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Some history and Geography
It is about a five hour bus ride from Toledo to Granada. The countryside between the two towns is called Castile-La Mancha. This area is the setting of Cervantes´Don Quixote.
Granada, the city were I will be studying this spring, is about an hour from the Meditteranean Coast, and is very near the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Granada is well known because it is the site of the Moorish palace, The Alhambra. Granada was the last stronghold of the Moorish Kings (Northern African islams), who controlled much of Spain from 711 to 1492. They were expelled the by the Christain Monarchy Isabel and Ferdinand, who coincidently founded Christopher Columbus´ first voyage that same year.
Modern day Granada is a University town of about 300,000 people (The University has an enrollment of about 80,000 people). And is well known for it´s ¨bohemian presence¨ and gypsies. There is an area of town were the Architecture is Mediterranean (white stucoed cube shaped homes) , but as in all european towns, many styles have been blended throughout the ages.
It is about a five hour bus ride from Toledo to Granada. The countryside between the two towns is called Castile-La Mancha. This area is the setting of Cervantes´Don Quixote.
Granada, the city were I will be studying this spring, is about an hour from the Meditteranean Coast, and is very near the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Granada is well known because it is the site of the Moorish palace, The Alhambra. Granada was the last stronghold of the Moorish Kings (Northern African islams), who controlled much of Spain from 711 to 1492. They were expelled the by the Christain Monarchy Isabel and Ferdinand, who coincidently founded Christopher Columbus´ first voyage that same year.
Modern day Granada is a University town of about 300,000 people (The University has an enrollment of about 80,000 people). And is well known for it´s ¨bohemian presence¨ and gypsies. There is an area of town were the Architecture is Mediterranean (white stucoed cube shaped homes) , but as in all european towns, many styles have been blended throughout the ages.
Senora´s Casa (house)
We stepped of the bus and were greeted by our Senora (house mother) in Spain, it is traditional to give two pecks on each cheek when meeting others (not man to man though). Anyway our Senora´s name is Pilar, who is about 60 years. She is a short little woman who claims not to speak a word of English (I suspect she is lying), who works at a catholic school for girls. She is a strong Catholic (as is most of spain), she is really interested and accepting of all cultures. My roomate Danny is culturally Jewish, but still eats pretty much all meat. Senora assumes that he is a practicing Jew, so he gets almost no meat and has been craving protien. He bought a dozen eggs yesterday.
Most people in Granada live in apartments (pisos). The apartments here are different from the U.S. because they have no carpeting in the place. Every floor surface is stone (usually polished marble) and it is considered somewhat rude to walk around in bare feet or stalkings. This however makes sense to me because the stone is much more permanant and low maintenence than carpeting. The same idea translates to larger applications. For example, many of our houses and businesses in the U.S. are built using temporary materials such as wood, sheetrock, and plaster. We have a few brick houses, but they are expensive and rare. There are many more ´permanant´structures standing around.
Life in Pilars home is pretty similiar to what I am used to. I am told that the Spanish spend a larger proportion of thier income paying home utilities, so Pilar is pretty stict when it comes to shutting of lights and taking short showers.
My roomate is pretty cool. He is from Baltimore, and is majoring in Psychology and Digital Art. He also has a passion for music, and is into the ´American Folk Music´scene. He records a little music, and has some on his myspace: www.myspace.com/dannyisprettygnar . He doesnt speak much spanish so I had to help him barter for a Spanish Guitar. He is teaching now me how to play the harmonica a little.
Olive oil is the most important part of the Spanish diet. The Spanish use it heavily in everything they cook. And I am slowly getting used to the stuff, although I didnt think it too pleasant at first. Pork is the main dish here, but fish is also important.
We stepped of the bus and were greeted by our Senora (house mother) in Spain, it is traditional to give two pecks on each cheek when meeting others (not man to man though). Anyway our Senora´s name is Pilar, who is about 60 years. She is a short little woman who claims not to speak a word of English (I suspect she is lying), who works at a catholic school for girls. She is a strong Catholic (as is most of spain), she is really interested and accepting of all cultures. My roomate Danny is culturally Jewish, but still eats pretty much all meat. Senora assumes that he is a practicing Jew, so he gets almost no meat and has been craving protien. He bought a dozen eggs yesterday.
Most people in Granada live in apartments (pisos). The apartments here are different from the U.S. because they have no carpeting in the place. Every floor surface is stone (usually polished marble) and it is considered somewhat rude to walk around in bare feet or stalkings. This however makes sense to me because the stone is much more permanant and low maintenence than carpeting. The same idea translates to larger applications. For example, many of our houses and businesses in the U.S. are built using temporary materials such as wood, sheetrock, and plaster. We have a few brick houses, but they are expensive and rare. There are many more ´permanant´structures standing around.
Life in Pilars home is pretty similiar to what I am used to. I am told that the Spanish spend a larger proportion of thier income paying home utilities, so Pilar is pretty stict when it comes to shutting of lights and taking short showers.
My roomate is pretty cool. He is from Baltimore, and is majoring in Psychology and Digital Art. He also has a passion for music, and is into the ´American Folk Music´scene. He records a little music, and has some on his myspace: www.myspace.com/dannyisprettygnar . He doesnt speak much spanish so I had to help him barter for a Spanish Guitar. He is teaching now me how to play the harmonica a little.
Olive oil is the most important part of the Spanish diet. The Spanish use it heavily in everything they cook. And I am slowly getting used to the stuff, although I didnt think it too pleasant at first. Pork is the main dish here, but fish is also important.
my roomate
School
The first day we got into Granada we all tested for what level of Spanish we would be taking for the three months of class. There are 10 levels of Spanish total. The average age of our group is about 21 or 22, and the average level is about 200 or 300 level spanish at their home universities. The vast majority of students placed in level 3. Two of us placed in 4, two in 5. (myself in 4). From observing my group, I think that the UND spanish dept. is above average. We have class from 9 to 1 with a half hour break. Class is moday through friday.
Alpujarras trip
The first day we got into Granada we all tested for what level of Spanish we would be taking for the three months of class. There are 10 levels of Spanish total. The average age of our group is about 21 or 22, and the average level is about 200 or 300 level spanish at their home universities. The vast majority of students placed in level 3. Two of us placed in 4, two in 5. (myself in 4). From observing my group, I think that the UND spanish dept. is above average. We have class from 9 to 1 with a half hour break. Class is moday through friday.
Alpujarras trip
Our first weekend our group (ISA) took a trip to the Alpujarras which is the southern seawards area of the Sierra Nevadas. The area is historically known for it´s silk production. Small towns white towns are nestled up into the mountains, like you see on postcards. The small towns were pretty neat, one of them called Pampiniera (?) had a hippy comune of about 300 nearby. My roomate and I conversed with some of them who were from Albania, and bought some suff they were pedeling. Once we returned to Granada it felt more like home than before (I think this was craftilly planned by ISA). Pictures below are all from the Alpujarras. Note the small town in the coner of the mountains. Some typical constructions of houses.
Thoughts about politics.
Ever since Berlin, I have been analysing politics from the lense of Economic systems (capitalism, socialiam, monarchy,´communism´) . I think it is interesting how the smallest unit of goverment- the family- is communistic. All the income is put into one pot and distributed ´equally amonst all´and I think this is pretty efficient and effective. But is is easy to observe the failure of ´communism´on the national scale. Likewise capitalism works pretty smoothly, but accomidates the massive corporations that many think malicious. Everywhere I travel I talk to people who have different opinions which system should be adopted. I think that all of these systems can work in thier own context. Why is it that a central government cannot create a system in which each region chooses thier own system of governement and economy? For example, why cant vermont be completely socialiazed, and Texas operate under laissez faire? Why cant New Hampshire ban abortion while South Dakota accomidate for it? I dont think one should be so quick to denounce socialism or capitalism. I think if more decisions were up to the smaller communties, they would make laws that are more pertinant to their area, while not having to step on the ideas and beliefs of other communites.
Costs
beer- 1.50
tapas-free!
Some more politics
From Ronpaul2008.com
Today’s news that gold hit $1,000 an ounce showcases the dollar’s continuing decline. In April, 2006, Dr. Paul took to the floor of the House of Representatives and gave a speech entitled “What the Price of Gold is Telling Us.” At that time, gold was just over $600 an ounce. The numbers may have changed since then, but the arguments given and principles presented may be more relevant now than ever before.
Here’s an excerpt:
"One of the characteristics of commodity money-- one that originated naturally in the marketplace-- is that it must serve as a store of value. Gold and silver meet that test-- paper does not. Because of this profound difference, the incentive and wisdom of holding emergency funds in the form of gold becomes attractive when the official currency is being devalued. It’s more attractive than trying to save wealth in the form of a fiat currency, even when earning some nominal interest. The lack of earned interest on gold is not a problem once people realize the purchasing power of their currency is declining faster than the interest rates they might earn. The purchasing power of gold can rise even faster than increases in the cost of living.
The point is that most who buy gold do so to protect against a depreciating currency rather than as an investment in the classical sense. Americans understand this less than citizens of other countries; some nations have suffered from severe monetary inflation that literally led to the destruction of their national currency. Though our inflation-- i.e. the depreciation of the U.S. dollar-- has been insidious, average Americans are unaware of how this occurs. For instance, few Americans know nor seem concerned that the 1913 pre-Federal Reserve dollar is now worth only four cents. Officially, our central bankers and our politicians express no fear that the course on which we are set is fraught with great danger to our economy and our political system. The belief that money created out of thin air can work economic miracles, if only properly 'managed,' is pervasive in D.C."
Here’s an excerpt:
"One of the characteristics of commodity money-- one that originated naturally in the marketplace-- is that it must serve as a store of value. Gold and silver meet that test-- paper does not. Because of this profound difference, the incentive and wisdom of holding emergency funds in the form of gold becomes attractive when the official currency is being devalued. It’s more attractive than trying to save wealth in the form of a fiat currency, even when earning some nominal interest. The lack of earned interest on gold is not a problem once people realize the purchasing power of their currency is declining faster than the interest rates they might earn. The purchasing power of gold can rise even faster than increases in the cost of living.
The point is that most who buy gold do so to protect against a depreciating currency rather than as an investment in the classical sense. Americans understand this less than citizens of other countries; some nations have suffered from severe monetary inflation that literally led to the destruction of their national currency. Though our inflation-- i.e. the depreciation of the U.S. dollar-- has been insidious, average Americans are unaware of how this occurs. For instance, few Americans know nor seem concerned that the 1913 pre-Federal Reserve dollar is now worth only four cents. Officially, our central bankers and our politicians express no fear that the course on which we are set is fraught with great danger to our economy and our political system. The belief that money created out of thin air can work economic miracles, if only properly 'managed,' is pervasive in D.C."
3 comments:
Sounds liek ur havinga great time Chris!!....Pilar sounds interesting. i would like to see a picture of her and tell her your little sister said hi:D
luv ya
hey!..i just got finished with an Ireland report an di put someof the pictures that you took on my powerpoint!....just wanted to ttell you that my art project is up at www.artsonia.com but it look sWAY better in real life
love ya
I miss you shanaban. Make sure to keep an eye on adam.
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