The Opera House (El Liceo)

Walking down Las Ramblas from Plaza Catalunya, you'll find El Liceo, which is also known as the 'Opera House'. My friend Julie remembers it in a very special way, and when I walk by it I can only think of her and Sano.

Well, if you think about this, you might say, 'so what?' But consider this. When Julie finished her doctoral degree she went to Japan for a year to teach English. On her way back to the United States, in 1980, she decided to visit Barcelona. She never thought she was going to meet her husband here, and never could have imagined that he would be Japanese. But that was the case!

Julie says she thought Japanese men were horrible creatures at that point and during dinner when the topic of Japanese men came up she told him "I could never marry a Japanese man!"  Now she thinks they're the nicest creatures in the world!!!

Today when I walk by the 'Opera House' I can imagine Julie and Sano, smiling to each other, maybe even blinking their eyes in a special way!

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Check the notes on the new readings from: Barron & Hynes (1996) and Sharma. & Hannfin (2004) about mathematics education and critical thinking.