Spanish Ads, El Corte Ingles, and Halloween

Did you enjoy the YouTube video? I know I did. It’s a commercial that they show on the T.V. here on a regular basis and it never fails to amuse me. [A side note: I thought that this ad was specifically for Spanish T.V., but an alert reader brought to my attention that it aired during the Superbowl first.]

I find myself watching much more T.V. here than back home in the States because that’s how Pepe and I hang out (my host Dad). We’re both pretty skeptical when it comes to movies, and we both root for Real Madrid (especially over Barcelona) when the game’s on. But my absolute favorite part of watching Spanish T.V. is the commercial breaks. For some reason I just find them infinitely more amusing (read: less annoying) than the ads in the U.S., perhaps because they are in Spanish, perhaps because I think that they are just better thought-out and executed.

Most ads tend to be funny in some way, such as the Darth Vader ad, or they can be really intense, such as this one from El Corte Inglés: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxxxAWIZjao, or they really pull at some heartstrings. It doesn’t really matter, because they’re all examples of advertising genius. One of the common characteristics is that they tend to keep you in suspense right up until the very end when they finally reveal their product. And, unlike the ads in the U.S., I’m not even incensed that they took up so much time for such a mundane product, but rather amused that they would put so much time and effort and creativity into something that is, in the end, excruciatingly boring. Pepe told me once that Spain won some International Prize in Advertising rather recently, so the creativity is well-recognized.

While I am blogging (what an uncomfortable verb – say it slowly, it flows very inconsistently off your tongue…. And now you’re just sitting in front of the computer looking foolish) about what an awesome institution the Spanish advertising industry is, I should also mention El Corte Inglés, because it is even more of a symbol of the country than the advertising. El Corte Inglés is a department store, but so much more amazing than the department stores we have back home. It has EVERYTHING you could possibly need in one building. I would liken it to Target, if I had to pick a comparison, but without the slightly negative social connotation of Target (yes, there is a negative social connotation, at least where I’m from. If there weren’t, people wouldn’t pronounce it “Tar-shay” like it’s some swanky French store. To those people: you are fooling no one, and sound extremely snobby to boot. So stop.). Anyway, El Corte Inglés is usually housed in a truly mammoth building in the center of town (generally a pretty ugly one, actually, but no one cares) and is used as a landmark by the populace on a regular basis because it’s so well-known. In fact it’s quite common to hear someone say “Oh, we’re all meeting up at Corte at such-and-such a time to walk over to the bar together” (though usually they say it in Spanish). And to give you an idea of just how much power El Corte Inglés has over the Spanish culture, Halloween was nonexistent in Spain until a few years ago when El Corte Inglés decided to start selling Halloween candy and costumes in order to generate more revenue. And now Halloween is so much more intense here than at home.

Actually, this is probably the opportune moment to discuss Halloween in Spain, because it just happened and I’ve already got a segue. Halloween here is very different from the U.S. mainly because when people put their costumes on, they are actually putting costumes on. This applies mainly to girls. Everyone focuses more on the ‘scare’ factor than the ‘sexy’ factor, with the result being that you see far fewer Playboy Bunnies, Sexy Devils, or anything with glitter/fairy wings. Instead, there are a LOT of zombies and monsters and fake blood, and believe me, they go all out. I’m not just talking the actual, physical costumes, but stage make-up as well for things such as clown faces, the Joker, and fake cuts and gashes (there was a girl with a scarily realistic slit throat). What’s more, everyone participates, not just little kids, teenagers, and college students who refuse to give up on free candy. Halloween in Spain is quite impressive and very well done (and sponsored by El Corte Inglés, of course). Though I did not see any Trick-or-Treaters…maybe the monsters got them all.

Today’s post was a bit shorter, but that’s probably a good thing. I’m trying to post shorter essays more often to see if that works. However, I’ll probably break that pretty soon, since I have a couple of longer posts coming up – one about Morocco, and one about Venice.

Abrazos!

Hello my dearest, patient, beloved Readers,

I realize that it has been an unpardonably long time since last I wrote, and for that I beg forgiveness. I looked at my calendar today and realized that next Thursday (as in, a week from tomorrow) marks the halfway point of this semester. Posting only one blog entry up to this point is, I realize, inexcusable, but I do hope that you can find it in your hearts to forgive and we can move on together.

That being said, let’s get started!

Where last we left off, I had just arrived in Córdoba on the high speed train and was about to meet my host family. So we’ll start with them, shall we? I live alone (as in, without another American student in the apartment) with an older couple named Mariacarmen and José Manuel (referred to from now on as Pepe, because that is a common nickname for José – don’t ask me why, I don’t know) who have 4 children and 5 grandchildren. To date I have no idea how many of them I have met, since I cannot for the life of me keep track of who is a blood relation and who married into the family. I do know that I have met 3 of their grandchildren: Javier (10 years old), álvarro (14 years old and surly), and Alejandra (5 years old and precious). These three come over for lunch every Wednesday and Thursday, so I see them on a fairly regular basis. My host parents are wonderful people, and fascinating to talk to. Pepe is very into his fútbol (as is everyone here) and supports Real Madrid to the last. Mariacarmen is constantly out and about and I swear has a more active social life than I ever will! She is also a wonderful cook, and so far I have been able to try such traditional dishes as Tortilla Española, Gazpacho Rojo, Paella, Calabacín Lleno, Berenjenas con Miel, Berenjenas Llenas, Jamón Serrano, Sopa de Manzana y Almendra, and so much more! [Those are, in order: Spanish Tortilla, Red Gazpacho (the Gazpacho that you think of when you hear Gazpacho), Paella, Stuffed Zucchini, Eggplant with Honey, Stuffed Eggplant, Ham, and Almond and Apple Soup.] One of the things that I have noticed the most about Spanish cooking is that there are very very few uncooked vegetables hanging around. Most veggies here are cooked into the dish or fried in olive oil, though in my house we have a salad every night (this is rather unusual, from what I hear from my compañeras). There is also a LOT of olive oil! As in, you can buy a 5 gallon jug of olive oil at any grocery store! SO MUCH olive oil! Of course, one look at the surrounding hillsides and you’ll know exactly why there is so much of it. To give you an idea, we took a 3 hour bus ride to Granada recently and saw nothing but olive trees the entire way there. On every hillside. Nothing else. Thousands and thousands of olives. So I can understand their slight obsession with the oil. On the topic of cooking, I am indeed taking a cooking class while I am here, so in theory I should be able to make dishes such as Gazpacho, Fritura de Pescado (Fried Fish and Kalamari), Tortilla, and Sangría (we were most excited about that one during the class – did you know that they put cinnamon in it?? It makes it taste delicious!), but somehow I have the feeling that they won’t turn out quite as well when I make them.

Since this study abroad experience is primarily about the academics (umm…..sure. That’s actually only a part of it. A significant part, yes, but only one aspect), I should probably talk about classes. So, here goes. In my program there are 3 types of classes: 1) Preshco Classes, which are taught by a Spanish professor to American students and only American students. 2) UCO Enhanced Classes, which are taught by Spanish professors to American and Spanish students, but the Americans get an extra hour of tutoring with the professor and the professor agrees to work with the program beforehand. And 3) UCO Direct, which are taught by a Spanish professor to Spanish students and American students (usually only one) and are not set up beforehand by our program. PRESHCO suggests that we take 3 Preshco courses and one UCO Enhanced OR UCO Direct course while we are here but, with my usual flair, I decided to do things a little differently (and PRESHCO was ok with it because my Spanish level was high enough). I am taking two Preshco classes: Andalusian Archeology and Political Philosophy of Spain and Latin America and two UCO Direct courses: Spanish Poetry and Literature of Latin America (can you tell what interests me the most?). In the Archeology class we learn about the history of Córdoba (there’s a LOT of it: Romans, Visigoths, Moors, Spaniards) and then we actually get to go and get our hands dirty! As in, we get to participate in an archeological dig. Of a Muslim and Roman necropolis (read: cemetery). I guess I’ll be facing my fear of dead bodies this semester. In my Philosophy class so far we have covered the differing political philosophies of Hobbes and Locke and applied them to our own lives. Eventually I’m sure we will apply them to Spain and Latin America, as the title of the class implies. In my Latin American Lit class we’re reading Sor Juana Inez de la Cruz for 2 whole months! I love Sor Juana! She’s so awesome! Granted, I occasionally find some of her sonnets a bit repetitive, but as a whole she’s one cool nun. This course is also an entire academic year long, so I will be with the same professor and classmates for 9 months, which I think is a good thing. Maybe they’ll get to hear me participate by the end of the year. The Spanish Poetry class is also very interesting, and definitely a challenge. Many of the students from the Latin American Lit class are also in it, so I see these people every day and I’m even starting to learn names! In this class we’re starting with the Romance form of poetry, the kind that the troubadours sang way back in the olden times. I’ve also been called on to read aloud in class several times in this course, which ensures a mini heart attack every time.

Since I’m here and have the option, I am also enrolled in some non-academic courses! Woohoo! I’m taking a Sevillanas class (the traditional dance form of the region – it’s a variant of Flamenco) and a Spanish Guitar class! I’m enjoying both of them immensely, and I can’t wait to show people back home what I’ve learned in them, since I doubt most of y’all will enjoy hearing me drone on and on about Pablo Neruda (seriously guys, he’s fantastic).

Another long Blog post – maybe someday I’ll do them more frequently so that they don’t have to be so long…..ha. Right. But, in the meantime, here is something to keep you entertained: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSRMt0J2dG4

It’s a car commercial from Spain! However, I will be discussing it in my next post, so study up!

Abrazos!

Better late than never, right?

Hello and welcome! As promised, I have started a Blog to record certain aspects of my year abroad in Cordoba Spain. I have now been in Spain for a month as of yesterday, and in Cordoba for three weeks as of today. What happened to those other 10 days, you ask? It was a long walk to Cordoba from Madrid.
In reality, the program which I am on took our study abroad group on a 10 day tour of Spain. We started out in Salamanca, where we saw both New and Old Cathedrals, the Universidad of Salamanca with the Frog, and the beautiful Plaza Mayor. For those of you who have not studied Spanish (or have, but have forgotten), there is a frog carved into the edifice of the Universidad de Salamanca. Apparently one of the sculptors had a sense of humor. The legend says if you find the frog on your first visit to the Universidad, you will be successful during your tenure there - I believe it has something to do with the quickness of mind necessary to find the frog transferring to studying academic subjects. I'm not entirely sure how they line up, but if Luis (our tour guide that day) told it was so, then it must be true. Of course, when we arrived at the Universidad, there were already some other tour groups standing in front of it craning their necks....so we joined in. Eventually we found it, perched oh-so-happily on top of a skull, looking a little weather-beaten from the last couple of centuries. But still, I now have wonderful luck in my studies at the Universidad de Salamanca, should I ever attend.
Most unfortunately, our busy schedule only permitted us a couple of days in Salamanca before we moved on to Madrid. En route, however, we stopped in Segovia to visit El Escorial. El Escorial functions as a royal palace, a monastery, school, and mausoleum, and was built in the 1500's by Felipe II of Spain. He was extremely religious (hence the monastery), and was also the kind of person who wanted to approve every single piece of paper that had to do with the running of his country. Literally every document had to pass across his desk and receive his stamp of approval. That means military decisions, government spending, religious decrees, everything. You might say he was just a teensy bit of a control freak. Regardless, El Escorial is incredible! The building itself is a behemoth, and most of it is closed to the public (because they don't allow tours through the Monastery or school for obvious reasons), and the decoration on the inside is actually quite austere, though no less beautiful or impressive for it. The most ornamented room that we saw inside was actually the Mausoleum, where many of the Spanish monarchs are interred. Not all of them, mind you, but quite a few. One of my favorite rooms in El Escorial was the room that contained a couple of El Greco paintings, but you'll hear me rhapsodizing about his work in a bit.
After visiting Segovia, we arrived in Madrid in time for dinner. Our hotel was right on the Puerta del Sol, so we were in the middle of everything, and could here mariachi bands and street performers from our window. The next morning we did a short walking tour of the immediate area including the Plaza Mayor (very lovely, but very expensive to eat there), and wound up at the Palacio Real. Wow. The ornamentation and detail are incredible. Absolutely stunning! The walls and ceilings all have carving on them, mostly of plants and biblical or mythological references (you have to be very well-read in order to fully appreciate what's on the ceilings of this place), and there was one room where the walls and ceiling were entirely covered with porcelain! They really knew how to decorate, that's for sure!
The next day we were actually given the entirety of the day to ourselves....so I dragged some friends to the Prado and the Reina Sofia Museums. The Prado is Spain's major art museum, and it was incredible. I discovered a love of art and museums this summer while working for an art collection, and so I walked through the Prado with my jaw on the ground. One of my favorite paintings in the Museum was "The Execution of Torrijos", by Antonio Gisbert Perez, as well as the several rooms dedicated to El Greco and Velazquez. The Reina Sofia Museum is Spain's Modern Art museum, and as such they have a lot of Picasso and Dali. Did I see Guernica? No. I didn't make it that far before we had to rendezvous. I'll be back to see it, don't worry. But if you are ever interested in a surrealist movie, look up the Chien Andalouse. And please explain what it's about to me.
During our free day in Madrid we also walked to the Temple of Debod - or, rather, we visited half of it. The other half is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, in New York City. The Temple was a gift to Spain and the US after they helped Egypt rescue some temples that had become flooded after a dam burst. Don't worry, though, it was a young temple, only 5,000 years old. Nothing that they really really wanted to conserve.
From Madrid we did a day-trip to Toledo. I was quite excited about this, because in Junior Year of High School in Ms. Bryant's class, we read a romance (a type of poem) about Rey Rodrigo, the king of Toledo. Rodrigo took a liking to Florinda la Cava though she did not return his feelings. Rodrigo went too far, and so Florinda told her relative the King of the Moors, who promptly invaded Spain as revenge, and so Visigothic Spain fell to the Moors. Very exciting stuff! For some reason, no one else in my group seemed to find this as vitally interesting as I did at 9am. Once in Toledo, we visited the Cathedral as well as the Sinagoga and the site of interment of the Count of Orgaz. You art buffs out there know that perhaps the most famous painting done by El Greco is The Interment of the Conde de Orgaz. Well, not only did we see the grave of the Conde, we saw the painting as well. And it is indeed a masterpiece. I wish we could have had more time to view it, but the tour marched on.
The last stop on our Orientation Tour was Barcelona. Our first day there we went on a tour of the city (yes, there are quite a few tours, aren't there? And by the end of the trip, not everyone in the group was really enjoying them fully, since they were usually earlier in the morning before it got really hot) by bus. We saw the Pedrera building designed by Gaudi, as well as his house/museum. We also stopped for a while in the garden designed by Gaudi, but it was a little too overwhelming to enjoy properly. The architecture would have been too much by itself, but when it was combined with what seemed like the entire rest of the world, I felt like crawling into a little corner where I could have some breathing room. Not the best impression, unfortunately. We did, however, get to see an amazing show while we were in Barcelona; they have a fountain in the Plaza de Espana that has a lights and music show that is synchronized with the water jets - it's like Beauty and the Beast without that trivial story about a Rogaine-addled prince and a glorified bookworm. We also went to the beach in Barcelona, and I never want to swim in the North Atlantic again! The water was warm and crystal clear - even at 20 feet deep you could see every ridge in the sand on the bottom - there were no rocks or shells, and the sand felt like velvet. I wish we could have spent more time there, but as always our Grand Progress marched onwards.
We traveled to Cordoba by AVE (high speed train) and met our host families at the train station. Throughout the ride you could feel the nervous tension in our car building as we decreased the distance between us and our home for the next few months.
To be continued.....

Yes, I could write more right now, but I think this post is quite long enough as it is. I cannot cover a whole month at once, or you all will have stopped reading by the end. So, tune in next time for such exciting topics as "My Host Family", "Choosing Classes", and, of course, "Getting Lost in Cordoba"!