NGO causes and Elections.

Sadly, the time of the season of the castanyas is over. To ease this unfortunate event, it´s now the time of year for Turron. Turron takes many forms that all have one thing in common: the perfection of the best chocolate there is in the world. It´s a great rebound default for any day I find myself missing those chestnuts roasted on an open fire. Speaking of which...now that it´s December I seem to have a lot of Bing Crosby going through my mind. I´m not sure if there´ll be a white Christmas here, but the plaza and city is decorated in a way that is so pretty! They´ve put lights up all around the town, and the odd giant fur tree here and there :)  Two important events that occured here this past month that you should know about:

1. Elections. Spain has now shifted from the more liberal PSOE to the conservative PP party. It was a landslide win for the PP due to economy, etc. The unemployment rate right now is 21.9%. The PP won in every region except Catalunya and Pais Basco, where the smaller (yet large in the region) parties took the votes. It´s a discussion that I´m still working through, and would need more space than I have to explain. Perhaps it´s because I´m in one of the PIGS countries, but the longer I´m here and the more I learn, the more I think that perhaps the Euro currency was not a good idea.
2. International Day for the elimination of Violence against Women (and in general): The name of this day is self explanatory and extremely powerful. On this day, Agnès told me about a awareness ceremony that would be held just off the Plaça Mayor.  I went, and wore the Rotary Blazer to represent as a symbol that this is an international issue that can be taken up and represented from all nationalites. The theme of this day is nonpartisan and nongovernmental, and anyone with a sense of humanitarinism can take a moment to reflect on the very real, and very serious situations that this day is meant to draw attention to (Domestic violence, sexual abuse, female genital mutilation, and degrading rhetoric and policy which subtley or overtly condones the mistreatment of women). If you choose, you may think and work toward resolving this issue for more than 1 day out of 365.

What´s coming up: Medieval Market (a huge tourist attraction, I´ve heard, and something I´ll explain after I´ve seen it), an outing to see La Bella i La Bestia musical (Beauty and the Beast), the new album of Els Catarres, an Orchestra concert, and changing host families. This week I don´t have school, and I´ll probably put up my next entry when Christmas break comes around. Until then, take care and take time to investigate what´s important to you.

Adéu!
Bonnie

Sidenote: All languages daunt me right now, but I at least I can read and more or less follow conversations. Chances are I´ll have a giddy spaz session when I´m finally able to partake in one successfully :P I also now have my Spanish residency card and have watched El Señor de los Anillos (Lord of the Rings; this is probably something I wouldn´t have done in the US).

Beautiful

Lighting of the candles.

Election results

Hace Dos Meses

A summation of everything I have been doing and all I have seen would take more time than readers of this blog would want to spend reading and more space than Blogger could ever allow. The question "How's Spain?" is just too broad, and therefore difficult to answer...sort of like the question "How's life?". These questions are just one step away from "What's Spain/life?", and questions like those have been turning around in the minds of great thinkers for centuries. I promise you that this entry will not be a historical turning point in discovering the answers. A narrower scope of what I've been enjoying recently:

• La Castanyeda!    Halloween is not celebrated here, but seeing as how there is a four day weekend to celebrate the Castanyeda (which coincides with All Saints Day and Day of the Infants), there aren´t too many complaints. Those two days are better known as Day of the Dead. Although there are many people who visit the cementary on these days, the celebration is not nearly as large as it is in Mexico and other South American countries. My favorite part of the Castanyeda is the castanyas :D Castanyas are chestnuts which are roasted over coals. To eat them you crack the shells, peel, and enjoy! By the end, your fingers are completely black. Unfortunately, they are only in season during October to mid November. I'm REALLY going to miss these.
• Favorite Hang Spots: There's a really awesome music bar here called Jazz Cava which features different musical groups throughout the month. This month I'm superstoked because they will be featuring electronic music! It's a really nice place for a Friday night. Another favorite spot of mine, and probably the best café in Vic, has no name that I´m aware of. It´s a great study spot, the owners know my name and I know theirs, and best of all, they are incredibly tolerant and speak Catalán with me (as well as let me sit there for who knows how long studying and writing). The library is also a pretty nice place, especially now that it's getting colder and raining buckets. Even the gym isn't so bad, although I still feel more out of place there than anywhere else here that I've been so far.
• Catalán Classes: One day I will make a special entry dedicated to discussing this class I'm taking. It's really fantastic and the people I've met there have come from all around the world. As for the Catalán language itself: I understand a lot more, but it still has it's challenges ... I had no idea that I would love analyzing grammar so much when I came over here, in all languages (even though it confuses me a lot; especially English).

I've now been here for a little over two months, and I'm feeling pretty established (although another month will probably help reinforce this, because it really is ride). I will never be fully able to express the gratification I have for the people I've come across here who matter; in my class, my family, and about Vic in general. I'm not fluent in Spanish, nowhere close, but this is another thing that just takes time. Next weekend I'll be heading to San Sebastien and probably be studying for an exam. For now I bid you all adéu!

Sidenote: Last night I went to an awesome concert put on for the joventude. Els Catarres is a fantastic band! Look them up if you have time. Elections are also this month, and I'm in the process of learning how it is exactly that Spain's Government functions.

Castanyas before eating.

The remains.

Jazz :P

           

Siempre Hay una Adventura

I am not visiting Spain, I am living here! Life has taken hold of its routines (homework, practicing, etc.), but even the quietest days contain adventures (this is true no matter where you live, as long as you remember that you have a mind). What´s been going on this week:

• School: On Monday I had my first exams in Art History and Geography. To all of you Americans reading this: Art History requires a lot of analysis of structures, materials, classifications, etc., and the class I am taking is the second year continuation of the class I did not (for obvious reasons) take last year. On a scale of 1 to 10, I came out with a 3. I refuse to feel bad about this. In Geography I had to take a 0 on the test (I feel a little bad, but it was definitely a good learning experience). Very little is given in the way of photocopies, and I probably should have realized when I went to take the physical Geography exam that I needed to bring my own blank maps (which are sold in una botiga en la Plaça Mayor). All in all, I´m working on my studies, but I´m still glad that I do not need spectacular marks this year. Wednsday was fiesta, meaning...

• BARCELONA!!!!!!  October 12th (Columbus Day) is a National Spanish Holiday, since Columbus is such an important figure in Spanish history. The Catalonians don´t identify strongly with this day (at heart they aren´t Spanish), but any day given off by the Government is a day taken. On Wednsday I toured parts of Barcelona with my host family. The day began with a visit to La Sagrada Familia (an amazing basilica designed by Gaudí) and was followed with a visit to La Plaza del Reys. An explanation: Barcino (ancient day Barcelona) was a city established in the first century. Everytime major construction takes place in Barcelona, chances are more ruins will be dug up of the ancient establishments of this era. It blows my mind that underneath the bustling modern streets are the streets that began with the very foundation of the city (as well as other foundational remains). I then witnessed one of the most incredible human acts ever: the Casteller. I am beyond words to describe it, which is why I´ve posted a video at the bottom of the page. Later in the afternoon, after experiencing tapas for the first time and learning that I like sardines, my host family took me for a walk through the streets of the old part of Barcelona (the part that contains streets established in the later Roman epoca and the 600 year old cathedrals, churches, and basilicas whose architecture is astounding). There is so much more to see of that city: I´m really glad I´ll be staying here a little bit longer!
• Cursos de Catalá! I have now begun my Catalán classes in Vic´s central linguistic center. Since all of the classes were full, I´m in the medium level two class. This is a trial for about three weeks; if it´s too difficult I´ll move down to level one. As it is, I´m studying up on some of the basics. I may not be able to speak very much Catalá by the end of this exchange, but I refuse to live in Catalunya for a year and not even try to understand this fundamental part of the culture. An explanation of the doors this class has opened for me mentally is an entry I will save for another day. As it is, I have now found my favorite street in the city, as well as a couple of really nice study bars (one that everyone knows as L´India, and the other which has no name). I have also continued to encounter many nice people during my walks and activities, and there are times when that reknowned American smile just can´t stay off my face.
 

             I have taken many pictures which will eventually work there way on here, and one day I´ll get around to writing the requested food entry. As it is, my life is continuing along in a way that I refuse to complain about.

Sidenote: If you´re ever in Catalunya this time of year, be sure to eat the castanyedas (a type of nut that is coal roasted). They´re amazing! Also, a good cure for just about anything (adventure lust, the need to exercise, etc) is to go ahead and take a walk. It´s something I´d recommend, even if you don´t have problems. There is always, always, ALWAYS an adventure to be had.

This is a video example of a Casteller. I´m sure I´ll explain more about this tradition in a later post.

 

Daily Adventures

For over one month now I have lived in the city of Vic. Within this short time, one month later, I have come to realize I have very little sense of time. I have a routine I follow for the most part, yet each day I am still learning new things, stumbling across new places, stumbling across a place I already found and lost, and overall taking in what's surrounding me inside and outside of the house.

My adventures this past week:

• Enrolling in a Catalán class which will begin next week.
• Taking up Pilates with Maria Carme (my host mom)
• Getting a library card (and informing the man at the front desk that the book he read which stated girls from Des Moines, IA are beautiful is correct)
• Doing my homework (Don Quijote has some strange adventures, math is relief, Art History is way over my head, and I now have a strange and slightly impulsive internal desire to study grammar)
• Meeting new people and meeting people again whose names I forgot, as well as just going about being friendly in general.
• Buying and ordering things in broken Spanish
• Going to a Discotech (no explanation)
• Falling in love with the shoes here even more
• Going through the process of getting (more!) identification to, yet again, work with the visa process.
• Learning that I cannot download certain items since they are not within Spain's domain

There's been a lot more going on, but these are the everyday sort of things that have been keeping me occupied. Four very nice girls are now helping me learn Catalán one day a week, and I´ve been keeping up with my cello. I've also been going on a lot of walks around Vic, and tomorrow I plan on seeing an exhibit of a local artist's work in the museum located above the library. I've had a couple of requests to write more about food, so you can guess what my next blog will be about :) I have a couple of exams coming up on Monday, so I should probably study ...

Sidenote: My ability to understand and/or speak in a foreign language varies day by day. Today was a bit more difficult. I still don't know if the feeling in my head is from translating or from something else altogether. I've gotten into the habit of now listening to a local Catalán station when I go walking with Stick. My first Rotary presentation is coming up on October 26th: first order of business, establishing that a vast majority of Americans are not representatives of NYC.

Good Times with Rotary

Sometimes a person knows a day will be beautiful just by waking up and having that good feeling in their bones. For me, this has been my feeling for the past few days. It began right before the All District Rotary Youth Conference, and it has yet to wear off. :)

 To begin: the conference was not in Madrid, it was in a place about an hour's busride away. The only parts of Madrid I saw were the various transportation centers (airport, metro, bus station, etc.). There are three Rotary Districts in Spain this year, and 90 exchange students were in attendance. Of the 90, there were only about 8 students representing nationalities other than the US and Canada. 17 students are still in the US due to visa issues. Essentially it was a two day slumber party in the dorms, with various important informational meetings mixed in about cultural differences, insurance, rules and regulations, etc.

There were two  personally important moments that I gained from this conference (aside from the generally important moments that go along with making new friends). They are:

1. I now think of the house I'm staying in as home. This happened the second night while I was sleeping in the dorm room with the other girls. I woke up in the middle of the night and saw someone's charger glowing. I thought this charger was mine because I had the feeling that I was sleeping in my host family's home. When I realized I wasn't there, I was glad to realize that's where I was going back to the next day.
2. I met a woman who was shocked at my terrible situation of having to live in an area where the families I'm staying with speak Catalá on an ordinary basis. Sometimes it's hard, but this situation isn´t terrible at all! As a Rotary Exchange Student, it doesn't matter where you go, your job is to learn whatever culture is surrounding you. For me, that is the culture of Catalonia. It is true that Catalá isn´t spoken in many parts of the world, but it is extremely important here. If a person can understand a different culture and utilize its language, they will have the ability to understand the history and contribute to any future work concerning that culture in a manner that is greatly enriched. Saying it isn't important to learn a language because it's only used in a small area of the world is like saying it isn't important to vote in national elections since only one person gets to be selected President.

This week at school has been going along as well as the last one; I don't understand very much most of the time, but I understand a little and the people are very friendly. Tonight I'm going to a dinner with the Rotary Club for the first time, and I'm looking forward to orchestra later this week. I have taken quite a few photos. The photos of the conference are on Facebook right now. I will put them in an album when I return to the US. The photos posted below are just a few things I came across my first week here.

The Plaza Mayor

What a real ham looks like

Catalonia!

There are no words to describe how happy I am that these are in my room

Stick is AWESOME!

I don't care how mature you are, this is funny.

Estoy Aquí

Estoy aquí.

Direct translation = I am here.

My ticket is good through July 9th, 2012. Today is September 21, 2011. This is a very long time to live in an area away from everything I am familiar with. I love to travel, I love Catalonia and the people I have met so far, but I will not lie; these past couple of days have been hard.

Traveling to foreign countries and living there for long periods of  time sounds glamourous to many people. After all, it is an opportunity to travel and an experience to cherish during a very important and transitional time of life. What people need to understand, however, is that being a long term exchange student is not a year of nonstop partying, neglect of studies, and overall vacation from the real world. There are difficulties and lessons to be learned. At the moment, the two main things I am doing are:

•  Overcoming a language barrier. This one is tricky. Although I can still communicate, more or less, it is difficult to understand complex conversations (and at times, even simple ones). This means that right now I'm documenting the important topics I want to learn more about in depth, so I can ask questions when I eventually am able to understand the answers.
• Attending school. Although I don't need good grades here, class still requires a lot of concentration. So far I either don't have to do the homework for a class, or I have to spend a bit more time translating and learning the different work that the teachers give to me. 

I am extremely grateful to my parents for allowing me to travel and continue to grow in a place so far away. I am extremely grateful to Rotary for allowing me to have this opportunity to travel, and for encouraging a motto that has long been my mantra: "Service above self". I am extremely grateful for the families that chose to let me live with them and help me with my cultural education. And last but not least, I am grateful for the people who flash me smiles at school.

I miss my friends, but I am making friends. The only thing is, right now it has been a short time and I don't yet have close friends here. Patience is a virtue which is often thrust upon those who need it. Poco a poco, Día a día, I continue to grow.

On a lighter note, tomorrow I head out to Madrid for the all district Rotary Youth weekend! All of the inbound Rotary Exchange Youth will be there and I am super pumped to meet everyone (as well as swap pins). You can guess what my next entry will be about :D I am also now capable of uploading photos, so I should have a few posted with my next blog.

Castella and Catala

School is back in session, and so my formal education has commenced yet again (more or less). My classes include Art History, Spanish History, Castella, Castella Lit., Catala, Geography, Math, and English. A quicker summation of what I'm learning right now: how to understand my classes (except for English...that's a little bit easier).
         A brief explanation about Castella and Catala: Castella is the variation of Spanish that is taught at MVHS and all of the other schools which teach Spanish in the US. Catala is the official language of Catalonia (the region/desiring nationhood area I'm in) and is the language spoken by the general population in schools and in the streets here. All of my classes except for English and Castella (Lit) are taught in Catala. This is a very hot topic right now: recently the leader of Spain is pushing for Castella to be the only language used in the schools. Clearly this is not going over very well in a region that has wanted Indepence for hundreds of years. "Freedom Catalonia! Jo soc Catalan (I am Catalan)!" These are the phrases that reflect the sentiment of the people here.
         Catalonia is really growing in my heart, and so is Vic. Vic is a small city of about 40,000 inhabitants. There is a very nice park and the public transportation systems are close to my house, as well as the Plaza Mayor. The Plaza Mayor is the central square with many businesses surrounding an enormous, sandy, open area which mostly is a playground for small children, and houses the mercado on Saturdays and Tuesdays, as well as other large events throughout the year. There are many offshooting streets from the Plaza Mayor. Some of these streets are extremely narrow and cobbled with stones from days before ancient Roman times, and others are much more modern in the standard European style (multiple roundabouts and no straight path anywhere it would seem). I LOVE the fact that I can walk just about everywhere.

Other Highlights of my Week: Attending a Pablo Casals tribute concert in Barcelona (the program was exactly the same as the personal concert he played for the Kennedy's at the White House. That concert was a very important historical event for many reasons; google it if you have time); starting orchestra; walking through the cemetery (they stack the bodies here); Musica Viva (a giant music festival that features many artists that are lesser known); my host family; and starting school (especially learning about the differences between British and American English).

Sidenote: My school (in translation) is the Institute Callís. There is a gate that is locked in front of it most of the time, except during break at ll-ll:30 and the beginning and end times of school (8:00 and 2:30). Every other time a person wants to enter they need to buzz the office and state what they want through an intercom. Is it only estranjeros that say "necesito entrar"? By the look on the man's face in the main office, I believe the answer to that is yes.

My Family and my Adaptation

It´s finally starting to feel like home, almost.

My host family has been very good about making me feel included and part of the family. Jordí, my host father is an economist and works in an office that is less than 10 minutes walking distance from the house. Maria Carme is my host mother: I don´t know what her job is yet exactly. I believe she is a food chemist. Marc is my host brother and is studying at University in Barcelona. He is home on the weekends, and plays a lot of hockey (the kind on roller skates). Paquí works in the house in the mornings during the week and also makes lunch. The family is also starting a milk factory which makes flan (flam) and iogurt (yogurt). I have also met the extended families, which is very important. I like them all very much too. Yesterday I went with a cousin, Gemma, around the City and met some of her friends. I will be going with them this Saturday to a discoteca, which I´m really looking forward to. I´m also looking forward to skyping my family and talking to them for the first time in person since I´ve been here.

Lunchtime here is around 2:00 and dinner is usually between 9:00 to 10:00. All of the food I have tried so far I have really liked; even the extremely strong espresso that Barcelona is famous for. If you ever want to eat like a Spaniard and you are not in Spain, grab a bottle of olive oil and pour some of it on whatever you are eating.

Things I do (or will) miss: My cat, my family, my friends, sandwiches, peanut butter, the ability to converse, the album release of KABOOM!, and Goodwill. 

Things I already (or will) love: My host family, Stick (the dog), my new friends, the park behind the school, the ability to walk to school, being a townie and exploring a city that´s both modern and ancient, Musica Viva, and learning a couple of new languages.

School starts next Monday (!), so you can guess some of the content my next entry will contain. I will also write more about the city itself and the area I live in. For now this is all, I believe I will go try to get a library card.

·Sidenote: When starting a bank account in a foreign country, you need to bring your passport. A foreign driver´s license is not sufficient. This should be obvious, but it´s just one of those things that you (at least I) sometimes forget to take into account.

 

Primero Dia

2 short hops and one long jump later, I have arrived safe and sound at my new home. I arrived at the airport around 11:00 AM and ended up going to bed around Midnight, with a brief 15 minute siesta earlier that afternoon. Needless to say, it was a looooong day. It was however, a fairly great day too :)

My host family is very welcoming and have already shown me the basic areas of the city and all areas of the house. The house I am living in seems narrow from the street, but is actually quite large and has a really awesome staircase winding from the bottom to the top. My family has a daughter, Marta, who is in Canada right now (also with Rotary), and it is her room I am staying in. I have already managed to unpack most of what I crammed into my bags, but I believe it will take a couple of more days before I feel truly settled.

 I knew from the beginning of this exchange that I would have to learn a new language and adapt to a different culture. What I didn´t know was that I would also need to learn how to eat. At 2:00 PM, my family went over to eat at la casa de su abuela, which they do every weekend. The food was not too different there, and I ate goat for the first time in my life. My apologies to Beatrix, but I really liked it. That evening, around 9:30, is where the confusion with food came in. In Catalá, a common dish is to take bread, smear it with a tomato half, and pour olive oil over the top of it. As it was, by that time my translating comprehension was nearly annihilated, so my host brother Marc ended up smearing the tomato half on my bread for me as a demonstration. I felt a little bit childish, but it was funny. The end result was also incredibly delicious :) I also tried the famous Vic sausage, and it was pretty darn tasty as well.

The initial mindset of my first day was: what the heck is going on? However, communication is still manageable and I´ll catch on soon enough. I will post about the city of Vic later this week when I have explored a bit more, and also more about mi familia.

Another sidenote: the expressions of airport personell as they open a cello case and discover an instrument surrounded by underwear while the whole family is watching is, in fact, priceless.

Background: I, Bonnie Thornton, will be spending one school year in the Catalan region of Spain. The exact  name of the first town I will be living in is Vic (located in the Barcelona province). I will be staying with three different families, all of whom seem very nice from the contact I have had with them so far. I have taken four years of high school Spanish and zero years of Catalan.

Upcoming Departure:
In twelve days I will be boarding a flight on American Airlines with one fifty pound suitcase, an extremely full duffelbag, my purse, and a cello. I am most concerned about the traveling safety of the cello, but with a bit of careful packing I'm sure it will arrive in one (undamaged) piece. A bit of anxiety is starting to creep in; hopefully David Bowie's "Space Oddity" is not the theme song that will be looping through my mind during the flight.

What I'm Looking Forward To:
Learning and experiencing everything I can!