The Past, The Present, The Future

Immersed in a beautiful place of timeless history and multiple cultural influences, it is easy to feel lost in the wonder of it all. To eat the food, to see the buildings and monuments, to hear the symphony of music and sounds, to smell the times and blends of history, to feel the textures of ancient roads and modern structures is to begin to understand a small portion of the totality that is Spain. Experiences such as this must be absorbed and pondered in order for them to become an influence and inspiration in the life of the one who experiences them.

When I first decided to come to Spain it was for the benefit of finishing my requirements and moving on in my chosen career. Little did I understand that the culture of Spain would seep into my very being and bring about an enduring change which will influence my life just as the Romans, Moors, Jews, and Christians influenced Spain. Immersed in the life and surroundings of this beautiful country is an epoch of extreme magnitude.

On a personal level the impact is profound, but the bearing my experience will have on my future students is also tremendous. When teaching writing I will be able to help them be descriptive because I have experienced the indescribable. When reading literature I will be able to bring life to the settings because I have walked the streets of ancient civilizations. When dealing with diversity I will be able to bridge the gap between one view and another because I have built my own bridge of understanding.

As in Spanish history, the past will influence the present and the future as I continue to grow and meld every experience of my life into a beautiful piece, a wondrous place of blended culture and history as I face what is to come.

Synergy

            As I sit to write about my time in Spain, I cannot stop the words of a favorite old song from running through my mind: “If a picture paints a thousand words / Then why can’t I paint you? The words will never show / The you I’ve come to know.” (Bread). Why this song at this time? The answer is simple. Just as the song expresses, there are no words to express the depth of my feelings about my experience and the wonder of Spain. Of course, I only have knowledge of a small piece of the country. My boundaries are limited by my time and my pocketbook.

            Nevertheless, if I were an artist, even if I could capture the beauty, I could not put the wonder on a canvas. I look at the pictures I have taken and am disappointed by the dull flatness of the image. Yes, the beauty is there. But the essence is missing. The essence I will try to carry home in my heart and bring out to wonder at again.

            This week, we visited Merida. Funny, I started to type that we had visited Rome – after all the footsteps of the Romans are still echoing in the streets. The history that defines the city is everywhere just waiting to be absorbed. When I think of the people who have walked there, bought and sold there, lived and died there, I am awed. The ruins tell the story of a people long past. I stood on the stage of an amphitheater built by King Agrippa. I walked in the dirt where the gladiators fought their beasts. I saw a coin engraved with the image of Caesar Augustus. Who knows? Maybe it was the one held in the hand of Jesus when He told the people to “Give back to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's" (New International Version, Mark 12:17).

            For me, Spain is more than just my studies, the places we’ve visited, and the people who make their home here. It is the synergism of it all: the people, the study, the beauty, and the places all joined together as one.

Works Cited

Bread. “If.” The Best of Bread. Hommes, Josh and David Gates, comps. Sony/ATV Tunes LLC, Board Stiff Music, Warner Publishing Corp. CD.

New International Version Bible. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 1196. Print.

 

Solid as a Rock

When I look out of my bedroom window, I can see the highest hill of the ancient city. It is not only beautiful to look at, but for me it is symbolic. It is an ancient place standing proud upon the hill. It is the city that will not be hidden. And when I look at this place, I see my life. For too long I lived in a hole and let life go on without much participation from me. And now, when most people my age are considering retirement and slowing down, I am just beginning. I raised my children and have no regrets for the time that I spent with them. But now, I will be the ancient building on the hill. I will no longer be content to stay down but will rise to the top and live my life to the fullest. That is the main reason that I decided to come to Spain. It is a major step up for me. It is my beginning. Maybe the Romans and Moors built Cáceres, but I am rebuilding myself. And someday, my students may look at me and consider me as I consider the castle on the hill. They may wonder, “How did she get there? What lay at her foundation?” And I will be able to say that part of my foundation was built in Spain, in a beautiful city where I could only communicate slightly, but where my foundation helped give me wings to fly.

Blog #4

Los Toros

I want to start by telling a very famous Cherokee proverb. There are two wolves inside us all. One of them has good characteristics such as: love, compassion, forgiveness, peace, etc. The other one consists of jealousy, hate, anger, greed, etc. The proverb says that the wolf that wins is the one you feed. Keep in mind that the Cherokee people, and most indigenous people, thank the animals they kill for its sacrifice without torturing it. With that being said, it took me a while to comprehend European traditions...traditions such as bullfighting, that have been given to places Spain has influenced, like Mexico. There are two ways of looking at this tradition. It could be honorable, or it could be an atrocity. It looks bad how well the bulls are trained to go after the red cape and not the man holding it. They stand still unless the cape is being held up at them. Sometimes a bull is surrounded by 5 bull “fighters”. This is not really a fight. Maybe, they should call this tradition something else. Not only do they get tired by charging at the cape numerous times, but they get stabbed in the back (literally and figuratively) until they are too weary to stand. After they are no longer standing, they are stabbed repeatedly in the head until they die and are drug out of the stadium by horses while the crowd cheers. However, that means the bull won the “fight”. If the bull were to “lose” by getting it’s ear and tail cut off, it would be allowed to live. I cheered for the bull several times and was told not to by another spectator. Some might say a “bullfight” is honorable. How is it honorable if you always want the bull to lose?

I must say, when the band started to play while the bull was charging at the cape, it looked like the bull was having his last dance with the “bullfighter.” I had much respect and honor for the bull. That dance showed off all of the strength the bull had before it died. Ultimately, the bulls are food. The Cherokee believe that in order to cause the least amount of harm, the strength of the animal should be understood and not demonstrated. Here are a few interesting pictures for you to decide how you feel about Los Toros. What an awesome experience!!

Week 3

My third week consisted of a trip to Mérida, Spain, going to the fair in Cáceres, and watching a bullfight for the first time in my life. During our tour of Mérida, we got to see the Roman theatre, the Roman amphitheater, and the second longest Roman bridge in the world. My favorite of the three was definitely the Roman theatre because I have seen numerous pictures and videos of musicians performing in that theatre, but actually being there was so much more fulfilling. The way the Romans set up the entire theatre was brilliant. My second favorite would have to be the amphitheater because that was where men would fight beasts like lions and tigers. It was awesome to walk in and around where the gladiators would wait until it was time for them to attack. It is crazy to think people actually did that, but I was able to experience that somewhat when I went to my first bullfight at the Cáceres bullring, Plaza de Argel. The first initial stab to the first bull was pretty intense. Yes, I cried, but after that first stab, I was able to watch the rest of the show. We were extremely lucky to be able to see Julián López Escobar, one the best Spanish bullfighters of all time. That day, he was awarded the dead bulls' ears and tail for above-average bullfights. As much as I loved my experience, I think I would have enjoyed it a little more if the bulls would have lived. I know it is an extremely old tradition, but to each their own. Lastly, I was able to experience one of the most popular fairs in Cáceres that is held here every year. I absolutely loved it. It is similar to the fairs in the United States in the fact that there are rides, games, food, bands, and venders. However, the fairs in Spain are way more fun. A lot more people go to the fairs, there are nightclubs at the fairs that are open until 6-7 in the morning, young people bring their own alcohol to drink at the fair before going to the clubs, and last but not least, there are churros which are to die for.

Scavenger Hunt - Gynkana Cáceres Purdue 2015
1. Sube a la torre de Bujaco y haz una foto a la plaza desde la muralla.

2. Entra en la Catedral y visita el Cristo Negro. Toma Una foto del interior de la iglesia.

3. Sube al campanario de la catedral y toma una foto.

4. Sube por la cuesta junto a la iglesia de San Jorge, visita el Centro de Divulgación de la Semana Santa y toma 4 fotos. Dos con un nazareno, otra con el gorro de nazareno y otra en el aljibe. 

 5. Ve al Museo Municipal y visita el aljibe. Allí haz una foto del depósito de agua.

Blog #3

Roman Theatre

I had the opportunity to go to the Roman Theater in Mérida, Spain. I was able to see first hand the Roman architecture. In the Roman theatre I was able to see the bath houses, the garden, the temple, where the gladiators were kept, and where the animals were kept. Throughout the theatre I noticed some statues with out heads. I learned that when authorities changed, it was easier to only change the heads of the statues. It is said that there are hills of old heads from the statues piled on top of one another. Another thing that caught my eye due to missing pieces were the beautiful mosaic floors. The floors of temples and other buildings were not kept sacred until not too long ago, so people would take parts of the mosaic art. However, the museum that I went to in Mérida had full mosaic artworks on the walls. The museum taught me even more about the short Roman empire of Spain. The museum showcased weapons, pottery, and architecture. Right outside the museum was a restaurant. There was so many options on the menu of new things to try. I had a veal burger with goat cheese. Conveniently, I found out that that was typical of roman food along with wine and other things.. I would have loved to experience a meal at the Roman theatre while watching gladiators fight to the death. Don't get me wrong. I think it is inhumane to have slaves, let alone, make them fight to the death...and not to mention entertaining yourself with it. Unlike how I believe the Roman’s karma took place, I’m sure the food was good. When I was done at the restaurant, my friend gave me leftover food that she did not like and did not want to waste. As we were walking back to the train station, a man in need asked us for money. Instead, I offered him the leftovers of which he thanked us immensely. It encouraged my beliefs of how good things will come your way if you do good things for others. It made me think, “Maybe that’s why the Romans spent such little time controlling Spain.”

Blog #2

Portugal

Visiting Lisbon, Portugal was splendid! It is also called Lisboa. On my tour around a historical part of the city, the tour guide said that Lisboa rhymed with Pessoa both literally and figuratively. I had the opportunity to learn about important people like Fernando Pessoa, who was a prolific writer, and a Fado singer named Maria Severa. We learned how popular and important Fado music is to the Portuguese people. Especially in the neighborhood called Alfama. From what I understood, the tour guide said that the music became popular during a big change in Lisboa. The change happened when there was an earthquake that destroyed the higher class, religious, and traditional neighborhood. The earthquake did nothing to the “sinful” neighborhood; therefore there was a lot of animosity towards the people in the lower class neighborhood and God. I also was able to see the castle in which the tour guide said the Moores hid safely from the Christians...until they were promised safe evacuation by the Christians. However, the Christians decided to kill them anyway after the castle was opened. I like how Portugal has a lot of common history with Spain including the different cultures that inhabited the two countries. However, I noticed that almost all of the people that I talked to in Portugal could speak either English or Spanish as well as their native Portuguese language. Therefore, it was very easy for me to get around Lisbon. If someone didn’t understand a word I said in English, I could say that word in Spanish and they would understand completely what I had said. It really brings to life what my professor mentioned in class about Spanglish becoming another language. It reminds me of when the Iberos and Celtas of Spain mixed and were called Celtiberos. The language of Lisbon, Portugal is mixed with English, Spanish, Portuguese and I wonder if it will have a name in the future. It was easy to find the fun spots in Lisboa! Places like malls, aquariums, clubs, and tattoo shops were some of the fun spots that some of the people in our group experienced. The plaza by the ocean was so beautiful, too. The architecture next to the small beach was such an amazing sight. I felt in awe at creation with my feet in the sand and in the waves of the Atlantic Ocean’s crystal blue water from across the world!

Blog #1

So far, I have a lot learned from this trip. When I first arrived in Caceres, Spain, I was not confident in my Spanish Speaking skills. As time has progressed, I Began to talk to my host family more. My host family not only feeds me well, but they Also help me improve my Spanish. I have gotten to experience a lot of good food Consisting of: that asparagus soup is served cold, lots of bread, fresh juice, delicious rice, farmers cheese, potato cakes, baked meals, fried foods, and pastries. It's amazing how much we talked about during our meals. This is the time my Spanish speaking skills really improved.

We talked about things like cultural differences. One of the cultural differences is that saying "Hello" and "Goodbye" are very important. However, they rarely say "please" or "thank you." There is no "excuse me" when in crowded places, either. They just push past one another. Citizens Most speak only Spanish. Especially, the older people. What was really different for me Was That people will not take it easy or even give up Their seat on the bus for the elderly. What really surprised me is That the police are a lot nicer in Caceres than in the United States. They are very eager to help people, even if it is with friendly warnings. They have conversations caring for no reason and give people the benefit of the doubt. If I have learned anything so far, it would be that kindness goes a long way .

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