I am approaching the end of my time in Spain. I have traveled, seen things that I could never have imagined seeing, gone places that I would never have pictured myself going, tried things that I would never try back home. I have met some of the most incredible people, lost contact with others and learned who my true friends are. I have come to realize that no matter where I am in the world that I have such a strong support system that I would have no idea how to live without.
June has been the busiest, craziest month here. I left for a European adventure: Milan, Venice, Rome, Valencia, Madrid, London and back to Castellon. Two weeks of non-stop traveling, seeing tons of things, taking thousands of pictures, learning how to be patient and not stress out over train delays or language barriers. I was in Italy with a friend and that was an adventure in and of its self, trying to get over our different opions sometimes and just learn to compromise. Compromise and trust were the biggest things that I learned in Italy; giving up on certain things but staying firm on others that I felt strongly about (like not wanting to just do two days in Rome to be able to have a day in Florence; I was pleased that we decided to take our time and enjoy Rome). Accepting that getting lost was inevitable and asking for directions. Accepting that I was wrong (a hard thing for me to do). Eating tons of pizza, I mean tons of pizza. Tasting the most amazing gelatto. Realizing that I was in the same place that had so much meaning to so many people (I felt that was about the Vatican in particular).
Madrid was completely different. I stayed with Willie Waisath which was nice to be able to see a Coe alum. Madrid was definitely different than I expected it to be, but I was able to see museums and just enjoy the nice weather that we had when I was there.
London. That was the loneliest that I felt my entire time here. I was by myself, but it was a different kind of by myself, in a big city without someone to talk to while having dinner or taking pictures of me. It was nice, but lonely. I did a bus tour, which was nice because I was there for two nights and two days. I saw the changing of the guards and met some really nice American tourists. But it was lonely.
Castellon. Busy, studying for exams, feeling like I was getting no where with studying because there was so much to go over. Finally being able to breath and enjoy the summer weather after a weight was lifted off of my shoulders. This entire past week has just been Nancy relazxing time: sitting by the pool tanning, going for runs almost every morning, shopping for gifts, drinks with friends, coffee with the people that are coming to Coe, dinner with other friends and their visiting parents, hanging out with my Spanish friends, getting to experience San Juan (the longest day of the year when everyone goes to the beach and at midnight jumps the first three waves and makes a wish for every wave. They also write down all the bad things that have happened this year and burn them in a bonfire to start fresh).
Now I sit here in my room and think about how much I have changed these past five months, how much I have stayed the same. All of the things that I have felt over the past few months, all of the things that I have done and seen. All of the people that I met and the ones that I am going to be so sad to leave. How it's going to be sad to leave, but how ready (more than ready) I am to go home and see all of my family and friends. How ready I am to go home and eat a peanutbutter and jelly sandwich, drive myself places, run with my dog, go to the mountains, take my nephew to the zoo. How nervous I am about returning to Coe after being gone after an entire year.
Just sitting here looking at my packed bags, ready to leave to Barcelona for a few days before hopping on a plane for 2.5 hours to London then to Denver (9 hours and 45 mins!). It's been an amazing semester, but I am just at the point where I am ready to go, ready to get back. Anxious to get back. I am going to be so sad to say good bye to all of the amazing people I have met here, especially since most of them I won't see ever again. But this journey had to come to an end eventually. It has been an incredible experience and I am so glad that I did it. It definitely made me appreciate things more. I am so blessed to have gotten to experience all that I have. I am never going to forget my time here, it has been one of the most interesting experiences in my life. I know that whatever new adventures await me will be great as well and that this experience will add to those. So hasta pronto Espana. Te echare de menos, pero un dia espero regresar!
Friday, June 25, 2010
Thursday, May 27, 2010
The learning never stops
After four months of writing my blog, I just learned five minutes ago how to read the comments that people have left on it... The learning just never stops. I have learned a lot about myself, my culture, what other people think of my cultue, the Spanish culture and history- all in the past week!! This has been a crazy busy week and the hecticness will only continue.
This was my last week of classes, finals have officially started! I have sucessfully finished two of my classes, my two favorite classes here (History of the Spanish Language and European Theory) , which is bitter sweet because I really enjoyed those classes and professors very much. But I am just glad to have them out of the way. Going through all of my notes just reminded me of how much I have to learn and remember. Four montsh of notes is no joke. The past four days I have been locked in the library and my room just studying, reviewing, on the verge of tears because there is just so much to learn and not enough time to do everything. That is one of my problems, I want to do SO much but there just never seems to be enough time. Trying to make time for other things was one of the reasons that I was so stressed this week. Two weeks ago I made time to go on vacation. I went to Ibiza and spent all week on the beach with hundreds of other Erasums students. It was sooo much fun, but of course no studying got done and no papers were written. I cam back, but of course studying was not on the top of my priorites. Well it was, but other things seemed more pressing. Instead of studing this week I went to Alicante and met up with the Coe students that are doing the May term in Spain. It was so much fun and I am glad that I went (I stayed with a friend that I made while I was in Ibiza who was super nice). During this trip I was just reminded of what I have learned, all of the friends here that I have made, all of the things that I have done, all of the things that I still want to do, how I have just gotten to a place where I can reflect and look to the future simulataneously. It was interesting to hear the things that the Coe girls liked and disliked about Spain, things that I said shortly after my arrival. I felt more Spanish this past weekend than I have felt at any point in my time here, being able to show someone that I have made progress.
This crazy, busy week is almost over. My roommate is moving to Madrid because she was offered a better job (something that happened while I was in Ibiza), I am leaving tomorrow to go on a European trip to Italy (Milan, Venice, Rome), Madrid and London. I am excited, nervous, anxious and just have a million things going through my head. But I know that I will have a great time. I just know that when I get back there will be a million things to do. Get to know my new roommate, who will be here when I get here, finish two essays, study for three tests, try to do more traveling and finally return to the U.S.
I had almost mentioned that I had learned more things about how people percieve my culture, so I shall get to that point right now (I feel all over the place right now, very scatter-brained and it is definitely showing in this post). My old host parents went to New York while I was in Ibiza. When I got back I went over and had lunch with them. They told me all about it, what they saw, how it was "Just like in the movies." It was interesting to hear what they thought of America based off of what they saw in Manhattan. That it is a wasteful culture, that we eat a lot of fast food, that we are always running, always in a rush to get somewhere. The funniest thing that Dori told me was that she used a waffle iron for the first time at their hotel. She found it facinating and was just amazed because she had never made a waffle before. It was odd to me because we have a waffle iron in the caf and use it all the time, getting upset when they took away the waffle batter during weekday lunches. It was interesting to see how her face lit up when she told me how facinated she was by the shoe selection at Foot Locker. It just never really occured to me that such small things of our culture can have such an impact on someone seeing them for the first time. I know that people experience it, but it was interesting to see it from someone that I know well.
Today, while taking a break from studying, I had coffee with Dori. We talked about how life just changes so quickly. People come in and out of our lives and we just have to learn how to adjust accordingly. Some people stay in your life forever while others have just brief contact with you. But everyone teaches you something, makes you realize something new about them, about yourself, about life in general.
The learning just never stops and I am happy with that.
This was my last week of classes, finals have officially started! I have sucessfully finished two of my classes, my two favorite classes here (History of the Spanish Language and European Theory) , which is bitter sweet because I really enjoyed those classes and professors very much. But I am just glad to have them out of the way. Going through all of my notes just reminded me of how much I have to learn and remember. Four montsh of notes is no joke. The past four days I have been locked in the library and my room just studying, reviewing, on the verge of tears because there is just so much to learn and not enough time to do everything. That is one of my problems, I want to do SO much but there just never seems to be enough time. Trying to make time for other things was one of the reasons that I was so stressed this week. Two weeks ago I made time to go on vacation. I went to Ibiza and spent all week on the beach with hundreds of other Erasums students. It was sooo much fun, but of course no studying got done and no papers were written. I cam back, but of course studying was not on the top of my priorites. Well it was, but other things seemed more pressing. Instead of studing this week I went to Alicante and met up with the Coe students that are doing the May term in Spain. It was so much fun and I am glad that I went (I stayed with a friend that I made while I was in Ibiza who was super nice). During this trip I was just reminded of what I have learned, all of the friends here that I have made, all of the things that I have done, all of the things that I still want to do, how I have just gotten to a place where I can reflect and look to the future simulataneously. It was interesting to hear the things that the Coe girls liked and disliked about Spain, things that I said shortly after my arrival. I felt more Spanish this past weekend than I have felt at any point in my time here, being able to show someone that I have made progress.
This crazy, busy week is almost over. My roommate is moving to Madrid because she was offered a better job (something that happened while I was in Ibiza), I am leaving tomorrow to go on a European trip to Italy (Milan, Venice, Rome), Madrid and London. I am excited, nervous, anxious and just have a million things going through my head. But I know that I will have a great time. I just know that when I get back there will be a million things to do. Get to know my new roommate, who will be here when I get here, finish two essays, study for three tests, try to do more traveling and finally return to the U.S.
I had almost mentioned that I had learned more things about how people percieve my culture, so I shall get to that point right now (I feel all over the place right now, very scatter-brained and it is definitely showing in this post). My old host parents went to New York while I was in Ibiza. When I got back I went over and had lunch with them. They told me all about it, what they saw, how it was "Just like in the movies." It was interesting to hear what they thought of America based off of what they saw in Manhattan. That it is a wasteful culture, that we eat a lot of fast food, that we are always running, always in a rush to get somewhere. The funniest thing that Dori told me was that she used a waffle iron for the first time at their hotel. She found it facinating and was just amazed because she had never made a waffle before. It was odd to me because we have a waffle iron in the caf and use it all the time, getting upset when they took away the waffle batter during weekday lunches. It was interesting to see how her face lit up when she told me how facinated she was by the shoe selection at Foot Locker. It just never really occured to me that such small things of our culture can have such an impact on someone seeing them for the first time. I know that people experience it, but it was interesting to see it from someone that I know well.
Today, while taking a break from studying, I had coffee with Dori. We talked about how life just changes so quickly. People come in and out of our lives and we just have to learn how to adjust accordingly. Some people stay in your life forever while others have just brief contact with you. But everyone teaches you something, makes you realize something new about them, about yourself, about life in general.
The learning just never stops and I am happy with that.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
A reflection about learning
I feel like more and more, especially being here in Spain, I realize how little I know and how much I have to learn.
I realize how little I know about politics. I sit in one of my classes class and listen to the Spanish students talk about the unemployment rate in Spain compared to other countries, listen to them talk about the key players in all of the European nations and their roles in the global recession. I listen to them talk about why Spain will not be like Greece, who is asking the European Union for a bail out. I listen in my other class about the history of the European economics system, sometimes with someone interjecting in a point that the professor makes about the GATT or the role of the World Bank. In a different class I listen as one of the guys throws out facts about the linguistic history of Spain, reciting verses of El Mio Cid or talking about the influence of the Arabs on the Spanish language as if he were talking about the latest sports score. I sit and I listen, and listen, and listen. And I realize that I have so much to learn.
I feel like the more I listen, the more I realize how little I really do know. About the history of Spain, about the history of the United States, about the history of Colorado, about the history of my own family, American politics, world politics, current world news. I have lived in the same country my entire life, the same state my entire life minus the three years I have been in college, with the same people my entire life, and yet I know so little about all of them. I try to read some sort of news source every day and still know very little about what is going on in the country and in the world.
I got to Spain and was shocked to learn about the high unemployment rate here; people looked at me like I was crazy when I told them that I did not realize that it was such a huge problem here. I knew that people from Cataluña had a strong regional pride, but I did not realize how strongly other regions had similar pride as well. I thought that I was going to come here and that it was going to be beach weather all year long (in fact, I even brought more skirts, dresses, shorts and tank tops than warm clothes and have only worn them a couple times because it has been so chilly and rainy since I have been here). I didn’t know that this region is famous for oranges and that they take pride in that. I didn’t know that I would be asked all the time about American politics and that people here would know more about what is going on in my country than I do.
Being here I have really gotten to know what people mean when they say that the most learning takes place outside of the classroom. The more I talk to people, the more I go out and have coffee with friends, the more I have dinner with my two Spanish families, the more I learn about Spain and the world and myself. I am not really sure what it is that I have learned about myself quite yet, but I have learned that I have tons more to learn. I have learned/ realized how important my family and friends are, my family here (that consists of friends and the people that have taken my into their homes) and my family in the United States (my parents, my sisters, my nephew), my high school friends, my friends from Coe, my friends from D.C. I am learning and realizing how different my life would have been if just one person had not come along in my life; the absence of just one single person could totally have changed my life. I am learning how lucky I am to have such amazing people in my life and appreciating the life that I have and all of the amazing opportunities that I have been given. There are so many things that I wish I could have changed, especially the way that I have treated people; I cannot change what I have done in the past but can hope that in the future I will not be the same person and make the same mistakes.
In my blog entries I try not to write extremely personal stuff because I feel that this blog is about my experiences here, but I feel like I have come to personal realizations that I should share. I have realized how important my parents are and how important they have been in my future. When I say my parents, I am talking about my mom, stepdad and biological dad. My dad left my mom when I was younger and I do not have a good relationship, really any relationship, with him. But I am realizing how important he is in my life. Not only would I not be here in the world without him, my life would be completely different if he had stayed in my life. I am certain that I would not be where I am today if my parents were still together. I realize how important my mom is in my life. She has taught me so much in life and is one of the most loving and generous people that I know. She has never let me settle for second best and has always given me all of the things that she never had growing up, mainly a mom that tells her daughters every day that she loves them and that they are the best thing that has ever happened to her. I am realizing how important my stepdad is in my life. He has been in my life for 20 years and I cannot imagine not having lived without him. He has never treated me like I was not his daughter. He and my mom gave me an amazing childhood, and are still trying to give me an amazing life, a life that neither or them had. 30 years ago my stepdad went to the U.S. with no money, no job, not able to speak English, hoping for a better life, and here I am in Spain, traveling, learning, living an amazing life thanks to him and my mom.
Like I said before, I do not like to write personal things here, but this entry would not be complete without mentioning one more person, a person that I have learned so much from, that has taught me about myself and that I am so thankful to have in my life. I would not have guessed when I left home to go to Iowa for college that I would meet someone as amazing as this person. This person has showed me how fortunate I am in life, has helped me realize how amazing my parents are, how amazing I am, how remarkable and generous people who are not your actual family members can be. They have taught/ told me that I have tons to learn in life. They have been patient and put up with so much of my crap. I have done nothing to deserve this person's love and friendship and have learned this year being away from this person how valuable they are, how different my life would be without them and how luck I am to have this incredible person in my life. I know that I do not say it enough, but you are incredibly fantastic and I cannot image a better person to have in my life. So thank you, John Sherrod. I appreciate and love you more than words can express.
I realize how little I know about politics. I sit in one of my classes class and listen to the Spanish students talk about the unemployment rate in Spain compared to other countries, listen to them talk about the key players in all of the European nations and their roles in the global recession. I listen to them talk about why Spain will not be like Greece, who is asking the European Union for a bail out. I listen in my other class about the history of the European economics system, sometimes with someone interjecting in a point that the professor makes about the GATT or the role of the World Bank. In a different class I listen as one of the guys throws out facts about the linguistic history of Spain, reciting verses of El Mio Cid or talking about the influence of the Arabs on the Spanish language as if he were talking about the latest sports score. I sit and I listen, and listen, and listen. And I realize that I have so much to learn.
I feel like the more I listen, the more I realize how little I really do know. About the history of Spain, about the history of the United States, about the history of Colorado, about the history of my own family, American politics, world politics, current world news. I have lived in the same country my entire life, the same state my entire life minus the three years I have been in college, with the same people my entire life, and yet I know so little about all of them. I try to read some sort of news source every day and still know very little about what is going on in the country and in the world.
I got to Spain and was shocked to learn about the high unemployment rate here; people looked at me like I was crazy when I told them that I did not realize that it was such a huge problem here. I knew that people from Cataluña had a strong regional pride, but I did not realize how strongly other regions had similar pride as well. I thought that I was going to come here and that it was going to be beach weather all year long (in fact, I even brought more skirts, dresses, shorts and tank tops than warm clothes and have only worn them a couple times because it has been so chilly and rainy since I have been here). I didn’t know that this region is famous for oranges and that they take pride in that. I didn’t know that I would be asked all the time about American politics and that people here would know more about what is going on in my country than I do.
Being here I have really gotten to know what people mean when they say that the most learning takes place outside of the classroom. The more I talk to people, the more I go out and have coffee with friends, the more I have dinner with my two Spanish families, the more I learn about Spain and the world and myself. I am not really sure what it is that I have learned about myself quite yet, but I have learned that I have tons more to learn. I have learned/ realized how important my family and friends are, my family here (that consists of friends and the people that have taken my into their homes) and my family in the United States (my parents, my sisters, my nephew), my high school friends, my friends from Coe, my friends from D.C. I am learning and realizing how different my life would have been if just one person had not come along in my life; the absence of just one single person could totally have changed my life. I am learning how lucky I am to have such amazing people in my life and appreciating the life that I have and all of the amazing opportunities that I have been given. There are so many things that I wish I could have changed, especially the way that I have treated people; I cannot change what I have done in the past but can hope that in the future I will not be the same person and make the same mistakes.
In my blog entries I try not to write extremely personal stuff because I feel that this blog is about my experiences here, but I feel like I have come to personal realizations that I should share. I have realized how important my parents are and how important they have been in my future. When I say my parents, I am talking about my mom, stepdad and biological dad. My dad left my mom when I was younger and I do not have a good relationship, really any relationship, with him. But I am realizing how important he is in my life. Not only would I not be here in the world without him, my life would be completely different if he had stayed in my life. I am certain that I would not be where I am today if my parents were still together. I realize how important my mom is in my life. She has taught me so much in life and is one of the most loving and generous people that I know. She has never let me settle for second best and has always given me all of the things that she never had growing up, mainly a mom that tells her daughters every day that she loves them and that they are the best thing that has ever happened to her. I am realizing how important my stepdad is in my life. He has been in my life for 20 years and I cannot imagine not having lived without him. He has never treated me like I was not his daughter. He and my mom gave me an amazing childhood, and are still trying to give me an amazing life, a life that neither or them had. 30 years ago my stepdad went to the U.S. with no money, no job, not able to speak English, hoping for a better life, and here I am in Spain, traveling, learning, living an amazing life thanks to him and my mom.
Like I said before, I do not like to write personal things here, but this entry would not be complete without mentioning one more person, a person that I have learned so much from, that has taught me about myself and that I am so thankful to have in my life. I would not have guessed when I left home to go to Iowa for college that I would meet someone as amazing as this person. This person has showed me how fortunate I am in life, has helped me realize how amazing my parents are, how amazing I am, how remarkable and generous people who are not your actual family members can be. They have taught/ told me that I have tons to learn in life. They have been patient and put up with so much of my crap. I have done nothing to deserve this person's love and friendship and have learned this year being away from this person how valuable they are, how different my life would be without them and how luck I am to have this incredible person in my life. I know that I do not say it enough, but you are incredibly fantastic and I cannot image a better person to have in my life. So thank you, John Sherrod. I appreciate and love you more than words can express.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
What does it mean to be human?
Every year the freshman at St. Mary’s Academy have the task of answering one question: what does it mean to be human? Ever St. Mary’s alumna cringes when she hears the question. The project consists of creating a 15 minute presentation and various essays where you defend you opinion on what it means to be human based on the 10 hours of community service that you have to complete, which you must present before a panel of judges and your peers. Why we all cringe- because it is one of the hardest questions to ask. It is impossible for a 14 or 15 year old to know what it means to be human; I actually believe that even a 29 year old would have a hard time answering the question. But this entry is not about my experiences as that 15 year old girl that had no idea what it meant to be human based on finger painting and reading the Three Little Bears with a class of kindergarteners.
But I have found myself pondering this question more and more during my time here. During the past two weeks in my European Theory class we have been discussing the meaning of nationality, citizenship, regional affiliations, racism, discrimination, what it means to be citizen of the world, what makes people different and the civil liberties that everyone should have; this makes me ponder the meaning of what it means to be human even more. What does it mean to be European, Spanish, Valenciano, Castellano, from the street that you live on? How can there be European unity if there isn’t even unity in Spain. One of the questions proposed by the professor was what makes a Valenciano different from a Gallego (someone from Valencia and someone from Galicia). One of the girls in my class said that people from the two regions are completely different, to which the professor asked what makes them so different. What does make them so different? To be completely honest, I did not know until about a year and a half ago that Spaniards had so much regional pride. People here identify themselves first as the province that they are from, especially if they are from Cataluña, the Basque country or Galicia (there are even people from Cataluña that want to separate from Spain and form their own nation, I heard in a news report that 30% of the population feels strongly about the area becoming its own country). They have a stronger regional pride than national pride, whereas I think that in general there is a strong national pride in the U.S., especially following September 11th. People identify themselves as American, and then they identify themselves as the state that they are from.
What is the difference between nationality and citizenship? What is the point of having a citizenship really? What are rights that citizen can have that non-citizens cannot?
I go back to my original question. What does it mean to be human? We are all the same, we are born, we live, and we die. But what makes us different from other animals? What unique quality makes us human? Are we really different from animals or do we just think that we are? Are Americans really that different from Spaniards? I feel like it is a search to an unanswerable question because no one really will ever know what it means to be human. For me, given all of my experiences, especially experiences this year, to be human means to be given a choice, make decisions and learn from mistakes to change your future.
But I have found myself pondering this question more and more during my time here. During the past two weeks in my European Theory class we have been discussing the meaning of nationality, citizenship, regional affiliations, racism, discrimination, what it means to be citizen of the world, what makes people different and the civil liberties that everyone should have; this makes me ponder the meaning of what it means to be human even more. What does it mean to be European, Spanish, Valenciano, Castellano, from the street that you live on? How can there be European unity if there isn’t even unity in Spain. One of the questions proposed by the professor was what makes a Valenciano different from a Gallego (someone from Valencia and someone from Galicia). One of the girls in my class said that people from the two regions are completely different, to which the professor asked what makes them so different. What does make them so different? To be completely honest, I did not know until about a year and a half ago that Spaniards had so much regional pride. People here identify themselves first as the province that they are from, especially if they are from Cataluña, the Basque country or Galicia (there are even people from Cataluña that want to separate from Spain and form their own nation, I heard in a news report that 30% of the population feels strongly about the area becoming its own country). They have a stronger regional pride than national pride, whereas I think that in general there is a strong national pride in the U.S., especially following September 11th. People identify themselves as American, and then they identify themselves as the state that they are from.
What is the difference between nationality and citizenship? What is the point of having a citizenship really? What are rights that citizen can have that non-citizens cannot?
I go back to my original question. What does it mean to be human? We are all the same, we are born, we live, and we die. But what makes us different from other animals? What unique quality makes us human? Are we really different from animals or do we just think that we are? Are Americans really that different from Spaniards? I feel like it is a search to an unanswerable question because no one really will ever know what it means to be human. For me, given all of my experiences, especially experiences this year, to be human means to be given a choice, make decisions and learn from mistakes to change your future.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Semana Santa
So it has been a bit since my last entry. Since the last time that I wrote I went down to the province of Andalucia, where I spent a week and a half with Dori and Antonio celebrating Semana Santa. Semana Santa, Holy Week, is observed throughout Spain since most of the population is Catholic, but it is celebrated more fully in the southern province of Andalucia. The week starts on the Sunday before Easter, Domingo de Ramos (Palm Sunday). Processions take place in the cities and towns throughout the province and continue throughout the week. The only day that there are not processions is on Saturday.
I went to the town of Alcala la Real, a town in Jaen and where Dori is from. Although we got there Wednesday night, I was still able to seen quite a few processions and get a glimpse into what Holy Week is like in Andalucia. The processions were small because Alcala is a town and not a city, but in Granada and Sevilla they have larger processions that are much more elaborate and people from across Spain and the rest of the world go there to see the amazing sights. Although the processions that I saw were not as large, they were still amazing, seeing that it was my first time seeing anything like them. It is interesting to see something new with someone who has seen it their entire life. They are able to provide you with information, but you are also able to provide them with a new perspective on what they are accustomed to seeing.
One of the things that most stuck out for me, even though I knew that I would be seeing them, were the outfits that were worn by the people in the processions. To put it bluntly, they are like the outfits that are worn by members of the KKK, but more colorful. Of course here they do not have the same meaning that they have in the United States so the people here don’t see anything odd about people walking around dressed as such. People even (in larger cities) wait decades to be able to be in a procession and wear one of these outfits (people put their young children on waiting lists so that they can be in the procession when they are in their 30s!). It took me a bit to get used to the outfits, but once I did I was able to realize the beauty that the people saw in them. Most of them were purple, a color that is associated with Lent and penance during the season, but there were also ones in different colors.
The processions usually consisted of people wearing these outfits walking through the town with candles, women wearing black dresses and veils, called mantillas, people dressed as the 12 apostles, and people carrying a float-type structure with flowers and either a statue of Mary or Jesus on it, depending on the procession. For example, the procession on Friday night only had a statue of Mary, seeing that Jesus had already been put in the tomb.
Of all of the processions that I saw, my favorite one was the procession on Friday night. It was a silent procession and there were people that walked in the procession that wore shackles on their feet and no shoes (which must have been difficult since it was pretty chilly that night). There isn’t a specific rule that the procession must be silent, but it is known throughout the town that the last procession is silent. It was amazing to have the only sound around be the sound of the shackles hitting the pavement as the procession continued down the street.
Another interesting thing that I observed during the procession was the singers. People would come out to their balcony and single a song to either Mary or Jesus and the procession would stop until they were done singing. I heard some of the most beautiful voices and I know that I would not have had the courage to do that.
During the last two days of Holy Week, Holy Thursday and Good Friday, you are not supposed to eat meat. Therefore, the meat in meals is replaced with fish. There are traditional dishes that are served during those days, including a soup made from fish “meatballs” and bacalao in a tomato sauce. It was a bit of a problem for me since I am not a huge fan of seafood, but I felt guilty saying no to Dori’s family when they would offer me food, so I tried it. Not my favorite, especially the bacalao, but I am glad that I tried it and know that I don’t like it instead of saying that I don’t like something without trying it.
Eating seemed to be the main thing that occurred during the week; I feel like I gained at least 10 pounds in the last week. One of the traditional dishes that is served during Holy Week and that I got to eat is a desert called papajotes, which is basically like a large doughnut hole (fried sweet dough) that is put into a mixture of milk, sugar, cinnamon and lemon zest. It was definitely a heavy dish, but either way it was pretty yummy. Arroz con leche, rice with milk, sugar, cinnamon and lemon zest, is also served during the week. My mom makes arroz con leche back home, but she does not put lemon in it and also usually puts raisins in it, but both versions of it that I have tried are delicious. There are also sweets that are traditional in the region: churros, pestiños, empanadas and roscas. They are all different versions of fried sweet dough, just in different forms. Roscas are basically doughnuts, but not as fluffy as the doughnuts that we know in the U.S., they are much heavier and have tons of sugar on them; pestiños are little pieces of dough formed into a bow that are fried and topped with tons of sugar; empanadas are dough that is filled with sweetened spaghetti squash, fried and coated in sugar; churros are dough that is fried into sticks, the only thing that was not coated in sugar, unlike the churros that we know in the U.S. that are topped with cinnamon and sugar. They were definitely very heavy and I had to try them a little at a time. I love sweets, but they were a bit much for me all at once. How much food is fried in Spain is something that surprised me and that I did not expect to see before I came here. I feel like there is a stigma about American food being fried but no one ever hears about how much they fry food in Spain.
Throughout the week I was able to meet all of Dori’s childhood friends. It was fun and interesting to see her with all of her old friends. They all have their different quirks but they are all super nice and were very welcoming and treated me as if I had known them for a long time, which was nice since I think that sometimes it can be hard to be the new person coming into a group of friends that that known each other for so long and you don’t know if they are going to accept you or not. I think that that is something very special, to have the same group of friends since you were small and despite everything that you have done in life you remain friends. It was also cute to see their kids playing together, which definitely made me smile.
One afternoon Dori took me up to the castle that is in the town. Alcala used to have a Moorish castle that is pretty well known by Spaniards. The conquering Alcala by the Catholics was the key to conquering Granada and pushing the Moors out of Spain. It was fun to go up with her and have an amazing view of the entire city. She told me how it used to be in bad shape and how when she was younger people would go up there just to hang out or get into mischief. Only recently was it restored and she said that it looks so much better than it did before. We went into the church that is in the fortress that was built during the Catholic rule. Most of the floor of the church has been removed to expose the Moorish city that the church was built on top of. It was just cool to be up there and take in a part of history, history that is so different from American history. I think back to middle school and high school and think about history class and how I used to think that there was so much to remember and so many dates. American history is nothing compared to the history in Spain since so much has occurred her (or at least so much has occurred here during rules and has therefore been documented better than the history of what occurred in the U.S. prior to Europeans going over and establishing rule). It is amazing to think about how different society was long ago. How rulers of kingdoms were younger than I am! For example, Isabel II was 11 when she took control of Spain!! That just baffles me…
The last few days that I was in Andalucia I took advantage of being so close to Granada and went down and explored the city on my own. I was able to go to the Alha
mbra, although I could only get a ticket to get into the gardens since they had sold out of tickets to get into the palace. The Alhambra used to be a Moorish palace and fortress built in the 14th Century and the center of the Moorish rule in Spain until Granada was conquered in the 1492 during the reign of the Catholic Monarchs, Isabel and Fernando. Some portions of it were used by the Christian rulers and the palace of Carlos V can be found there as well. It fell into disrepair and was “rediscovered” in the 19th century and restored. It is now one of the most visited sites in all of Spain, mainly because of the Moorish architecture that can be found there, and is a World Heritage Site. Even though I was not able to go into the palace, I still had a wonderful time and was able to see some of the amazing architecture that people from around the world come to see. It was peaceful to sit in the gardens and enjoy the nice afternoon and appreciate being in one of the most well known places in Spain. I sat there trying to picture what it was like in the 14th century and how different the place was.
All in all I had a great time during my week off. Going back to class was hard, but it was in a way nice to get back to reality since I actually do really like my classes. That’s it for now… Hasta pronto!
I went to the town of Alcala la Real, a town in Jaen and where Dori is from. Although we got there Wednesday night, I was still able to seen quite a few processions and get a glimpse into what Holy Week is like in Andalucia. The processions were small because Alcala is a town and not a city, but in Granada and Sevilla they have larger processions that are much more elaborate and people from across Spain and the rest of the world go there to see the amazing sights. Although the processions that I saw were not as large, they were still amazing, seeing that it was my first time seeing anything like them. It is interesting to see something new with someone who has seen it their entire life. They are able to provide you with information, but you are also able to provide them with a new perspective on what they are accustomed to seeing.
One of the things that most stuck out for me, even though I knew that I would be seeing them, were the outfits that were worn by the people in the processions. To put it bluntly, they are like the outfits that are worn by members of the KKK, but more colorful. Of course here they do not have the same meaning that they have in the United States so the people here don’t see anything odd about people walking around dressed as such. People even (in larger cities) wait decades to be able to be in a procession and wear one of these outfits (people put their young children on waiting lists so that they can be in the procession when they are in their 30s!). It took me a bit to get used to the outfits, but once I did I was able to realize the beauty that the people saw in them. Most of them were purple, a color that is associated with Lent and penance during the season, but there were also ones in different colors.
The processions usually consisted of people wearing these outfits walking through the town with candles, women wearing black dresses and veils, called mantillas, people dressed as the 12 apostles, and people carrying a float-type structure with flowers and either a statue of Mary or Jesus on it, depending on the procession. For example, the procession on Friday night only had a statue of Mary, seeing that Jesus had already been put in the tomb.
Of all of the processions that I saw, my favorite one was the procession on Friday night. It was a silent procession and there were people that walked in the procession that wore shackles on their feet and no shoes (which must have been difficult since it was pretty chilly that night). There isn’t a specific rule that the procession must be silent, but it is known throughout the town that the last procession is silent. It was amazing to have the only sound around be the sound of the shackles hitting the pavement as the procession continued down the street.
Another interesting thing that I observed during the procession was the singers. People would come out to their balcony and single a song to either Mary or Jesus and the procession would stop until they were done singing. I heard some of the most beautiful voices and I know that I would not have had the courage to do that.During the last two days of Holy Week, Holy Thursday and Good Friday, you are not supposed to eat meat. Therefore, the meat in meals is replaced with fish. There are traditional dishes that are served during those days, including a soup made from fish “meatballs” and bacalao in a tomato sauce. It was a bit of a problem for me since I am not a huge fan of seafood, but I felt guilty saying no to Dori’s family when they would offer me food, so I tried it. Not my favorite, especially the bacalao, but I am glad that I tried it and know that I don’t like it instead of saying that I don’t like something without trying it.
Eating seemed to be the main thing that occurred during the week; I feel like I gained at least 10 pounds in the last week. One of the traditional dishes that is served during Holy Week and that I got to eat is a desert called papajotes, which is basically like a large doughnut hole (fried sweet dough) that is put into a mixture of milk, sugar, cinnamon and lemon zest. It was definitely a heavy dish, but either way it was pretty yummy. Arroz con leche, rice with milk, sugar, cinnamon and lemon zest, is also served during the week. My mom makes arroz con leche back home, but she does not put lemon in it and also usually puts raisins in it, but both versions of it that I have tried are delicious. There are also sweets that are traditional in the region: churros, pestiños, empanadas and roscas. They are all different versions of fried sweet dough, just in different forms. Roscas are basically doughnuts, but not as fluffy as the doughnuts that we know in the U.S., they are much heavier and have tons of sugar on them; pestiños are little pieces of dough formed into a bow that are fried and topped with tons of sugar; empanadas are dough that is filled with sweetened spaghetti squash, fried and coated in sugar; churros are dough that is fried into sticks, the only thing that was not coated in sugar, unlike the churros that we know in the U.S. that are topped with cinnamon and sugar. They were definitely very heavy and I had to try them a little at a time. I love sweets, but they were a bit much for me all at once. How much food is fried in Spain is something that surprised me and that I did not expect to see before I came here. I feel like there is a stigma about American food being fried but no one ever hears about how much they fry food in Spain.
Throughout the week I was able to meet all of Dori’s childhood friends. It was fun and interesting to see her with all of her old friends. They all have their different quirks but they are all super nice and were very welcoming and treated me as if I had known them for a long time, which was nice since I think that sometimes it can be hard to be the new person coming into a group of friends that that known each other for so long and you don’t know if they are going to accept you or not. I think that that is something very special, to have the same group of friends since you were small and despite everything that you have done in life you remain friends. It was also cute to see their kids playing together, which definitely made me smile.
One afternoon Dori took me up to the castle that is in the town. Alcala used to have a Moorish castle that is pretty well known by Spaniards. The conquering Alcala by the Catholics was the key to conquering Granada and pushing the Moors out of Spain. It was fun to go up with her and have an amazing view of the entire city. She told me how it used to be in bad shape and how when she was younger people would go up there just to hang out or get into mischief. Only recently was it restored and she said that it looks so much better than it did before. We went into the church that is in the fortress that was built during the Catholic rule. Most of the floor of the church has been removed to expose the Moorish city that the church was built on top of. It was just cool to be up there and take in a part of history, history that is so different from American history. I think back to middle school and high school and think about history class and how I used to think that there was so much to remember and so many dates. American history is nothing compared to the history in Spain since so much has occurred her (or at least so much has occurred here during rules and has therefore been documented better than the history of what occurred in the U.S. prior to Europeans going over and establishing rule). It is amazing to think about how different society was long ago. How rulers of kingdoms were younger than I am! For example, Isabel II was 11 when she took control of Spain!! That just baffles me…
The last few days that I was in Andalucia I took advantage of being so close to Granada and went down and explored the city on my own. I was able to go to the Alha
mbra, although I could only get a ticket to get into the gardens since they had sold out of tickets to get into the palace. The Alhambra used to be a Moorish palace and fortress built in the 14th Century and the center of the Moorish rule in Spain until Granada was conquered in the 1492 during the reign of the Catholic Monarchs, Isabel and Fernando. Some portions of it were used by the Christian rulers and the palace of Carlos V can be found there as well. It fell into disrepair and was “rediscovered” in the 19th century and restored. It is now one of the most visited sites in all of Spain, mainly because of the Moorish architecture that can be found there, and is a World Heritage Site. Even though I was not able to go into the palace, I still had a wonderful time and was able to see some of the amazing architecture that people from around the world come to see. It was peaceful to sit in the gardens and enjoy the nice afternoon and appreciate being in one of the most well known places in Spain. I sat there trying to picture what it was like in the 14th century and how different the place was. All in all I had a great time during my week off. Going back to class was hard, but it was in a way nice to get back to reality since I actually do really like my classes. That’s it for now… Hasta pronto!
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Yay, we have Spanish people coming to Coe!
For the first time ever we will have Spanish students at Coe. Their names are Carlos and Sara and they will be in Iowa for the fall semester. I was able to meet them and I was so proud to be able to represent Coe and tell them about all of the things that there are to do on campus (even though I did tell them that Cedar Rapids is way different from Castellon in many ways). They are both very nervous about getting all of their paperwork done for Coe and for UJI and getting their visas, but I assured them that in the end it will all work out and that it will be worth it.
I am so excited to have Spanish people at Coe. I will not be taking any Spanish courses next semester so having them there will give me a chance to keep up on what I have learned here. Plus, I am excited that they will have someone to know when they get there. I think that that is something very valuable, having someone there that you know who can make you feel more comfortable. I know that I would have liked to have known someone here before I came, someone who knew the city and could introduce me to people. I don't mind that I didn't have that, but it would have been nice. I cannot wait to show them around campus and help them with any problems that they have. I cannot wait to introduce them to all of my friends and make Spanish dinners with them. One of the other things that they are worried about is eating dinner so early since they eat dinner here around 9 or later and we eat dinner at 5. But I know that once they get there they will adjust, just like I did when I got here.
I know that they will have no problem getting adjusted to Coe and am glad that I have gotten to meet them. I know that there will be more meetings with them before August and I can't wait!
I am so excited to have Spanish people at Coe. I will not be taking any Spanish courses next semester so having them there will give me a chance to keep up on what I have learned here. Plus, I am excited that they will have someone to know when they get there. I think that that is something very valuable, having someone there that you know who can make you feel more comfortable. I know that I would have liked to have known someone here before I came, someone who knew the city and could introduce me to people. I don't mind that I didn't have that, but it would have been nice. I cannot wait to show them around campus and help them with any problems that they have. I cannot wait to introduce them to all of my friends and make Spanish dinners with them. One of the other things that they are worried about is eating dinner so early since they eat dinner here around 9 or later and we eat dinner at 5. But I know that once they get there they will adjust, just like I did when I got here.
I know that they will have no problem getting adjusted to Coe and am glad that I have gotten to meet them. I know that there will be more meetings with them before August and I can't wait!
Two months in Spain!!
Wow, I can't believe that it has already been two months since I have been here! It feels like I got here not that long ago. I feel like right now this is the place I am supposed to be.
Last night I called my mom on skype and everyone was at home, so I got a chance to talk to everyone in my family. I just sat here laughing, imagining everyone passing the headset around so that they could get a chance to chat for a few minutes with me. It's odd to think that I have not seen them since January. It's odd to think that they are on the other side of the world right now. There have been a couple of times while I have been here that I have gotten a bit homesick, but it really hasn't been that different here. Of course there are things that are different and there are things that I have tried here that I would never think about trying at home, but it feels natural here, like this is where I was meant to be.
One of the things that I am still getting used to is having to chat with my family and friends at specific times. When I am in Iowa for the semester, or when I was in D.C., I could just pick up the phone any time and know that I could talk to my mom or my best friend, or that when ever I was online that there would be somone to talk to. Eight hour time difference makes it harder to schedule times to talk, especially when everyone has a bust schedule or is not near a computer. I miss just being able to pick up the phone and talk for hours with mom and friends, something that I have not done here.
I have come to realize since being here how important technology is in our lives. That eight hour time difference does not seem so bad when I can get one line and hear my mom's voice or send her a message instantly. I cannot image how different it would have been to study abroad 20 years ago, how different communication was. Not everyone had email, facebook did not exist, you had to send lettters to people, everything was not instantaneous. I feel like now everyone relies on technology so much that we would not know what to do if we did not have it. We would be completely lost without it. I know that when I first got here and did not have a cell phone that it was one of the strangest feelings, not having a means of communicating instantly when I was out. We feel naked when we leave the house without our cell phones, sometimes to the point where we rush home to get it or when we get home we frantically run to see if we have missed a call or have a message.
We live in such a different age of technology that we sometimes fail to stop and appreciate what is around us. I feel like being here in Spain has made me stop and notice things that I would otherwise just ignore. I feel like I have grown to appreciate things so much more since I have been here. I have grown to appreciate my family, friends, and just this amazing opportunity that I might never have again.
Last night I called my mom on skype and everyone was at home, so I got a chance to talk to everyone in my family. I just sat here laughing, imagining everyone passing the headset around so that they could get a chance to chat for a few minutes with me. It's odd to think that I have not seen them since January. It's odd to think that they are on the other side of the world right now. There have been a couple of times while I have been here that I have gotten a bit homesick, but it really hasn't been that different here. Of course there are things that are different and there are things that I have tried here that I would never think about trying at home, but it feels natural here, like this is where I was meant to be.
One of the things that I am still getting used to is having to chat with my family and friends at specific times. When I am in Iowa for the semester, or when I was in D.C., I could just pick up the phone any time and know that I could talk to my mom or my best friend, or that when ever I was online that there would be somone to talk to. Eight hour time difference makes it harder to schedule times to talk, especially when everyone has a bust schedule or is not near a computer. I miss just being able to pick up the phone and talk for hours with mom and friends, something that I have not done here.
I have come to realize since being here how important technology is in our lives. That eight hour time difference does not seem so bad when I can get one line and hear my mom's voice or send her a message instantly. I cannot image how different it would have been to study abroad 20 years ago, how different communication was. Not everyone had email, facebook did not exist, you had to send lettters to people, everything was not instantaneous. I feel like now everyone relies on technology so much that we would not know what to do if we did not have it. We would be completely lost without it. I know that when I first got here and did not have a cell phone that it was one of the strangest feelings, not having a means of communicating instantly when I was out. We feel naked when we leave the house without our cell phones, sometimes to the point where we rush home to get it or when we get home we frantically run to see if we have missed a call or have a message.
We live in such a different age of technology that we sometimes fail to stop and appreciate what is around us. I feel like being here in Spain has made me stop and notice things that I would otherwise just ignore. I feel like I have grown to appreciate things so much more since I have been here. I have grown to appreciate my family, friends, and just this amazing opportunity that I might never have again.
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