The Blog

If the US Dollar was an animal, it’d be a chihuahua next to the ‘Great Dane’ Euro.

That was my first thought when I exchanged currencies at the JFK airport. Truth is, while the dollar is weak, you don’t have to spend a whole lot of money to feed yourself in Barcelona. Grab a baguette, a package of ham and some juice from the grocery store. 6 euros.

We were so jet-lagged this day, that all we could do was sleep. Later we woke up for tapas. Kelley Carter and I woke up first. We were starving and snack off for a quick snack. I had jamon con huevos, patatas bravas, and an espresso. Que European, indeed!

Later, with the group, we went to Tapa Tapa. This place turned out to be the Chili’s of tapas in Barcelona. I will never eat there again. But we still had a good time.

The seal has been broken. The proverbial cherry has been popped.

Yes, this is the first time I’ve ever left the continent. I’m 24. So much catching up to do.

My mom and step-dad came to Baltimore to visit. It was nice to see them. And they got a chance to meet Jennifer. (Yes, I’ve gone and got myself a girlfriend. )

My step-dad has a brother that lives in near the beach in southern New Jersey. Villas, to be exact. We caught the ferry out there from Lewes, Del. Nice ride.

This was the first time I’d ever met Uncle Mike. We have a lot in common. I’ll definitely visit seasonally, if the east coast is indeed to be my new home for the next several years.

Pictures from the trip:

The ferry was nice.

This was the first time I’d been on a ferry that carries cars.

The beach near Uncle Mike’s place. Perfect weather. Perfect lighting.

Beautiful.

These are horseshoe crabs. They were all over the beach. Most carcasses. Some alive.

Fin.

I was on my way to New York for a intern’s meeting at AP headquarters, when I realized I had never ridden a train before. I’m 24. I’m thinking most people have popped their train riding cherry by 24. (Wow, talk about innuendo.)

I took an Amtrak train from Baltimore’s Penn Station to New York’s Penn Station. I’ve discovered that trains are my second favorite way to travel. (My preferred mode of travel: airplane.)

Trains are relaxing. You can use your cell phones. And there’s room to get up and walk around or go back to the bar car.

Only downside: they are not as cheap as I thought they would be. My tickets were almost as much as air fare.

It was 90 degrees in San Francisco today. At the beach: 85 degrees with a slight breeze.

Couldn’t resist. It was a no-brainer.

Because I’ll easily eat at Yamo twice a week, the Mission District in San Francisco has become a bit of a hang out for me. I really enjoy the street art there, especially the murals that line a few of the alleys.

A couple of summers ago I accompanied a group of high school journalism students there as part of the BAMMA program. It’s amazing how much detail an artist can paint on stucco textured walls. It’s sad, however, how their art is defiled by taggers. (Not cool at all, assholes!)

Here’s a few pictures* from the alley near 18th Street and Mission:

(If I knew the names of the mural artists, I would totally give them shout outs. Shots of the murals taken with CameraBag on my iPhone.)

Here’s a map if you’d like to check them out yourself. Also, visit the Precita Eyes Mural Arts Center. The curator is a really nice lady and she give great tours…for a fee. And don’t be late for the tour, she’ll let you know if you are. I’ve digressed… here’s the map:

View Larger Map

Okay. I’m going to make a confession. I’d not been to the California Academy of Sciences until almost two weeks ago. It’s one of those places that I’ve always heard about, read about. But going there had never made it on my list of things to do. And now I feel like an idiot for waiting so long to check it out. The aquarium alone was worth the visit. Here are a few pictures:

This alligator looked so depressed, I almost wanted to set him free. Another alligator lives in there with him, but she bit off one of his toes. She’s on a time out, a museum guide told me. Poor albino alligator.

I love aquariums. This one, I have to say, is better than the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

I didn’t get a chance to see the the Planetarium show because all showings were booked that day. And I didn’t get into the indoor rainforest. So, I guess that means I’ll be making another trip.

“Huh? $220 roundtrip to Barcelona from JFK! Say what, now?”

That was my reaction when my friend Marcus informed me he’d just booked airfare to Spain in November for next to nothing. So it’s official. As of November 4, I will no longer be embarrassed for having never left this country. I have a passport. It’s time I put that sucker to use.

I’m going with a group, there’s about eight of us. So we’ve booked an apartment instead of pricey hotel. Looks pretty nice—four bedrooms, plenty of living space. Check it out.

Plane ticket: check. Lodging: check. Rosetta Stone’s Spanish for Spain language pack: check. What else do I need?

I guess I’m coming to you (friends, family and readers) for tips. Have you been to Spain, specifically Barcelona? Anything you think I shouldn’t miss out on while I’m there. Let me know. Leave your tips in a comment.

Mucho gracias.

My cousin Tangie, who works closely with the folks at the Hip Hop Summit Action Network, got my friend Veronica and I on the guest list for the hip hop inaugural ball. I expected to see Russel Simmons there, but had no idea LL Cool J, TI, Bow Wow, MC Lyte, Young Jeezy and Mario (singer) would be there. And best of all, Busta Rhymes performed.

Here’s photos I took with my iPhone. Not great quality, I know.