una poca de gracia

I went to Barcelona and I bought: A flat, An office, A bike, A gym membership, a cool bag, a monitor, some speakers, some bedding, a mobile phone and um, dammit I can't remember the last one - I'm out. It's not bad for three weeks, all I need now is a girlfriend and a yacht and we're all set. You have no idea how glad I am that my bank doesn't know how to contact me.

I've also discovered the secret to learning Spanish. Predictive texting! After I found my way round my phone I changed the language to Spanish and I can now send texts to people in less than half an hour, but, and here's the kicker, you have to know how to spell. Admittedly in Spanish that's quite easy, it's pretty much phonetic. It's not like in London where I could never arrange anything for tomorrow because my phone wouldn't let me get away with the mm version I was used to.

The Spanish is definitely improving, at least my velocity is slowly approaching that of a stoned Spaniard. The main problem is that I'm still thinking in English, which is dangerous because the constructions are totally different and I almost never get it right when I translate word for word. Everyone's very polite and they understand me, but I must sound like Yoda all the time. Take the simple phrase "I miss that club I like, it's brilliant". In Spanish you have to say: "it I throw less the club he which tastes me, is of whore mother!".

Everytime I tell a taxi driver that I'm here to learn spanish they get really annoyed. They're absolutely right. It's like going to France to learn German. Yes everybody can speak it, but the language is Catalan goddammit. Having said that I've almost never heard it for any length of time. Everybody from here or who's moved here speaks both fluently, so much so that catalas and spaniards find it hard to tell eachother apart. The girls at the office speak both so fast and switch between so randomly and rapidlly that I just have to zone out and concentrate on work (which is probably a good thing). It does however mean that my Spanish is better than I thought, it turns out that when I didn't understand what they were saying they were actually talking catalan (or so I tell myself!).

I'm really tempted to have a go at catalan too. I might get a book. It's a very old an proud language. It looks like french and sounds like italian. Tu pots parl catala? But to be honest I'd never get anywhere with it, it would be like learning latin or esperanto; fun, but unless the necesity is there I won't remember anything.

Things are all beginning to click into place rather nicely. I've got the school work routine going, although I still think I'm on holiday and go out drinking way too much. My day's are LOOONG. Early morning school, lunchtime in the office until about 9 or 10, and then straight out for a drink until the earliest 1. It's do-able but if my insomnia ever kicks in again I'm likely to keel over. The two hour lunch break should be a legal requirement for everyone! Especially when accompanied by the quiet plaza tapas terrace with two lovely graphic designers talking about politics and changing the world. Living within cycling distance of a beach should also be mandatory, although this is probably less practical.

When I said that everyone in Barna is an artist I hadn't realised exactly how deeply that changed the culture. Artists are extremely uncool here, almost geeks. My flatmate Javier for example is a 3d graphical artist, bass player in a well respected avant rock band and ex head chef (which he kindly didn't mention until after I made him dinner). He also seems reserved, shy and doesn't have a lot of friends. Miren is an actress, although like everywhere else in the world that means she's a waitress, although she just auditioned for a part as a waitress in a film, so things are looking up!

When I tell people I'm a photographer the sigh gently and look for someone else to talk to. When I tell them I'm a computer programmer they start cooing like an over excited pigeon. No-ones asked for my autograph yet, but it won't be long now. Above all though I'm really enjoying myself. It's relaxing, I've almost completely forgotten that my life is a mess and I have no future. I don't have any real friends here yet, although I've got a couple of promising prospects, but I've discovered that not a lot of people here do. Everyone's just generally more friendly, and they basically know everyone else well enough to not feel the need for bast friends. I feel really honoured that I'm being accepted and yet still have all you guys, who I love and miss honestly.

I'm coming for a little holiday to the UK, so you can all take your seething jealousy out on me in person, but more of that in another email, I'm never sure if anyone gets to the end of these ones.

I throw you all of less and you taste me much!

Danny