contes d'estels i lluernes

2012-02-11T16:50:00.001+01:00

Yesterday (all my troubles seemed so far away)

I've had 4 rolls developed today. These were shot using Agfa Vista 200 film, which MK sent me a while ago (thank you so much as always).

--REPLIES--

@allison and Magali: I'm so glad I'm not alone about the cupcakes. They are ridiculously cute, but I don't see what's so great about them -the icing is basically butter plus sugar, right?

2012-02-02T12:42:00.001+01:00

You better run, better run, faster than my bullet (Foster the People, 'Pumped Up Kicks')

The thing that you don't know about me (or at least one of many) is that I keep a secret stash of unposted food pictures for times like this.

It's cold these days (and rainy).
I'm a sniffling mess going through my finals, one of a time (2 down, 5 to go).
I have four unfinished rolls of film (bad, bad, bad, bad).
I wrote about Spinoza and Berkeley yesterday (and about the sophists, and Plato, and Plotinus).

By the way, don't be fooled by the pretty photos: I was very disappointed after eating cupcakes (any kind of cupcake). I can't see what's so great about them.

--REPLIES--

@melly, allison, jackie: cakes are awesome ; )

@Magali: Hi, and sorry for the extra-late reply! Those things you were asking about were little chocolate cakes (the kind that's runny inside). Also, many thanks for the good-luck wishes about my finals.

@Katie: Hello and thanks for your sweet comment! (I'm not very active these days, but I'll fully come back after some weeks).

2012-01-27T22:21:00.000+01:00

Starting next Monday I'll have three weeks of finals -two weeks for uni's first semester, plus another week in the middle for my French tests.

I'm currently offline (now being an exception since my brain is unable to handle more Spinoza for a little while) and running on tea.

Take care, have a nice weekend, etc.

-TBC-

2012-01-17T15:08:00.001+01:00

The sky is falling in (Radiohead, '2+2=5')

Some assorted bits from last November.

--REPLIES--

@Magali: Hi! It's very nice to know about new readers, and thank you for your sweet comments.

2012-01-14T22:01:00.000+01:00

Caramel banana cake

I tried to make this cake after Ai posted the recipe in her blog last October. It's sweet (but not too sweet) and soft. I also made it using canned pineapple instead of banana, and it works really well too.

I love baking, it really helps me to focus when my head feels stuffed and ready to burst.

(Finals start in two weeks. Lets do this)

EDIT - Some notes on the cake recipe

I don't follow the recipe exactly the way Ai posted it, mostly because after making this cake a few times there are little modifications that make it work better for me. So,

I don't sift the sugar, and I only sift the flour once (I always sift the flour when baking).
sometimes I let the caramel turn a little darker, just because.
we don't have fancy baking hardware, so I whip and beat everything using a fork. That said, I add the sugar in little additions (maybe 5-6 instead of only 3).
also, I don't beat the eggs and then add them to the sugar and butter mixture. I add one, beat until combined, and do the same with the other two. To avoid curds in the batter, I add a tablespoon of flour (from the 100 gr that the recipe needs; sifted) every time I add an egg -it really helps.

--REPLIES--

@Chih: Thanks as always. You never fail to make my day a little bit brighter.

@allison: A cup of hot chocolate is great, isn't it? I used Kodak Gold 200 to shot these. I used Portra 160 when I went to Barcelona some months ago, but lately I mostly use Gold 200 when I shoot with the OM10.

2012-01-12T18:34:00.001+01:00

Hot cocoa after Menorca.

I went to Barcelona on Tuesday. I got up at 7 am to catch my plane, and at 9 pm I was back in Ibiza. Short trips are exhausting. The day, however, was quite pleasant. I met with a good friend in the train to uni. I was able to clear some of the bureaucracy regarding my enrolling to this year. I had lunch at Bouzu, which I can't recommend enough -the unadon was simply amazing. I went to Norma and Gigamesh (another favorite), and walked around Arc de Triomf.

I've been studying Epistemology for the last two days. My cold is going away, thankfully, so it's easier to focus on the things I'm reading.

2012-01-08T20:17:00.000+01:00

2011 in books

Here we go:

Arrabal, Fernando. La torre herida por el rayo
Auster, Paul. Sunset Park
Averroes. Sobre el intelecto
Aznar Almazán, Yayo and Martínez Pino, Joaquín. Últimas tendencias del arte(#)
Baudelaire, Charles. The Flowers of Evil
Blake, William. The Complete Poems*
Borges, Jorge Luis. El Aleph
Brontë, Emily. Wuthering Heights
Capote, Truman. Breakfast at Tiffany's
Cheng, François. Vide et plein: le langage pictural chinois
Christopher, Nicholas. The Bestiary
Cruz Hernández, Miguel. Historia del pensamiento en el mundo islámico v. 1(#)
Cruz Hernández, Miguel. Historia del pensamiento en el mundo islámico v. 2(#)
Colli, Giorgio. La nascita della filosofia
Copleston, Frederick. A History of Philosophy. Vol II: Medieval Philosophy (#)
Copleston, Frederick. A History of Philosophy. Vol III: Late Medieval and Renaissance Philosophy(#)
Cruces, Francisco et al. (eds.). Las culturas musicales. Lecturas de etnomusicología
Doctorow, Edgar Lawrence. City of God
Eco, Umberto. Apocalypse Postponed [Apocalittici e integrati]
Fante, John. Dreams from Bunker Hill
Fitzgerald, F. Scott. Tender is the Night*
Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsy
Foucault, Michel. The Discourse on Language
Foucault, Michel. The Order of Things
Gaiman, Neil. American Gods*
Gaiman, Neil. Neverwhere*
Gaiman, Neil. Smoke and Mirrors*
Gaiman, Neil. The Graveyard Book*
Godwin, Joscelyn (ed.). The Harmony of Spheres: A Sourcebook of the Pythagorean Tradition in Music
Hofstadter, Douglas R. Gödel, Escher, Bach: an Eternal Golden Braid
Ishiguro, Kazuo. A Pale View of Hills
Ishiguro, Kazuo. Never Let Me Go
Ishiguro, Kazuo. Nocturnes*
James, P. D. Shroud for a Nightingale
Ladero Quesada, Manuel F. and López Pita, Paulina. Introducción a la historia del occidente medieval(#)
López Melero, Raquel. Breve historia del mundo antiguo(#)
Malm, William P. Traditional Japanese Music and Musical Instruments*
Marí, Antoni. El vas de plata
Martínez Fernández, José Enrique. La intertextualidad literaria
Martínez Lorca, Andrés. Introducción a la filosofía medieval(#)
Martínez Lorca, Andrés. Maestros de Occidente. Estudios sobre el pensamiento andalusí(#)
Merriam, Alan P. The Anthropology of Music*
Murakami, Haruki. 1Q84 (books 1 and 2)
Nothomb, Amélie. Journal d'Hirondelle
Nothomb, Amélie. The enemy's cosmetique
Nyman, Michael. Experimental music: Cage and beyond*
Pablo, Luis de. Aproximación a una estética de la música contemporánea
Pablo, Luis de. Una historia de la música contemporánea
Palahniuk, Chuck. The Fight Club
Pavese, Cesare. Dialogues with Leucò
Pavese, Cesare. The Beach
Plath, Sylvia. Ariel*
Plato. Critias
Plato. Ion
Plato. Timaeus
Pratchett, Terry. A Hat Full of Sky*
Pratchett, Terry. The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents
Pratchett, Terry. The Truth*
Pratchett, Terry. The Wee Free Men*
Pratchett, Terry. Thud!*
Pratchett, Terry. Unseen Academicals*
Pratchett, Terry. Wintersmith*
Pratchett, Terry and Gaiman, Neil. Good Omens*
Sagan, Carl. Contact
Roncagliolo, Santiago. Tan cerca de la vida
Tamba, Akira. La Musique classique du Japon: du XVè siècle à nos jours
Tizón, Eloy. La velocidad de los jardines
Tusset, Pablo. Oxford 7
Ventós, Xavier Rubert de. El arte ensimismado

* read in English

(#) read for uni

Some (small) part of me wants to feel bad because during 2010 I read 3 books more than last year. But no, I don't feel sorry at all. If I have to be truthful about the real extension of my reading list during 2011 I would have to add to the books above a lot of articles (in Catalan/Spanish/English/French because that's how I roll) and other things I read via the Internet. Gosh, self, get a grip.

I'd like to read more this year, meaning: I'd like to have the time to read for pleasure this year. I'm not only talking about novels/fiction (I'm the kind of person who reads Plato because I like it); I'm talking about reading a book without having half of my mind thinking about other unrelated matters. Which, considering my life right now, might be slightly impossible. (This is why I'm not buying books lately, because I don't know when I'll be able to read them). Anyway, I got Murakami's 1Q84 (book 3) and Ovid's Metamorphoses yesterday (why I got them is quite a long story), and I hope to be able to catch up a bit with my to-read list after finals (aka, mid February).

2012-01-08T01:10:00.003+01:00

I wish the world was flat like the old days then I could travel just by folding a map (Death Cab For Cutie, 'The New Year')

From the end of the summer, during the days Samuel and Maria came to visit.

Holiday is almost over -not that it has been much of a holiday actually. There's a high probability I'll have to take a plane to Barcelona this week for uni-related stuff (and gosh, I hate paperwork). I still have to write an essay for French class -oops-, and I'm in love with William of Ockham.

--REPLIES--

@allison: Thanks for all your comments! Menorca was a very nice change of scenery for a few days, so I'm glad you've liked the pictures too. Usually I'm not a lot into b&w either, but yes, it really works for portraits, and I think sometimes catches the light better than color film.

@melly: Yes, Menorca is very close to Mallorca. You can see a map here : )

@suzie: Seascapes are my favorite. And I saw that donkey laying in the ground and I had to take a picture ; )

2012-01-06T18:08:00.002+01:00

(Menorca, the end.)

Today we had a family lunch (yes, another one; Christmas in Spain are like the never-ending story) and now it feels like a Sunday. I love when my grandma and her sisters are together under the same roof -these women are my favorites.

Because I'm a language nerd/snob I got angry with one of my books a couple of days ago. I'm reading the Spanish edition of Frederick Copleston's A History of Philosophy for my Medieval & Renaissance Philosophy class, and I noticed the word 'actualmente' used in sentences where it made little sense. It became obvious that the translator (who, I presume, has a better knowledge of English than I do) was using 'actualmente' to translate the word 'actually'. The thing is, though, that 'actualmente' isn't the same as 'actually', and in fact it means currently or nowadays. *sigh*

Maybe I'm studying too much.

--REPLIES--

@Chih: Menorca's landscapes are incredibly soothing since the island is basically flat and green. It was a great place to hide from the world for some days : ) (also, thanks for the tumblr feature)

@andrea: Usé Kodak Gold 200. Últimamente es la película que más utilizo con la om10, precisamente por los colores.

2012-01-06T17:24:00.002+01:00

She's the absinthe on my lips, the splinter in my fingertip (The Civil Wars, 'Birds of a Feather)

2012-01-03T23:37:00.001+01:00

2012-01-03T23:29:00.004+01:00

Sunday in Menorca (white towns and green fields).

Happy 2012! I started the year walking from Corona to Cala Salada at dawn -a family tradition, or so I was told.

We laugh until we think we’ll die,

barefoot on a summer night

Nothin’ new is sweeter than with you

---
(Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, 'Home')

2011-12-29T16:13:00.000+01:00

Maó.

I'm taking a little break from Medieval philosophers to thank you for your Christmas wishes! I hope you had a great/happy/quiet day. This year the holidays almost caught me by surprise (like 'oh look it's December 22nd, wait what?').

Also, it's good to know you like the pictures from Menorca : )

2011-12-26T23:05:00.001+01:00

Es Mercadal.

How was Christmas? We had my grandparents, and one of my mum's aunts (plus her grandson) for lunch.
(True fact about our family: I call my parent's aunts and uncles 'aunt' and 'uncle'; also, my mom's godmother is also called 'godmother', even though I have my own godmother -my dad's sister).
My mom cooked duck with figs and I had previously baked a carrot cake. Later I watched 'Zodiac'. It was just a really nice and quiet day : )

2011-12-26T22:18:00.000+01:00

Because I can't go anywhere and not eat sushi.

2011-12-25T00:52:00.001+01:00

Merry Christmas! I hope you are all having a great time : )

---

PD: Have a playlist for your winter afternoons:

(click the image to download)

01. Brian Eno | An Ending (Ascent)

02. Apollo Sunshine | Breeze

03. Bad Company | Crazy Circles

04. Eluvium | An Accidental Memory in the Case of Death

05. Explosions in the Sky | So Long, Lonesome

06. Lights | Banner

07. Yeah Yeah Yeahs | Soft Shock (Acoustic version)

08. Interpol | Precipitate

09. Radiohead | Let Down

10. Marina And The Diamonds | Guilty

11. Led Zeppelin | Bron-Ya-Aur

12. Florence + The Machine - Landscape (Demo)

2011-12-23T23:58:00.004+01:00

You are blue like the summer sun.

More from Ciutadella.

Somewhere -years ago- I reached that point in which holidays are things that happen to other people. Christmas break has officially started today for me, or something like that, but it surely doesn't feel like a break. Also, two of my subjects for Philosophy are gigantic -seriously, History of Science? I love it but it's scrambling my brain.

2011-12-23T23:11:00.002+01:00

Stars that burn the brightest fall so fast and pass you by (Marina and the Diamonds, 'Numb')

First batch of pictures from Menorca. This is Ciutadella.

--REPLIES--

@MK: I hope to see pictures from you soon! I'm sure that unfinished b&w roll of yours have to be amazing. Happy holidays for you too : )

@melly: aww, thank you <3

@suzie: The hand photo is my favorite too. I'm really happy with that roll, so I may try to shoot b&w more. I used Kodak TMax, but I'll definitely try your other recommendations (I tried Ilford film once and it didn't really work for me neither... )

2011-12-21T22:46:00.000+01:00

Pockets full of sea foam and salt.

2011-12-18T23:57:00.003+01:00

C'est un Ange qui tient dans ses doigts magnétiques / Le sommeil et le don des rêves extatiques (Charles Baudelaire, 'La mort des pauvres')

I'm home after going to the premiere of the violin and orchestra version of Songs of the Infinite. It was a very beautiful piece and I was able to chat for a bit with the composer and to give him a copy of my Master's thesis -he's the one I'm doing research on.

Allow me a rant about my PhD, because Jackie asked me if I'm going to study more music. The short answer is "yes, of course!"; the long answer goes something like this:
During my last year of career I realized I didn't want to pursue musical performance professionally, for many -many, many, many- reasons. However, I couldn't ignore the fact that a) I had been studying music and piano for 14 years, and b) I really loved music. After graduating I tried to spend a year doing nothing and trying to figure things out, but it didn't work for me (I went a little crazy after a week with nothing to do) so I started a degree in Philosophy -which I'm still doing and enjoying right now. Soon it became clear to me that research was something that I truly loved too, so I decided to combine it with music, and applied for a Master in Musicology. I finished it last July and now I'm starting a PhD in Musicology too. So yes, it's still about music -I think for me it will always be about music.

2011-12-16T23:59:00.002+01:00

A melancholy town where we never smile (Gorillaz, 'Feel Good Inc.')

The rest of the pictures from my last time in Barcelona --extremely late, as it was two months ago. I don't use black and white film very often, but I have to say that I'm very happy with this roll. It's very windy (and cold, because the wind comes from the North) right now and I'm more or less snuggled under a blanket.

(This post is random and uninspired, please forgive me)

---

A big THANK YOU for all your sweet comments on my last post! I'm very happy I've been accepted : )

2011-12-13T15:08:00.001+01:00

In which I shriek

This has finally -finally!- arrived today. Feeling delighted before the stress kicks in : )

2011-12-08T13:13:00.000+01:00

See the safety of the life you have built / Everything where it belongs (Nine Inch Nails, 'Right Where It Belongs')

I'm back home! I had four great days with Cati, and got to know a little bit more about Menorca.

It was my third time in the island. My first visit, I was 9-10 years old and I spent a week of summer camp in a place named Biniparratx, near Sant Lluís. The second time, it was for a little exchange between Ibiza and Menorca's conservatoires and we only stayed two days.

The island is quiet -it's almost winter, after all; Ibiza is ghostly this time of the year-, flat and very green. I bought pastries (pastissets, amargs, and tatis) and carn i xua (a kind of salchichón sausage) to take home. And obviously I took pictures and flailed hopelessly every time I saw a cat (because I'm a sucker for those cute, furry bastards).

The trip was relaxing and a great chance to take a step away from -most of- my books. I hope to have the photos developed soon!

(if you click over the picture you'll be directed to Wikipedia's entry 'Balearic Islands' -or so I hope)

Anyway, about everything else.

I have a bit of a cold, and yesterday I had noodle soup for lunch (see food porn pictures above). Today I'm having hot chocolate with my parents and grandparents and we're eating all the good (sweet) things I bought in Menorca. I'm taking a little break from Philosophy for what's left of the week and there're a few movies I really want to see during the weekend (Gantz, Blade Runner, Sherlock Holmes, maybe Inception too).

Oh, and next Monday we're going to watch Le hérisson for our French class.

2011-11-27T17:07:00.001+01:00

Barcelona [5/5]

It's a sharp shock to your soft side (Yeah Yeah Yeahs, 'Soft Shock')

I'm very sorry for the recent lack of updates. I've been trying to put this post together for over a week, only to find impossible to write down the right words. I guess it shouldn't matter but for me it does.

Right now, my life basically equals to study and work. In between, I'm trying to squeeze as many music, movies and reading as I can. I re-watched Iron Man and listened to Rachmaninoff's Vespers and Thomas Tallis (do you know Spem in alium? it's extremely beautiful). I've also been baking: a caramel-banana cake that Ai posted a while ago, a carrot cake for my grandma, and little dark chocolate cakes.

Thanks for your recent, sweet comments. I'm really happy to know that many of you have liked my photos from Barcelona. I must say, it probably is one of my favorite cities, and I was delighted to be able to spend two days there (plus two days in Cerdanyola) and to be able to really visit it. There's still a lot I want to see (museums, mostly), and one of my friends showed me a great sci-fi/fantasy bookshop -with an equally great section in English- I can't wait to go back to.

Despite my (more or less) heavily patterned days, I'm looking forward to a few things:
- four days in Menorca (from Dec/3 to Dec/6).
- a concert in Ibiza on Dec/18, premiering the violin and orchestra version of Songs of the Infinite, by M. A. Roig-Francolí (the composer I'm doing research on).
- tickets for Debussy's Pelléas et Mélisande at El Liceu, plus a long weekend in Barcelona (next June).

And last, this is a little playlist, courtesy of my iTunes on shuffle (first 15 songs, I haven't cheated):

Walking Far From Home - Iron & Wine
It's A Hit - We Are Scientists
A Spell A Rebel Yell (B-Side) - Coldplay
When The World Ends - Dave Matthews Band
Digital Bath - Deftones
South Side - The Radio Dept.
Citizen - Broken Bells
22 Ghosts III - Nine Inch Nails
Modern Man - Arcade Fire
The Great Estates - Freelance Whales
Can't Feel A Thing - Lucero
Fire In The Hole - Steely Dan
O Salutaris Hostia - Thomas Tallis
Asteroid - Snowmobile
Boulevard/Wonderwall - Green Day vs. Oasis

2011-11-17T15:20:00.000+01:00

Barcelona [4/5]

Love, love is a verb / Love is a doing word (Massive Attack, 'Teardrop')

--REPLIES--

@MK: I hope we'll be able to meet each other soon, then! : )

2011-11-12T23:26:00.000+01:00

Barcelona [3/5]

we gladly run in circles / but the shape we meant to make is gone
and love is a tired symphony / you hum when you are awake
(Iron & Wine, 'Lion's Mane')

--REPLIES--

@melly: I'm really honored by your last comment, thank you so much.

@MK: It'd like to meet you if you ever came to Spain! Your blog always makes me very tempted to go on a trip through Asia : )

@lynnette: Hi and thank you very much for your sweet comment. I have an alarming tendency to take pictures of buildings, so I'm glad to read you like them : ) Also, I totally agree with you, Barcelona is an amazing city.

2011-11-09T14:31:00.000+01:00

Barcelona [2/5]

2011-11-05T20:58:00.002+01:00

Barcelona [1/5]

one day I'm going to grow wings / a chemical reaction / hysterical and useless
Radiohead, 'Let Down'

--REPLIES--

@melly: Thank you : ) Lately I've been trying to focus a bit more on street art -I think this has been inspired by Allison!- so it's very good to read that you are enjoying the pictures from Paris.

2011-11-04T13:25:00.002+01:00

Ce qu'a vu le vent d'ouest (XIX)

09/Sept/2011

Another mirror self-portrait.
More Laurent Duchêne for breakfast: chocolate & raspberry, cherry & pistachio.
Musée National du Moyen Âge.
Musée National du Moyen Âge: Adam.
Musée National du Moyen Âge: Ste-Marie-Madeleine.
Musée National du Moyen Âge: ceramics.
Musée National du Moyen Âge: music score.
Musée National du Moyen Âge: music score.
Musée National du Moyen Âge: chapelle.
Musée National du Moyen Âge.
Musée National du Moyen Âge.
Musée National du Moyen Âge.
Our last meal at Paris: Hanafousa, passage Petite Boucherie.

I decided to post the last pictures of our trip today. As you can see, most of the last day there was spent visiting the Cluny. I can say I really enjoyed this first time in Paris. I'd like to go back and revisit some of the museums and food place from this time, plus discover some new ones. Also, I need to see the glasshouses from Jardin des Plantes because I went there twice and they were closed both times and I'm weirdly fascinated by glasshouses.

In other news, I've updated the about page. Also, life is fairly good, even though there are some complicated family matters going on at the moment and I don't feel comfortable talking about them. I guess every family has its own little dramas/tragedies.

2011-11-04T12:54:00.001+01:00

Ce qu'a vu le vent d'ouest (XVIII)

08/Sept/2011 - part 3

Place Igor Stravinsky.
Place Igor Stravinsky.
Place Igor Stravinsky.
Place Igor Stravinsky.
Graffiti on a door.
Building (you know I love buildings, right?).
Tour St-Jacques.
Notre Dame de Paris.
Shakespeare and Company; also known as the place where I want to move and live happily ever after.

2011-11-04T12:45:00.000+01:00

Ce qu'a vu le vent d'ouest (XVII)

08/Sept/2011 - part 2

Palais Royal.
Pretty flowers at Palais Royal.
Ibid.
Palais Royal.
Building.
Facade of the Musée du Louvre, from place du Palais Royal.
My mom taking a picture (and wearing my cardigan), at place du Palais Royal.
Église St-Germain l'Auxerrois.
Fontaine du Palmier, place du Châtelet.
Hôtel de Ville.
Bazar de l'Hôtel de Ville.

--REPLIES--

@suzie: I agree with you about the pâtisseries, and I'd love to know more about the one in your town. It's not as if Ladurée or Pierre Hermé are not good, but I think there are a lot of places even better than them that are ignored just because they aren't so well-known around the world.

2011-10-29T20:19:00.002+02:00

Ce qu'a vu le vent d'ouest (XVI)

08/Sept/2011 - part 1

Morning self-portrait.
Shop window at Laurent Duchêne.
Arc de Triomphe.
Another pink skeleton on the sidewalk.
Fig tartelettes from Laurent Duchêne.
Avenue des Champs-Élysées (another ridiculously beautiful building).
Petit Palais.
Musée de l'Orangerie: Decorations des Nymphéas, Monet.
Musée de l'Orangerie: Decorations des Nymphéas, Monet.
Rain over Jardin des Tuileries.
Aki: gyoza.
Aki: udon.
Aki: soba.

It always has to rain the day you haven't grabbed your umbrella, so after our visiting l'Oragerie we had to run to rue Ste-Anne to avoid getting completely soaked. If you like Japanese food, Aki is a great, reasonably priced restaurant. Also, Laurent Duchêne? Best pâtisserie in Paris, in my opinion (yes, better than Ladurée and Pierre Hermé). Those fig pastries were amazing: simple and not too sweet. It was a real treat that our hotel was in the same street than this bakery.

2011-10-28T23:48:00.002+02:00

Twenty ways to see the world (The Strokes, 'You Only Live Once')

I've been at home since Tuesday night and it's raining non-stop. The weekend in Barcelona was amazing: I ate a strawberry mochi from Ochiai, met some friends, had wonderful dim sum with my mom, visited the MACBA and the CCCB, and walked around the city. Long story short, it was exactly what I needed.

I swear I'm going to post the pictures from our two last days in Paris soon. I'm still trying to find a way to balance everything I have on my plate. But it's good to be busy (my summer was an extremely lazy one).

This days I've been thinking about the books I'd like to have/buy next, and today I've compiled a sort of wishlist, which you can see above. Most of them are fantasy/science fiction (all in English), plus the bilingual edition of the Divine Comedy (Italian/Spanish), plus a bit of poetry (Plath and Milton), and some semiology/literary theory in French, just because. Also, I'm sure I'll end adding a few more during the next months.

--REPLIES--

@Chih: wow, thanks for the compliment. I'm waiting for the official admission letter, but it seems that I'm really starting it this year xxx

@allison: The trip was great, I hope I'll have the pictures soon. And I'm glad to know you liked that portrait : )

2011-10-21T16:38:00.001+02:00

Got nothing to lose but loneliness and patterns (Spoon, 'Got Nuffin')

Tomorrow I'm flying to Barcelona. This was supposed to be a very quick visit -just from Saturday to Sunday- but I'm going to stay for a little longer and do a bunch of uni-related stuff. On Monday I'm handing in the papers for my PhD and meeting with my thesis' director. Fortunately I'll have time to go book-hunting (or not), to visit some museums and to take pictures around the city.

The subjects from my Philosophy degree are both great and challenging. My French lessons... not so much.

--REPLIES--

@mizhenka: Thank you very much!

@MK: Aww, thanks! Versailles' gardens are HUGE. We spent most of a day walking around (about 9 hours I think?) in order to see them.

2011-10-21T16:16:00.002+02:00

Ce qu'a vu le vent d'ouest (XV)

07/Sept/2011 - part 3

The last from our day in Versailles, plus a few from Montparnasse (the last four pictures). Despite how it looks in the photo, the Japanese restaurant where we ate that day was quite dissapointing.

2011-10-15T22:05:00.000+02:00

Ce qu'a vu le vent d'ouest (XIV)

07/Sept/2011 - part 2

Versailles: gardens, Grand and Petit Trianon, Domaine de Marie Antoniette.

The cookies were Bonne Maman 'sablés des prés' (sésame, pavot, tournesol). Delicious.

--REPLIES--

@suzie: I used Kodak Gold ISO 200 with my Olympus OM10, adjusting the camera to ISO 300-400.

2011-10-12T14:52:00.001+02:00

Ce qu'a vu le vent d'ouest (XIII)

07/Sept/2011 - part 1

Versailles.

PD: Today is a holiday here in Spain. I'm currently at home watching the Nadal vs. García López game, and being watched by my Medieval History book.

--REPLIES--

@Natalie: Yes, I did made the sweet potato cake! The recipe is from Orangette : )

@allison: Yeah, 24 feels like adulthood, or something like that. My mom made the fig marmalade, and it's delicious!

@jackie: Thank you for the birthday wishes!

@MK: Thank you so much! Yes, I started taking French lessons a week ago. French is relatively easy for me because it's quite similar to Catalan and Spanish. I wish I could speak Japanese, though!

2011-10-09T23:02:00.001+02:00

This is the light of the mind, cold and planetary (Sylvia Plath, 'The Moon and the Yew Tree')

The tiny pieces of a week: 1) water and tea, 2) my Pink Floyd t-shirt, 3) & 4) plants, 5) peanut butter with fig marmalade, 6) Latin-Greek-Spanish glossary from Averroes' commentaries on Aristotle's De anima, 7) more tea, 8) new necklace from elephantine, 9) sweet potato cake.

Last Monday I started with what can be called my 'regular' life: studying during most of the day, French lessons twice a week, and swimming pool Monday-Wednesday-Friday. Add a couple of classes for highschool kids during some of the afternoons and you're done. It seems that it won't be as hard as it looked: French is pretty easy, and I love the subjects I've chosen for this year (even though some of the books are massive; seriously).

Also, October 4th was my birthday and I've turned 24. Today I've celebrating it having a simple lunch with my parents and grandparents. Nothing better than a quiet weekend, right? (considering that tomorrow I'll have to go back to Theory of Knowledge).

--REPLIES--

@melly: It really is a lot on my plate, but I guess that I really wanted to have a busy year! I'll try to enjoy every second of it : )

@jackie: Thank you! A PhD feels like a serious step, and I still have so much paperwork to do, but I'm really excited about it!

2011-10-02T21:58:00.002+02:00

As the time is running out let me take away your doubt (Nine Inch Nails - 'In This Twilight')

Real life's here again.

I'm about to disappear from the Net and the reason -or one of the reasons- is the book in the second picture (in which I look kind of mad).

This year is going to be a roller-coaster. I'm starting my PhD, and enrolling in a full year of my Philosophy degree (which involves too many books bigger than my head), and starting to take French lessons twice a week. Oh, and I'll keep giving private lessons at home. So yes, talk about being busy.

I'll be mostly MIA during the week (seriously, I have SO much to read), but I'll hopefully keep on uploading the blog the weekends. I still have many pictures from the trip to Paris to post, including those from Versailles. And I also have to keep an eye on the series I watch regularly (coughsupernaturalcough).

I hope everyone's had a great summer. See you around!

2011-10-01T23:22:00.001+02:00

Ce qu'a vu le vent d'ouest (XII)

06/Sept/2011 - part 2

A -gorgeous, gorgeous- harpsichord in Cité de la Musique's museum, and the rest are from Jardin des Plantes. I really wanted to visit the glasshouses but unfortunately they were closed.

2011-09-30T21:52:00.001+02:00

Ce qu'a vu le vent d'ouest (XI)

06/Sept/2011 - part 1

Rose Bakery, rue des Martyrs.
Rose Bakery: fig cake.
Rose Bakery: apple and strawberry crumble.
Montmartre.
Montmartre: Moulin Rouge.
Montmartre.
Montmartre: patisserie, rue Lepic.
Montmartre: street art, rue d'Orchampt.
Montmartre: Moulin Radet.
Montmartre.
Montmartre: Passe-Muraille sculpture.
Montmartre.
Montmartre: Museé de Montmartre.
Montmartre: Basilique du Sacré Coeur.
Montmartre: my favorite graffiti.

2011-09-30T21:42:00.001+02:00

Ce qu'a vu le vent d'ouest (X)

05/Sept/2011 - part 2

Aki, rue Ste-Anne.
Aki: pork okonomiyaki!
Yokan aux abricots, from Toraya (rue St-Florentin).
Opera Garnier.
Macarons (apricot & cinnamon, vanilla & olive oil) from Pierre Hermé...
... and from Ladurée (melon).
La Defénse: Grande Arche.
La Defénse: Calder's Spider.
La Defénse.
La Defénse: Thumb.
La Defénse: Calder's Spider.
La Defénse: Miró.
La Defénse: Igor Mitoraj.

2011-09-29T16:11:00.001+02:00

Ce qu'a vu le vent d'ouest (IX)

05/Sept/2011 - part 1

I'm not going to bother with numbers this time because this post is entirely about the Louvre. I have to say that, though beautiful, the Louvre wasn't what I expected; it's too much of a tourist spot for my liking.

--REPLIES--

@melly and @suzie: Gargoyles are great! I was looking forward to go to Notre Dame to see them and I wasn't disappointed : )

@MK: Hi! Thank you very much for your sweet comments : ) I love that pendant too! I bought it via etsy, you can find the shop HERE.

2011-09-25T20:23:00.001+02:00

Ce qu'a vu le vent d'ouest (VIII)

04/Sept/2011 - part 3

Gargoyles in Notre Dame.
Gargoyles in Notre Dame.
Gargoyles in Notre Dame.
Tour Eiffel, Seine, etc, seen from Notre Dame's Chimeras' gallery.*
Another view from the Chimeras' gallery.
From Notre Dame's roof.
One of Notre Dame's doors.
Ginkgo in Square du Vert Galant (Île de la Cité).
Square du Vert Galant.
Taking pictures, Square du Vert Galant.
Rue Saint Jacques, street art.*
Light patterns over the buildings, boulevard du Palais.
Ste-Chapelle.
Subway station: Cité.
Going back to our hotel.

It's ridiculous how excited I was about that ginkgo in Île de la Cité.

I was lucky enough to be able to attend to a concert in the Ste-Chapelle, with Olivier Baumont playing the harpsichord. As you may know (or not), I'm very fond of Renaissance and Baroque music, and even if my instrument has always been the piano I've attended to different courses focused on ancient music (see my 'Daroca' and 'Namur' tags). Baumont teaches harpsichord in Daroca (so he has been my teacher for a week four different summers) and, as always, it was a pleasure to see and hear him playing again.

*Taken with ME1 + Lucky 200 film

(Note: I'm going to be in Cerdanyola until Tuesday night. Take care!).

2011-09-25T19:43:00.002+02:00

Ce qu'a vu le vent d'ouest (VII)

04/Sept/2011 - part 2

Hôtel de Sens.
From an art gallery, rue des Jardins St-Paul.
St-Paul.
Hôtel de Marle.*
Square George Cain.*
Square George Cain.*
Square George Cain.*
My favorite building in Paris, rue du Parc Royal.*
Place des Vosgues.*
Hôtel de Rohan-Guéménée.*
Église St-Louis en l'Île.*
Église St-Louis en l'Île: organ.*
Another beautiful front-door in Île St-Louis (rue St-Louis en l'Île, I think).*
Pom'cannelle, rue des Deux Ponts.
Pom'cannelle: duck confit with salad and basmati rice.
Pom'cannelle: apple-strawberry crumble pie.
Pom'cannelle: lemon-meringue pie (mine).

We managed to squeeze a visit to Le Marais between going to Notre Dame and having lunch in Pom'cannelle, a charming little place in Île St-Louis (god, the pies). I messed up the ISO settings of the ME1 and the pictures turned out quite grainy. Well, I hope you can still get a glimpse of how beautiful is this district. The weather was way cooler than the two first days (and thank god for that), and the walk was very enjoyable.

Also, two bonus: 1) picture 8, aka my favorite picture of the whole trip, and 2) sitting in St-Louis' church for a little while and getting to hear someone playing the organ because they were rehearsing for a concert.

*Taken with Yashica ME1 + Lucky 200 film

2011-09-23T15:01:00.004+02:00

Ce qu'a vu le vent d'ouest (VI)

04/Sept/2011 - part 1

Raspberry crumble.
Hotel de Ville, seen from Île de la Cité.
Notre Dame, detail of on of the doors.
Notre Dame, rose window.
Notre Dame, stained glass window.
Notre Dame.
Square Jean XXIII.
Dahlias.
Front door of a house, quai d'Orléans (Île St-Louis).
Notre Dame and the Seine, seen from pont de la Tournelle.
Mum.
Me.

The weather began to cool down the third day. It actually rained -though the rain started alter noon, while we were waiting in the queue Notre Dame's towers.

-REPLIES-

@MK: Hi there! I'm so happy to hear from you again, and I hope your work is going fine. Paris was lovely! I used one of the film rolls you sent me to take pictures there : )

@melly: Mamie Gâteux is both tiny and cute. I wish I had taken some more pictures to show you the inside too. Also, I LOVE PISTACHIOS TOO!!

@allison: Your comments make my day too! Yay for pistachios + cherries; in fact, yay for pistachios + berries in general. When I was fifteen I tried raspberry ice cream and pistachio ice cream together and it's also a great combo!

2011-09-18T16:56:00.000+02:00

Ce qu'a vu le vent d'ouest (V)

03/Sept/2011 - part 2

Musée Rodin: The Three Shadows.
Musée Rodin: The Burghers of Calais.
Musée Rodin: Monument to Victor Hugo.
Musée Rodin.
Musée Rodin.
Musée Rodin.
Musée Rodin: The Thinker.
Mom.
Musée Rodin: The Gates of Hell (unsurprisingly, one of my favorites).
Musée Rodin: Eve.
Musée Rodin.
Musée Rodin.
Musée Rodin: Young Girl in a Flowered Hat.
Twin doors, rue de Varenne.
Mamie Gâteaux, rue du Cherche-Midi..
Mamie Gâteaux: cherry and pistachio tart.
Mamie Gâteaux: apple juice.
La Grande Épicerie.
Flower shop, rue de la Convention (going back to the hotel).

I've already said that the Pantheon was one of my favorite visits of the trip (hello there Foucault pendulum, I kind of miss you already), but the Rodin museum was for me another top five one. It's a shame I don't remember the names of some of the sculptures (oops).

Also, Mamie Gâteaux was very good: that tart is to die for! -I've had my mind on it after reading this post in Tommy's blog and I wasn't disappointed. Seriously, pistachios and cherries? Best combo ever.

2011-09-18T16:12:00.002+02:00

Ce qu'a vu le vent d'ouest (IV)

03/Sept/2011 - part 1

Beautiful buildings next to Assemblée Nationale.*
Idem.*
Detail of pont Alexandre-III.
Invalides.
Detail of the entrance, Hotel des Invalides.
Invalides.
Invalides: organ in the chapel.
Invalides: dahlias in the garden.
Invalides.
Tour Eiffel from champ de Mars.
Tour Eiffel: view from the second floor.*
Tour Eiffel: view from the second floor.*
Tour Eiffel: view from the second floor.*
Tour Eiffel from the ground.*
Toyotaka, rue Saint-Dominique: gyoza.
Toyotaka: sushi for two.
A pastry shop in rue Saint-Dominique.

Our second day in Paris the weather was so hot it was nearly unbearable. I had the brilliant idea to wear long, black pants for the day and I nearly collapsed after going to the Eiffel tower. Or maybe the collapsing part was due to us not wanting to wait for the elevators and using the stairs. I took the last picture of the Eiffel tower while laying down on a bench, because I was so dizzy I couldn't stand still. But it was worth the heatstroke (I think).

The restaurant-choice that day was a kind of last-minute decision. We had thought about a French place, but once there my mother wasn't convinced with the menu that was hanged outside. I'm sure French cuisine is truly good, but it also uses a whole lot of cream and cheese (which I shouldn't eat and which my mom doesn't eat). We ended going to the small Japanese place in the other side of the street and eating a whole lot of sushi. I think it was a good decision.

* These pictures were shot using a Yashica ME1 and Lucky 200 film.

2011-09-16T19:44:00.000+02:00

Ce qu'a vu le vent d'ouest (III)

02/Sept/2011 - part 3

Second-hand books in rue de Tournon.
Pink skeleton painted in the sidewalk.
Paintings hanged on Saint Germain des Pres' railings.
Saint Germain des Pres.
Sculpture in front of Saint Germain.
(another) sculpture in front of Saint Germain.
A painting in a wall, rue Bonaparte.
Mirror portrait.
Institut de France.
Art gallery, rue de Seine.
Beautiful house (rue de Seine, too).
Ladurée, rue Bonaparte.
Tea at Ladurée: millefeuille framboise.
Tea at Ladurée: 'Divin'.
Tea at Ladurée.
Book shop, rue Bonaparte.

The area around rue de Bonaparte and Saint Germain des Pres is beautiful, and the street art here was specially cute.

That was my second time in a Ladurée shop after the one in Ginza more than a year a go. The pastries and tea were good (and expensive, what a surprise).

--REPLIES--

@suzie: It really was a beautiful trip. It was our first time in France -and in Paris- and we really enjoyed the city. Also, it was really nice to avoid the weather we're still having here and to have some Autumn-like days.

2011-09-14T18:28:00.003+02:00

Ce qu'a vu le vent d'ouest (II)

02/Sept/2011 - part 2

Notre-Dame-des-Champs.
A building, boulevard du Montparnasse.
Patisserie.
Jardin du Luxembourg.
Jardin du Luxembourg.
Palais du Luxembourg.
Palais du Luxembourg.
Pantheon.
Pantheon: detail of the entrance's ceiling.
Pantheon: more ceiling.
Pantheon.
Pantheon.
Pantheon.
Pantheon: Foucault pendulum (aka the reason why I wanted to visit the Pantheon)
Pantheon.
Saint Etienne du Mont.
Lemon popsicle.
Orange popsicle.

The Pantheon was one of my favorite visits of the trip. I was very excited to see the Foucault pendulum, but the building itself and all the paintings inside it were also stunning.

By the way, regarding restaurants, bakeries and places to eat, we were -meaning, I was- heavily inspired by Tommy's Lo-Fi Paris and also Les adresses gourmandes de Tokyobanhnao

2011-09-13T13:23:00.000+02:00

Ce qu'a vu le vent d'ouest (I)

02/Sept/2011 - part 1

Waiting for the Orlyval in Orly airport.
Orly Ouest - Antony.
Orly Ouest - Antony.
Cute warning in the subway. We discussed the different translations and their accuracy.
View from our hotel room, rue de la Convention.
View from a 56th floor, Tour Montparnasse.
Mirror self-portrait with my mom.
Tour Montparnasse.
Tour Montparnasse.
Tour Montparnasse.
Tour Montparnasse.
Taking a picture.
Lunch in a Japanese restaurant called Yakitori, rue du Montparnasse: miso soup and salad.
Yakitori.
Yakitori: grilled eel over rice (from my anago don menu).
Yakitori: salmon brochettes, also with rice (from my mom's menu).

First part of our first day in Paris! I have so many photos of this day -oops. The views from Tour Montparnasse were amazing, but the tickets were so expensive that maybe it wasn't worth the visit considering we also climbed the Tour Eiffel and the towers of Notre Dame. Also, Paris is full of cheap Japanese restaurants, which is great.

(More to come!)

PD: Ce qu'a vu le vent d'ouest is the title of Debussy's Prélude VII -first book. The preface of the score book, written by François Lesure, says "[the title] probably comes from a French translation of Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale Le jardin du paradis (Paris, 1907)".

2011-09-12T22:45:00.000+02:00

MNAC, Montjuïc.
Enjoying the view.
Plaça d'Espanya.
Plaça Miró.
From left to right: María, Samuel, me and Ibán.

***

Going to buy breakfast.
Double exposure: Ana/breakfast.
Bed hair and tea.
Ana.
Dado.

My last time in Barcelona (before the presentation of my Master's thesis) at the end of June. I like the accidental double exposure, even if I don't know how that happened.

ANYWAY. I've been home for almost three days after a great week of vacation -and Paris is a beautiful city. I've already have my pictures developed and -as it seems that I'm going to have a few slow days this week- I'll start posting them soon.

2011-08-31T19:48:00.006+02:00

Every morning there were planes / the shiny blades of pagan angels in our father's sky
(Iron & Wine - 'Pagan Angel And A Borrowed Car')

To make this short and -hopefully- clear:

This Friday I'm going to Paris for a week : )
Sorry for spamming you again with the finished knitted shirt.
September is going to be a really busy month.
I'm trying to figure out what exactly I'm going to do this year.
I'll stop posting for some weeks. No scheduled posts either.
It would be great if you'd ask me questions -about everything and nothing- via comment to distract me from academic bureaucracy while I'm away. I'd promise to answer them as soon as possible.

2011-08-31T15:03:00.001+02:00

And... still more summery randomness.

Watermelon juice.
Lunch with Ana: satay chicken.
Lunch with Ana: a little bit of everything.
Hello Kitty toy.
Cherry tomatoes.
Mini apple crumbles.

I took all of these pictures with Fuji Reala and I have to say I prefer the -cheaper- Kodak film I've been using lately.

--REPLIES--

@mellie: I've had a love/hate relationship with my weekly trips between Ibiza and Barcelona. On one hand, the journey is lovely, I really enjoy trains, and it was a good way to relax, listen to some music, and read a book. On the other, the days I was particularly tired and my plane was late were hell. Also, if you liked the colors of the pictures, I used Lomo film and I can send you some rolls if you are interested : )

2011-08-29T21:10:00.000+02:00

Take your hand and walk away (System of a Down - 'Lonely Day')

From yesterday: celebrating my grandpa's 86th birthday! I didn't eat any of the fruit tart due to my intolerance-thing, but instead I ordered cooked strawberries with green pepper. They were delicious.

Lately my posts have been -and still are- somewhat random and inconsistent. It's difficult to write and keep track of things when basically nothing is happening. This summer has been truly uneventful, and I can't help but want to start something again. In four days I'll be away for a week and then some friends are visiting Ibiza. I'll also have to go back to Barcelona for a couple of days to take care of study-related matters. In short, it's a good time to start new projects.

(PD: This is my family from my father's side)

2011-08-29T14:44:00.000+02:00

One of Ronc and three of Goku (Ronc's son). The puppy is not a puppy anymore.

2011-08-25T21:23:00.000+02:00

Happy 24th of August!

August 24th is Sant Bartomeu (Saint Bartholomew), which is one of the two annual festivals we celebrate in my town -the other one being January 17th, Sant Antoni (Saint Anthony). I spent the late evening/night with friends, Nutella waffles, sangria, Smirnoff Ice, tacky music, beautiful views, and fireworks.

For me, Sant Bartomeu always means the end of the summer. In just a week August will be over and the weather will slowly become bearable again. Also, in eight days I'm going to Paris for the first time, which reminds me I still have to buy film for the trip : )

--REPLIES--

@melly and allison: thank you! You two are so sweet and I'm very glad you liked the pictures.

2011-08-23T13:21:00.000+02:00

Over 30º C weather is not funny.
It's too hot.
I'm really tired of summer.

2011-08-17T12:45:00.000+02:00

Day 2: May 20th, 2011

UAB: psychology building's entry
Héctor
Adrià
Sandra and Ana
philosophy building, art faculty, 2nd floor
philosophy building, art faculty, 1st floor
mirror self-portrait
Ana's house, Cerdanyola: cacti in the windowsill
Ana's house, Cerdanyola
from the bus to the airport: Plaça Catalunya
from the bus to the airport
from the bus to the airport: Plaça Espanya

The rest of the pictures of Barcelona and my uni. You can see the whole series here: 2 days in 24 pictures.

2011-08-16T20:31:00.001+02:00

I stood outside in the month of May and watched the violent wind blow the wires away (Arcade Fire - 'Month of May')

Day 1: May 19th, 2011

takeoff (Ibiza)
landing (Barcelona)
in the R2 train (Aeroport - Sant Celoni)
Bellvitge station
waiting for the train in Sans
library: 3rd floor, cartography section
library: 3rd floor, Chinese literature
colorful windows
"The footprints left over the field of conscience never change"
on the way to class ('Musical research in the contemporary urban context')
coffee break: Oliver and Alazne
after class: guinea pig in Cerdanyola

A little while ago I mentioned I did a mini-series of sorts, didn't I? You might remember how I spent this year flying back and forth between Ibiza and Barcelona because of my Master. During the last month -May- I decided to perform a little experiment: with one camera (the Yashica ME1) and one roll of film (Lomo 100) I shot the two days spent in trains and the UAB's buildings. I wanted to have a little remembrance of this particular year, and so I chose May 19th and 20th for no particular reason.

--REPLIES--

@melly: Sorry for not replying sooner! Your last comments are absolutely great, and I hope you're enjoying your summer as well. Also that awkwardly tall mug is really awkwardly tall! : )

@andrea: Donde haya catcus que se quiten los ramos de rosas!

2011-08-14T21:21:00.002+02:00

More summery randomness.

2011-08-10T20:01:00.000+02:00

Knitting lessons -or something like that- plus books and two cups of Twinings' strawberry and vanilla rooibos.

(The coral-orange bit is mine).

2011-08-09T22:20:00.000+02:00

Mine's a tale that can't be told, my freedom I hold dear (Led Zeppelin - 'Ramble On')

Summer, summer-y days! I don't want to keep complaining about the weather but the weather is still horrible. Horrible like 35ºC-and-humid-as-a-sauna horrible. I guess if I lived in a colder country the problem would be too many rainy days, but you know what? I love rainy days (and my blood pressure will be a little higher, thank you very much).

Anyway, lately I've been very pleased with how Kodak film works with the OM10. Taking photos at my grandparents' always feels like capturing tiny bits of what used to be my own paradise as a little child and the bright colors are just perfect.

2011-08-02T20:54:00.000+02:00

Even the last of the blue-eyed babies know that the burning man is the color of the end of the day (Iron & Wine - 'Innocent Bones')

From late May, I guess? We went to Ibiza to buy yarn in a rare afternoon we didn't have a thousand other things to do. Now it's July and I'm knitting my very own shirt. Weird.

2011-08-02T16:22:00.000+02:00

'Be random, my friend'

Hi there! It's been a while. The day I had to go back to Barcelona my laptop fell to the ground. Its screen was completely broken/ruined and I've spent almost three weeks without Internet/computer/any way to charge my iPod. Also, I've basically been enjoying the little pleasures of life: going to the beach, reading a lot, watching and re-watching movies and series, learning how to knit (!), and starting to go to the municipal swimming pool daily. Good times.

I don't have a summer job, boo -though I'm still giving private lessons at home-, so I've solemnly sworn I won't spend more money on books after that last day in Barcelona's FNAC where I went crazy and spent 81'90 € (116' 45 USD, more or less) on... yes, books. Even if it feels a little weird, I'm having a very quiet summer. The weather is still insufferably humid and hot, but it's not that bad, I guess.

I'll be posting more pictures these days, including a mini-series I did on May. I hope all of you are having a great time!

--REPLIES--

@allison: I'll send you some very summer-y weather if you send me some cool and rainy days! Those pictures were from an abandoned house in the forest near Port d'Alcúdia, in Majorca. I'm very glad you liked them : )

2011-07-10T20:43:00.001+02:00

Did I ask you for attention when affection is what I need? (Metric - 'Twilight Galaxy')

How's everyone summer going?

Little unpopular opinion: I don't really like summer weather. I don't know how to function with heat -which for me means low blood pressure and a fair share of dizziness- and the humidity is horrible too (but dry hot weather means nosebleeds, duh... ). However, going to the beach is really wonderful and I'm fortunate enough to live just 10 minutes (walking!) from the sea.

This last week I've been catching up with movies/series. I'm already watching the last season of Supernatural and will continue with Criminal Minds soon. Do you have any recommendations regarding series and/or films? I'm afraid I won't have a summer job like I originally wanted -besides the private lessons at home- and I'll have time to spend on little pleasures -like movies and series and music and books. Guess it's not so bad to have a two months vacation when I was used to spend my summer practicing piano non-stop.

Angels are shiny, shiny things. I've finally -finally!- watched Legion and Stonehenge Apocalypse. The latter was particularly funny since my thoughts kept moving from wow, tacky to attractive man is attractive, and let's not forget about god, his voice.

PD: I'm about to finish the Master!

--REPLIES--

@elsa: I'm glad you liked the pictures! : )

@melly: I'm definitely a sea person, but mountain landscapes are amazing/stunning.

@allison: Hi! I used my Yashica ME1, which has Yashica 1:2.8 38 mm lens (it's a compact viewfinder camera). I want you to know that I was very touched by your comment, since I always have this feeling about trying to always keep rediscovering your everyday places and not take them for granted. Majorca is not exactly everyday-normal for me anymore, but after all I lived 4 years there : ) When you'll travel around the world you'll have to come to Spain!

2011-06-25T23:50:00.001+02:00

February, 2011 -- morning in Artà with Cati

(More old pictures until I get new rolls developed)

2011-06-25T17:40:00.001+02:00

I want to pronounce all their names correctly (Ryuichi Sakamoto & David Sylvian - 'World Citizen | I Won't Be Disappointed')

Random bits from the last month and a half.

--REPLIES--

@andrea: Gracias! parece mentida lo bien que van los carretes de Kodak caducados, el color sale genial.

@cara: Baby animals are the cutest little things. Thanks a lot for your comment, your pictures are beautiful : )

@allison: Oh gosh, I need to send you an email NOW (or yesterday, probably).

2011-06-23T20:55:00.002+02:00

You'll speak when you're spoken to (Editors - 'Munich')

(The second picture was a fortunate triple exposure; because from time to time my Yashica does the weirdest things but also makes them work)

My last month has been filled with the most random music playing non-stop; a mix of Apocalyptica, Snowmobile, J-rock and K-pop, gagaku, Iron & Wine, The Republic Tigers, Simon and Garfunkel, Johnny Cash, many OST's, and a lot of classical music (but mostly Requiems).

I think I've been in the edge of insanity during the last two weeks, avoiding people and craving silence and hoping I could stay by myself and not be bothered with things like talking to others. And becoming so fixated with my work that it was the only thing I was able to dream about. And spending hours sitting with my laptop without been able to write down a word. Oh, well. (I want to thing that I'm fully recovered/sane/human now/again).

Somehow I've finished my dissertation with enough time to relax and try to sleep before going back to Barcelona next Monday to hand it in. Meanwhile I've spend the day exchanging emails with my thesis' director (who seems to be a little obsessed with the fact that I read Nyman's Experimetal Music in its original version and not translated) and starting to reread Cesare Pavese's Dialogues with Leucò (in Spanish). And now I'm hungry and I want smoked salmon and soft boiled eggs and Oreo cookies. A nice, simple day is nice and simple.

I'll reply all your comments with my next post, but thanks as always for stooping by.

2011-06-06T18:16:00.003+02:00

We might have to go without the bigger piece of cake (The Republic Tigers - 'Give Arm to its Socket')

I wish I had something interesting to write/share here but once again my masters' thesis is sucking all my inspiration and energy. I seriously can't remember the last time that I truly rested at night or that little petty things didn't turn into big frustrating things thanks to exhaustion. I'm not stressed, I'm just so, so tired. I may have opened my camera and ruined an acceptable roll of film just because I don't seem to be able to focus in anything besides my research stuff. Oh, well.

Lactose intolerance news:

- Good: Almond milk is a great substitute for milk. Soy yogurts are good too. Yay.

- Bad: I don't want to hear a word about cheese. My uncle bought 3 different flavors of Häagen-Dazs and I had to say 'no thanks'. Again, why?

Other things?

- Last week I got 2 books I ordered via amazon (The Wee Free Men and Wintersmith).

- There's a good chance I'll have a summer job.

- I have a ridiculous amount of superhero movies and Criminal Minds and Supernatural episodes to watch during the next months.

- Somehow learning Japanese and ancient Greek sounds pretty good right now.

--REPLIES--

@suzie: Adorable puppies are adorable, and proud mama is proud! In fact, she was annoyed with the flash of my dad's camera and with EVERYONE trying to touch her little ones. She was very OK with my big-analogue-monster camera : )

@jackie: Thanks for that comment!

@DAKOTA: Oh wow, thank you very much for your beautiful comment. It's always very nice to hear (read) about new people. I'll properly visit your blog (I went there very, very briefly) in a couple of weeks : )

2011-06-01T21:33:00.002+02:00

Puppies

What can I say? I'll say that pictures 2 and 3 are my favorite from this little set. And that puppies are puppies : )

Besides, today I've sent a very lengthy email to my tutor and also realized that -somehow- I've already written thirty pages of my thesis (it shouldn't have more than fifty).

--REPLIES--

@melly: About that nose ring, I think the little studs can be screwed on the metal ring. I'm about to finish the fourth season of Criminal Minds and cannot wait to watch the last! (soon, Paula, soon)

@allison: I'm so, so happy I'm about to finish! And at the same time I'm like "I'm tired, I don't want to keep writing anymore". But the end it's so close, hahah! I hope you're doing fine, your last pictures look amazing : )

@Kristina: thanks for the comment! We had a pretty good time : ) My Easter holidays weren't holidays at all and it was nice to have a break and spend some time with friends.

2011-05-28T22:48:00.003+02:00

"In which it's Saturday and SHINee's 'Juliette' is playing and summer has arrived way too soon"

YAY, new pictures! I finally -finally!- had the time to go to the lab and got 2 rolls developed.

Also, classes are over. Papers have been handed in. I'm taking two days off -until Monday- and allowing myself to be lazy and not give a damn about my thesis or what's left from the Master.

My official plans now are: 1) finish writing that thing, 2) going to Barcelona to hand it in, etc, 3) GRADUATING.
Hopefully-soon official plans: 1) one week -or one week and a half- in Paris, 2) summer job? (please?).
Not-official plans for this summer: 1) Criminal Minds, 2) SUPERNATURAL.

Also, I want a real tan. It's been too long.

It's funny how when I let my camera to someone else things like the last picture above happen. And no, I'm not talking about my extreme cheerfulness. I'm talking about the muted colors and the grain. You see the first three pictures? I took them. Then Ana insisted on taking a picture of me, so I prepared the camera and passed it to her. The lighting was the same, the camera and film were -obviously- the same, the results are not the same. Curiously it's not the first time that this has happened to me.

--REPLIES--

@melly: thanks for the comments and the good wishes! : ) I really expect -and hope- that once I finish my thesis I'll be able to eat small doses of dairy products from time to time --because, really, a summer without ice cream? come on.

2011-05-25T15:06:00.003+02:00

"In which Paula is simply exhausted and awkward"

The photo and the gif have nothing to do with each other. Well, nothing besides that I'm the one being silly in the gif and that I'm also the one who took the picture above. I first posted that moving thing-y on tumblr because I needed to remind myself that, yes, there's more in my life than articles and thesis-writing, and that, yes, I'm still able to look human and decent (even if I feel like a zombie most of the time).

Please humor me, I really need to sleep.

The fact is that I've been sleeping, but I haven't been resting well. This situation translates to about 4-5 (6 at most) real hours of sleep per night, which aren't enough hours at all. Oh, that if I don't spend the night having unsettling dreams (not nightmares, but still bad) about work or weird people.

Unfortunately, poor sleep habits and a certain degree of stress have had their consequences. My lactose intolerance has gotten so bad that I can't eat/drink any dairy products without: 1) having to throw up, or 2) suffering terrible stomachaches. I can't remember the last time I had a tea with milk and I'm still in withdrawal. I know I sound over-dramatic, but I'm trying to wrap my mind around the idea of not eating pannacotta anymore. Hopefully, at the end of this madness things will get calmer and better and I'll be able to come back to my old eating habits of having something milk-related (*coughsoftserveicecreamcough*) from time to time without wanting to rip my stomach out of my body from the pain. I mean, small doses of dairy should still be fine, right? Right?

On the bright side, after 8 months of too long classes, weekly plane flights, paper-writing, and article-reading, I'm about to finish the Master. When I'll arrive home this Friday the classes will be over and the last papers will be handed in. Then all I'll have to do (hah, "all I'll have to do", so funny) is finish my research thesis and go back to Barcelona in July for the dissertation.

Meanwhile, I'll be posting (more) regularly again in a week. I have two rolls to get developed, plus some to finish. For all of you who keep an eye in this little piece of randomness, thanks for your patience and support.

2011-04-27T13:05:00.005+02:00

"In which Paula flails around happily"

(I'm still hiatus-ing, this is just a random pause. Let's call it my Easter vacation post)

Spring Break? Seriously, what's that? I hope I could have a month off to be able to finish everything. Or better, to sleep and watch 'Criminal Minds' non stop ---and please Hotchner, never stop being forever intense and impassive; you'd be my spirit animal if Reid (all awkwardness and nerdiness) weren't it already.

Lately, the only music I'm listening is BigBang, Arashi, or Spirited Away's OST (and that was for work, so I'm not sure if it counts). It seems that my mind can't take anything else. I finished 2 of my 3 papers -I need to talk with my professor before starting the one I have left-, and written down part of my research project. On the downside, I need to check and go through all I've done. That means I'll probably end deleting part of my work and rewriting it -again- because I'm irrationally perfectionist and/or a masochist.

Oh, I didn't say anything before going on hiatus, but about three (four?) weeks ago I lost my Yashica ME1 on the plane (IBZ-BCN). It slipped out of my backpack and under my seat, and when I realized that I didn't have it and went back to the airport to try to get it back, it was too late. I went to the 'lost and found' of the company, left my data there, etc, etc. The situation was so surreal that I felt numb rather than devastated. My poor little baby, flying to Copenhagen while I had to go to the campus and listen a four-hours class about... something.

BUT, today I've received a phone call, and they have located my camera and it's already in Barcelona waiting for me. And, oh tomorrow, tomorrow. Now excuse me while I keep flailing around.

(And that's all for now. Going back to my cave, see you soon again!)

--REPLIES--

@allison: I miss you too! Seriously, I needed a break to finish the Master (I still am on hiatus), but from time to time I need a break from all my papers and article-reading. By the way, could you send me your mail address again? I don't know if you've changed it and I want to send you a package : )

@suzie: Sometimes I have to be a responsible human being and do what I Have To Do. Thanks for the support as always.

@Kristina: Happy (belated) Easter to you too! Thank you for the compliments on my pictures and for the good-luck wishes!

2011-04-13T17:31:00.003+02:00

"He was thankful to have an existence at all, if only as a reflection in her wet eyes" (F. Scott Fitzgerald, Tender is the Night)

What can I say about these pictures? Just that 1) they are also from February, and 2) I miss those moments (and those persons) more than I can probably express through words.

---

I'm going to go into another undefined hiatus because I have SO much work to do, hence the lack of time to go outside and just photograph the world. I'm not stressed... yet, but it's a bit ridiculous and I need to focus if I want to finish the Master and graduate in June. I have 3 papers to do plus the research thesis and now that I'm regaining my sanity after the storm-months and that I seem to be able to write and to be focussed it's time to start business. I'll still be lurking around twitter and tumblr, occasionally updating little daily titbits and horrendous grainy pictures, and if you want to reach me you are free to comment or email me or whatever. So, yeah.

Also, lately I'm fighting with (self-induced) insomnia. I'm a night person and I love the dark hours (and I always will). Unfortunately, I'm also a person that needs to sleep well to function, meaning at least 7-8 hours regularly. Because of this and my recent sleep-related troubles, I put together a playlist of quiet music (I think it could also work as a "depressing playlist" if I was the kind of person who mopes over other persons) which I called 'YOU SHALL NOT STAY AWAKE UNTIL UNGODLY HOURS, YOU FOOL'. Yes, all of this is highly amusing for me -which means that it's probably the lamest thing ever for the rest of the world. No, I don't care.

---

I tend to be overenthusiastic about the things I like: music, books (allow me to proudly announce that I have now more than 300 books in my room; the last one I bought was Moby-Dick), Terry-Pratchett-books, Neil-Gaiman-books, Pocky, dark chocolate, tea, peanut M&M's, dates (the fruit), and 'The Big Bang Theory'.

My list of the random things I love is probably endless, but I'd like to point some of its newest acquisitions:

- Oreo cookies (the originals, plain and boring and perfect)

- KPOP (not a so recent obsession, but still)

- 'Criminal Minds' (seriously, I love it; even if I saw an ep. about a cannibal just after dinner)

- this song (that makes me extremely cheerful and it's going to be my alarm ringtone):

(Spirited Away Image Album - 神々さま)

---

And... this is all for a while. I'll be back with more pictures and rambles and random randomness (because I still am the Randomness Queen).
Thank you again for your sweetness, and specially for your concern about my knee (which is almost 100% fine again).
Take care : )
xoxo

2011-04-09T22:49:00.002+02:00

"Heureux enfants, aux coeurs de flamme" (from Berlioz's 'Romeo and Juliet')

Alcúdia, February.

--REPLIES--

@jackie: thanks for the good wishes.

@suzie: glad you liked the lipstick; sometimes it's good to spend money on things besides books : )

@melly: I've rested, I swear! (and I'm still resting but I'm so much better now).

@MK: if you are interested on my 'Spirited Away' paper I can e-mail it to you once I finished it (but you'll probably have to wait a bit).

2011-04-02T19:12:00.003+02:00

"Full of broken thoughts I cannot repair" (Johnny Cash - 'Hurt')

Hi there, delightful people. This is my left knee. It's sore. It hurts.

Yesterday I finally went to the hospital because after two days of Barcelona-madness (walking around with a suitcase, with stairs and trains and too-long-lessons) I wasn't able to walk without limping.
This story began last Saturday when I went for my daily run. It seems that I didn't warm up enough and my knee began to hurt. The pain was not so bad, but it was intense enough to decide not to run on Sunday. However, because I am the most stubborn (and probably stupid) person ever, I disregarded the pain completely after that and went for a run on Monday. And Tuesday. And Wednesday.

(Ironically, my ex-boyfriend used to be the one who went all "oh-my-god-let's-exercise-together-and-why-don't-you-like-to-run-and-why-don't-you-go-for-a-run-with-me-and-maybe-you-should-exercise-more-and-what-are-you-eating-is-that-chocolate?". And no, I did not exercise with him, thank you very much. And yes, that was chocolate, thanks again)

Now I like to run -it helps a lot that no one is bugging me about the subject, but mostly I think it's a great outlet for my stress/desperation/frustration/whatever-filled mind. Don't get me wrong, I still think that killing zombies via videogame is one of the greatest ways to relieve the tension, but I don't have videogames here. Too bad.

Returning to the point, apparently one of my left-knee's ligaments is quite inflamed, hence the pain. The doctor gave me some painkillers (Diclofenac) that I don't plan to take, and I also have to wear a really (aka leg-numbing) tight knee-bandage.
On the upside, 1) the articulation is undamaged, and 2) I've been told to rest and not to force myself, so now i have a really nice and valid excuse to stay all day on bed.

Other ('cause I'm the Randomness Queen):
- I went to watch 'Black Swan' the other week.
- Summer Time (aka Daylight Saving Time) is still kicking my butt -hard.
- I finally bought that red lipstick I babbled about on my last post. It's Clinique's 'flamenco' and you can see a hint of it in the crappy picture above.
- Nosebleeds are not funny.
- Corgi (or Doubleday, I'm not sure and I don't care) decided to be a tease, putting the first chapter of Wintersmith at the end of Thud!. Agh. Teaseteaseteaseteaseteaseteaseteaseteaseteaseteaseteasetease.
- I'm going to write an essay on 'Spirited Away' for one of my Master's classes.
- Starting Tender is the Night because I have to return it to the library (secretly dying to finish GEB or to start A Hat Full of Sky or Unseen Academicals).

--REPLIES--

@Rob: thanks : )

@melly: I'm relieved to know I'm not the only one who has to literally summon her energy to make a post. I love to see your updates via twitter too! : )

@MK: Hi! Those pictures were from almond trees. We have a kind of almond blossom season here in Ibiza, though it's quite short (the flowers are very delicate). I think it's understandable that you stopped posting for a while with the big quake and the move. I'm glad to see you are updating again!

2011-03-26T00:29:00.005+01:00

"This temporary flesh and bones" (The Killers - 'Good Night, Travel Well')

First of all, sorry for neglecting... well, kind of everything, but specially this blog, so much. I hope these pictures will do the trick for now, as 1) it's almost Spring, and 2) I haven't finished any new rolls of film -yet.

Today is Friday -fine, it's Saturday here, but just for 29 minutes-, which means that I've just returned from my weekly appointment with Barcelona. I may or may not think now that I seriously underestimated this whole situation of flights and trips, and oh-look-now-I-am-here-and-now-I-am-there! That ramble means that I'm quite tired. And that 'quite' could really be both an understatement and an euphemism. But I'm OK. Most of the time. More or less.

If you follow my tumblr account -not that you have to, but sometimes I have very little energy and it's so easy to post there- you may know that I'm having a weird time. Actually, my "problems" are quite ridiculous, but I guess everybody becomes overwhelmed by circumstances from time to time. So do I.

This week I seriously contemplated buying a new lipstick (I'd like to have a real red one, just because), but at the last moment purchasing two books by Terry Pratchett seemed a better idea. Well, I'm not regretting it.

...

Also, irrelevant but: Thinks I've Eaten Today (or 'Every Friday Is Just The Same')

- breakfast (around 9:30):

· 1 tea with milk.

· a little fuet (cold meat? sausage?) sandwich.

- (class starts at 10 o'clock)

- not-exactly-brunch-but-in-fact-our-coffee-break (12:10 - 12:30; slightly longer today because our professor became distracted by some fancy pastries):

· 2 decaf (solo, as 'without milk').

· 6 cookies (and such a small packet should not cost 1'25 €. And they weren't Oreo and I wanted Oreo).

- (class finishes at 2 past something)

- (lunch? what's lunch on Fridays? Moreover, I was in a train from 14:15 to 15:45. That's an hour and a half)

- (and then, there was also a plane)

- dinner (around 21:00):

· A SIMPLY GLORIOUS BOWL OF NOODLES (in chicken broth, with chicken meat and a poached egg).

· a bite of dark chocolate.

--REPLIES--

@Allison: Thanks for your recent comments, you are the sweetest : )

@suzie: There's nothing better in a so-so day than dig through photo albums filled with pictures from 30 years ago!

@MK: So happy to hear from you again and to know you are safe! I keep you in my thoughts.

@Googlover/keishua: Thank you for taking the time to comment one of my posts, I'm glad to now you've enjoyed the pictures. (And also thanks for the good wishes regarding my study time).

2011-03-23T18:46:00.002+01:00

It's all about the memories.

2011-03-11T21:42:00.004+01:00

"Green is for hope"

This morning I singed up to my twitter account from my college's library and after a day absolutely offline. The first thing I read about were the words "earth-quake" and "Japan" and I totally freaked out because I didn't know what was all that about. Then I wrote an e-mail to MK to know if she was OK, and about two hours later I read her reply -saying she's fine- and I couldn't help but tear up in the middle of the library.

Japan is probably my favorite place, and it's very, very close to my heart, for many reasons. Reading about the quake has been both shocking and painful. You are all in my thoughts.

2011-03-08T23:04:00.002+01:00

Studying + snack (or late breakfast) breaks

Currently:
- Working on my papers/research project
- Reading (articles for class, Garland, Catalan essays, etc.). I seriously need a good dose of fiction before I lose my mind.
- Music is playing all day (and now I'm into B2ST too).
- Trying to write down my book wishlist, though it's kind of a never-ending work in project.

--REPLIES--

@jackie: It has taken me forever to create that sort of portfolio. Believe me, I know quite a bit about laziness myself!

@Chih: hahahah, thanks! That one is my favorite too!

@suzie: Maybe I'll open a shop someday again, thanks for the recommendation : ) (also, 'Let down' is my favorite song ever)

2011-03-06T16:44:00.004+01:00

I spent part of my first Ethno class (it seems like I can't stop talking about it; it was glorious!) writing down a 15-track playlist that I called "Songs to keep you sane". The title is quite explicit itself, but I want to explain it a bit. I take a plane every week, twice a week: Thursday's mornings and Friday's afternoons. I love it and, at the same time, it's exhausting. Music is what keeps me alive and functioning through the whole day and my four-hour classes. This playlist is my very own way to pay tribute to it.

...

Songs to keep you sane (3/3/2011 to 3/5/2011 edition):

01. "Kimi no Kirei ni Kizuite Okure" (Sambomaster)
02. "Ready to Start" (Arcade Fire)
03. "Daylife" (Toki wo Kakeru Shoujo OST)
04. "Goin' Home" (Dan Auerbach)
05. "Take a Bow" (Muse)
06. "Let Down" (Radiohead)
07. "Dress and Tie" (Charlene Kaye feat. Darren Criss)
08. "Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)" (Arcade Fire)
09. "Stutter" (A Very Potter Sequel version)
10. "A-Yo" (SHINee)
11. "Shonen Electric" (Sambomaster)
12. "Perfection" (Super Junior M)
13. "No Cars Go" (Arcade Fire)
14. "Strange Things Will Happen" (The Radio Dept.)
15. "Sit Down. Stand Up" (Radiohead)