Lesson from Spain: 5 Things I Could Live Happily Without

One of the coolest parts of studying abroad is, of course, getting to live another lifestyle for an extended piece of time. While Spain admittedly isn't that different from the US, there are several ways that Spain is far more eco-friendly than we tend to be. And honestly, after 4 months, I can assert that all of these changes would be more or less painless, once you got used to them. I'm not on the band wagon saying that the human race needs to eliminate itself to save the planet. But I am saying that we'd better pay closer attention to our consumption patterns if we want any coal to be left for our grandchildren. So, here goes... :)


Having your own printer
One of the more inconvenient parts of being abroad- my printer is sitting unhelpfully several thousand miles away, which means that I have to use the copy center at school (just like everyone else). Having to pay per page for anything you print is certainly a wake up call as to how many useless things I print each week! Overall, though, I'm sure I'm saving money, not buying ink or a printer or paper. And as an added bonus, I'm creating far less paper waste this semester than at any other point in my life!

Public Transit
I can't say enough about Madrid public transit. Think DC Metro, but 100% safer, better lit, and cleaner. Everyone takes public transit here- it's reasonably priced, prompt, and very safe. My host family doesn't even have a car here! It's good to know that something I would use out of convenience also reduces my negative impact on the environment.

Disposable eating things, and eating on the go,
If you're looking for a plastic spoon in Spain, good luck! Aside from the American invaders, such as McDonald's, Starbucks, or Ben & Jerry's, it's fairly impossible to buy food-to-go in take out containers. All restaurants and cafes, and I mean all, use normal dishes that are washed in between uses. Initially, this is a huge pain as you realize there just isn't a way to grab a coffee to take to class, but eventually, you come to terms with the fact that if you want to eat something you're going to have to sit down and spend five minutes not running around. In Spain, eating is something to be enjoyed. Why would you waste the pleasure of eating and chatting with a friend just because you don't want to sit still for five minutes?

Hot Water
Haha... this one is a long story. Basically our hot water heater broke and we've been heating hot water on the stove for bucket-baths. Not the most ideal of circumstances, but at the very least it's taught me that I don't need hot water each time to wash my hands, or even to wash my face in the morning. The moral of this isn't no hot water so much as only when really needed. For instance, I won't be complaining if/when the repairman ever shows up to give us warm showers again! :)

Electricity
Again, this is a "less is more" category. In Spain (and the rest of Europe), electricity is a very expensive commodity. This translates into only one or two outlets in the whole cafeteria, only ten or so in the library outside of the computer lab, and very few in the airports. Also, my host mom will only have lights on in one room at a time- sometimes we crash into each other traversing a dark hallway! Not having power-on-demand has renewed my appreciation for the awesome blessing that electricity is, and has renewed my commitment to being a good steward of it. (Yes, Dad, this means I will try to keep lights on at home to a minimum!)

Ciao...
:) LJ

Stranger in a Familiar Town

Hello Kitty in Spain's main square. Although, maybe here she's Hola Kitty?
I should look into that...

You know, I was under the impression that Spain was... well... foreign. But somewhere between my host sister listening to Beyonce and finding the Disney Channel dubbed in Spanish on TV, I realized that American cultural influence here is much larger than I had foreseen!

I think I've seen this kid with the lightning scar somewhere before...

I'm sure this cultural overlap is directly related to the fact that Madrid is a booming metropolis- there is veritably a "big city" culture that population meccas share. For example, in any given American city you will find McDonald's, taxis, Starbucks, Metros, a movie theater, and Disney influence...

Guess what I've found in Madrid! All of the above!

Winnie the Pooh in the Puerto de Sol

I'd wager that just like Small Town, USA has fought hard to resist Walmart and Starbucks, Pueblo Pequeno, Espana has tried to stay true to its cultural roots as well. I'm certain that if I were studying in Cadiz or Salamanca, I would be having a more Spanish, less international, experience. But on some level, this is really neat. I mean, when was the last time you saw a Spaniard dressed up as Michael Jackson? :)

So I guess the point of this reflection is firstly that American cultural influence abroad is enormous. What would you think of the U.S. if your only impression of it was cinema, Hello Kitty, and Burger King? The media and products we produce are cultural ambassadors permeating every level of the industrialized world... what messages are we sending through these channels?

Starbucks gracing the corner of Madrid's main district

Secondly, when I see the mixing of the Spanish with the American, it reminds me that the mixing of the American with the Foreign is not our own unique "problem." It's merely a consequence of globalization, and a force shaping society today. Citizens the world over are feeling the effects of the Global Melting Pot... this is not a phenomenon any one nationality can hoard. I love my heritage, and I cherish my cultural roots, but I'm beginning to understand that cultural change is not always an attack on the way things were, but rather often a consequence of the way things are and are going to be. If I want to reap the benefits of international experiences- studying abroad, free commerce, cultural diversity- then I need to realize that my own culture and experiences are going to be affected. Not to say that they will be lost, but to say that they will be something I must intentionally and purposefully maintain, rather than something I can access just by stepping out my front door. It is reassuring that this task of "intentional culture" is something that the US will have in common with our neighbors- in an international world, defining and redefining who we are as a nation is a full-time job. But on the bright side, if all else fails, we can always move to Hong Kong. They have a Starbucks there, too. :)

Yes, the plague has spread to Madrid, too

Some Thoughts in an Old Cathedral

Entrance to the Cathedral of Toledo

I hate to be the one to break this to you, but I'm... a philosophy major. Thus, I have this unfortunate habit of, well, thinking. At times I will be forced to subject you to my musings. I promise to do my best to make them worthwhile and interesting musings!

As I was in the Cathedral of Toledo, which is surely one of the most breathtaking treasures of the Western world, I couldn't help but reflect on how beautiful our faith Tradition is! I'll be the first to admit that the members of the Church are not without their faults, especially historical ones (the Spanish Inquisition, anyone?), but there is something compelling and enduring about the fact that the same truths have directed the lives of so many for so long. Why do the moments of the Annunciation, the Birth of Christ, the Passion, and the Resurrection appear to the artist ever-new and full of inspiration? How is it that century upon century painters and sculptors continually find deeper meaning, renewed perspective in their work?

The treasures of the Cathedral stretch beyond the mere structure, which in itself is an impressive collection of statues, carvings, reliefs, and archways. Throughout the Cathedral stained glass, paintings, and tapestries decorate myriad side chapels. The choir is a masterpiece in its own right, ornately decorated with carvings under each wooden seat, depictions of the re-conquista of Granada from the Muslims on the walls, and the lineage of Christ statued about the top. The sacristy has been converted into a museum for sacred art, with portraits of the 12 Apostles and depictions of the Nativity by El Greco, paintings on the ceiling of the Assumption of the Virgin, and various other sacred works. Finally, the fabled Monstrance of Toledo together with an ornately decorated Bible illuminated in gold foil reposes in the Treasury of the Cathedral, although despite its enormous size each year for the feast of Corpus Christi the Monstrance is paraded through the streets in the Spanish custom.

The Cathedral of Toledo was under construction from 1226 until 1493. The beginning of this period falls under the "shadow" of the so-called "Dark Ages", but as I wandered this Cathedral, I was convicted as I have been before... it seems to me a gross simplification to write this period off as a time of cultural death and hibernation! Certainly, the Renaissance was a time of great cultural blossoming, and the efficient transportation and communication amidst the Roman Empire was something to be admired, but there is something to be said for the disposition of a people who would work so diligently, for centuries, to build such a beautiful house of worship. And, God willing, their great workmanship will continue to inspire visitors for centuries to come.

Observations from an Outsider

Some random notes...

1. Pizza is delivered by motorcycle. How cool is that?
2. Fathers everywhere would love Madrid- turning off the lights when you leave the room is like a religion here!
3. The Amish are the universal symbol of Pennsylvania, apparently. :)
4. Basic Madrid life: eat, walk, eat, walk, eat, walk, eat, sleep, eat, walk...
5. Madrid is very clean and very pretty, but not very green. I'm slowly dying of tree deprivation...
6. No, there are not "preservativos" in your food! (Look it up.)
7. There is something wrong with a 4-story BOOKSTORE in which there are NO BLANK NOTEBOOKS.
8. Imagine if taxi drivers ruled the streets. More or less, this is downtown Madrid.
9. When in doubt, just say the American word with an accent... you're probably right!
10. There are shrimp FULLY INTACT hanging out in my kitchen right now... on the counter... just chillin'... watching the world with their little EYES...

More later. It's so fun immersing in a completely new culture! If anything, I'm only a little disappointed in how Americanized Madrid is- from Starbucks to Mickey Mouse to... no joke... the Disney Channel dubbed in Spanish. Apparently, Michael Jackson was one of their biggest heroes!