Las Fallas

If I told you to think of a popular celebration full of fireworks, parades, and great food, what would come to mind? I’m sure images of American flags, burgers on the grill, and near-death experiences with roman candles just popped into your head. Well, there’s another celebration across the pond that fits this bill, and within the Valencian community, it’s just as big of a deal. This festival, which takes place on the eastern coast of Spain in the city of Valencia, was my first major Spanish festival, and it was incredible. Las Fallas is a celebration held each spring in Valencia in commemoration of St. Joseph in which fallas, or the monuments built for the festival, are on display. Each neighborhood hosts fundraisers to finance the building of their falla, and a few days before the last day of the celebration, a winner is announced. On this final day, each of the structures is burned as a way of ringing in the spring season, and the winner is the last one to be burned in the main plaza, La Plaza del Ayuntamiento. Each day during Las Fallas, there are also fireworks shows at night, and during the afternoon there is a show called the Mascletà, a near-deafening firecracker show also held in the Plaza del Ayuntamiento. In addition to the pyro shows there are parades, religious flower offerings, and a fantastic sample of Valencian food.

I went to Las Fallas alone, so I was really lucky to have met a group of students in the lobby of my hostel. Consisting of four Germans, one Swede, one Swede/Australian, and one American, they study in San Sebastian in the northern Spanish community of the Basque Country. What began as me worriedly asking them if I needed my passport to check in to the hotel (fortunately, I did not) turned into me spending the whole weekend with them. They were all very nice and a lot of fun, and the diversity of the group—at any moment there could be up to four languages being spoken at once—was awesome.

The first two nights of the festival, we watched the Nit del Froc, an unbelievable fireworks show. Thousands of people pack into the Paseo de la Alameda, the spot with the best view of the show, to watch the sky light up. During the show I took a look around and had to appreciate how cool it was that such a large group of people was so enthralled, so focused, on the same thing at once. It was as if everything stopped for those fifteen or twenty minutes and we all just basked in the greatness of things blowing up in the sky. Anyway, here’s a photo:

Continuing with the theme of things blowing up, I also go the chance to see the Mascletà twice. This is another fireworks show, but it consists mostly of firecrackers, which are set off non-stop for about fifteen minutes. The first time I saw the Mascletà, I was at a bit of a distance, but the second time I made sure to arrive early to get a spot up close. It left me nearly deaf, but was totally worth it for the exhilarating roar of the firecrackers, and the finale during which they are set off so rapidly that it sounds like one continuous, 10-second firecracker. Unbelievable.

Las Fallas wouldn’t be a festival if it didn’t include delicious local food, and it certainly didn’t disappoint. I tried a Valencian almond drink, the name of which is escaping me, pastries, and of course the heavenly Valencian paella.This type of paella consists of the usual ingredients plus conejo, or rabbit. I know, most people probably think of the horror of munching on a cute little bunny, but trust me, it’s quite delicious. Walking through the streets, you can see paella being made in giant pans, cooked over a wood fire, slowly simmering, the irresistible smell luring you in…where was I?

During the night on the last day of the Fallas takes place what is called theCremà, or the burning of the structures. Starting around 10 p.m., the smaller structures are burned, and eventually the winning structure is burned in the Plaza del Ayuntamiento. While, it’s sad to watch these beautiful statues turn to ash before your eyes, it’s an incredible sight and a hell of a way to ring in the spring season.

On Sunday, when the festival was over, I walked to the City of Arts and Sciences, the poster-child of Valencia, and an amazing architectural sight.

Final note: anyone who’s planning travels in Europe, I highly recommend BlaBlaCar. It’s a ride-sharing service (long-distance carpool) that is highly affordable and a lot of fun because you always meet new people and if you’re learning the language of the area you use it in, it’s also great practice. Be aware that you will be transported by a stranger, and that the other passengers are often strangers, unless you and your friends fill a car. But there are references for each driver on the website, and I’ve had nothing but great experiences with fellow passengers.

London Loving & Booze in a Bookstore

It was quite an eventful weekend in London, and the excitement started before we even left Madrid. Sheldon (one of my roommates) and I made the classic mistake of assuming that everything would go right on our way to Barajas Airport in Madrid. Well, Murphy’s Law was in full effect that Thursday morning, and it nearly got the best of us. We took the metro to the train station to catch the train going to Barajas, but we came to find that they arrive every half hour, and one departed minutes after we arrived. So we were already going to be a half hour behind schedule. After the train finally came, we discovered that it was going to take us to terminal 4, when we needed to get to terminal 1. After a shuttle bus ride (yes, Barajas is huge), we finally got to the airport around 10:30, or ten minutes after boarding for our flight was supposed to close, and we still had to go through security and find our terminal. I was sure we were going to either miss our flight, or have to pay twice as much to catch a later one. We channeled our inner Ronoldo and made a mad dash to the terminal. But fortunately for us, we were flying RyanAir. I realize those words may have never been spoken before, but it was truly a blessing this day because per usual, they were well behind and it turned out that we were actually a half hour early! I now think my dad is less crazy for always aiming to arrive at our terminal two hours ahead of time.

English pie

Now onto London. I absolutely loved the city, from the quaint old-English vibe in some
areas, to the energetic Piccadilly Circus, to the seemingly unlimited history that it plays host to. I didn’t even get to see the English countryside, but I’m sure that would have been beautiful as well. After taking a train to the city center from Stansted Airport, we stopped at a pub where I tried “pie” and a British beer called London Pride. Both were phenomenal. We then checked in and got situated in our hostels, and met in Piccadilly–the city center–to do a pub-crawl. The pub-crawl wasn’t anything special, they tend to be a bit of a swindle, but we still had a good time seeing some of the London nightlife.

Friday, our second day, began with a walking tour of the city led by an American expat from California with a pretty cool story. She had visited a friend in London for a month during high school and fell in love with the city. She didn’t have plans to attend college, but her parents insisted that she go, so she told them she wanted to go to London to study British history. So, naturally, her parents sold their house so she could go; your move, mom and dad. She's now married and still living in London, doing what she loves: sharing history in a fun, interactive way. We began the tour walking through Green Park, which

Ceremony in front of Buckingham Palace

led to Buckingham Palace, where we watched the changing of the guards ceremony.

I was surprised by how unassuming the palace is, but then our guide told us a story that explained it. There was a king (I believe it was King George III) who was advised to move from his home to a more royal palace, but as he was rather modest, he required that the palace not be showy or pretentious. Interestingly enough, his wish has been obeyed all of these years, even after opportunities for renovation, such as after the destruction of World War II. We then proceeded to St. James’s Palace, and watched another smaller guard procession. Next was the courtyard of Whitehall Palace, a once-sprawling palace that was almost entirely burned down in a fire. The house of the Prime Minister, at 10 Downing Street, was also nearby Whitehall. We then went to Trafalgar Square, and finally ended up at Westminster Abbey, where we also saw Big Ben. Before bidding farewell to our guide, we got some great recommendations for fish and chips, Indian food, and some other spots in London. A man on the tour also told us that we could go to the entrance of Westminster Abbey at five o’clock to watch the church service.

After breaking off from the group, we decided to try the fish and chips restaurant recommended by our guide, which was called Poppie’s. Located near Camden Market, Poppie’s is loaded with vintage decor that reminds me of Portillo's, minus the Italian beef and heavenly chocolate cake, but it does have fantastic fish and chips. I knew it would be some sort of fish with fries, but it’s basically battered and fried cod. That being said, it was still marvelous. With full stomachs and tired legs, we returned the Whitehall Palace area to tour the War Cabinet Rooms. This is the underground living and meeting quarters where Winston Churchill and his war cabinet met during World War II to deliberate and strategize against the Nazis. After the war had ended, the men, who were rather fed up with working in a large cellar for months, basically up and left. This means that much of the area, especially their principal meeting room, is still intact. It's a fascinating time capsule into one of the most important periods in history. In addition to the Map Room and other living quarters, the museum includes a Churchill exhibit, detailing the former Prime Minister’s life and accomplishments.

After forcing ourselves to leave the War Cabinet Rooms, we narrowly made it to Westminster Abbey by five o’clock for the church service (yes mom, you read that correctly). As cheesy as it sounds, the only word that I think adequately describes the service is magical. The architecture of the cathedral was captivating enough, with the vaulted ceilings towering over us all, and the intricately ornate golden altar area. But the choir was unbelievable, their voices filling every square foot of the massive building, making me feel as if I were at a mass during the Middle Ages. The mass lasted only about forty five minutes, although I could have stayed for hours, and I as I left, I found myself glancing back at the front of the church about ten times, trying to imprint the image in my mind. Unfortunately, photography was not allowed, so the photo posted here is not mine (credit to National Geographic), but it conveys the beauty of Westminster Abbey nonetheless. Finally, we toured the National Gallery, with its seemingly limitless supply of paintings. Many people there were sitting on the couches in the galleries, sketching, writing, and reading, and I agree that it has to be one of

Westminster Abbey

the best places to channel creativity. I might have to loiter around the Prado soon to try it out for myself.

The following morning we paid a visit to Burough Market, an outdoor food market comparable to a farmer’s market, where it’s possible to fill yourself on samples of anything from local cheeses to every sweet you can imagine. I also tried sidra, a type of cider beer more bitter and stronger than something like Redd’s Apple Ale, that is very popular in the north of Spain, and which has quickly become one of my favorite drinks. Be warned, however, because one could easily spend the better part of a day walking around Burough Market. The rest of the day was pretty tame, including a visit to King's Cross Station at platform 9 3/4 (the Harry Potter station), and some more walking around Piccadilly. However, that night we met one of our hostel roommates, a mid-twenties girl from Argentina doing an au pair for a family in the Netherlands. I was able to speak some Spanish with her, during which I had my first personal experience with the danger that lurks in the difference between Spain Spanish and Latin American Spanish. After she asked Sheldon and I, “¿Cuándo vuelven a Madrid?”, I replied, “Vamos a coger un vuelo mañana por la mañana.” For anyone interested, a quick Google search will show you why the verb “coger” doesn’t work in Latin America. I’ve known about this for quite a while, but it still slipped, so when she burst out in laughter, I realized the mistake I had made. Mistakes like these are part of the fun of learning the language, however. They can be seen as setbacks and frustrate a learner, but I prefer to have fun with them and use them to move forward. At times, I truly feel like a child again, having no idea how to say something that is taken for granted in my mother tongue, butchering a phrase, or as in this case, accidentally saying something profane while trying to say something so innocuous. But this is the beauty of living in a foreign country and learning a new language. Failure finds you time and time again, on many different fronts, but it forces you to change the way you view challenges, as opportunities rather than obstacles, and ultimately to grow. But anyway, we shared a good laugh over my error, then got dinner, and now I have a contact in the Netherlands!

I’ll end this post with my latest cool find in Madrid: an international bookstore called Desperate Literature, located just north of Opera in the city center. This small, cozy shop is owned by a couple of expats, a woman from France and a man who I believe comes from Ireland. They specialize in fictional literature in the English language, but have a great selection of all kinds of books in multiple languages. They buy books new and used, but exercise strict discretion when buying used, which I appreciate because all books are high quality. Minutes after walking in, Charlotte, the Frenchwoman, kindly offered me mint tea to complement my book searching. Terry, the Irishman, was decked out in carpenter garb, building something in the back of the store that also doubles as their home. I also fiddled around on a guitar that was lying around the shop, the first time I’ve played in over a month. I really regret not bringing mine. Several of the books have a paper band wrapped around their covers, on which is written a personal description of the book by the owners; this is just the type of thing I love about independently owned bookstores. I ended up buying On the Road by Jack Kerouac, which I felt was appropriate considering I’m having my own adventure, and a book called The Artist’s Way, which Tim Ferriss has recommended on his blog and caught my eye as soon as I walked in. And it just so happened that On the Road was on the “Booze Shelf”, meaning it came with a free shot of whiskey upon purchase. Note: I wanted to buy this book, liquor or no liquor, but I won’t say that the free shot didn’t aid my decision. So I got to try Charlotte and Terry’s homemade Fireball, a fantastic concoction and very appropriate for what was a cold, breezy day in Madrid. Needless to say, this is a place I look forward to returning to often during my time here.

I’m going to leave it here for now. If there are any things that I’m not writing about that you’d like to hear about, please let me know. In the future, I plan on writing about my impressions of Spanish culture, about Spanish cuisine, and more on my experiences using and learning the language in-country. If anything else trips your trigger, just send me a message. Even if you think I’m doing a good job, or really don’t care what I write about, still feel free to send me a message. Keeping in touch with people has been really enjoyable, and I love seeing what everyone is up to.

Have a great week, everyone!

Madrid Life & Segovia Trip

Quite a lot has happened in the past few weeks since my first blog entry, so I’ll do my best to bring everyone up to speed and to give you all a sense of what I'm experiencing here in Madrid. I’ll start with my new home: a small, older flat in the center of the city, which I share with two other students, one from L.A. and the other from Miami. Our apartment is nothing extravagant—with three modest bedrooms, a living room that serves more as a den, a kitchen that permits use by one person at a time, and a bathroom the size of a closet—but it has an authentic Spanish feel and could not have a more perfect location.

Puerta del Sol

We’re situated just a minute away from the Puerta del Sol, which is equivalent to Madrid’s Times Square and essentially the focal point of the city. There are also dozens of restaurants, bars, and discotecas within a stone’s throw of our apartment building, which can really burn a hole through your wallet, but is very convenient and fun.

I’d say I’m pretty much settled in here, although it still feels more like a short-term vacation than a temporary home. Frankly, I’m not sure if I’ll ever fully leave the honeymoon phase with Madrid during my five months here, only because the city is so enchanting and home to a seemingly unlimited stock of new sights to see. I have no problem with this, but I hope to eventually be able to call myself a true Madrileño (person of/from Madrid). I haven’t experienced any major homesickness yet, but I’ve definitely missed everyone back home, especially the family. Thank you to everyone who has reached out thus far; I love hearing from all of you! If anyone ever wants to chat or Skype/FaceTime, afternoons and early evenings (U.S. time) typically work well for me. Finally, I’ve missed the one and only Moose(L)-Up Gym and the community there that serves as a second family. Keep grinding and being awesome, guys!

View down Calle Arenal from Puerta del Sol

During this month, I have been taking an intensive Spanish course at Universidad Antonio de Nebrija, which is located about a twenty-minute metro ride away from my apartment. The university moved its location just a few weeks ago, much closer to the city center, and is in a building that used to house soldiers during the Spanish Civil War, which is pretty cool. The early start language and culture course consists of four consecutive hours of class Monday through Thursday, and two hours on Friday. We take one language class and one culture class, and it’s quite rigorous but has been very helpful. I’ve especially enjoyed my culture class, where we learn about the geography, history, and customs of Spain. In two weeks, the intensive course ends and the normal semester starts, during which I'll continue taking classes entirely in Spanish, and I will have Fridays off. Travel time!

A majestic Palacio Real at nighttime

Using the language here has been a lot of fun, but also quite a challenge. Natives speak unbelievably fast and use lots of colloquial sayings and informal speech, prompting a glazed-over look from learners like myself. However, in just a couple weeks I’ve noticed how much easier it has become to communicate and I’m confident that with more time and exposure, the language will come. One thing I’ve realized is that, despite being in a Spanish-speaking country, there aren’t always many opportunities to practice speaking unless they are actively sought out. It’s easy to go through a day saying nothing more than “Gracias” or “Un vino tinto, por favor”, and while a lot of damage can be done with those phrases, it’s probably necessary to know more in order to live abroad. So I’ve started being more proactive and trying to find ways to practice since I don’t live in a homestay or with Spaniards. For example, I began doing a language exchange (intercambio) with a girl from Madrid named Sara. This has allowed me to practice speaking a lot, and she has shown me some really interesting, non-touristy places to grab a drink or food. My roommates and I also went to an intercambio night at a club, where tons of international students come to practice language and meet new people. Being in a non-English-speaking country has truly been a humbling experience, and has made me aware of how much we take for granted our ability to communicate with each other. Something as simple as speaking to order food here can require some serious thought—and occasionally twenty minutes of translating the menu—but in English it is so habitual and easy. I highly recommend you to take a few moments today to think about how special your ability to use language is, even your native tongue, and to consider it from an outsider perspective. And then go learn another one!

This past weekend, I took my first trip outside of Madrid to Segovia, which is just over an hour north of the capital. On the way to the city, I also caught my first glimpse of the mountains surrounding Madrid. I sat next to my roommate from L.A., for whom mountains are pretty standard, but the beautiful mounds of elevated land captivated this Midwestern boy. I definitely see a hiking trip in my near future. Upon arriving to Segovia, the first thing we saw was, you guessed it, the Roman aqueducts. They were quite impressive, especially considering the structure is held together without any sort of adhesion, and instead uses equilibrium to stay erect. Our guide also told us a cool legend about how the aqueduct was made. Supposedly there was a girl whose job was to carry buckets of water back and forth to the ancient city for several hours at a time. One day, the Devil appeared and offered to build her the aqueduct in exchange for her soul. The girl agreed, but on one condition: it must be completed within a day. The devil concurred, after which the young girl prayed to the Virgin Mary that the day be shortened by five minutes. Ever the procrastinator, the Devil was just a few blocks short when the day ended prematurely.

Roman Aqueducts; in the center pillar you can see the gap that saved the girl in the story

Thus, the girl was freed from her water-carrying duty and retained her soul. This reminded me of the myth surrounding Robert Johnson, the old Delta Blues guitarist, who presumably sold his soul to the devil in exchange for his guitar-playing skills. Unfortunately, he didn’t have a loophole to get his soul back, but you can’t say it was a bad deal if you’ve ever heard the man play.

We toured the Alcázar (palace) and the cathedral, both of which were amazing. Here are photos of both:

Below is the Nebrija crew that took on Segovia. I met some really awesome people there who come from all over the world. I’ve got to say that meeting other international students has been one of my favorite parts of studying abroad during these first two weeks. Travel is certainly about seeing new sights and going to new places, but above all, it’s about meeting new people, and I’m fortunate to have such a diverse group to spend time with.

Well, that's all for now folks! Thanks for reading. I'm taking a longer trip in a couple weeks (destination TBD), so my next post will most likely focus on that. ¡Chao!

Un Día Más

One day lies between me and the start of my study abroad journey. At this time tomorrow, I’ll be at O’Hare eagerly awaiting my plane, costly overweight luggage in tow, day-dreaming about tapas and Spanish wine. The beginning of this trip coincides almost perfectly with the start of the New Year, so I’d like to take the first part of this post to thank everyone who had a hand in making 2015 so memorable. I’m continually humbled by how fortunate I’ve been in my life to be surrounded by wonderful people and to have had the opportunities that I’ve had. And this trip is no exception. I’m indescribably grateful to be able to study abroad, and I look forward to making the most of every second of it. Now, on to the nitty-gritty of the trip.

I will be studying abroad as part of CEA’s Madrid Spanish Language & Culture Early Start Program. Let’s break that down. I will be studying in Madrid, which is the capital and largest city of Spain, located in the center of the country. The “Spanish Language & Culture” portion of the program means that I will be learning about all things Spanish in the classroom, as opposed to a business track or something similar, and also that my classes will be taught exclusively in Spanish. Finally, “Early Start” means that I will be arriving in Madrid a month before the normal semester begins to take a six credit-hour intensive language prep course. As someone deeply interested in learning the language, this was a no-brainer, especially as it gives me an extra month to explore. In terms of housing, I will be living in an apartment with two other American students. I considered doing a homestay, and I know they can be fantastic, but I ultimately opted for the apartment because I want as much freedom as possible. Besides, there will be tons of other opportunities to practice Spanish and experience the culture outside of home.

Next, I want to write a bit about why I decided to study abroad, and why I chose Spain among the many Spanish-speaking countries. I hope other students planning to study abroad, and anyone considering learning Spanish, can learn something from my research and experiences. First and foremost, I’m studying abroad because I love the Spanish language. It’s something I’ve enjoyed since high school, but I really became passionate about it this past summer when I began speaking with natives via Skype (at the end of this post I will discuss how I did this). Until then, I had never done much live speaking, and I had something of a revelation as I spoke with people from Argentina, Colombia, Mexico, Spain, etc. Spanish was connecting me to people from all over the world, and allowing me to learn their culture while sharing mine. This sounds rather obvious, but after having a conversation with an Argentinian student about politics, or discussing Spanish nightlife with a girl from Alicante, it takes on a whole new meaning. And once I had a taste of this cultural transfusion, I was certain that I wanted the full immersion via a study abroad trip.

There is another reason I want to study abroad that is common among every student who does so: the experience. Living in another country. Meeting new people. Trying new food. Traveling far and wide. A trip like this is chock full of exciting new adventures and opportunities, including anything from touring the Museo del Prado to partying until the crack of dawn at a discoteca. Surely this is about having fun and making lasting memories, but just as important, it’s about learning and growing as a person. Travel affords the opportunity to see how other people live and to challenge preconceived notions and deeply held beliefs through immersion. This is the real benefit of travel, and it’s something I’m eager to undergo myself. Through these experiences, I hope to achieve personal growth, greater cultural tolerance and understanding, intellectual development, and countless other benefits.

As for why I chose to study abroad in Madrid, there are a few things. First of all, I’ve always wanted to travel to Europe, with the proximity of so many interesting countries and the variety of culture. As of now, I’ve already booked trips to France, Ireland, and Croatia, and that’s just the beginning. Next, I’ve been enchanted by Spain since I learned about it in a high school Spanish class. There is much cultural diversity within Spain alone, with several regions even speaking their own language. Additionally, the Old World still evident in many Spanish cities fascinates me, and I’m excited by the idea of living in a country with such a deep history. With the first two points in mind, the decision was obvious considering my interest in Spanish. I debated between Madrid and Salamanca, another central city, but decided on Madrid due to its size and accessibility.

Last but not least, I’m a firm believer in the power of written word as an impetus for action, and as a means of holding oneself accountable, so I’m going to share some of my goals for this trip here:

1. Achieve C1 fluency upon completion of the program (based on the Common European Framework)
2. Follow a no-English rule as much as possible
3. Visit at least one city in each of the regions of Spain
4. Make lasting friendships with natives
5. Journal and blog as frequently as possible
6. Learn to dance Flamenco

I’m going to wrap this first post up here, but be on the lookout for future ones—at least one per month—and plenty of pictures to accompany them. If anyone would like to contact me while I’m away, my phone should be up and running within the first few days after my arrival, but I think Facebook messenger and Whatsapp will be the best ways to get in touch. Once again, a big thanks to everyone who helped me pull this trip together, and I look forward to sharing my adventures with you all. ¡Gracias por leer y hasta la próxima!

P.S. For anyone interested in the Skype conversations I mentioned earlier, please check out italki.com. This is an online community of language learners where you can do professional and informal lessons or language exchanges. The lessons are very affordable, and I’ve had nothing but fantastic experiences with teachers. The language exchanges are free, and it’s very easy to find people who speak your target language that are also learning English. I’ve made some great friends through these language exchanges, and have learned a ton of Spanish to boot. I can’t recommend this website enough for practicing the spoken and aural parts of language learning.