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