Saturday 4 September 2010

Reasons to Love Granada, Reasons to Love Life...

Granada. I'm 'stuck' here again. According to the bits of paper that arrived in the post I am actually quite wealthy. In reality, I'm surviving day to day selling sketches in the street. That is both frustrating and liberating.

Why I love Granada...

Last night I couldn't find much going on and sat on a bench in a small plaza drinking, smoking, watching the World go by. Happy in my own company. Texting bad jokes to people who probably didn't appreciate it. Not bored, or lonely - just content. Then Two people who barely know me invited me back to their house. This happens in Granada, and Andalucia as a whole. Summer culture is all about living outdoors. People talk. People leave their front doors open. Always an open invitation to join any congregation, or anyone alone.

Talking with my hosts about universal stuff. Sharing the joy young parents get from watching their children learn. Eating, drinking, laughing a common laugh. All good. But, what is better is talking more deeply. Learning what essentially makes their own culture, their own life and way of thinking different to your own. Talking about what is actually happening on the streets as opposed to what is happening on the TV. Talking about the issues that are actually affecting Gitano culture.

It was a very nice evening. And, this morning I met someone who I first met in Sitges about 18 months ago. Apparently I inspired him to continue travelling around Spain and Europe. After talking today I think he got pretty much the same sort of value from this way of living as myself.

Despite being skint, and frustrated that I should actually have enough in my pocket to go and buy a menu del dia, I wonder if I wasn't so skint how much I would miss out on?

I will often tell people "it's all relative". Perhaps it is, perhaps money makes very little difference. On the other hand; I have to get to Seville, then back to Granada, then back into 'the system' to reclaim my cash. I am shit at this stuff. Totally shit. I need a manager. All applications here please. Now!

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