http://davidpoblador.com systems administration, free software, culture, Barcelona Thu, 15 Jul 2010 23:30:29 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 http://davidpoblador.com/spotify-world-google-app-engine/ http://davidpoblador.com/spotify-world-google-app-engine/#comments Mon, 02 Feb 2009 00:16:29 +0000 David Poblador http://davidpoblador.com/blog/?p=50 I’ve spent a rainy weekend in Barcelona playing around with Google App Engine, Python and Spotify. And here is the result: Spotify World: a world of Spotify playlists.

]]> http://davidpoblador.com/spotify-world-google-app-engine/feed/ 4 http://davidpoblador.com/five-things-you-should-know-before-visiting-barcelona/ http://davidpoblador.com/five-things-you-should-know-before-visiting-barcelona/#comments Sun, 05 Oct 2008 12:20:10 +0000 David Poblador http://davidpoblador.com/blog/?p=5 I got to know many people who decided to visit or even staying in Barcelona during the last years. Many of them didn’t know much about our culture before landing, so hopefully I can help you to know more things about us before coming.

1. Spanish is not the only language here: In some areas people mainly use Catalan as their daily language. Catalan and Spanish are both official in Catalunya (as well as Aranese in northwestern Catalunya)
2. Most people don’t like bullfights at all. In 2004, Barcelona council had a vote against bullfighting.
3. Catalan culture has few to do with other cultures in Iberian Peninsula. Iberian Peninsula has been visited by many different cultures in the last 10 centuries so, culture is really rich and different throughout Spain. Probably buying a bull, a pandereta or even a Mexican hat when visiting Barcelona is not the best idea unless you want to bring back home some kitsch souvenir.
4. Catalan is not a minor language! 9.1 million speakers is not that few. It is spoken in different parts of Spain (Catalunya, Aragó, València, les Balears -yes, German is not the only language in Mallorca-, Murcia), also in Andorra (it is the official language in that country), in Italy (city of Alghero), and in many parts in southern France. I love figures. Catalan has more native speakers than Danish, Greek, Finnish, Slovak and other important languages in Europe.
5. If you want to live on your own in Barcelona you will pay at least 750 euro/month for an apartment being 1000 euro/month also common. You can find a room for 400 euro/month.

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