Showing posts with label summer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label summer. Show all posts

Sunday, August 9, 2015

Simple Questions Impossible to Answer

Sometimes the simplest queries are the most difficult to answer. Occasionally I am challenged with questions that, although hide no obscure intentions, leave me answer-less (and that 'am I weird?' feeling).

"Where are you from?"
Both my birth certificate and passport say Spain, but my heart is made of pieces from every different place I've lived in. Pieces small enough that impede me from identifying myself with another nationality, but so big that prevent me from feeling Spanish.

"What do you do at [insert company]?"
When your daily tasks, responsibilities, organisation and focus changes on a daily basis, it is impossible to generalise what you do for a living.

"Why did you leave [insert last city I've lived in]?"
Excellent question that I frequently ask myself as well. And a very personal one. I'm still trying to come up with the perfect answer that will satisfy those looking for an interesting story. In the meantime, I smile and say it was down to 'several things, none in particular'.

"Can you recommend a book?"
I would very much love to, but I need you to guide me here a bit. Reading a book is like listening to a song, the one you choose has to match not only your personal preferences, but also your mood. It will depend on what you are looking to feel when you put the book down.

"Don't you ever feel lonely living on your own?"
The loneliest I remember feeling was during a time I had someone by my side. After then, I stopped believing that the amount of people around you is not a direct indicator of how accompanied someone is.

"How many languages do you speak"
What do you mean by 'speak'? Mam's desperate face when I fail to find the word I'm looking for proves that I sometimes fail to speak my own native one! 

"Are you staying here for good?"
None of us are :P







Sunday, July 12, 2015

Heat Wave Alchemy

It turns out that being invisible in not my only superpower!! 

Remember how Obelix gained superhuman strength drinking a magical potion? I'm him! But skinny. And my superpowers are not triggered by some elixir, but rather by extreme heat. And it's not strength I gain but so many other supernatural abilities - ok, I'm nothing like Obelix, but you get the gig. 

As thermometers strike +40 ºC (+104 ºF for my American friends),  brace yourselves: the superwoman is released...

Top 5 Superpowers

1. Melting ice with a glimpse of my eyes
I pour water into a glass, throw in a few ice cubes and the second I turn to put the water jar back into the fridge, all the ice in the glass has disappeared!

2. Sleeping statically
The silhouette drawn on my bed sheets by the sweat cascading from every single little pore in my skin is an exact reflection of my own. Clear proof.

3. Evaporating liquid with the touch of my hand
The five steps from the washing machine to the clothes' rack is all it takes me to get a perfectly dry laundry.

4. Pulling off a permanently wet hairstyle
Not sure when it stops being water from the shower and begins being sweat...

5. Drinking my body weight in water
A glass of water has become an extension of my hand.


I'm beyond ecstatic at this point and I feel that I've only just started this journey of self discovery :)




Sunday, July 27, 2014

Summer Expectations

Summer officially started a few days back.  The season of long days and warm nights, of holidays and sun and beaches and blue skies, happiness, smiles... or at least this is the picture many of us paint in our minds, whilst being faced with a different reality.

They say that the secret of happiness is low expectations. But let's be honest, we get carried away more often than not. And perhaps more so in Summer :)


Lunch on the Beach
· Expectation: sitting under the shade of an umbrella, looking over the blue horizon with the soundtrack of the waves coming in and out the shore...In summary: this.
· Reality: umbrella blows away, sand gets all over the food and inside the drink, which by the way is all heated up by the sun and resembles to mulled wine.

Happily Strolling
· Expectation: clear skies, long days, time to walk everywhere, enjoying the warm kiss of the sun.
· Reality: 6pm 40ºC A 20m distance to the nearest bus stop takes 20 minutes. It's a miracle that your muscles are responding under such heat.

Summery Clothes
· Expectation: goodbye tights, sleeves, trousers, jumpers... hello flowery dresses, sandals, t-shirts!
· Reality: it's going into supermarkets, shopping centres, cinemas, public transport and well, any building really, and you are transported to the Arctic. What's with the air-con, people?

Months of Sunshine
· Expectation: you've survived months of rain, wind, cold, dull days and finally here is the longed for reward. Weeks of happiness ahead.
· Reality: and suddenly shops start putting up the Christmas decorations. Where does time go?


Nothing lasts forever. Make the most of the things you love because you won't be able to enjoy them forever; and don't let the ones that do harm bring you down, because they too will disappear. Happy Summer!