Las Siestas y Las Fiestas de una Madrileña

There'll be bluebirds over the white cliffs, tomorrow, just you wait and see.

2008-01-07T09:19:00.000-08:00

The trip began in London, England- a place I'm not too crazy about... so lets just skip to the white cliffs of dover. The ferry ride from Dover to France was windy, but what makes for a better picture other than Julie's crazy wind-blown hair?

Día de Acción de Gracias

2007-12-02T12:16:00.000-08:00

Sorry guys, I didnt realize that I hadnt put this one up. Anyways.... this was Thanksgiving (Madrid style). On the actual night of Thanksgiving, Allie had me over to her apartment where the real action was happening! Turkey, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie, and of course, stuffing! The Spaniards were fascinated by our American traditions, but later took us out to karaoke and sangria to officially Spanish-ize the day. The following night our program invited us to an "American-style Thanksgiving" dinner at a nice restaurant, and although the food was not nearly as impressive as Aunt Linda's yummy cooking, I was quite amused by my teacher (Fermin de los Reyes) as he insisted in sharing with us his bottle of brandy that he had won from a jeopardy game.

cheers!

our spanish thanksgiving, looks legit...

Fermin de los Reyes. What a name.

may i have this dance?

2007-11-24T14:11:00.000-08:00

I've had these pictures for a while, thought I'd put them up.

one, two, step

passionate performance, el palacio real as the backdrop

homeless man hosts friendly company in the park

spreek engels?

2007-11-20T04:06:00.000-08:00

"Spreek engels?" a small blond woman asked me, possibly trying to start up a conversation for our 2 hour plane ride to the Netherlands. I looked at her, utterly lost. It sounded like she was trying to speak English, but was handicapped with some sort of alien/robot accent?? This was my first encounter with the dutch tongue, frankly a silly sounding language, yet similar to both English and German. Later I would watch in amazement how this woman, who was no more than 5 feet tall, could successfully finish off six beers, preciously toasting each one to her small Dutch husband seated next to her.

Although I flew into Amsterdam, I stayed with a friend from Davis who is studying for the year in Utrecht, a sweet and humble town similar to Davis in that everyone and their mother owns a bike. It was refreshing to be in this strangely familiar environment, complete with a farmer's market, a killer Kabob stand, and smiling towns people. I also found that Dutch desserts top all with their stroopwafels and ginger marzipan-stuffed golden pastries.

Yet remember, this town is still located in Holland and for this, did not lack an abundance of "coffee shops" nor a bustling Red Light district, both which remain very controversial. It was hard to grasp that these sorts of activities are decriminalized yet it was very believable that the majority of their consumers and clients are tourists.

An awesome tree in the main quad of Amelia's school

A canal in Utrecht, the tallest church stands in the distance

Amelia introduced me the famous stroopwafel, appropriately, it's too waffle cookies bonded together with either caramel or maple syrup

The tallest church of Holland stands in downtown Utrecht

We made it into the Amsterdam for an afternoon and walked past its famed canals and through parks painted with fallen colored leaves. Madrid's autumn scenery lasted a mere week so I was very happy to have caught a glimpse of Holland's autumn. Our greatest find was a bagel shop without a doubt. No, they did not have my favorite holiday seasoned pumpkin flavor, but I thoroughly enjoyed a whole wheat bagel, lightly toasted with a side honey-almond cream cheese.

Serenity. A biker pauses for a moment

Ofcourse, the group shot in front of the canal. Our photographer thought himself to be a funny man as he at first pretended to run away with our camera...

did I mention it was FREEZING? Amelia lent me her silly hat that so nicely attracted everyone's attention. "Are you cold miss? hehe..."

a canal in Amsterdam at night. a possible inspiration for Van Gogh's "Starry Night?" I think so...

The great company of my friends Amelia and Elyssa, the Netherlands' gorgeous countryside scenery, and a reunion with our very dear friend, the bagel, made this trip exceptional. In just a few weeks I will return to Amsterdam to check out the Van Gogh Museum and Anne Frank's house during my Europe tour over winter break, and I promised myself that I would return to this lovely land again in spring time, in hopes see the country's famed tulip fields!

WHERE'S PHIL? HAVE YOU SEEN PHIL? PHIL?!

2007-11-19T03:12:00.000-08:00

For those that don't know, "Holiday in Spain" is a song by the Counting Crows, one of my all time favorite musical groups. It's about leaving your worries behind and all that seems impossible to overcome at that very moment. Its about a new start to new life, hence it's the link to this blog (yes I know it's corny so I'll refrain from further cliches). Anyways, it mentions packing up your bags and heading to Barcelona, something I was just able to do at the first sight of winter's gloom here in Madrid.

Barcelona differs from any other European city I have been to, mostly because parts of it resemble southern California! People are noticeably more laid back, the youth is obedient to surfer culture, and the seafood is unmatchable to any Madrileño attempt of paella. There is space, the city is oriented to the outdoors, and the weather is ultimate. People speaking Catalan threw me off a bit, but no permanent damage was done.

Climbing the play structure at the beach, I don't know how those kids are so brave, I was having some difficulties...

Self-portrait, always the best

Sandy sunny beaches!

Antonio Gaudí is my new obsession. I will be presenting on him for my art history project, so I guess I'll enlighten you guys with a few facts. Fascinated my nature, he incorporated its angles and curves perfectly into his works. His most famous piece, La Sagrada Familia, is obviously inspired by trees and flowers, stamping his architecture with a chilling uniqueness, distinct from any other artist even in his same school of thought. In addition to this one-of-a-kind cathedral, stand many other Gaudí works all over the city, of which all are aesthetically pleasing to their spectators.

La Sagrada Familia, in construction since 1882

Group shot in Park Güell, Gaudí's work that overlooks the entire city its beaches, especially stunning at sunset

Our trip to Barcelona was not managed by any binding schedule. Sagrada Familia and Picasso's Museum were on the list, but other than that, our time would revolve around pure relaxation on the beach along with a side plate of exploration and discovery. We managed to come across live music performances every single night, ranging from a holiday ensemble accompanied by a special seasonal dance, to a reggae festival celebrating Arab-Spanish identity, to an underground jazz hub that served as a harmonica player's sanctuary the night we showed up. We also found ourselves meandering down a gay nude beach, quite the surprise...and I tried roasted chestnuts and scallops for the first time, separately of course.

I didn't know Sydney too well, but we had a fantastic time together!

We found a great outdoors market with the catch of the day, fresh fruit, and of course candy!

Lastly, I'd like to take a quick moment to explain this entry's title. As Allie, Sydney and I were touring through Sagrada Familia, we heard a few English speakers talking amongst themselves. It is still so easy to drown out Spanish and remake it into incomprehensible gibberish, but English now stands out more than ever, as we rarely hear it in Madrid. So these people were unmistakably Americans: Hawaiian shirts, cameras around their necks, a clear cut east-coast elderly accent... At first, it was just a few women and one man, cute, identical to your bubbies. They had a worrisome tone in their voices, concerned about some man by the name of "Phil"... and so the drama begins...

"Doris, have you seen Phil? Where did Phil go?"
"I don't know Sylvia. Roger, have you seen Phil?"
"Phil? No, where'd he go?"
"Phil? Oh no, we lost Phil. I told him to stand right here," said a woman who looked like she could easily be a Gladys.
"Well, Phil isn't here. Who knows where Phil is?"

This all became pretty annoying after a while, and became even more agitating as it lasted all through the entire walk-through of the cathedral...continued into the gift shop... and then outside the gates... Just as we thought we had escaped the "finding Phil" nonsense, the disquieted bunch, now around 15 to 20, made there way across the street to where we were looking at trinkets and gadgets on a street corner.

"Oh gosh, what could've happened? Poor Phil!"
"Phil!" one lady screamed, pointing at someone.

All looked hopeful, but a second later the man replied:

"I'm not Phil..."
"Oh," said the woman, puzzled.

Then, all of the sudden a man's voice said:

"Uh guys, I'm right here..." said Phil (apparently), but in a tone of voice that hinted that maybe he didn't want to be found; this making complete sense, especially after having witnessed how worked up this whole group can get.

I was so relieved, and without thinking I turned around and shouted, "YES! Someone found Phil!" They looked at me confused, but this awkward moment passed as we all started in a slow clap which soon lead into a full on applause upon finally finding Phil. It was a kodak moment for sure and a potentially very clever short film.

Ez Utzi Kaxrkuyt.... Basque? What language is this!?

2007-10-24T13:33:00.000-07:00

In the very north of Spain, just bordering France, lies the posh beach town of San Sebastian, or Donostia, in the Basque language. Although located is Pais Vasco, a region of Spain that often demands independence, San Sebastian's friendly environment attracts tourists and stuns them with its charm and winsome scenery. We arrived just in time to catch the last day of the towns 55th film festival. Although I disliked the movie we saw with a passion, it was neat to be a part of the jamboree! San Sebastians wouldn't stop talking about Demi Moore's appearance, but standing in lond lines and peering over people's shoulders didn't appetize us much. Instead, we chose to hike what at first, looked like a random mountain with a statue. However after reaching the top, we learned that it was once a fort, built to fight off ships from the opposing sides and was used during numerous battles. The view from the top, as expected, was incredible, and although it was a bit overcast, one could see for miles into the blue and violet mountains in the distance.

Excited to be in such a beautiful place! Note the Jesus statue in the background.

View from the top of the mountain. Beach, city, then mountains.

A shot creatively taked through sunglasses by Jenna

Leaning against the remains of the fort's wall.

Vast ocean

Trees right on the beach

This message was written in one of the bathroom stalls on top of the mountain. "I miss you. It is difficult to be without you in a place so beautiful." How appropriate.

Having traveled in France for a good amount of time, it was a bit difficult to stop asking for "l'addition s'il vous plaît", however what really threw us completely off was the Basque language. It has no historical link to any other known language, and uses a crazy amount of k's x's and q's, often all in a row!

??? No clue whatsoever...

I have been warned about Europeans' impressions of Americans, loud, obnoxious, and drunk. But I have decided they may be mistaking the English for Americans? We ran into a group of 15 or so English men celebrating a Bachelor's Party and the lucky man wore a pink cowgirl's hat and in both hands, numerous light up toys. Foolish or funny? I'm not sure... but definately entertaining!

What a trip! Before we knew it, we were back in Madrid, out of our American bubble, and living on our own in Madrid.

One last picture of the group! !Adios amigas, nos vemos pronto!

Oh, Mother Nature...

2007-10-24T11:39:00.000-07:00

Thanks to a good friend's recommendation (Ezra, ofcourse), we made it out to the small beach town of Arcachon and Dune du Pyla, located just outside.

Arcachon was a needed break from the bustiling city of Paris. Although very humble, it did not lack delicious food (c'mon its FRANCE!). We met an Irish elderly couple at one of the boardwalk restaurants (the man had a stiking resemblance to my grandfather which was strange and fitting as he loved Ireland), and ran into them again at dinner time, taking their strict advice: "only go to a place where there a lots o' people!" It was the best decision ever and we managed to stuff ourselves with what I can only classify as "the meal of a lifetime." Really, nothing beats French desserts. After we rolled ourselves out of the restaurant, we stumbled upon a very strange casino, oddly located in town. I gambled for the first time, putting in five euros I spent two, and with no luck, gave the other three to my friends. Ofcourse Jenna won 20 euros off my one! Nicely, she gave me back five, so I'm glad to say that my first time gambling, I broke even! :) Arcachon was originally supposed to be the destination for the perfect beach vacation with the purpose to be bronzed and tanned, however Mother Nature was not on our side...

A damned beach vacation... (we tried to make it seem miserable as possible)

since there was no sun, we made sure to entertain ourselves, taking corny pictures, but we thought this red bench was especially cute

"the band picture" (don't you just love cameras with timers? that way, you avoid asking strangers to take embarrassing pictures)

... and we had a ninja photoshoot...

exploring my zoom feature

father and daughter sand castle building

The largest sand dune in all of Europe truly has something to boast about as the view was absolutely breath taking and well worth the steep climb. From the top, both a forest and ocean could be seen, the best of both worlds! I guess Mother Nature didn't want to dissapoint us! These pictures in no way can represent this place's true beauty, but I hope that you get the gist!

it's hard to tell, but this is my friend Allie and I sitting on top of the dune, looking out onto a forest that seemed to stretch for miles

the immediate and highly rewarding view just after the steep climb

treking along the dunes, what a handy walking stick!

je t'aime paris

2007-10-07T06:37:00.000-07:00

Tired from a set of impossible finals, and after an early flight, a train ride, and some metro mania, we couldn't have started our trip off with anything better than a striking view of the Parisian skyline paired with a delicious platter of cheese. Vivian is ofcourse lucky to be living in a vibrant city, but I couldn't blame her if she chose never to leave her balcony.

What a relief it was to escape from tapas and ham! We took full advantage of being in Paris, and together, savory and sweet crepes, cheese, baguettes, and ofcourse a bottle of Bordeaux wine, made up our regular menu of the day. Fortunately for us our visit was only 4 days, for if we had stayed any longer, pants with an elastic waist line would have been added to our shopping list! Possibly my favorite experience, besides Paris' incredible museums and exhibits, was grocery shopping with Vivian at a local street market. Fresh vegetables, pots of strong coffee, and various cheeses and breads lined the sidewalks, creating a scene very similar to Davis' Farmer's Market. However Paris beats Davis merely by its delicious galletes, a dish very similar to a Jewish latkah, but filled with cheese ofcourse! (what do you expect? It's France)

a delicious banana, nutella, whipped cream crepe... the perfect way to escape the rain.

We were told that the Louvre was overrated and would be unpleasantly crowded, but this didn't stop Allie and I from making a visit that was well worth our dreadful trek through the rain while unfortunately wearing dresses. The Mona Lisa was surprisingly small and inconveniently set back by a glass case and ropes. Crowds of people held their cameras high in the air, hoping to catch the perfect shot of the famous painting. Allie and I would have been glad to wait in line for a glimpse, but soon after realizing that lines didn't exist and patience wasn't a Louvre mannerism, we pushed our way through and took our touristy pictures. We also visited Musée d'Orsay, the Musée Picasso, Centre Pompidou, Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tower, Sacré-Coeur basilica at the top of the Montmartre hill, and went to a great Jazz club with incredible swing dancing.

Unlike their reputation, the Parisian people are extremely friendly and always willing to meet you half way in English. After my visit to Paris, I am officially obsessed with Monet and Renoir, am dying to learn more French so as not to butcher the language ("écureuil"-squirrel and "je ne parle pas français", is about all I know), and am excited to wear my new red beret!

woman praying at notre dame

prayer candles, notre dame

interesting "art" at pompidou

AMAZING jazz concert, the band caught in blurry action

accidental picture that turned out to be quite the shot. allie infront of the eiffel tower

image of the eiffel tower painted by a rain reflection

family

Toledo

2007-09-18T14:24:00.000-07:00

the best view of toledo from a cathedral's tower

creepy statue man peeking over my shoulder during lunch

cathedral in toledo

typical street in toledo, modern shopping with an ancient cathedral backdrop

Toledo was well worth its mere hour long bus ride costing a whole 5 euros, about what we would pay for a ham sandwich that would undoubtedly make us queasy within 2 seconds after force-feeding ourselves. As we made our way around the small town, we noticed that natives were scarce and instead tourists populated the streets, entering and exiting stores with little touristy trinkets in hand. After looking around, and veering off from the major streets, we found the perfect store to pick up some gifts, and unlike the rest of the tiendas, it was a small artisan shop whose products were made by hand and all one-of-a-kind.

I was anxious to go to Toledo for many reasons. I had been before, but as I was in highschool, I wasn't so enthused about the city's history, so this time I was excited to put my knowledge to use! The cathedrals boasted beautiful architecture of all types, and one especially had the most incredible view from its tower, a sight that was well worth its lengthy climb up narrow step-ladders. Elyssa and I made it a point to visit one of the old synagogues, expecting a spiritual experience, but instead felt a total lack of holy presence. During the Inquisicion, the temple had been converted into a cathedral, and although the building itself was not nearly adorned as most cathedrals should be according to their time period, and appeared to be a temple from the outside, the golden Jesus figure on its main mantel clearly defined its newer identity. Visiting this place of worship turned out to be the least holy experience I have ever had as it was a true illustration of the injustice commited against the Jewish people. Oddly enough, I felt a stronger holy presence in the cathedrals as their high ceilings both emphasized and exaggerated the vast difference that exists between a human and his G-d.

The ancient city of Toledo is a true representation of the diversity that once existed in Spain. Although the country is now predominantly Catholic, Toledo marks a rare time of diversity as Christians, Muslims, and Jews, once peacefully coexisted within the tiny fortress' walls.

shocked.

2007-09-16T11:28:00.000-07:00

In the midst of conversing with an Israeli tourist couple, I slowly lost eye contact as my eyes drifted to the wall behind them. "kike". I pointed and they looked. I expected a reaction from them, but no eye brows were raised, and no mouths agape. I asked, "don't you know what that means?" they replied no, that they had never heard of this word before.

Shocking. From this meeting on, my eyes have been more opened than ever, scanning every single wall and poster, sidewalk and lamp post. This graffiti is merely from two streets in the center of Madrid. I can't imagine how many other photographs could be taken.

I'm not quite sure what to think. I'd like to ask one of my teachers about the use and meaning of this word here in Spain. Yet after learning "Spanish common phrases" (that are claimed to be politically correct as they only "reflect history" and not current day opinion) such as "you didn't go to Church today? Don't be a Jew!", I'm a bit hesitant. My professors teach that the Jews were expelled from Spain in 1492 solely for "building their character too much" (becoming too wealthy), and insist that "religion has never caused expulsion in this country". They claim that a sense of racism and anti-Semitism doesn't exist to the same extent we believe it is present, and rather explain this phenomenon by "we just don't mix. The Jews with the Jews, the Arabs with the Arabs, the Blacks with the Blacks, and the Latinos with the Latinos".

Judaism is a large part of my identity, and I thought that identity follows you wherever you go, but here in Spain, it will not.

mullet mania

2007-09-08T14:38:00.000-07:00

i know i only have one picture to prove this crazy phenomenon, and maybe ill continue to be a creeper and snap pictures whenever i spot another victim, but ladies and gentleman you must believe me... the mullet is back! apparently its more popular in the south, but here in madrid, one can surely bet on seeing both men and women walking the streets, proudly sporting their mullet. it can be worn curly, straight, dyed, dread locked or spiked. while i would classify the mullet as an "interesting" choice in hairstyle, no worries, im pretty content with my current look and have no desire to be fatally fashionable.

fieldtrip time

2007-08-30T13:40:00.000-07:00

my classes are outstanding, and the professors are too passionate for their own good. my favorite is without doubt, "historia de madrid". tuesday classes cover a certain historic period of Spain, and thursdays are fieldtrip days! today we toured medieval spain and walked the old Muslim and Christian neighborhoods. It was a beautiful afternoon, and what a better way to learn about a city than to walk it yourself! our teacher Antonio Gonzalez y Gonzalez (gotta love the double last name) is a funny character, cracking jokes right and left, but in spanish ofcourse... so the only way to detect them are by his suttle chuckles at his own "bromas". Later, we met up with another class at a tapas bar for dinner where a fabulous array of classic spanish tapas was awaiting. our teachers showed us proper spanish etiquette and explained to us the contents of each dish. i tried shrimp for the first time, and it was surprisingly, very tasty.....

its pretty late here and im excited for an "early" night in, as its only 1am. so the true update is, im very glad to have found that not all spanish food is "mystery meat" (literally).

rain rain go away

2007-08-27T06:16:00.000-07:00

10 hour plane rides are officially very unpleasant, especially ones on british airways. im not sure if they were upset that i didnt fancy their crumpets and shrimp salad concoctions, but the stewardesses made sure to hit my knee and bump my elbow with their tea tray every 30 minutes. we eventually landed in london at 9am, sleep deprived, delerious, anxious and cold. the skies were gray and the people didnt seem to smile much. yet we were still excited to be in another place, in england! the last english speaking haven until spanish mania. we picked up a muffin that was strangely wrapped in a ribbon accompanied by a fork. although eating with a fork may seem classier and more elegant, i can assure you that its not the fastest nor most enjoyable way to eat a muffin. we hopped on the metro and soon found our way to "the generator". the only way to describe this hostel are disco lights and 800 people. we met an australian girl who for her 21st birthday was given a "world ticket" as her parents call it. she will be traveling for 2 years alone! and is engaged! i dont know how she does it, but she was lovely and sweet, and shared with us all of her australian terms like "hire a pushbike" or "stuffed spuds" for "rent a bike" and "baked potatoes". we became fairly good friends and now exchange emails. her journey to come will be adventure full and puts my mere year stay in the same city into perspective. london was beautiful, if you put the rain clouds aside. we went on a great free 4 mile walking tour of the city by a brit named Paul, who was clearly obsessed with his home town, emphasizing the word "great" in every sentence. "the GREATER london area is the center of GREAT britain. here the GREAT fire took place and was teribly destructive, however we are the GREAT people of london! and soon overcame the catastrphe...." the most fascinating part of london was teh ceremony of the changing of the guards where thousands of people crowded the streets, in hopes to catch a mere glimpse. buckinham palace was also a sight to see. its incredible that it is still a working palace, and the rooms that we toured are still in use by the queen to entertain her international guests. after 3 days, we were ready to leave muggy london and hopped on the plane to our new home, madrid!

madrid madrid madrid. what a culture shock. although i have heard that the spanish siesta is exaggerated, this turns out to be false. during siesta time, between 2 and 5, most shops, businesses, and restaraunts are shut down. so if you forgot to eat lunch or need to go to the bank, youre outta luck. this might take some getting used to, but im pretty sure that ill enjoy a long nap in the middle of the day, no complaints. however on the other hand, im not sure that im crazy about their nightlife habits. on friday and saturday nights, the madridleños easily stay out unti daylight comes shining through the discotecas' windows. saturday night, we caught the last metro at 1:30am to the downtown area and then the first one back to our dorms at 6am. exhausted, we slept till the early afternoon on sunday, but we are told that this is how it is, so i need not dwell over my sundays lost to some serious shut eye time. another thing i need to accept is that almost every madrileño is a smoker. restaraunts and clubs are foggy with cigarette smoke and after a night on the town, you return home to the familiar scent of your evening out as the smoke sticks to your clothing and hair. on a funnier noter, the girls and i were surprised to find that a mixed track of the musical grease is a huge hit in the clubs. its a strange transition from techno dancing to grease lightning moves.... but i guess its the cool thing to listen to. who woulda thought? weve met some very nice spaniards both nights weve gone out, and they have been more than happy to answer any questions and to direct us in the right way. it is a great relief from warnings ive been given, claiming that europe is anti-american. the dorms in which we are staying are very nice. elyssa and i share a room and each have our own closet, bed, desk. the room is about twice the size as the ones at davis and we even have our own private bathroom! very luxurious. on the other hand, the food is lacking.... lacking nutrition. fruit? veggies? nope! just bread and pork! exactly how i remember spain from my last visit. the meat is most definately questionable and you cant trust the lunch lady when she says its chicken or vegetarian because the chicken is without doubt pork, and the veggie dish most definately contains cleverly hidden pork chunks. ew! hopefully the dorm food isnt a true representation of the spanish cuisine, and im very anxious to go out on the town to a tasty tapas bar and maybe a glass of sangria!

3... 2... 1... adios!

2007-08-16T20:49:00.000-07:00

ive traveled to spain before, but my stay was under a month. so i must have felt awfully daring or maybe terribly sleep deprived when i checked off the "year abroad" box rather than "semester", because ill be studying abroad in madrid for my junior year! what have i gotten myself into? im not quite sure, yet...

the countdown to my departure has now hit the 3-day marker and im hopelessly stuck in the middle of one giant "get-together" hosted in my head. every single feeling and emotion is present and they all get a kick out of watching me scream-im lost amongst my own crazy daydreams-however i must admit, its not so bad sitting in I-5 traffic while fantasizing about long siestas and sexy spaniards.... so ill cut it out with the complaints. i am ready, and most definately willing for a serious holdiay in spain.