Hello Everyone!

On Thursday I saw “El Rey León” (“The Lion King”) musical in Madrid. The Lion King is a fantastic show and a lot of fun to see. I’ve seen the Disney movie at least a hundred times and know nearly every line by heart so it was interesting to see the Spanish translation. The show also catered to Spanish culture. For instance, in the American version Timon distracts the hyenas by dancing a hula dance. But on the Spanish stage Timon dresses in a flamenco dress and dances a Sevillana.

Scar and Mufasa Face Off

On Friday I went to Segovia, which is famous for a dish called “cochinillo.” While other areas of Castile and Leon have have similar dishes, true “cochinillo segoviano” can only be found in this city. The mother of the piglet is fed a special diet and the piglet must be less than 3 weeks old when served. It’s slowly cooked over a specific type of firewood and then deep fried. Cochinillo is served on a cart and the head must be cut off with the edge of a plate, and then everyone is served. The meat is extremely moist and tender while the skin is crisp and crunchy. It was easily one of the best meals I’ve ever had.

Thomas and our awesome waiter just before cutting off the head of the cochinillo

While I may not be at Holy Cross right now my spirit always will be. I just want to take a moment and congratulate our men’s basketball team for winning the Patriot League Championship. I really wish I could see tonight’s game in Ohio but I suppose I’ll have to stream it on my computer and cheer from this side of the globe. Go ‘Saders!

Have a great week everyone!

Ali

Hello Everyone!

New semesters are always fun, and I am really excited for my classes. Here’s what I’ll be taking in my second (and last!) semester in Spain:

Analysis and Interpretation of Hispanic-American Literary Texts

This is one of two literature classes I am taking this semester. The first half of the semester deals with novels. We’ll start by studying Juan Rulfo and the fundamentals of the “New Narrative” of the 20th century. Then we’ll study Mario Vargas Llosa and novels of the Boom, and finally literature from the 1980s to the present. For the second half of the semester we will dive into poetry by studying Jorge Luis Borges, Pablo Neruda, and Octavio Paz.

Contemporary Hispanic-American Literature: Text and Context

My second literature class also deals with modern Hispanic-American texts. We’ll start by studying postmodern feminist poetry by authors Alfonsina Storni, Gabriela Mistral and Juana de Ibarbourou. Then the course focuses on narratives of the Mexican revolution.

Primitive Religious Manifestations

Admittedly I was on the fence when registering for this class. Though the class was highly recommended by past Holy Cross students, the topic seemed a little dry. But after the first class I realized this might end up being my favorite course of the semester. Our professor is energetic and extremely knowledgeable about pre-history. We are starting by studying the first burial traditions, we will continue with pre-historic art, and then continue with religions based on animism, naturalism and totemism. We’ll follow religion through the Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic, bronze, and iron ages while discussing what exactly constitutes religion.

Sociocultural Anthropology

This is an introductory course and a nice break from my other classes. We will study topics such as unilateral evolution and cultural diffusion. We’ll study family structures, religious systems, and art as well as economic and political organizations. Our big project for the semester is using the ethnographic method to write a 10-page paper. This will be a really great test of my Spanish, as I will have to conduct interviews and synthesize my findings for the paper.

Have a Happy Leap Day tomorrow!

Ali

Hello Everyone,

Done with a stressful round of finals, Andrew, Daniel and I decided to go on a min Euro-adventure.

The three Holys in the Madrid Airport

Our first stop was Luxembourg. Unfortunately it poured the entire time we were there, but we still got to see some beautiful buildings and, more importantly, we ate some delicious food.

I have no idea how to pronounce or spell this Luxembourg dish, but it was delicious!

We took a relaxing train ride through northern Luxembourg (including the town where my great-grandparents are from!) and got to our next stop in Brussels, Belgium. We had a wonderful Airbnb apartment located just 50 feet away from the Grand Place. Brussels is an ideal city to wander around, enjoy the feel of the city, and eat a waffle…or two!

Brussels has delicious waffles, chocolate, and pastries

After Brussels we spent a few days in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Amsterdam is a gorgeous city with picturesque canals. Our first night in the city we went to an ice bar. Everything in the bar (including the mugs!) was made of ice. It was a very chilly 19 degrees, but we had a great time. But the best part of Amsterdam was visiting the Anne Frank house. I grew up hearing of Anne Frank, I’ve seen the play, the movie, learned about her in school, and read her diary. Seeing the streets where she once played and the tiny annex she hid in was an absolutely indescribable experience.

Amsterdam has a lot of canals, but even more bikes!

The next stop was Copenhagen, Denmark. We did the touristy things like walk around the city, climb the Round Tower, and visit the Amalienborg Palace (where I quoted Hamlet several times – hey I may not have been in Elsinore, but I was in Denmark so it’s close enough). But the best part of Copenhagen was the food. (Actually the food is the best part of traveling anywhere haha!) We found a great little pastry shop, an amazing coffee house, and a restaurant that served a full Sunday brunch. Spaniards usually eat a pretty light breakfast and then a heavy lunch, so to have a full American-style Sunday brunch was quite a treat.

The Round Tower of Copenhagen

The last stop of our trip was the beautiful city of Prague in the Czech Republic. Here we scaled the old Town Hall and Astronomical Clock for some amazing views. I learned a lot about Czech history, especially from the World War II era. Then, when crossing a bridge to walk to the Lennon Wall we stumbled upon a movie set! We were a little confused when we saw a large group of people dressed in 1930s-era clothes with oxen and goats tied to ropes. But then a director came up to us and asked us to get off the bridge because they needed the shot right at sunset.

Prague Views

All this traveling was fun, but for now I think I’ll stay in León.
Have a great week!
Ali

Hello Everyone

It’s hard to believe: but I am done with my first semester in Spain! Yesterday was August 10, right? Feels like it sometimes. The past few months have been a lot of fun and an absolutely incredible learning experience. I’ve met people from dozens of different countries, visited 10 new countries, and have significantly increased my Spanish skills.

There were difficult moments where I missed my family and my mom’s cooking. At times it was frustrating not being able to express myself well in Spanish. Other moments I longed to be at Holy Cross where many of my friends are having a great junior year. Studying abroad isn’t easy, but it is 100% worth it because the difficult moments forced me to expand my comfort zone and truly rely on myself.

While I can now talk about the Olmeca culture, hold a discussion on “Gilgamesh” and describe the use of cylinder-seals of Ancient Egypt, most of what I have learned this year was outside of the classroom. I am much more comfortable planning trips, traveling to other countries, and ordering food without the slightest idea of what it could be. I’ve learned to adapt to a different university culture and adjusted to a family dynamic distinct from my own.

Have a wonderful week everyone!
Ali

Hello Everyone!

As if traveling to Dublin, Edinburgh, London, and Paris wasn’t enough, the past two weeks my dad, brother, and I visited Madrid, Segovia, León, Córdoba, Sevilla, and Málaga.

My family arrived in Madrid on December 29. We saw the Plaza Mayor, Puerta del Sol, and a few other neighborhoods before having a delicious dinner and grabbing dessert at the famous churros place, San Ginés.

Churros and Chocolate at Madrid’s famous San Ginés

We had a day trip to Segovia on December 30 and saw the Cathedral, Álcazar, and aqueduct. For lunch we went to a lovely little Spanish restaurant and spent two hours eating in the sunny little plaza. It was hard to believe it was the middle of winter!

For New Year’s Eve we were back in Madrid. Thousands of people gather in Puerta del Sol to welcome the New Year. The tradition is to eat a grape for each of the 12 clock dings. Not finishing the grapes is a sign of bad luck for the New Year.

On New Year’s day we went to León and my family got to meet my host family. My host mother, Carolina, outdid herself with all the delicious Spanish snacks and Christmas candies. I practically ate my weight in turrón. (A traditional Christmas candy in Spain.)

My dad and brother met my host parents!

For the last part of our trip we went to southern Spain. We went to Córdoba and saw La Mezquita and the various Roman ruins.

January 4th we arrived in Sevilla. We visited la Giralda as well as the Plaza de España. On January 5th we got to see the parade celebrating the eve of Los Reyes. A ton of candy is thrown to the children along the parade route. The streets become covered in a very sticky residue of crushed candy. It was pretty neat to see, even if I had to clean the soles of my shoes.

The last stop of my long journey was Málaga. We stayed at a hotel right on the beach and ate plenty of delicious, fresh seafood. We went to the Picasso Museum, the Alcazaba (a medieval palace whose foundation was made by the Phoenicians), and a great flamenco show. My favorite part though was sitting on the nearly-deserted beach and relaxing after such a busy trip.

Relaxing at the beach in Málaga was a perfect way to end the trip

Now I’ve had a lot of fun, but finals are fast approaching. I better hit the books!

Best,
Ali

Hello Everyone!

I hope you are all having a fun holiday season. Although I didn’t get to celebrate my usual Christmas traditions, I had a blast. Over the past two weeks Andrew and I travelled to Dublin, Edinburgh, London, and Paris.

Our first stop was Dublin, Ireland. We arrived on December 18 and spent the first day walking along the famous Grafton Street and the Trinity College campus. On Saturday we walked through St. Stephen’s Green, visited the Chester Beatty Library, and went to the Irish Modern Art Museum. We got lost a couple of times, but there were plenty of friendly locals to help us find our way.

The next stop of our journey was Edinburgh, Scotland. We fought the bitter cold winds and pouring rain to see the Edinburgh Castle, Holyrood Palace, Mary King’s Close, and the Royal Mile. We also walked along Princess street and the Christmas Market with hot mulled wine to fend off the wintry weather.

On the night of December 21st we flew to London and at 3:00 AM on December 22nd I was on a bus to visit Stonehenge with my friend Emily, a Holy Cross student studying abroad at Oxford this year. Although it was very cold and very early, it was completely worth it to visit Stonehenge at sunrise on the winter solstice. We were able to touch the stones and see druids pray and sing as the sun rose.

Emily and I at Stonehenge

After Stonehenge we stopped at the Salisbury Cathedral and saw the best preserved copy of the original Magna Carta. That afternoon Emily, Andrew and I went to a local pub, ate fish&chips, and had a pint of cider before sending Emily off to the airport. (She flew back to America to spend time with her family). Over the next few days Andrew and I went to the Tower Bridge, the Tower of London, the London Eye, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, and a production of “A Christmas Carol” in London’s west-end theatre district.

The classic London shot
“Hello from the other side…of the pond.”

Finally, on Christmas Andrew and I arrived in Paris, France. This was another whirlwind of “touristy-ness”. We saw the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, the Palace of Versailles, the Arc du Triomphe, and ate croissants on our hostel balcony. This semester I took a class on Ancient Egyptian Art, and it was amazing to see the sphinx, mummies, Egyptian jewelry, and ancient cylinder-seals after studying these very artifacts all semester. We asked around for a good French restaurant, but when we got to the place we discovered it was a southern French basque restaurant. The Basque people live in Southern France and Northern Spain. Andrew and I had a good laugh as we ate some of the same dishes we had in Spain.

A Very Parisian Selfie

I am actually typing this post at the Madrid airport. I left Paris this morning and am now waiting for my dad and brother to arrive. We will be traveling around Spain for the next few weeks. Check back in January for my post, Christmas Travels: Part II.

Best,
Ali

Hello Everyone,

I hope you all had a relaxing Thanksgiving with family, friends, and delicious food. It was a little strange to have a completely normal day in Spain knowing that everyone back home was celebrating. Although turkey, mashed potatoes, and cranberry sauce were nowhere to be found, I did end up having a delicious dinner. The site director, cultural adviser, and some professors took the Holy Cross students out to dinner. We had ensalada mixta, tortilla de patata, croquetas, pulpo, picadillo, morcilla, and arroz con leche. This year I am thankful for the chance to study abroad. The past few months have taught me so much, and I can’t wait to see what the next few have in store.

Another thing I am thankful for are crutches. Since the middle of October I had pain and inflammation in my right foot. After several weeks of walking on it, I finally made an appointment to have it checked out. The doctor took an x-ray and found a small stress fracture. Now I need to spend the next few weeks on crutches while it heals.

The idea of making an appointment and seeing a doctor seemed daunting, but the process was quite simple. My host mom called the insurance company for me, took me to the hospital, helped explain the doctor’s instructions, and taught me relevant vocabulary words (Crutches = Muletas). I am so thankful for her help and patience. Her kindness has helped me so much as I adjust to life in Spain.

A Very Spanish Thanksgiving

Have a wonderful week!
Ali

Hello Everyone!

An added bonus to studying abroad in Leon is the opportunity to be an English tutor. English is taught in the schools and many families want a native English speaker to tutor their children. All four Holy Cross students in Leon this year are tutoring from 3 – 6 hours a week. It’s a great experience and an easy way to earn a little extra money.

I have four students and I teach each student for one hour a week. They are aged from 5 – 14, and all speak English quite well, making my job pretty easy. We spend the time talking, reviewing grammar, singing songs, playing games, and studying for upcoming exams. One of my students had a test recently on the respiratory and cardiovascular systems in English – and he definitely knew more than me!

Although I don’t plan on teaching as a career, I really appreciate the opportunity to work with these kids. After years of studying Spanish in school, I get to flip the table and experience the unique challenges of teaching a foreign language. The hardest part is when I’m helping them with English homework that is based on the English dialect. I have to get used to using the words “trousers” for “pants”, “pullovers” for “sweaters”, and “rubber” instead of “eraser.” One student’s homework was a list of idiomatic expressions, and I honestly didn’t know some of the answers. Teaching is a great way to learn.

Have a wonderful week!
Ali

Have a wonderful week!

Ali

Arroz a la cubana

Empanada

Churros con chocolate

Napolitano de chocolate