¡Feliz cumpleaños a Javi!

What a fun afternoon! Instead of my normal routine — class, blog/Facebook, lunch, siesta, Madrid, dinner, TV/chat with Luisa — I passed up Madrid for a birthday lunch for my host brother, Javier. He is the first brother I met and still my favorite, by far. He lives out in the country with his aunt and uncle because he has a dog (or a lion, as Luisa calls him) named Tarzan who doesn't really fit in this tiny apartment.

The most friendly of the three brothers , Javier works in a pharmacy but wants to be an architect. Apparently he's very good with his hands; he built the wardrobe Caitlin and I share and is currently restoring a few pieces of antique furniture. He also has big plans for his mother's kitchen, including new cupboards and countertops and even a new layout (or something like that - sometimes Luisa gets going and it's hard to keep up). I hope he is eventually able to save up enough money to go back to school and do what he loves. Although Javi lives about 15 minutes out in the country, Luisa says his social life is here, in her house and in Alcalá. I think I have only seen him once without his best friend, Juan. The two of them are inseparable and so much fun to be around. (Juan on left, Javi on right)

Rocking out to Katy Perry's Hot and Cold in the car, we laughed about the roller coaster of love and the correct ways to insult someone and their mother. I learned a lot of stuff from Javier, Juan, and the second brother, the quiet one, Juama (short for Juan Manuel). Stuff like: they actually know a lot of American music - even the classics from the 80s. And, according to Juan, Javier is the only Spaniard who comes close to the level of expression Americans are capable of, including me. Apparently, use a lot of emphasis and Javier's never-ending energy makes him seem American. I know I put a lot of inflection in my voice, but I didn't think people noticed. I also got a great recommendation for a pastelería right off of Vía Complutense, past the OhLaLa, where I can get a great costrada (a pastry typical of Alcalá de Henares).

Getting to the aunt and uncle's house, I kind of got grilled during lunch with hard questions about the governor of Arizona (who even knows who that is???) and they laughed a lot at my expense. At least I think that's why they were laughing . I was totally lost in the conversation and they asked if I understood everything. My puzzled look and pleading "¿cómo?" got a few rounds of chuckles. But, I guess they liked me well enough because the aunt invited me to come swimming in their private pool and the uncle gave me a rose from his beautiful garden out front. Who knows if that will happen in the next 2 weeks, but it's a great thought in this awful heat (okay, so it's like 85º…but their air conditioning is severely lacking in force!) But hey, I got to meet the fam! That's got to be sign that I'm normal enough to be introduced :)

While Juama was at the doctor for his broken hand (as a vigilante for the discoteca, I'm betting he had to punch someone to break up a fight), we went to a bar to drop off some olive oil and drink a Coke as Javi turned 24 at 6:30pm, en punto. I felt totally Spanish sitting in that bar as Juan went to the vending machine to buy a pack of cigarettes and I sipped my Coca-Cola Light from a glass bottle. I could definitely get used to this life. Oh wait, I already am. Vale.

La Corrida de Toros

Parental Advisory: This material may not be suitable for children under 18. Really though, this post is very detailed because I want to remember everything forever. I have included most of the photos and video I took without censoring, for my own memories. I have an easily detached personality and I am not a member of PETA, so it didn't bother me much. Thus, as I told my madre española when she asked if I was for or against bull fighting, I think it is a very special and important part of Spanish culture. It's an art, a form of expression, and a legacy for some families (father to son, a toro dynasty). If you are interested in the amazing piece of Spain I got to experience, read and enjoy. If not, don't worry, there will be other posts.

May 15, 2012 - part of the Festival of San Isidro, the patron saint of Madrid. What an experience! Thank goodness I'm not an animal-rights activist because some of the group joked about joining PETA after. But I think I'm detached enough that it didn't bother me. According to the schedule I saw for Madrid, there is a bull fight every day in the month of May. And for the rest of the summer, they happen every Sunday. So there were 3 matadors and they each got 2 bulls in turn. The first two guys weren't very good (according to the old man in front of us who was screaming what I later learned were crudely-woven obscenities). But the third guy -- he was obviously great. Not only did he make it look so easy and fast, but you could just see the grace and poise and skill all over him -- from his hat-covered head down his sparkling, arched back, flowing through his arms and hands and into the red cape, resting in his pink-socked legs and especially his black-slipper-capped feet with every step and turn. The tickets were cheap so I'm sure he's probably just a nobody, but even I (knowing nothing about la corrida de toros) could tell he was an artist and that this is not a sport, but and art. At the beginning, I was a bit shocked and startled by what was flashing before my eyes. But by the end, I was completely entranced. It was really kind of majestic. Other than the nasty concoction resulting from the mix of cigar and cigarette smoke that we battled by sniffing orange peels,

it was really cool!

As a side note, Caitlin and I were actually watching a reality TV show the other night during dinner called Quiero ser Torero and the cute 18 to 19-year-old boys were learning everything from posture to strength to timing to grace. It was cool.

So here's how it works: At the very beginning, there's a parade thing where everybody comes out and we all clap for the different people and the fans cheer for their favorite toreros. It was kind of like when all the little league teams walk around Chase Field (formerly BOB) where the Diamondbacks play. 

Then everybody takes their places and a guy comes out with a sign telling what kind of bull is coming out, how much it weighs, etc. 

The bull is released and there are three rounds.

#1 - the lesser toreros

Their job is to get the bull warmed up. They are dressed in the sparkly costumes you typically think of (including the pink socks) and use a big cape that is pink on one side and yellow on the other. They get the bull's attention, he charges, they whip the cape and then hide behind a wall while the next guy takes his turn. There are about 6 or 7 of these guys but only 3 have been scheduled to be matadors. 

At the end of 5 minutes, the trumpets sound and it's time for...

#2 - the picadores and the banderilleros

The picadores are on horses that are covered in giant padding and blinded for good measure. Sometimes it gets dangerous for the horses! 

But don’t worry, none of them died. These picadors carry what looked like jousting lances. Their job is to stick the bull in the shoulders to get him hurt, bleeding, and mad. 

The banderilleros are the same guys (the toreros) from the last round, but they've traded their capes for banderillas. (Thanks to Google for the pics.)

They get the bull's attention, he charges, and just as he's about to hook 'em good, the guy plants his bandilleras right in the bull's shoulders. 

These somehow stay fastened to the bull's back and flop around for the rest of the fight. Each bull gets about 6 of these. After another 5 minutes comes the most well-known round.

#3 - the matador or torero

One of the guys from round #1 steps out. He is dressed in full garb and holds a smaller, red cape and a sword. This is where the dance gets serious. It's just him and the bull. The matador should demonstrate complete control of the bull and his movements. They should be one. Watching this was just like watching a ballet or lyrical dance where you kind of just get lost in the movement. The matador looks for the opportune moment to strike, preferably when the bull is tired, slow, close, and has his feet together. I learned this last part from the Lladró man I befriended earlier this week. When the bull's front legs are close together, his shoulders spread wide and the matador can plunge his sword straight to the heart. If the bull's feet are shoulder-width apart, there is a bigger chance that the matador's sword will hit a shoulder blade or ribs when he tries to end the dance. Here are a couple of videos I took. The guy I liked most is the one wearing blue with gold trim. 

Why is my life so great? You tell me :)

**So I realized after I wrote this whole post that a lot of it is in Spanish. Sorry about that! Google Translate is helpful most of the time.**

Today was such a great day! Here's why:

• I left on time for class so I didn't have to book it to the school.
• Our presentation about all the helado we've tried was great; followed by other fantastic themes like The Legend of Zelda, Powwow dances, How to Find a Novio on Study Abroad, and Milka Chocolate (complete with regalitos! I <3 Milka).

• Rastro (flea market) after class where I tasted the best melón (honeydew?) in my life. 
• I worked on the blog for the first time in over a week and published two whole posts. This makes 3 in one day!
• I woke myself up from a 10 minute siesta - with no alarm! This is kind of a big deal - momentous, if you will.
• I went into Madrid (surprise, surprise…we typically meet at the train station at 3:30pm to catch the 15:46 train to the Atocha station. It's been our routine for the past week and a half and I love it.) and finally got the zapatillas!!! I even had to talk to the man and ask him to go downstairs and get the sizes in the colors I wanted - I did it all by myself, very proficient-like. I love them so much! I've been geeking out about them all day. Now I can't wait to give Sam and Daddy theirs :)

• I had the best frozen yogurt of my life! It's a little shop called llaollao and let me just tell you, I will never be able to eat Yogurtland or Spoon It Up! the same ever again. Oh, and I want to buy honey when I get back to Utah and just drizzle it over every dessert I eat. Just sayin'. 

• I got on my first Madrid city bus and discovered the Biblioteca Nacional de España (kind of like the Library of Congress, I thnik) is closed on Mondays. But it is a beautifully majestic building just off Plaza de Colón  (as in Cristobal Colón or Christopher Columbus). I can't wait to go back and walk around inside.
• With the 30ish minutes we had before we needed to head back to Alcalá for la cena, we decided to drop by the stores across the street from the Prado where you can find lots of Toledo-made recuerdos and  Lladró (the other souvie I premeditated getting here after my parents brought home their Elena - a beautiful piece of porcelain from Valencia). Here is where I met my new best friend :) I've been looking at Lladró…well, since I got here…but more seriously on the past few trips into Madrid. I was oohing and ahhing at a few of the pieces when the store owner, a nice Spanish man in his 70s, greeted me and asked if I knew what I was looking for. I wasn't in a hurry to buy anything, but I figured I'd let him give me some schpiels and practice my Spanish. So I told him what I like (pastel colors, flowing hair and skirts, and flowers - it must have flowers) and that I want to buy something small because I am a student and don't have a lot of space. He recommended a few pieces and I liked his suggestions; they were ones I had been looking at. One of them was a young toredor that is only sold in Spain - he is precious :) From there, the conversation progressed to stories about the toredor and how the way he tips his hat means different things, more things I didn’t know about  La Corrida de Toros, dirty jokes about the costume, how they actually make the figurines, and how he has learned a significant amount of English simply by talking to tourist customers. I think he liked me because he ended up giving me a book about the behind-the-scenes process of making Lladró. Since I wasn't ready to buy today, I told him I'd like to come back later. He offered me his card and said he would also give me a 'good price', whatever that means. I'm still going to shop around before I make my final decision of which piece I want, but I will definitely be going back to that store. I loved that guy! Honestly, that may have been my favorite shopping experience so far.

All in all, a marvelous day filled with great company, fantastic weather, and lots of success. Vale.

Aranjuez

The day after Cuenca, we took another day trip to Aranjuez. Stopping at a little town called Chinchón, I thought it would be fun (not to mention picturesque) to run through this open field:

However, I forgot that I don't like creepy crawlies. And what likes to live in fields of flowers and grass? Lots of  bugs!! Also, this field was located in a valley, meaning there was a steep hill to descend before I could get to this cute picture spot. Dragging a few branches as I slid down the hill, trying my hardest to avoid rolling head-over-heels, I made it to the valley with only a minor flesh wound:

Finally validated with blood, I climbed on a wall because apparently I really enjoy heights...and pretending to be a tightrope walker :)

After Chinchón, we ate lunch in the plaza in front of the Royal Palace of Aranjuez, walked around the luxurious and expansive gardens, and then finally got to tour the palace. It's a second home to the same people who lived in La Granja, which explains the similar gardens and decoration inside.

              

Aranjuez is also known for its strawberries and huge farmers' market. We were all stoked to go see it but we somehow forgot about siesta. So it was closed by the time we got there. Bummer! I was so looking forward to buying strawberries and taking a picture to show Colby and Talyn how organic I was. Never fear though, us BYU kids are all about the mercado. So we bought some strawberries there and ate them in the shade. 

You can't go to Aranjuez and miss the strawberries. That's just not cool.

Cuenca

Lots and lots of trips I have missed! Dang it. Okay so here's the quick synopsis: I came back from Paris totally exhausted and just high on life. We got into the swing of class and then took a day trip to Cuenca, a city known for it's "hanging houses". It sounds super crazy, right? I was expecting something like this:

But it was actually something more like this (see below). There are a bunch of buildings just built into the side of the cliff. Still cool. 

Let's backtrack for a sec because before we made it to Cuenca, we stopped at a monastery (Ulcés) built by some Templar Knights. Did you know that each group was identified by their own cross? 

Also, we ate some traditional donuts that were crumby and dry as all get out. But full of sugar! :)

Anyway, after visiting a museum of abstract art, Profe gave us two hours to explore. Logan, Haley and I didn't need to be told twice. We found some cool trails, cute plazas, lots of fountains, and climbed on the city wall. Actually, it was more like the trench on the outside of a castle where the guards patrol and make sure no one is trying to penetrate the grand fortress. 

I also found some great heights to climb! Much to Logan's chagrin, I don't get vertigo. He was a vigilant safety monitor though.

To better appreciate the height, here's a slightly better angle:

And, of course :) - like father, like daughter:

Success!

Yesterday, another great day in Spain. For starters, we did some group presentations in grammar class. One pair gave us 10 Uses for a Pañelo (scarf) including a toy for your cat (complete with demonstration!), a 'smacker' for when you're mad at your roommate, a sling for when you've 'smacked' your roommate's arm into a crippled mess, and more :) The other was a biography of Justin Bieber. Thanks to Brittney and Priscilla, I had Boyfriend in my head ALL DAY LONG. It got really old really fast, but I couldn't make it go away! Swaggy.

We finished a Madrid highlights walk - a great accomplishment. It's taken us all over the city for the past three days (some major sites and some others that I never would have thought to go see - some cool and some cooler) and taught us a bunch about cools puertas (ancient gates to the city), places like the old train station, cathedrals with crypts, the royal palace, gardens, plazas, a rope-swing jungle gym where I got a sick from flipping upside-down so many times (I think the fluid in my inner ear is thickening with my progressing age, oh no!), and more.

I found the shoes!!! Daddy got slippers here while on his mission. Wait, back story. My father always, ALWAYS wears shoes. All through my childhood he would get home from work and swap his dress shoes for sneakers. Then his curious children would ask where he was going. He was never actually going anywhere, just putting shoes on. This happened every day. But we never seemed to remember from one day to the next. Crazy kids. The only exception to this ritual was Saturdays or cozy evenings when he would wear his red plaid slippers, his Spanish work boots. I love the huge impression those shoes have made in my mind! He loved them so much he wore them out - a dark day for my childhood memories. Years later, his mission companion went back to Spain and got a new pair to send to my dad - yay! So fast forward to 3 years ago, I'm in Spain for Spring Break and I am looking everywhere for those shoes I love so much - so I can be just like my Daddy. Finally, we found a whole huge window display of them, but guess what? It's stinkin' Father's Day and everything is closed! Nnnnnnnnooooooooooo..... So basically, I have been waiting years and years for these famous slippers. Since I've been in Spain, I've peeked in the window of every single zapatería I've seen (honestly, there's literally one on every corner of every street of every city we have visited in this whole danged country!) to the point of driving my friends crazy. But the search is over! In Madrid yesterday, I passed the zapatería that is going to end years of waiting. It was closed when we walked past but I'm going back ASAP. I am so happy!!

To top it all off, after a 1,5€ dinner of bread and fruit from the mercado (I love baguettes!!) and some girl bonding in the park, I spend the evening in the basement of a bar listening to a group of flamenco artists. (If I ever figure out how to upload my videos, I'll post what I recorded there.) It was the coolest little intimate setting! Picture the coffee shop from the TV show Friends, shrink it to fit typical Spanish quaintness, and fill it with 6 or 7 buddies sitting around, jamming on guitars and a cajón (the box with a hole in it that you sit on) and their hands (to clap). I was dying! My life is so picturesque I can't even believe this is for real. Vale?

Let the balloon go.

iPod...gone. Sickenly stressful. Literally, I have been nauseated for the past 36 hours just thinking about it and grasping at straws to get it back. Next to my computer not connecting to the internet at home, it was my only way to talk to the group (via Facebook), my parents (via Skype), draft my blog posts, and more. I took it to the movie theater on Saturday (where we saw The Avengers) and it fell out of my pocket during the movie. I went back twice on Sunday (during and after a movie in the same sala) but no such luck. I retraced my steps, but it is gone. My life is over. I feel like everything I have done in the last 3 weeks has required intense internet connection. It was so perfect to not be tied to a computer (if I had one that worked) because I could just carry my iPod in my pocket and get updates from the group without being a zombie in my room, constantly on Facebook. Now I'm cut off. I only know about things if Caitlin tells me what everyone is saying. I have nothing to do while I wait for lunch to start. I can't Skype my parents before I go to bed. I feel like I just got stranded on an island and silenced by having my tongue cut out. 

Except.............I have a madre española who cooks me three meals every day and packs me pan tomate lunches when I go on field trips and cleans my bathroom and sweeps my bedroom floor and washes my clothes and irons my Tshirts and even my undershirts. I have an abono (bus pass) that gets me everywhere fast. I can take the bus around Alcalá, the train to Madrid, the metro around Madrid, the bus to the airport, and it's all prepaid and I never have to wait more than 10 minutes. I live in a beautiful, 500-year old city, in the most advantageous spot in town - a geographical oddity, if you will - it's 5-10 minutes from everything. I have a 36-strong posse, whose personalities mix and match on a dime to form smaller groups of the most exciting quality. I have free reign of the city - discotecas, cinemas, ice cream shops, museums, parks, paseos, hikes - here in Alcalá and in Madrid, and most everything is free. I am learning another language. I am functioning in another language (I went to the drug store the other day to get some anit-itch cream and they packaged it in tissue paper - I felt like I was back in It's a Wonderful Life at Mr. Gower's). I am taking siestas every afternoon. I am learning about the history of Spain from someone who spent her whole life here. I am living la vida española. I am in Spain. Who cares if I lost my iPod? All my pictures are on my computer. All my notes are in my blog or my journal. All my
music is on my laptop or at my parents' house. I have class every day and can make plans with my friends before I go home for lunch. I have an angel roommate who will loan me her computer to Skype my parents. I am having the most incredible experience of my life to this point. Do I really need internet to enjoy it? I think not. I'm about ready to hold this balloon in my hand, take one last big breath and let go, watch it fly up higher and higher, and then go on a Madrid Walk with a few cool kids. I don't need my iPod to enjoy Spain or anything else in my life. If it turns up, I'll be overjoyed. But if it doesn't, there's nothing stopping me from having the time of my life. Vale?

Things I learned in León

May 1 and 2 (photo courtesy of Holly)

At the Basilica de San Isidro (Patron Saint of Madrid)- he wrote an encyclopedia before the age of the moors. Many years later, they dug up his bones and brought them here to León. The romans wanted to claim this area because the mountain had lots of silver. So we see a lot of Roman influence in the buildings and art. A basilica = a church in shape of cross. A cathedral = a basilica that has a Bishop's chair. We weren't allowed to take pictures, but the library in the museum of the basilica has beautiful, old books! They even have some that are so old (from the first 50 years of print) that don't have a 'published-in-this-city-by-this-person' stamp! I was in awe.

La Catedral de León: with the exception of San Chapelle in Paris (which you will see later), the León cathedral has the most stained glass for how big it is. Last time I was in Spain, the cathedral was undergoing lots of construction so we couldn't go inside. Now, there's still some scaffolding on the outside, but we got to go in!

And with the help of Rick Steve's self-guided tour, I learned that the flying buttresses helped support the weight of the wall so they could make a larger hole and therefore a larger window.

Cool feature: the outside lights go off at midnight and the stained glass is lit from the inside. It was a little underwhelming, but novel nonetheless.

I saw a sign that was kind of like a real-life Google maps, telling me how long it would take to walk to different points of interest.

I really want a sundial in my future garden, like this one from the museum attached to the León Cathedral.

The most ideal day yet.

Today was a really great day. :) I started it off by hiking with Logan and Andrea through a 'campo' which reminded me of some of the trails at girls camp. There were pine trees, rabbits, squirrels, bugs, rocky paths where mountain bikers kept passing us, lots of hills and small mountains of clay. It was kind of overcast and there was an occasional breeze. Gah it was perfect!

From that, I came home to a breakfast of toast and marmalade, magdalenas, and the best fresh pear I've ever had. It was so perfectly ripe, soft, and sweet that I peeled it and then just bit into it like an apple. Mmmm :)

After a quick shower, I put on my dress and took the train into Madrid with a large group to do baptisms for the dead in the Madrid temple. That was amazing!!! I've only heard the ordinance in Spanish once before, in Texas. But this was something totally different. The Spirit was incredibly strong and reminded me that Heavenly Father speaks all languages. The love I felt there was so...thick and comfortable. Not to mention, the building itself is breathtakingly beautiful. I mean, wow. The simple, white, carved stone reminds me of all the cold cathedrals and castles we've toured in the past few weeks, only more pure and holy.

Then, to top it all off, during and after dinner I had some great conversation with our Chinese roommate, Naomi, and my 'madre española'. I felt really confident in my language skills, which I'm discovering is kind of a hit-n-miss thing. I got to learn some cool things about the Spanish government, monarchy, and the civil war; the climate in China, traditional roles of women in both Spain and China and lots of other great stuff. We laughed and joked about housemate interviews, which made me think of my upcoming roommate contract with Angela, and it was just awesome. Then Naomi left and Luisa and I got to have some one-on-one time. She told me how grateful she is to have Caitlin and I here, now. She's definitely a blessing in my life, and apparently I am "an angel in her house". I don't know about being an angel, but I'm really glad I'm here. TTFN

Burgos

April 29 - Beautiful countryside!! On the way to Burgos, we stopped in a lot of places. First on the map, a pueblo in the middle of nowhere where we hiked up a hill and found an abandoned castle (called Peñaranda de Duero) and an amazing view.

Coming back down the hill, there were some fascinating door covers - like rubbery cords that keep the flies out but let the fresh air in? I didn't actually ask anyone, so that could be way off.

Next stop, Santo Domingo de Silos - home of the famous singing monks who actually recorded a CD a few years ago. All I have to say is: goosebumps, chills.

On a different note, I bought a magdelena so I could use the bathroom (the only one I've had since I got here! actually no, that was remedied when I had one for breakfast the other day). Then I peeled an orange in one swipe, but Kjersten had issues and kind of hacked hers :)

Continuing on, we stopped to walk a trail mounted along the rock above a river that goes through a little valley. The only part of the name I remember is La Yecla. That could be the valley, the walk itself, the river, or just something I saw on a sign...whatevs :)

After that, we explored a small town with not much more to offer than a quaint church where Fernan Gonzalez was buried nbd. Also, I convinced the cute old man that we knew enough Spanish to get a tour of the museum in the cloisters and the back. And boy, was that so great! You're welcome, guys.

Here begins our foreign McDonald's experience (the one where we eat as many non-US french fries as possible). I haven't tasted this in over 3 years!

A quick run to Carrefour for Diet Coke and Oreo Milka bars (aka literal crack). I think we have an addiction.

The next morning, we visited the Catedral de Burgos where el Cid is buried. What a HUGE and FANTASTIC work of art and faith! Just....wow. I...yeah wow. Please see Facebook for all of the amazing stuff inside.