The Barcelona Experience!!!

The Barcelona Experience…

How should I begin? Ok, let’s start with four words…I LOVE THIS CITY!!! Barcelona is an incredibly vibrant city that offers so much in natural beauty, cultural arts and leisure activities. It has also proven to be fertile ground for the ministry and this has been most rewarding. So, please allow me to bring you up-to-date with the past few months in my ‘adopted’ city. Well… let me just bring you up-to-date because I have not been in the city all that much, you’ll see…read on…

The past summer had been one of discovery and excitement because of my move from Rome to Barcelona and also my travels in August to southern Spain (Andalucia), Morocco, and Germany.

I relocated to Barcelona in early July. You may remember in an earlier blog I told you I was invited to be a delegate at the International Convention in Prague but was unable to attend therefore I returned to Rome in mid-July to attend the convention in English (the English speaking congregations had their convention in June). The ‘Deliverance is Near’ convention was a spiritual booster not only was nourished but I had the added delight of saying a ‘proper good-bye’ to my Italian friends that do not live in Rome but were in the same district as myself.

Upon my return to Barcelona I ‘served’ in my new congregation. Technically, I serve with the English group that meets in the ‘nord’ section of the city, however during the summer months the English congregation which meets in the ‘sud’ section of the city and the English group met together. During the summer months many publishers travel extensively; to their home countries, visit with friends, or travel to foreign lands for leisure, the results is the meeting attendance decreases dramatically, hence the elders arranged for the congregation and the group to meet together. In addition, this past summer saw the departure of many regular pioneers returning home after spending 4-5 years in Barcelona or going off to serve in other foreign lands, i.e Taiwan, Nicaragua, Bolivia.

It was such a pleasure to be in walking distance of the beach! Rome is situated about 50 miles from the coast, but Barcelona is a coastal city and I fortunate to have a beautiful view of the beach, the city and the surrounding mountains from my balcony and bedroom window. Barcelona has nice beaches but the further up the coast towards Girona, the beaches are heart-stopping beautiful. Also, this part of Spain is lush and green similar to the north western part of Spain, known as Galicia. The southern part of Spain is Andalucia which is very, very dry like the southwestern part of the States. It is a beautiful part of the country and in the minds of foreigners the one most associated with Spain. Andalucia is where you can cities like Seville, Cordoba, Malaga, Cadíz, Granada, and the tourist ‘ghettoes’ that call themselves cities.

I love Andalucia because the people are hospitable, the beauty and the history, and the wine and food is de-lllicccious!!! I stayed for a week in a tourist ghetto called Calahonda the traveled to Coin and remained there for two weeks with friends. It was an amazing three weeks I must tell you! The first week I stayed in Calahonda for 48 consecutive hours in a fabulous apartment…but then afterwards I hit the road every day and enjoyed less and less time in that wonderful place but I was able to see some great sights! Of course I went to Malaga, then just take it west from there…don’t know Spain too much huh? Well, let’s see, ummm….it went like this…Malaga, Torremolinos, Benalmadena, Mijas, Fuengirola, Marabella, Estepona, Gibraltar, Algeciras, Tarifa, and Cadiz. It looks like a lot and yes what!? It was a lot of traveling but tons of fun. I would love to do it again. This time I would like to go camping in Tarifa and take a windsurf course while there. It was from Algeciras that I took a ferry to Tanger (Tangier), Morocco but the next time I return to Morocco I’d prefer to go from Tarifa (only 30 minutes)!

You may wonder what was the highlight of my trip…I thought it would have been the Rock of Gibraltar, but it was the beach at Tarifa that left me breathless. I wish I could provide you a picture of that spectacular beach. The beach and the surrounding area are a natural reserve. I remember standing in the parking lot scratching my head wondering, ‘How are those people walking on water?’ ! It was an optical illusion. Yes, it was truly amazing I walked closer to the water to inspect and realized I was walking ankle deep in a large lagoon. The lagoon was ankle deep for many meters and calm with barely a ripple. If you continued walking you would reach a large sandbar. It was the sandbar that I spotted people walking on from the parking lot. When you reach the sandbar it is there the Strait of Gibraltar welcomes you. People mistakenly think that it is the Atlantic Ocean, but Tarifa is on the southern tip of Spain, facing Africa and the Strait of Gibraltar has a powerful current because the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean meet at that point. In the distance rose the looming mountains casting beautiful shadows as the red sun retired from bathing, burning, and scorching bodies and vegetation for the day. The sky was a tapestry of vivid, beautiful colors trying to outdo the other with its majesty and splendor. If you could tear your eyes away from this wondrous scene and turn your back to the ocean for one minute to view the mountains behind you, then your eyes would gaze upon the tall, white ‘windmills’. These structures have a name that I do not know offhand but when you see dozens of these manmade wonders perched on the surrounding mountains whirling from the wind that has just traveled across the Atlantic and getting ‘swept’ up in these whirling contraptions, it is simply magnificent. It was then that I wished I had the power to make time stand still so that I could selfishly enjoy the moment for a few more minutes, no hours, then time realistically permitted.

Another exciting aspect of my trip was my time spent in the fascinating city of Tanger (Tangiers) on the northern tip of Morocco. The city has an interesting history and colorful past. I was so excited to go to Morocco that it wasn’t until I was on the ferry that I realized that all the women had covered legs, arms, and heads. Ahem, but Ms. America here was dressed in a short-sleeved blouse and shorts. Oh my! I couldn’t wait to get off that boat. The good thing was I befriended a nice Moroccan man in that lives in Switzerland but had traveled back to Morocco to visit his family. He was excited to meet an American and converse in English. His English was elementary at best, but we spoke at length about everything from traveling, religion, and the state of the world’s affairs. Although he was Muslim, he listened to the message of the good news. This man was also very helpful at the port of entry. Morocco is a very corrupt country and I suggest that if you visit you go with a guide because if it wasn’t for that man I am sure I would not have entered (or departed) the country so easily. Ok, so that suggestion applies for me too and I did not realize that man was a blessing from Jehovah because Morocco isn’t exactly a ‘lone’ tourist’s paradise. I would like to return to Morocco for a longer period of time, this time with friends who speak Arabic and I would like to visit Casablanca and Marrakech. My roommate, she is French Algerian, and I are planning a trip for next year to see some of her friends in Marrakech, so I will keep you posted.

My road trip ended after one week but my time in southern Spain did not end there because I was fortunate to be a guest of the Short family in Coín. This wonderful family showed hospitability for two weeks. I had the privilege of spending many hours in the ministry with their neighbors, Mario and Carlota, a pioneer couple that moved from their home in the north of Spain to serve where the need is great in the south. Also, I had the privilege of spending time in the ministry with two pioneer sisters in Fuengirola. There are many people from the United Kingdom currently living in southern Spain and so as you can imagine the response we got in the ministry. These people thought when they left England, they left us behind too! They get the biggest wakeup call when English speaking witnesses ring their doorbells in Spain…hehehe.

Mario and Carlota were visited by friends from the north, Danny and Izabel. These two couples were so delightful to be around : ) We had a lot of fun hanging together and going to Cordoba and Seville. Also, I need to give a big shout out to Chris Goodall-Short, an awesome guy! He recently got married to a lovely Spanish sister. I hope they will come up to Barcelona one of these days.

I must say that my trip to the south of Spain was a blast and know I feel supremely guilty for not keeping in contact with these fine folks! I definitely have to do something about that, ASAP!!!

I returned to Barcelona for a day and then was off again to Germany….


Frankfurt….in August…FREEZING COLD! Ugh!!!Yeah, that’s right…I went there dressed like a tourist on holiday in Mallorca and didn’t realize I needed to bring a jacket…IN AUGUST! Oh my, I really wanted to get back on that plane and return home. To make matters worse, it rained every day. Ok, with that said, ummm…well, Frankfurt isn’t exactly a hot ‘tourist’ spot. It’s a financial centre without much to see so if you ever decide to go there, it’s best to go there to see the people and I must admit I had great company. Let me see, there was Felicity, Giang, Pam, and Sandra…they were a lot of fun! I stayed at Bethel in Neiderselters on Monday night and attended the Watchtower Study (in German!). Thanks Uli! After a few days, in Frankfurt…I headed to Berlin…

Berlin…there was so much to see; Brandenburg Gate, Checkpoint Charlie, Tiergarten Park, Pergamon Museum, the Berlin Wall. I stayed with a lovely couple, Geert and Myrtie…big shoutout to Gee and Myrtie!!! Berlin in the northeastern part of Germany but it was actually warmer than Frankfurt! I am at a loss for words on that one. Anyway, I love history and that city is chock full of history. I felt as if I stepped back into time when I visited the Berlin Wall Museum and Checkpoint Charlie. It was is the ‘Cold War’ was still raging on although the Wall fell in 1989, its legacy resonates throughout the city, it has left its scars on its city and on the hearts and minds of the generations that had to endure its existence. The Wall was erected in 1961 and according to the statistics provided by the Berlin Wall Museum there were 5,075 successful escape attempts (some brilliantly planned and executed) and 178 victims. Checkpoint Charlie was the most well known border crossing between East and West, in October 1961 American and Russian tanks faced each other there at that point until the United States intervened to defend the fundamental rights of Berlin’s special status. It became the geographical focal point of the Cold War where two super powers met and two worlds split apart and joined again.

The Pergamon Museum (see g/76 2/8)

It is in the heart of Berlin you can find the Pergamon Altar, please look at Revelation 2:12-17. Yes, the same place where Jesus said, ‘the throne of Satan is.’ The archaeologists that discovered the altar cannot determine if the throne was dedicated to Zeus or Athena, or possibly both gods because the inscription is largely fragmented causing difficulty for the archaeologists to accurately decipher.

The Museum also has a reconstruction of the Ishtar Gate. This gate was part of the famous impenetrable Babylonian walls constructed by King Nebuchadnezzar. Undoubtedly, this gate was the one that Daniel and his companions entered when they came to Babylonian as captives, why? because the Ishtar Gate was the end of Babylon’s Procession Street. A cobblestone taken from it bears the inscription: “Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, Son of Nabopolassar, King of Babylon am I. The Babel street I have paved for the procession of the great Lord Marduk with Shadu-cobblestones.”

The Charlottenburg district was splendid with its magnificent palaces and lovely gardens. I enjoyed a fine afternoon of reading and wandering aimlessly thorough the gardens. Unfortunately, I did not take an opportunity to take a boat ride on the river or visit the Filmmusem Berlin, I am keen to know more of the German cinema. My knowledge is limited to Marlene Dietrich, unfortunately I do not know anything about German filmmakers nor of its famed actors.

My German holiday soon came to an end and I had to return to Spain. I didn’t much mind, at least it was warm in Spain. I couldn’t wait to shed all those sweaters and jackets off when I landed in Barcelona! Ahhhhh….sun, sun, sun…prickling my sun-starved skin as I left the airport and searched impatiently for the airport-BCN centre bus to arrive. The air-conditioning on the bus was wheezing out air like an asthmatic without an inhaler but I since I was in the process of defrosting from a deep German freeze, I was not complaining! Ohhh…it was good to see palm trees, feel the ocean breeze, and wear scandals again…hurray!



Back to reality…so September begins that means…work, a new service year…and umm, more beach…hehehe. Yeah, basically it means summer is over, time to start the J-O-B. I am an English teacher, more specifically I am A TEFL teacher that means I teach English as a foreign language. I enjoy teaching and better yet, I can work parttime and earn a living allowing me to regular pioneer. Ok, so I won’t be able to afford the luxuries in life but hey, I didn’t come here for that. I could have stayed in New York and had ‘luxury’, but I wouldn’t trade this for the world (ha! Literally!).

Life here is Barcelona has been truly good and I am so thankful to my Father for this blessing. I wish you all well and may you have Jah’s blessings.

BARCELONA!!!

In the Land of Gaudi...yes, that's right...BARCELONA! As you may have already heard I left Rome the beginning of this month and moved to Barcelona. This cultural hotbed is the artistic 'mother' to Pablo Picasso, Joan Miro, and Salvador Dali. It’s a haven for tourists yearning for the natural beauty of the Pyrenees mountains which offers skiing and hiking. Also, this wonderful city lures tourists and locals alike by its idyllic beaches. The 'old lady' by American standards, she is over 2,000 years old, wears her age quite well and by quick glance at the dizzying number of construction sites, she has no intention of slowing down.

Although this city usually experiences mild temperatures in the summer (and winter) months, we have been experiencing record temperatures these past few weeks. As the mercury creeps up the thermometer, the beaches are rushed by tourists and locales seeking the cool refreshing waters of the Mediterranean and the relief of the ocean breezes. Also, there are many happy to bake in the afternoon sun with minimal sunscreen and little regard for high UV warnings. I have wondered if the Spaniards check for ozone warnings because many of them (including tourists) have enough oil on their bodies to fill a large sized pan and fry several pieces of chicken. I am always amazed at their ability to lie on their back and 'sleep' for hours without moving a muscle in unbearable heat for the sake of browner skin. Ah, yes you have noticed that I spend a lot of time at the beach! You are clever, there is no fooling you! I happen to love the beach and to be in walking distance of it is a dream come true.

The Barcelona English congregation is located in Barcelona Sud and I live in in Barcelona Nord, so I must travel to the other side of the city to attend meetings. In the near future I will support the english group in the south but, for the summer months the group meets with the congregation. Ironically, the 'south' side of the city has the highest African population whereas the south due to pricey accommodations has a high number of British and American expats. Ummmmm....so, it appears I will lose out on gaining a many African bible students. (Sigh!) It will be no easy task trying to cultivate interest in my fellow American expats and British neighbors. Another ironic twist is the congregation is losing five pioneers and one ministerial servant in less than 2 weeks! Yep, four are returning to the homeland, the U.K. and the other two are moving on to other assignments...Taipei (Taiwan) and Bolivia. The English congregation has over 15 pioneers, the group has seven regular pioneers, but with the departure of five in less than one month, you can imagine the elder’s nervousness. Ok, stop laughing! It seems hard to believe the elders would worry over the departure of five regular pioneers while well over fifteen remain, but remember we are talking about coverage of the entire city of Barcelona including surrounding areas! There is much work needed to be done!

As mentioned I live in Barcelona Nord, in a beautiful section of the city named Diagonal Mar, or Santi Marti. The area is under much development at the moment, matter of fact the city administrators have OK'd another beach addition (yippppeee!) and the area is attracting many people, tourists and locals alike to move to this beautiful part of the city. I have been blessed with a wonderful view of a lovely park and beach from my terrace and the city of Barcelona Nord and the mountains from my bedroom and kitchen windows. It is a delight to enjoy a spectacular view of the sea while I enjoy my dinner in the evenings.

Do I miss Rome??? Ummmm....the answer...not really. As creatures of habit, we miss routines-schedules-agendas, to leave these structures behind can and will leave us disoriented. Admittedly, I have fallen under a lethargic spell of sun and sand with free time that I have not seen since last August. My mind grows dim when I think that barely weeks ago the only free time I had rested on Sundays and even then my energy was exhausted my mid-afternoon and a nap was desperately needed to see me through the rest of my day. I shudder to think of 'my ROMAN schedule' in the Rossi household. Although, I keep a copy close at hand to remind me of the exhaustive hours I grew accustomed to and what I no longer have to contend with on a daily basis. Without any doubt I will not ever miss the frustrating chaos they call 'public transportation' in that city nor will I ever wistfully call to mind the on-the-verge-of-road-rage, idiotic drivers in that snarled mess of traffic in Rome. Just in case you are wondering, I would like to reclaim the 10 years of my life I lost driving in Rome. This maybe another reason I am drawn to the beach in Barcelona, the sun, sand, and surf relax me so much I am lulled to sleep. I feel my tense muscles relax, a smile forms on my face, as I float along the waves. Ok, with that said, I will say I miss the fine brothers and sisters I have met in that ancient city. They have supported me in many ways and for that I am eternally grateful (get it...Eternal City...eternally grateful...ok, forget it). The fine deeds demonstrated by those in the congregation are too many to recount. I am truly thankful for the love and support shown by the Roma Ovest Inglese.

So, what next....I will keep u posted....I suppose : ))

Hasta luego!

Back Home

Back Home...

New York and Miami.

How does it feel to be home?

That was the question most people asked me when I returned to Miami and New York to see family and friends. 'How will it feel to be back?' was a question I pondered when the plane departed Rome to Milan. In Milan, I waited for 30 minutes queuing Italian style at customs and that question played in mind like a continuous recording. In America, people wait on line in single file allowing sufficient personal space whereas Italy that concept simply does not exist. As an expatriate you endeavor to avoid comparsions of the land you live in and the one of origin. This can be difficult because all of us carry 'cultural baggage' and sometimes that baggage makes us view other cultures negatively. So, back to the question, 'How did it feel to be back home?' I must admit I looked forward to seeing my friends and family but when I landed at Miami International Airport after twelve hours of flight, honestly I wanted to get back on the plane and return to Europe immediately. It is not because I did not want to see my family or see beautiful South Beach, no, the reason was I did not want to be in America! Hey! where was the euphoria?!? I should be jumping up and down with joy! Ok, it was GOOD to hear English again but don't get wrong, Miami is more Latin American than North American and interestingly, this made it more tolerable! Maybe, having a cranium crushing, jackhammer pounding, mind numbing headache from dehydration and lack of sleep did not help my mood either. Finally, I got to see my family after first having a few helpings of MSG-filled, delicious Chinese food with my mother and brother's girlfriend. Shortly after, I took 2 Tylenol PM tablets and was off to never-never land!

I stayed in Miami for a few days before heading north to New York City. It was extremely exhausting to fall back into the fast paced life of my city, 'the Big Apple'. It was great to see my friends again, but I longed to go 'home'. I could feel myself becoming lethargic due to slight depression that gradually enveloped me. Mistakenly I thought it was a bad case of jet lag. Why was I so miserable? Why wouldn't I want to be back in New York with my friends that understand me and know me? The same ones that laugh at my jokes, not only remember the stories I tell but are a part of them, and share many of the same likes and dislikes as me. I was puzzled at my desire to get away at the same I was growing weary of the thought of spending another day in the City. I felt disoriented and helpless in my City! It wasn't because I was gone long but maybe it had someting to do with my feeling of being out of sync with everyone and everything else around me. The longing to leave was so strong that it was becoming a burden by my second to last day. The ironic part of this is, I felt it was one of the best trips I ever taken because it I learned so much about people I considered my friends and also I learned about myself.

I think leaving Miami was the toughest part of the trip. It was wonderful to see my brothers again, but was most difficult to say good-bye to my parents. I was not prepared to be affected so profoundly by the seperation.

How does it feel to be back in Rome? It feels GREAT to be back in Europe and yes, I exhaled when the plane landed at Fiumicino airport. I am happy to be back in Rome! I will be happier when I go home to...Barcelona!

I'll keep you posted : ))

Hey everybody, thanks for checking up on me! Let's see whats new?!?

Hey guys!

Can you believe I have been in Rome for almost one year?!? Time has gone by so quickly!!! : ))

I like this photo alot!

Even when things look bleak...keep a smile on your face and keep your head to the sky! : ))

What's next?!?

Just another day in the life!

Pasta EVERY Day?!?

It is a wonderful experience to live in Italy because of the beautiful country, great food, and fine wine. The food is fresh and delicious but why must we have pasta every day!?! I am a nanny for a wealthy family. Every month the mother prepares a menu for the cook. You wouldn't believe all the carbs this family consumes! Pasta is prepared every day, sometimes TWICE a day and of course, we bread is served with each meal. Oh! and sometimes they have roasted potates as a second course served alongside roast beef, veal, or meatballs. Did I mention dinner is usually served at 8:00pm. LOL! The family went on vacation this week so the staff of six which consists of Peruvians are rejoicing because we will eat food that we crave. The meat of choice is chicken and we have been eating it every day...with RICE..no pasta. ; )

MADRID and BARCELONA

The past few days was spent visiting friends in Madrid and Barcelona. Spain is such a wonderful place! The climate in Barcelona is mild and fair as usual, but the climate was colder in Madrid. Matter of fact, when I left the city it was snowing! It is not usual for that area to receive snow at this time of year so it was unexpected for natives and visitors.

If you have not already heard, I am moving to Barcelona at the end of the service year. Do not worry, I will keep this blog up and running and fill you on the tidbits of my new 'Spanish' life. I cannot believe how much I have been blessed and it is my privilege to share my experiences with you.

I will continue to serve in the English field in Barcelona. The upside to this move is I will be in an English group rather than congregation. This will help me to learn Spanish quicker and give me many opportunities to exchange encourgament with the Spanish brothers and sisters expanding their ministry and learning English and a BIG help to me to improve my Spanish skills.

It is amazing to think of all the changes that have occurred in my life in this past year and I cannot imagine any of these wonderful blessings taking place with Jehovah's help (Prov 10:22). Also, I would like to thank you all for your kind words of encouragement!

Big Ben.

A view of Big Ben from the River Thames.

Piccadilly Circus, London.

Piccadilly Circus, London.

Big Ben at night.

View of a street in Southeast London from atop a double decker bus.

The views of the mountains from *my* bedroom window in Barcelona.

On the balcony of my *new* apartment admiring the views of barcelona, lol ; )

Can u see the sea? another lovely view of Barcelona.

Ahhhhhh!!! Barcelona...so wonderful!

Sophie : )

Jonathan...always smiling.

Rosa and Miles.

Fadela and Antoinette.

Fadela and Oliver in Barcelona.

London and Barcelona

The past few weeks have been a blur of activity! I was fortunate enough to visit my friends in the United Kindgom and Spain and have a wonderful time visiting London for the first time and seeing old friends in Barcelona again.

LONDON: The city reminds me of New York City in many ways, but I was quite impressed with its Metro system 'The Tube', the politeness of the British, IBSA 'UK Bethel', double decker buses, and the 'bobbies'. London gets a bad wrap for its frigid temperatures but it was surprisingly and pleasantly mild when I arrived. The temperature only dipped for one or two days during my stay, but it was unseasonably mild during my visit. My friends stuffed with fish and chips, pints of ale, and even managed to serve me a 'typical' English breakfast. A typical English breakfast consists of crumpets (English muffins), baked beans, sausages, and eggs. Of course, this all washed down with cups of strong English black tea.

It was difficult for me to warp my mind around driving on the rightside of the car and passengers sitting on the left of the driver. It also drove me bonkers when I had to cross the street because my mind was telling me to look in one direction for oncoming traffic but I knew that in the UK they drive on the 'other' side of the road.

The city is SO clean but VERY expensive. The Euro currency is weaker than the pound currency. When I converted 500€ to pounds, I was horrified to receive only 359£ . I was ready to board the plane and head directly to Spain!

Its an expensive city but definitely a great place to visit. Also, I enjoyed seeing some old friends living there and I plan to return one of these days....now, on to....

BARCELONA: Ahhhhhhhhh!!!! It felt SO GOOD to be back home, I mean in Barcelona, lol. I admit Barcelona has always felt like home away from home. I love that city so much. When I picture the myself in the new system I always dream of living next to the sea and mountains. I love history and modernity. This beautiful, vibrant, and dynamic city offers all of those things plus a great location because its only a few hours by train or car from other cities I like in Spain and an hour or two by plane to cities I like to visit in Europe.

The sun was shining as brightly as it does in August, glistening off the calm blue Mediterreanean sea, painting the sky amazing hues of red,orange, and violet when it departed for rest in the west in the evening. Except for the chill in the air when the wind blew you could easily forget that it was January.

Barcelona is a European city rather than a Spanish city. The city is proud of its history but is looking progressively toward its future.

The friends I have there are wonderful brothers and sisters that relocated to Barcelona for one reason or another. I am looking forward to joining them in the expat community there.

If you ever have the opportunity please make a point of visiting the city of Barcelona. You may not love it as much as me but I think you will be seduced by its old world charm and/or awed by its modernity. See you there soon.

I'M GOING TO PRAGUE!!!

I have exciting news to share with you...I was selected to be a delegate to the International Convention in Prague, Czech Republic in July 2006!!! I am so psyched!

I attended the International Conventional in Budapest in 2003 and that was an experience of a lifetime. You truly have a full sense of the international brotherphood when you see brothers and sisters from many different parts of the world with different languages come together in unified worship. The love and joy continually demonstrated throughout the sessions and at the Convention sites cannot surpassed by anything else. I am looking forward to the International Convention in Prague and I hope to see you there! ; )