I'll be participating in the tradition this year, from the wild streets of Barcelona. Then off to Italy for ten days. I'll post again when I return. Here's to a happy and healthy new year!
Happy New Year Everyone! Prospero Año Nuevo! Feliç Any Nou!
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Noche Vieja
On New Year's Eve in Spain, the tradition is to eat twelve grapes, one for each stroke of midnight. If you are able to eat twelve grapes in twelve seconds, it means you will have a good year. For every grape that you aren't able to eat, you will suffer that many months of bad luck. Doesn't sound TOO hard, except that all the grapes in Spain have big seeds. In fact, it actually sounds like a recipe for disaster... new years eve revelers, enjoying their Cava maybe a little too much, and then they have to rapidly stuff twelve seeded grapes in their mouth and swallow? Hmm... Well, the tradition began about 100 years ago when some grape farmers who had an enormous harvest of bad grapes that they needed to get rid of suggested the idea and it apparently stuck. Go figure.
I'll be participating in the tradition this year, from the wild streets of Barcelona. Then off to Italy for ten days. I'll post again when I return. Here's to a happy and healthy new year!
I'll be participating in the tradition this year, from the wild streets of Barcelona. Then off to Italy for ten days. I'll post again when I return. Here's to a happy and healthy new year!
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Christmas Eve Rainbow
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Vacaciones!
Today was the last day of school until the second week of January. To celebrate the students put on a traditional Catalan Christmas play called Pastorets. It is about the shepherds and their journey to the baby Jesus. Afterward, we returned to school and the children were given Coca y Xocolata - a traditional Catalan snack. It is delicious! Coca is a soft sweet bread that is dunked into the thickest hot chocolate you can imagine - think hot chocolate pudding! It was a mad house trying to serve all the kids though - but they were really cute with their chocolate mustaches. They sure do dive right in!
In the afternoon, all the teachers met in the teacher's lounge to say goodbye and a few small gifts were given. And they did a mini version of the "caga tío". In Catalonia, instead of Santa Claus, who is a relative newcomer to these parts, their tradition is to have a hollowed-out tree stump that is covered with a blanket. It is called "tío" or uncle. In the weeks leading up to Christmas the children feed the log with orange peels and other food scraps. The idea is to fatten it up. The parents take the food scraps away at night to make it look as if the tío had eaten them. Then they fill the hollow trunk with presents. And on Christmas Eve they sing the "Caga Tío" song and hit the log then lift the blanket. Miraculously for the children, it is full of presents for them! Neat tradition. I like these Catalans.
In the afternoon, all the teachers met in the teacher's lounge to say goodbye and a few small gifts were given. And they did a mini version of the "caga tío". In Catalonia, instead of Santa Claus, who is a relative newcomer to these parts, their tradition is to have a hollowed-out tree stump that is covered with a blanket. It is called "tío" or uncle. In the weeks leading up to Christmas the children feed the log with orange peels and other food scraps. The idea is to fatten it up. The parents take the food scraps away at night to make it look as if the tío had eaten them. Then they fill the hollow trunk with presents. And on Christmas Eve they sing the "Caga Tío" song and hit the log then lift the blanket. Miraculously for the children, it is full of presents for them! Neat tradition. I like these Catalans.
Preparing for Christmas in Solsona
Christmas has arrived in Solsona. The city is decorated with pretty white lights up and down the narrow streets. The other night, just outside of my balcony window, in the Plaza Mayor, an enormous truck drove up (how it maneuvered the aforementioned narrow streets to get there - your guess is as good as mine!) carrying an equally enormous pine tree. A crew of men and the crane from the truck set about hoisting the tree into an upright position in the air, then lowering it into a waiting open manhole filled with water. They secured it (through similarly mysterious means) and a few days later strung it with lights. Now, every night there is a gigantic Christmas tree peeking into the living room, shining with Christmas cheer.
And yesterday, on the first day of winter, it snowed! Hooray! It was gone by the late afternoon, but it was glorious and wintery and white while it lasted. I had traveled to Lleida yesterday morning, to pick up my NIE (Foreign Identification Number), and the journey back to Solsona on the bus was a slippery one. The countryside was covered in a dusting of white and the winding, climbing roads were a slushy treacherous mess. But we made it. And I am now officially legal to be in Spain until September 2010!
And yesterday, on the first day of winter, it snowed! Hooray! It was gone by the late afternoon, but it was glorious and wintery and white while it lasted. I had traveled to Lleida yesterday morning, to pick up my NIE (Foreign Identification Number), and the journey back to Solsona on the bus was a slippery one. The countryside was covered in a dusting of white and the winding, climbing roads were a slushy treacherous mess. But we made it. And I am now officially legal to be in Spain until September 2010!
Bon Nadal! Feliz Navidad! Merry Christmas!
Castellvell
I have fallen behind on my posting and I don't want any of you, my loyal followers, to miss any of the adventure. So here goes a whirlwind of posts - be sure to read down to catch any you may have missed!
The castle sitting above Solsona has proved to be a wonderful place. From the top, it is possible to see all of Solsona and the surrounding countryside, and the mountains off in the distance, depending on how clear the day may be. I make the trek up a couple of times a week, and it is always different up there... the way the light falls, the clarity of the air - but it is beautiful every time. The light was especially stunning on this trip up.
The castle sitting above Solsona has proved to be a wonderful place. From the top, it is possible to see all of Solsona and the surrounding countryside, and the mountains off in the distance, depending on how clear the day may be. I make the trek up a couple of times a week, and it is always different up there... the way the light falls, the clarity of the air - but it is beautiful every time. The light was especially stunning on this trip up.
¡VOTA!
In case you are not aware, Catalans would very much like to gain independence from Spain and have Catalonia recognized as an independent country. Right now they are an autonomous region, with their own president and their own official language - but any government decision must go through the central government of Madrid. On the 13th of December communities across Catalonia held a vote on Catalan independence. The vote was purely symbolic, but it was posed to garner more recognition for the movement towards independence. Catalonia is a fascinating region with an incredibly rich and important history. I recommend coming for a visit, or at the very least going for an armchair journey. If you are interested in learning more about the vote or the independence movement you should check out this BBC article about the vote.
Friday, December 4, 2009
Exciting Discovery at the Local Castle
I've been up to Solsona's castle multiple times now, on my own and with visitors. But this past trip up I discovered something that caused me no small amount of amusement. So I hope this puts a smile on your face too.
Two foot marks with a hole in the center... what could it be???
Wait! I have an idea....
Look out below!
Friday, November 27, 2009
Dia de Acción de Gracias
Yesterday was an interesting day. Unlike the rest of you, I had to go to work since Thanksgiving is of course not celebrated here. But it was a neat opportunity to share something of US culture with my students. With my young students, I explained a little about the history of Thanksgiving and the traditions, and then I showed them how to make a hand turkey! They spent the class drawing and decorating their turkeys - then I took pictures of them with their drawings to share with you. I'll post the pictures soon, since I took them with the school camara and haven't gotten my hands on them yet. But they are super cute.
With my adult classes I was able to explain a bit more about the holiday, and then as a speaking exercise we went around the room and they said what they were thankful for. It brought me some of the spirit of the day even though I was far from home.
For dinner, even in our teensy weensy kitchen, we managed to whip up a really delicious feast. We made mashed potatoes, stuffing, roasted squash, and green beans. Yummy! I missed making a pie, but we found a Spanish pumpkin pastry, so that had to suffice until next year. And thanks to Skype, we shared our meal with family and friends even from thousands of miles away. What a world.
In the spirit of the day, I am thankful for the opportunity to be here, for my family and friends, for the sunshine, for internet and Skype, for café con leche, for the ability to communicate in another language with ease, for delicious and extremely affordable Spanish wine... the list goes on.
So, desde España, Happy Thanksgiving!
With my adult classes I was able to explain a bit more about the holiday, and then as a speaking exercise we went around the room and they said what they were thankful for. It brought me some of the spirit of the day even though I was far from home.
For dinner, even in our teensy weensy kitchen, we managed to whip up a really delicious feast. We made mashed potatoes, stuffing, roasted squash, and green beans. Yummy! I missed making a pie, but we found a Spanish pumpkin pastry, so that had to suffice until next year. And thanks to Skype, we shared our meal with family and friends even from thousands of miles away. What a world.
In the spirit of the day, I am thankful for the opportunity to be here, for my family and friends, for the sunshine, for internet and Skype, for café con leche, for the ability to communicate in another language with ease, for delicious and extremely affordable Spanish wine... the list goes on.
So, desde España, Happy Thanksgiving!
La Guía Sorprendida
On Tuesday I put on yet another new hat. "Deborah the Picasso Expert and Museum Guide". What a trip. I went to Barcelona with fifty sixth graders and their teachers to visit the Picasso Museum. We split the group in two, and with twenty-five kids in tow, I marched them through the museum, pausing at about twelve different paintings to draw their attention to Picasso's ever-changing artistic styles and evolution as an artist. Of course, their English is basic and they are eleven-year-olds, so I had to be careful with my words and ask them questions like, "what colors did Picasso use in this painting?" "Are the people in the paintings happy or sad?". The funny part was that this was of course not a private visit, so the museum was full of other people. After the second or third explanation in front of a painting, I began to notice that some of my audience members were much taller than when I began. Barcelona is a city full of tourists, so there were plenty of people who understood English, mistook me for an official museum guide, and tagged along through my presentation. A few even came up to me at the end to ask some questions about Picasso, or to thank me for the tour. Then I did it all over again with the second group. Highly amusing!
After the tour, we spent an hour or so in an enormous park to have lunch and let the kids burn off some steam before getting on the bus back to Solsona. The Catalonian Parliament building resides in this park, as well as a science museum and a statue of a mammoth. There was also this incredible fountain in the center of the park, with a golden chariot at the top and mermaid sculptures. Have I mentioned that I love my job?
After the tour, we spent an hour or so in an enormous park to have lunch and let the kids burn off some steam before getting on the bus back to Solsona. The Catalonian Parliament building resides in this park, as well as a science museum and a statue of a mammoth. There was also this incredible fountain in the center of the park, with a golden chariot at the top and mermaid sculptures. Have I mentioned that I love my job?
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Homage to Catalonia
I can't believe it has been almost two weeks since I have posted anything. How time flies! And so much has gone on in the meantime. On the 13th (Friday the 13th to be precise) it finally happened folks. After all the stories I've heard over the years tourist being robbed and how important it is to be aware of your belongings when traveling - and always being sort of skeptical about how it could happen - it happened to me. What an awful, helpless, foolish, frustrating feeling it is to be robbed. Those were MY things! What right do they have to take them? Luckily for me, I was not carrying my passport. But they got my sweet Timbuktu bag! Mostly I lost sentimental/useful things, that would be of no use to the robber but were amazingly distressing for me to lose. My notebook with all the English lesson planning I have done since arriving here! My pocket moleskin with various unintelligible scribbles that only I understand. My change purse that my dear friend Allison gave me before my trip to Costa Rica. A favorite lip balm that I can only get in Eugene, Oregon. They are probably all just sitting in garbage can somewhere in Barcelona. I would have rather just been asked for all my money and gotten to keep my bag and its precious cargo! Instead they snuck off with it while my head was turned... I didn't even know it happened. I know, I know! I should have been more careful, believe me, I only blame myself. So the Spanish Adventure continues...
In brighter news, this past Saturday we went with a group of teachers from my school on an excursion to Gósol, a small town set deeper into the prepirineos. When Picasso was in his early twenties, he spent two or three months in Gósol over the summer, and it was here that he painted some of his famous works and began to explore a more cubist style in his paintings. We explored the town, visited the house where he lived, took some pictures from the balcony where he painted, and ate lunch in a local restaurant. We also made some stops along the way to Gósol: at the mouth of the river Cardener, and in a town shooting up into the sky on a hilltop in the middle of a valley surrounded by larger mountains. Breathtaking. Here are some highlights:
In brighter news, this past Saturday we went with a group of teachers from my school on an excursion to Gósol, a small town set deeper into the prepirineos. When Picasso was in his early twenties, he spent two or three months in Gósol over the summer, and it was here that he painted some of his famous works and began to explore a more cubist style in his paintings. We explored the town, visited the house where he lived, took some pictures from the balcony where he painted, and ate lunch in a local restaurant. We also made some stops along the way to Gósol: at the mouth of the river Cardener, and in a town shooting up into the sky on a hilltop in the middle of a valley surrounded by larger mountains. Breathtaking. Here are some highlights:
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