Sunday Funday

So the heat wave isn't over, but hubs and I decided (well, I decided and he reluctantly acquiesced) to take a walk this morning. Our neighborhood is not the best for walking because it's sandwiched between the main street in Pacific Beach and the entrance to I-5, but we decided to check out a new area we haven't been. It's pretty office parky, but there was this Grand Opening sign for a new restaurant.

The outside had sculptures of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza carved into the walls so we figured it was a Spanish restaurant (or more importantly a new place for sangria-fueled happy hours).


We stick our heads in and this is what we see:







Amazing! So beautiful! Turns out there's a dance studio attached and they offer tango and salsa lessons at night. So, we ask the host to see a menu and got more than a little surprise when I saw pirogi, stuffed cabbage and weinerschnitzel, knodel, and goulash. I thought I was back in Detroit or Chicago for a minute.



Then the host (whose first name turned out to be the tongue challenging Zbigniew) explained that the previous owner had sold the building on the stipulation that it never change. They can't change the decor--they can only repair something if it's damaged but they have to keep everything the same.



So basically you have an Eastern European restaurant decorated with Spanish architecture and flags from all the Hispanic countries around the world. Too funny!

So, this is the inaugural blog entry. I'm not sure if it's the heat wave we're currently experiencing in San Diego, my ennui with work or the re-appearance of my dear friend Danielle in the States that made me want to start a blog, but somehow today it seemed like a feasible idea.

Let me clarify that the heat wave here would be no big deal in most parts of America because of air conditioning, but for those of us who live near the Pacific Ocean coast, we are out of luck and must suffer through a few days each summer. A small price to pay I suppose.

So, I imagine this blog is going to go in 2 directions: entries on my fascination and aggravation with the Spanish language/my love for the English language, as flawed as it may be and my travel plans. I'm uncovering a formerly dormant love of linguistics (again, thanks Danielle!) and a new found realization that I finally have a job where I can afford to travel.

Previously, I worked in one of two ways: I worked a crappy job (ie waitressing through college and grad school) where I could take the time off but wouldn't get paid or working a "career" job which paid shite but gave me 2 weeks off every year (which I really couldn't go anywhere because of said shite wages). Gotta love jobs in journalism and teaching.