I guess I should apologize for having a title to a post which I'm sure 90% of my reading audience won't understand. Surprise, surprise, but it's a reference to the TV show "Psych," and I've provided the YouTube clip below for kicks and giggles. Even out of context it's nothing short of hilarious.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KK3fuxjAhqs
Now, you may still be wondering, why the title choice? I think one of the goals of a study abroad program is to become less and less foreign in your host culture and attempt to be as "stealthy" as possible. However, there have been some comical moments this past week where I certainly did NOT "hit the jackal switch," so I thought I would share these with you.
1) This past weekend on the 15th of September was Independence Day for México, and there were many celebrations in Santiago because of the large amount of Mexican exchange students. Around midnight, I went out with some friends to "Central Perk," a bar quite popular with students and sporting a name you would expect from a "Friends" (or "Amigos") episode. Though I had been to this bar before, I had never seen it as packed as it was that night. Needless to say, the night for my group ended almost as fast as it began due to the large crowds. However, as we were standing on the sidewalk, I was talking to my Mexican friend Ivan about the celebrations that would be happening in México. Consequently, he asked about what we do in the United States, and I confidently answered that we celebrate with lots of "bombas." He had a confused look on his face, so I tried to explain with a different word: "bomberos." The first word I used, "bombas," probably made a little more sense since it can be translated as bombs, though I'm sure not in the celebratory sense. However, I didn't realize until this past Tuesday of the meaning of the other word, "bomberos." Apparently, the United States loves to celebrate its Independence Day with lots and lots of "firefighters."
2) On Monday afternoon, I was somewhat anxious because I had just had my first history class (Guerra, Violencia y Memoria del siglo XX), and it was taught in gallego. It threw me for a loop at the beginning, but the languages are more similar than I thought, so I think it should be okay. More on that in a later post. After this two hour class, I immediately had Arqueología 1, which also was taught in gallego. During one of the breaks, I clarified some details of the class with the professor, which soothed my anxiety quite a bit. To top it all off, I was taking lots of notes and understanding the gist of what was going on. After reviewing the schedule in the history building the next day, I found out that the class I had attended was in fact "Prehistoria 1" instead of "Arqueología." For the entire time I was sitting in class (two hours), it didn't cross my mind that the class wasn't what I thought it was. In fairness to me, we started taking notes about arqueología, so maybe it was easy to make the mistake. Everyone gets one, right?
3) As I was reading the schedule board, an older, British gentleman came up to me and asked where the library was, in English. I had been thinking my ambiguous ethnic appearance would make me look more like a Spaniard, but perhaps not. I was also wearing my Beatles shirt, so that could have been a giveaway (but doesn't everyone like the Fab Four?).
This upcoming weekend I'll be traveling with the Erasmus Student Network Santiago branch to las Islas Cies, so I'll hopefully have some more pictures to share in the next few days. Thanks for reading!
Excelsior!
-Ethan
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Here ye, Here ye: the Academics Cometh!
When you first arrive in a foreign country for a study abroad program, you tend to forget the key word: "study." However, as attractive as traveling for traveling's sake is, I was relieved to finally have some regularity in my new life here through the onset of classes. Before I delve into the rich nuances of the Spanish university system, I should probably provide some background information about the registration process, which was an adventure in itself.
About a month before I left for Spain, I had to submit what was called a "Learning Agreement" to USC. This consisted of classes I would have taken at Whitworth and classes I hoped to take at Santiago de Compostela. After obtaining the necessary signatures from Whitworth faculty (God bless Dr. Soden, Professor Peterson, and Sue Jackson), I submitted the learning agreement, so it was out of sight, out of mind . . . until this past week. On Monday, I met with my academic coordinator in the History Department, Prof. Carmen Rodriguez González, who signed the agreement after I adjusted some of the classes on the list due to schedule conflicts. I guess now would be the appropriate time to talk about scheduling, which was somewhat difficult for me. Many a time, I simply could not figure out USC's website and the way it listed class schedules (it still confounds me to a certain extent: challenge accepted!) Yet, I finally figured it out, and if I'm able to handle all the classes (i.e. if they're not taught in gallego or are simply ridiculous), then my current schedule gives me a four day week with no classes on Fridays. Can I get a "Huzzah?" Anyway, after many signatures, photocopies, borrowing of pens, and confused expressions, I turned in my documents to the registration office, and they're processing them as we speak. Hopefully the processing ends soon, as I will not be able to access wireless internet until I receive credentials from the registrar's office. Unfortunately, this has put a bit of a damper on Skyping with family and friends, but at least I can still remain in contact through the computer lab for the time being.
My three classes in la Facultad de Geografía e Historia do not begin until this Monday, so the only class I had this week was "Literatura Hispanoamericana hasta el siglo XIX." It should discuss, in essence, the various literary works in the Americas from Columbus's encounter with the "New World" in 1492 up until the beginning of the 19th century. The class size wasn't as large as I was expecting (maybe 30-35 students?), but there aren't enough desks for everyone, so one of the days I sat on the stairs. No big deal, at least I'm enrolled in the course. I'll admit firsthand that I was quite nervous going into the course for two reasons: 1) I didn't know if the class would be taught in castellano or gallego 2) I thought I would have NO idea what the professor was talking about if he had as thick an accent or spoke as rapidly as some people around here. Luckily, my expectations of fear were not realized, and I was able to understand the majority of what he said, despite him speaking in a very soft voice. That being said, I'm still trying to understand the Spanish university system since I've heard we're supposed to spend the whole semester basically preparing for the final exam and reading the material at our own pace. One thing at a time. Hakuna Matata. Poco a poco.
Now for some numbering since I'm being a windbag again:
1) I met with my ISEP academic coordinator on Monday as well, Profesora Susana Jiménez. In my opinion, her personality consists of the enthusiasm of Ms. Frizzle from the Magic School Bus bundled with the compassion and care of Mary Poppins. In other words, she's AWESOME and really excited to help us with anything academic.
2) While walking through the park with some of my international friends one evening, we passed some nuns taking a candlelight stroll, wearing full habits and rosaries. They were absolutely delightful and greeted us with warm smiles and salutations, which I reciprocated as well. After we passed them, I thought I heard someone in our group remark that he had expected the nuns to be very cold and ignore us. This made me realize a few key things, so now we need some numbers within the numbers (Inception!).
i. During the summer, I became quite enthralled with watching and listening to EWTN, the main U.S. Catholic television network, and Word on Fire, a series of YouTube videos by Father Robert Barron. In one of his segments, Father Barron commented on Cardinal Timothy Dolan's approach to evangelization, with the first step being the expression of pure joy in living the Christian life. These consecrated sisters to the Lord and His Church demonstrated this so clearly and beautifully!
ii. If you identify yourself as a Christian person, you know that we're all called to evangelize, something which many, including myself, view as a daunting and often uncomfortable task. However, my encounter with the nuns shows how the performance of simple actions as a result of God's grace can start to evangelize the culture anew. In fact, it shouldn't be a huge surprise that ordinary people will be more receptive to a smile, hug, and sympathetic ear than a discourse on St. John's Apocalypse. That being said, once this joy is experienced, people will WANT to know more and grow in the knowledge of the Lord and His Teachings.
iii. At least in the United States, the media continually labels Christians as ignorant, intolerant, self-righteous, foolish, and the list goes on. This could be, at least in part, due to the fact that certain people who seem to fit some of these stereotypes get the most time on the air. Nevertheless, it's apparent that if we make mistakes as mistakes as Christians (which we certainly do since we're human), the media makes us wallow in our errors and never permits us to move on even after repentance. How can we meet this challenge more effectively than we have? Answer by living a life of love and joy that only God provides. This doesn't mean painting your life to be something it's not, as we will all suffer at some point. Yet, suffering forces us to rely on God more, which is a comforting and joyful thought. When you show people that Christianity is actually not a conglomeration of negative stereotypes, they will more than likely take your views on a moral, God-oriented society much more seriously and considerately.
Now, I know that was completely different than anything I've written before, but since this is a personal blog I think I have the liberty to share my personal thoughts on lots of issues as they arise. For time's sake, I'll get off my soapbox. Again, congratulations if you made it to the end of this monster, and thanks for reading!
Atentamente,
Ethan
About a month before I left for Spain, I had to submit what was called a "Learning Agreement" to USC. This consisted of classes I would have taken at Whitworth and classes I hoped to take at Santiago de Compostela. After obtaining the necessary signatures from Whitworth faculty (God bless Dr. Soden, Professor Peterson, and Sue Jackson), I submitted the learning agreement, so it was out of sight, out of mind . . . until this past week. On Monday, I met with my academic coordinator in the History Department, Prof. Carmen Rodriguez González, who signed the agreement after I adjusted some of the classes on the list due to schedule conflicts. I guess now would be the appropriate time to talk about scheduling, which was somewhat difficult for me. Many a time, I simply could not figure out USC's website and the way it listed class schedules (it still confounds me to a certain extent: challenge accepted!) Yet, I finally figured it out, and if I'm able to handle all the classes (i.e. if they're not taught in gallego or are simply ridiculous), then my current schedule gives me a four day week with no classes on Fridays. Can I get a "Huzzah?" Anyway, after many signatures, photocopies, borrowing of pens, and confused expressions, I turned in my documents to the registration office, and they're processing them as we speak. Hopefully the processing ends soon, as I will not be able to access wireless internet until I receive credentials from the registrar's office. Unfortunately, this has put a bit of a damper on Skyping with family and friends, but at least I can still remain in contact through the computer lab for the time being.
My three classes in la Facultad de Geografía e Historia do not begin until this Monday, so the only class I had this week was "Literatura Hispanoamericana hasta el siglo XIX." It should discuss, in essence, the various literary works in the Americas from Columbus's encounter with the "New World" in 1492 up until the beginning of the 19th century. The class size wasn't as large as I was expecting (maybe 30-35 students?), but there aren't enough desks for everyone, so one of the days I sat on the stairs. No big deal, at least I'm enrolled in the course. I'll admit firsthand that I was quite nervous going into the course for two reasons: 1) I didn't know if the class would be taught in castellano or gallego 2) I thought I would have NO idea what the professor was talking about if he had as thick an accent or spoke as rapidly as some people around here. Luckily, my expectations of fear were not realized, and I was able to understand the majority of what he said, despite him speaking in a very soft voice. That being said, I'm still trying to understand the Spanish university system since I've heard we're supposed to spend the whole semester basically preparing for the final exam and reading the material at our own pace. One thing at a time. Hakuna Matata. Poco a poco.
Now for some numbering since I'm being a windbag again:
1) I met with my ISEP academic coordinator on Monday as well, Profesora Susana Jiménez. In my opinion, her personality consists of the enthusiasm of Ms. Frizzle from the Magic School Bus bundled with the compassion and care of Mary Poppins. In other words, she's AWESOME and really excited to help us with anything academic.
2) While walking through the park with some of my international friends one evening, we passed some nuns taking a candlelight stroll, wearing full habits and rosaries. They were absolutely delightful and greeted us with warm smiles and salutations, which I reciprocated as well. After we passed them, I thought I heard someone in our group remark that he had expected the nuns to be very cold and ignore us. This made me realize a few key things, so now we need some numbers within the numbers (Inception!).
i. During the summer, I became quite enthralled with watching and listening to EWTN, the main U.S. Catholic television network, and Word on Fire, a series of YouTube videos by Father Robert Barron. In one of his segments, Father Barron commented on Cardinal Timothy Dolan's approach to evangelization, with the first step being the expression of pure joy in living the Christian life. These consecrated sisters to the Lord and His Church demonstrated this so clearly and beautifully!
ii. If you identify yourself as a Christian person, you know that we're all called to evangelize, something which many, including myself, view as a daunting and often uncomfortable task. However, my encounter with the nuns shows how the performance of simple actions as a result of God's grace can start to evangelize the culture anew. In fact, it shouldn't be a huge surprise that ordinary people will be more receptive to a smile, hug, and sympathetic ear than a discourse on St. John's Apocalypse. That being said, once this joy is experienced, people will WANT to know more and grow in the knowledge of the Lord and His Teachings.
iii. At least in the United States, the media continually labels Christians as ignorant, intolerant, self-righteous, foolish, and the list goes on. This could be, at least in part, due to the fact that certain people who seem to fit some of these stereotypes get the most time on the air. Nevertheless, it's apparent that if we make mistakes as mistakes as Christians (which we certainly do since we're human), the media makes us wallow in our errors and never permits us to move on even after repentance. How can we meet this challenge more effectively than we have? Answer by living a life of love and joy that only God provides. This doesn't mean painting your life to be something it's not, as we will all suffer at some point. Yet, suffering forces us to rely on God more, which is a comforting and joyful thought. When you show people that Christianity is actually not a conglomeration of negative stereotypes, they will more than likely take your views on a moral, God-oriented society much more seriously and considerately.
Now, I know that was completely different than anything I've written before, but since this is a personal blog I think I have the liberty to share my personal thoughts on lots of issues as they arise. For time's sake, I'll get off my soapbox. Again, congratulations if you made it to the end of this monster, and thanks for reading!
Atentamente,
Ethan
Sunday, September 9, 2012
¡Vamos a la playa! (Oh oh oh oh oh)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTsVJ1PsnMs
Enjoy the link above for some great, 80s pump up music and a lesson in having fun in Spain (even though I believe the two singers are Italian). I did, in fact, go to the playa yesterday and witnessed the great beauty on this side of the Atlantic. More to come on that.
It's been awhile since I wrote my last post, and needless to say a lot has happened in my immersion experience. So, I'll try to organize my stream of consciousness and go from there.
1) Academic experiences: Surprisingly, they haven't happened yet per se! The registration process (or matriculación) has been interesting to say the least. I attempted to meet with my academic coordinator in la Facultad de Geografía e Historia this past week to finalize my learning agreement, which is a plan of classes I made earlier in the summer which I hope to take here. Unfortunately, she won't arrive until tomorrow, the 10th, so I've been in a state of academic limbo. Apparently, most history classes don't begin until the 17th anyway! Though I'm at a place where, if I was in the US, I would possibly be pulling my hair out, I understand, especially here, that there's no benefit to that. The international office has told me not to worry, and frankly all you can do is trust it will work out. I guess it's another reflection of the "Hakuna Matata" atmosphere I wrote about last week. As Michael Scott so famously said, "You have to play to win, but sometimes, you have to win to play" . . . Not really sure how that applies here, but such is life. Confession: I'm anxious to get classes started so I can start planning trips around Spain and Europe based on my class schedule!
2) One step forward, a half step back: my roommate, se llama Alejandro, arrived on Thursday, and before you think this will be a rant based on the title, let me clarify and say that Alejandro (who seems to go by Alej, which sounds like Alex) is very nice and I think we'll be very good roommates together. Up to his arrival, I had been feeling pretty good about my coming proficiency with Spanish. I could communicate with the other international students just fine, ask questions at reception, and order food at restaurants. However, when Alejandro and his dad first starting talking to me, they may as well have been speaking French. I think I gave them more blank stares than the American populace did to Ark Music Factory after Rebecca Black's "Friday" was released. Basically, both Alejandro and his father spoke very fast with thick accents, which made it very hard for me to respond in an intelligent manner. That said, I know living with Alejandro (who is from Vigo, Galicia: 40 minutes from Santiago) for the year will make my Spanish fluency skyrocket by the end.
3) On Saturday the 8th, I went on an excursion along with more than 150 international students to northern Galicia, provided by ESN (Erasmus Student Network) Santiago. Galicia is truly beautiful in its natural landscapes and architecture, even when the fog rolls in (which it did). We visited two faros (lighthouses) and also went to the playa (beach) for a few hours. Though many of the students said it was too cold, it felt almost like bathwater to me compared to the Pacific coast!
I've posted quite a few pictures on Facebook, but here are some of my favorites to give you an idea:
Now for some random fun facts before I sign off:
Dios os bendiga,
Ethan
Enjoy the link above for some great, 80s pump up music and a lesson in having fun in Spain (even though I believe the two singers are Italian). I did, in fact, go to the playa yesterday and witnessed the great beauty on this side of the Atlantic. More to come on that.
It's been awhile since I wrote my last post, and needless to say a lot has happened in my immersion experience. So, I'll try to organize my stream of consciousness and go from there.
1) Academic experiences: Surprisingly, they haven't happened yet per se! The registration process (or matriculación) has been interesting to say the least. I attempted to meet with my academic coordinator in la Facultad de Geografía e Historia this past week to finalize my learning agreement, which is a plan of classes I made earlier in the summer which I hope to take here. Unfortunately, she won't arrive until tomorrow, the 10th, so I've been in a state of academic limbo. Apparently, most history classes don't begin until the 17th anyway! Though I'm at a place where, if I was in the US, I would possibly be pulling my hair out, I understand, especially here, that there's no benefit to that. The international office has told me not to worry, and frankly all you can do is trust it will work out. I guess it's another reflection of the "Hakuna Matata" atmosphere I wrote about last week. As Michael Scott so famously said, "You have to play to win, but sometimes, you have to win to play" . . . Not really sure how that applies here, but such is life. Confession: I'm anxious to get classes started so I can start planning trips around Spain and Europe based on my class schedule!
2) One step forward, a half step back: my roommate, se llama Alejandro, arrived on Thursday, and before you think this will be a rant based on the title, let me clarify and say that Alejandro (who seems to go by Alej, which sounds like Alex) is very nice and I think we'll be very good roommates together. Up to his arrival, I had been feeling pretty good about my coming proficiency with Spanish. I could communicate with the other international students just fine, ask questions at reception, and order food at restaurants. However, when Alejandro and his dad first starting talking to me, they may as well have been speaking French. I think I gave them more blank stares than the American populace did to Ark Music Factory after Rebecca Black's "Friday" was released. Basically, both Alejandro and his father spoke very fast with thick accents, which made it very hard for me to respond in an intelligent manner. That said, I know living with Alejandro (who is from Vigo, Galicia: 40 minutes from Santiago) for the year will make my Spanish fluency skyrocket by the end.
3) On Saturday the 8th, I went on an excursion along with more than 150 international students to northern Galicia, provided by ESN (Erasmus Student Network) Santiago. Galicia is truly beautiful in its natural landscapes and architecture, even when the fog rolls in (which it did). We visited two faros (lighthouses) and also went to the playa (beach) for a few hours. Though many of the students said it was too cold, it felt almost like bathwater to me compared to the Pacific coast!
I've posted quite a few pictures on Facebook, but here are some of my favorites to give you an idea:
Now for some random fun facts before I sign off:
- Constant cannon fire means there's some sort of festival going on just outside Santiago. I guess it's similar to fireworks!
- The Cathedral of Santiago is amazing! Today I went to Mass in one of its chapels (where there aren't pilgrims and tourists milling about :) and I think I got a taste of what Mass would have been like for the early Christians: very small congregation, no additional instrumentation besides God's gift of voice, and worshipping within ancient stone. I think I'll have to memorize the liturgy and Mass parts on my own because missals don't seem to exist here. Challenge Accepted!
- The dining hall in my dormitory is both similar and different to Whitworth. Similarity: the machines used to purchase your food say "Sodexo" on the side. Difference: there is a section of the dining hall where you can buy alcohol, whether that's wine, beer, or something else. I haven't purchased alcohol from the cafeteria yet, but if it's as good as the food here, I think I'll be in for a treat!
Dios os bendiga,
Ethan
Monday, September 3, 2012
Hakuna Matata
¡Hola Todos!
Because I tend to write much more freely on this blog than in professional writing, I'll attempt to be more concise so reading this does not seem so daunting. Thank you, Roman numerals!
I. In the late afternoon/early evening of Saturday night, I got in contact with Ethan Tufford, another student in the ISEP program from eastern Canada. So you all do not think I'm arrogant in referring to myself in the third person constantly, for writing's sake we'll just call him "Canadian Ethan" (or CE if I get really lazy). I thought I overheard some of my Brazilian friends in the kitchen, so I went up to Canadian Ethan's room to let him know. However, it got awkward pretty fast when we went down and saw that it wasn't the Brazilians . . . so we just sat in the lounge reading newspapers for awhile. Eventually, we got up the courage just to go to the kitchen anyway, and thank the Lord we did. We ended up talking with two Peruvian students, one from Marruecos, and another from Turkey for at least an hour, and then CE, the Peruvians, the Turkish fellow, and I all went out to the downtown area (the one from Marruecos lived in a different dorm, so she needed to get back). The night life continues to fascinate me in Spain; people are up to the wee hours of the morning (I think I got to bed at 4:15 am) but I'd say the majority of people are not out to "party" in the American sense of the word. I had one beer (which was muy deliciosa by the way) along with my friends, and we just talked and talked about various things, both silly and serious. We noticed a few people who had had way too much to drink, but it was not NEARLY as much as I'd expect considering the time of night and the amount of people on the streets. That could have been my perception, or I'm just a wishful thinker :)
II. Because it had been such a late night, I decided to wake up to go to a 1 pm Mass at a parish called San Fernando, but unfortunately the Mass times I researched did not correspond with what the parish posted. Luckily, the cathedral had 1:15 pm Mass which I was able to attend. I've been hesistant to go to Mass at the main cathedral since it is incredibly popular with tourists, but I swallowed my reservations and knew that Mass is where the Lord is, despite what else is going on. That said, even though the staff at the cathedral does a great job trying to keep the Masses as intimate and sacred as possible, there were still people walking around the perimeter of the sanctuary, sometimes whispering just enough to catch bits of conversation. However, I noticed a powerful thing during Mass: as the priest recited the words of consecration and lifted up the newly transformed Body and Blood of Christ, the entire population of the cathedral, believer and nonbeliever alike, fell as silent as possible. It's almost as if whether you believe, don't believe, aren't sure, or just don't care, SOMETHING beyond you moves you at that moment. That definitely got the Catholic juices flowing!
III. Even with my fancy numerals, this is getting longer than I expected so I'll try to wrap it up for vosotros (you all). I went to apply for la Tarjeta de Identidad para Extranjeros (Identity Card for Foreigners), which all visitors for an extended period of time must have. When I got there, I was given a number for my place in line . . . needless to say, I wasn't excited because that moment reminded me of the Department of Motor Vehicles (no offense to anyone who works there, but you must know what I'm talking about). Luckily, the gentlemen who helped me did not meet any of my nightmarish DMV expectations, so the process was fairly quick and pain free. The only unfortunate thing, in fact, is that the wait time could be up to 45 days! But, I've got time :D
IV. I titled this post Hakuna Matata for a few reasons. First, who doesn't like the Lion King (El Rey León)? Second, people in Santiago de Compostela seem to focus more on the journey than the destination, if you're smelling what I'm stepping in. Finally, though I've definitely encountered a few hiccups along the way, I'm really not worried much about the days ahead, even with the advent of opening a bank account, starting classes, and living with a Spanish roommate.
Thanks for reading as always. I'm really enjoying writing this regularly and I hope you're enjoying it too! If you're not finding pleasure in this fine literature . . . keep it to yourself ;)
Because I tend to write much more freely on this blog than in professional writing, I'll attempt to be more concise so reading this does not seem so daunting. Thank you, Roman numerals!
I. In the late afternoon/early evening of Saturday night, I got in contact with Ethan Tufford, another student in the ISEP program from eastern Canada. So you all do not think I'm arrogant in referring to myself in the third person constantly, for writing's sake we'll just call him "Canadian Ethan" (or CE if I get really lazy). I thought I overheard some of my Brazilian friends in the kitchen, so I went up to Canadian Ethan's room to let him know. However, it got awkward pretty fast when we went down and saw that it wasn't the Brazilians . . . so we just sat in the lounge reading newspapers for awhile. Eventually, we got up the courage just to go to the kitchen anyway, and thank the Lord we did. We ended up talking with two Peruvian students, one from Marruecos, and another from Turkey for at least an hour, and then CE, the Peruvians, the Turkish fellow, and I all went out to the downtown area (the one from Marruecos lived in a different dorm, so she needed to get back). The night life continues to fascinate me in Spain; people are up to the wee hours of the morning (I think I got to bed at 4:15 am) but I'd say the majority of people are not out to "party" in the American sense of the word. I had one beer (which was muy deliciosa by the way) along with my friends, and we just talked and talked about various things, both silly and serious. We noticed a few people who had had way too much to drink, but it was not NEARLY as much as I'd expect considering the time of night and the amount of people on the streets. That could have been my perception, or I'm just a wishful thinker :)
II. Because it had been such a late night, I decided to wake up to go to a 1 pm Mass at a parish called San Fernando, but unfortunately the Mass times I researched did not correspond with what the parish posted. Luckily, the cathedral had 1:15 pm Mass which I was able to attend. I've been hesistant to go to Mass at the main cathedral since it is incredibly popular with tourists, but I swallowed my reservations and knew that Mass is where the Lord is, despite what else is going on. That said, even though the staff at the cathedral does a great job trying to keep the Masses as intimate and sacred as possible, there were still people walking around the perimeter of the sanctuary, sometimes whispering just enough to catch bits of conversation. However, I noticed a powerful thing during Mass: as the priest recited the words of consecration and lifted up the newly transformed Body and Blood of Christ, the entire population of the cathedral, believer and nonbeliever alike, fell as silent as possible. It's almost as if whether you believe, don't believe, aren't sure, or just don't care, SOMETHING beyond you moves you at that moment. That definitely got the Catholic juices flowing!
III. Even with my fancy numerals, this is getting longer than I expected so I'll try to wrap it up for vosotros (you all). I went to apply for la Tarjeta de Identidad para Extranjeros (Identity Card for Foreigners), which all visitors for an extended period of time must have. When I got there, I was given a number for my place in line . . . needless to say, I wasn't excited because that moment reminded me of the Department of Motor Vehicles (no offense to anyone who works there, but you must know what I'm talking about). Luckily, the gentlemen who helped me did not meet any of my nightmarish DMV expectations, so the process was fairly quick and pain free. The only unfortunate thing, in fact, is that the wait time could be up to 45 days! But, I've got time :D
IV. I titled this post Hakuna Matata for a few reasons. First, who doesn't like the Lion King (El Rey León)? Second, people in Santiago de Compostela seem to focus more on the journey than the destination, if you're smelling what I'm stepping in. Finally, though I've definitely encountered a few hiccups along the way, I'm really not worried much about the days ahead, even with the advent of opening a bank account, starting classes, and living with a Spanish roommate.
Thanks for reading as always. I'm really enjoying writing this regularly and I hope you're enjoying it too! If you're not finding pleasure in this fine literature . . . keep it to yourself ;)
Friday, August 31, 2012
Friday Surprises
To put things in perspective as to how full this day was, I'm writing this post at 3 am Spain time, and there is still music blaring at least three or four blocks away which I can hear as clear as water with a Turbidity of 0.0 NTU (Waterlab plug) with my window closed. With that sort of introduction, you might be thinking to yourself, "shoot, this is going to be a rant about what a tiresome, stressful day it was for him. Logging off . . ." So to you I say, "WAAAIIITTT!! I'll make it worth your while. Keep reading please." Anyway, today started off kind of slow in that I sought to open a bank account with the school, which is necessary so the university can put money in my account for food and such. It seems like it will be a simple process; I just need to return this Tuesday to finalize it. I decided to make what I thought would be a quick stop to the Oficinia de Relaciones de Exteriores, but I quickly became distracted on my way there due to a large bicycle race known as "La vuelta." Apparently, this is a regular event in Spain, but it hadn't been in Santiago since 1981. Needless to say, the plaza in front of la catedral de Santiago was PACKED, more than I ever thought possible. I guess the American equivalent would be a NASCAR event, especially since I did see a group of peregrinos (pilgrims) popping open a bottle of what looked like champagne. Picture a Spanish Ricky Bobby (Talledega Nights) wearing a backpack and hiking shoes, and you'll get the idea. Despite the historical tradition of el Camino, I guess the peregrinos have a lot of different reasons for doing it nowadays.
I really had no idea what I was going to do in the evening, so after practicing my saxophone in the most echoe-filled room in Monte da Condesa, I went to the lobby and read over some newspapers. Then, as if it was (and it probably was) a God-send, I started talking with some Brazilian students, two of whom I had encountered very briefly two days before. They invited me to join them for some night-time activities around the city organized by a group called "Sharing Galicia," dedicated to showing international students the sites of the town and country. Before I continue, I should mention that there are a plethora of "Cafe-Bars" in Santiago de Compostela, perhaps one on every street. We started at one, then went to another, one more, and then a very small discoteca (which also had a bar). Now, I bet you might be thinking at this point, and it's okay to do so, "Ethan Alano, doing a bar crawl in a foreign city? Has the world gone MAD?" Well, to alleviate fears, and still justify this as a God-send, I can definitively say that no one went with the purpose of getting drunk, and everyone was perfectly safe (and that's MY definition of safe, which has very high standards). When I think of an American bar crawl, the literal crawl from bar to bar due to sickness pops into my head. Instead, the intention was to get to know others, which I did a lot of over the course of the evening. At first, I was kinda fumbling over speaking in Spanish since this was my first time doing it in Spain for fun conversation. Additionally, with everyone talking fast and loud at each location, it was often difficult to hear and understand. However, I felt pretty good by the end of the night and realize this is the first step toward true fluency: speaking in social settings, being okay with making mistakes and correcting them, and learning from others. Here are some more tidbits before I hit the hay:
1. The one drink I did take part in was native to Galicia. I honestly didn't like it very much, as it tasted like glorified cough syrup, but the presentation was pretty sweet (no pun intended). I don't remember the name in Spanish but they called it a witch's brew since they lit it on fire and said some repetitious words. Before we drank it, I got the honor of putting out the fire by dropping a pan on top of the cauldron. I dropped it a little harder than I thought I would, which surprised many at first but subsequently resulted in thunderous applause.
2. I'm glad I have a base group of friends now, or at least people I can get to know better, before classes begin. I think it's the first step in establishing myself here.
3. Smoking is endemic in Spain. All of the signs that say "No fumar" are definitely necessary, because I think people would smoke in a home with a gas leak if they could. Unfortunately in my opinion, I think I'm starting to develop a tolerance for the smell, meaning I don't notice it on my clothes nor purposefully avoid a smoke cloud. However, I don't plan on taking up smoking while I'm here (you can relax now, Mom :).
4. Some Spanish and Brazilian people actually know where Oregon is! It's a very small percentage, but at least they don't immediately assume I'm from Los Angeles, Chicago, or New York when I say I'm from the states.
Thanks again for reading and commenting! Happy September :D
I really had no idea what I was going to do in the evening, so after practicing my saxophone in the most echoe-filled room in Monte da Condesa, I went to the lobby and read over some newspapers. Then, as if it was (and it probably was) a God-send, I started talking with some Brazilian students, two of whom I had encountered very briefly two days before. They invited me to join them for some night-time activities around the city organized by a group called "Sharing Galicia," dedicated to showing international students the sites of the town and country. Before I continue, I should mention that there are a plethora of "Cafe-Bars" in Santiago de Compostela, perhaps one on every street. We started at one, then went to another, one more, and then a very small discoteca (which also had a bar). Now, I bet you might be thinking at this point, and it's okay to do so, "Ethan Alano, doing a bar crawl in a foreign city? Has the world gone MAD?" Well, to alleviate fears, and still justify this as a God-send, I can definitively say that no one went with the purpose of getting drunk, and everyone was perfectly safe (and that's MY definition of safe, which has very high standards). When I think of an American bar crawl, the literal crawl from bar to bar due to sickness pops into my head. Instead, the intention was to get to know others, which I did a lot of over the course of the evening. At first, I was kinda fumbling over speaking in Spanish since this was my first time doing it in Spain for fun conversation. Additionally, with everyone talking fast and loud at each location, it was often difficult to hear and understand. However, I felt pretty good by the end of the night and realize this is the first step toward true fluency: speaking in social settings, being okay with making mistakes and correcting them, and learning from others. Here are some more tidbits before I hit the hay:
1. The one drink I did take part in was native to Galicia. I honestly didn't like it very much, as it tasted like glorified cough syrup, but the presentation was pretty sweet (no pun intended). I don't remember the name in Spanish but they called it a witch's brew since they lit it on fire and said some repetitious words. Before we drank it, I got the honor of putting out the fire by dropping a pan on top of the cauldron. I dropped it a little harder than I thought I would, which surprised many at first but subsequently resulted in thunderous applause.
2. I'm glad I have a base group of friends now, or at least people I can get to know better, before classes begin. I think it's the first step in establishing myself here.
3. Smoking is endemic in Spain. All of the signs that say "No fumar" are definitely necessary, because I think people would smoke in a home with a gas leak if they could. Unfortunately in my opinion, I think I'm starting to develop a tolerance for the smell, meaning I don't notice it on my clothes nor purposefully avoid a smoke cloud. However, I don't plan on taking up smoking while I'm here (you can relax now, Mom :).
4. Some Spanish and Brazilian people actually know where Oregon is! It's a very small percentage, but at least they don't immediately assume I'm from Los Angeles, Chicago, or New York when I say I'm from the states.
Thanks again for reading and commenting! Happy September :D
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Could've, would've, should've
¡Hola Todos!
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
The Alano Identity
¡Saludos de Santiago de Compostela!
Before I proceed in spinning this great yarn, I must first give credit to my dear friend Zach Johnston, who cleverly came up with the title of this blog, "Vivalano," as we discussed catchy phrases over some Shari's Pie Shakes. Obviously, this one took the cake (or pie?). Anyway, though I've been planning this adventure for several months now in conjunction with the support of family, friends, and ISEP, the fact I was actually leaving did not hit me until the 26th, the day before my departure. Additionally, as I started to unpack and move into my dorm room here, the reality of staying an academic year started to set in. However, I'm getting ahead of myself; wind the clocks back two days. My mom and dad, along with my sisters on Skype, presented me with a photo scrapbook highlighting particularly joyous moments in my life, at least from the last six years or so. As I perused these photos like a psychic detective desperately searching for clues and 80s references, I grew somewhat sentimental, knowing that these specific events would not occur again. Yet, it made me call to mind the great Dr. Seuss quote, "Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened." Not to mention, I now have the opportunity to make a new scrapbook to add to the collection!
I didn't think I would have much to write about my actual travel experience, but there are some nuggets of comedy I thought I could mention. On the second leg of the trip, from Dallas to Madrid (at least a 9 hr journey), I already felt like I was being immersed into Spanish culture, probably because three quarters of the passengers were Spanish tourists returning home after an American vacation. Oddly enough, even though I wasn't talking much on the plane, I began to think more in Spanish due to the side conversations around me. For this part of the trip, at least two of the American Airlines flight attendants spoke fluent Spanish to the tourists while passing out refreshments, which serves as a good segway into a story. During a round of refreshments, one of the flight attendants looked at me and simply said, "English?" It surprised me at first since she directed me to my seat IN English at the beginning of the flight. Perhaps traveling for so long had made me look like an authentic Spaniard? Or she just didn't know what box to put me in from the outset. Even though she spoke to me in my native tongue, I just sat there dumbfounded for a few seconds, too preoccupied by my increasingly sore rump. I finally blurted out something like, "Yes, I English . . ." Not one of my prouder moments, but at least we can all laugh together now.
I took a taxi from the Santiago airport to Monte da Condesa, my residence hall. I realized this was my first taxi ride ever and was slightly disappointed the driver wasn't the host of Cash Cab (If you haven't seen it, look it up; I was born ready for that). Yet the driver and I began talking in Spanish, and he actually complemented me on my competency in the language. Then Carly Rae Jepsen's "Call Me Maybe" began playing on the radio, so I quickly lost focus for obvious reasons. I thought I had temporarily escaped its catchy beats and memorable refrain, but apparently the Spanish aren't even immune.
I was feeling pretty good about my Spanish skills, considering it was the first day, until I began speaking with the receptionist at my residence hall. Even after I told her I'm an international student, she continued speaking so fast as if Usain Bolt was running inside her mouth. She spent an awful long time explaining what I needed to do with the towels and sheets she was giving me, so I hope I didn't lose a direction. The icing on the cake was how often she used the word "Vale," which many Spaniards use to indicate "Okay." I often felt like I was agreeing to something multiple times, unless she would change one word, just to see if I would notice.
Well, it's been an enormously long day (or days I guess), so I will close this, the first of many posts, with some goals, in no particular order, I hope to accomplish whilst here.
1. Become fluent in Spanish, both in conversation and writing.
2. Learn some gallego (the language of Galicia), at least to be conversationally adequate.
3. Make some good friends, both Spanish and other international students.
4. Participate in the rich and ancient traditions of Spanish Catholicism and Christianity in general.
5. Fix the Spanish economy. Step 1: Fix. Step 2: It. Fix It!
6. Introduce the TV show "Psych" to Spain. This one is actually two birds with one stone. Its addition to the Spanish television networks would undoubtedly fix the economy.
7. Be persistent in writing this blog!
8. Finally, maintaining and building friendships and familial relationships back home.
If you can, please leave a comment. I'd love to hear from you, and knowing that people are actually reading this will keep me motivated to write!
Atentamente,
Ethan
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