Romantic Days and Racists

It is unfortunate that bigots and racists become politicians, capitalizing on (discriminatory) anti immigration* sentiments to gain power, yet it has been a campaign tool for ages. These politicians who are elected usually bring nothing but embarrasment to themselves, their respective parties, and the rational townspeople who did everything they could to try to avoid the election results. Here in Vic, Josep Anglada is one of these politicians. As president of the Platform for Catalunya (PxC: filled with fascists as one of the Catalan minor parties which capitalizes on nationalist sentiment of the race -- not independence -- variety) and one of the  city council members (5 of which are members PxC, 7 CiU, 2 CUP, 2 PSC, 2 ERC, 1 ICV-EUiA, and 1 SI), Anglada has done fairly well for himself in terms of politics. As I mentioned before, however, he's a xenephobic embarassment: a fact which is applicable to the moral core of the PxC.

Why I'm writing about this man: Sunday, April 22nd, this councilman was crossing the Plaza Major to head home with his wife and one other man when, upon seeing two young Marroquin men (18 & 21), insultingly initiated what ended up with him breaking the nose of one of the boys and leaving marks on the other. Every witness (minus those who were accompanying him to begin with) verify that it was him, JOSEP ANGLADA, who threw the first punch. This incident was sparked outright by nothing less than racism, and unfortunately is not enough to have him kicked out of his place of office. I feel that now is the appropriate place to also add that earlier this year his son filed (but withdrew the court case filing a month later) verified domestic abuse claims.

Last Saturday there was a manifestation convoked here in Vic for the coexistance of races within communities, here and throughout the world. Over 1,000 people marched, beginning in the Plaza Major and continuing throughout the town before looping back where we began. Although some politically afililiated organizations gave their support, this is a situation where profitting credit from this action is not feasible. Yay for tolerance and unification! Although a walk will seldom initiate and/or change anything, at the very least some attention and reminders can be made.  

A brief demographic explanation: Vic is a MAJOR immigrant hub relatively recently in terms of history (Andalusians were bussed in during the 50s and 60s, and more recently these past 20 years immigrants have been flooding in from Africa and South/Central America). Walking around the streets, it is possible to encounter people of all colors (something I´m actually going to slightly miss when I head back home).

Although Sunday, April 22nd was marked by this unfortunate incident, Monday, April 23rd went off without a hitch as the Catalans celebrated El Dia de Sant Jordi! St.Jordi's Day is an incredibly romantic holiday in which traditionally the ladies gift their man a book and the gentlemen pass over a rose to their lady. However, 21st century norm changes have now (fortunately) made it acceptable to exchange these gifts to either. The legend of this holiday has its origins in the legend in which the bold knight St.Jordi slayed a dragon in order to rescue a princess. Roses began to grow from the blood of the slain beast, and he so nicely picked one to give to her. As for the book; the tradition of giving this gift came in later when it was recognized that April 23rd is International Book Day. Vendors can be found all along the main walks selling roses for 1€ - 2€, and as soon as the plaza is reached it´s just about impossible to move along as crowds of people pack the edges looking through the books that are set up in the stalls all the way around. I highly prefer this holiday to St.Valentine´s day (minus the chocolate discounts), and it is one that I´ll make it a point to cross over.

*I agree with some well made arguements concerning the anti illegal immigration and immigration limitations debate. However, I DO NOT and WILL NEVER support flat out discrimination/racism. 

Sidenotes: School for me let out about two weeks ago and I have really been enjoying summer so far! I took a short trip to visit some exchange student friends over in Galicia, and am really looking foward to the south of Spain exchange student trip coming up in a couple of weeks. My official catalan exam is coming up next week, but other than that I've just been enjoying the summer as most people my age do (reading, chatting with friends from time to time, napping in the sun, etc). I will be giving a rotary presentation soon here to sum up my exchange (I've been here 9 months!) and time really seems to be closing in as I have just little over a month left before I head back to my Iowa home. To the few people who actually read this blog (and all the way through): I'm fairly certain that my next entry will be just about that (my class and exchange overall) but it's all up in the air. I'll keep you posted :P

Un petò i Cuida't!
Bonnie

One rose for the Independence please!

So many to choose from!



Don´t be fooled: not everyone against fascism is also against violence.



They say the Americans hang a lot of flags...

Perfect end to my day! Before I went to bed I saw the rose
that Jordi had put on my desk :)

To the Alps I Go!

{ 10 - 7 = 3! } ---> # of exchange months minus # of months I´ve been here equals # of monts left!

Time has been passing by in the usual way life takes the day: normal, action packed, quiet one moment and talkative the next, motivational, astonishingly lazy, studious, day-dreamy, hibernation mode (one of my favorites), and breathing the aromas of various cups of coffee or tea (depending on the time of the day). Come to think of it, I could probably summarize a lot of my life with aromas...

Anyway: what has been going on here?!

Politically speaking, the governments of the Iberic Peninsula are over their heads with the economic crisis, yet huge spending cuts and tax hikes seem to be helping...except that in Spain, at least, the goals set for cuts are not realistic, passed on to the regions (mostly)  at an unsustainable rate with the HUGE labor reforms taking over the entire country, and not going by unnoticed. The 29th of March their was a large strike all over the country (which was organized and advertised over a month in advance) and many participants took to the streets. I did not actually participate for a variety of reasons, one of which being a large disruption with transportation (also the reason I did not go to school). Public transport was operating at around 30% of what is normal. For more details of any of the above subjects, I'll let you all use the wonderful Google box. I'll list my preferred websites below. Before that, in February, there were other protests which took place in response to police violence against student protesters in Valencia.

Students ... studies .... school...

The third trimester has started up here, with a 20 day countdown to the end of school. Students in my class are really on edge with their studies right now, as only about 1 or 2 tests remain to determine their grades. I've been a lot less stressed as far as school work goes (for obvious reasons) and have actually been thinking a lot about college lately. Perhaps it's all this talk that goes around about the future... However, I'm still enjoying my time here and really am don't feel like rushing. This upcoming Tuesday my history class is going on a field trip to La Cope de Ebre! This is a really important historical site that relates to a decisive end-point from the Spanish Civil War (the most recent one, where Franco took power). I'm really looking foward to it!  Before that, however, I'm looking foward to another trip ...

To the Alps I go!

A brief explanation: this week is La Setmana Santa, which is also known as spring break. Last weekend I bid my second host family adéu (again a bittersweet moment) and moved back in with the Tañás. I love Tona, but it feels good to be back in Vic again. Because it is Easter week, I saw La Profesó/ La Processó/ The Procession! This occurred on Sunday night, and was really an interesting tradition to observe. People (some without shoes on, as penitence) dressed in spooky black robes (the same kind worn by the KKK, except theirs are white) walked along in lines through a route laid out through the old part of Vic. At the end of  the MANY marchers, there were a number of people who were carrying a platform containing the Virgin Mary, with crucified Jesus laying in her lap. At various intervals, segments of men who formed the marching choirs would sing a latin hymn. All in all, the atmosphere was very solemn and I´m glad I got to see this ritual. I´ve heard it is celebrated at a much larger level in the south of Spain, but it still seems pretty important here too. Still, none of this has anything to do with the Alps.

To Continue...

At the beginning of the week when I moved back in, my host family told me there was a chance that we would go to the Alps to go skiing later in the week, and that they would let me know for sure later. What ever is a girl to do when waiting to receive such potentially exciting news? Go to the beach, obviously :) Monday I was blessed with great company, great food, and the kind of day that makes you feel like you´re the luckiest person to be alive. Pepi Andreu (my English teacher) and her two daughters Laura and Núria (who are 19 and 23) invited me along for a daytrip to their favorite beach town when they realized I´ve never actually spent a lot of time at the sea side. We ended up going to a place named Parafrugell, along the Costa Brava. The sand there is rockier, which means it doesn´t stick to your legs after you´ve been napping on it. It still is too chilly for swimming weather, but it was an overall great time walking around the coast and eating lunch outside. For the first time ever I tried another traditional food: black rice. So delicious! The rice is black as a result from the ink from the squid which dyes it. Afterward, your tongue and lips are painted for at least two hours...all worth it. Later that evening we met up some of their family friend in Palamós, where I saw the famous fish market and ate REALLY great seafood. All in all, a day well spent, and made better the following morning when I woke up and was told that we´ll be going to the Alps after all :D Should I mention that means I´ll be crossing over to France?

Per Fin

It is time to end this post, meaning

Sidenotes: July 5th is my fixed return date, which means the end of my exchange is really starting to close in.  Easter week also means that the chocolate stores are displaying masterpieces of chocolate castle design in every window...really, really happy days. I accidentally joined the theater, have started reading a really great book, found out that Fran Drescher has come out with a new sitcom, to say "polla" instead of "pollo" or "pollastre" is not really meant for polite conversation, txarango is a pretty good band, and that some FCB players get gifted houses. I´d say I miss my family, but I saw them about two weeks ago and they´ll be there when I get back. If you´d like to know how their trip was, feel free to ask them questions! :D As for my friends: Ens veurém! Eventually I´ll get around to posting photos, but that will have to wait for awhile, since now I need to go finish packing! Adéu i vaig i bé!

I almost forgot...
My preferred news sites are: Wall Street Journal, La Vanguardia, NPR, BBC, The Guardian, and TV3 (which I´m not sure is accesible in the US). Other than that, it´s just a matter of looking and living. If anything, the most important thing to know is that Catalonia exists, and in Catalonia there are a lot of people who speak Catalan. About 7 - 9 million actually. And now this post has ended, de veritat.

La Vida Continua

As short as this month is, Febrer is a month that really knows how to pack in life.

To my US readers: Happy Valentine's Day! Do yourself a favor and use this day as an excuse to have yourself a bit of chocolate and reflect a moment over someone you love. Don't like chocolate? Then this year you can try Dia de Sant Jordí! El Dia de Sant Jordí is the catalan equivalent to the romantic Valentine´s Day, only instead of the standard exchange of flowers, chocolates, etc. it is the conventional tradition for the woman to receive a rose and in exchange, gift a book to her lover. This day is celebrated April 23, however, so you´ll have to wait another couple months for those socially acceptable displays of commercial affection.

A pleasant surprise: there is a Saint who blesses animals. His name is Antoni. This past month I went to the town St.Eugenia, where the Tonis came through! Tonis are a parade of horses that circles through the town three times. There were horses, ponies, and riders of all shapes and sizes, and one cart was dedicated to Saint Antoni. Many people brought their dogs in order for them to receive the blessing for the year. The Tonis will continue to pass through many of the smaller towns throughout these next couple of months during the different weekends.

The weather here has gotten colder, and I even had a couple of snow days (it normally only snows about once or twice a year in my town), which were very welcome for more than one reason. This month my beloved Grandma (Dorothy Miller) passed away. The mother of my mother, she was a very strong spirited woman of good faith and work ethic. I love and will miss her very much, but have accepted that it was her time to part from this Earth. Before I crossed an ocean, I discussed with my parents what I would do should this very probable event occurr. The answer is: I stayed here. Needless to say, it was the worst part of my exchange and I wanted nothing less than to go home IMMEDIATELY! The snow days were placed so that I ended up having a good four-day period to make myself active with my host family, have a good skype session with my own family, and catch up on some necessary sleep.

However, now that everything has passed la vida continua and I'm having as normal a time being myself as ever. This weekend is Carnaval and I'll being dressing up as a hippie! The celebrations of this weekend will be a very welcome break for many people in my class now that midterm exams have finished up. I´ve also finished my Catalan 2 class and will be starting level 3 this week!

Sidenotes: Spain had two dictators during the 20th century (the first was known as Primo de Rivera). Irish (250,000 estimated speakers) is an official language recognized by the EU whereas Catalan (over 7 million speakers and a very prominent part of literature, theater, daily life, etc.) is not (it is only considered regional). Anti Fascist does not necessarily mean Anti Violence, Lily Allen has an amazing voice, Pío Baroja is a great author who creates very blunt and amusing character descriptions,  Betty Crocker is appreciated on an international level, and the economy is carrying on in its typically troubling way.

Until next time: Adéu i Vagi Bé!

FAMILY, FIRE, CASTLE, TONA!

Dear readers,
If you were lured in by the all CAPS lettering, then I will explain to you just exactly what those loud words mean. First, a brief background:

• School let out for winter break on the 23rd of December, and I am posting this on my final day before heading back tomorrow morning. I'm living in a Catholic country, which means that the Christmas season is spread out and celebrated more with the coming of the new year and Epiphany, and break is a bit longer. This doesn't stop the fact that returning to school tomorrow will be like taking the cold shower I need but don't want.

Holidays 2011 and a change of families: Christmas Eve I went to mass for the first time ever and had an overall nice time singing the catalan lyrics in English, which was entertaining for the grandmother sitting in front of me. Before mass, I was at Sitjar, where the whole family was together to eat the Christmas meal. On Christmas Day, I ate another giant midday meal with all  of the other side of the family, and then headed back to Vic to collect my bags and prepare for a change of location. It was a bittersweet moment, but a new part of the exchange experience that I was looking forward to as well.

Tona y els Capdevilas: Tona is my new location, and the Capdevilas are the new family with whom I am living. Tona is a town (population 8,000) about 10 minutes south of Vic. The Capdevilas are an amazing family: I live with 3 host sisters between ages 14-16 (Guiomar, Nani, y Claudia), Carme, Marc, and two insane dogs (Brownie y Neula) that I love to death. Although Tona is smaller than Vic, I'm still very comfortable here, and I love the avenues. There is a beautiful castle (it's actually a church) on the mini mountain overlooking the town, which is also a very helpful as a map point. I'll be hiking up that direction sometime soon. I'll be sure to put up a pictures as soon as I have them.

Holidays 2012: Bon Any Nou! I celebrated the New Year with some friends and partook in what I think is a very fun tradition: As the old year passes into the new, each person eats 12 grapes (one with each chime of the clock: they have the official clock chiming on national TV)! It sounds ridiculous, but I loved it! Instead of Santa Clause, here they celebrate the coming of the 3 Kings (on Epiphany) who enter houses to leave presents with keys given to them, or through the balcony (whichever is easier I suppose). Children write letters to the kings and their representatives, sit on their laps, and the night before El Dia dels Reis there is a giant parade. The amazing part about the beginning of the parade are the torches that are lit and left to burn all along the sides of the streets before the procession of the kings and their representatives (dressed up because they are from foreign lands). I´ve added a couple of photos on the bottom which will help this explanation make a lot more sense. It´s just a bit hard to describe how awesome it is.

Lighting of the torches



FOC!



Sparklers have nothing on these.



Everyone loves a good bonfire.

• I have more photos, but sorting through them is not going over very well right now.
• A few extra things: Gilmore Girls is just as good in Castellano as it is in English, Chuck Norris jokes are international, I know very little about what goes on in Canada, I love living in the Catalan Nation and continuing to grow here, it´s easier than you think to explain in a foreign language how unconstitutional the NDAA is (in regard to the small McCarthyistic add on of indefinite detention based on suspicion), and everyone knows Iowa at least for one day when the caucus comes around. Also, my real family is coming to visit in March (minus Molly), and I am super excited!!!

Until next time, adéu i vaig i bé!