in love with banksy.

inspired by the prevalence of graffiti art in lisbon & porto, i have become obsessed. i'm especially smitten with large scale stencils. these vibrant tags which have defaced nearly every beautifully aged building in town, are abundant on both concrete and tile. while i'm not quite sure if the locals find this to be art or vandalism (i myself am not keen on the idea of destroying the already lovely hand-painted tiles) many of them are incredible, and oft times witty.




it is indeed conflicting because while i completely understand the desire to preserve history, the pieces can be undeniably charming and therefore all the more shocking given their surroundings. but why not? the streets are alive. just as i see bare skin as the perfect canvas to adorn oneself with tattoos, blank concrete walls are just begging for some character.

mute.

rachel freire.

oooooh.

Phillip Tournaire

nom nom nom.

this is what i ate for dinner last night. i’m not proud of it, but it happened. and it happened something serious, like a brick, like a delicious bundle of artery clogging joy. it’s called a “francesinha”, and is the token dish of porto. you can order it everywhere, and likely for under 4 euro. it’s as common as goddamn water…or mcdonald’s (which yago refers to as my “embassy”). as if being american isn’t embarrassing enough. anyways, this little number comes in the form of two giant slices of white bread filled with ham, chourico & steak, is smothered in cheese and drenched in a white-wine gravy. it usually comes with a mountain of french fries, but i figured i’d opt for the “diet” version. holy heart-attack batman; i can hear my ass growing. do you know what that sounds like?

but for serious, gorging on bread sopped with gravy is a nice change of pace for me. to be perfectly frank, i feel like i’ve been starving to death since i arrived in portugal. it’s been like fat camp, only minus archery and plus gypsies. all my blouses look like maternity-wear anyhow, so it’s unlikely that my adoptive family would take any notice. it’s probably their conspiratorial plan to make me more attractive, more european. yago’s mother must be 100 pounds soaking wet, and his sister too. and here is the american girlfriend, drooling over the second helpings she will not consume. oh no mr. & mrs. de quay, i swear, i’m really full. my two square inches of fish were incredibly filling, i mean it, i musn’t.

what have i learned? being consistently hungry can make a person rather unpleasant. and by “rather unpleasant”, i mean “god awful.” just imagine your worst PMS, times it by ten, and add a generous dash of fatigue. what you’ve got is a really fun time and sister insisting via skype that she express mail you costco granola bars. fiber one, she insists, your favorite. good times.

so to you, francesinha, i salute you. SHAH-WING!

thank you, my dear ashley

"To the Young Who Want to Die" by Gwendolyn Brooks

Sit down. Inhale. Exhale.
The gun will wait. The lake will wait.
The tall gall in the small seductive vial
will wait will wait:
will wait a week: will wait through April.
You do not have to die this certain day.
Death will abide, will pamper your postponement.
I assure you death will wait. Death has
a lot of time. Death can
attend to you tomorrow. Or next week. Death is
just down the street; is most obliging neighbor;
can meet you any moment.
You need not die today.
Stay here — through pout or pain or peskyness.
Stay here. See what the news is going to be tomorrow.

Graves grow no green that you can use.
Remember, green’s your color. You are Spring.

why my boyfriend shouldn't sell things on craig's list

Unused Ionizer Humidifier with Air Purifier- $30 (Cambridge)


I'm leaving the country and I need to get rid of it. I used a few times and it works great! It's not only a humidifier with bear ears but it also purifies the air. The blue tank has a special antibacterial coating that prevents moss.

Email me or call me (Yago) at 617-901-9061





Fish Bowl Set- $15 (Cambridge)

My fish died an I'm leaving the country. Includes:

- Fish Bowl

- Assorted color decorative pebbles

- Decorative Conch Shell & Vegetation

- Fizzy cleansing packet

All that your fish needs to have a healthy start : )

Email me or contact me (Yago) at 617-901-9061