1.If we lose love and self respect for each other, this is how we finally die. 2.Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at it destination full of hope. 3.If you have only one smile in you, give it to the people you love. Don’t be surly at home, then go out in the street and start grinning ‘Good morning’ at total strangers. – Maya Angelou 4.If you find it in your heart to care for somebody else, you will have succeeded. 5.Love is like a virus. It can happen to anybody at any time. 6.The honorary duty of a human being is to love. 7.Courage is the most important of all the virtues, because without courage you can’t practice any other virtue consistently. You can practice any virtue erratically, but nothing consistently without courage. – 8.I love to see a young girl go out and grab the world by the lapels. Life’s a bitch. You’ve got to go out and kick ass. 9.My great hope is to laugh as much as I cry; to get my work done and try to love somebody and have the courage to accept the love in return. 10.One isn’t necessarily born with courage, but one is born with potential. Without courage, we cannot practice any other virtue with consistency. We can’t be kind, true, merciful, generous, or honest. – Maya Angelou 11.The ache for home lives in all of us, the safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned. 12.The idea is to write it so that people hear it and it slides through the brain and goes straight to the heart. 13.Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. 14.I can be changed by what happens to me. But I refuse to be reduced by it. 15.I’ve learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone. People love a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back. – Maya Angelou 16.Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it. 17.My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style. 18.You can only become truly accomplished at something you love. Don’t make money your goal. Instead pursue the things you love doing and then do them so well that people can’t take their eyes off of you. All the other tangible rewards will come as a result. 19.A woman’s heart should be so hidden in God that a man has to seek Him just to find her. 20.I’ve learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow. 21.Be a rainbow in someone else’s cloud. – Maya Angelou (Letter to My Daughter) 22.We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty. 23.You alone are enough. You have nothing to prove to anybody. 24.Bitterness is like cancer. It eats upon the host. But anger is like fire. It burns it all clean. 25.The desire to reach for the stars is ambitious. The desire to reach hearts is wise 26.Hate, it has caused a lot of problems in the world, but has not solved one yet. 27.You may shoot me with your words, you may cut me with your eyes, you may kill me with your hatefulness, but still, like air, I’ll rise! 28.I’ve learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents, you’ll miss them when they’re gone from your life. 29.Nothing can dim the light which shines from within. 30.I sustain myself with the love of family. 31.I’ve learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision. Maya Angelou 32.A Woman in harmony with her spirit is like a river flowing. She goes where she will without pretense and arrives at her destination prepared to be herself and only herself. 33.The ship of my life may or may not be sailing on calm and amiable seas. The challenging days of my existence may or may not be bright and promising. Stormy or sunny days, glorious or lonely nights, I maintain an attitude of gratitude. If I insist on being pessimistic, there is always tomorrow. Today I am blessed. 34.The problem I have with haters is that they see my glory, but they don’t know my story… 35.A woman who is convinced that she deserves to accept only the best, challenges herself to give the best. Then she is living phenomenally. 36.The sisters and brothers that you meet give you the materials which your character uses to build itself. It is said that some people are born great, others achieve it, some have it thrust upon them. In truth, the ways in which your character is built have to do with all three of those. Those around you, those you choose, and those who choose you. – Maya Angelou 37.Living well is an art that can be developed: a love of life and ability to take great pleasure from small offerings and assurance that the world owes you nothing and that every gift is exactly that, a gift. 38.Never make someone a priority when all you are to them is an option. 39.You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them. 40.We spend precious hours fearing the inevitable. It would be wise to use that time adoring our families, cherishing our friends and living our lives. 41.When we give cheerfully and accept gratefully, everyone is blessed. 42.This is my life. It is my one time to be me. I want to experience every good thing. 43.I have found that among its other benefits, giving liberates the soul of the giver. 44.We all should know that diversity makes for a rich tapestry, and we must understand that all the threads of the tapestry are equal in value no matter what their color. 45.You rose into my life like a promised sunrise, brightening my days with the light in your eyes. I’ve never been so strong. Now I’m where I belong.
I´m a gypsy and so is Shakira evidently.
She´s been filming a new video for her song Vixen here in Barcelona but she stayed for more than two months. Rumor is she and Piqué have been doing the waka waka. (See the video from the World Cup blog).
In the meantime here´s some waka waka with Rafael Nadal.
Got last minute tickets to the Super Copa tonight and made it in time to watch this exciting game between the Spanish League Champions and the King´s Cup Champions (Sevilla). This was a two match competition and Barça entered the ring tonight the underdog having lost in Sevilla last weekend 3 - 1. They would need to win by three goals in order to be victorious.
Camp Nou was filled with tourists and Catalans all wearing the various shades of red, blue, yellow, and odd neons of Futbol Club Barcelona´s Nike jerseys. The lineup of first half consisted of some of the favorite players I´ve talked about before including Xavi, Messi, Piqué, and Dani Alves. Being the first game since the World Cup, everyone was stoked to see the players back at the home field. The first 45 minutes of play time ended with the home team leading 3-0. The energy was amazing and everyone was singing and chanting, the first-time guests were wide-eyed at the charisma of the team and the fans.
With such a great start, a lot of the pressure was taken off. However, the 2nd chapter was much more tense with the players battling the dry heat and exhaustion. In order to keep the lead at this point it means that every time Sevilla scores, Barça would have to match it to ensure the win. I guess with a break or not feeling as much pressure the game slowed down a lot and Barçca wasn´t dominating like they had in the first half. Soon Iniesta and David Villa, the stars of the Spanish World Cup team were sub´d in and everyone was on their feet cheering. Finally with minutes to spare, Messi scored the 4th goal (his 3rd of the game) to seal the deal.
This is what it´s like being at the game....
Ohh lay lay, oh lala, Ser de Barça es, al millior que hi ha*.
*being from Barcelona is the best that there is.
Haven´t had time to update a thing lately, the past two weeks have been so busy. I´m Back in Barcelona after a week in the small island of Menorca and three days in Veilla before that. The time spent in the countryside and the ocean was priceless! Especially upon arrival to Menorca, I appreciated the vacation so much more since I didn´t think that we would even be taking the trip after months of planning. Just 14 hours before the flight to Menorca my entire purse was lifted off the back of my chair in a Starbucks in central Barcelona. I heard that the thieves were sly in this tourist city but I had no idea they were that good. I was sitting with two other people on the not-so-crowded second level of the cafe and no one saw a thing. Pretty much immediately after realizing it was gone, the sky fell. I´ll never forget running through the crowded Plaza that night in my soaking wet dress to the police station where I had to sum up all the things that were stolen from me including my passport, ids, a camera, sunglasses, ipod, keys to my house, etc. It ended up being about a $900 frapuccino experience. However, we went to the American consulate the next morning and they issued me a temporary passport book in just about an hour. Talk about a reality check, but at least it all worked out and I got on the plane that afternoon.
On Sunday I will fly once again to Lyon, and return back to Barcelona by next Friday. Then off to the states on the following Monday for 10 days of quality time with family and friends.
In the meantime, here´s a song I´ve been hearing everywhere that sums up my gypsy traveling ways.
Arcade Fire will be making their rounds to Europe very soon hitting up Barcelona and Lyon.
They are such an Amazing and Diverse sounding band!
Below is one of their haunting songs set to a phenomenal spaghetti western called Once Upon a Time in the West. It was directed by Sergio Leone, I remember watching this years ago in college in my Italian cinema class.
He actually was approached first to direct The Godfather but turned it down. If he hadn't, we may never have heard of Francis Ford Coppola, Coppola wine or his daughter Sophia. Anyhow, Leone was responsible for much of the success of Clint Eastwood having directed him in three western movies. It's interesting to think back to the 60's and how the prevalent the western movies were and how much things have changed.
The more i listen to this song the more it reminds me of me and the ties i´ve broken, the tracks i´ve jumped and the loved ones that are gone. I think that we can all relate to it at some point but what makes it universal is that we all deal with different types of love in our lives. Maybe it´s hardest sometimes not having the courage to say the three words or it just not being possible, or it being so so hard because you know it could be the last time you will get to say them. The moral of the story is to say them if you can.
