A gift from the heart

I once read that the greatest gift you can give to another person is your time. Once you have given it, you can never take it back, and hopefully you have created good memories too. Maybe you have shared a moment, exchanged some smiles, had a good laugh, got into a nice talk. In this digital age of ours, I do believe that giving your time to someone is a gift, and the same is someone spending their time with you. Whether it is being together, talking on the phone, initiating a talk with a stranger. Give a bit of your time, a kind word, a smile, and it can mean more than you know to the other person. For me, sharing good moments, making memories together makes time a gift from the heart.

That said. Like others, I do appreciate gifts gifts too. You know what I mean. Of course I do. Don't we all? If you are like me, you also get specially moved when receiving a gift feeling that the gifter has really thought of me. Like: 


The beginning of something brilliant. 
A gift for the new year from a friend who believe in new beginnings, and who knows that my passion is writing......

A guardian angel
From a friend who loves me

Softest cosy socks ever
From someone special who think about me, just like that. To keep my feet warm. And my heart.

Curry magic
From a dear blogger friend. Yup, I do love those curries. Will try to swing my magic spoon:-)

A dreamcatcher,
From an American workfriend who explained: Native Americans of the Great Plains believe that the air is filled with both good and bad dreams. According to legend, the good dreams pass through the center hole to the sleeping person. The bad dreams are trapped in the web where they perish in the light of dawn. Historically, dreamcatchers were hung in the tipis or ledge or at the baby's cradle board. And now also one above my bed:-)

And then the greatest gift of all.
Life.
Time.
Don't waste it.
Live it.

Did you give or receive any gifts lately? Please share. 

Happy ILD day!

I love to write. I love to read. And I love thinking back to a childhood where I would dive into the mystery world of litterature. Be gone, travel off, be lost there. For hours. For days. Come to think of it, I can still do that. Oh, the wonderful joy of the written word. The amazing force of it. Powerful. Joyful. Provocative. Soothing.

I can not imagine how my life would be witout writing and reading. Can you?

Today is International Literacy Day (ILD). Today we focus on raising awareness for those who can not read or write. Today we give children and communities a chance to rediscover the joy of reading while raising awareness for those without access to education. Or as UNESCO says:

International Literacy Day was first celebrated in 1966. It's aim is to highlight the importance of literacy to individuals, communities and societies. On International Literacy Day, UNESCO reminds the international community of the status of literacy and adult learning globally. Some 775 million adults lack minimum literacy skills; one in five adults is still not literate and two-thirds of them are women. 60.7 million children are out-of-school and many more attend irregularly or drop out

As for me, on a day like this, my mind goes to Meena. It is unavoidable. To shy Meena, and her love for reading. Her love for books. To her humble gratefulnes of being able to take a book home with her. To her joy, enthusiasm and engagement. To my little book lover Meena. My mind and my heart goes to her and to all her fellow class mates. To the kids who couldn't believe it was true - that they could borrow a book with them. The kids who laughed and danced and celebrated vividly with me, when we established our little community library. What a joy! A library of our own. My fellow book lovers.

Today we celebrate the joy of writing and reading. May it never be taken for granted.

Today I want to celebrate Meena. For coming into my life. For teaching me. Gratitude. Joy. Compassion. This is for her and for all the Meenas of the world.

For Meena.

3 days in Barcelona

So, for the first time ever I went to mainland Spain. For the first time I went to Barcelona. A city I had read about in the unforgettable book The Shadow of The Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon, (a book I wept dearly over when I was done reading it). And my urge to visit Barcelona was even more nurtured when I read the powerful Cathedral of the Sea by Ildefonso Falcones, a book set in the medieval Barcelona.

In One Word, my dearies: Amazing. Amazing Barcelona. The architecture, the food, the feeling... . Yup - this is a city I would go back to. But only 3 days, what to see, where to go? Not a chance that I am "done" with this city. Here are my top 3 days - 5 Barcelona moments:

1. Strolling at Mercat de la Boqueria. I do have a soft spot for market places like this: the whole atmosphere; strolling around in between stalls selling fruit, vegetables, nuts, dried fruit, sweets, oil, juice, ham etc. Yes, a bit touristy perhaps, located as it is just by Los Ramblas, but still a fun place to explore.

2. Exploring the churches and architecture in general. Oh yes, it was pretty amazing to see the breathtaking grandious churches from the books I had been reading. The gorgeous Santa Maria del Mar, and the one-of -a kind Sagrada Familia. I liked strolling around in the narrow alleyways of the area Barri Gotic, and to walklike a queen down the broad majestetic avenues.

3. A morning at Camp Nou. Yes, since one of my travel companions is a huuuge football fan, a visit to Camp Nou, the largest football stadium in Europe was a must. And it was fun! Together with almost 100.000 visitors you can watch Messi and his team.

4. A lazy afternoon at Barceloneta, the large beach located in the centre of the city. And what amazing combination: a sweathy morning in the city, and then a lazy afternoon on the beach, streched out, sipping a cold drink while watching the sun set over the sea. Beautiful.

5. Brunching at Rekons (Comte d'Urgell 32). The food in Barcelona deserves a chapter of its own really. In short: We Ate Well. Lots of Tapas: small dishes that just kept coming. Small grilled green peppers, ham, small pies, olives... Our favorites turned out to be the small places in the university areas. Places like Rekons, where they made our huge salad as we watched - all fresh, cheap and sooo tasty...

So long Barcelona. Hope to see you again:-)