8.3.11

Carnaval

I celebrated my very first Carnaval in the coastal city of Cadiz. I went by private bus (several private buses take University students for low cost) from 7pm to 7am. The entire city of Cadiz was transformed into a grand botellón (gathering in a public area to drink), and people take their costumes as seriously as we do on Halloween. I dressed as a baby (with three layers of clothing underneath my diaper and bibs).

See pictures below, and then read on for my opinion on Carnaval in Cadiz...



 

The crew:
 

The Pope: 
 
There was a surprisingly high number of people in religious costumes, specifically Catholic costumes. Interesting, seeing as that it's a festival related to the related to the upcoming Catholic events, like Ash Wednesday and Lent. But in fact, the costume is intended to break social norms and liberate instincts. The costume changes the natural order; it satirizes society and authority. So, I like to think that my baby costume breaks some social norms; I was one great big baby, an infantile adult. And there were a LOT of men dressed as women (which just doesn't happen much in the states), an obvious rejection of gender and sexuality as presented by society.

My favorite costume, a group of women dressed as the Hindu God Vishnu:
 

Carnaval procession (with turkeys on top...?):
 

Shrek and Fiona!!!
 

 

The pissing tree:
 

botellón:

I'm glad I went to Carnaval and I had a good time with my friends. But I returned filthy, phone-less and exhausted. The number of porta-potties was extremely low for the number of people there, so almost all men were peeing on the streets. I threw my disgusting shoes away when I got home. When it was time for our bus to pick us up, there were so many buses arriving at the same point at the same time, and so many people in the streets, that we waited an extra hour and a half to board. At that point (8:30am) I was sleeping with my head in my hands. Traffic controllers were useless.As usual, I was discontented with Spain's lack of organization and practical management.

What I did like about Carnaval is also what I love about Spain: people love to have fun. Dressed up for Carnaval were senior citizens and babies, teenagers and parents. And all were excited to be there.

7.3.11

Deutschland

During last week's holiday weekend in Andalucía, I traveled to visit my wonderful boyfriend in Germany. He spent hours driving so that I'd get to see the all places I wanted to during my short stay in Southern Germany.

Here are some select pictures from the weekend...

Neuschwanstein - a princess' dream castle! 
(and also the inspiration for Disney's Sleeping Beauty Castle)
 

 


  

 

View of the German countryside...
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In Munich, we did the two most touristy things there are to do: 
Hofbrauhaus (royal brew house)
 
At the Hofbrauhaus we ate white sausage with sweet mustard and a German meatloaf, the name of which when translated to English is "liver-cheese." And of course, we drank beer.

We watched these little puppets "dance" on the Munich city hall building.
I overheard a tour guide telling his tour group that the dancing puppets is actually the
"#1 Most Overrated Thing to Do on a European Vacation."

We also went to the German Museum in Munich, which showcases all German technological and mechanical advances, from certain old boating techniques to renewable energy and nanotechnology.
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We stopped next at the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial and Museum. As intense and sobering as the experience was, I am grateful to have been able to visit. The museum portion is very thorough, well-done, and tasteful. I learned a lot of new facts about the Holocaust. Dachau was the only concentration camp to have been in use throughout all 12 years of the Nazi regime.

The entrance to Dachau...
 

View of the grounds and a watchtower...
 

One of the preserved bedrooms...
 

Ovens in the Crematorium...

More of the camp and where the barracks used to be...
 

I don't mean to trivialize the experience by posting pictures as if it were a trip to any normal museum or tourist attraction, but I think the desolation of the site is evident in the photos. For me, the overwhelming part was not necessarily thinking about the number of people that died in the place where I was standing. Rather, I was struck by the thought of the infinite extent of sorrow and degradation that were felt by the prisoners of the camp as I stood in the same spot they did. 
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In Gaggenau, Felix's hometown, the main attraction is the Mercedes-Benz Unimog museum. We rode in an Unimog around an obstacle course, through rough terrain, over logs, up and down 70º angles. The Unimog can clamber through a forest, knocking down trees of up to 15cm in diameter. It can be submerged in water, and climb snowy 
 mountains.
And it's definitely not the worst tourist attraction that a small town can have.

We also visited nearby natural hot springs, which are not the muddy, hole-in-the-ground natural hot springs I was expecting. The springs, which look like hotel swimming pools, have been transformed and incorporated by a large spa, complete with steam rooms, sauna, gym, and more.
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The last portion of my trip was spent in Felix's university town, Karlsruhe. Karlsruhe is actually well-known in the urban planning community for being a "fan city," meaning that the city has a center point from which all the streets go outward. The center point is a castle that is located on Felix's university's campus:

 
No big deal, there's a castle on campus.

And a duck pond...

Here's an aerial view of the fan city:

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My birthday lunch in Karlsruhe: 1/2 beer 1/2 lemonade (yummy), spaetzle with cheese (my fave), 
salad, a boardgame, and Felix!
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Day 1: Sevilla--> Gaggenau
Day 2: Gaggenau -->Neuchwanstein-->Munich
Day 3: Munich-->Dachau-->Gaggenau-->Baden-Baden-->Karlsruhe
Day 4: Karlsruhe
Day 5: Karlsruhe-->Stuttgart-->Sevilla

3.3.11

Medieval Times at Los Álamos


The highlight of Cultural Week at Los Álamos was the Medieval Fair, hosted by the 9th graders and their teachers and open to the entire student body. The Fair took place in the gymnasium, and students in medieval costumes behind merchants' stands "sold" spices, baked goods, candles, baskets, and even homemade soap. One side of the gym housed arts and crafts, which consisted of pottery, sewing, and mosaics. Also spotted at the fair were a beggar, a jester, a fortune teller, and Death.

A merchant gives to a beggar
 

Arts and Crafts - sewing
 

Fantastic costumes
  

Members of the Faculty

Spice Stand

Me (reporter) with two of my students + Death

A beloved faculty member and organizer of the fair, Justo 

 Some kind of metalwork

Arts and Crafts - pottery

Where I obviously spent most of my time 
(devouring homemade baked goods brought by students and faculty 
who insisted I try every type - without much resistance on my part)

A medieval lady sees her fortune in a crystal ball

Candle Vendors

And arguably the best part was that we had only a half-day of school that day.

This was the first Medieval Fair at Los Álamos, and the entire school seemed to thoroughly enjoy it. I'm blessed to work for a school that puts on fun events such as these.

2.3.11

Ronda picture book

While my friend Jessie was visiting last week, we took a little trip to the city of Ronda, a 
 located in the 

 
of Andalucía. Ronda is most famous for

which used to house a jail in the pillars. The bridge connects the two parts of the city across
 .
Ronda is also known for it's beautiful



 and for being a

.
 From the top of the cliff we
 into
,
a mine that was used to draw water from the river (by slave labor) and to store weapons (boiling oil).
60 meters later, we eventually came out
.
 and were first struck by the
 staring back at us from the side of the cliff.
The clear, still water gave us the opportunity to snap some Dalí-like reflections


 of the 

above us.


THE END