just sat there and figured "Hmm... here we go again America, this should be interesting." And then the D day came. First of all, I didn't even remember to put my life on hold so as to catch the show at the scheduled time. Instead I went about my daily business of trying to get my assignments done and just let technology do its thing. I got back home really late but still managed to have enough strength to want to watch my recorded shows. Can't miss my OLTL! And Oprah of course.

Alright so the first hour goes by and then Oprah's voice comes on introducing the episode and I'm thinking "Oh yeah that's today!" Story starts: Thomas and Nancy are married and expecting their first child. So what's the fuss? Well it's Thomas, the husband, who's pregnant! Ugh, repetition, repetition, please what's the twist? What trick is involved, I'm thinking. Anyway long story short, turns out that he, Thomas, used to be a she, Tracy. So please people I am asking, "What the heck is so amazing or so weird about that???" Thomas/Tracy (whichever you prefer at this point) decided to go through a sex change procedure -from girl to boy- but then chose to keep his/her womb. So here's my dilemma: why people still can't see her as a woman. I mean he still has her womb! I'm really trying not to confuse myself here with the hes and hers but keep up. Here's how I see it: to God Almighty (yeah remember the Big Dude up in the sky who created Thomas as Tracy? yeah Him), Thomas is still the beautiful and talented girl He blessed Tracy's family with. Get that? Well I got it, so why can't the portion of Americans who are so fascinated by this story get it too?

I guess the real reason why I've given this topic more thought than I usually do with controversial topics like this is because I think it's absolutely ridiculous how everyone keeps saying "The first ever pregnant man" or something of that sort. This is not even about Thomas/Tracy anymore. As you can see, it's not like I've personally attacked him/her/the family; whatever anyone wishes to do on their spare time is between them and God. And if that includes going through a sex change, well then more vegetable oil to your elbows! Even after hearing the story about he/she keeping the womb, you would think people would realize that "oh well technically he/she's still a female." Helloooo, does the presence of a womb not cry out female to anybody else?!?!?! Everyone just needs to calm down, relax, and go about their daily routine and wait for a real headline that says "The President (as in PRESIDENT BUSH himself) is having a baby!!!". Right. That's when we'll really be talking about a man being pregnant for real.

BARCELONA TRIP - DAY TWO

Date - Tuesday; March 11, 2008

Time - 5:15AM

Where - Barcelona, Spain!

We made it! Yes we did and I believe we are on time too. Wheww... barely got any sleep on the airplane so I'm aware my jet-lag will definitely be out of control. Margarita!!! No not the drink but the name of the lady I sat beside on the plane. I had to remind myself to ask for her name before we got to Spain. We exchanged emails (how weird even for me cause I rarely do that) and said our good-byes and good-lucks. Everything just went by smoothly at the airport except for the baggage claim. I feel like I'm at the airport back home; it takes forever to get your bags back from that place. Ugh, finally got my bag after I must have watched it go past me like 3 or 4 times! Then time to get on nthe bus... yeah, no bus. Well at least not at the time we were all ready to go. Still no bus. Oh yeah, it'll be here in an hour. Nope, nothing yet. Some time went by and.... alright we're ready, let's go get on the bus. 47 people and loads and loads (ok there were a lot of bags but I might be exaggerating a little here) of bags and luggages head outside the airport but still no bus! My head is going to explode from sleep deprivation but I force myself to snap out of it. The weather is gorgeous but I think it's still cold. Well at least I think so because I'm shivering. I'm always shivering lol. I'm more of a summer person anyway. Finally the bus arrives Woohooo! And it definitely looks like something from the future. Absolutely nice inside and out. I'm impressed.

Our tour guide was also nice. She just told us her name but I don't know how to spell it. She also said it's a common name in Spain so maybe I'll ask her later. She knows her stuff, I mean her wealth in knowledge about almost everything in Barcelona is nothing short of amazing! Well she is a tour guide you know but I still give her credit. Everything here is so beautiful even the older sections of the city. Some buildings are just magnificent. The thought and labor that have been put into them is just beyond me. Very inspirational. We stopped to take pictures somewhere on the mountains/hills near MIRAMAR. Hmmm... breathtaking - the view.

We had another stop; window shopping, food for some, others like me just walked around and admired everything. We finally get to our last stop to our hotel (NH Duc De La Victoria). Oh my goodness, look at all the luggages! Checked in at the hotel, met my roommate KK, got acquainted, tried to settle in, took our turns in the shower and went straight to bed. Total bliss!

Dinner at the Mussol Restaurant was very nice. We had an appetizer, and then some chicken and potatoes, and then dessert - I believe it was lemon merengue. Pretty much had my very first taste of red wine! Umm... yeah it was definitely bitter but I was advised that it wasn't necessarily the best wine to start with. Acquired taste, I hear. We'll see about that...