Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Reflections

My time in Spain with the CU Global Seminar: Art in Spain program was one of the best experiences I have ever had.  As a non-art history nor art studio major, I was very nervous to join a group of art students in a country where I did not know the language (I studied French in school).  However, as I dove into the material, I found myself developing a true passion for art and art history. Something about seeing the art work in person, being able to pick out individual brush strokes, makes learning about art that much more intriguing and meaningful. I also fell in love with the Spanish culture and their pace of life - breakfast at 10am, lunch at 2pm, dinner at 10pm, bars at 1am. I loved all of our cultural visits, especially the trip to La Alhambra in Granada and the trip to the Dali Theater Museum in Figueres.  Now that i'm back in America, I truly cherish every second I had in Spain. Thank you to everyone on the trip (especially Frances!!) who made this an experience I will never forget.

Leigh, Nicole, George, Sarah, and Anna in front of the Royal Palace in Madrid

The girls at a Photo Espana '12 exhibit in Madrid

View of Granada on our way to the Gypsy caves

View of Granada from la Alhambra

La Alhambra in Granada

La Alhambra in Granada

Toledo

Toldeo

Jamón

Leigh, Nicole, Sarah, Scott, and Anna at Park Guell overlooking Barcelona

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Reflection Espana 2012


My time in Spain was unforgettable, incomparable, and truly the best time of my life. Despite the program being only five weeks long I don’t think I have ever learned so much about not only about Spain and art, but about myself. At first, meeting everyone was slightly uncomfortable and I was anxious about getting to know everyone considering I was one of only two non-art majors on the trip. After a number of awkward jokes and almost getting lost in the airport while searching frantically for our shuttle everyone seemed to hit their stride and in a matter of minutes, it felt as though I had known them, well most of them, for years. I could not be more grateful for the opportunities that were presented to me on this trip. I had one of the most intelligent and relatable professors I had ever had in my college career, five unbelievably smart and funny girls to live with, and four strapping young men who all made the experience worthwhile.
            The structure of the class was perfect. I could not imagine being in a classroom anymore than we were, and thought the number of museum visits were great. The balance between class time and study visits, was perfect. It was really helpful for me to have talked about the works, and movements we were going to see later in the afternoon in advanced. It helped me put things into perspective and definitely helped me learn to appreciate the art I was looking at. The structure of the visits was also really helpful, being able to go to a museum as a group, and then having enough free time to go back and visit wherever you’d like was great. Having the freedom to explore on our own definitely made my time there a lot more interesting. I think what was most eye opening for me on this trip was the function art plays at both, macro and micro levels of society. Art is not only a form of self-expression, its also revolutionary and cunning in nature. After seeing first hand the repartee artists had with each other and society at large, I really appreciate the intellectual aspect of art that I never noticed before.
            Because I think like a sociologist, being able to understand the history and context of each painting made a world of difference. Looking at one piece now reminds me of the years prior to the piece and what chances were taken and what changes were made for that piece of work to be what it is. I no longer look at a sketch of Goya’s and just think it’s a cool and interesting drawing, instead I see the disappointment underlying the sarcastic nature of the piece. Learning about the history of Spain while looking at the work first hand was the perfect way for me to learn about art history in Spain. It also didn’t hurt to have eight other art-experts explaining things to me when I wore a look of confusion.
            Living in Madrid was the ideal location for studying art in Spain. There is so much in the city that I felt as though ever single fountain, park, sculpture was something I needed to take a picture of. I could not imagine living anywhere else while we were there! Living with five other girls on paper is not something I would normally be able to bear, but I was surprised by how quickly the living arrangements grew on me. Not only was the location impeccable, but being able to live with all of the other girls allowed for an anything goes environment. We quickly learned a lot about each other, about our eating, drinking, sleeping habits, what we like don’t like, and what our limits were for personal space and boundaries. I do wish the boys had lived a little closer to us so we could have gotten to see them more, but I’m not complaining!
Our travel accommodations while there were all much better than expected. Everywhere we stayed was a clean, really beautiful hotel, in a great location. My only complaint about our excursions outside Madrid was that we did not have enough time. I would have loved to stay in Toledo, Granada, and Barcelona for even one day longer. I realize this could just be my selfish travel bug in me, but it would have been amazing if we had been able to see one or two more cities. Obviously that is not possible in the time period we were there for, and had we tried to fit anything else in I think we all would have died from exhaustion. I will say that I think ACCENT (despite some minor glitches and hiccups) did a great job of booking our travel arrangements and places we were staying. I also really enjoyed the various activities we were able to participate in, the Corrida de Torros, Flamenco, Flamenco Opera, etc., were all really amazing pieces to Spain’s culture that we were able to be a part of.
I learned so much about art and Spanish culture during my five weeks in Madrid, not just in museums, but also through communicating with the people in my group as well as the people of Spain. Experiencing their culture was not shocking, but intoxicating. I loved interacting with the people and learning about who they were, where they were from, and being able to connect with someone who grew up with a life completely different than my own. It was fascinating to see how men and women interact, how men cat call and how women ignore them. It was interesting to see the differences in body language and how people hold themselves. I found that, at times, body language was universal and extremely helpful in trying to overcome the language barrier, other times it was completely lost and made for an awkward encounter. I felt as though all the people I met and talked with were all so eager to answer my questions and ask me some in return, it was really wonderful knowing that there is someone on the other side of the globe that is interested in you and what you have to say. Its unreal how many people there are on this planet and being able to meet a few of them was amazing.
Something that struck me about my traveling was how welcomed and at home I immediately felt in Madrid. We quickly made friends with each other, and with the locals, it was hard to feel out of place. It took little to no time to adjust to their timetable, eating and drinking habits, or laid back state of living. I did not realize that I had become used to eating at ten and going out at two until I came back home to Colorado. I don’t think I have ever experienced such a culture shock in my life. Adjusting to life back home was much harder than I would have ever imagined. I find myself looking for a circular button on top of the toilet to flush, and saying “pardon”, “porfavor”, and “gracias”, only to be greeted with a confused and startled face. It seems strange to be back because it feels as though I haven’t even left for Spain yet. This trip brought some really amazing people and experiences into my life, and I could not be more thankful for having the opportunity to have experienced it all.

Saturday, July 21, 2012

Reflection on Global Seminar

Going to Spain this summer was one of the best experiences of my life.  I do not think that 5 weeks has flown by so fast in my life.  The fact that all of the girls got to stay together was a major plus for me.

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Euro Cup Madness

I completely agree with Jeff. I have never experienced such a love for a sport ever. The immense amount of joy that flooded Spain on Sunday night was so infectious. I have always loved the sport, so to see soccer making so many people happy was something that I am not used to, but very much enjoyed. Watching the game among Spanish people was crazy. Anything in Spain's favor (no matter how small) resulted in a mad chaos of horns, shouting, hugging, and smiles. I feel so lucky to have had the opportunity to experience something like that. You never really know how much the Spanish love their futbol until you see it for yourself. Even the day after the game, I saw people sporting their Spain jerseys in pride for their country. Very cool!

Montserrat






Our adventure to Montserrat was incredible. It was so nice to get out of the hustle and bustle of the city and to spend some time in nature with some fresh mountain air. It was peaceful and serene and the rock formations were like nothing I've ever seen. For the first time in a few days, I had a new realization of where I was. I find myself forgetting I am so far away from home, and seeing something that moving helped to reassert that I am in Spain. It was a wonderful experience and I am so glad we were able to go. 

Sunday, July 1, 2012

futbol

I think it is incredible to see the people of Spain as interested as they are in the game that I have always known as "soccer". From a very young age I had always been a soccer player. While I loved the game and still do, I never associated it with any type of status. In America the prestige that comes along with being a football or basketball player has always seemed to fall short when concerning soccer. This observance is hardly debatable. It wasn't until more recently that the sport has gained any sort of respect, and I feel that this is due to the recent Mens Soccer success in the Olympics. Regardless, soccer is not "America's sport". In Spain, soccer takes on the sort of interest and value that football has in America. I think it's interesting to look at this cultural difference as I am a soccer player who has always had a great deal of love for the sport. I find myself understanding and appreciating the love that Spaniards have for it. When I hear people outside my window screaming and honking car horns during soccer matches, I can't help but feel a small connection to this beautiful country solely through soccer. Conversations I've had with Spaniards regarding soccer have also made clear the importance of soccer in daily life in Madrid, as have the immense reactions one can hear while a soccer game is taking place. Even as I am writing this, I hear people screaming and cheering. It is as if I am in an arena where a game is taking place (although I don't even have a TV to watch the game). It gives me goosebumps to hear people so passionate. I think it is safe to say that the die-hard nature of Spanish soccer fans would go far beyond any popular American sport's fan base. At times it sounds almost dangerous in the streets, guns shooting in the air and overall madness. I wanted to address the different treatment of soccer in Spain as it has been an important observance for me. It makes me miss playing, and has reminded me how much I value it in my own life.

El Músico

It has been frequent if not very constant that I get a coffee with milk and chocolate croissant for breakfast. For semi early mornings where i have all day to play in the streets of madrid I find myself sitting at this little cafe on the corner across the street of my apartment for my usual. At times my roommates join for the deliciousness of baked goods the cafe produces but usually its a one man deal. During my solitude times I take the time to reflect and remember experiences that have happen in my stay. The way the wind blows through the close street and the cool tempreature that seems to linger only till around 12 only intensefies the plunge into my subconsciousness. It wasnt until this morning where I was having coffee with a roommate that I realized my preference to the place. The man with the according, the moving bellows, the pressing of the keys, and the constant feeling this man produces in tonality in his instrument strikes a key in feeling made me realize my draw to the place. There has been no narrative in this experience where we both communicate with sounds that come out of our mouths but there has been communication where he plays his tool and I listen. This man sits all day and all night playing to make ends end. The centimos and eruos he recieves by passerby's is his income. Playing to live is what seems to be all he has. What all he has to offer has me coming back.