I love Wednesdays Off!

Wednesdays are my only days off from the drudge of "Bungalow Resident Warden" duties.  This week, I met with my good friend Calvin's Spanish colleague for dinner.  Initial awkwardness of meeting a stranger aside, it was great fun getting a local spin to Spanish life.  Francesc, Calvin's colleague brought me sightseeing in a local neighbourhood and then to a Tapas restaurant for dinner!  Here's the night in pictures.

The neighbourhood we visited was called Fontana, and the first stop was to a bizarre Modernist building.  Didn't know who the architect was though, but it was gripping and utterly strange.  As you can see, the entire facade was speckled with chequered tiles, flower imprints and elaborate black metal works of gargoyles, spikes and lily pods!

Carrer De Les Carolines.  Name of the street?  Or possibly woman whose building this belongs to?  Note the juxtaposition of colours, shapes and varying textures all enmeshed on a same plane.  Reminds me very much of modernist literature which believes in no absolute truth (no absolute material?), but the co-existence of different kinds of truths.

Gnarly metal work with yellow tiled dandelions, anyone?  Maybe the metal work was supposed to mirror the flower stems.

Gargoyle against flowers, perched atop frame.

Strange lily-like pods that also looked like wheels stationed below the house--as if ready to roll away any moment.  Very Totoro-like.

Atop the lily-wheels were a series unfriendly spikes.  I accidentally got poked by them.  Not very fun.

The entrance to the house stood by the corner in an alley.  It was so dark I could hardly see what it looked like within.  So I looked up.

And saw a huge bougainvillea looming above, with strange concrete sticks poking out of the house's tallest tower.  There were bats flitting in and out.

Behind the bougainvillea bush was another series of strange details. House name twenty two.

Which formed part of a larger supporting beam, propping up a small quaint veranda, apparently.  The more I looked at it, the more the building grew on me.

Notice the arches and y-forked pillars?  I could't help but notice a number of Asian and Middle-Eastern influences.  In 10pm twilight, the building looked super eerie but also very very cool.

Moving on from the building, we were walking towards the tapas place when I stumbled across a small (air-con free) gym.  They were having a taekwondo class!

The streets were small and quaint.  Linked with bikes and lazy summer trails.  Here we are at a random second hand book stand.  I very shyly slipped out my camera while the old man looked on.  After these picture escapades, I have developed newfound admiration for photojournalists.  You really have to be damn bueh-pai seh man.

When we finally got there, I asked to try some Sangria, a typical Spanish drink that is a concoction of wine, chopped or sliced fruit (e.g. oranges, lemons, peaches, berries, mangoes, etc.), honey, a little spirit, and smackalicious cooling crushed ice.
Because these concoctions are always homemade, it varies in taste across restaurants/bars.  I'd only tried it twice before (on my very first night in Barcelona last year, and once in Singapore at a dubious American diner along Club Street [read: confirm fail!  Remember, Ka Onn?]).
This was the best so far.  Even Francesc agreed it was good Sangria.  Mmmmmm.  EUR13 for a pitcher.

Tapas dishes ordered included (clockwise from left,) Spanish omelette with zucchini, a plate of olives, and fish slices dripping in olive oil.

In the background, sliced Spanish sausages (that looked startlingly like lap cheong), and in the fore, fried mushrooms with herbs.  Who needs glucosamine when you have lots and lots of olive oillllll? : P

More olive oil.  Look at it, it's swimming so much you can catch the SHAPE of the lamp above.  It's amazing that not many Spaniards are fat.  In fact, most of them seem quite healthy.

Totally psyched about my first Tapas experience.  What can I say--food gets me very excited! Hahahahahahaha.

All in all though, it was a thoroughly enjoyable night.  One of the coaches in the gym--an experienced elderly trainer called Jymie (pronounced hiii-mee) has invited me out for dinner next Wednesday.  Jymie's been teaching me yoga that has really helped me in my knee rehab.  I'm totally looking forward to next Wednesday--will def. keep you all updated!