Although in reality, many times it feels like I can’t. In the middle of finishing final papers and homework, preparing presentations, and studying for exams we are also all worrying about class registration and housing for next school year, spending precious last moments with our families here, and having one more shebang before packing it all up again... in 9 days. Ready, set, go!
I can’t believe we’ve reached the last week of class; the last times Alfonso and Ge (and for many, María Elena) will see our bright and shining faces staring back at them alert and ready to venture out yet again into that fantastic faraway place known as the World of Knowledge. But we’ll no longer have to worry about the videos not working in Ge’s class, or the computer asking if we’d like to have a chat in the middle of a lecture, or trying to hear over the noise of motos, firecrackers, and the songs of birds or elementary schools nearby. No more frantically trying to copy down notes before the slide changes. No more listening to Alfonso talk about “rollos”, or picking on Anne in 368, and no more complementing him on his attractive ‘salt and pepper’ hair. No more making up questions to take up time. No more trips to the Mercadona/Mercadillo in between Lit and History. No more tutor sessions... No more class in Spain. All we have left are the many precious memories we have made to take back with us. And of course we keep making new ones!
We had been planning to throw a surprise party for María Elena’s birthday a little while before (surprise!) she actually invited us over for a birthday/pool party at her bungalow. Nevertheless, we were determined to make it work, so on Friday when she was busy at the UNED we snuck over early with all of the decorations and food to get everything ready. All of the other students (well, except poor Kelly!) came to quietly await María Elena’s return in her living room. As she came up to the house, Neal called to her that we were waiting out on the back patio, but as she walked in, “¡Sorpresa!” we were all there to greet her. Following this we had a wonderful time of eating coca (like coffee cake), showing the video message we had made, and then María Elena had a chance to tell us each individually how special we are :) After that it was party time! Many students (locos) jumped into the freezing pool and we all ate, drank, talked, and danced to our hearts’ content.
We have an awesome group/network of people here, not to mention unforgettable experiences, so you guys at home will have to forgive us if at times it seems like life has been so much better in Spain. The truth is that the differences have been so good, it’s hard to imagine going back. So much so that I’ve had to make some promises to myself in order to keep everything focused in these last days: I promise to remain a good student; I promise to not completely cut off communication with my friends and family back home (although you’ll have to expect a little less out of me;); I promise to make the most out of each day; I promise to take more pictures and eat more Spanish food; and I promise to have A LOT of fun. ¿De acuerdo? ¿Sí o no? Vale. It seems like a daunting task to get so much accomplished in so little time, but I know that as with all things, through Christ who strengthens me, I can.
-Written by Hope McElroy (including some suggestions from other students)
Monday, May 10, 2010
Monday, May 3, 2010
So Little Time...
One more week down, and most of us can’t believe that we only have 16 more days here in Denia. It really has become our home away from home, and many of us have once again realized this after our last long weekend. We didn’t have class on Friday again, so there were places to visit, of course! A few of us stayed here in Denia, with a couple excursions nearby, but others found themselves out of the country yet again. Dublin, Paris, Morocco, Rome and Vienna were the five places outside of Spain visited, and Valencia and Benidorm were hit by others here in Spain. All in all, we had a great weekend and came back safely, although there are always travel issues. We have learned a lot about transportation during this semester, especially the fact that you really can’t depend on everything going as planned, which brings us back to a characteristic that we all promised from the beginning of the semester: flexibility. Many times we have found ourselves where we didn’t expect to be, or arriving or departing at different times, but we have ended up back in Denia safe and sound each time, thankfully.
So here we are back to our last full week of classes. The schedule from here on out is short and sweet. We have six more days of classes, with three days of exams after. Then, we have a weekend free to hang out with our new-found friends and our host families for the last time. The last Monday we will be thanking all the people who have helped us out this semester here in Denia with a farewell luncheon, and Tuesday we are having a little party for our host families. More on that later, I’m sure! It hasn’t quite hit us that we only have a short amount of time left to soak up the sun, swim in the Mediterranean, practice sports with the Spaniards, or hang out with our Spanish friends. Those goodbyes are fast approaching, unfortunately. And all of a sudden we will all find ourselves back in the United States of America, wondering if we really did just live in Spain for four and a half months…is it really almost done?!
-Written by Kaylee Veenstra
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Our Final Excursion Deserves Two Posts
Well hello family and friends. We got back from Madrid yesterday (which included day trips to Segovia and Toledo) and had a blast. Sometimes I think we lose the wonder of what it means to be in a different country and see grand cathedrals and breathtaking artwork every time we travel to cities that are older than the United Sates, but Madrid still managed to keep me in awe of its splendor with one word: Prado. El Museo del Prado is arguably the best museum in the world possessing works by Pablo Picasso, Francisco Goya, Diego Velazquez, Rembrandt, and El Greco. We also went to the Escorial (a place where some of the kings of Spain are entombed), the Royal Palace (with over 2000 rooms, this place is humongous), and El Rastro (the biggest open-air market in Madrid).
In Segovia we saw the aqueducts that the Romans used more than a thousand years ago (above). In Toledo we were taken aback by the splendor of the cathedral, also built so very long ago.
After one dinner at the restaurant near our hostel we were serenaded by a guitarist and singer duo that had many of us clapping and even dancing along. They played classic Spanish hits from Latin America like La Bamba and the Macarena as well as some American favorites like Killing Me Softly.
Pray for us so that we may finish this final stretch strong. Even though we are so far away and we have all these amazing things to experience, always know that there are always thoughts of you guys in the back of our minds.
The beautiful view of Toledo
Some of us at the restaurant (with their colorful napkins!)
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Homesick
Yes we are all a little bit homesick for the U.S. in one way or another, but that’s not what this blog is about. I’m talking about how homesick I’m going to be (and surely many others from the group will be) when I have to leave behind my family here.
At first living with a family, or for some of us only mamas, was a weird change. Instead of living on our own like normal we all of a sudden lived in someone else’s house with someone else’s rules. We get our food made for us, our laundry washed, and the house cleaned! It’s nice to not have to worry about any of that, but like I said, quite a change.
Well, after living here for four months now, it’s safe to say that those changes were actually simple. In fact, the truth is that our host families have become our refuge, a tool to help all the changes seem less scary. Our families are the normalness in our every-day, crazy lives! This really became evident to me upon returning from spring break vacations. After 12 days out of the country I was ready to go home. I was sitting on the plane feeling like I was going home to the U.S. Upon arriving in Denia I was not very excited because I still felt like I was not at home. All those feelings disappeared immediately when I walked in the apartment and saw my mama waiting for me. She was so happy to see me, she gave me a lot of besitos, family style! I immediately had forgotten those feelings of foreignness and quickly remembered that I do have a home here.
Not only do I have a home, I have a whole extended network of people who care for me and my well-being (outside the Calvin group of course). I have my immediate family that I have developed an intense relationship with, but I also have all my brothers and their families, all my aunts and uncles, etc.
In the home with the host family is by far one of the best ways to practice our Spanish. As a group we have found it a constant struggle to try to balance school work and family time. It’s a tough battle since I can’t even decide which one I learn more from, school or my family. I have also come to find that every time I decide to travel outside of Denia, that’s another time that I could be spending with my family.
While the struggle sounds like a bad thing, it really does not inhibit the ability to build relationships with our families. They are fully aware that we are here for less than 5 months. They understand our goals, our lifestyle, our struggles, etc. and they are all very giving and here for us. We love it when our mamas pack us lunch to take on a trip and she slips in a bar of chocolate!
While we have all developed routines for spending time with our families (i.e. eating meals together) we have also found ways to spend extra time together, trying to bond as much as possible in the little time we have here. Some of us have certain shows that we watch together, others play weekly games of dominoes, others go on walks, others are in the same church groups, others cook together, and so on and so forth.
No one person can really compare their family, or home experience to that of another person. But it is certain that we can all say that the experiences are valuable, and the uniqueness of each one is what makes them attractive. Just like back home in the U.S. we all treasure the uniqueness of our own situation. Just like with our real parents, our host parents beliefs and customs can be seen in what we do and how we act here in Spain. If our mamas eat only yogurt for dinner, that’s what you’re supposed to eat for dinner. If our mamas take siestas, then we think that’s the right thing to do. It’s funny, sometimes when I am trying to make conclusions about Spain’s culture I have to take a step back and remind myself that that’s probably not all of Spain, but just my mama.
In conclusion, living with a host family is a true blessing. Not only do we have the comfort and companionship of our own home with people who care about us, we also have a constant person to practice our Spanish with, and the opportunity to see/live in Spain like a Spaniard would.
At first living with a family, or for some of us only mamas, was a weird change. Instead of living on our own like normal we all of a sudden lived in someone else’s house with someone else’s rules. We get our food made for us, our laundry washed, and the house cleaned! It’s nice to not have to worry about any of that, but like I said, quite a change.
Well, after living here for four months now, it’s safe to say that those changes were actually simple. In fact, the truth is that our host families have become our refuge, a tool to help all the changes seem less scary. Our families are the normalness in our every-day, crazy lives! This really became evident to me upon returning from spring break vacations. After 12 days out of the country I was ready to go home. I was sitting on the plane feeling like I was going home to the U.S. Upon arriving in Denia I was not very excited because I still felt like I was not at home. All those feelings disappeared immediately when I walked in the apartment and saw my mama waiting for me. She was so happy to see me, she gave me a lot of besitos, family style! I immediately had forgotten those feelings of foreignness and quickly remembered that I do have a home here.
Not only do I have a home, I have a whole extended network of people who care for me and my well-being (outside the Calvin group of course). I have my immediate family that I have developed an intense relationship with, but I also have all my brothers and their families, all my aunts and uncles, etc.
In the home with the host family is by far one of the best ways to practice our Spanish. As a group we have found it a constant struggle to try to balance school work and family time. It’s a tough battle since I can’t even decide which one I learn more from, school or my family. I have also come to find that every time I decide to travel outside of Denia, that’s another time that I could be spending with my family.
While the struggle sounds like a bad thing, it really does not inhibit the ability to build relationships with our families. They are fully aware that we are here for less than 5 months. They understand our goals, our lifestyle, our struggles, etc. and they are all very giving and here for us. We love it when our mamas pack us lunch to take on a trip and she slips in a bar of chocolate!
While we have all developed routines for spending time with our families (i.e. eating meals together) we have also found ways to spend extra time together, trying to bond as much as possible in the little time we have here. Some of us have certain shows that we watch together, others play weekly games of dominoes, others go on walks, others are in the same church groups, others cook together, and so on and so forth.
No one person can really compare their family, or home experience to that of another person. But it is certain that we can all say that the experiences are valuable, and the uniqueness of each one is what makes them attractive. Just like back home in the U.S. we all treasure the uniqueness of our own situation. Just like with our real parents, our host parents beliefs and customs can be seen in what we do and how we act here in Spain. If our mamas eat only yogurt for dinner, that’s what you’re supposed to eat for dinner. If our mamas take siestas, then we think that’s the right thing to do. It’s funny, sometimes when I am trying to make conclusions about Spain’s culture I have to take a step back and remind myself that that’s probably not all of Spain, but just my mama.
In conclusion, living with a host family is a true blessing. Not only do we have the comfort and companionship of our own home with people who care about us, we also have a constant person to practice our Spanish with, and the opportunity to see/live in Spain like a Spaniard would.
Jessica picking oranges with her mama
Brittany celebrating her uncles birthday with he mama and sister
Me playing with my niece, like always.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Nuestra Viaje a Madrid – Una verdadera maravillllllla (Our trip to Madrid – a true marvel)
Last week Thursday we hopped the good ole’ ESTEVE bus for our last excursion to Madrid, laden once again with bags of tinfoil-wrapped “bocadillos” (sandwiches) and fruit, cameras, rain jackets, and móviles (cell phones). If there is one thing Spanish life has taught us it’s how to pack for a weekend vaca.
Our arrival brought us to a clean, modern “albergue” (hostel), where we dropped our stuff and headed down to the Prado Museum. Even though we had left the coast, the Spanish sun was still shining and we soaked in the sounds and smells of Madrid during our walk. I was surprised/delighted to find that Madrid is a city full of green spaces, and it wasn’t unusual to smell orange trees on the breeze there. Prado museum was incredible and overwhelming. Around every corner was another unbelievably famous piece of artwork by Velázquez or Rafael that I have seen countless times in art or history classes. So cool! Thank you liberal arts for allowing me to spend two hours in an art museum without falling asleep!
The next day we headed down to Toledo. Truthfully, the town looked like something out of a fairytale. The town itself is set up on a hill that is nearly surrounded by a river. Looking at Toledo from across the river, it looks like rows upon rows of salmon-orange houses, stacked one on top of the other up the hillside. Una verdadera maravillllla as our trusty guide Enrique said. Once again we were fortunate enough to soak up yet another beautiful day while we wandered through the historical buildings and streets.
Saturday brought an early morning trip out to El Escorial and Segovia. I can’t help but mention that yet again, we had gorgeous weather – all sunshine and barely a cloud to be seen. El Escorial was somber and cold, but still fascinating. My favorite part was the library – one of the best in Europe at the time of its assembly, and full of books written in Latin and sitting old and wise in rows and rows of cases. It was a real bummer that here, like so many other famous places, it is absolutely forbidden to take pictures (something they usually take very seriously). After El Escorial, we headed over to Segovia, where we got to take pictures in front of the Alcázar (google it) – the absolute epitome of fairytale dream castle – blue roofed towers and all. Then we headed deeper into the city where we witnessed one of the marvels of modern Spain – the Roman aqueduct. It is still nearly whole, and awe-inspiring to behold. Thanks to my History of Art class here, I was able to applaud their incredible engineering and practical spirit with a deep appreciation. Finally, we headed off to La Granja de San Ildefonso, a summer palace for the Spanish royal family. Those of us who had been to Versailles (I have not) say that it is very similar. There we witnessed the shooting off of fountains in the extensive gardens there. I use “shooting off” here because that is exactly what they did --- they would turn on a fountain, and then gradually increase the water pressure until it absolutely soaked the onlookers. I was unluckily trapped in a corner and had to endure the rest of the day with wet feet --- thankfully though, I had remembered my trusty rain coat, which has come in very useful over the past few months! =)
Finally, Sunday. We could hardly believe it was already our last day! In the morning, the group split between heading to the Parque de Buen Retiro and the Rastro – a famous flea market. In the afternoon we had our appointment to enter the royal palace. I was extremely surprised to find that this was one of my favorite sites. The rooms were visually overwhelming - not only in size, but in luxury and decoration. It was fun to picture royals and nobles of the 18th and 19th century wandering in and out of chandelier lit salons and throne rooms. There was also an armory with metal armor for adults, horses and even children! After the royal palace, we jaunted over to the Gran Vía (a main street in Madrid) to grab some cheap lunch and then head back to Denia! (Once again --- PERFECT weather!)
Yet another adventure completed, but definitely “aprovechado” (enjoyed to the fullest!)
-Written by Anne Bouman
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Home Sweet Denia
As Emma said, we are all back safe from our incredible adventures throughout Europe. This week has been spent catching up with the people who truly feel like my new brothers and sisters, sharing our craziest and most memorable moments of our journeys. During break many of us experienced bumps along the way such as canceled flights, train strikes, missing the last metro of the night, or sleeping in strange places; however, all of the stressful times are nothing when we look back at the loads of amazing moments we experienced and the literally countless magnificent artworks and monuments we have anticipated seeing our whole lives, and finally have now! The Lord truly kept His hand on all of us while we were traveling, and answered so many of our prayers as well as our parents, I’m sure. There have been more than enough times this semester, and during break, when things haven’t worked out exactly how we wanted but God has most definitely shown that He works in mysterious ways, and blessed us in the end.
I would not have changed my spring break with my brother and friends for anything, but hardly sleeping the entire time and traveling to 5 major cities in 4 different countries is taxing on the body. I couldn’t help but feel at peace when getting on my last mode of transportation, finally returning to our home in Denia, where we know how to get around and there are familiar faces. I know I speak for everyone when I say that we are happy to be back in our homes with our families and home cooked meals.
The fact that our reuniting at school on Tuesday with our classmates was so exciting to see everyone, sharing and hearing stories, makes everyone even more anxious for the reuniting on May 20th with our family and friends in the States! There are now only 11 more days of class, and wow can you tell! I don’t know of anyone that can pay attention for a whole class anymore (not that I could ever this semester). Our thoughts are on the beach, our upcoming excursion to Madrid in 2 days, family, friends… nearly anything with the exception of history or literature of any kind. Our time in Spain has flown by, and I am not ready to leave in the least. We will all be soaking up the sun on the Mediterranean (while studying of course) and the Spanish culture until the moment we leave.
-Written by Jessica Van Slyke
I would not have changed my spring break with my brother and friends for anything, but hardly sleeping the entire time and traveling to 5 major cities in 4 different countries is taxing on the body. I couldn’t help but feel at peace when getting on my last mode of transportation, finally returning to our home in Denia, where we know how to get around and there are familiar faces. I know I speak for everyone when I say that we are happy to be back in our homes with our families and home cooked meals.
The fact that our reuniting at school on Tuesday with our classmates was so exciting to see everyone, sharing and hearing stories, makes everyone even more anxious for the reuniting on May 20th with our family and friends in the States! There are now only 11 more days of class, and wow can you tell! I don’t know of anyone that can pay attention for a whole class anymore (not that I could ever this semester). Our thoughts are on the beach, our upcoming excursion to Madrid in 2 days, family, friends… nearly anything with the exception of history or literature of any kind. Our time in Spain has flown by, and I am not ready to leave in the least. We will all be soaking up the sun on the Mediterranean (while studying of course) and the Spanish culture until the moment we leave.
-Written by Jessica Van Slyke
Meeting New People
One of the most exciting parts about starting life in a new city is making new friends and building new relationships. Even after 4 months in Denia we're constantly making new connections that may last a lifetime! Check out some of our pictures of people we've met in Denia outside of our families.
Sarah with her friends and coaches from the track team.
Maria Elena, Seth and Kaylee with the Basketball team and the president of Denia's club. Seth and some other students practice with the team.
Maria Elena and Fuencenta with some friends from Cartagena.
Neal with the friend that he has made. =)
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Oh the places we’ve been!
Just under two weeks ago, all 25 of our group members left Denia for our spring break to experience more of Europe (save for Professor Bierling and Neal who stayed here to enjoy the visit of some of their grandkids and children!) We were ready for a break, as most of us had just taken a history midterm and all of us had been at the daily grind of school for a while. The last few days were a bit hectic, between packing, studying, printing out boarding passes, and trying to find some time to take in the sun that has just come out in Denia. But we got that all taken care of, and well, it was quite the exciting spring break for us – it’s not every year that we get to go gallivanting about Europe! Our trips were varied – some kept as close as Spain, for one group, in hiking the famed pilgrimage, the “Camino de Santiago,” and for another group, in taking in the sunshine of the beaches of the Canary Islands, a European holiday favorite. All the while, others went as far as Denmark and Norway to visit family and friends! The rest of us were somewhere in between – a few made it up to the UK and the Netherlands, while a good majority of us hit up Italy and/or France – and as far as I know from what I’ve heard – they were all amazing! We also had good traveling companions: members of our own Spain group, family and friends that came from home, family and friends that live in Europe, and new friends made along the way that hailed from places like Valencia, Italy, Ireland, Eritrea, and the US. (A few guys even got to meet up for coffee with one of our Spanish professors in his hometown in Northern Spain.) It is quite idyllic to be able to say to a friend, “let’s rendezvous in front of the fountains in Rome!”
Speaking for myself, I had a ton of fun and learned a lot, too. I went to the south of France, Paris, and Cinque Terre, Italy. There were some awesome moments, like visiting old friends, experiencing the beauty of God’s creation through hiking and kayaking in Provence and Northern Italy, and seeing sights I had always dreamed of seeing, like the Eiffel tower and the Louvre. It was cool to see how what I had learned in my classes in Spain applied to my travels in other countries: for example, seeing Notre Dame in Paris was much more meaningful because I had studied gothic architecture in Spanish art history class. Even though our examples had been the cathedrals of León, Burgos, and Toledo, the same concepts still applied in France. (Some of our group members went to see the very cathedrals we studied in that class, like the ones in León and Santiago de Compostela.) But these trips included hard times too: for one, it was lost luggage, for another, it was a passport predicament, and for me, it was the French train strike on the day I had to make it from Paris to Cinque Terre, Italy, all by myself. Most of my connecting trains were canceled, and it ended up being a pretty stressful day. But if there’s anything that international travel teaches you, it’s flexibility – and coming to realize that things like a train strike are not the end of the world. God provided, and things worked out in the end. I can see his faithfulness in how he took care of me that day and throughout the trip, and I am confident that many of my group members have stories like this one. God is faithful, and he has blessed us so!
Well, safe to say that this spring break was a blast, and now, as my grandparents would say, “all of the chickens are back in the nest.” Despite one group member who got delayed in Barcelona coming home, we have now, at last, all made it back to Denia. It was interesting and almost surprising to see how much Spain (and Denia, specifically), felt like home when we got back. For my travel mates and I, landing in Alicante and hailing a taxi was so refreshing, easy, and comfortable – “hey,” we realized, after having been in Italy, “we speak this language [Spanish] pretty well!” Our corner of Spain has become a home to us. And having experienced other cultures and environments on the voyage, we now have refreshed eyes to see Spain in a new way. So now we are hopefully all refreshed, energized, and (some of us) rested to head into our last 5 weeks in Spain. The adjustment back to doing homework and studying for tests will not be easy, but we’ll get through it, just as we always do. :) Thanks so much for your prayers and
support!
--Written by Emma DeVries
Hiking in Cinque Terre National Park, Italy
Celebrating Easter in France with brothers and sisters in Christ from 6 countries. Celebrating Easter in various places was really cool, as we got to see the traditions of believers from many cultures!
Monday, March 29, 2010
Good Weather and the Upcoming Calvin Spring Break Diaspora
The last full week before spring break. Here in Denia we have had our first week of amazing weather: sun, no clouds, no rain. Calvin students could be seen in most outdoor locales, scaling Montgó (Denia's mountain), enjoying the beach, running alongside the sea, or meandering through the numerous sidestreets and older neighborhoods of Denia. After looking at this blog, readers may not realize that we are taking classes here in Denia as well. All of our classes are at the local university, the U.N.E.D. (Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia). We have two professors from Spain, who teach 308, 309, art history, and Spanish literature. Alfonso is a witty Spaniard from a small pueblo in León, and I have no idea where Ge is from, but she smokes like a chimney and it's great when she uses her cigarette box and lighter to illustrate architectural concepts. María Elena, or Prof. Bierling, teaches 340 (linguistics) and 316 (contemporary Spain), along with working on a myriad of administrative tasks for the group. Tracy Ariza, an American who married a local Denian a few years back and who lives year-round in Denia, coordinates the ethnographic study and helps the group immensely with her knowledge of and connections in the area. I don't know who teaches 301 or 302, but I think we have or had those classes as well.
This weekend the tourists came pouring in from different parts of Europe to enjoy the beautiful sunny weather here in Denia. It is funny to see sunburned Brits wandering the streets of Denia in search of the English-speaking bars and consulting their tri-fold Rand McNally maps as they search in vain for any kind of street sign that will help them get their bearings. I feel a certain satisfaction in knowing that I would have to try quite hard to get lost in Denia by now. Today there was a large procession to commemorate Christ's entrance to Jerusalem; the locals stay true to the Biblical description with their palm fronds and olive branches. I was curious to see where everyone was going for spring break, and according to what I found out, Calvin students will soon be roving the following locales: Amsterdam, London, Paris, Montpelier, Nice, Cinque Terre, Rome, the Canary Islands, Venice, Barcelona, Madrid, Valencia, Florence, Pisa, Lisboa, Oslo, Dublin, and northern Spain hiking the Camino de Santiago. I'm positive that I missed quite a few places, but at least this gives a hint as to the good times that will be had by Calvin students throughout Europe. Since Calvin's spring break was last week, we have seen a few significant others come out to spend time with their other halves; it is fun to see friends from the states come out. At this point, I think that most of us in the group realize how quickly the time has gone by here and are renewing our efforts to make the most of what time we have here. Every day provides a new opportunity to learn something of great value. We ask for readers' prayers as everyone is traveling everywhere this coming week; prayers for safety and discernment.
--Written by Phil Videtich
Alfonso with some of us from his 368 literature class
Monday, March 22, 2010
Fallas
The Falla worth 600 000 euros.
Some of the group that went to a "corrida de toros"
Some of our girls imitating the balerinas of one of Denia's fallas.
This past week, all of us had to study for our midterms amidst the loud explosions of firecrackers that were part of the biggest spring festival in the community of Valencia: Las Fallas. The Fallas is one of the most important events where different groups make satirical sculptures made out of cardboard, wood, or styrofoam. These are set in different parts of the city/town and later burnt on the night of March 19th, saving the 1st place at last. Everybody in Denia was in the party mode throughout the entire week. There were also marching bands, people dressed up in their beautiful traditional fallas’ clothes, fireworks waking us up at 7am, and kids throwing firecrackers everywhere you went. On Thursday, after surviving throughout our midterms that lasted for three days, we all went to the city of Valencia, where the biggest Fallas were, with some Germans from our church. There were so many people in Valencia that everybody was just pushing everyone else around (there are 1million tourists coming to see the fallas in Valencia every year!). All of us just walked around looking at the different fallas (the sculptures) and a lot of us also went to watch a bullfight! Watching the bulls die for the first time was just really hard at first, but by the end of the show we were all “ole”ing just like the rest of the crowd. After walking around for hours and watching the fireworks at 2am, most of us went back to Denia, but there were some people like myself who stayed back in Valencia, because we had friends visiting us and we wanted to see the burning of the fallas in Valencia. Watching all those fallas being burnt was just amazingly awesome. Yet, I also kept thinking about the fact that it was all money burning down, as all those fallas were made out of money that is collected by their group members (the most expensive falla in Valencia was that of 600,000 euros). All in all, it was just so impressive and interesting. This week has been one of the most busy, crazy, fun, I-would-so-do-it-again weeks here in Spain.
--Written by Ahn Chan Young
Monday, March 15, 2010
Preparation
It has been a week of preparation. All of the students have been preparing for a plethora of exams and the people of Denia have been preparing for Las Fallas.
At the beginning of the week the celebratory mood of Denia came alive. Some of the streets have been closed down in order to facilitate large colorful sculptures. These huge sculptures are called fallas and many are as large as the buildings around them. The falleros (teams of workers) have been working on these masterpieces all year, and all of the hard work culminates in the celebration of fallas this week. (I will only describe the preparation here and leave you in suspense as to what the celebration entails this weekend :) )
Just a little tip for visitors during this time of year: ¡Ten cuidado! Watch out for groups of children in the street. A favorite celebratory pastime of the youth of Denia is to throw firecrackers in the street (and I literally mean lighting the firecracker and throwing it onto the sidewalk or into the middle of the street). A simple task like walking to the grocery store can turn into an action-packed scene with explosions from all sides! It seems to me like there is never rest during this week. Music, firecrackers, tourists, and paellas abound until all hours of the night.
Other than that, we have all been working diligently to study for exams in the hopes that we will be able to better celebrate after we have finished. Keep us in your prayers as we continue to work hard at our classes!
--Written by Clara DeJonge
At the beginning of the week the celebratory mood of Denia came alive. Some of the streets have been closed down in order to facilitate large colorful sculptures. These huge sculptures are called fallas and many are as large as the buildings around them. The falleros (teams of workers) have been working on these masterpieces all year, and all of the hard work culminates in the celebration of fallas this week. (I will only describe the preparation here and leave you in suspense as to what the celebration entails this weekend :) )
Just a little tip for visitors during this time of year: ¡Ten cuidado! Watch out for groups of children in the street. A favorite celebratory pastime of the youth of Denia is to throw firecrackers in the street (and I literally mean lighting the firecracker and throwing it onto the sidewalk or into the middle of the street). A simple task like walking to the grocery store can turn into an action-packed scene with explosions from all sides! It seems to me like there is never rest during this week. Music, firecrackers, tourists, and paellas abound until all hours of the night.
Other than that, we have all been working diligently to study for exams in the hopes that we will be able to better celebrate after we have finished. Keep us in your prayers as we continue to work hard at our classes!
--Written by Clara DeJonge
More Grandchildren
Our professor Maria Elena and her husband Neal have now increased their total number of granchildren to 6 will the arrival of Kieran Alexander - born yesterday in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Another healthy family member!
Monday, March 8, 2010
The Charming South of Spain
Dear loyal followers of our humble blog,
I am writing to you all from the comfort of my bedroom after a whirlwind adventure of a lifetime in Andalucia. I’ve just spent the last 3 hours poring over mountains of photos from the last week (my homework can wait one more day, right?), reliving the memories – sinking again into the awe of viewing, for the very first time, the marching red and white arches of La Gran Mezquita de Cordoba, or puzzling over the sculpted text and designs intertwining and climbing the walls of La Alhambra like so many flowering vines following the steps of an exquisite dance.
I’ve a feeling that experiencing these ancient sites would instill wonder in any human soul, but being obsessed (I don’t think I can describe the sentiment more strongly than that) with history and art as I am, I’m pretty sure I died from the rapture of it all at least about 10 times. Imagine, for example, our first thoughts upon entering La Catedral de Granada. This particular edifice was erected in “el estilo gigante” – gigantic style. Shall I explain? It’s quite possible that it took me 15 minutes just to gaze from the pearly tiled floors to the arching ceiling, that being supported by towering columns that bore a strong resemblance to giant sequoias. I’m convinced that it would have taken at least half of the group to stretch our arms around one (ok, perhaps that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but these things were monstrous!). To sit at the base of one of them would have felt akin to being an ant at the foot of an immense tree, staring up into the blue and pondering the world in all its wonder. Surely the cathedral was meant to inspire that sort of awe, and I have to admit that my heart was ready to leap out of my chest in violent worship of our grand Creator. If human hands can erect something of such grandeur, what wonder is the source of all this creativity capable of? I’ve had a very small taste of that splendor during travels through mountains – veritable coffers of the riches of God, and that alone was enough to knock me off my feet.
Well dear friends, that was just the tip of the iceberg. We spent the morning of the following day chasing foreign scents and frolicking music down the strange and labyrinthine alleys of el Albaicin, one of the oldest parts of Granada and home to some truly gorgeous Arabic architecture – a small hint of what awaited us in La Alhambra later that afternoon. I’ll not spend much time with description as I’m anxious to get on to talking about the Mosque, but suffice it to say the ancient palace was like something out of Arabian Nights. The walls really did seem to come alive with crawling decoration – flower stems twisting and turning like serpents twining their way through starbursts, diamonds, and the flowing script of passages from the Qu’ran. It was every bit as staggering as the cathedral, though perhaps expressing power and beauty through playful mind-games and tricks of the eye rather than the somewhat forceful, engulfing power of the cathedral.
I should interject here that all of these delights for the eyes were supplemented throughout with gastric delights, the most famous of which was the cherished “churros con chocolate” (put frankly, deep fried dough dipped in molten chocolate), without a doubt the most calorie-laden fiesta my tongue has ever enjoyed.
With that, I arrive finally at the jewel of our tour, the dazzling ruby of Cordoba – La Gran Mezquita. I’m willing to admit that any bitterness I had at the fact that the lions were absent from the Court of the Lions (they would choose to restore them when their greatest fan was coming to visit) in La Alhambra was quickly washed away by the Great Mosque. I’ll not bore you all with dusty art history facts (though I’m dying to pour forth with all I’ve got), but the mosque is truly a feat to be admired. It’s basically a building the size of a football field filled with row upon row of columns, each pair supporting a double arch of red and white stripes. The affect is breath-taking, lit as it is by dim chandeliers that bathe the edges in shadow and trick the eye into thinking that the columns march into infinity. To top it off, a giant cathedral has been plunked right in the middle of the mosque! As unnatural as the mix seems, there’s something beautiful and magnificent about the way in which the two styles meld and clash. It’s an incredibly strange, and certainly unique, experience. I’d have loved to wander beneath those candied arches for hours, breathing in years of dust and the spicy-sweet scent of incense in the light flickering candles.
--Written by Kyria Osterhouse
PICTURES from our trip to Andalucia:
Group pic with La Alhambra in the background
Funny group pic in the Plaza of the Alhambra
The Mosque and it's arches
Some of the group "One foot in, one foot out" of the city proper of Cordoba
The Monastery in Granada
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Photos from Benimaurell
Better late than never =)
A group that climbed "Cabello Verde" on Sunday
A gran paella from a local restaurant
Some of the group hiking through "canon del infierno"
A group that climbed "Cabello Verde" on Sunday
A gran paella from a local restaurant
Some of the group hiking through "canon del infierno"
Entire group pic (minus Neal) at the end of the hike, posing at the fountain in Benimaurell
Monday, March 1, 2010
Opportunities
Well this week much of the group is starting to feel like Denia is our new home. Each of us has our own separate routine that keeps us busy all week long with our host families, our jobs from ethnographic studies, our conversation partners (friends) from a local high school, our acquaintances from the UNED, etc. We still have that American love of a routine engrained in us, and most of us have our routine down pat. For me, and many others, a major part of that routine is the afternoon siesta which we’ll have a hard time leaving behind when we leave Spain!
Along with getting our routine set we are also starting to notice how busy our lives are! The fact that our time in Denia has a definite end adds a little pressure to our schedules. Because each day we are one day closer to leaving Denia and returning home, we have this sense of having to do as much as we possibly can each day.
My favorite slogan has become - ¡Aprovecha! – direct translation = take advantage! This week the group as a whole has had many opportunities to take advantage of. During the middle of the week we had 3 days of straight sunlight. One day it got up to 23 degrees Celsius which is about 73 degrees Fahrenheit. You could spot out a Calvin student from a mile away – we were the only people in Denia walking around in short-sleeved shirts and flip-flops…but we don’t care if we look foreign…we like the sun!
Another opportunity we had to take advantage of was an optional excursion to Benimaurell. Benimaurell is a pueblo (small town) in the mountains. Our bus driver, Ricardo and his family have lived in Benimaurell for many years. Ricardo provided us bus transportation to and from Benimaurell for free – which made for a fantastic, cheap excursion to take advantage of.
Benimaurell was founded a muslum town in the eight century and remain that way until the Christians kicked the moriscos out during the inquisition and repopulated the city with people from Mallorca. Ricardo shared with us the rich history of his pueblo and we had the chance to apply some of what we’ve learned in our classes.
On Saturday we spent the whole day hiking through the “cañón del infierno” – canyon of hell. This was a good workout for all of us. The paths were the paths designed by the arabs since many hundreds of years. The paths wound up and down the mountain like serpents. We arrived at the bottom of the canyon two times before coming all the way back up again to Benimaurell. 300m below the canyon is the subterranean river “Río de Lucifero” – River of Lucifer. The water from this river is siphoned up naturally through the ground and was available for us to drink at various fountains along the way. It is some of the purest water in all of Spain.
On Sunday we had the opportunity to attend mass at the church. Calvin students made up nearly 2/3 of the congregation. The priest was very welcoming. Maria Elena even played guitar with the rest of the worship band. After mass we were on our own and everyone made their own adventure. Some students climbed the “caballo verde” – the green horse. This mountain is called the green horse because its two tall humps make it look like the saddle of a horse. When the Christians came to expulse the moriscos they all gathered around the base of the mountain because according to legend their “caballero” was going to come sit on the saddle to lead them to victory over the Christians. Needless to say, their legened leader never came and they lost the battle. Also at this time other students returned to the cañón del infierno to explore on their own and revisit the waterfall that we came across the day before. Some students also decided to stay at our hostel and relax around the fireplace.
While not everyone went on the trip to Benimaurell some folks stayed home. It is always nice to spend time with our host families. These students keep busy doing church activities, soaking up the sun on Denia’s beach, catching up on homework, etc.
As a whole this past weekend was a great time to take advantage of. The group bonded more than ever. We’re coming to realize that we would have never known each other if it weren’t for this trip and that would have been a shame. More and more I am realizing how many opportunities I have here in Spain and I find myself saying at the end of each weekend – I am the luckiest girl in the world.
--Written by Sarah Orndorff
Along with getting our routine set we are also starting to notice how busy our lives are! The fact that our time in Denia has a definite end adds a little pressure to our schedules. Because each day we are one day closer to leaving Denia and returning home, we have this sense of having to do as much as we possibly can each day.
My favorite slogan has become - ¡Aprovecha! – direct translation = take advantage! This week the group as a whole has had many opportunities to take advantage of. During the middle of the week we had 3 days of straight sunlight. One day it got up to 23 degrees Celsius which is about 73 degrees Fahrenheit. You could spot out a Calvin student from a mile away – we were the only people in Denia walking around in short-sleeved shirts and flip-flops…but we don’t care if we look foreign…we like the sun!
Another opportunity we had to take advantage of was an optional excursion to Benimaurell. Benimaurell is a pueblo (small town) in the mountains. Our bus driver, Ricardo and his family have lived in Benimaurell for many years. Ricardo provided us bus transportation to and from Benimaurell for free – which made for a fantastic, cheap excursion to take advantage of.
Benimaurell was founded a muslum town in the eight century and remain that way until the Christians kicked the moriscos out during the inquisition and repopulated the city with people from Mallorca. Ricardo shared with us the rich history of his pueblo and we had the chance to apply some of what we’ve learned in our classes.
On Saturday we spent the whole day hiking through the “cañón del infierno” – canyon of hell. This was a good workout for all of us. The paths were the paths designed by the arabs since many hundreds of years. The paths wound up and down the mountain like serpents. We arrived at the bottom of the canyon two times before coming all the way back up again to Benimaurell. 300m below the canyon is the subterranean river “Río de Lucifero” – River of Lucifer. The water from this river is siphoned up naturally through the ground and was available for us to drink at various fountains along the way. It is some of the purest water in all of Spain.
On Sunday we had the opportunity to attend mass at the church. Calvin students made up nearly 2/3 of the congregation. The priest was very welcoming. Maria Elena even played guitar with the rest of the worship band. After mass we were on our own and everyone made their own adventure. Some students climbed the “caballo verde” – the green horse. This mountain is called the green horse because its two tall humps make it look like the saddle of a horse. When the Christians came to expulse the moriscos they all gathered around the base of the mountain because according to legend their “caballero” was going to come sit on the saddle to lead them to victory over the Christians. Needless to say, their legened leader never came and they lost the battle. Also at this time other students returned to the cañón del infierno to explore on their own and revisit the waterfall that we came across the day before. Some students also decided to stay at our hostel and relax around the fireplace.
While not everyone went on the trip to Benimaurell some folks stayed home. It is always nice to spend time with our host families. These students keep busy doing church activities, soaking up the sun on Denia’s beach, catching up on homework, etc.
As a whole this past weekend was a great time to take advantage of. The group bonded more than ever. We’re coming to realize that we would have never known each other if it weren’t for this trip and that would have been a shame. More and more I am realizing how many opportunities I have here in Spain and I find myself saying at the end of each weekend – I am the luckiest girl in the world.
--Written by Sarah Orndorff
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