When in Rome...you eat Gelato!

The first weekend of July, 2010, I returned to my motherland, Italy, and fell in love. With Italy, that is. I came to the conclusion that while I do like Spain, my love for Spain is like a small crush compared to my love for Italy. Speaking of love, we discussed how we didn´t really like Spanish men so much, and that Italians were much cuter, which made me remember this cute little story: When my mom was in college, she met this Italian boy, who she thought was pretty good-looking; so they started dating. She liked him soooo much that she married him. Yeah. He´s my dad. =)

Before I can talk about our adventures in Italy, I suppose I must discuss the unwanted adventure that happened on our way to Italy. Emily D, Emily O, Emily B, Liz, and I had agreed to spend Thursday night in a hostal in Madrid, rather than sleep in the airport, since we had an early flight Friday morning. I agreed because the everyone else wanted to do it, and if we split the cost of a 3-bed room amongst the 5 of us, it would cost a mere 7 Euro a person. (I would have been perfectly fine with staying the night in an airport). We walked to our hostal, only to find out that since the water wasn´t running, we were moved to another hostal. We walked another 10 minutes to get to this new hostal. Arriving there, we were unsure if we were allowed to put the five of us into a three-person room, so three of us went in to check into the room. When we went to let in the other two, who were waiting outside, the hostal lady noticed, and disagreed with our plan. With our plan down the drain, everyone tired, me hungry, we were all in a sour mood, and two of us without housing for the night. I asked the hostal lady if I could trade my place in the hostal for one of the girls without housing so I could sleep in the airport for free, but she said that wasn´t possible since she had already irrevocable entered our info with the police. The two girls were tired enough that they went downstairs to book a different, cheaper hostal for the night. We all bore the burden equally, bringing the cost of the hostals up to 15 Euro - twice what I had agreed to pay. It was stupid.

The next morning, we woke up at 5 am to take the train to the airport. Notice I say train, rather than metro. Thursday night, we learned that due to the ongoing strike by the metro workers would cause only half of the normal amount of trains would be running. We asked a metro worker, and he kindly explained that due to the strike there was no way we would get to the airport in time. This was not good. We could not miss our flight. He then reccommended that we take the train, which was faster, and could get us there in plenty of time! Praise the Lord for sending this kind stranger in our path!

So after these little adventures, we made it to Italy alright. When we arrived in Rome, we realized that while we had the address of our hotel, we had forgotten to pick up  map. Uh-oh. So we asked around, and some kind people showed us their maps and helped us find our way. Thank the Lord for helping us arrive to our Hotel safely!

Rome is beautiful. There were random ruins located throughout the city, which were fantastic to see. On our walk to the ancient Roman Colusseum, we saw this random set of ruins in the middle of the street, so we went to check it out, and it turned out to be a cat shelter? Quite random, but a good use of old space, I suppose!  Anyways, I was fascinated by the ruins of ancient buildings - I tried to imagine what the buildings used to look like back in the day when they were in use. Can you believe that people used to live in these buildings? I wanted to explore the crumbled residences, but they were blocked off. Walking through the ancient streets, I also tried to imagine what Rome must have been like in its hey-day, when it was the most powerful empire in the world. This reminded me of Washington, D.C., which is today´s most powerful city. What will D.C. look like in 1,000 years, when its power has faded?


What is this? It makes me think of a playing field for some ancient game. I wish I could see back into time and see what it was used for! ...or I should have just gotten a tour guide.









Perhaps one of my favorite sights was the ancient Roman Collusseum (which I can´t spell in english).  It was great fun taking all sorts of random pictures of ourselves in across Il Colosseo doing silly things. The Coluseum fascinated me - to imagine that once the ancient crumbling walls were packed with spectators cheering on their favorite warrior to the death, or that beneath the now-collapsed battle floor lies a maze of dungeons where prisoners were once kept. Now that the floor is gone, you can see down into the crumbling dungeon, which must have been a terrible place to be.

At one point, I was sitting outside at a table, next to a quaint Italian street eating gelato (Italian ice cream). Since I had been separated from my friends and wasn't sure how to find them, I decided to enjoy the ambiance of the area and tried to look Italian. A couple minutes later, the waiter came over and addressed me in Italian. Mission accomplished!

The night before we returned to Madrid, we went out for gelato. I was fresh out of cash at the moment, so I asked the serving lady if she accepted credit cards. She did not, so I sadly started walking out of the shop. Then someone caught me on my way out  because said she had something to say. By the grace of God, she offered me a free gelato! How kind and loving is He!

Communication in Italy was relatively easy. We found that many people spoke English, and those that didn't, could usually understand some Spanish. Italian isn't a far stretch from Spanish, so give us a couple weeks in Italy, and we could have learned to understand Italian pretty well.
 
All in all, the trip was a blast, until it came time for us to catch the plane back to Madrid. In short, it was a disaster. We got to the airport an hour and a half early, printed our boarding passes with the gate information, and proceeded through security. When we got to our gate, we noticed that there was another flight that was in the process of boarding. We thought nothing of it, and sat waiting. When it came time for our boarding to begin, according to schedule, the information at our scheduled gate still said Dubai, or something like that. This was strange. A couple minutes later, Liz got up and checked the departure information on the info screen. Our gate had been changed, so we quickly walked from our C gate to a D gate that had a flight to Madrid scheduled at the correct time. We got there and asked the boarding attendants if this was the correct flight. They were unhelpful, and we eventually figured out that it was not our flight. At this point, we had 15 minutes before our plane was scheduled to leave. We checked the departure board again and our flight at a different C gate. This was not good. Liz was really worried about missing the flight and started running to the C gates. By the prompting of the Holy Spirit I thought "oh, she shouldn't go alone," although the idea that she might be alone seemed a little strange at the moment, and ran after her while the three Emilys walked briskly after us. Liz and I arrived at the correct gate (finally!) and the boarding attendent grabbed her ticket and urgently insisted that we go quickly. We hesitated, wanting to wait for our friends. We were super worried that the Emilys wouldn't make it, but not knowing what else to do, we walked down to the bus that would take us to our plane (which was located in the middle of a stretch of concrete). Within a minute of boarding the bus, the bus left the gate and took us to the airplane - without the Emilys. We boarded, hoping another bus would bring them to the plane. A flight attendent affirmed that yes, another bus would come. We breathed for a moment. Five minutes later, the flight attendent returned saying that there was no other bus, and that we were about to depart. Without the Emilys. After discussing the issue with the flight attendent, we learned that she had misunderstood the intent of our question: had we told her that we had three friends coming, she could have held the plane, but it was too late now. The plane took off with Liz and I aboard, leaving our friends behind in Rome. What a mess!
 
Our journey back to Toledo was not fun because Liz and I were torn with worry over our friends. We finally got a call back and learned that the Emilys had caught the next plane back to Madrid, and had arrived an hour or two after us! We were so glad they made it back safely. But, they had to pay €140 ($175 USD) for the flight, without being reimbursed for the original flight back. That was the cost of the original round trip ticket! It was ridiculous because the airline had changed the gate AFTER printing the tickets WITHOUT making sufficient announcements. What a heavy burden. I wish I could have done something to help them, but of course, hindsight is 20-20.
 
Next weekend: Marrakech, Morocco! Waka Waka - This time for Africa!

¡Yo Soy Español(a)! [Nos gusta el fútbol]

The day of reckoning had arrived in Spain. The options: crush Chile, or crush Chile. Losing was not an option, for Spain's position in the group stage of the World Cup was precarious; a loss now would have signaled Spain's explusion from the tournament.

Spain knew this. I could feel it eminating from the streets of Madrid as I walked out of the city's complex metro system. The streets were bustling with people sporting "La Roja" - red jerseys, flags, etc - and talking excitedly with a drink in hand, as if the entire city (and nation, for that matter) had the game on its mind.

As Erica, Kristi, and I walked towards the stadium, where the game was being displayed on a giant screen, the clouds rumbled menacingly. The rain started, thrashing the city with large drops of water, drenching anyone who dared venture out from cover (yes, we got soaked). We popped into a nearby bar for tapas (ie, our dinner) and to watch the start of the game.

Ten minutes into the game, we discovered that the rain had halted, for the moment at least, so we left the shelter of the bar to join the crowd of Spaniards watching the game outside the stadium two blocks away.

As we approached the gates to enter the plaza, packed with thousands of fans clad in Spanish jerseys and flags, the crowd went wild. I couldn´t see the screen, but it was clear that Spain had scored! The crowd waiting to get onto the plaza pushed us through the gates rapidly, heeding little regard for personal space. We were in, swimming in a sea of thousands of red Spaniards cheering their team to victory!

At half time, it started raining again. We snuck under some random people´s umbellas to hide from the large, wet drops raining down from the sky. The rain didn´t dampen the crowd´s spirits one bit!

The game ended in Spain´s victory, securing Spain´s ability to advance to the next round, and the crowd went wild with cheers for Spain, such as:
- Yo soy español, español, español... (repeat)
- Villa Villa Villa, Villa Maravilla! (A cheer for Spain´s star scorer, David Villa)
- Campeones, campeones, ooh ohh, oh, ooh (champions)

As we walked back to the metro to return to our hostal, people were dancing in the streets, cars were honking: the whole city was celebrating! The halls of the metro system were crammed with people pushing, shoving, trying to get onto a train - personal space didn´t really exist. We chose not to board the first train, since there was literally no room, and waited for the next. It arrived shortly after, so we got on and stood there for the next 30 minutes, waiting. The train was not leaving, to everyone´s bewilderment, so we disembarked and proceeded to walk back to our hostal. We wondered if the ongoing strike caused the workers to refuse to service our train, but on our walk home, we discovered that there must have been a technical issue at the next stop.

That was Madrid, almost 3 weeks ago. It took a while to get this written...I´m so slow! No more artistic writing for me...

Anyways, the next Spain game (since I¨m way behind, and talking about soccer):

The next game we watched in Toledo. Spain was up against Portugal, a powerful contender who had crushed North Korea in a 7-0 victory. The word on the streets predicted Spain´s demise, but I had faith that Spain would overcome the obstacles that Portugal would present and continue to the Quarter finals.

This time, I went to the Plaza de Toros, an old stadium which was likely used for bull-fighting. Thousands of locals from the small town gathered in the Plaza to watch the game on a large screen.

I don´t really have an exciting story for this, other than that we beat Portugal (Told ya so!), but it was pretty awesome to experience soccer as a community, which is something that rarely happens in the states. Are there similar venues to watch a game (any sport) as a community in the States, like there are in Spain, where everyone can go watch? There are of course sports bars and house parties, but that´s not quite the same, since it´s a friends and family event, not a community/nation-wide event. Anyways, watching soccer in Spain is pretty awesome and if all goes well, we will beat Germany tonight!

Hasta Luego,
Alejandra

La Gran Catedral de Toledo

As its highest point seeks to pierce the heavens, the grand Cathedral is a significant cultural and scenic landmark of Toledo. Its construction took nearly 300 years to complete, which I consider quite an impressive amount of time. Yet, these 300 years were not vainly spent dawdling about, as nearly every inch of the Cathedral is ornately decorated with statues and architectural designs that all point up to Christ.

In addition to the ornate gothic architecture, the interior of the Cathedral is bestowed with elaborate colorful statues, artistry, paintings, and the like. The Cathedral holds many great works of Christian art that proclaim the glory of the Lord for which it was built.

Today, I attended the Sunday Mass held in this great Cathedral. While the exterior of the edifice is impressive, I was blown away by the vastness of the intricately crafted interior. The pillars within the center of the Cathedral strove upwards, highlighted with thin gold ridges that intersected and crossed on the hemispherical ceiling. Beyond the the hemisphere, the Cathedral's roof suddenly dives upward towards its highest point. Beneath this point rests the altar. Just behind the altar and the cardinal seats (is this the correct terminology?) stands a wall carved into a beautifully colored architecture detailing key biblical scenes and saints. At the bottom center stands Mary, larger than her surrounding figures, the symbolism of this placement apparent when the viewer looks up to the peak of the sculpture, where Jesus hangs on the cross. It is as if the sculpture details Jesus's birth through his life up to his ascension to heaven, or in the literal sense, up to the higher reaches of the Cathedral's peak.

I could have sat contemplating the depth of this wonder for hours, had I been allowed the time. But, if all goes well, I will be able to return another day and explore more of the proclamatory art within the Cathedral. Perhaps I shall visit another of Toledo's many ornate churches and cathedrals next week.

¡Mis Adventuras en España Comienzan!

Bienvenidos a mi blog!

I slept little the night before my departure from the States, figuring that friends, family, and last-minute packing were more important than sleeping before a long flight. I felt wide awake with anticipation as I left the house at 5am, knowing that my adventures were soon to begin. After a short layover in Washington, DC (so close to school!), I bade the U.S. farewell and dreamt of the adventures soon to come.

Upon arrival in Madrid I found a student who is also attending the Fundación de Jose Ortega y Gasset summer program. We sat and chatted until we saw a group of students following a guide with a sign for the Fundación. Despite our uncertainty over whether or not this was the group we were waiting for, I decided to join them as they walked to the bus to deposit their luggage. I chose correctly, and immediately began acquainting myself with the other students in the program.

After discussing what details we knew of the program, I quickly realized that I was not the only person who did not know the full details of the program: where would each of us stay? what classes wouldd we take? ect. We all had an idea of what we would do, based on what we requested, but nothing had been established yet. Most students were anxious to learn these details, but I had no worries: it seemed that arrangements had been made for us, but we simply had not yet been informed.

My assumption was correct. We had not been informed of the full details of our stay since the details had not yet been confirmed, since certain arrangements such as internships and homestays were subject to change. I now live with a host family, as I had requested, with a mother, father, and one older and one younger brother. They are very nice. Some students are living in the dormitories in the Fund (our abbreviation for the Fundación de Jose Ortega y Gasset); however, it is more difficult for the students in the dorms to fully immerse themselves in the Spanish language and culture to the same extent as those living in homestays. I also registered for two classes: 20th Century Spanish Literature, and a recitation course for my internship at the FEDETO (Federación Económico de Empresario Toledano - Economic Federation of Toledean Business, or something like that). I have heard that my literature class is intensive and difficult, but that's essentially what I want and need. I will explore these topics in later blog postings.

I am among 120 other foreign students, mostly from the U.S of A., studying at the Fund this summer. Since the University of Minnesota and Ohio State have programs directly connected to the Fund, the majority of students are from these universities. I originally thought that I was the only student from GW, but I later learned that there is another person from GW, but I have not met him yet.

A lot of students are discussing possible travel plans within Spain and to Europe in general. I have no concrete plans, but I hope to visit Madrid, Barcelona, Sevilla, possibly other cities, and at least one other nation. I can't decide which country I want to visit most. (This is stuff I also need to discuss with my mother...it is alright if I go, right?)

So, I think that is an adequate introduction to my blog and my adventures.
Hasta la próximo posting,
Alejandra