This week has been amazing. Before this week, we had only seen the Alhambra from a distance. However, this week we had the chance to explore the inside of the castle. It was one of the most beautiful things that we have seen so far. From the lush gardens, to the amazing tile wall designs, it was a beautiful thing to see. If we were to go back, I would love to sit in the gardens. Spending some time sitting beside one of fountain, maybe reading a book, would be a delightful afternoon. I would plan on going up to the Alhambra again before I leave Spain.
This week at our internship, Mannie and I have started to get more in depth into the work at Caritas. We have learned how to take our designs and put them on T-shirts. We have also learned how to press the books together and get them ready for covers. This work week was very short, because it was the start of Corpus Christi. The week was short, but it was still a learning experience at work. The language barrier is still very difficult. No one at work speaks English, which is not a bad thing at all. We are improving our Spanish, and learning to overcome obstacles in a work place.
As I stated, this week was the start to Corpus Christi. This is a week long religious festival. It starts off with a religious procession, filled with religious groups, people in costume, and a massive shrine to the body of Christ. The procession was really fun; despite being hit on the head with a blown up pig bladder. Everything was so elegant in the procession. There was so much gold and silver. It was nice to see a whole city get together for one event. To see so many people with one common source of joy, even if it’s only for a week, was liberating.
My experience at the fair was very humbling. During this trip I haven’t had a very difficult time communicating. At work it is difficult to have conversations, however they know I am learning and they speak at a much slower pace. At restaurants and shops, I know the simple questions to ask. I know how to ask where things are and how to ask about the time. However, when it came to the fair, my language barrier became impossible to overcome. I was waiting in line for the bathroom and someone tapped on my shoulder and asked me a question. I didn’t know what to do and my host sister was already in the restroom, so she could not come to my rescue. There was loud music and hearing was difficult. I didn’t know what to do so I just kept repeating, “I’m sorry, I don’t speak Spanish.” After my host sister came back, I had to have her speak with the person to explain why I was looking like such an idiot. Apparently the person was trying to ask me if the other dances at the fair were more crowded than the one we were in. In English that could have been answered very easily. However, I looked like an idiot for about two minutes because I couldn’t understand the person speaking to me. Similar scenarios happened as the night went on. It was very humbling to not know how to have very simple small talk. Yes, if you practice a phrase a hundred times it will become easy to ask. But, on the spot it is a different game altogether. I have a great amount of respect for people who speak two languages; the time and effort they put in to doing so is very impressive.
Aside from my incidents with language, the fair was very fun. It was a lot like fairs that I have been to in America, but with some key differences. Number one, I have never been to a fair where people are dancing. I’ve seen folk dancing at the fair, but never people dancing to music played by a DJ. Also, I have never seen a fair were people are dressed up as much as the people here were. Most of the men were in slacks or dress pants, with a button down shirt. Some of the men were even in suits. The girls were in fancy dresses and some had traditional flamenco dresses on. It was nice to see so many people looking nice at the fair. Especially considering that most fairs in the US are not as formal: no where near as formal is more accurate.
Lastly, I want to talk about my experience at the bull fight. I was on the fence about attending, but I decided that experiencing everything that Spain had to offer was the way to go. I went in open minded. I asked Mike and Alexi a lot of questions before and during. Watching the crowd was intense. People would lose their minds over what was going on.
It was like being at any other sporting event. People were cheering, some were booing, and a lot were a mix of the two. To see the honor that the crowd bestowed to the bull fighters was electric. They loved them, and the crowd was very supportive. Moving on to the actual fight, I wasn’t really into it. I know that this is a cultural experience, and that the meat is always eaten and that people respect the bull, but I wouldn’t go again. I am happy that I went. I’m happy that I experienced something vastly different than my culture. But going once was enough for me.
I’m excited for the next week. I hope it starts to slow down. I’m not ready to leave Spain anytime soon.
