Las Fallas

4 years ago I wrote this e-mail:

"Just got back rom Las Fallas and it was awesome! For those of you who are unfamiliar with Las Fallas (and I´ll take bets that's most of you) it is a festival that is essentially celebrating San Jose (it takes place on Spanish Father Day..which reminds me...Happy late Spanish Father´s day daddy) but as with moth Christian holidays we stole it.

Like many Spanish festivals, Las Fallas was, a long time ago in a galaxy far far away, a simple pagan ritual that celebrated the Spring Equinox - the longest day of the year - and the subsequent coming of summer. Basically an excuse to celebrate by burning things! The religious view now (much like most adopted holidays) was added later by Spain's mega-religous leaders. Granted it wasn't that hard since carpenters were involved and San Jose kinda rocks those.

The history goes a little something like this:

In 15th-century Valencia when fall started to come and the days got shorter, artisans and carpenters had to spend the last few hours of the work day working by the light of oil lamps hung from crafted wooden "parots." When spring came the days got longer and the artisans would celebrate by burning the "parots," along with all the other stuff that had accumulated (wood shavings, extra cuts of lumber and random broken things).

Eventually (or purpose all of a sudden) the workers added a creative touch, by decorating the lamp post with rags and a hat, and voila! It was a human! They became called, "Ninot Falla (Doll Fire)". Around the mid-18th century groups would get together and arrange them in a funny scene.

Now they are AMAZING!!! Some of these (basically gigantic papermache creations...but with wax and wood) are larger than the buildings surrounding it, and they often have cute little morals, stories, or limericks around them. Thankfully I went with Brion who managed to translate a lot more than I did (it wasn't exactly in Spanish, one of those other Spanish languages*) They can cost up to €120,000! Its definately instense! Theres also parades, they create a big Virgin (as in Mary) out of flower and change the pattern on her dress every year and she doent get burned ( P.S: Why is there always a Virgin in like every friggin catholic city, I mean I love Mary as much as the next girl, but I think other saints are appearing the the public just gets confused sees a lady and calls her the virgin)

They have music! People in costumes, fireworks...fireworks, and oh yeah fireworks, it was like fourt of july, on speed. I had to take a bus back on Sunday night for school on Monday (I am SUCH a good student) went to school gave a PERFECT presentation in my Prado Art class (as in the teach said he hadn't heard one that good in years!) and then (in honor of Jeff who reminded me to take advantage of everything I could while over here) bought another ticket back to Valencia right after school to witness the burning of the fallas. So worth the 36 Euros let me tell you!

OK, I am writing this in between classes so I shall end it here. Overall had a GREAT time would definitely do it again and am glad that it happened.

I hope everything is going well at home!

Muchos Besos,

Carissa"

Well it is 4 years later and I did go again! Still an amazing time and still glad I did it :) (though this time I didn't take pictures, so here are some from last time)

When they burn the stuff!
BIG fallas
An older one (clearly) depicting one of the more popular political themes at the time

Halfway

Well I have been in Spain since September now.

I have...

• lived at three different places (not counting my first weekend in Alcala).
• finishd 4 Masters classes.
• taught at least a solid 4 months of class to 3, 4 and 5 year olds.
• made amazing friends.
• hand drawn about 15 workshets (yes, ME hand drawing!).
• used wordreference about a million times.
• mastered the art of dinner (or a I call it, "throw stuff in a pot and heat) .
• been heartbroken.
• remembered the heart is a fabulous organ that luckily continues to heal and function.
• cried at a bank (twice).
• lost a passport.
• gone to Malta.
• been inside some of the oldest ruins!
• rocked Barcelona.
• visited the the lovely gardens in Aranjuez.
• hosted several lovely friends (and some strangers who became friends).
• filed a police report on behalf of a friend who was here for less than 35 hours.
• discovered you can board a plane without ID.
• rocked the Madrid metro (just give me colors not numbers)
• pretty much memorized the cercanias to Getafe frm Nuevos

and so much more!

I can´t wait to see what the next half of Europe brings me

Bad blogger

So, I've been in Spain for quite some time now and yes I stink at it.

Things are going well I am just SUPER busy


So that's Katie, Meagan, me and Juliet. They are all in my program and Katie, Juliet and I actually live together

Here's all of us for Halloween :) (Our other rooomie Chealsea is the one with black horns) and this is taken at our place.

We live near cuatro caminos and nuevos ministarios

This is us near Lauren (the curly haired blonde in the purple tights)'s place. She lives near Escorial which is where King's are buried and there's lots of great art! All the jumping lovelies are in my program.
Pretty
ooo Views!

Sorry I am so awful at updates I'll try to catch up :)

Next stop...Spain

Kathleen, a friend of mine whom I studied with in Madrid, let me know about a Masters program in Alcalá back in January. It is through a the Instituto Univeritario de Investigación en Estudios Norteamerianos Benjamin Franklin (Instituto Franklin) of the Universidad de Alcalá!

They have a program called the "Teach & Learn in Spain Program" which gives American students a chance to study get a Master´s from the Universidad de Alcalá while doing a paid internship teaching at a school somewhere in Madrid (or the surrounding areas).

I'm in the process of collecting the necessary paperwork, but the fact that I've been accepted at all means that hopefully in September I'll be in Spain :)