*HAPPY EASTER!

Today is the last day in Semana Santa and unfortunately, due to the rain, I wasn't able to see any processions. For those who don't know about Semana Santa in Sevilla, here are a little facts to clue you in on this very impressing (and very interesting) way to celebrate Semana Santa.

*Semana Santa lasts from Palm Sunday - Easter Sunday
*There are processions throughout the whole week and Sevilla follows a very strict schedule on when the churches are allowed to have their procession. Each procession has a time slot and no float is ever repeated. If they miss their scheduled time for some reason, they will not be allowed to do their procession.
*What do these processions consist of? They basically look like big parade floats and they contain the oldest religious relics in the city. Some relics date back to the 14th and 15th century. Most of the relics contain pure gold and silver and because of their age and value, they are not allowed to do the procession in the rain.
*One of the most interesting aspects about Semana Santa... they have these men called "Nazarenos". To us, they look straight up from the KKK. A white robe and everything and they are very scary. Sometimes they wear black, which is even scarier. They don't even talk... we tried saying "hola" to one and he didn't respond. In reality, they are men that sign us to walk with the processions and they sign up and pay to join the Nazareno Brotherhood. Each processions has about 2,000-5,000 Nazarenos walking with their float.. that's a lot of people.
*Never comment on how the Nazarenos appear scary to a real Spaniard.... they'll take it as an insult.
*The religious relics are not driving around but rather walked around. Men get under the floats and carry them throughout the city.

Here's a video on last year's Semana Santa... this will give you a good idea of what they look like.

PORTUGAL!

Did I just land in Cancun, Mexico? Or am I in Palawan, Philippines?!

Dear readers of my blog,

Albufeira and Lagos are cities with the most wonderful beaches I've seen. I've been to so many beaches throughout my lifetime that I didn't think any beach could top the big three: Mexico, Hawaii, and Phillippines. But then we get to Lagos, Portugal and we are greeted with this.


Portugal Paradise in Lagos



We took a tour for 125 euros... it was worth every penny. With this tour, (it was totally meant for college students), we got transportation to these places, hotel with kitchen + free breakfast, and a bar crawl. Who could ask for more? The beaches of Portugal is like having the best of both worlds - you get to feel like you're in Mexico with the nighlife and the amazing beaches, while still having the European style.

The first day we went to a beach in Albufeira that looked like this...

The next day, we went to what they thought was the end of the world before Colombus discovered the Americas. It was known as the end of the world.

Finally, after that we went to Lagos!

Of course we went out and the night life looked just like Cancun Mexico.

Then finally, on the last day, we went to one more beach in Albufeira.

In conclusion, if any of you get the change to go to this part of the Iberian Peninsula - MAKE SURE - to stop by any of these beaches especially Lagos (the one with the rock formations) because this beach and its views were incredible!





Córdoba... a mini Sevilla

Córdoba

- City near Sevilla about 1.5 hours away

- Small town

- Cute alley ways

- HUGE mezquita (mosque) that was later converted to a cathedral and now it's a museum

- It has an alcazar (arabic word that means "fortress") that has beautiful gardens. If you like fooling around and taking silly pictures this is the prime place.

- Quick day trip (it had a little bit of everything.... history, pretty places, and even a resturant with 101 tapas)

Check it out!

Welcome to Córdoba!

The ceiling of the mosque

The cathedral part of the mosque

Fooling around the gardens

Birds eye view of the gardens

Proof that I'm actually going to school

My mother begged me to type out my midterm for my cinema class to prove to you all that yes, I'm actually going to school, (shocker) and I'm not just eating tapas and drinking tintos. Like I always say, work hard, play hard. So here's a little sample of what we get tested on in Spain. For all you Spanish speakers, this will be a breeze to read. For all your monolinguists, I hear google translator can sometimes do the job.

La Lengua de Las Mariposas

            La Lengua de Las Mariposas de José Luis Cuerda es una película que ilustra la situación de España antes de la Guerra Civil. Empieza en el invierno de 1936 hasta julio de 1936 cuando todavía la República II controla España.  El protagonista, Moncho, es una niño y al principio de la película, todavía no ha asistido a la escuela. Cuando conoce a su profesor, descubre que su profesor, Don Gregorio, es un buen hombre. Por todo la película, Moncho está fascinado por el aprendizaje y el conocimiento de cosas nuevas. Durante esta trama, hay dos otras historias que co-existen. Su hermano se enamoró con una China, y otro personaje, Carmina, tiene relaciones sexuales con un hombre. La película termina al empiezo de la Guerra Civil y con el supuesto de la muerte del profesor republicano.

            Un aspecto muy importante a la película es el contexto histórico. Cuando la película empieza, todavía la República II existe. La película ilustra los meses antes del comienzo de la Guerra Civil. También, podemos ver la separación de dos ideologías claramente con las creencias y prácticas de los personajes.

            Primero, una ideología que existió durante este tiempo y lugar era la tradición, la religión, y la monarquía. Personajes en este lado de ideología son la madre de Moncho, Don Avelino, las curas, y las guardias. Otra ideología tiene mucho que ver con la República, la libertad, el progresismo, y la educación. Personajes a favor de esta ideología son Don Gregorio, el padre de Moncho, Moncho, y el alcalde.

            Una cosa que tiene mucho que ver con las ideologías es la educación y su propósito. La educación es un aspecto muy importante a la película ya que la trama centraliza en una historia sobre un niño y su profesor. Para los personajes tradicionales que quiere continuar con la España vieja y negra, el propósito de la educación es para crear mido del infierno. Además, el propósito, sobre todo, es la iglesia y sus tradiciones. Al otro lado, los Republicanos que están a favor de la España progresista creen que la educación tiene que liberar a los niños y promover las ideas nuevas y el conocimiento. Esta perspectiva es muy parecida en la manera de enseñanza de Don Gregorio. Piensa que los estudiantes tienen que aprender afuera de la aula para descubrir cosas nuevas.

            Otro aspecto muy significante en la película es el uso de metáforas. Primero, al principio de la película hay una imagen de una cárcel de las sombras encima de la cama de Moncho. Esto significa la falta de educación y el conocimiento porque tiene lugar durante la noche anterior antes de escuela. Esta imagen ocurre una segunda vez antes del comienzo de la Guerra Civil. Aquí, significa la misma cosa sino en un nivel más grande. Significa la represión y la falta de la libertad. También, otra metáfora es el símbolo de los pájaros. Hay muchas referencias a los pájaros y el acto de volar. Moncho está referido como un ave y también la China. Básicamente, simboliza que cuando pájaros vuelan, o en otras palabras, cuando personas tienen la libertad, no son represivos. Otra cosa muy interesante es que Don Avelino regala un pollo muerto a Don Gregorio. Aquí, podemos ver la represión de la España negra y la falta de libertad. También, hay muchas referencias a las mariposas que son otras animales que vuelan.

            Finalmente, algunas referencias literarias ocurren. Don Gregorio regala a Moncho un libro que se llama la Isla del Tesoro. Básicamente, la trama del libro parece como la vida de Moncho pero en vez del tesoro, el tesoro es la educación y el conocimiento. Otra referencia es la Biblia. Hay una escena cuando Moncho le pregunta a Don Gregorio si el infierno existe. Don Gregorio le da a Moncho su respuesta y Moncho come una parte de una manzana. Esta escena es muy parecida a la historia de Adam y Eve porque la manzana representa el conocimiento. En esta escena, podemos ver el deseo de Moncho para el conocimiento y las ideas nuevas. Como resultado, La Lengua de Las Mariposas es más de una historia sobre un niño y su profesor. Nos cuenta sobre la situación de España antes de la Guerra Civil por las metáforas y referencias literarias.

           

Barcelona... Are we still in Spain?

Barcelona

Barcelona is a city full of action and excitment. VERY different that Sevilla, Barcelona shows a more modern, updated, and cosmopolitan lifestyle of Spain. Here are a list of characteristics that I've made about Barcelona.

Gaudi - He's a famous architect that basically built many of the sites in Barcelona... He build the Sagrada Familia and Park Guell. His work is very modern and is influenced by nature.

Sitting in front of the Sagrada Familia

Lounging around in Park Guell

Catalan - Since Barcelona is in an entirely different region of Spain, they have another official language besides Spanish. It's Catalan. It's still a romance language so they're still pretty much "parecido" (similiar), but it's still very different.
Tall and modern buildings - Sevilla is full of very old looking buildings and even though Barcelona is filled with some of the same type of architecture, they do have very modern looking buildings as well.
English - Almost everyone knew English. When I would speak Spanish to them, they would reply in English. Here in Sevilla... almost nobody can speak English.
Trendy restaurants - This city was filled with cute and trendy restaurants. You may not get the traditional Spanish flavor, but you can atleast find Mexican restaurants and great falafals (located on Las Ramblas).
Las Ramblas - AKA "pick pocket city" This lovely, touristic avenue is filled with talented street performers but WATCH OUT! it's known to have my pick pocketers as well. 
La boqueria - If you want to see a lamb head with its eyeballs or if you want to buy some lengua you can come here. Located right on Las Ramblas, this very unique market is a site to see.

Does anyone want lamb head for dinner?

Fresh fruit!

La playa - The beach. Super pretty... but definitely does not top Mexico, Hawaii, or Palawan. 

Conclusion:
Barcelona is a city definitly worth visiting. It's super modern style and fabulous architecture is quite astounding. On the other hand, no other Spanish city beats Sevilla where little girls still dream of being Flamenco dancers and bull fighting is still considered an official sport.

No blog update in over a month? "No pasa nada"

Hello to all my blog readers! I know I havn't posted in over a month, but I have to tell you that I am happily adjusting and adapting many of the Sevillana characteristics! One of the biggest cultural aspects that I've become very acccostumed to is the phrase "no pasa nada". Here is Andalucia, Sevillanos used the phrase "no pasa nada" for everything. Literally it means, nothing happened but it also means, "It's okay"/"No biggie". Here a few examples..
- You bumped into me on the street..."no pasa nada"
- That woman just cut me in the line at the supermarket... "no pasa nada"
- You didn't pick up your dog's poop (very common here) ... "no pasa nada"
- I forgot to do my homework... "no pasa nada"
- I missed the train... "no pasa nada"
- It's over 100 degrees farenheit here in the summer... "no pasa nada"
- I havn't written in my blog in ages... "no pasa nada"

You get the picture.

So here's a few other customs that I've gladly adopted...

- Every hour is happy hour in Sevilla
- Siestas aren't just naps.. it's a way of life... kind of like a vitamin.
- Taking a "paseo". Sometimes it's fun to get all dolled up and walk around like your in NYC fashion week. Sevillanos are infamous for it.
- TAPAS! Great seafood at low prices!

And some that I will never adopt...

- Wearing boots, a turtle neck, wool socks, and a jacket in 85 degree weather? For me, that's the recipe for a heat stroke. 
- Toast and coffee is not a real breakfast... 
-  Why walk 1 mph when you can get there faster? Spaniards walk SUPER slow. I'm the crazy American that walks at about 5 mph.

Here's some pictures to show you my daily life in Sevilla...

Enjoying tinto de verano
(One of my favorite drinks in Spain)

Best tapas I've ever tasted at Los Coloniales
(We waited over an hour for a table on the terrace - that's how good the food is here)

A fountain on the intersection of Avenida de la Constitucion
and San Fernando - very pretty/touristy site

The start of Avenida de la Constitucion
(That candy store in the back is rumoured to have
the best sweets)

*GRANADA!!!!!!!!

We arrive to the city of the last Muslim king in Spain... GRANADA where Isabel and Ferdinand decided to kick him out of his palace, the famous Alhambra. A very distinct city, Granada looks like a mix of a college campus, a hint of Morocco, and the typical charm of an Andalucian city. Streets are filled with college students and bars that only Big Ten students would kill for, (one bar had a beer tap at every table), teterias (moroccan tea lounges) and of course, like every Spanish site, their own Zara and Mango.

FIRST STOP: La Capilla Real
What is it? The burial site of Queen Isabel & King Ferdinand
Fun facts: Before Queen Isabel agreed to be buried in Granada, she asked to make sure there would be a mass said everyday in her honor and for her soul. Six centuries later, mass is still said everyday. When you stare at their burial monument, the sculptor decided to express his thoughts on this king and queen. He made Queen Isabel seem smarter by making her head look like it weighs more on the pillow on that she rests. He did this because at first, King Ferdinand didn't want to give Columbus money to sail to "India" (he sailed to the Americas instead) but Queen Isabel had a little more faith in Chris. So, King Ferdinand agrred to let Chris sail to India, as long as Isabel funded the trip. Isabel agreed and funded the trip with her own jewelry. Without her giving up her precious stones, Europe would have no chocolate and no potatoes.  

SECOND STOP: La Alhambra
What is it? The palace of the last Moorish King of Spain (Spain was divided into four kings until Isabella and Ferdinand united their powers and took over the whole country - The king in Granada, happened to be one of the kings that they kicked out)
Characteristics: It's really big, has awesome views, and pretty gardens. You can spend a whole day here if you wanted!  See for yourself! Enjoy!

La Alhambra in the background

View from the Alhambra of the city of Granada

This is where you waited to see the king