Trick or Sweet Potato..?

     So, it’s been a little while, and in that time I have: greatly increased my Spanish language abilities, survived midterms, met with the Associate Director of Penn State Education Abroad Dr. Kristi Wormhoudt, bothered my brother with editing my papers before turning them in, attended a debate concerning the independence movement in Cataluña (and wrote a paper about it, too), bought many Christmas gifts for those that I get to see in December (only 47 days left), celebrated my 21^st birthday in Barcelona, discovered the best place for smoothies and crêpes, and counted down the days until I am in Mexico (55 days, just in case you were wondering).

     Classes are keeping me busy, 19 credits will do that to you! I had an A on my Spanish midterm, so I am very happy to be succeeding in my main goal of studying abroad here in Barcelona. I try to converse in Spanish as much as possible, with my homestay parents, shop owners, servers at cafés, and with my Spanish teacher. Being immersed in the language is definitely speeding along the process of learning. I am excited to take SPAN 003 at Penn State University next semester and to be that girl in the class that has been to both Spain and Mexico. I swear this is all just a dream sometimes, I never thought that my life would bring me to these places, but I am very grateful for all of these opportunities that I have worked so hard for!

     Last weekend, many directors of education abroad programs for various universities in the United States ventured to Europe, southern France and Barcelona, for meetings and conferences. I was invited to attend a reception, free tapas and drinks, to meet the representative from Penn State. It was a lot of fun to sit down, eat tapas, and converse with the directors. My roommate attended with me and we found that many of the directors were very animated and have had their own fair share of adventures around the world. They even asked for our advice on what to see in the city during their one free day before they had to leave. The Penn State Associate Director of Education Abroad, Dr. Wormhoudt, was very nice and I am so glad that I went and got to meet her! She really listened to me speak about my own experiences here in Barcelona and wanted my recommendations on what Penn State could do to help during my time abroad. I told her how rough it was in the beginning, but that I stuck it out and have been doing much better since. She was highly impressed with my initiative, coming from one of Penn State’s satellite campuses where studying abroad is not very popular, never having lived in a big city, and knowing no Spanish at all, to study abroad and live with a Spanish family. The event reminded me of back home because all that I heard was a lot of English and it sounded so sweet to my ears for just one evening!

     The debate was between two professors in political science from a local university here in Barcelona. The desire for independence from the rest of Spain for the area of Cataluña has been around ever since the fall of Dictator Francisco Franco in 1975. On the map below, Cataluña is located in the upper right of Spain where Barcelona serves as the capital. Cataluña feels that it is a separate nation because they speak a different language: Catalan, hold different beliefs than the rest of Spain in regards to their ban on bullfighting, and have a supposedly different culture than the rest of the country. They also feel they are being overtaxed because they are one of the richest areas of the country. But, not everyone that lives in Cataluña feels that it should be separated from Spain. People here are very open about their political views and opinions. My RA (Resident Assistant) was telling me about her opinion, revealing the strong involvement of the younger generations in politics very much unlike the United States. She said that the people of Cataluña just want the opportunity to express their voice and for the Spanish government to listen to the people and the Catalan government. There will be a vote held on November 9, 2014 here in Barcelona to gather the public’s opinion. While it will not count for anything, it will dictate the actions of the Catalan government based on the results. I have witnessed countless political demonstrations during my time here in Barcelona, and while they have been peaceful, I just hope that a decision will be made that takes the best interests for all involved into account.

Location of Catalunya on a map of Spain. Madrid (center) is the capital.

     I should really stop wandering around Barcelona when I know that I have euros in my purse, for I have this unfortunate tendency to stop at stores and just browse. I promise that my initial intentions are always to just browse, but that browsing does not always conclude with me leaving the store without anything in my hands. I think I better justify my purchases because the large majority of them are for others, not myself. It feels better buying gifts for others, but I’m sure my parents would not appreciate that feeling: Lo siento mis padres! I am beginning to forget the cost of items back in the United States. It’s an eerie feeling, forgetting about elements of home, and the worst part is I have adjusted to the food here and I forget what a real Kit-Kat (made by Nestle and not Hershey’s in Europe) and other foods taste like back home! My favorite part of the food they sell here in the super markets is that the labels list calories as energia! Energy, they call it energy, how brilliant! I need a lot of energy for my busy days, complete justification for the large amounts of chocolate I eat.

     Halloween in Barcelona, and probably the rest of Europe, is nothing like it is in the United States. While I did see a few people walking around in costumes, there is no trick-or-treating here. A few cafés, restaurants, and clubs were decorated with spider webs, skeletons, witches, and vampires, Halloween is a way of marketing for their venue for this weekend. At dinner last night (my roommate is currently exploring Rome, Italy), I sat down to find an odd looking fruit on my dessert plate. I looked at it and asked "Qué es esto?" [What is this?] and I had no idea what my host parents told me in Spanish except for the word patata [potato], but she did explain that, to my lack of knowledge, sweet potatoes are common to be eaten in the United States for Halloween... This was news to me! First, sweet potatoes would never qualify as a dessert to me, no matter what you do with them! Second, I don't know where the previous girls that studied abroad here were from in the United States, but in Pennsylvania we do not eat sweet potatoes to celebrate Halloween (occasionally for Thanksgiving, though). Third, she ended up giving me a manzana [apple] after I tried the sweet potato and did not like it (She said she was expecting me to not like it. I'm really glad she understands me!). The holidays that are acknowledged here in Spain and other Spanish countries are All Saints’ Day, All Souls’ Day, and the Day of the Dead. There is a fundamental belief that there is a prayerful spiritual bond between those in purgatory, in heaven, and the living.

     I was wandering around tonight and took the metro to a random stop that I knew was beside the beach. I am still in awe of my ability to go from city streets, to unique alleys, to the boardwalk, to the sand on the beach all in the same day. The sun was setting and the sky was darkening, but soon strands of lights began to light up at the marina, in the cafés and restaurant, and along walkways. I’m beginning to feel like I might miss this place, a little bit. I am never going to fully understand the rollercoaster of emotions that I have felt in the two months that I have spent in Barcelona, but I know that I will be a stronger, more understanding and open-minded person because of it.

     "Don't tell me how educated you are, tell me how much you traveled."

-The Prophet Mohammed