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Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 05/12/2020 - 16:42

Madrid's Puerta del Sol

New York has the glass ball, Paris has the Eiffel Tower, Rio de Janeiro has fireworks on the beach and Tokyo has Shibuya crossing. In Madrid, we have the Puerta del Sol—Spain's kilometer zero where all highways radiate from reaching all of the areas of the country. Located in what is Madrid's Times Square, is a stately baroque Post building with a landmark clock tower called the Reloj de la Gobernación or the Clock of the Government in English. When twelve o'clock strikes in Madrid, all of the country tunes in to the Puerta del Sol and listen to the distinctive chimes of the clock striking twelve which is called the Campanadas de fin de año or the last bell tolls of the year. Curiously, the chimes of the stately clock are not the main attraction. Instead the tolling of the bell marks the rhythm for what really matters—eating 12 grapes to welcome in the New Year.

But how did this tradition of eating 12 grapes come into being? It isn't known for sure, but many believe that the tradition dates back to the early 1880s when upper class Madrileños began to imitate the French aristocratic tradition of dining with grapes and champagne on New Year's Eve.  To mock this practice, the people of Madrid gathered at the Puerta del Sol, as usual, to celebrate the New Year in the company of other but with a twist. They would now eat grapes as a derisive gesture towards their upper crust neighbors while they celebrated the end of one year and the entrance to another.

In 1909, the tradition would now become more established and the grapes that are used today were then introduced into the ceremony that we now recognize today. This is because growers in the Vianlopó Valley in the region of Alicante had a bumper crop of grapes that they needed to unload any way possible. Thankfully, the timing of the harvest was such that they would be able to sell their grapes to people in Madrid in need of this fruit in time for New Year's.  An added benefit this grape afforded people, in addition to its availability, was its thin skin which made this grape easier to eat within the 12 bell strikes at midnight.  For those people that are able to eat the 12 grapes before the last bell sounds, they will enjoy a new year full of success and good luck.

Today the grapes are grown specifically for this purpose and they are grown in a very peculiar way. Today these coveted grapes have the protected Denominación de Orígen which strictly regulates how these grapes are grown and handled.  One of the biggest peculiarities of this grape is that it is grown wrapped in Paper bags on the vine. For over 100 years, the best grape clusters are chosen on the vines and wrapped in paper bag that has an opening in the bottom. This was due to a plague of cochylis moths that devasted the grape crop at the turn of the last century. With their crops ruined, a farmer named Manuel Bonmatí Abad decided to try out the paper bag. As it turns out, his invention worked and not only had the bags protected the grapes from the bugs, but they also protected the grapes from inclement weather, birds and (over) exposure to pesticides.

Today, the grapes are still grown in this time consuming and costly growing process but the result is a unique and tasty culinary treat. Curiously, one inconvenience that these grapes have for people searching for good luck on New Year's Eve is that these grapes have three to four seeds  which can complicate the task of trying to eat 12 in a about 15 seconds. The thin skin is helpful but the seeds make the endeavor of eating these grapes in time a difficult task. For this reason there are some shortcuts that people take prior to chime of the bells. The most common trick is for people to peel and remove the seeds from the grapes. A laborious task but effective in helping people get as lucky as possible for the coming year. Another way of cheating the bells is to buy tins with exactly 12 peeled and seed free grapes; this more expensive option is also the most convenient—no cleaning, peeling or removing seeds.

However or wherever you plan on celebrating your New Year's, be sure to have 12 grapes handy and, tune your computer, tablet or smartphone to rtve.es and watch the campanadas live from the Puerto del Sol.

 


 

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Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 05/12/2020 - 16:42

Christmas markets in Spain might not be as grand as the northern European ones found in for example Germany, but they are nevertheless important for the Spanish people as a Christmas tradition. Another important tradition in Spain involves the nativity scene, belén, and in Spain these vary from very simple and small ones for your home to much elaborated and life-sized ones which decorate the cities and provide a true Christmas feeling.

There are markets in every Spanish city, but some of the best Christmas markets can be found in the following cities:

Christmas markets in Madrid

There are markets in almost every square in the city e.g. Plaza España and Plaza de Santo Domingo, however the largest and most popular one is located at Plaza Mayor. This market is around 150 years old and includes more than 100 stalls of different handicraft, Christmas decorations, food, jewelry, candles, sweets etc. The market normally opens sometime in the end of November and stays open until the end of December in Madrid. It's frequently visited by both tourists and locals. Close by, at Plaza Santa Cruz, there's a carnival-like market that sells wigs and costumes for El Día de los Santos Inocentes (Fool's day) which is celebrated on the 28th of December by dressing up in these items.

Christmas markets in Barcelona

The most well-known and traditional Christmas market in Barcelona is the Fira de Santa Llúcia. Like in Madrid this market also opens in the end of November but it closes just before Christmas. Fira de Santa Llúcia has been a tradition for 228 years and contains more than 200 stalls. Here you can find traditional Christmas decorations, handicraft, food and such, but also the traditional Catalan Caga Tío, which is a small log with a painted, happy face and a small red hat. This market is located close to the cathedral at Plaza de la Seu.  

Fira de Nadal a la Sagrada Familia is a smaller market with stalls selling similar products to the ones at Fira de Santa Llúcia. You can find it at Plaza de la Sagrada Familia. Mercat Gótic is another small market but this one focuses mostly on antiques. This is an all year round market that is actually overtaken by the Fira de Santa Llúcia during Christmas. It's located at Avenida Portal de l'Angel. Col.lectiu d'Artesans de l'Alimentació is also an all year round market, however it is more popular during Christmas. Vendors here sell honey, cheeses, herbs, wine, chocolate etc. You can find it at Plaça del Pi.

Christmas markets in Seville

This 2000 year old city has a lot of history that shows in its Christmas markets. Vendors sell everything necessary to make an  unforgettable Christmas. Feria del Belén de Sevilla is a market almost completely devoted to the very Spanish tradition of nativity scenes. Since this is important stuff in Spain these may range from a few Euros to a few hundred. It's located at Archivo de Indias. Exposición y Venta de Dulces is a kind of market taking place during the first week of December. The local convents start selling their sweets such as marzipan and yemas in the city  and there's always a huge line with people waiting to get their hands on these treats. If you're not interested in hustling with all the people a visit to the convents is recommended. In the city the treats are sold at the palace Real Alcazar.

Christmas markets in Granada

During December and until the 5th of January there is a Christmas market held in Granada in Plaza Bib-Rambla. Like the other Spanish Christmas markets its vendors sell all kinds of handicraft such as Christmas decorations, leather- and ceramic products, jewelry, candles, flowers and sweets from the convents.

After exploring the Spanish Christmas traditions the most important things around the Spanish holidays seem to be the nativity scenes and the sweet treats. The nativity scenes decorate both the homes and cities of the Spanish people and it's not uncommon to see life-sized ones with real animals and actors. They are an important part of the Spanish Christmas tradition and something the people are willing to spend a lot of money on. Also the Christmas treats are important, like assumedly they are in most countries. In Spain you can spoil yourself with treats such as Roscón de Reyes -a sweet donut-shaped cake filled with cream and topped with candied fruits and/or sugar. According to tradition the cake is supposed to contain a hidden fava bean as well as a small figure of baby Jesus. The person who finds baby Jesus in their piece of cake is crowned "king" or "queen" of the evening, whereas the one who finds the fava bean has to pay for next year's cake.

Turrón is another popular treat which is a kind of nougat made of honey, sugar and egg whites filled with roasted almonds or other types of nuts. It comes in a great variety of flavors and shapes and is definitely one of the real favorites for Christmas, along with Polvorón which is a type of Spanish shortbread made of flour, sugar, milk and nuts. It crumbles very easily, thereby its name (polvo is powder in English). Another treat that should not be forgotten this time of year is the roasted chestnuts. All over Spain you can find vendors at the markets or on the streets selling freshly roasted chestnuts to go.

Of course you need to visit a Spanish Christmas market if you're in the country at this time of year. It's a perfect way to get to know the traditions and the people, and if you have a sweet tooth (like myself) it's worth going just for the treats.

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Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 05/12/2020 - 16:42

The concept of the Erasmus program has been known in the sphere of higher education for many years now and it is still gaining in popularity around Europe. Since its establishment in 1987 millions of students have participated in the program, obtaining invaluable experiences and memories from their time spent abroad.

What is Erasmus?

The Erasmus program was established as an exchange program for students and university staff in the European Union. It is named after the Dutch philosopher Desiderius Erasmus who himself lived and worked in several European countries. The main objectives of the program are to promote student mobility in Europe and to create a stronger bond between nations. Some academics even believe that the future leaders of Europe will be former Erasmus students, which hopefully will create a better sense of community within the Union.  As from 2014, the program is called Erasmus+ and now also includes high school students.

Study Exchange

Students are allowed to go abroad for studies for a period of 3-12 months per study level (bachelor, master, etc.). While abroad you study on similar terms as the native students. You have the right to get full recognition for the courses passed successfully as long as they follow the syllabus of your education at home. To assure this, your home institution has to approve the courses you are planning to take abroad. Moreover, as a participant of the Erasmus program you are justified to Erasmus funding, a grant that is sufficient for covering part of the extra costs of being abroad. The amount differs depending on the country and the length of the exchange, but according to statistics from the European Commission the average grant is € 275 per month.

Internship Exchange

When going on an internship students are allowed to go for a minimum of 2 months to a maximum of 12 months per study level. It is in some cases possible to get the internship recognized by your home university; normally it needs to be relevant to your education to get recognized. If this fails you have the right to have it mentioned in your Diploma Supplement. Students participating in the internship Erasmus program also receive a grant of an amount depending on the country and length of the internship. The average amount is the same as for studies.

How to Apply?

To be able to apply you need to be a student enrolled at a university in one of the 33 countries open for the Erasmus program. Students are only allowed to go to universities that their home university has collaborations with. Therefore applications are always handled by the student's home university. Visas are only needed when taking a full year abroad, and you never have to pay any tuition fees when going on an exchange with the Erasmus program. Also there is extra support available for physically disabled students through the Erasmus program. For questions and applications, contact your institution or find more information here.

The "Erasmus Experience"

"Going on an Erasmus exchange is the best thing you will ever do" seems to be what most Erasmus students tell other students after coming back from their exchange. The aim of the Erasmus program is to get students out of their home countries to learn more about their neighboring countries, and it seems like it is working. Lots of former Erasmus students share their stories in different social media and most appear to be very happy with their time abroad. Students claim to have learned so much about their host country that they didn't know before and they are very happy that they went. Some students have always had an Erasmus exchange in mind, others went spontaneously or almost reluctantly, but they all seem to be glad over the fact that they decided to go, and encourage other students to go as well. The stories are endless, but similar.

More than anything, the students seem to have learned a lot about themselves and they’ve gained more confidence and independence. For many it is the first time leaving the family home and being abroad. Of course it is scary at first, the thought of going someplace new completely on your own, however, former Erasmus students assure that you will find new friends quickly and there are always activities to join. In fact, Erasmus students seem to have so much fun during their time abroad that there is actually talk about a post-Erasmus stress syndrome, due to students inability to readapt themselves to the "normal  life" back home.

The Erasmus Impact Study published by the European Commission offers positive news. It claims that more than 25% of students that have taken part in the Erasmus Program over the years met their long-term partner during the exchange, which has resulted in over a million babies being produced. Also, around 40% of former Erasmus students now live and work abroad. The experience of having lived abroad is something employers value when hiring, which give those with an Erasmus exchange on their résumé a much better competitiveness in the job market. Therefore, the Erasmus program is a perfect starting point both for those who wish to have an international career or even a career in their native country.

Erasmus in Spain

Spain is the country most Erasmus students choose for their exchange. It is closely followed by Germany and France. Spain is also the country that sends most students abroad on an Erasmus exchange.  Granada is the city with the most popular Spanish university for Erasmus students, but also Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia and Salamanca have high positions on the list of the most popular cities for Erasmus exchanges. The language might be one significant factor to Spain's popularity, the culture another. Spanish is the second largest language in the world in terms of native speakers, and its importance seems to continue to grow in the future. Many see Spain as an exotic place, with its unique cultural heritage that includes traditions such as flamenco, bullfighting, and exquisite food.  The weather must also be seen as an important factor for Erasmus students, and the most popular Spanish cities cited above support this claim, since all but Madrid are located in the southern and eastern parts of the country.

Erasmus Benefits

The general opinion about the Erasmus program is very optimistic, it is difficult to come across stories of unsatisfied Erasmus students. For many the experience appears to be one of the best and most valuable of their lives so far. Students gain confidence and independence by going to a new country on their own, as well as acquiring language skills, an understanding of different cultures than their own  and getting to know new life long friends.

In times of economic difficulties throughout Europe, the Erasmus program also offers European students a possibility to gain skills and experiences invaluable for future employability and mobility, to be able to have successful careers.

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Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 05/12/2020 - 16:42

The US is a multi-lingual country with no official national language, a place where according to the 2011 census report, 20% of the people speak a language other than English at home.  In California that number is 44%. Orange County, located just south of LA, is California’s second most densely populated county, a place that reflects changing language trends across the country.

Legions of TV fans around the world recognize the sunny county from the Fox series The O.C. (2003-2007) which aired in over 50 countries and spawned an anxious flurry of copy shows during the mid 2010’s with promising titles such as The Real Housewives of Orange County, and Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County. Despite the excited use of the word “real”, the shows offered a decidedly un-diverse on-screen image of the county compared to statistics from the latest census report.

This year marks the 125th anniversary of Orange County’s founding way back when a real estate boom in Southern California saw new towns established and communities expand all over the area. It had been covered by vast ranchlands just a few decades earlier. Towns continued growing, but no clearly defined urban center ever developed, and even today the county with over 3 million residents living inside a 790 square mile boundary still reflects its past as a region of many smaller communities that grew together over time within the shadows of Los Angeles. Famous attractions here include Disneyland and Huntington “Surf City USA” Beach.

Orange County is known as a place of staunchly conservative political views which ironically include anti-immigration attitudes; according to a report from the University of Southern California the county scored relatively high on a ranking that analyzed immigrant integration in terms of civic engagement, economic trajectory and other indicators. Despite the famous attitude, immigrants now make up 30% of the population, that’s nearly 1 million people, and as the population has diversified its political leanings have too. Over half of the children here have at least one parent who is from another country.

Half a million Asian American residents live in the county, a community that grew by 41% between 2000 and 2010, making it the third largest Asian American population in America. The county’s Little Saigon area is the largest Vietnamese community outside of Vietnam. Bangladeshi residents make up the county’s fastest growing community which grew by 118% during the same decade, followed by Fijans up 108%.

Nearly half of the residents speak a language other than English at home, and over half of these speak Spanish. Over 1 million residents are Latino. Spanish is nothing new here; the region had once belonged to the King of Spain and then to Mexico until 1848, when it was ceded to the US after the end of the Mexican War. California’s original constitution stipulated that “laws and provisions would be published in English and Spanish”. 

The OC Weekly recently published an informative and interactive albeit kind of confusing language map (there are a lot of different colors and if they’re shaded different they mean different things) of Orange County that shows the second most spoken languages in each of the county’s zip codes. The language that appears in most zip codes is unsurprisingly Spanish, followed by Vietnamese, followed by, perhaps most interestingly, English. English is the second most spoken language in 14 Orange County zip codes, and in some zip codes it’s even third behind Spanish and Vietnamese. In most of the zip codes in the county’s capital Santa Ana, over 80% of the residents speak Spanish as their primary language. Chinese, Korean, Persian, and Russian are also all on the map. 40,000 households speak Tagalog.

So how does all this reflect what’s happening in the rest of the country?

Languages in The US

According a 2013 US census report on language, eight languages including Russian and Persian more than doubled in usage nationwide between 1980 and 2010. Vietnamese increased by 599%. There were 24.9 million more Spanish speakers.  The report explained that “Fueled by both long-term historic immigration patterns and more recent ones, the country’s language diversity has increased over the past few decades”.

The numbers frighten some pro-English-only observers. Many say that the increase in rich language diversity compromises communication among Americans. The fears have inspired some of the most active to ban together to create citizens’ actions groups such as U.S. English, Inc. in attempts to assure the passage of English as the official language of the United States. 31 of the 50 states have amended their state constitutions to recognize English as the official language, California is one of them; if the hope was to discourage foreign language use there, the plan seems to be failing.  Ironically, amending the US constitution to define English only as the official national language could eliminate programs designed to help non-English speaking residents learn English, in other words English only initiatives could end up in a certain way promoting the use of other languages. Groups like The American Civil Liberties Union oppose establishing English as an official language, noting that these types of laws compromise the rights of non-English speaking communities. 

 Anyone thinking that legal measures need to be taken to preserve English use in America may also want to keep in mind conclusions from the latest US census report, which show that even as families increasingly speak languages other than English at home, the percentage of Americans who report that they speak English well has remained steady.

The debate over whether or not English should be somehow enforced as America’s only language goes back to the first few years of the country’s founding.

In 1780, during the middle of the American Revolution which sought independence from Britain, a time when the US was establishing itself as a nation, future president John Adams attempted to found an official English Academy but the idea was rejected as it was considered undemocratic.

As early as 1751, Benjamin Franklin complained about the Germans, wondering why “should Pennsylvania, founded by the English, become a colony of aliens, who will shortly be so numerous as to Germanize us instead of our anglifying them, and will never adopt our language or customs…” Needless to say, widespread use of German anywhere in the US was phased out pretty much on its own without much official legislation (I say much because there was actually some legislation: following World War I, some English-only laws were passed in the Midwest to keep people from speaking German, laws that the Supreme Court ruled as unconstitutional in 1923).

People have spoken a rich variety of languages in America since long before the drafting of the US constitution (according to Marriam-Webster, before 1492, people spoke over 300 languages north of Mexico). Places like Orange County suggest that language use will continue to diversify with or without laws attempting to guarantee the use of the language of the country America successfully gained independence from over 200 years ago. And that’s a closer look at the real Orange County, a closer look at the united languages of America.

 

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Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 05/12/2020 - 16:42

It seems like Game of Thrones fever has even gripped Spain's political world. During his first trip to the European Union since his succession to the throne the Spanish king, Felipe VI, was presented with a box set of the GoT series by the Podemos leader Pablo Iglesias. In October 2014, GoT started filming in Spain using Andalusia as the setting for parts of its fifth series. In a previous blog post we talked about the locations used and about how the filming in Spain will put Spanish cities such as Seville on the world map. In this article I want to talk in more detail about this second point looking at how Spain's tourist industry and society have benefited from the arrival of this fantasy series to their towns and cities.

  • According to the Andalusian Institute of Statistics and Cartography's Tourism Situation Survey, due to the Game of Thrones series, in 2015 in the months of January, February and March, Andalusia received 4.27 million visitors which represents a 9.6% increase compared to the same months in 2014.
  •  A study conducted by the travel website Skyscanner showed that after the first episode of the fifth series was aired there were more internet searches for Seville.
  • Just two weeks after crews started shooting in Spain James Costos, the U.S. Ambassador to Spain, stated that local tourism had risen by 15% in Seville and Osuna.

These figures give a good, statistical overview of how tourism has been boosted in Andalusia, its capital and the town of Osuna. However what does this look like in practice? To talk about this in more detail we can study the advantages Osuna's tourism industry gained as its bullring featured as “Daznak's Pit” in the series. Just a few weeks after film crews arrived in this small town, the tourism information center had to extend its opening hours to deal with the touristic boom and hotels became booked up. Several restaurants also seized the opportunity to attract more visitors with one redecorating its interior following a Game of Thrones' theme while others created special menus and tapas named after the show's characters.  The choice to shoot some of the fifth series in Andalusia also helped to create jobs as extras were required for the different scenes including the battle sequence in Osuna's bullring with the Entertainment Weekly reporting that after Fresco Film, the local production company, issued a casting call for the aforementioned scene 86,000 hopefuls applied for the 600 roles available. The authorities of this small town in the Province of Seville were also very keen to maintain the influx of visitors after the cameras had been packed away. With this in mind Osuna's mayor Rosario Andujar outlined that the town hall was not only planning to create a section on its website with information about the landmarks where this fantasy drama was shot but also  to open a museum with exhibitions about the filming . Furthermore, Osuna's business association looked into the option of offering GoT location tours.

In fact one luxury, American travel agency has already seen the economic potential of offering tours around the Spanish film locations which form part of the world of Dorne. Their experience offers visitors the opportunity to explore some of the sites and destinations which feature in this show with stays in Madrid, Seville, Osuna and Granada.

The number of applications for the extra roles is not the only indication that GoT mania has gripped Spain. This fever is also demonstrated by the fact that, according to El País, several thousand visitors were expected to attend the GoT exhibition which took place in Madrid from 29th April to 3rd May.  This traveling show displayed various original props, offered a 4D virtual reality experience where fans could ascend the Wall in the Castle Black elevator, had a replica of the Iron Throne for people to sit on and immersed the visitors in some of the series' most well-known scenes thanks to the photo stations.

In conclusion, in this article we have seen how the GoT producers' decision to bring their award-winning production to Spain had both economic, touristic and social benefits for Andalusia. If you are a Thrones fan and you are catching up on the latest series why not watch it in Spanish, on the Canal+ website, and improve your listening skills at the same time?  You could also organize your own GoT locations tour to Spain with your friends or family following in the footsteps of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros' characters while also enjoying Andalusia's intricate architecture, beautiful surroundings and rich culture.

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Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 05/12/2020 - 16:42

Butterfly's Tongue

Known in English as Butterfly’s Tongue or more simply Butterfly, La Lengua de Las Mariposas focuses on life in Galician Spain just prior to the Spanish Civil War. Although not one of director’s, José Luis Cuerda, most famous films, this film, which is portrayed through the eyes of a young child, depicts the events while showing the struggles that families were faced with at the time.

  • Released in 1999 but set in pre-Civil War Galicia in 1936, La Lengua de Las Mariposas is still a very popular Spanish film today, constantly provoking much discussion
  • José Luis Cuerda’s film is based on several short stories by Manuel Rivas; this Spanish movie received critical acclaim and won a Goya Award in 2000 for best adapted screenplay

José Luis Cuerda based his film on Manuel Rivas’ short stories "Carmiña", "Un saxo na néboa", and "A lingua das bolboretas" from the book Qué me quieres, mi amor? Rivas is one of the most prolific authors in Galicia and Spain as a whole, and his book Qué me quieres, mi amor? enjoyed much success and has been translated into nine languages.

The story of La Lengua de Las Mariposas follows Moncho, a young boy, and how he grows up and matures, all set against the back-drop of the impending Civil War between the Republicans and the Nationalists. At the start of the film the audience learns that Moncho has been unable to attend school due to an illness, and he is incredibly anxious about his impending attendance. The first day is not successful, and ends with him running into the woods in fright. Nevertheless, throughout the rest of the film we see Moncho mature as he builds a relationship with his teacher, Don Gregorio.

The audience sees Don Gregorio telling Moncho things about the world and imparting his Republican ideals on the boy, albeit indirectly. Moncho’s father is strongly Republican as well, while his mother worries about the impact that that may have in light of the upcoming war, especially as she has more Nationalist tendencies. The end of the film shows Don Gregorio being taken away by the Nationalists, while Moncho’s mother implores her family to shout at the Republicans in a bid to prevent them from being taken away too. While Moncho’s father breaks down crying because he is disregarding his beliefs, he shouts in accordance with his wife and Moncho throws stones at the retreating van. He does, however, shout espiritrompa, meaning butterfly’s tongue – a world he learnt from Don Gregorio, to show that he does not truly believe in what he is yelling.

Many critics believe that this Spanish film is significant in several ways. Firstly, although there is no violence throughout the film, the presence of Nationalist soldiers in several scenes, as well as the numerous allusions to Republican ideals, show that the threat is imminent, yet life must go on. Secondly, critics suggest that this film is important in showing the strength and importance of family, as the mother does all she can – including asking her husband to contradict his beliefs – in an effort to keep the family together. Whatever varying critics say, La Lengua de Las Mariposas is a thought-provoking film, and the Best Original Screenplay Goya Award in 2000 is testament to this.

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Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 05/12/2020 - 16:42

If you’re in Madrid this year, check out Toledo; it’s just a short half hour train-ride to the south and 2014 marks the 400th anniversary of the death of this historic city’s most illustrious figure. A full-blown fiesta raging throughout the year is commemorating the life and work of famed painter Doménikos Theotokópulos (1541-1614), known to the world as El Greco. A fantastic variety of lively cultural events and handsome exhibits of inspired works selected from this Golden Age artist’s vibrant oeuvre all await visitors. Still not convinced? Keep in mind that the city of Toledo itself displays medieval urban landscapes that seem to teleport observers to a flourishing age of arts.

Lively and colorful artistic performances have been erupting this year on the streets of Toledo’s aged old town. These high-energy productions celebrate the distant past of this town known as the “City of Three Cultures”, referring to the historic coexisting presence of Muslim, Jewish, and Christian communities. The French group La Salamandre will offer a show on December 6th that will blend dance, theater, and firework displays inspired by El Greco’s vibrant paintings.  

Although El Greco was Greek (his nickname alludes to his Greek origins) he moved to Toledo in 1577 where he created his most defining paintings. Today, his life and work are intimately woven into the cultural fabric of the Spanish city. Curiously, this anniversary event marks the first time an exhibit exclusively devoted to his works has ever been offered in the city.

Heavily stylized figures elongated to impossible proportion characterize this Renaissance era painter’s striking pieces.  His work also captures ecstatic images charged with dynamic emotional intensity. All this bold representation didn’t always find favor over the centuries. Baroque-age critics flatly described his intense paintings as “delirious”. Today however, long after a time of movements such as modernism, El Greco has found a strong following of admiring fans around the world. It’s precisely his unabashed expressiveness over precision of form that makes him a highly influential old master among new generations of artists. Just to give you an idea of his international popularity, 60 paintings were shipped in from 29 cities all over the globe for an exhibit held earlier this year in Toledo, an ambitious event billed as the largest El Greco exhibit ever held.

You still have time to catch the final exhibit of this year long celebration, which is being held from now until December 9. “El Greco: Painter and Master” displays works such as the entire series of Apostolate of the Marquis of San Feliz and also The Apostolate of Almadrones.

The anniversary celebration has been a popular cultural event. The president of the El Greco 2014 Foundation, Gregorio Marañón, has asserted that “El año Greco has turned into “an authentic social phenomenon”. Although events and festivities have mainly taken place in Toledo, they’ve also been held in Valladolid and at the Prado Museum in Madrid.

Toledo is always an attractive day trip possibility for visitors in Madrid, but this year, this city that has earned recognition as a UNESCO world-heritage site should be a particularly essential addition to your itinerary. The old town majestically perched atop a hill features an Alcazar fortress, a mosque, a monastery, a synagogue and a Roman bridge that date back thousands of years. Immerse yourself in this medieval atmosphere lost in time and prepare to indulge in a visual feast that showcases the dramatized imagery of a popular old master who helped put Toledo on the map of the art world.

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Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 05/12/2020 - 16:42

Many American students spending November in Spain and experiencing the unfamiliar silence leading up to Thanksgiving Day will inevitably imagine with mouth-watering envy a distant place called home, where loved ones enshrouded in the warm coziness of company and the pleasant perfumes of piping hot pumpkin pie prepare to hunker over plates brimming with traditional turkey creations.

Just a reminder: the fourth Thursday of November is not a holiday in Spain. The second Monday of October (nod to you Canadian friends) isn’t either. Many Spaniards have heard of Thanksgiving traditions from watching American movies, many even erroneously believe the holiday commemorates American independence (you may have just as much to teach your Spanish friends about America as they have to teach you about Spain). 

Below you’ll find a quick round-up of ways to spend your Thanksgiving in Spain.

Those who absolutely need turkey on turkey day have several options. You could opt to put together your own Thanksgiving meal. Plan possibilities range from a full blown feast for an army of amigos to the more humble and intimate package of turkey cold cuts for one (a bittersweet bachelor or bachelorette’s take on a classic that could be more about inspired soul-searching than indulgent and self absorbed sulking.) How you spend your Thanksgiving may of course depend on your accommodation arrangements. If you’re staying in the home of a host family, you might raise a few eyebrows if for example you make your way into the family kitchen and toss a full-sized bird into their oven.

If you do go the do-it-yourself route, keep in mind that some traditional items aren’t so traditional in Spain, in other words, stuff like cranberry sauce and even the turkey itself might not prove so easy to find. If you’re in Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Seville, or some other cities, you could check the store Taste of America for specific turkey day fixins’. You could also try to order a whole turkey in advance at a butcher shop. A few years ago, the famous Spanish chef José Andrés began offering for purchase an authentic Thanksgiving turkey in a box. This pavo asado al estilo Americano comes complete with mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce and even the lesser-known “chestnut purée”. The meal takes about 30 minutes to prepare and it feeds 10.

If kitchen toil and trouble doesn’t interest you, a few America-themed restaurants also sometimes serve a traditional Thanksgiving meal (think Hard Rock Café).

Then again, you don’t necessarily need turkey and customary T-day trimmings to give thanks and have a great time with friends. In my opinion, there’s nothing wrong with enjoying a Thanksgiving paella. You could celebrate with friends at a tapas bar, switching up timeless turkey traditions for savory Spanish classics.

Finally, some recommend forgetting all about your home traditions, insisting that a full immersion experience involves embracing the new cultural heritage that surrounds you and leaving home traditions back home. It’s up to you. If you have a group of American friends, you’ll probably at the very least consider doing something together on Thanksgiving. Some would say that if you’re an American student in Spain and you have a group of American friends than you may not be getting the most out of your experience abroad, a valuable time for gaining personal insight into the local culture and practicing the language with new Spanish friends.

 

 

 

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Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 05/12/2020 - 16:42

When one thinks of living in Europe, we usually think of the large cities and capitals of this old-world continent like London, Paris, Rome, Geneva or Brussels. But are these places really the BEST places to live? The EU has released a survey trying to answer that very question. In a survey to determine the best place to live in Europe 2013, the Quality of Life in Cities study released by the EU contains some surprises for everyone. Some of the more common places to visit in Europe are surprisingly not listed like the great capitals listed before and the issues that most concern Europeans with respect to how they feel about where they live is the value placed on good healthcare facilities, unemployment and education/training. So what is the best place to live in Europe? The answer is Aalborg, Denmark with an overall satisfaction score of 99/100. Not to be left behind, The Spanish city of Málaga also scored remarkable well with a score of 96/100 tying with cities like Amsterdam, Graz or Munich. Another Spanish city to pass with honors (and with the most individual top scores) was the Asturian city of Oviedo.

Why Málaga?

This comprehensive survey ask people to rate everything from public transport, the presence of foreigners, the quality of health care and public safety just to name a few. Málaga is the sixth largest city in Spain along the Mediterranean coast in Andalusia. Its neighbors like Marbella, Torremolinos, Sotogrande or Fuengirola may sound more familiar with Jet Setters and golfers as they are the anchors for the tourists that flock here every year to take in the fun and sun that the Costa del Sol offers.

Malaga is one of the oldest cities in the world with a history that dates back almost 3000 years. Not surprisingly since its location is offers summerlike conditions for 8 months of the year and one of the warmest winters in all of Europe. Know by the Phoenicians as Malaka in the 8th century BCE it would later find itself ruled by Romans, Moors and Christians. More recently Málaga has become a thriving cultural center, famous for being the birthplace of Pablo Picasso; it is home to important local museums like Museo Picasso Málaga, modern art CAC Málaga, and the Fundación Pablo Picasso. It will also soon be home to a satellite museum of Paris' world famous Pompidou Center, the Centro Pompidou and a satellite State Russian Museum of Saint Petersburg. Joining these two incredibly famous museums will be the new Museo de Bellas Artes y Arqueológico in the historic Palacio de la Aduana.

Although Malaga is the sixth largest city by population it is the fourth largest in terms of economic activity. The principal drivers of Málaga's economy are tourism, construction and high-tech. This activity has also meant that the people living in Málaga today come from all over the world. In the Parque Tecnologico de Andalucia, a miniature Silicon Valley has been erected with companies like Alcatel Lucent, Alstom, Siemens and Huawei attracting talent to and driving Málaga into the 21st century.

Where it Succeeds

As a reflection of the economic crisis that has hit Spain these last 6 years, it is not surprising to find that the optimism of people here is low when asked if it is easy to find a job in their city. In this question Málaga ranked third lowest of all the cities with score of 4% of the respondents agreeing with that statement. People from Barcelona and Oviedo also felt the same, tying each other with 7% and Madrid not far behind with a score of 12%. If you are looking for work in Europe, Oslo and Prague feel that they can offer you something but their scores top out at an unconvincing 70% and 63%. As we can see, the uncertainty of the today's economic reality has made everyone across the continent less than optimistic with regards to the work situation.

Another area that received low scores was the statement where residents affirm that they believe that administrative services were helping people efficiently. Once again, most every city was unconvinced in this aspect of their life with only seven cities breaking the 70% barrier. On the other hand more than half the respondents disagreed with this statement with eight cities disagreeing by more than 60%. Malaga scored 50% while Madrid scored 38% and Barcelona shared its dissatisfaction with a score of 45%.

When asked if they agreed with the statement that they were satisfied with the life they lead, Malaga scored 84% but was outscored by Oviedo with 87%. Both numbers indicate a very high level of satisfaction as well as a very positive sentiment about the life they are living in both cities. One thing that is evident about this survey is that every city has their advantages and their areas to work on. For example, the biggest issues the residents of Zurich worry about (the second city in the world with the most millionaires per capita) are housing, education and public transport.

Imagine Los Angeles without the congestion, cars and 40 mile long streets. We'll keep the beach, weather and cultural offering. This comparison is very crude indeed but it does give you a little bit of an idea of what Málaga is like. If you ever have the opportunity to come out this way, one of the best places to visit in Europe is Málaga and its surrounding Costa del Sol. And if you have the opportunity to live in Spain, you may be lucky enough to live in one of the cities of Europe's with the highest quality of living.

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Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 05/12/2020 - 16:42

A number of observers, perhaps awestruck by the convincing portrayal of the undead in popular film and TV programming, seem under the growing suspicion that the world will soon experience a zombie apocalypse. Theories supporting the concern abound. Some are kind of convincing. Ever wonder how you would react? What strategies would you adopt in your desperate attempts to guarantee survival?

Not satisfied with just wondering what a zombie attack scenario would be like, in Spain hundreds of fans of zombie entertainment have taken their curious passion to the next level by participating in fun and exciting competitions which reenact, in frightening detail, full-fledged infestations. World Real Games (WRG) has organized a number of these so-called Zombie Survival events throughout the year in small towns all over Spain. Many of these took place in the last few weeks. The latest was a very special edition held in Aldeaduero (Salamanca) from Halloween to Nov. 2, 2014; that’s 48 hours of live zombie action.

If onscreen zombie drama seems creepy, imagine coming face to face with a horde of hungry walking cadavers. As the name of the event suggests, the goal here is to survive. You have to try to find the only way out of the infected town; by way of helicopter or hot air balloon. You must find the hidden sky transport by following clues, but do it without getting touched by a zombie. If you get tagged you’ll join the ranks of the zombies for the rest of the game in their mindless quest to infect all. Competing teams may send scouts to watch other teams, some people will help while others will purposely trick others, some actors will guide and others will offer false clues.

In the latest edition, soft combat Airsoft weapons were available to participants to eliminate zombies. The Survival Zombie website however warns users that it may be best to leave the zombie slaying to soldiers enlisted for that purpose, explaining “if you shoot a zombie that hasn’t attacked you, you’ll just end up attracting the attention of more zombies”. It goes on to advise “don’t make things complicated for yourself, we’ll take care of that for you”. You’re also recommended to play smart. It seems that in the 2012 edition, many ill-advised participants had completely squandered all their strength within the first few hours of zombie competition. The game lasted for 10 hours. It’s also a good idea to stick with your team.

During the 48 hour 2014 Halloween event, participants had to schedule their own time to eat and rest. The only area of the zombie combat zone off limits to game action was within participants’ accommodation, and only if you locked the door. You could be expelled from competition if you broke the rules, which included: drinking alcohol or using any type of drug during the game. Any type of physical or verbal aggression was also strictly prohibited. You couldn’t set traps that go against the rules either, like elaborate zombie ambushes.

The zombie adventure is quite realistic, where cops in full combat gear, bloodied zombies slowly advancing along the street, and survivors looking for clues all take over the different small towns that host the event.

If living out the adrenaline-charged nightmare sounds fun to you, you can sign up for the 13 edition of Survival Zombie which is scheduled to take place on November 29 in Quijorna (Madrid). It kicks off at 8 pm and rages on until 4 am.

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