The Problem of Man in Contemporary Society:

No one has friends as awesome as mine!


So, you may or may not be aware that I took a brief hiatus from being a world-traveler to jet home for a week. If the term "remicade" doesn't mean anything to you, let's just say I went home for a wedding. :)

The POINT is, that this brief trip home was highlighted by an even-briefer trip to school. It was magic! All my super-busy friends, who are always frantically trying to save the world one program at a time, all stopped what they were doing and came to visit me! I should travel abroad more often!

From relaxed meals in the Pryz to just sitting in dorms and chatting, it was really wonderful. Thanks to all of you who etched out time to see me! It really means the world to me, and gave me the encouragement to leave again for (gulp!) five more months!

PS. For those of you who don't know, I'll be back on campus for OM training in early August- party in the city!

Note: These photos are a little blurry, but I love them anyway! Even if it's just a shot of you guys laughing or making a funny face, I've missed you all so much, that I think it's a beautiful thing! If any of you in these photos really hate them let me know and I'll take them down.

My first public drink in the US (yay for being 21!)- "Chastity on the Beach"!

LOVE THIS SHOT. The Nellson eyebrows and RTC's belly-laugh in one shot. Success!

Dear CB- why is the the only shot I have of you???

Valencia, the parts we didn't burn down

We stayed in Valencia for 2 days and 2 nights. Of that time, we spent 36 hours burning things, 6 hours eating, and 6 hours seeing the rest of what the city had to offer. So... a speed tour of Valencia!


Below, the Cathedral of Valencia. Possibly the biggest Baroque cathedral in the world? I'm starting to get them all confused. :) The Holy Grail is allegedly housed here, but apparently you can have a WEDDING here in the chapel of the Holy Grail, thus preventing visitors from entering!

The "City of Arts and Sciences" is the coolest modern architecture we've seen so far! Below you can see two of the buildings- there is also a giant reflecting pool the size of a small football field, huge white buildings that run the length of the pool, a bridge, and an aquarium complex, all sparkling white, all built in this future-esque style. It's really cool!


As we were walking down the street, we saw a sign on a church that said "ESTO VIR!" Shout out to all my CUA guys! :) (Look under the crest on the sign below.)


For a change it was actually wonderfully warm and sort of sunny! Don't these streets look like paradise? (They would if you'd just spent 2 months in rain!!!)

Why didn't we think of this? A contraption where Dad gets to play basketball while keeping an eye on the kids! So clever! :)


MY FIRST SIGHT OF THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA!!!! My friend cut off my feet while taking the photo of "stepping foot in the Mediterranean." Oh well. :)


A monument to Sorolla, a Spanish impressionist painter who immortalized the Valencian beaches in his beautiful artwork. He's my favorite Spanish artist, as you can see here! Gotta love those palm trees!


We found a playground! A great way to end a great weekend- pretending that you're 5 again! Spanish playgrounds are really cool- you can build all sorts of crazy stuff when you aren't worried about lawsuits!


Well, that's all for Valencia. Talk to you later! :)

Great Balls of Fire

*** Go to the bottom to see video from the burning!!!

You might think otherwise, but that curvaceous Falla is
actually mother nature... welcome to Spain! I think this is a warning about
harming the environment.

So, according to the notoriously trustworthy source, Wikipedia, the tradition of Las Fallas dates back to spring cleaning in the Middle Ages. According to one theory, each spring the local carpenters would clear their wood supply of any wood that was old and rotten, and would burn it to celebrate the equinox, or later, the feast of St. Joseph, patron of carpenters. Today, this tradition has turned into Valencia's largest festival. Each neighborhood sponsors a Falla, a 2-3 story figurine made of paper mache, wood, styrofoam, and who knows what other carcinogens, often designed as a social commentary or a satire. I wish we had had a Spanish friend on hand to explain what each of the Fallas were critiquing, but as it was we had to settle for just admiring their sheer size and creativity.

In case you missed my last post, I noted that the Valencians are all pyromaniacs. So, obviously, nothing brings their communities together faster than setting 25-foot statues on fire!

Don't let the perspective throw you... these things are enormous... up to 30 feet...

In the most impressive community ritual I have seen in a long time, each neighborhood gathers in the local square, where their Falla is awaiting cremation. Several firefighters are on hand, to ensure that nothing goes awry, or "no pasa nada", as they are fond of saying here. Whole families are here, from young to old, and if the 2-year old happens to be screaming because he is scared to death of all the explosions, well... he'll get used to it. He has to learn at some point- he's Valencian!

To start off the festivities, a whole ensemble of fireworks are set off, in a proximity to people and buildings which would bring immediate lawsuits in the US. The whole time, the firefighters are hosing down the nearby buildings so that nothing catches. It becomes a game as the local pre-teens chant "agua!" "agua!", and occasionally the firefighters squirt the crowd, much to the dismay of anyone over the age of 25.

A traditionally-dressed woman called a "Fallera" "sets" the figure on fire, and by that I mean that she ceremonially lights a match and the firefighters actually light it. Thank Heavens some Spanish man grabbed me and pushed me back when it was lit- I was expecting a long fuse, but no! Silly me! It was a string of firecrackers, and by the time I knew what was happening, things were exploding and on fire and there were fireworks and the people were cheering!

It takes about 20 minutes for the Falla to burn completely, and it is an impressive sight- the heat from the fire, the water occasionally soaking the crowd, the cheers of the people as big chunks fall, and the explosion of a few final fire crackers. It would be so illegal in the US, but it is so cool- I have never seen anything like it in my entire life!

Like any good American, I stood there and hummed "America the Beautiful" :)

After the burning, we got a picture with the Fallera lady, which is on someone else's camera- stay posted. :) After this "local" Falla, we ran to the main plaza, where the "city" Falla was being similarly destroyed, although with many more pyrotechnical tricks and treats. In all, I'm surprised I can still hear, and I'm thankful that we didn't die, but it was so worth it! In one night, we saw perfectly the spirit of the Valencian people, and it's not something that we're likely to forget anytime soon.

This is pre-fire lighting. The Falla we watched was a small, neighborhood affair. It cuts off at the end- sadly you miss excellent footage of the world erupting in firecrackers and me screaming and jumping back 15 feet!

The Falla (finally) burning. Sorry you don't see it initially go up- I was literally so frightened that I didn't see it either! I was too busy jumping backwards!

Pyromaniacs Anonymous (Las Fallas!)

This past weekend we went to Valencia for Las Fallas! (Pronounced: fie (rhymes with pie), uhs. fie-uhs.) It was ridiculous, and my favorite experience in Spain thus far! So very, very, very foreign!!!

First of all, they don't speak Spanish in Valencia. Valencia is only 4 hours east of Madrid, a stately city on the Mediterranean Sea, and ne'er a word of Spanish is to be heard. Instead they speak Valencian, a cross between Spanish, French, and I don't know what else. It was so cool- instead of all the signs being in Spanish and English as in Madrid, everything was printed in Valencian and Spanish. We felt so smooth having to communicate only in Spanish for once! Plus, it was like one giant mystery trying to decipher things in Valencian all the time. :)

The whole city was alight...

Secondly, Valencia is a CITY OF PYROMANIACS!!! (People who have an inordinate love of fire.) Somehow, I missed the memo what Las Fallas was like. So when L. and I got out of the bus station, and things literally started exploding all around us, I, like any former DC resident, was convinced it was a terrorist attack, or at least the end of the world. But, no! Turns out, during Las Fallas one of the main events is wandering the streets with the rest of the population and setting off firecrackers at will, throwing them all over the place, even near other people! (Some punk 8-year-old threw one right next to me- I maintain that if the little kids throw them at you, you should be able to smack the little punks!) It was so different from the US! In the US, parents tell their kids not to play with matches (which you shouldn't, JMB!). In Valencia, children younger than 2 years old were setting off firecrackers all on their own, overseen by their gleeful parents. Obviously, if you start with sparklers at 2, by 8 you're onto real firecrackers and by 16 you're just a juvenile delinquent with society's blessing to play with fire for an entire week every year... like I said, pyromaniacs. The lot of them.

Getting into the party mood... setting off some poppers!

So, for the 2 nights we were in town, we spent a lot of quality time running away from sizzling crackers. Probably the worst ones were these 2-foot long crackers that would literally shoot 8 feet to the right, then 10 feet in another direction, then keep on changing direction 4 more times, like an untied blown-up balloon shooting around as it lets out air. We were in a park full of people, and these monster fireballs were set off at least every 3 minutes, resulting in massive hordes of people screaming and trying to get away from them. Despite the obvious chance that they could have set someone's hair on fire, no one really seemed mad that they were being set off! Crazy, all Valencians are crazy!!!

Setting off some firecrackers- please note all the explosions going off in the background!

In keeping with the explosion theme, another main facet of Fallas is fireworks. From what I can gather, the city sets off fireworks worthy of the 4th of July every day at 2pm and 1am. (Yes, you read that right, 1am. Have I said before that Spaniards never sleep?) Combine this with the firecracker-popping public, and basically for an entire week Valencia sounds like a war zone. After the initial fear that you're going to die, it's actually quite entertaining.

One of the enormous Fallas. Look how small the people are in comparison!

The tradition of Las Fallas began to honor St. Joseph, and thus culminates on his feast day. By far the Crema de Las Falles is the coolest thing I have seen in Spain, but more on that next time. I can't give away all my good stories at once!

:)

Salamanca

Hello, everyone!

This is a retro-active post, if you will. A month ago we all went to Salamanca, but I never got around to talking about it here! Alas and alak!

Salamanca is a small city to the east of Madrid, famous for being the home of one of the four oldest universities in Europe- the U of Salamanca was founded in 1218!!! Craziness!!!

I sadly left my camera at home for this trip (fail, I know!), but here is a shot from a website... it really is a beautiful town! I'll tell you more about it when I come home!!!

:) Lauren

Adios, Mamicita

The last photos of Momma in Madrid. Featuring Toledo and some great "together" shots!

Mom thought this guy looked funny.

A view inside the Toledo cathedral, which I have described before. Cliffnotes: gorgeous, awe-inspiring, enormous, intricate, full of priceless art! In this photo you get a sense of the height- those are people in the foreground!


Ticklemonster, if you're reading, Mom thought you would enjoy this :)

A view of Toledo.

Look! I found Prince Charming!


Mom comes all the way to Spain, and what does she want? A waffle with ice cream.
From Ben and Jerry's. Sooooo foreign!

Plaza Mayor, once the sun broke through

Mom and her favorite Spanish men, Don Quijote and Sanch Panza

Bye, Mom! Thanks for visiting!

Mama Madrilenya...

We started the day in the very best way-
Fresh-squeezed! What glorious OJ!

We then trekked about town, tourists gathered all around
Here you see a Royal Palace foray.

In the Cathedral next door, there is artwork galore
From the windows to altar, from the roof to the floor.


One thing we thought quite neat was the double-sided seat
Facing two different altars- a logistical feat!

Do you know this man here? He's loved far and near.

JPII! With him "guarding" this cathedral, there's nothing to fear.

Does this need explanation? In every nation
You can find a hint of the Irish sensation!

After all of the rain falling mainly in the plain!
Spring is here, bringing flowers again!

Alas for poor Momma, this place Heaven-sent
Cannot be enjoyed during a weekday in Lent!

Day drew to an end, and surrounded by friends
We went out for some Spanish sangria.
I proudly poured some all-round, for none prettier can be found
Than these American and Spanish Mamas mia!

Momma in Madrid!!!

Happy March, everyone! I can't believe it's almost spring!

Well, hands-down the news of the month was that MOMMA CAME TO MADRID!!!! It was a little bit surreal, but very fun! Mom hadn't been in Europe since she was my age, so it was fun to show her Europe once again!

Wonderful and true- Momma in Madrid!!!

She arrived early Thursday morning- my Mom's a trooper! She trekked all the way from the airport to the center of town alone, on the Metro, in Spanish, and in the pouring rain no less! Wonder woman! We met in the main square and then I took her back to my apartment. My host mom had graciously offered to let Mom stay with us, which was wonderful and made everything much easier. After changing out of our sopping wet clothing, we headed to a local restaurant for some lunch. You learn something new every day... apparently "higados de pollo" means chicken livers. Sorry, Mom! Next time I'll order you something better!

The culture here is just so foreign, you know...

We started our sightseeing at the Prado Museum of Art. It is by far Spain's most famous, and one of the best in Europe. Sadly we were only there for an hour and a half, but we did get to see a nice variety of Spanish works between 1500 and 1800. Next time you come back, Mom, we'll see the rest. :)

For the record, this is not the Prado. I thought it was, and this is where we erroneously went first! Apparently, it is the Atocha Renfe train station. For those of you who were wondering. :)

After the Prado, we took a peek into some huge church or other. There are literally a gazillion churches in Madrid. Almost 1.2 gazillions. There's no way you can see them all! It's actually a bit sad, because since the monarchy neither exists nor gives money to upkeep the churches anymore, it's a struggle to decide which they can keep up, and which they have to sell or just let fall into disrepair.

Aforementioned church...

To wrap up the evening, we headed to the Mercado de San Miguel, which I have mentioned before. It is a refurnished food market where you can wander around (inside) and try a little bit of everything- sushi, cheeses, fresh fruit, empanadas. We had some wine to celebrate my 21st. Here you go, world... the photographic evidence that Mom has adjusted to the fact that I can now legally drink wine!!!