Pia: False Alarms, Real Contractions & Paella: Week One in Barcelona

I’ve just finished my first week in Barcelona — and what a week it’s been!

I’m here for both work and fun, and so far it’s been a great experience. My boss is super nice and chill, which definitely makes working here more enjoyable. Eraa and I are working at the Barcelona Paella Experience, and we’re both really happy with our job. The first week at work went by smoothly: the atmosphere is relaxed, and everyone’s friendly.

We definitely got a taste of the Spanish lifestyle on our second work day: our boss showed up about 30 minutes late, smiled, and simply said we’d just start 30 minutes later (he apologized as well of course). No stress at all. Honestly, we loved that vibe.

The week wasn’t without chaos, though. Our student residence had four false fire alarms in just one week! One of them even went off at 3 AM… not exactly the wake-up call you want in the middle of the night.

Getting to our residence on the first day was also a bit of an adventure. Lukas and I had to take public transport for over an hour, with a lot of stairs involved, up and down constantly, because many metro stations didn’t have elevators. We were completely exhausted by the time we arrived.

But the staff at the reception greeted us warmly, and we immediately felt welcome. That really helped us settle in after the long journey.

One morning on the way to work, something really intense happened in the metro. A pregnant woman standing across from me started having contractions, she was literally in labour. She was with two other women, and you could tell something was really wrong. I was standing right in front of her and had no idea what to do. She looked like she was about to give birth right there. The three of them got off at the next station, and the woman almost threw up while exiting. Everyone around us looked shocked. Some offered water, but most people, including me, just froze. No one really knew how to react. It was such a wild and helpless moment.

On Sunday, we spontaneously decided to visit the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya (MNAC). We were super lucky, because entrance was free! It was the first Sunday of the month, and we had no idea until we got there. Perfect timing.

All in all, it’s been a fun, hectic, and exciting first week. I’m really looking forward to what next week brings - hopefully with fewer fire alarms (and fewer metro dramas)!