English in Barna

Nice Things Giveaway

2011-11-28T18:54:00.004+01:00

Fantastic giveaway! Nice Things is one of my favourite shops! For further information, please, visit Jewel Style.

Mi casa es tu casa

2011-10-16T22:54:00.024+02:00

[Two of the buildings you can visit in my neibourhood, an incredible hotel where Woody Allen played jazz, Hotel Casa Fuster, and an amazing youth hostel called Alberg Mare de Déu de Montserrat]

48H Open House BCN means the chance to visit more than 160 amazing buildings in Barcelona, next weekend, and completely for free. I think it's a really interesting activity, as many of the buildings are not usually open to the public for a guided visit. Here is the information so you can choose what to see. You can explore buildings through the Open House project in London, New York, Dublin, and many other cities worldwide. Visit their website for more details. Enjoy!

Fira d'estocs

2011-10-06T00:23:00.002+02:00

What a beautiful poster!
When? Today, Thursday!
Where: Gran Vía (Bruc-R. de Llúria).
What? Clothes and some other products.
(I've never visited this fira before but the poster is so nice I want to go!)
Free children's workshops at 5 pm.

Do you want to spend a weekend here? I do!

2011-09-26T14:44:00.004+02:00

I'm in Barcelona but I wish I could be swimming right where the second picture was taken! This amazing place is called Hotel Convento de La Parra. As its name suggests, in the past, it was a convent, but now it is a beautiful hotel for people who look for calm and beauty. You can read a post describing the hotel here. If you want a chance to win a weekend there, leave a comment with your e-mail on the fantastic blog Desde mi ventana. Good luck!

Jazz Concerts in Gracia

2011-09-15T11:17:00.003+02:00

What: Open-air jazz concerts
When: Next Sunday at 12 and at 1
Where: Plaça de la Vila de Gracia
Cesc Miralta Quartet at 12, with songs inspired by Gaudí
Anna Luna Lucas Quintet at 1, with songs from her record Femenina
Price: Free
More info here

Festivals: See you in Gracia Next Week!

2011-08-10T21:05:00.004+02:00

A week of cinema and open-air concerts, activities for children, ice cream, wine and rice tasting, puppets... See the activities here (in Catalan).The Festes de Gracia festival lasts from Aug 15 to Aug 21. Enjoy!

Do You Love Languages?

2011-07-15T21:05:00.003+02:00

If so, you'll probably like this post published on Pocket Cultures about different languages of the world. Enjoy!

Top Films Set in Barcelona (according to The Guardian)

2011-06-29T20:12:00.006+02:00

Apparently, Barcelona is a great place to shoot films. I've already mentioned the European production Perfume, Red Lights, or a film by Albert Espinosa. I also loved this video where you can see Barcelona in 1908 and this love story by Leticia Dolera. Now, you can see here the 10 best films set in Barcelona, according to Jill Adams (The Guardian). What do you think? I haven't seen them all, but I think En construcción is good, L'auberge espagnole is entertaining, and VCB is like a weird tourist guide (but Paco de Lucía's song is perfect!). Enjoy!

Borrow a Penguin! by Oliver Jeffers

2011-06-27T18:26:00.004+02:00

Lost and Found, by Oliver Jeffers, is one of our favourite children's books. We also bought the shortfilm based on his book and it's just excellent. I'm a fan of Oliver Jeffers on facebook and he has just posted this step-by-step guide to draw penguins. I love the "borrow the penguin" idea, ha, ha. Enjoy!

Shakespearean Insulter

2011-06-19T20:30:00.004+02:00

As you already know, I work as a professional translator. I love languages and I went to England to study English literature for some months. I even went to Stradford-upon-Avon. I wanted to see Anne Hathaway's cottage. Except for the million American tourists that wanted to see the same as me, Shakespeare's hometown was all I expected: small, cute, and pitturesque. I can't wait to visit England again. I just had to post this sophisticated Shakespearean Insulter. This is my favourite sentence, it's so elegant: "Thou art unfit for any place but hell". Enjoy!

Go the F*** to Sleep

2011-06-16T17:06:00.006+02:00

Go the F*** to Sleep is a bedtime book for parents. I first heard about it on Joanna Goddard’s blog. It looks really funny for a sleep-deprived mother like me! Here, you can listen to Samuel L. Jackson reading the book. What a great voice!

Seize the Day!

2011-06-13T10:49:00.003+02:00

[Photo by myself: I love the beach!]

This great post on Kasey Buick's blog is fantastic and I just had to share it with you. It reminded me that we have to seize the day and enjoy the present time. Life's hard and there's a big crisis, but, don't wait until tomorrow to enjoy life. Carpe diem!

You Go Girl! Giveaway

2011-06-10T17:43:00.004+02:00

[Photo: Danielle Bellert's print]

Some months ago, I started a project with my friend Claire and, some months later, a very talented designer called Danielle Bellert joined the team. I love Danielle's work because it's very clean, elegant, and modern and classic at the same time. Would you like to win this print? If so, leave a comment on Danielle's blog. Happy and sunny weekend! (Believe it or not, it's raining in Barcelona!)

Make a Film in 48 Hours... Now!

2011-06-10T07:56:00.003+02:00

The 48 Hour Film Project is coming to Barcelona today! This project will also visit many other cities around the world.

The Most Beautiful Word in Spanish by the Sexiest Mexican Actor

2011-06-08T12:33:00.004+02:00

What's your favourite word in Spanish? And in your own language? Some of my favourite words in Spanish are mariposa (butterfly), susurro (whisper) and pitiminí (very small and cute). Gael García Bernal's favourite word, Querétaro, sounds really exotic. I've never been to Mexico, I wish I could go soon!

Pablo Neruda for Kids

2011-06-07T20:11:00.003+02:00

Hurry up! Only two days left to win this new book for kids about Chilean poet Pablo Neruda. To enter the giveaway, visit Mommy Maestra.

Puedo escribir los versos más tristes esta noche.

Escribir, por ejemplo: "La noche está estrellada,

y tiritan, azules, los astros, a lo lejos."

El viento de la noche gira en el cielo y canta.

Puedo escribir los versos más tristes esta noche.

Yo la quise, y a veces ella también me quiso.

En las noches como esta la tuve entre mis brazos.

La besé tantas veces bajo el cielo infinito.

Ella me quiso, a veces yo también la quería...

Let the Party Begin!

2011-06-06T18:38:00.010+02:00

Io non ho paura (I'm not Scared) is one of my favourite books in Italian. It's a novel about a boy from the South of Italy who losses his innocence when he discovers a secret (I don't want to spoil the plot, I think this book is worth reading). It was written by Niccolò Ammaniti. If you want to meet Ammaniti and the translator of his new book, Let the Party Begin, you just need to go to CCCB next Wednesday at 7.30 pm. Enjoy!

Are You a Chic Cyclist Living in Barcelona?

2011-05-31T15:25:00.008+02:00

[Photo: My son playing in Plaça G. Placídia, Barcelona]

If you are a cyclist, you are chic, and you like fashion, you'll love this event: the Cycle Chic Breakfast! Just ride your bike and go to Arc de Triomf or Jardinets de Gràcia or corner of C/ Lepant and C/ Provença. When? June 17, from 7.30 to 10.30 am. There'll be a PHOTO CALL where Cycle Chic Bloggers from around the world will take pictures of the cyclists and a winner will be chosen. For more info, visit Bicicleta Club de Catalunya or Barcelona Cycle Chic. The cycle chic movement started in Copenhagen. Now, you can find it in different cities in the world, in Spain, see, for example, Sevilla and Valencia.

Ready to Make a Film in Barcelona in 48 Hours?

2011-05-24T20:27:00.006+02:00

The 48 Hour Film Project is coming to Barcelona! According to their own description: 'The 48 Hour Film Project is a wild and sleepless weekend in which you and a team make a movie—write, shoot, edit and score it—in just 48 hours. The 48 Hour Film Project is a wild and sleepless weekend in which you and a team make a movie—write, shoot, edit and score it—in just 48 hours.' You can see the cities here. I can't wait!

Dancing, singing and Sónar Kids

2011-05-18T10:27:00.004+02:00

[Photo: Festes de Gràcia, August 2007]

I have a son and I've realised his social life is more intense than mine! That's why I love activities like Sónar Kids that we can enjoy as a family. I've never been to Sónar Kids Festival with my son, but it includes music, artistic activities (dj workshops and masterclasses) and a show based in Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak. The festival also features short films for children. My son loves music and films, and we, too, so, what more can you ask for? I'd love to go! You can see a video of Sónar Kids 2010 here.

Will Stormy Mondays Sing for NASA?

2011-05-16T16:02:00.011+02:00

Asturias is one of my favourite places in the world. Some months ago, I wrote this article about Asturias that was featured on Lonely Planet. Stormy Mondays, a band from Oviedo, could be chosen by NASA to sing in space! You can vote for them here.

Rainy weekend? Don't worry! Museums open night!

2011-05-13T19:17:00.012+02:00

Rainy weekend in Barcelona? Don't worry! Enjoy la nit dels museus! You can go and visit more than forty museums for free on Saturday from 7 pm to 1! Exhibitions, concerts and art! I'd love to visit El rey de la magia, the Museu de la Xocolata or the Museu Marítim de Barcelona (jazz concert at 7 pm!).

On Saturday and Sunday, in Palau Sant Jordi, you can visit BioCultura, a fair of food, green life and therapies and Mamaterra, the green festival with storytellers and workshops for children.

People Visiting Barcelona: Jonathan Safran Foer

2011-05-11T12:38:00.005+02:00

If you've read Everything is Illuminated, you'll be happy to know that Jonathan Safran Foer will held a conference in Barcelona. Today, at 7.30 pm, CCCB (Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona). See the details here.

People from Barcelona: Albert Espinosa

2011-05-09T14:53:00.015+02:00

Some days ago, I saw Albert Espinosa and Eloy Azorín strolling around Gracia, my neighbourhood. I hope they are working on a new film! Eloy is probably the most gorgeous actor in Spain. Albert is from Barcelona, he's an actor, screenwriter and film director. His films are fun, crazy and tender at the same time. This trailer features No me pidas que te bese, porque te besaré (Don’t ask me to kiss you, because I will), one of their latest films. Enjoy!

An Indie Jewel in Barcelona

2011-05-01T20:27:00.005+02:00

Do you remember my friend Sergio? Yes, the engineer who quit his job in Barcelona to go to England to study in a prestigious school of drama. You can read a bit about his story here. If you want to see a good play, well acted, in a tiny indie theatre, go and see him and some other talented actors play "Un home amb ulleres de pasta". Prices: 5-10 euros. Languages: Catalan and Spanish. You just need to e-mail them on sala@flyhard.org to book a ticket (last day, Monday May 9th). Enjoy!