Winter Solstice

The shortest day of the year, the one with least light.

And it’s true there is darkness.

Here’s a song called “Winter Solstice,” haunting and beautiful for the day.

The light starts growing again now.

What will you bring into the light?

Home for the Holidays

There are plenty of bistros…

And the Croque Monsieur is a popular choice…

And that Arc looks kind of familiar

But of course this is my beloved New York, not Paris!

Paris vs New York (Short Video)

By now, many of you know the blog Paris vs New York that was then turned into a book of the same name. A visual comparison of two leading cities – what’s not to love?

While I seem to be welcoming more cities into my favorites category (Istanbul, Barcelona), we’ve still got the classics here. Enjoy the short comparison!

Also: New York has been on my mind so strongly as the city still struggles to get back on its feet after Hurricane Sandy. There’s an amazing fundraiser going on to help those affected if you’re interested. Humans of New York is a photographic census of New York, one street portrait at a time. The photos and accompanying stories have become a major highlight for me each day.

The photographer, Brandon, is doing a great job documenting the stories of Sandy’s wake and has teamed up with Tumblr to fundraise (he reached his goal of 100 K in less than 24 hours!) If you’re interested in participating, here’s the link to the fundraiser page.

All proceeds go directly to the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation, a highly respected, family-run charity.

Otherwise, the website is worth a peek simply for the beauty. Each photograph captures the diversity and resiliency of both a vibrant city and the human spirit.

Long Weekend in London

Well, hello there

Paris is so well situated that jetting off is always tempting. You know how much I like getting away.

Somehow, though, I had never taken advantage of the easiest escape route ever: the Eurostar!

I’ve now rectified that oversight.

In less than two and a half hours I was whisked from the land of wine and cheese to the one of fish and chips.

Of course, London offers much more than that. Between my taste for offbeat adventures and an unconventional guide, I had quite a random visit. Here are a few highlights:

I stumbled into London Fashion Week!

Kokon To Zai fashion show

Somerset House

Browsed in Europe’s largest bookstore! (Foyles)

Speaking Franspagnole and Festa Major de Gracia

Carrer Joan Blanques, Barcelona, Festa Major de Gracia 2012

So I’m speaking Franspagnole.

That’s a mix of French and Spanish.

My brain can’t handle this transitional period. I actually forgot the verb “to be” in French. To be, y’all!

Who am I?

This may be an eternal question, but in this case, I just wanted to remember how to say it. No answer required. The verbs ser and estar kept getting in the way and usurped je suis for nearly 3 days!

Other examples:

When trying to make an appointment for Wednesday, I could not conjure the word mercredi. (Miercoles, miercoles!)

The check came for a couple drinks and I gave the server a billet of diez, not dix.

I went to Castorama to pick up a new bookshelf (more room for books!) and didn’t even realize half my sentence was in Spanish and the other in French. (Hay une etagere en blanc?) I wondered why everyone was giving me strange smiles.

Last night I finally managed to string a few whole sentences together (and was told I sounded Brazilian!).

So, I think I’m getting back on the right track.

Before my Barcelona bliss and buzz fades completely, however, I wanted to document the week-long party that happened right before I left. (It was all for me, right, Barca? I love you, too!)

I’m very excited to have a new post over on the hip web magazine, Untapped Cities, about the Festa Major de Gracia. It’s pronounced differently in Catalan, but it is a major good time.

Hop on over to read the post…plus see a TON of photos.

Fiesta, fiesta! (I mean, fete, fete!)

Why I’m Still in Spain (Photo Edition)

Calella

“When are you back?” my roommate texted, aptly noting that my teaching duties had come to an end, and yet I wasn’t exactly clamoring to return to Paris.

I wrote back to explain that I wasn’t really sure when I’d be back. I was having a great time. And I was offered a free place to stay the whole month of August if I wanted.

“OMG!” My phone lit up again a few minutes later. “You met somebody!”

Creative Writing Class Wrap-Up

Remember the last time you were really angry with someone. Now write about the incident from his or her point of view.

Parc Cervantes

Imagine you’re driving along an unfamiliar road. You hear the engine running, feel the strap of the seatbelt holding you in. Is it light or dark outside? The car stops. You step out. What do you see?

Write a poem of questions. No answers. Just questions.

Write about one of your scars.

Our bohemian writers’ day in 4 Gats Cafe

These are some of the prompts I used this summer in my creative writing class.

We usually began the day in this way, the first 20 minutes of our daily 3-hour class spent freewriting.

I’ve always loved what appears on the page during these exercises, seeing the material our subconscious alights upon when we turn off the internal censor. It was a privilege to hear what my students came up with. No matter what I threw at them – pick 3 words from this hat and use them in a scene! Look at this random object; now put it in your writing! “Translate” this Zapotec poem even though you don’t know the language! – they set right to writing and astounded with their imagination.

Writing in the garden: University of Barcelona

So it’s kind of ironic that after a month spent urging others to write (write! write for your life!) I am having trouble myself.

I keep feeling like I need to tell you all about my summer in Spain, all these new experiences, all of this stuff…but I don’t know where to begin. I don’t yet know what it actually means.

So I’ll start with what I know so far. In some ways I did a better job this summer than I thought I would. In other ways, I just scraped by by the skin of my teeth. That pretty much sums up what a first teaching experience would be like, right?

The great thing about the program is that it emphasized “experiential learning.” As in, these students didn’t fly across the ocean to sit inside every day. Each teacher was charged with getting them out and about, to use the city as the classroom.

For a subject like creative writing that’s both straightforward and something of a stretch. We can write anywhere! Everything is material!

Of course, on certain days the link wasn’t always so obvious. Why did we go to that garden to talk about story structure? What does this museum have to do with plot?

A Spanish Fourth

Hooray palm tree!

Happy Fourth of July to those in the States!

I’ll admit I nearly forgot it was Independence Day. I’ve been in Barcelona since Sunday (where shouts of GOL! greeted me upon arrival; Spain won the Euro 2012 championship) and been deep into Spanish fever (in the good way) since.

I’ve been zipping all over town trying to get my bearings as I’ll soon be playing tour guide. I already have the crazy tan lines to prove all my trekking (yay, sunshine!)

I’m also speaking a strange mix of FranSpanglish (French + Spanish + English) as my brain tries to get up to speed. I was surprised when our faculty meeting this week was conducted almost entirely in Spanish – and even more surprised that I actually understood most of what was going on. Wow, it’s been 14 years since I studied in Mexico; I haven’t used Spanish much since. Words long buried are starting to rise up again.

Still, I open my mouth and French is the first thing on my tongue. It’s always interesting to return to the limbo of linguistic confusion.

Tomorrow I wake up bright and early to welcome students at the airport. I can’t wait to meet the students in my class!

Not sure how often I’ll be checking in this month, but just wanted to say hello. And send some sunshine your way in case you need it.

Bright colors in La Boqueria

Taking in art at the MACBA

Parque de la Ciutadella

Gardens at the University of Barcelona

University of Barcelona

Can’t get over those palm trees

Best Proposal Ever!

I just couldn’t resist posting this proposal. It made me so happy! (And cry tears of joy).

Have a great weekend and enjoy!

There and Back with a Bang!

Sunny Central Park and Jumping Girl with Umbrella

Paris! I’ve returned!

Yes, after a month’s sojourn Stateside I’m back in the City of Light.

But just what was I doing away for so long?

Well, falling back in love with my American home, to be honest.

Late Night Mexican Street Food on the Lower East Side

The trip stirred up a lot of feelings for me. Just when I thought I was settled (and incredibly satisfied!) in Paris, New York had to go and work her old charm on me.

Oh, this. THIS.

That was my reaction as soon as I stepped back into the city. I was flooded with my overwhelming love for the place: the energy, diversity, the possibilities just teeming in the streets.

Never thought a bagpipe could be a viable “jam” instrument, but I was proven wrong in Union Square. I have video, too!