So here goes, the long post.
(These events are not recorded chronologically as i really can't remember what happened on each day.)
I got on the plane, thinking it would be a 7hour flight. It turned out to be 16hours. SIA seems to have really sucky games now. I mean, Pokemon?! They had a horribly, brain-damaging selection of movies too. Who would want to see GongLi baring her cleavage in Miami Vice. No wait, pretend i didn't say anything. Got down the plane in Milan cos the plane was in transit and saw a football store selling *shriek, Juventus stuff. Problem was, it was 5am in the morning there and the shop was closed, so i could only stare forlornly into the shop.
We did some sightseeing during the next few days on an open-top bus called the Bus Turistic. It was so nice to have cool wind whip into my face and the sun shining down at the same time. The air in Barcelona was kinda dirty though, much dirtier than the air in Singapore.
Went for tapas, and the owner of the tapas bar was this (funny) man who seemed like he was on a sugar high. He performed a magic trick for us, shouting Energy! Energy! and balanced an empty glass bottle at the slanted edge of a table. Anyone could have done that, but we clapped anyway to humour him. He thought we couldn't speak English, when he didn't even understand us when we asked for the menu. He spent the rest of our meal doing another two tricks, which i found rather irritating because i couldn't eat in peace without having to indulge in clapping, smiling politely, or winking for his tricks. The food was exorbitantly-priced though(maybe because we were tourists), 60+euros for a few small dishes which seemed more like appetisers.
Went to the Sagadra Familia, it was under renovation, so i had to crop a lot of the photos to remove the unsightly cranes. there were supposed to be three different facades, but i can only remember 'Passion' right now. One of the facades was supposed to be influenced by animals or something, cos there were frogs and snakes on that section of the building. Found a turtle carved at the base of a pillar. Not sure if i posted that picture though. After paying an entrance fee, we had to pay another 2euros each if we wanted to go up and elevator to a tower 65metres up. I didn't know it would be so high, and frankly, didn't know what i was going up for. When i reached the top, a bunch of jaanese tourists were helping (to the extent of urging) me out of the lift going 'Des, Des!'. I went past them into a narrow, winding staircase and almost fainted, because there were vents in the wall where one could peek through, and look at the ground, 65metres down. i finally stumbled to a sort of tower-thing and forced myself to take a picture. Apparently, my whole family has altophobia, so we decided to go down right after i took the photos.
Got down the Bus Turistic at Camp Nuo, the stadium of FC Barcelona. Found out there was a match that day, but my parents didn't wanna watch, so we just went to the boutique and got souveniers. Didn't really get anything there though. Wanted to get something with Zambrotta, but i couldn't find any. Aw. Walked out of the boutique with only a nice pen. My mom bought a load of things. She doesn't even like football. Walked past a booth that allowed visitors to take pictures with the players. It was photoshopped of course, but i couldn't resist the opportunity when i saw that zambrotta was there. Was supposed to look like i was holding on to his arm, but the lady made me look like i had my arm at his waist. The horror.
Walked about the Gotic Quarter of the city and found a market. It was so clean. I was most amused when i saw pieces of pork thighs hanging from the ceilings of the butcher stalls. The cured ham is called jabugo btw. Shall elaborate how i know later. They were selling dragon fruits for 2euros each. It costs less than a dollar in NTUC.
Got bored on the third day because my mom and i are not the look-at-monuments-and-go-ooh-and-aah type, and started asking my dad if we could go back to Singapore the next day. Turns out it was already night in Singapore, so we couldnt call to get tickets and were stuck there for another 3days.
Over the next few days, we were typical Singaporeans and went shopping. Some of the stuff there was surprisingly quite cheap. I got a bag from Bershka for 11euros. Wasnt of every good quality, but it can't be found in Singapore. Got a pair of shoes for 63euros which wouldve cost around S$200 here. Saw a very unique sling bag that cost 200euros but i didn't get it cos it was too expensive. Got another bag which for 20+euros because of some 1-for-1 discount. It's yellow and brown. omgomgomg.
Went to the Museu del Erotica. My parents are open-minded. I didn't take any pictures though, so too bad. Heh. It was a waste of money anyway, because for 7.50euros, we got to see a few interesting contraptions and a few rooms of erotic art which could have otherewise been accessed online. Oh japanese eroticism (i don't think im'm spelling it right) is sick la.
Visited the Picasso Museum. I didn't know how to appreciate his genre(i've no idea what it is) of art though, so i didn't realy enjoy it. Give me surrealism by the likes of Dali anytime. I got rather grossed out by his drawing of a women having her monthly visitor. It seemed more crude to me than artistic, but then again, what do i know about art?
On the last night, my dad's spanish business associate(this sounds so mafia) brought us to dinner at some seafood restaurant. We waited in the hotel lobby for him, and he was late. How rude. He swept into the lobby, and started gesticulating in a rather broken-wristed manner, which was quite funny because he had this rather manly look. He's short though, shorter than my dad, though my dad isn't very short himself. Most spanish i saw were rather short, but had very pretty eyes -long, curled eyelashes and all. We got into his car, and he promptly volunteered the information that the car was small(a renault) because it was a 'ceeety car' and kept stressing that he had another car, tucked somewhere else. When my dad asked how much the car cost, he said '1million in your money,' i promptly burst out laughing, albeit rudely. He realised his mistake and gave another sum. Apparently, their mid-range homes cost around $2000-5000 per square foot in our money. Hah. We don't use the renminbi, you know?
In the restaurant, i found him particularly annoying so i decided feign interest in a particular picture hung on the wall. It consisted of a fish and several varieties sea anemone. Oh well. At least it was colourful. We sat and ate so many courses, we barely touched the main course when it came. Halfway through the dinner, my mom suddenly asked 'You spanish people aren't very big-sized are you?' to which he replied 'No, not at all, we are not like Germans, the men are beeeg,' then promptly added 'Dey women too.' That mustve been the only time anyone gave a sincere laugh.
On the way back to Singapore on and SIA plane, i met the son of the nice lady that took care of me last time. It was one of those 'Hey! Good to see you!' things, just more sincere since he was more like a korkor to me. I hadn't seen him in ages, and despite being in an air steward for so long, i hadn't met him on a flight before. He was a chief steward too, cool. Suddenly, we got extra good treatment from the rest of the staff on board. Heh. Apparently, busniess class people not only get better seats and treatment, even the packets of peanuts are larger. They get whole fruits too like oranges, apples, and plum.
We weren't supposed to get down during the transit at Milan, but due to some technical error we had to, and i got to visit the shop selling football stuff. Juventus really needs better designers for their memorabilia. AC and Inter have such nice products, but most of Juventus' stuff seemed rather obiang. While in the shop, i overheard this Singaporean teen saying 'Juventus', 'relegation' and 'sucks'. I felt like walking over and saying that Juventus were at the top of SerieB despite their 8point penalty, then smacking him in the face. Of course, i didn't. I am after all, very civilised. : D
Spent the rest of the trip watching movies and playing Pokemon. I found Kirby's Dreamland and SuperMario highly annoying.
Went back home, and puked and had diarrhea simultaneously that night, then fever the next day. My dad had diarrhea only, but my mom didn't. Must be the oysters i had which the business associate had assured were very safe. My mom didn't take any. Bull. I sure hope he had an even worse time than i did.
posted by me at
Thursday, December 14, 2006
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