Thanks

Thanks for all the wishes and messages that I received yesterday. It was odd having my first birthday outside of the UK, and my first birthday in which the weather was great. I went to work as usual, but didn't mention it to any of the staff or children, it felt a little odd sharing something like that with people I barely know - although doing this was a little inevitable, given the timings of my little outing. As it happened, we had a very relaxed evening, ending it with drinks - including a nice bottle of Louis Latour Pinot Noir, it's not all roughing it down here - in a terrace bar at Plaza Espanyol (picture). I think I had my first pangs of homesickness, although I'm not sure what it was I was missing, a mixture of people, places and things that are spread out around the globe rahter than a "home" of sorts. I had a longing for a sense of normality, but no idea about what I want that to be. I know it involves certain people in the ways expected of them, and in an ideal world, it would involve others in ways that I know are not possible. This all sounds very vague, I know, but in a country where my principle frustration is not understanding or being understood at a basic level, the realisation that language isn't the only barrier in communication is somewhat heightened.