La Alhambra

February 13, 2010

This picture was taken from the Mirador de San Nicolás which is in the Arabic barrio of Granada called the Albaicín. The view from the Mirador de San Nicolás is incredible and was made more picturesque by the setting sun. From this point, I had a great view of the Alhambra, the Sierra Nevada mountain range, and the city of Granada.

A very brief history… The Alhambra is a Moorish palace and fortress constructed during the 14th century in Granada. When the city of Granada was taken by Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castille in 1492, the Alhambra fell into Christian hands without being attacked, helping preserve the structure of the Alhambra.

Above is a picture from the gardens of the Alhambra. Near the bottom of the picture, you’ll notice crops which were planted in the 19th century. They grow sugar cane, asparagus, and several other crops. Fig trees are also planted in the gardens. To the left, you see towers from the Alhambra and in the foreground you can see the city of Granada. I like this picture. With the fog rising up, it reminds me of an establishing shot from a film like Taken or one of the Bournes.

The picture above is from the Court of Lions. Unfortunately, the lions weren’t in their proper place in the middle of the court due to construction. If you look closely, you can see traces of paint etched intricately on the walls. Most of the paint was faded but from it one can sense what it felt like to walk the halls of the palace centuries ago: deep blue and sparkling red walls, intricate craftsmanship, silk drapes, flowing water, with views of lush gardens and grand towers.

This is a view of the Albaicín from the Alhambra. The streets of the Albaicín are narrow and twist sharply around buildings, a sign of their once ancient past. It is a popular area for flamenco dancing shows and our group was lucky enough to see one (I hope to have a post about it in the coming weeks).

Fact about the Alhambra you won’t find on Wikipedia: The Alhambra has a rat problem. To combat this, cats have been released to roam the grounds in order to keep the rats in check. I’m not kidding. On our tour I saw three different cats. Bizarre.

Fact about the Alhambra you will find on Wikipedia: It was home to the famous early-American writer Washington Irving. He is most famous for short stories like “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” and “Rip Van Winkle.” Irving lived in the palace in the 19th century while he worked on a collection of short stories and essays entitled, “Tales of the Alhombra.”

Final thought on the Alhambra… The Alhombra is an ancient monument but it has been remarkably well preserved. Most of the buildings and towers of the original structure are completely intact. The Alhambra, along with the Pyramids of Giza and the Great Wall of China, has to be considered one of the finest preserved monuments of the ancient world. It is a joy to visit and I hope to go back before my time in Granada is up.

More to come in the next few days!

Stay tuned.

¡Saludos!

Ps. Popular song in Spain - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5PQ01czr8k - housewife sighting.

24 hours a day, 7 days a week

February 7, 2010

Two weeks into my Spanish adventure. I’m beginning to feel adapted and a sense of comfort in this strange land. The late dinners, the long walks, the gypsies, have all become a part of my everyday Granada life.

My new family... My señora’s name is Purificacion Barranquero (purification of course is a reference to the Virgin Mary and references to her are quite common in Spanish names). With her is Abril, her 3-year-old abuelita. Despite her small stature, she’s not an inch taller than five-foot, Purificacion is a strong woman. She fights for what she believes in. She’s the kind of woman that isn’t afraid to tell a 230 pound man he’s dead wrong. She’s outspoken without apology. One cannot question her sincere love and admiration for her three children and her beloved granddaughter. Abril spends most meals eating with Murphy and me (she loves French fries) and could not be any more like her grandma. She loves the attention her grandmother showers on her and loves to express herself.

Musings on learning a language… I took two years of Spanish in high school and for the last three semesters of college, I’ve taken Spanish language classes. My college Spanish classes were 4-credit classes, four days a week, plus a lab. That’s not including the hour or more of homework each night. For three straight semesters I’ve been doing this.

I’ve been blessed with caring and attentive Spanish professors at both the high school and college level. Through their steadfast dedication and passion for teaching, I’ve progressed up to 300-level Spanish classes. When I searched for a destination to study abroad, going to Spain and immersing myself in the culture and language seemed an obvious choice.

What I’ve learned in my short time here is that the only way to truly learn a language is to completely immerse yourself in it. When English isn’t an option, you have no choice but to learn it. Being in Spain, is like Spanish class 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. A never ending string of Spanish exercises: ordering food from a waiter, buying groceries from the supermarket, asking for directions, watching television, it teaches you the language in the real world. I can feel myself improving every day.

Thoughts on food next week. Stay tuned!

Saludos,
Tyler

Some notable differences…

February 2, 2010

1. People dress very differently here. Many women wear black tights underneath skirts or shorts with striped shirts. Pea coats are everywhere. Scarves are very popular for men and women.

2. When Spaniards eat at home, it is in front of the television. The dinner table at our apartment is five feet from, and facing the TV. (Sidenote: Since our señora’s granddaughter Abril is here for most meals we often get to watch dibujos animados. And Spongebob Squarepants is funny in any language.)

3. When Spaniards converse they like to get real close to you. They also are touchy. They’ll grab your arm or put a hand on your shoulder. Needless to say, they keep your attention. I wasn’t uncomfortable and in fact found this to be a pleasant contrast to Americans who often seem disinterested while conversing.

4. Spaniards raise their voices frequently and seemingly for no reason at all. My señora’s vocal combination of speed and volume reaches levels that would suggest that I’ve just broken some sort of horrible, unforgiveable rule in Spain. But that’s just the way they talk over here: with force. That or my Spanish is so terrible that I continually break some kind of horrible, unforgiveable rule and I’m completely oblivious to it (unlikely).

5. Everything in Spain is smaller: roads, cars, elevators, rooms, restaurants, grocery stores, coca-colas, everything.

6. Spaniards conserve energy. If you think America is green, you can’t even imagine Spain. Por ejemplo, when you go into a hotel room, you have to put your key through a slot by the door. Only then can you use electricity. When you leave and take the card, everything turns off. Showers are short. Many Spaniards rinse off, turn off the water, lather up, and then turn the water back on to rinse, conserving every last drop. Clothes are not cleaned after every use but only when necessary.

7. Spaniards walk everywhere. When they can’t walk (if something more than forty minutes away on foot) they may take a bus or metro. Many Spaniards that do drive ride Vespas or motorcycles. How much money and energy do you think America could save by adopting just a few of these policies?

8. Siestas son muy populares para todo en España y me gustan las siestas.

9. Life is slower. People aren’t always busy. They sit down, eat long lunches, take long coffee breaks, and enjoy one another. With the advent of texting and emails, Americans often overlook the impersonal nature of many of our relationships. It’s refreshing to see people enjoying people. Spaniards may not enjoy everything America does on a material level, but most Americans don’t enjoy the way Spaniards do on a personal level.

Madrid

January 31, 2010

What an eclectic and fascinating city! There are approximately five million people living in Madrid. Walking through the city felt similar to walking through New York, taxis weave through the streets, walking traffic everywhere, small shops and restaurants, and a diverse population.

Above is a picture of me in front of the Palacio Real de Madrid. The palace has been rebuilt several times dating back to the tenth century but construction on the current palace dates back to 1764. The palace was occupied by many former kings and queens up until King Alfonso XIII and the start of the Spanish civil war in the 1930’s. Now the palace is used for official state events and as a tourist attraction. It remains the second largest palace in the world. Attempting to describe the building’s grand scale and elegance and offer you readers any true sense of what the building actually feels like is difficult. The building is hundreds of yards long. It has 2800 rooms. Marble floors, painted ceilings in the style of Michelangelo, massive columns, dining halls fit for hundreds, famous artwork and sculptures. Unfortunately, photography was not permitted inside the building.

After walking through the gates of the Palacio Real I came to a massive courtyard. Behind a large row of arches at the back of the courtyard was an overview of the city of Madrid. I couldn’t help but notice the stark contrast between where I stood and what I looked out upon.

*****

Madrid is one of the richest cultural centers in Spain and we were lucky enough to get the opportunity to visit the Museo del Prado, one of the most prominent collections of art in all of Europe. We examined paintings by Francisco Goya, Diego Velázquez, and El Greco. El Greco “The Greek” was born in Crete but is considered a key figure of the Spanish Renaissance. He developed his art and completed his masterpiece, The Burial of Señor Orgaz (formerly known as Count Orgaz) in Toledo, Spain. El Greco lived his last thirty-seven years in Toledo, the former Spanish capital. One painting of El Greco’s we examined at length was The Adoration of the Shepherds.

A couple of questions to consider… How is light working? Why is the world so dark? How are bodies constructed in the painting? Why were they painted this way? How does this painting compare to other paintings and painters, for example Michelangelo, of the Renaissance? How is El Greco offering a new perspective on reality (remember this is before the advent of photography)?

That’s all for this week, faithful readers. Next week, some notable differences between Spain and the United States. Stay tuned!

¡Adios!

¡Hola Amigos!

January 25, 2010

My name is Tyler Stoddard. I’m a junior at the University of Idaho and I’m majoring in English with a minor in history. I went to Lake City High School in Coeur d’Alene where I learned Spanish from Senora Everson. This semester my studies are taking me to Granada, Spain and to thank Sra. Everson for all she has done for me, I’m going to be writing a blog documenting my experience abroad.

I wanted to study abroad because I wanted to experience a different culture. I want to eat different foods, listen to foreign music, and dance the salsa. I feel like I’ve never really left my comfort zone. I’ve always had family and friends close. I’m trying to force myself to make the uncomfortable comfortable. I chose Spain because I have a background in Spanish and because I want to meet a girl that looks like Penelope Cruz. I chose Granada because a friend of mine visited Granada on his trip abroad and only had glowing things to say about the city and the people.

A major goal for my time abroad is to be fluent in Spanish. As of now, I would describe myself as a conversational speaker. I hear the transition from conversational to fluent is difficult but by completely immersing myself in the language, I think this is a reasonable goal to set for myself. Another goal is to expand my worldly view. Through my interactions with Spaniards I want to know how and why they think the way they do. I want to understand what being a Spaniard is.

I’m going to be taking two Spanish classes (language and literature) and two classes in English about Spanish culture. I’ll be sure to update you guys as soon as I know what my final schedule looks like.

A couple things you might like to know about me… Yes, I am JJ’s older brother. And yes, I do have embarrassing stories about him. I love sports and follow them closely. I’m a two-time Stoddard Brothers fantasy football league champion (Jay has not won a championship). I’m also a huge Lakers, Mariners, and Bill Simmons fan. I like the music of Dave Matthews, Interpol, Ben Harper, and Modest Mouse. I also am completely addicted to the show Lost. So much so that I have already decided my first son is going to be named Jack. Sadly, the sixth and final season will be starting a week after my arrival in Spain. I guess I’ll have to watch them online. I’m going to be living with a Spanish host family along with another American student named Murphy.

A little more about the blog… What I want out of this blog is for you guys to be able to see, hear, and experience along with me. Through the blog, I want us to have a dialogue about Spanish culture, religion, etc. and the similarities and differences with America. I want to hear all your questions and concerns so we make sure this blog is working efficiently. As the semester rolls along and my Spanish improves I hope to make some blog entries in Spanish. I also hope to post many pictures on the blog. This is my first time blogging so bear with me as I’m still just learning.

Right now, I’m sitting on the couch in my living room watching Jersey Shore. My mom is cooking hamburgers and my brothers are playing Nintendo. My next blog entry will be from Spain. No more Super Mario, no more American food, no more Mike “The Situation.”

¡Hasta luego!
Tyler