Monday, February 27, 2012
This past weekend we decided that it was time to start exploring more of Spain and the culture. So we started on Friday by attending a Flamenco Show. I have been to flamenco shows before but this was my first one in Madrid. We went to a venue that is close to Madrid's bullring that claimed to be authentic flamenco. At one point they even said that their group has stayed true to flamenco's original form and that their shows aren't meant for guiris, which is what the Spanish call foreigners (similar to gringos in Mexico). It made us chuckle because we would be considered guiris but we still enjoyed the show!!
It is mesmerizing to see the passion of the dancers and singers. Often times I felt like I was spying on the group because of the strong bond you could see between the performers. It was as if there was no audience. And when the men got dancing fast you could feel the walls shaking!! If only I could move with such grace and intensity haha.
On Saturday we took a day trip to Ávila, which is a town about 2 hours east of Madrid in the region Castilla y León. It is known for its medieval walls which surround the town. The walls were started in 1090-amazing to see something so old and kept so intact! It is the most conserved wall in the world and it is also the largest fully illuminated monument in the world! We spent the day walking around the medieval town and soaking up the sun. It was a wonderful trip and I highly recommend this town to others!
It is mesmerizing to see the passion of the dancers and singers. Often times I felt like I was spying on the group because of the strong bond you could see between the performers. It was as if there was no audience. And when the men got dancing fast you could feel the walls shaking!! If only I could move with such grace and intensity haha.
On Saturday we took a day trip to Ávila, which is a town about 2 hours east of Madrid in the region Castilla y León. It is known for its medieval walls which surround the town. The walls were started in 1090-amazing to see something so old and kept so intact! It is the most conserved wall in the world and it is also the largest fully illuminated monument in the world! We spent the day walking around the medieval town and soaking up the sun. It was a wonderful trip and I highly recommend this town to others!
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Carnaval & Zaragoza
This past weekend was full of festivities!
Last Friday my school celebrated Carnaval, which is their celebration before lent starts. This particular holiday turns into a big party and is most like our Halloween, with everyone dressing up in elaborate costumes. At the school, the kids were split into the different time eras: Medieval, Prehistoric, Roman Times and 60's, 70's and 80's. That afternoon there was a parade at the school where everyone showed off their costumes and then each class had to perform a chirigota, which is a song. After everyone performed it was time for El Entierro de la Sardina. Earlier in the day each student had decorated a fish scale and on the back of it wrote something that they wish to forget. Most kids wrote about the crisis or Barcelona winning, but then there was the one 'being afraid of Michael Jackson's Thriller video' haha. Once everyone's fish scales were glued on it was ready for the ceremony! All the kids gathered on the playground as the 6th grade boys carried out the sardine and the girls followed behind pretending to weep. Once the sardine was brought out, it was burned along with what everyone wished to forget. (I wished that I would forget English..we will see what happens! :) )
I did some research on where this tradition dates back to and this is what I was able to find:
It dates back to the XVII century, when Charles III, King of Spain, who wanted to celebrate the end of the festival with the commoners, ordered sardines and wine to be served at the countryside picnic. The weather that day was hot, very typical at the time of year, and the sardines began to smell foul due to the heat. The people wanted to get rid of the bad smell and realized the only way to achieve that was to bury them. The king consented to this. The people wept at the thought of no longer getting free food and having to begin the observant period of abstinence.
The burning of the sardine was made popular by Spanish painter Goya in an oil painting of the same name, “El Entierro de la Sardina.”
The next day Maggie, Allison, Justin and I went to Zaragoza to visit our friend Sara! We had a great time seeing Sara, cooking Spanish food and touring the city. Ofcourse, our time together was filled with lots of laughter! It is always wonderful to be able to visit American friends. We just wish we could have brought Sara back to Madrid with us!!!
Last Friday my school celebrated Carnaval, which is their celebration before lent starts. This particular holiday turns into a big party and is most like our Halloween, with everyone dressing up in elaborate costumes. At the school, the kids were split into the different time eras: Medieval, Prehistoric, Roman Times and 60's, 70's and 80's. That afternoon there was a parade at the school where everyone showed off their costumes and then each class had to perform a chirigota, which is a song. After everyone performed it was time for El Entierro de la Sardina. Earlier in the day each student had decorated a fish scale and on the back of it wrote something that they wish to forget. Most kids wrote about the crisis or Barcelona winning, but then there was the one 'being afraid of Michael Jackson's Thriller video' haha. Once everyone's fish scales were glued on it was ready for the ceremony! All the kids gathered on the playground as the 6th grade boys carried out the sardine and the girls followed behind pretending to weep. Once the sardine was brought out, it was burned along with what everyone wished to forget. (I wished that I would forget English..we will see what happens! :) )
I did some research on where this tradition dates back to and this is what I was able to find:
It dates back to the XVII century, when Charles III, King of Spain, who wanted to celebrate the end of the festival with the commoners, ordered sardines and wine to be served at the countryside picnic. The weather that day was hot, very typical at the time of year, and the sardines began to smell foul due to the heat. The people wanted to get rid of the bad smell and realized the only way to achieve that was to bury them. The king consented to this. The people wept at the thought of no longer getting free food and having to begin the observant period of abstinence.
The burning of the sardine was made popular by Spanish painter Goya in an oil painting of the same name, “El Entierro de la Sardina.”
The next day Maggie, Allison, Justin and I went to Zaragoza to visit our friend Sara! We had a great time seeing Sara, cooking Spanish food and touring the city. Ofcourse, our time together was filled with lots of laughter! It is always wonderful to be able to visit American friends. We just wish we could have brought Sara back to Madrid with us!!!
Monday, February 13, 2012
These past few weeks have been super busy with work and sicknesses jumping back and forth among our apartment. But we are all back to normal and still happy to be in Spain!
The latest excitement is that one of our best friends, Allison, that we met in Granada came to live with us for 2 months! She just got here on February 1 but the time is already going by way too fast!!! Allison is taking a Spanish class here in Madrid and then each night brings back new phrases and vocabulary for all of us! :) And starting this weekend we will start travelling, which we are all very excited about! This weekend we will be travelling to Zaragoza, which is a city north east of Madrid, to visit our friend Sara! We can't wait to see her and to explore her city!
In the meantime we have been showing Allison all the great things Madrid has to offer and also been having fun meeting her classmates from all over the world. She has classmates from Switzerland, Austria, England and Korea. It is really fun to meet people from different countries and backgrounds!
“Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all peoples cry, laugh, eat, worry, and die, it can introduce the idea that if we try and understand each other, we may even become friends.” -Maya Angelou
The latest excitement is that one of our best friends, Allison, that we met in Granada came to live with us for 2 months! She just got here on February 1 but the time is already going by way too fast!!! Allison is taking a Spanish class here in Madrid and then each night brings back new phrases and vocabulary for all of us! :) And starting this weekend we will start travelling, which we are all very excited about! This weekend we will be travelling to Zaragoza, which is a city north east of Madrid, to visit our friend Sara! We can't wait to see her and to explore her city!
In the meantime we have been showing Allison all the great things Madrid has to offer and also been having fun meeting her classmates from all over the world. She has classmates from Switzerland, Austria, England and Korea. It is really fun to meet people from different countries and backgrounds!
“Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all peoples cry, laugh, eat, worry, and die, it can introduce the idea that if we try and understand each other, we may even become friends.” -Maya Angelou
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)