Aristocats, Hunchbacks and Croissants, Oh my!

So I will admit..again…that I have been lax about blogging with regular posts. Though I have decided to do several posts as a late Christmas present! Don’t you all feel lucky.

Over Thanksgiving weekend, my friends Adrian and Cara set off on an adventure to France. Our tour would start in Marsailles, with a trip to Avignon, back to Marsailles then finish off the whirlwind tour in Paris, the city of almond croissants…I mean love. We set off bright and early on a Thursday morning to catch our flight to Marsailles. Everything went well, or as well as anything can go on a Ryanair flight and we made it to Marsailles. 

We were in France. Though I was expecting a resounding chorus of Little Town with cries of Bonjour, I was welcomed to a gorgeous town. Marseille happens to be the second largest city in France, behind Paris, sitting along the beautiful Côte d’Azur. We started our adventure by wandering around the city with our two French friends from Sevilla, Jennifer and Violaine, who had already made the trip easier with the knowledge I lacked of the French language. We stopped to pick up some tickets for a concert we were going to later on and generally soaked up the French environment. We meandered through the old Greek district that had quaint shutters and tiny streets that were just inviting us to get lost in. As our day wound down, we parted wasy with Jennifer and Violaine, who were headed home, and began the adventure of finding our hostel. We were all feeling a bit off, this being Thanksgiving day, with all of our families several thousand miles away, but the 1.50 euro bus ride that essentially gave us a tour of the city on our way to the hotel cured some of our longings for stuffing and for stuffing ourselves. 

We found our hostel, that was actually a hotel that sat near the football stadium. Adrian and I set off to find the stadium just as it started to rain and later found our way to a bread shop to acquire the baguettes we needed for our French Thanksgiving Feast. We ended up purchasing baguettes, Borsin cheese (so cheap!), carrots, oranges, and of course French red wine. We headed back to the hotel where Cara and I forced Adrian to list what he was thankful for, ate our unique dinner and listened to Citzen Cope as we enjoyed each others company. I could not have asked to have spent a holiday that brings family together with two better people.

           

The next day we decided to hike up to the highest point of Marseille where there just happened to be a famous church. Notre Dame de la Garde is a spectacular church, though the fact that we managed to make it may have made it that much better. It offered a birds eye view of the city and was constructed with different types of stone that reminded me of the mezquita in Cordoba. After braving the frigid tornado-like windows that woke me up better then any amount of coffee would have, we booked it to the train station. 

We caught our train to Avignon. The trip through the southern French countryside was absolutely gorgeous. As we pulled into Avignon, we saw a large wall surrounding the city, which from my experience can only mean good things in terms of historical preservation. Avignon was gorgeous from its unfinished bridge that jutted out over the river, to the Pope Palace that was used before the Vatican. 

We climbed on top of the wall and were greeted with sweeping views of chilly countryside with a few castles nestled among the hills. We stopped to play on the far superior playgrounds in the parks and any self-respecting 21 and 20 years old would do and headed to check into our hostel. As we rushed back through the city, realizing we would be late to the concert if we did not hurry up, we did stop to admire a stand in the Christmas market that was serving crepes, waffles and carmel apples. We stared longly for about a minute before continuing on. We made it back to the hostel where we changed into different clothes, feasted on more bread, cheese, and oranges and I promptly spilled my red wine all over the top of a dresser. Luckily, I believe, the wood was balsa or some sort of particle board so it soaked it right up, making it looked like that someone had bled profusley everywhere….oh crazy Americans. We headed to the train station where we had been told it would only run us about 12 euro for a taxi to the concert, apparently that meant for each of us. Money aside, we made it to the concert where we met up with another Oregonian, John Anthony, and we got to see RODRIGO Y GABRIELA!!!! 

If you are not familiar with them, well you should be. They are two Mexican guitartists Rodrigo and Gabriela. Irma, a French singer who did beat box covers of Jackson 5 songs using an Andrew Bird-like recording method opened, then my dreams came true. The concert was one of the best I have attended. It was their first time playing in Avignon, my first time in France and I was in southern France where lavender, one of my favorite things to smell and bake with, is renowned. 

Rodrigo and Gabriela gave a great show, playing some of their classics such as Diablo Rojo and Vikingman, adding in solos in which one Rodrigo started playing the opening chords of Manu Chao’s song Desaparecido. Adrian, already having waved his Mexico hat around wildly, began sining along with Rodrigo and was given a head nod. He could not have not been more pleased. (I apologize for all of the random music references, I hope you look them up!) After the concert, we ran into a very drunk Irishman who spoke to us in fluent French until we asked him to sing us a traditional Irish song. Expecting Danny Boy or something along those lines, I was surprised when he started sing Country Roads by John Denver. Needless to say, I could not stop laughing.

            

The next morning we took a train back to Marseille to catch a flight to Paris where I would be meeting up with one of my favorite people and my best friend Valerie. When we arrived back to Marseille, Adrian and I decided to quickly get a look at the Palais de Longchamp. We snapped some photos and headed back to catch a bus to airport. The next several hours consisted of some travel trouble, including me getting lost on the Paris subway, in fact, taking a train out of the city that was packed with French football fans heading to a game. I eventually got back on track and managed to get to the Eiffel Tower where I found a half-frozen Valerie and her friend Laura and managed to track down a fully frozen Josh. It was so amazing seeing Valerie after almost 6 months apart that I nearly cried, though I did not for fear of the tears freezing in the air. The five of us headed out to sample some some Parisian crepes. We ended up at a Greek restaurant, not quite typical, but the cinnamon, sugar, and butter crepe I had was none the less amazing! After only having seen Josh for about 2 hours, we parted ways. I needed some rest before my full day of touring with Valerie around Paris.

The next morning, we accidently woke up late. The classic trap of, “Oh they snoozed their alarm clocl, I should too!” caught us in its enticing claws but we still managed to hit the road at about 9:00. We of course started with a pastry. The next ten minutes of my life are hard to remember after starting my almond croissant, because I was deaf and blind to the world as my taste buds savored all the amazing tastes that were contained in a a little sugary treat. Riding on the wings of joy and a sugar high, we set off to the Eiffel tower where Valerie and I climbed to the second floor. It was surreal climbing up something I had only ever seen in movies, books, or pictures. The feeling was amazing. We later continued our tour to Sacre Coure in the Montmarte district. We wandered down the streets, briefly passing by the Moulin Rouge and stopping for a bite to eat before we walked to the Notre Dame. When we arrived at the Notre Dame, I was instantly reminded of childhood jokes of quoting the Disney movie “The Hunchback of Notre Dame when the portly gargoyle shouts “Pour the wine, and the cut the cheese!” (SEE!) 

We then walked across the street to my bookworm dream bookstore. Shakespeare and Company, walls filled to the ceiling with old and new books. Low soft lighting filled the main room, with christmas tree lights gently illuminating some of the darker corners. I could have easily spent a week living here, absorbing the wonderful atmosphere, but sadly had to leave after about 20 min. We headed back to the hostel where we grabbed our stuff. We got on the metro where Valerie and I had to say goodbye after seeing other for less then 24 hours. It was not enough, but we made the most of it. After a quick stop at the Louvre, I met Cara and Adrian at the Eiffel Tower. We headed back to the Friends Hostel that was located in a bit of a shady part of Paris. We were greeted with offers of hash and a woman dancing in between cars, shaking her butt at the hash sellers. Paris had and has a lot of character. After eating another crepe, we headed back to the hotel to get ready for our trip back to Sevilla the next day.

            

The morning came too quickly and we took a train through the snowy French countryside to the town where our plane awaited us. I try and convey how amazing this trip was through words or photos but the experience truly transcends those. I will though, give it a shot with this picture of a croissant.

Senderismo

Oregon is not my home state, but my love for this state, that evades definition, abounds. As I continue to settle into Spain, echoes of what who I am, what I do and why I love it so much continue to resonate with in me. I could be having a perfectly lovely day, but then a treacherous thought of a previous Spencer’s Butte hike will sneak up on me, raining, figuratively of course (we aren’t in Eugene), on my sunny Sevilla day. Though I continue to miss Oregon and the amazing friends and fun I have there, I have found a bit of a remedy to my predicament of homesickness, that being “senderismo” or hiking. I have only been on two hikes in the nearly two months I have been here in Spain, but they have managed to lift my spirits more than I can describe. The first hike was in an a national park near Huelva, a region southwest of Sevilla. The 8 mile hike followed small paths used by animals, ancient Roman roads and cobbled streets through the towns we traversed. As we passed through a dry forest, my friend Hannah and I could not stop exclaiming to each other how much it looked like Oregon, how it smelled like Oregon, how it evoked the sensation that the next turn we took might just lead us to Eugene. Though no road turned into a street aimed for Eugene, the roads did reveal an astounding amount of history and culture of the region. One of the guides explained the changing culture of Spain after the Roman roads, that we were currently walking on, were constructed. He also explained the culture and lifestyle of rural living. He pointed out special gutters where water flowed, feeding cisterns when blocked with a stone. We tasted fruits and were warned off others, such as the dreaded “tapaculos” which essentially translates to “butt blocker”, a little berry that would make you constipated for a week if you hazarded a bite. At the half- way point, we stopped to devour our bocadillos or sandwiches prepared for us by our señoras. The little village we stopped in was described as very hippy, “aquí fuman mucho cannabis” (here the smoke a lot of weed) and was currently having a market for seed exchange, maybe we had, somehow, stumbled into Eugene! We continued on our journey, winding up steep roads and absorbing the fresh, crisp air that surrounded us.

            The Sierra Norte was the second region I visited to go hiking in. This hike was with my interest group, so rather than having fourty loud Americans traipsing through the idyllic Spanish countryside, there were only about fifteen of us, those of us who had not come down with a mysterious illness at three o’clock in the morning, the night before… After a two hour bus ride, we arrived at the trailhead. The guides reminded us to put on sunscreen, asserting that red is not the same as tan and that skin has a memory. After walking through shady trees by a cattle pasture, we found the trail, originally train tracks that have since been paved over. This hike was similar to the last hike, the guide explaining the fauna around us, me attempting to pretend I was in Oregon. My friends and I chatted in Spanish with our group leaders about differences betweent the United States and Spain, which language was harder to learn and other random topics that always faciliate conversation between people. We stopped and attempted to talk to some bulls and made our way off the path to rest by a waterfall for a while until we finally made it to the town where are bus was waiting. All in all and en enjoyable day spent in the sun, practicing Spanish in an environement that makes me happy. Hopefully the hike coming up in two weeks near Cádiz will be as enjoyable and informative as the past two.

Oasís en la frontera

Students sneak in one last cigarette as others chat and joke around before the bell signals them to start their day at Instituto Ramón Carande. Upon entering the institute one is greeted with signs that encourage sharing peace and camaradarie between themselves and the world. The halls are silent and empty, awaiting the presence of the 565 students that attend this school that Encarnación Quiroga, the school psychologist and academic coordiantor describes as existing in “the border between the city and las Tres Mil Viviendas”.

            Many of the students at Instituto Ramón Carande come from Polígono Sur, known also as las Tres Mil Viviendas,  a housing project conceived by the government of Sevilla in the sixties to provide housing to the marginalized, an attempt to avoid the creation of shanty towns. What has evolved from these intial efforts is a neighborhood surrounded by barriers.  Train tracks border the south,  a “wall of shame”lies to the east and the old River Guadaira lies to the west, creating a neighborhood described by Professor Ibán Díaz Parra as “vertical shanty towns.”

Physical barriers have geographically isolated the neighborhood while social barriers, created from delinquence, violence, drugs, and stigmas of Polígono Sur  lead to problems of marginilization and social exclusion. Yessi, a sixteen year old student from Las Letanías at Ramón Carande explained that she thinks that the United States has less delinquence becuase the “police are stricter”, preventing what Almudena, a 15 year old student from Los Amarillos at Ramón Carande described as “shootings in the street at people who were not to be blamed.” When asked about problems with drugs in her neighborhood, Jessi simply replied with an emphatic “Ufff” before continuing  with her description of her world. Though they hail from a marginalized neighborhood, where circumstances may prevent their success, Jessi and Almudena look to the future with hope. Jessi wants to work as an employee in a prison while Almudena wants to work in a daycare.  Both dream of visiting New York, iconic for the possibility it represents.

Almudena and Yessi are like any other girl in secondary school. They enjoy hanging out with their friends, spending more time in their house as the weather cools, and at times like to sing flamenco.. Like true sevillanas, they had an opinion about la Feria and Semana Santa, Almudena assuring me that though “Semana Santa is sad, this is what makes it beautiful.” They speak with a true andaluz accent and speak with their hands at times more so than with words, but theses two girls, Almudena and Yessi, have to battle stigmas that might cloud their  future plans. As described in an article from the Diario de Sevilla, “When the people of the neighborhood look for work, they never say they live in Polígono Sur.” Encarnación Quiroga gave another example of social exclusion due to these stigmas when she said that “some parents from la Oliva reject that their children go to school with students from las tres mil viviendas.” Aware of this, Quiroga helps to fight this stigma, saying she “works for coexistence”, helping students to adjust to their background in context of beliefs and opinions held by others. Quiroga facilitates an environment of coexistence with the other programs she coordinates such as orienting students to the university system, keeping track of their absences, identifying their areas of weakness from previous cycles of mandatory education and overseeing diversification groups or “remedial school”.  Diversification groups, where Quiroga instills her ideals of coexistence, are composed of students, including Almudena and Yessi, who are “good kids that have a lot of motivation” who may have some learning disabilities caused by gaps in their education, perhaps a lack of appropriate primary schooling. Gaps grow in the educational system due to schooling in poor neighborhoods and lack of motivation to learn. Gaps that cause half the students to drop out before they have finished their ESO, contributing to the dismal statistics of Polígono Sur where the illiteracy rate is high:  14.8 percent son analfabetos, 10.8 percent no han terminado ESO and only a small portion, 0.7 percent have finished their baccalaureate.

            Though the overall statistics do not show rapid improvemenet in housing developement, eradication of drugs, decreases in violence, unemployment or schooling rates, Instituto Ramón Carande offers hope. Though it resides in the “barrier between the city and las Tres Mil Viviendas” it serves as an oasis that fosters coexistence, peace, camaradarie and education. 

Aquí estamos contigo, Sevilla.

In my element.

I consider passion to be a plane of existence where one loses perception of the present, where the present becomes your passion, whether it concerns love, grief or any other entity. As many of my friends and family know, soccer or football, depending on your geographic location, is my passion. I do not follow one team specifically or hold loyal allegiance to a club or player, but rather the game is my passion. A couple of weeks ago, on a cool Thursday night, I attended my first European soccer game. Sevilla Fútbol Club were to play their northern opponent, Racing Santander, a team that my brother assured me would be no trouble for Sevilla. As we entered the stadium I got the goosebumps I always get before going to a professional soccer game, I just cannot help it. I know that soccer is just a game and that these professional players are not demi-gods to be worshipped, but they display an artistry on the field that never fails to amaze me. Not only do these players possess the endurance to run the distance of short marathon during each game, but also possess a dancer’s grace and the power of a sprinter. As we found our seats way, way up at the stadium, I observered the crowd that came to support their allegiance to a club that determines who your friends are from the beginning of pre-school. Mostly men in the crowd, not surprising there, many with a bocadillo (small sandwich) and a pack of cigarettes at the ready. This pack of cigarettes for many came to be a life saver (please, note the irony) for their nerves as Sevilla struggled to capitalize on any offensive momentum they gained and as they struggled to  recuperate and maintain an organized defensive back. After a sluggish twenty minutes or so, Sevilla was awarded a penalty that Negredo converted into a goal. Though not as impressive as a goal created through clean passes and a decent strike, Sevilla’s fans did not hesitate to roar their support for their club. Sevilla had several more decent attempts on goal that proved fruitless, until a break in their defensive line allowed Santander to slot in a decent goal in from a chip shot. At this point I would describe the stadium as resembling a chimney, due to fans nervously puffing on their cigarettes as the time ticked on. With 15 minutes left, Luis Fabiano, a Brazilian footballer who showed a remarkable ability to score goals at the past World Cup, came on to the pitch and attempted to spark Sevilla’s offense that was missing another dangerous offensive player, Jesús Navas, to an ankle injury. As the last minutes ticked by, fans began leaving the stadium, resigned to the fact that their club was destined to a tie. I, not being spoiled by having football so readily available to me, stayed with my group until the last second. Though not the result that many fans wanted, especially Nacho (a group leader) as far as I could tell by the interesting choice of words he chose to describe certain players skills and their mother’s reputations, I was more than satisfied to have had this experience. To be surrounded by an equally passionate football fans after weeks of encountering cultural differences was welcoming. Next stop, is a visit to Real Madrid’s stadium. Though I do not claim allegiance to any team, I follow Barça with more fervor then I ever could follow a team with Cristiano Ronaldo as its resident pretty boy. For now I will content myself with playing pick-up soccer near my house, until the next chance I get to enter the stage of my passion.

Cádiz

La Catedral de Cádiz

 Two Sundays ago, I traveled to Cádiz, a coastal city popular for its quaint beaches and beautiful cathedral. After a bus ride made short by reading the beginning of a Stieg Larrsen novel, we began our tour of Cádiz led by (I might as well be honest) our very attractive guide, Alejandro. Before beginning our tour, my group had to question Alejandro whether he enjoyed Lady Gaga's song, Alejandro...he didn't for some reason. The tour through the city was enjoyable, learning the history of Cádiz as the eventual port of the Americas after it moved from Sevilla, the popularity of the city's Carneval festival and general information about the history of the architecture within the city.

How did people throw euros all the way back there?

 After meandering through the streets, we stopped in the plaza in front of the cathedral to "tomar algo" (a coffee, tapa, or pastry). After enjoying a crispy, buttery croissant that made me question my allegiance to healthy eating, we began our climb to the top of the cathedral. After ascending a cork-screw type tower we arrived at the top of the tower. The sights that greeted my friends and me were quite simply breath-taking. The tower offered panoramic views of the white-washed city against the turquoise blue of the Atlantic Ocean. After taking too many pictures, I stopped to enjoy the fresh sea breeze that swept through the ancient tower, appreciating how lucky I am to be in Spain. After our cultural excursions we bee-lined to the beach where cool gentle water and warm sandy beaches awaited us. After hours of wading in the water, basking in the sun (while doused with spf 70 sunscreen) and strolling back and forth along the beach, we got back on the bus to head back to Sevilla. A break from the hustle and bustle of city life was just what I needed.

So you are saying this building is older than my country?

Light illuminates the soaring interior.
La Catedral de Sevilla

These past two weeks, I have been taking an intensive language class called "La Historia Cultural de España" or the Cultural History of Spain. This class is essentially a crash course in Spanish History seen through the architecture and city planning through-out central Sevilla. Wandering through the streets of a city seeing buildings that have been around since the 12th century and pillars that were built by the Romans really puts in to perspective for you how ancient Sevilla is. About three blocks away from the CIEE Study Center, where my class is located, is the Plaza de Salvador. It appears to be like many a European plaza, housing a delicious gelato shop, Mamá Guay, several cervecerías and a big dusky pink church. This church that I pass by everyday on my walk to school, something as I have viewed as beautiful but especially breath-taking was originally the first mezquita (mosque) in Sevilla, built in the 12th century. This church like many of the churches and buildings in Sevilla demonstrate the passage of time and the combination and duration of certain cultures. Buildings appear unassuming until you learn how long they have been around, and the vast amount of purposes they have served. Another church, the most impressive to me is La Giralda, connected to El Catedral. La Giralda serves as a type of rock core sample, showing when certain religions appropriated the building for their own. La Giralda built in the 12th century by the North African Almohades who were residing in Sevilla at the time was an alminar, or a building used to call Muslims to pray. In the 14th century, during the Reconquista (reconquering) of Sevilla, Christians added on top of it to make it a appear more church like. In the 16th century it was once again added on to during the Renaissance period.

La Giralda viewed from the courtyard

         Every single day in class, I get more amazed with the wealth of history in this town. Visiting different sites that add into the identity and the culture of Sevilla only makes me happier that I am staying here for the year. Though a year is only a moment in the context of Sevilla’s past, I hope to make some sort of impression on this vibrant city.

NO8DO

My friend Fran (Hola!) informed me this was more of a legend of Seville, rather than fact.

NO8DO is a symbol one sees everywhere in Sevilla. The number 8 represents a skein or coil of yarn or a “madeja”. If you say out loud No Madeja Do, it translates to the saying “No me ha dejado” or “It (Sevilla) has not left me”. These first four days have reminded me of a lot the people, places and habits that have not left me. Illinois and my wonderful, close-knit family has not left me. 
The morning walks with my dad and dog, Delilah, have not left me. Oregon has not left me. Nor have all the amazing friends I have, or the experiences I had there, have left me. Every so often, I remember I am here for ten months, and the thought makes my stomach flip. I also remember that after these ten months I will have made new friends, whom I have shared new experiences with. I will have lived in a new home for ten months and I am sure that in the future I will firmly represent NO8DO. This week has been a combination of exhilaration and frustration. Exhilaration because I have the opportunity to live abroad for a year in a beautiful, ancient city. Frustration because, though I have been studying Spanish since 8th grade, I can understand only about eighty percent of what is spoken to me and convey about fourty to fifty percent of what I want to articulate. I have hope. I know that if I keep on speaking Spanish and am studious with my classes I can reach fluency.  This week I have gained knowledge of the city on foot. It is amazing how new surroundings, a new culture, and the high probability of getting lost makes the blocks fly by. I live about thirthy-five to fourty-five minutes away from the school I attend, about a 1.5-2 mile walk. I have currently walked this route about 3-6 times everyday. Coming from an American culture that is car-based, especially in Bloomington, it is refreshing to enter a culture where walking, biking and public transportation supercede the car within this dense city. Some of my friends and other students have been complaining about all the walking, and I won’t say I have not thought longly of my Honda Civic, but the things one miss while driving is amazing. I treasure all the little interactions I see between people on the street, the near collisions I have with mopeds (sort of) and generally the feeling of well-used muscles. I currently live in Triana which is a neighborhood south of the Río Guadalquivir that passes through Sevilla. My host mother, Maria, and my host father, Antonio, are really lovelly people who welcomed me into their home. Maria makes amazing food that she is always urging me to eat more of, though I know no amount of walking will allow me to eat that much food, though I may want to. Yesterday, Maria made a tradational Spanish tortilla for me for dinner which consisted of eggs, cheese, ham and potatos all cooked to perfection on top of the stove. Antonio usually sits and watches TV during the day, programs that consist of the U.S. Open tennis tournament, soccer games, and badly dubbed Walker, Texas Ranger. Yes, you did read correctly, Walker, Texas Ranger (insert Ricky Bobby quote…). As if I could not take Chuck Norris seriously in the past, now I get to watch it with a dubbed over Spanish-version. I love it! It is hilarious! Today I did a bit of exploring, also known as, purposely getting myself lost in order to better acquaint myself with the irregular streets of Sevilla. It really is astounding how quick you can familiarize yourself with a city just by walking and taking the time to survey your surrounding, and of course grabbing a scoop of mango gelato to boost your spirits. Tomorrow my group is going on a three hour walking tour of Sevilla. Anyone know a handy cool weather dance that I could perfect and perform before tomorrow morning?