An Extended Stay in Barcelona
Shaping Cultural Experiences
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VNkCazT_T4&feature=youtu.be
When you first meet Oluwagbeminiyi Osidipe, you encounter a very vibrant, friendly, and unique personality. Oluwagbeminiyi or Niyi – as she shortened her name for simplicity – was named by her mother, who had a “very personal experience” when she had her, Niyi explained. Niyi is a Yoruba Nigerian transplant who arrived in the U.S. in 2006. As one of the most densely populated (West) African countries, Nigeria derives its name from the river that spans its land. To the South, it borders the Gulf of Guinea to the Atlantic Ocean. Originally colonized by the British, Nigeria gained independence in 1960. Its main ethnic groups are the Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba, who speak English and their own respective languages, while major religions include Islam, Christianity and indigenous beliefs. Niyi shares her story, her views on politics, cultural differences she’s embraced with humor, and what we can learn from each other by expressing curiosity. Her message is simple: travel enriches us through its exposure to new cultures, and enables us to grow.
Mark Twain on Travel
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.” (American author Mark Twain, Innocents Abroad).
Have you had the opportunity to travel (extensively, within your country, or even once abroad)? Can you relate to Twain’s sentiments? How does travel enrich us?
Pleasing The Taste Palate
Food has the wonderful quality of uniting us no matter where we are. There is nothing partisan or narrow-minded about food. It simply invites us to indulge, create recipes, and share with others. Two of my favorite Polish dishes (included in collage) are pierogies and barszcz czerwony – a beetroot soup – served on Christmas Eve in Poland. How does food bring us together? What are some of your favorite dishes and why? Can food trigger memories?
Stereotypes: Truth or Fiction?
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Coffee's Uniting Power
A cup of coffee can bridge cultural gaps. At least, that’s what Gizem Salgicil White, founder of Turkayfe.org, believes. Her organization aims to create awareness of Turkish culture, particularly within America. Gizem is a Turkish native,
Today’s guest post is by Ivan Howard Chan, founder of AnywhereWorkday.com
After my first brief trip to Barcelona years ago, I knew there was a better way to travel.
It was a short flight from London. Before I finished my tea and reading the third article of the BBC Travel blog, we were landing. I took the airport shuttle to meet a friend by the apparently expansive grid of the Eixample district in Barcelona. I quickly grabbed a chocolate croissant and Americano at a bakery, dropped off my carry-on at the hotel and greeted my friend at a nearby plaza. From then on, it would be 48 hours of intense sightseeing. While the weather and scenery were nothing short of incredible, it was bittersweet from the start. Each tick of my watch reminded me of the short time I’d have to experience the city.
Fast forward to May 2014 when instead of a daily commute, I decided to take steps to work remotely for a few months from Barcelona and other locations. I wanted to really get a feel for Barcelona – including its great food culture – travel feeling refreshed, and have the flexibility to experience daily life.
As much as I love staying at good hotels, I found an apartment with a complete kitchen and balcony in a neighborhood that would be very walkable. In Les Corts were a charming cafe, authentic Spanish restaurants, markets and convenient transit to just about anywhere.
I used the balcony to do my remote work in communications with clients in the U.S. The time difference actually suited me because it allowed me to work when I was most productive, in the afternoons, while preparing in the mornings for Skype calls or updates. I would take breaks to go for a short walk to explore the neighborhood or visit a market, where I would ask neighbors or clerks about local ingredients and preferred recipes for meals.
A neighbor at the market taught me how to make the local Catalan noodles version of the arroz or rice paella. Paella fideuà with fresh seafood is enough to serve a table of new friends (or impress one’s mother). Here’s a photo of the one pan wonder, delicious alone or with a glass of crisp verdejo wine.
I also love the recipe by chef David Tanis, written in The New York Times, here.
From Barcelona, I was able to explore the region on the weekends. About an hour and a half by train and transfer on the mountain railway is Montserrat, part of the Pre-Coastal Range.
The mountain rewards hiking up to the summit with great scenery and a view of the entire region. Or, you can opt to climb with one of the outdoor activities groups, as these adventurers did:
Perhaps the best part of the extended stay was walking by the inspiring architecture of Gaudí, Nouvel and others in the city. They beckon you to think creatively and think big.
One morning at a cafe in the El Raval neighborhood, which has been undergoing a revival with new restaurants as well as a cultural center and museum of contemporary art, it occurred to me to start a jobs & career site to help others find most-flexible work opportunities. On the way back to the States, I outlined my plans for AnywhereWorkday literally at 39,000 feet.
My experience in Barcelona and its inspiration for me were invaluable to ideation, or the creative process. Being surrounded by creativity in food, art, architecture and having the space and time to process everything were vital.
In the sometimes rushed pace of modern work life, extended stays give us a meaningful way to recharge, synthesize experiences and thoughts, and make new things happen.
Bio: Ivan Howard Chan is the founder of AnywhereWorkday.com. Check out AnywhereWorkday on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Hi! I'm the founder of Culture With Travel and #CultureTrav. Please chat with us on social media and contribute in the comments! Follow @Nicolette_O
Comments (2)
Scott
24 Feb 2016Inspiring, love it.
Nicolette
24 Feb 2016Glad you felt that way, too, Scott! I loved how Ivan’s extended stay in Barcelona inspired his idea to start anywhereworkday.com! Very cool!