Spanish Drama: "Madre de la Soledad Bendita"

Since I was a little girl, my mom has always used a particular phrase to describe my natural (and perfectly justifiable) emotional reactions: "you always take it to Hollywood."  Sometimes she likes to throw in a little mention of an Oscar-worthy performance, just for emphasis.  I think she might be implying that I have a knack for being dramatic (me?  no....).  My mom, along with nearly every one I know, loves to point out that I'm dramatic - something I really don't understand because I'm a Gemini and Geminis are NEVER dramatic (my sarcasm should be seething through the screen right now).  But, after my car ride home earlier this week, I saw the true drama professionals in action in a fantastic (and perhaps a bit stereotypical) Spanish Drama.

ACT I: Exposition 
The play begins on Monday evening when I was in Carrefour (think the Spanish version of Walmart) picking up a few things.  While shopping I heard a high pitched "señooooo!!!!" (teacher, more specifically a female teacher, derived from the word "señorita") to which I instinctively responded to and saw one of my kids standing a few feet away.  He and his twin brother gave me besitos and we chatted briefly before going our separate ways.

ACT II: Rising Action and Climax
The next day during the ride home from school I casually mentioned that I'd seen los gemelos from 3rd grade the previous night.  My bilingual coordinator responded with intrigue, "yes?? did they say anything to you?"  I relayed the brief interaction to him, which garnered a rather extraordinary response for such an ordinary story.  "Really?  They spoke to you??  And gave you KISSES?!?!  UY UY UY UYYYYY!!!"  He turned to the kindergarten teacher and told her that los gemelos spoke to me in Carrefour and the following unfolded for a solid minute: (heads shaking, arms flailing) "UY UY UY UYYYY NO LO PUEDO CREER!!!!  MADRE MIAAAAAA!  NO ME DIGAS, NO ME DIGAS!  AY DIOS, AY MADRE DE LA SOLEDAD BENDITAAAA UY UY UYYYY!"  (Translation, which I love: "Oh oh oh oh, I can't believe it!  Mother of mine!  Don't tell me this!  Don't tell me this!  Oh God, Oh Mother of the Holy Solitude")

ACT III: Flashback
As it turns out, los gemelos had seen the kindergarten teacher in Carrefour a few months ago and neglected to say anything to her.  The next day at school she asked them if they saw her, to which they responded yes.  When asked why they didn't say hi, they responded with giggles.  I suppose that she and my bilingual coordinator had chalked it up to shyness, as they are very shy in class.  But my story dismantled that theory, causing her to feel offended...deeply offended, apparently.

ACT IV: Falling Action and Resolution
After the dramatics settled and they'd explained the situation to me, I was still a little intrigued.  There was a new phrase in the onslaught of religious and cultural sayings that I wasn't familiar with.  So on that day, "Madre de la Soledad Bendita" became my new favorite phrase.  I'm not sure it can get much more dramatic (or Catholic) than this.  Upon learning my new favorite phrase the teachers in my car suddenly became my acting coaches: "now practice saying it with feeling, like us!  'Maaaadree dela Soledaaad Bendiiiitaaaaa.'  You have to say it from your soul."  They all awaited anxiously for my performance, but in the presence of such greatness, I must confess that I had a little stage fright.  I told them that I would surely unleash my new favorite phrase when I felt the burning passion in my soul to do so.  A response that they seemed pleased with.

El Fin.

The reviews are in and this is quite possibly the most impeccable performance in a Drama (Spanish or otherwise) that I've ever seen.  As the curtain fell, I felt that I was indeed the amateur watching a true Oscar-worthy performance unfold.

Note to all who read my blog: you are NEVER allowed to call ME dramatic again.

Story Time: It's Finally Sunny!

The Andalucía region of Spain is known for having the happiest, most laid back and friendliest people in Spain.  Most Andalucians attribute these bright characteristics to the sun, since it seems to be always shining here.  However, I just happened to pick the first year in DECADES that Andalucía has experienced record amounts of rain, rain and more rain.  After months of incessant rain accompanied by hurricane-esque winds, the sun finally seems to be here to stay.  Last week was especially nice - sunny, warm and pleasant.  So perhaps it should have been no surprise when the following story unfolded at school.

During recess and snack time (yes, I have a snack time - don't be jealous) I was relaxing and eating my daily tostada.  I looked at the clock and began to prepare my materials for class and then waited for the bell to ring, signaling the beginning of afternoon classes.  I continued waiting for 5, 10, 15 minutes, occasionally looking outside to find that the kids were still playing and the teachers were still chatting.  At first I really didn't question it.  After all, I've learned that Spanish time is quite different than American time - time is considered to be more fluid than concrete here; more of a suggestion rather than a mandate.

But after recess had stretched an additional 20 minutes into afternoon classes, I sought out the director to ask what was going on.  His response?  "Hace sol hoy" (It's sunny today).  So there you have it; almost 30 minutes of class time was lost because it was sunny outside.  There's Andalucía (and Spain) in a nutshell.

Besitos,
B

Pastéis Português

Contrary to my strong need to move to Sevilla and Praha, I did not feel the same pressing need move to Lisboa.  But I don't think that takes away from the fact that I truly loved it. 

Lisboa is an interesting city.  Its beautiful with its classic architecture, brightly painted buildings and unique azulejo tile work.  But on the other hand, its visibly poorer than its other Western European counterparts, which can be seen in its deteriorating facades and felt in a certain nostalgia.  This nostalgia, while not quite as palpable, reminded me a bit of Buenos Aires and the longing for its illustrious past.  

I will admit right off the bat that I wish I had gotten to know Portugal and its culture a little better.  Because it was Spain's Semana Santa, Portugal was overrun with Spanish tourists.  I think I actually interacted with more Spanish people than Portuguese people!  Plus I tried to cram in as much as possible into my four days there, leaving little time to just be and experience my surroundings.  However, I did enjoy my trip a lot and even for reasons that I can't explain.

I decided to do this one on my own, meaning no tours or guides, just my research and great (bad?) sense of direction.  Before my trip I did a lot of reading and researching about Lisboa and compiled a handy guide for myself of things I wanted to see and do (big dork, I know).  Then I set out on my fist day there with my guide and map, feeling independent and ready to take on Lisboa!  

My first stop was Rossio Square.  I decided to walk and after many wrong turns and general frustrations, I arrived 40 minutes later.  As I would later find, the square was only five minutes from my hostel.  Oh details, details...at least I was able to take advantage of the situation by walking around the city more.  Afterwards I went to a part of the city called Belém, which has several monuments to Portugal's maritime past.  Also included in this area is the famed Pastéis de Belém - a bakery/cafe with a centuries old recipe for little custard tarts.  The line was literally out the door and nearly around the corner!  But it was definitely worth the wait.  The pastries were so good that I went twice!  After a day of sight seeing I went to dinner and to see a Fado show at Sehnor Vinho.  This is Lisboa's most sophisticated Fado house, in part because it was founded by one of Lisboa's most famous Fado singers, Maria da Fé.  Fado is traditional Portuguese music that involves guitars and a singer - and I loved it!

The next day I took a day trip to Sintra, a small village about 40 minutes outside of Lisboa.  The village itself is cute and quaint, but the real attraction is that there are several palaces and castles located here.  To be honest, I thought this part of my trip was going to be a disaster because nothing was unfolding the way I'd planned (and I NEED to have things according to schedule lol).  But at the end of the day, I think it turned out just right.  I walked around the village and ate more pastries (delicious), visited a palace and explored the Moorish castle, which offered spectacular views of Sintra, the Portuguese landscape and the coast.  

I also went to Cabo da Roca, which is the most western point of Europe.  At the risk of sounding cliched, it was breathtaking.  A funny thing also happened at the western most point of Europe.  I saw some girls climbing on some rocks down a beaten path and decided it might be a good idea to check it out for more beautiful views.  So, with the power derived from my converse sneakers, I suddenly felt the confidence to take off my blazer and climb some rocks.  Surprisingly, it worked.  But after I enjoyed the view and took some pictures, I cursed my self all the way back up to my starting point.  As it turns out, getting down had been the easy part, but returning proved to be a...(I don't think it's necessary for me to finish this sentence).  

On my last day in Lisboa I took the Santa Justa elevator - which looks similar to the Eiffel Tower - up to see the view of Lisboa and to explore a different part of the city.  I also visited Lisboa's castle, which sits in the mountains overlooking the city with beautiful views - a great way to bid adieu to meu querido Portugal (my dear Portugal).  

Beautiful Lisboa

Rossio Square

Pastéis de Belém has delicious

Sintra

The view from the Moorish castle

Cabo da Roca: the Western most point in Europe.

The lighthouse at Cabo da Roca

Posing after my daring climb ;)

Fado in Sehnor Vinho

Besitos,
B

El Aire De Sevilla

I will not write extensively about my spring break vacation (sorry to disappoint, or perhaps its a relief?)  The truth is I am lazy, nothing more, nothing less.  But I'll give you a brief overview...
 
I was very excited to plan another big trip for Semana Santa because we had 10 days off from school.  However, no one wanted to/could come with me to my chosen destinations: Sevilla and Portugal.  But that's never stopped me before - if I want to go somewhere, I'll do it on my own!  So I set off on my first European adventure alone.
 
I spent the first three days in Sevilla, which is Andalucía's capital.  I have to admit, I fell for Sevilla's charm instantly.  The city is a beautiful maze of narrow and intricate streets that you can get lost in for hours.  The architecture reflects its mixture of Islamic and Spanish cultural influences.  The buildings are painted in warm and bright orange, red and yellow tones, making the city feel vibrant and alive.  Delightful horse drawn carriages clicked down the cobble stoned streets.  And the air carries an intoxicating scent of orange trees and flowers.  It was actually planned that way: the trees were strategically planted all around the city to ensure that it smelled delightful.  I think they should bottle this scent and call it "El Aire de Sevilla" - I would definitely buy the fabulous scent!

During my trip I went on a walking tour to learn about the city's history, which is really fascinating, and to see all the important sights.  I spent the following days returning to said sights to explore them more thoroughly.  I met some nice girls at my hostel so we ended up sight seeing together.  Among the most interesting sights were Sevilla's world-famous Gothic cathedral and el Alcazar.  El Alcazar is Sevilla's version of Granada's La Alhambra.  I must admit that although it was quite beautiful, it also looked strikingly similar to La Alhambra because I have no knowledge of Islamic architecture.  But the garden was so beautiful!  We actually spent more time relaxing among the flowers in the garden than looking around the palace!

On my last day in Sevilla I went to the real Aire de Sevilla, which is an establishment of Arab baths.  Arab baths were popular centuries ago and used as a place for the public to bathe and relax.  I went and sipped tea, relaxed in the various baths (cold, temperate, hot; jucuzzi; salt) and sauna, and had a much needed massage.  I'm definitely thinking about visiting the Arab Baths when I go to Cordoba!

Overall, Sevilla is a lovely city and yes, I did feel that distinct and strangely familiar pang to pack up and move there immediately and permanently.  What can I say?  I love that feeling of falling IN LOVE a beautiful city. 

The orange trees that make el aire de Sevilla smell so wonderful.

The narrow alleyways

Horse drawn carriage rides are very popular!

La Catedral

The beautiful view from the cathedral

Estanque del Mercurio - Mercury's Pool

El Alcazar and the its beautiful gardens

Relajandito

Granada

Whenever I talk to anyone - Spanish or not - they always say that Granada is "lo mejor de España" (or the best city in Spain).  After having spent one night in Granada upon my arrival and gone out for tapas there after coming back from winter break, I felt that it was about time to actually get to know this city I'd technically already visited twice.  
  
So when J suggested we plan a day trip there during her visit to Spain last month, I was beyond excited.  However, my plan to finally experience Granada actually failed miserably.  We visited La Alhambra, which ended up taking up our entire day trip in Granada.  But, it was still nice experience.  
  
We started the day by sharing an (overpriced) lunch of salad, a dessert platter and bottle of wine.  Turns out, wine shouldn't be the first thing you imbibe in a day because soon after a splitting headache ensued on my part.  Anyway, afterwards we spent several hours wandering around the expansive grounds and the palace.  According to my good friend, Wikipedia:

La Alhambra is "a palace and fortress complex constructed during the mid 14th century by the Moorish rulers of the Emirate of Granada in Al-Andalus...The Alhambra's Moorish palaces were built for the last Muslim Emirs (Kings) in Spain and its court, of the Nasrid dynasty. After the Reconquista by the Los Reyes Católicos ("The Catholic Monarchs") in 1492 some portions were used by the Christian rulers...After being allowed to fall into disrepair for centuries, the Alhambra was 'discovered' in the 19th century by European scholars and travelers, with restorations commencing. It is now one of Spain's major tourist attractions, exhibiting the country's most significant and well known Islamic architecture, together with 16th-century and later Christian building and garden interventions. The Alhambra is a UNESCO World Heritage Site."

Although I'm still not sure this trip counts enough to say "I've been to Granada," here's photographic evidence that I was actually there!

Beautiful!  Hopefully one day I'll make it back for a fourth time to actually experience the city ;)

Besitos, 

B

It's Been a While

I know, I'm terrible.  I gave you false hope and then crushed it.  However, are coming NOW.

Besitos,
B

Story Time: Vivan Los Reyes del Pop!

Yesterday I did a lesson on American music through the decades.  This was more of an excuse to listen to good music and have fun more than anything.  BUT there were some vocabulary words thrown in for good measure.

At the beginning of the lesson I asked the kids if they liked American music, and if so what kind.  My fifth and sixth graders responded with "TODO! Lada Gaga, Beyonce..."  I must admit that I felt a little embarrassed that I apparently like the same music as a bunch of 11-year-old Spanish kids.  But, we'll just say that music is trans-generational ;)

Speaking of trans-generational, that brings me to the point of my story.  The lesson started off with music from the 60's.  To accompany the "lesson" I played YouTube videos of The Beatles (not my cup of tea, but I guess they were important to music history lol) and the Jackson 5's "I Want You Back."  The kids didn't know who The Beatles were, but they recognized Michael Jackson right away.  I was a little surprised because he was so young in the video - around 11 or 12 years old.  Not to mention that this was before his mysterious transformation from a cute black kid into a middle aged white woman.  But I digress, the point is, the kids recognized MJ right away and like the J5 music.

Next we went on to the 70's and DISCO.  I played "Disco Inferno" and I could see the great lengths the kids were going to in order to control the urge to dance.  As you may know, I think dancing is always a good idea.  So I said, "don't be shy, let's dance!  It's disco!"  The entire class broke out into disco inspired moves and giggles, leaving me wondering, where on earth did a class of 11-year-olds learn to dance American disco??

Then we moved into the 80's - a decade that I am often nostalgic for.  Big, frizzy hair (goodbye straightener, hello natural curls - um frizz!), offensively bright make-up, fantasticly mismatched clothing, great dance music and SPANDEX.  Clearly one of those perfect moments in history for me.  I've always wished that I could have lived much more than my two years in the 80's, but atlas, it just wasn't meant to be.  But again, I digress...We got to the 80's and of course the featured artists were MJ and Madonna.  When their pictures flashed on the large screen the kids started screaming "El Michael Jackson!!!!!!"  After they calmed down, I asked if they knew who MJ and Madge were and why they are important.  They enthusiastically answered, "LOS REYES DEL POP!!!!!"  (the King and Queen of Pop).  Clearly we listened to "Like a Prayer" (my favorite Madonna song) and "Beat It."  The kids were totally enamored with MJ's beats and infectious dance moves.

   

Next came the 90's and my childhood favorites - the Backstreet Boys, N'Sync, Spice Girls, etc.  I played BSB's "As Long as You Love Me" and Britney Spears' "Hit Me Baby One More Time."  These are songs that I loved when I was my kids' age.  They recognized the young Britney Spears, but had no idea of who BSB were.  This forced me to realize a highly distrubing fact: these songs came out before they were even born.  As if finding my first gray hair at age 21 on my college graduation day wasn't horrific enough, now my childhood music is resigned to "oldies" status to make room for....

Hannah Montana.  Or Miley Cyrus.  Or whatever the eff she refers to herself as (really, is it necessary to have TWO identities?)  The kids are OBSESSED with her and although their English struggles during class, it somehow becomes nearly flawless when singing along to "Best of Both Worlds."  By now I've learned that inserting Hannah Montana into a lesson at any capacity will ensure the kids' undivided attention and the ultimate success of the lesson as "muy chuli."

So there you have it.  MJ and Madonna really are the undisputed King and Queen of Pop.  Their music has the ability to cross generational, cultural, racial and linguistic barriers.  I loved seeing that my kids were just as crazy about their music today as if it were still 1984.  ¡Que vivan los reyes del pop!