Things I learned to do before I was Thirty

I have recently turned the big 30. Here is a list of things I find fun, funny, or at the very least interesting I have learned since my baby hood.

To shoot a bow and arrow
Make bread
Speak in public
Organize a field trip
Speak other languages
Ride a horse
play backgammon
build websites
Drive a stick shift car
Play guitar and piano
Write an epic poem
Cook Mexican food
To overcome fears
Write a book
Live in another country
Travel efficiently
Enjoy the little things
To kiss
To Dance
To not watch television

What did you learn before you turned 30?

Italian Christmas

Some of our friends here in Barcelona have had the good sense to date Italian men with a penchant for cooking. They graciously invited us to come and spend Christmas with them. It was a two day event in which we went shopping in the open air market and subsequently cooked all of the food. Here is a picture of Sergio, the head cook holding triumphantly his octopus.

We cooked, chopped, fried, basted, salted and sauteed all day. By the time dinner actually rolled around we were all very hungry. Rana and I made 4 liters of sangria which was devoured and the rest of the group brought wine. The first course that came out was a cold vegetable salad.

As we ate that, the fish went into a deep bed of salt. It was completely surround by salt in fact. On top was a little shrimp. We also had a salmon, creme pasta with caviar and a number of other delicacies. It was a lot of fun. Here are some happy customers.

Then as the evening grew later silly began to kick in.

And we ended the evening with a tried and true christmas tradition, the group picture.

Well that's it for the Italian Christmas. It was great fun, and no one needed to eat again for a week!