Yesterday, I had this random idea: delay my first meal of the day.
I distracted myself with work and let the hunger build.
They say, the longer you prolong carbs, the more focused you will be.
It worked. I was in the ZONE.
By 1 PM, stomach was growling. The flesh was fighting.
But I wasn’t just hungry ~ I was specific.
I wanted that black seafood paella from Masusa. The one that stole my heart the moment I arrived in Spain.
The best dark thing I’ve ever tasted.
Russafa
At 4 PM, I finally gave in. Starving but determined, I strolled to Russafa, dreaming of that rich, savory paella.
On the way, I grabbed an iced latte from Fran Cafe. So good.
Perfect pairing for my upcoming paella feast.
Except… I drank it all before even reaching the restaurant. Oops.
Then came the heartbreak:
🚪 THE PAELLA PLACE WAS CLOSED.
Nooo. I’ve been thinking about you all day!
I looked left. I looked right.
And guess what?
Almost every restaurant in Russafa was CLOSED.
Apparently, even the vibrant Russafa neighborhood shuts down for siesta.
When in Spain, Siesta Happens 😴
I was tempted to grab a croissant from a packed boulangerie, but… I don’t have enough patience left at this point.
Curious, I asked a friendly-looking lady outside:
“Why is everything closed?”
She smiled.
“Welcome to Spain. It’s siesta time.”
Turns out, siesta is serious business here.
And to make things spicier, a lot of restaurants are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays too. Including my desired paella place.
At this point, I was beyond hangry.
But that lady—let’s call her Ms. Cyprus—caught my attention.
She told me she was grabbing a snack because it was near her Spanish school.
Spanish school? Hmm. Intriguing. 🧐
“Where is it?” I asked, curious.
She casually pointed next door.
From Starving to Studying
Before I knew it, I was walking into that Spanish school.
They offered me a free trial class right then and there.
So, there I was:
Starving. Craving paella.
But sitting in a classroom learning Spanish instead — for the next 2 hours.
I mean, who needs food when you can feast on knowledge, right? 😂
The class was fun. I almost forgot about my hunger. Turns out, once you are engrossed with something exciting, the cravings take a back seat.
I can deeply relate to the experience of encountering pain. You shift your focus to a different discomfort, which makes the ‘pain’ slowly fade away. It might only be for a little while, but it helps.
I did that myself—I shifted to other kinds of discomfort, which others might see as pleasure.
I travelled for a year.
That discomfort, of course, leads to growth 😉
My 500+ day Duolingo streak
served its purpose.
The class was on their 3rd day learning Spanish, but somehow I was able to pick up quite easily because many words are familiar to me. However, my grammar isn’t great. I’m now considering taking my Spanish lessons more seriously by attending more of these live classes. It’s kind of fun and it’s a great way for me to make friends. We’ll see.
I wished I had done this sooner ~ like when I was in Montreal, Quebec for 6 months learning French! Ahhh. I learned Afro-dancing instead. Okay, no regrets.
But back to the present.
I made a friend in class—she’s Chinese—and after class, we went to a Chinese restaurant instead.
I walked in craving paella negra and walked out saying dim sum in perfect Spanish. 😂
New words learned:
- Hambre: Hunger
- Amiga: Friend
- Paella cerrada: Heartbreak in edible form
And that my friend is how my grand paella quest ended in soy sauce and dumplings.
Love,
Abie ~ your Spanish Friend
