Barcelona, Day 5

One of the most interesting things about being here is how much of an international crowd the attendants have been. Everyone's united by the English language, but it's such a melting pot of accents and looks, that it's extremely fascinating to both people watch and talk to people. Throughout the week, I've had a lot of mainland Chinese people approach me, mostly with an intrigued look on their faces. The first time it happened, I noticed that a guy kept circling my kiosk with a puzzled look on his face. When I finally asked if he was interested in my company, he asked if I was Chinese, then if I could speak Mandarin. The look on his face almost suggested that while he thought I looked somewhat Chinese, he was almost certain that I wasn't, so you can imagine his surprise when I answered yes to both, in Chinese. I'm pretty used to people assuming that I can't speak Chinese because I was born in the US, but to have someone look at me with bewilderment because they can't figure out if I'm Chinese is new.

For my first meal alone, I thought I'd take a break from tapas and try a traditional Catalan restaurant - Restaurant Culleretes, situated in the alleys near the Barcelona Cathedral. To start, I had the tuna and anchovies salad, which, while good, wasn't as delicious as the white anchovies at Cerveceria Catalana. For my entree, I had the almond sole, which despite the bland picture, was actually very flavorful and tasty. The sauce itself wasn't too creamy or heavy, allowing me to practically inhale the entire dish. Unfortunately, I was a little too full for dessert (that and it was almost midnight), so we'll have to save that for tomorrow, my day of exploring.