Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Las Fahyas....said in your best Rhode Islandese.....

So I just finished my weekly lesson with one of my students, Alejandro, a super intellegent soul that is aiming to be a military pilot here in Spain. (big goals!) We do an hour of conversation every week, but it usually results in him teaching me something! (Today I learned all about the forces of planes and some physics too!) His English is getting better which is cool and we have some great conversations! I wish every student was like that!

Haha. End of the trimester here in Spain...everyone is itching for Semana Santa to begin. Karli and I leave on Saturday for the south of Spain...beach weather baby! The sun has finally decided to show its face around here. It just makes everyone happier.

Today is our big presentation in the Language School. It's their culture week, and we have been asked to give some talks about the United States. Karli's talking about the Native Americans, Emily's talking about the top ten things to do in Seattle, and I'm discussing the University life, with focus on the Northeast. Definitely should be fun. The university here is quite different than the USA, so I'm interested in seeing what these kids think about it. Hopefully I don't start tripping over my words! blah. We will see.

Last weekend I had the opportunity to go to Valencia with Sonia (This girl is taking me everywhere!) for Las Fallas, the most important festival in the Valencian province. It all started back in the day when carpenters needed to burn the materials and things that they no longer needed, so they started making large bonfires and burning what they needed to burn. They coincided the burning to fall on St. Joseph's day, the day of the carpenter! haha (coincidental? I think not...) So over the years, the festival evolved into the different neighborhoods each banning together and building their own 'creymera' or 'falla' that during the week before St. Joseph's day, would be judged. The winning falla would be spared for the following year, while all the others (There are hundreds!) would be burned throughout the city on the 19th of March.

As the years evolved, each of these bands of people got together, and along with building their own falla, they decided to form a club that during the month of March became like a big place to party and enjoy the festivities. There were fallas everywhere! Luckily, Sonia lived right next to one, so I could see it up close and personal. (Not so nice the next day when they started playing music at 11 in the morning.)

Yay!

The Valencian Post Office


We enjoyed ourselves though. One Sonia's friends was celebrating her birthday, so for dinner we went to a comedy club....I didn't think they even existed here in Spain! It was awesome, the comedian was absolutely hilarious, and I actually understood most of it! Afterwards I got to meet more of Sonia's friends and we went out dancing until dawn. Valencia was really pretty....warmer than Calatayud, yet still cool. We were able to walk around in light jackets and be ok. There's something about a place that is near water....it just makes the atmosphere so much more relaxed. I was happy to be near the ocean though...there's something about it that made me feel closer to home. I'm going stir crazy in this landlocked town!!!


The Falla next to Sonia's house

The Falla from Sonia's balcony


Throwing fireworks in a parking lot....a Falla tradition
I threw my first ones!


This is for you dad! Look at all the paella possibilites.....

The club where there is music and dancing and food and merriment....
All ready to go out!!!!!!


1 comment:

  1. Oh my dear Sara, thank you for the lesson about Fella. And once you start to understand the comedy of another language, you know the language. I love you! xoxox

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