Rica! Rica! Comida!

This last week has been filled with many delicious endeavors. One day this week, we enjoyed the delights of the chocolate museum here in Barcelona. The museum explained the origins of chocolate (including the coco contributions of ancient civilizations to deities). 

Signs were posted all around with the origins of our current traditions with the delectable treat.

 Additionally, there were sculptures made entirely of chocolate and colored white chocolate. This made the whole museum area smell heavenly.

 The Spanish Christmas Cake, eaten on the 6th of January, is a sweet tradition. Inside there are two prizes. One is a King, and the other a seed. If your piece of cake has the King, you are considered the King of the party and will have good luck in the coming year. If you get the Seed, you will have bad luck at the party and in the year.

 At the museum, along with our tickets, we were given a piece of chocolate. It was a delicious dark chocolate and probably sells for about half the price of what our tickets cost.

 This chocolate depiction of a Barcelona street made me smile... an my mouth water.

 Ah, Segrada Familia. One of the most talked about structures in Spain. Still not complete one hundred years after the death of its architect, this chocolate version does not even do it justice.

 The tools used over the years in the process of making chocolate appear similar to many other mill and cooking tools used for grains and such.

 Saint Jorge and his Dragon are very popular in Barcelona.

 This chocolate grinding stone is among the more ancient pieces found in the museum.

That evening, we attended a cooking class through our academic program. Together we prepared and ate a number of traditional Catalan dishes.

 A professional chef over saw the entire process, explaining culinary details with every step.

Preparing dessert (Barcelona Creme Brule)

Prepping the potatoes for Tortilla and chicken for Paella

Tomato Bread

All of the dishes were delicious and beautifully displayed. Unfortunately my camera died in the middle of the process. Our menu consisted of a cold-tomato soup started, Spanish Tortilla, Catalan Tomato Bread, Chicken Paella, and Lemon Creme Brule for dessert. It was Fantastically delicious, and well worth the time we put into making it. I love the Tomato Bread, which is so simple to make, and could be eaten as a side with any meal.

Art Part II

As promised on my post about artists in Barcelona, you will see my rendition of a Joan Miro piece. This statue is one of many works by the artist entitled "Mujer Y Pajaro" "Woman and Bird."

This particular image was very inspiring for me when I viewed and sketched it inside of the Joan Miro museum. 

I have already discussed that I believe less realistic work to be a form of artistic shorthand. In my interpretation, I have given the woman a turtleneck-sweater, for example, as the sculpture uses the shape of a turtle shell as the body.

Soon I will give an update with pictures of sights I've been seeing, and some interesting things I've been doing, plus some anecdotes about how university in Spain is.

Making Friends

The biggest challenge when changing where one lives is finding people to do things with. There will always be things to do, even if they are new.

Many students go on their study abroad with a friend in the same program. This makes their experience much different from those who go not knowing anyone else in the program. Often if a student comes with a friend, they will find less reason to make new friends, and so do not get as many opportunities to meet individuals from the country they are studying in.

Among all US students, especially those who choose a study abroad in Barcelona, there are a number of extreme party-goers. They go abroad to drink, dance, and drink some more, in large groups of Americans. They are usually very sociable individuals, who make friends with everyone they meet at the clubs very quickly.

I fall neither into the category of coming with friends nor in the sociable party-loving. Like a select few students, I am shy, timid, and do not like staying out all night when I have classes the next day. If you are like me, do not despair! You are far more likely to make friends among locals if you are not surrounded by a pack of American students. Being in classes with locals means an opportunity to make new friends and practice the local language! And going out on your own to local establishments (bars, cafes, clubs, etc) can be another great opportunity to meet new people.

Of course, you will find other like-minded American students to spend time with in your language classes or on program excursions. But do not feel limited by your circumstances! Being shy, or less interested in nightly parties will not be a problem for making friends if you make an effort to talk to people.
The fastest way to make a new friend is to find out something the person likes and get them to talk about it. Hobbies, sports, family, whatever. Be willing to share a little about yourself, but even more ready to listen to what they have to say about themselves. It will go a long way.

Good luck!

Bichos

These beautiful, peach-colored creatures are known in the English speaking world as Prawns. When I first was introduced to them, O told me they were called Bichos (Spanish for critters). At the time, I physically could not bring myself to eat them. They simply terrified me.
Tonight E made an entire plate full for me. Embarrassed, I asked her to show me how to eat them.
First, you cut off the head, then the tail.
 After both ends are removed, you chop off the legs and peal the exoskeleton.
And that black stringy thing that hangs out where the head was, don't think about that it is probably the digestive tract.
Eat the pink meat happily.

As I was eating my pink creatures, E was struggling to get M to eat her own fishy friends. Which E had even beheaded for her. Every meal with this child is a fight to get her to eat what is on her plate or in her bowl. I am amazed to see this kind of parent and child interaction taking place. I can see that E is embarrassed to have me seeing it, and that M is in many ways just seeking attention. But I know nothing about child rearing. And so I sit anxiously by, unsure what I should do that will not make the situation escalate.
And now I hide in my room, as M remains at the table, yelling "Creo que no puedo comerlo!" "I don't think that I can eat this!"

Ah, the wonders of parent-hood. My dear reader, I do hope you are blessed with the wisdom to never put something a child dislikes onto her plate and then tell her she cannot get up until it is gone. And, I hope that I am not blessed with children for several more years.

A New Life

As the vacation portion of my adventure goes on hold, I am introduced to new people, new food, and new surroundings. On the 3rd of December, I was put up in a room with another student for the night by our study abroad program. The following evening I met my Senora, or Host-Mom, for the first time. E is a single parent with a young daughter, M, and a cat named Sita.

E prepares my dinners and breakfasts, does my laundry, and talks to me in Spanish. M draws pictures, plays with toys, and tells me everything about anything in her rapid Catalan. Sita hides under my bed, climbs on my desk, and meows snobbishly at me.
I have a tiny bedroom, that I think was originally a coat closet. There is just enough room between the wall and my bed for a pair of shoes and my backpack to fit. My desk is out in the hall, where Sita joins me and expresses her valuable opinion on my position, or attacks my arm.

With my free time between orientation and the beginning of classes, I am getting to know a few of the other students in my program. Among those in my program are people from all across the US. It is amazing to see the different attitudes and cultures just within our own country. It is a major adjustment to find that the only people I can communicate fully with still do not completely understand me. It seems that a great majority of them are here to enjoy the nightlife more than experience the wonders of the city and culture of the region.

I have heard more than one student complain that Spanish is not the primary language in Barcelona. I can understand their frustration, but feel it is misplaced. When undertaking a new chapter of one's life, things are rarely exactly what we expect. Going to a new place means there will be things about the culture that surprise us, will sometimes inconvenience us, but also make us stronger people if we can rise to the challenge. I hope that in time these students will learn to tolerate and even embrace these unexpected quirks of this society. When going to any new place, an open mind and curious spirit are the most important things to bring.

That is all for now. Check back in a few days for an update about what I've been seeing and some pictures.

Art

 Antoni Gaudi is known throughout the world for his alternative take on Mediterranean architecture. As a child, I wanted very much to be an architect myself. Today, after spending a great deal of time looking at this mad-man's work, I am wondering why I did not pursue that dream. His story is not at all unique. An artistic minded person in Barcelona whose work was extraordinary as well as odd. Pablo Picasso is easily described in the same way.
 But Gaudi's life ended when he was an aged man, working tirelessly on a Cathedral, when he crossed a road without looking and was run down by a horse-drawn cart. No one realized that the "tramp" that they buried was the famous architect until days later. Now, after over one hundred years of work, the Cathedral is still unfinished.

The Casa Mila (La Pedrera)

La Pedrera is the first building ever to have been built with an underground parking lot. It was contracted to be an apartment building, but now serves as a museum in dedication to its architect.

Inside the Casa Mila

On Top of La Pedrera

The sculpted towers atop of the building are almost purely decorative. The path on the top is a set of staircases leading up and down in an unending circle.

Pedrera Floor Plans

Gaudi Furniture

Gaudi Fixtures

Gaudi Door

In the lower portions of the museum, there are example apartments set up for visitors to look at. They show furniture of the time, and an attempt at recapturing life as lived by residents.

I simply adore this sink, from the kitchen in one of the apartments.

On the Way up to Park Guell

Gaudi is perhaps the most well known for his sculptures in Park Guell. The park is located at the top of a hill in Barcelona. There is so much ground to cover that, to encourage visits from tourists, escalators have been put in on one side.

View from Park Guell

The Top of Park Guell

Tourists from all over climbed up to see the furthest reaches of the city from this high point. I went up too, but did not take many pictures for the crowd and my own fear of heights.

The Backs of Benches

A major attraction at Park Guell are the benches, upon which tired travelers sit and take in the performances of merchants and street musicians.

Gaudi Buildings

These beautiful buildings are seen from the benches of Guell Park. Inside the one on your right is a gift shop. But even with the commercialism, it is worth a look just to see the interior craftsmanship.

An Out of Place Apple

It reminds me of GingerBread Houses

This path under the park's walkways was also designed by the architect. The shape is mind bending...

A lady holding up the path and leaning on a pillar

Structure under the circular benches, between supporting pillars

A mosaic sculpture (Among Gaudi's finest)

The painting above is one found in a small bar called 4 Gats. This bar is well known because of its connection to Pablo Picasso. He regularly had his drinks at this bar, which now proudly displays several prints of his painting (not shown here). It is a nice little place to have a drink and some pinchos.
I regretfully did not have my camera with me when touring the Picasso museum, but it is worth touring. It is amazing to watch as his paintings and drawings begin with incredible detail near the levels of Da Vinci and Michelangelo, but deteriorate to simple line contours with hidden messages.

 Joan Miro is another artist who spent his time in Barcelona and created an abstract style. His sculptures, incredible and unnatural, are actually very beautiful. Although it is doubtful that I will ever understand the mind of such an artist, the images he created were quite whimsical.
Miro is another artist who began with a much more realistic style that slowly morphed into something completely different. Like Picasso, this artist's work seemed to devolve. Going from full-color cartoon like illustrations to simple stick figures in just a few decades. When looking through his collection (most of which I was not allowed to photograph) It seemed as though his art became more and more simple, showing childish shapes and simplifications.

Because I was unable to photograph the collection inside of the building, I made some sketches of the pieces that most interested me. Miro's older work was simple, but showed perspective and thought. Depth and reality were both very present and treated with the respect of a mathematician.
(Please excuse my scribbled notes. For clarification: Below the building "Miro's buildings remind me of mexican casas"; below the tree "The trees are varried, but simple"; Above the donkey "Animals are soft, rotund, simple and life-like")
His delicate interpretation of everyday things was to be admired.

But as time went on, the images became simpler, as did the subject matter.
(Above building "Soft angles, line networks"; "Later years" Bottom "It is difficult to capture the magic of hi later works without color")

("Sculpture" "Artist's Self Portrait" "Blue I, II, III")

"Mujer Pajaro Sculpture" (He likes to put women with birds)

From my perspective, as a self described artist, I find abstract art to be a form of short hand, meant only for the artist to understand. When I make images in my short hand, it is because I am running short on time, but need to get the idea on paper. If this was the case for men like Miro and Picasso, then they were possibly scared by their own mortality. And, in fear of the fact that life cannot last forever, they put down as many ideas as quickly as they could to try to preserve their thoughts for future like-minded artists.

So, a challenge for my artistic readers. Choose an abstracted piece by an artist you admire, and turn it into your own interpreted reality. Later next week, I will show you my own version of one of Miro's pieces.