So before I left for Barcelona I decided to suck it up and finally go to the dentist. First of all, I hate her. No, that's not fair I just hate all dentists and she happened to be my dentist at the time. She told me I might need a root canal. Great.
Dentist: There's no infection yet, so that's good.
Me: So what do I do if it starts hurting?
Denist: Take some advil or pain killers or something.
Me: Okay...
*Mom comes in*
Mom: HELLOO SO HOW IS SHE?
Dentist: She needs a root canal.
Mom: Oh...WHAT?
*I cry in corner*
My mom talks really loud. We all do.
Anyways, this day happens to be one week before I leave for Barcelona which means, can't get it done. So I wait. I can still kind of chew on the right side of my mouth in January, but by March I can't touch it. And yesterday I was woken up from a wonderful nap feeling like the right side of my mouth was going to explode. It was throbbing so hard, I knew that at any second it would burst and kill me. I ended up sobbing because this went on for 15 minutes relentlessly, and it wasn't even coming in waves. It was just one constant, immense pain. So I popped as many Motrin as I could without killing myself and laid back down. I told Ian I wasn't gonna make it til the morning or to the American dentist I found. He told me, "NO", so I listened and the Motrin finally kicked in.
Today was my appointment with Dr. Joseph Vilallonga. I walk in, it's in a nice part of town, and the office is pretty big for a city office. The waiting room is huge, I think there are two, and they had a bunch of fashion magazines to read. The receptionist was Japanese, so when I walked in I was comforted by the fact that she was speaking Japanese to another woman and that this is what living in an anime would be like.
After waiting for about five minutes she called me in. Dr. Vilallonga - He. Is. Amazing. I want to trap him in a sack and drag him back to America with me. He made me feel a whole lot better about the ordeal, and told me not to worry about the root canal, that it was a simple procedure. (Other stupid dentist at home told me she couldn't do it and that I had to be recommended to another dentist who could). So he gave me a prescription of antibiotics and ibuprofen. This is when I realized I'm a doctor! I've been taking ibuprofen because I knew it would help with the pain, but it was also an anti-inflammatory, which is why it's been working so well.
This is also when I realized that healthcare here is so much cheaper. He took an x-ray, and without insurance, those things in the States cost about $100 at least. My appointment plus the x-ray came to 56E, and the root canal would only be 160E. Back at home, my dentist told me it would cost from $500-$600 without insurance. WHAT A RIP OFF. So I run along to the pharmacy thinking that it's gonna be super expensive again without insurance. A huge case of antibiotics and ibuprofen came out to 8E. What? I love Spain. That's what.
But, more updates to come on my demon tooth after May 7th. Wish me luck! If I come back toothless, I'm sorry, Ian.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Thursday, April 22, 2010
ANDA!
After downing my grande iced vanilla latte, I decided I had enough energy to write this blog about my husband, Joaquin Cortes. A few questions.
- Why is he so hot?
- Why didn't he propose to me when he looked at me in the crowd?
- Will I ever see him again?!
Anyways, on to the blog.
Our group ended up in the highest part of the theater, but luckily for me I was right on the edge of the balcony. The stage gets dark and suddenly, there he is, dressed so sharply in black. I wanted to tell him I loved him, but I guess I decided to play hard to get at the time. He begins to dance, and as the show goes on I find myself smiling like a little school girl. I can't suppress my cheers, much to the annoyance of the old people sitting next to me, but I didn't care. When he dances flamenco I want to die, but most of all when he flips his long, beautiful, straight hair back. Gah. I loved the act where there are seven women, topless, with long skirts starting from their hips, laying on the floor, in the dim blue lights like mermaids on the seabed. The way they crawled and slithered off stage. Beautiful and haunting. And the act that was a homage to his mother...heartbreaking. I didn't quite understand at first, who the picture was of on the screen, it must have been from the 60s or 70s, but after seeing his misery, and the way he twisted and turned into variations of the fetal position, it dawned on me. At the end, he sat down to speak to the audience, what a gentleman, and his speech ended by thanking his mother, as he looked up and blew a kiss to the heavens. I wanted to cry. All in all, the show was phenomenal, and it was worth every single damn second.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Box of tissues in bed - Barça with Ian
Day 1: After waking up groggy and disoriented after our escapade at Sutton, Ian and I clamor down to a cafe/restaurant across the street from my University. I can barely eat in the morning, but Ian ordered a delicious pork chop breakfast with eggs, fries, and salad. That day we bummed around our hotel room and headed to el Barrio Gótico for my birthday dinner/belated one year anni celebration at Matsuri. Ian & I, with our super sense of direction, end up getting lost for about an hour. But luckily, the restaurant was worth the hunt and we shared a bottle of sake and some yummy asian fusion cuisine. And of course, I ordered fried ice cream for dessert.
Day 2:
Ian & I ended up sleeping for the majority of the morning/early afternoon and finally mustered up the energy to go into town. After eating at a buffet, we took the metro up to Parc Güell (this is now my fourth time being there, I should really get paid to do tours), where it was full of street performers and people. I was starving by the time we walked around the park, so we ate lunch at the cafe overlooking the park's benches & promenade. I order una jarra de sangría and end up getting a 1.5L of it. We then make our way to Camp Nou to watch the FC Barça vs. Ath. Bilbao game.
At the ticketbooth, my credit card wasn't working and I started to panic thinking that Ian & I might not get a chance to watch the game. They kept asking me for my passport, I didn't have it on me, why should I if I have the confirmation numbers and the seat numbers. Ian looked so worried cuz I must've had this horrible look of distress on my face, and the people in the line were getting more and more antsy. Finally, I say, Try this number. Doesn't work. Wait a minute, I thought, it must be a 6 not a 9. So we try the second number, doesn't work either. But the guy comes back with a passport number written on it, and it's exactly the second number I guessed. Adrenaline rush would have worked out in the end. This is how I passed orgo.
Anyways, the game was exciting since Barça scored four goals which, according to Ian, is a lot for a futbol game. It was funny to see all the Bilbao fans in a caged box with security guards around them. Ian was like, Why are there people in that cage thing? Oh, they're Bilbao fans... Oh sports. After the game, we try to sit down at a restaurant, but I'm already feeling the beginnings of a cold, so we leave and end up getting burgers from Quick to take back to the room. One of my favorite pastimes with Ian was, and always has been, watching anime while cuddling or pigging out. We watched the latest episode of Naruto while I sobbed and gobbled down my burger.
Day 3: Ian & I thought breakfast was included, so at around 10AM we walk down to the buffet (tomorrow we find out that it was not, woops!). I swear, I had the best croissant I have ever tasted in my entire life, and I eat a lot of freaking croissants. It was fresh baked out of the oven, warm, flaky, buttery - just perfect. We then head back upstairs, where we promptly pass out again until the late afternoon. Finally awake, we buy tickets for "Opera i Flamenco" online, take a bus into the city, and walk around Las Ramblas. We luckily stumble upon Taller de Tapas, an amazing tapas restaurant that I recommend. I was thinking about taking Ian there before he came, and it's weird/awesome that we went there by chance since I had totally forgotten about it when he got here. During our lunch, it began to rain heavily so we decided to wait it out. Again, we get lucky because the rain slows down after about 15 minutes and totally stops soon after, allowing us to get gelato and walk around el Barrio Gótico. With the time nearing 9PM, we head to La Palau de la Música Catalana, the beautiful venue where we would watch the flamenco show.
I learned about La Palau in my Catalán art class and saw pictures, but this was much more beautiful and ornate in person. Definitely worth seeing to anyone who is in Barcelona or is planning on going. Lucky moment #3, upon receiving our tickets we find out we have box seats and a perfect view of the show. Lucky moment #4, we realize that the show is only at La Palau four times in the year? And we just happened to stumbled upon tickets online that same day. The show was fantastic, and the venue and the fact I was with Ian made it that much better. After the show, we head to Burger King to get some fast food and head back to the room to watch Paranormal Activity. To anyone who knows me: Kristine + scary possession movie = not good. That's all I'll say about that.
Day 4: Exhausted, with each of us getting barely any sleep due to the stupid movie, we head downstairs and find out breakfast will cost us 14E each. Forget that. So we go back upstairs and pass out. We then make our way to the beach front and Cava Mar for some paella. At this point, I'm already fully sick and feeling miserable. But we make the best out of it, and even fit in a peak at the MNAC at Montjuïc.
Summary - Best spring break ever.
Day 2:
At the ticketbooth, my credit card wasn't working and I started to panic thinking that Ian & I might not get a chance to watch the game. They kept asking me for my passport, I didn't have it on me, why should I if I have the confirmation numbers and the seat numbers. Ian looked so worried cuz I must've had this horrible look of distress on my face, and the people in the line were getting more and more antsy. Finally, I say, Try this number. Doesn't work. Wait a minute, I thought, it must be a 6 not a 9. So we try the second number, doesn't work either. But the guy comes back with a passport number written on it, and it's exactly the second number I guessed. Adrenaline rush would have worked out in the end. This is how I passed orgo.
Day 3: Ian & I thought breakfast was included, so at around 10AM we walk down to the buffet (tomorrow we find out that it was not, woops!). I swear, I had the best croissant I have ever tasted in my entire life, and I eat a lot of freaking croissants. It was fresh baked out of the oven, warm, flaky, buttery - just perfect. We then head back upstairs, where we promptly pass out again until the late afternoon. Finally awake, we buy tickets for "Opera i Flamenco" online, take a bus into the city, and walk around Las Ramblas. We luckily stumble upon Taller de Tapas, an amazing tapas restaurant that I recommend. I was thinking about taking Ian there before he came, and it's weird/awesome that we went there by chance since I had totally forgotten about it when he got here. During our lunch, it began to rain heavily so we decided to wait it out. Again, we get lucky because the rain slows down after about 15 minutes and totally stops soon after, allowing us to get gelato and walk around el Barrio Gótico. With the time nearing 9PM, we head to La Palau de la Música Catalana, the beautiful venue where we would watch the flamenco show.
I learned about La Palau in my Catalán art class and saw pictures, but this was much more beautiful and ornate in person. Definitely worth seeing to anyone who is in Barcelona or is planning on going. Lucky moment #3, upon receiving our tickets we find out we have box seats and a perfect view of the show. Lucky moment #4, we realize that the show is only at La Palau four times in the year? And we just happened to stumbled upon tickets online that same day. The show was fantastic, and the venue and the fact I was with Ian made it that much better. After the show, we head to Burger King to get some fast food and head back to the room to watch Paranormal Activity. To anyone who knows me: Kristine + scary possession movie = not good. That's all I'll say about that.
Day 4: Exhausted, with each of us getting barely any sleep due to the stupid movie, we head downstairs and find out breakfast will cost us 14E each. Forget that. So we go back upstairs and pass out. We then make our way to the beach front and Cava Mar for some paella. At this point, I'm already fully sick and feeling miserable. But we make the best out of it, and even fit in a peak at the MNAC at Montjuïc.
Summary - Best spring break ever.
Sick in bed but well enough to blog - Ibiza & Barca
So I'm sitting here in bed, sick as a dog after a week and a half of partying, hosting, tour guiding, etc. Semana Santa definitely a huge success minus a couple of setbacks. But on to the blog:
Day 1:
I woke up bright and early to pick up Steph from the airport. I feel like I know the Barcelona airport so well now, it's like a second home, and it might be my favorite after JFK. After reuniting, we lug back to my house, freshen ourselves up, and head to the beach front for some paella and frolicking. It was a gorgeous day to sit outside and enjoy good Spanish cooking, and we found the perfect restaurant with the best paella I've ever had. I had a hard time convincing Steph to like olives, but we shall see how that turns out later. In a food coma, we make our way to the shore where I find it too cold to move and Steph is already half naked. Speaking of naked, two completely nude men then walk by to our surprise. Also, to our surprise one of them...well, we know why he has the confidence to walk around like that. After heading back to my apartment, Steph & I take naps like the piggies we are, then wake up and prepare for Ibiza.
Day 2:
The flight to Ibiza was pretty short, but Steph & I still managed to pass out for almost all of it. After checking in, we head down to the beach and end up taking a nap there too. If we could make money napping, we'd be millionaires cuz we're so damn good at it. Lunch was amazing, with the delicious tapas on the beach and under the sun. It's Sunday in Ibiza, so we figure there's not much open. I think that night we stayed in, but now I'm not so sure.
Day 3: Steph & I wake up bright and early to eat breakfast downstairs. Croissants and eggs are our downfall. We then head to the center of town to find that literally everything is closed, save a few cafes here and there. Annoyed, we walk around and stumble upon a castle, thank God. We run around the castle as if we discovered the place and succeeded in taking awesome pictures. Back to the hotel for a nap and preparation for dinner & clubbing! Dinner was good, clubbing was ultimate fail. Literally everything was closed, all the big clubs, and we found ourselves cursing the same Pacha we looked forward to so badly. We get into a taxi and tell the driver to take us to SOMETHING that's open, for goodness sake. He tells us he's bringing us to a club that's open. Is it good?, we ask. Yeah, it's a very good discoteca. Okay, fine we'll go. We walk in, and in bold letters on a wall it says, Let it rock. Basically, utter fail but our love for each other held us through. So did the long island ice teas, which didn't stay inside me for too long.
Day 4: We wake up bright and early again to eat breakfast, but end up passing out after for another few hours. Our plans for Formentera washed away, we decide to just go to San Antonio to watch the sunset at Cafe del Mar. Unsurprisingly, Cafe del Mar was closed since it's winter. Apparently, the whole island of Ibiza dies during the winter, making it a ghost town. It was freezing, so we go inside for some dinner and head back to our hotel room to rest up for tomorrow.
Day 5: Since we had bought our tickets for the ferry to Formentera the previous day, it gave us incentive to get up and not nap so much. Formentera definitely brought up my spirits, thank God something in Ibiza was worth seeing during the winter. It was cold and windy for the majority of the day, but at some points it was perfect. I can see myself loving the island if only it was 10 degrees hotter. =\ The flight back to Barcelona was so short, to our annoyance as we didn't get to nap, but we ended up clubbing that night at Opium. Thank you, Barcelona for always being reliable.
Day 6:
The next morning, I take Steph to La Tramioa for lunch and head to Parc Guell. Lots of frolicking ensued. We then went to Wagaboo for dinner, ordering fettucine w/ foie and risotto w/ foie. You can tell we hate foie gras. Otto zutz was almost a let down, but we broke it down like we always do.
Day 7: I woke up super early to pick up Ian at the airport, where he snuck up behind me and surprised me. His flight was about an hour early, so even though I got there early he was still there before me! My plans of jumping on him when I first saw him shattered, but I didn't care cuz I was holding Ian again after three months without. We head back and wake Steph up, who unfortunately wasn't snoring or sleeping in a weird position, but cuddled up into a cute ball of blanket. While she was getting ready, Ian takes out a shoe box FULL of goodies for me. Reece's cups, Reece's pieces, Tagalong Girl Scout Cookies, the works! I sat there wide eyed and ecstatic at the pot of gold (peanut butter) before me. After that, the three of us head to Txapela for some tapas, then off to sightsee! Sagrada Familia, Casa Batllo, La Pedrera, all in one day. Eff my life, but I was surprised we fit it all in. Ian & I then checked into our hotel while Steph napped at my place. That night was had dinner at La Vaca Paca, a buffet of meats and other good stuff, before heading to Groucho's and Sutton. Sutton is never a let down, and we had a blast partying it up the entire night. Back to my place, I immediately pass out until Steph's departure in the morning. We wake up, gather up her things, and I see my loved one off into a taxi. I walk back upstairs half asleep and where pass out for another four hours.
All in all, Ibiza clubbing will be saved for the summer, but Barcelona never fails to deliver. Love this city!
Day 1:
Day 2:
Day 3: Steph & I wake up bright and early to eat breakfast downstairs. Croissants and eggs are our downfall. We then head to the center of town to find that literally everything is closed, save a few cafes here and there. Annoyed, we walk around and stumble upon a castle, thank God. We run around the castle as if we discovered the place and succeeded in taking awesome pictures. Back to the hotel for a nap and preparation for dinner & clubbing! Dinner was good, clubbing was ultimate fail. Literally everything was closed, all the big clubs, and we found ourselves cursing the same Pacha we looked forward to so badly. We get into a taxi and tell the driver to take us to SOMETHING that's open, for goodness sake. He tells us he's bringing us to a club that's open. Is it good?, we ask. Yeah, it's a very good discoteca. Okay, fine we'll go. We walk in, and in bold letters on a wall it says, Let it rock. Basically, utter fail but our love for each other held us through. So did the long island ice teas, which didn't stay inside me for too long.
Day 4: We wake up bright and early again to eat breakfast, but end up passing out after for another few hours. Our plans for Formentera washed away, we decide to just go to San Antonio to watch the sunset at Cafe del Mar. Unsurprisingly, Cafe del Mar was closed since it's winter. Apparently, the whole island of Ibiza dies during the winter, making it a ghost town. It was freezing, so we go inside for some dinner and head back to our hotel room to rest up for tomorrow.
Day 5: Since we had bought our tickets for the ferry to Formentera the previous day, it gave us incentive to get up and not nap so much. Formentera definitely brought up my spirits, thank God something in Ibiza was worth seeing during the winter. It was cold and windy for the majority of the day, but at some points it was perfect. I can see myself loving the island if only it was 10 degrees hotter. =\ The flight back to Barcelona was so short, to our annoyance as we didn't get to nap, but we ended up clubbing that night at Opium. Thank you, Barcelona for always being reliable.
The next morning, I take Steph to La Tramioa for lunch and head to Parc Guell. Lots of frolicking ensued. We then went to Wagaboo for dinner, ordering fettucine w/ foie and risotto w/ foie. You can tell we hate foie gras. Otto zutz was almost a let down, but we broke it down like we always do.
Day 7: I woke up super early to pick up Ian at the airport, where he snuck up behind me and surprised me. His flight was about an hour early, so even though I got there early he was still there before me! My plans of jumping on him when I first saw him shattered, but I didn't care cuz I was holding Ian again after three months without. We head back and wake Steph up, who unfortunately wasn't snoring or sleeping in a weird position, but cuddled up into a cute ball of blanket. While she was getting ready, Ian takes out a shoe box FULL of goodies for me. Reece's cups, Reece's pieces, Tagalong Girl Scout Cookies, the works! I sat there wide eyed and ecstatic at the pot of gold (peanut butter) before me. After that, the three of us head to Txapela for some tapas, then off to sightsee! Sagrada Familia, Casa Batllo, La Pedrera, all in one day. Eff my life, but I was surprised we fit it all in. Ian & I then checked into our hotel while Steph napped at my place. That night was had dinner at La Vaca Paca, a buffet of meats and other good stuff, before heading to Groucho's and Sutton. Sutton is never a let down, and we had a blast partying it up the entire night. Back to my place, I immediately pass out until Steph's departure in the morning. We wake up, gather up her things, and I see my loved one off into a taxi. I walk back upstairs half asleep and where pass out for another four hours.
All in all, Ibiza clubbing will be saved for the summer, but Barcelona never fails to deliver. Love this city!
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