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Showing posts from May, 2014

4 Things Spain Can Learn From America

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A month ago on this blog I talked about what I thought my country could learn from Spain , having lived here for nearly two years now and gotten a chance to experience the good and the bad of Spanish culture. It sparked a lively discussion on the differences between the U.S. and Spain as well as the areas where America could stand to grow. I intended to write a follow-up talking about what I think Spain could learn from America, so here is that post, as promised. 1) Less bureaucracy and paperwork (Source: Randy von Liski ) When I say Spain invented red tape, I literally mean Spain invented red tape  for official forms and documents. The uneasy relationship the country has with el papeleo  (paperwork) bears itself out in the countless hurdles foreigners have to jump over to apply for residency. Now, I’ll be the first to acknowledge that the U.S. is far from innocent when it comes to giving foreigners the run-around on visas and residency applications; however, the experience

Photo Post: Celtic Ruins & Atlantic Views in A Guarda, Spain

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Castro ruins If you chase the western coast of Galicia all the way south to the Portuguese border, you’ll end up at the mouth of the Miño River and the compact fishing village of A Guarda, too. I took a daytrip to this remote corner of northwest Spain while exploring Vigo back in January and really enjoyed this quiet—and historical—taste of coastal Galicia. Castro ruins After a glorious seaside lunch of croquetas  and steamed mussels, I left the city center of A Guarda and began hiking up Mt. Santa Trega. The footpath passed through eucalyptus and pine woods, and even a rainshower. But after a brief, 45-minute climb, I emerged at the summit, the site of some pre-Roman ruins. Called a castro,  these walled, Celtic-era settlements consisted of circular stone huts capped with thatched roofs, and they endured throughout the Roman period. The castro de Santa Trega  is one of the most famous in all Galicia, simply because the archaeological work done over the centuries reveale

What’s Big in Vigo, Spain?

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The region of Galicia in northwest Spain is known not only for being green, rainy, and full of good food but also as a rather rural part of the country. Countless hamlets, villages, and small towns cover the countryside from the western coasts to the mountains in the east. But you might be surprised to know that the 14th biggest city in Spain is found right here in Galicia: Vigo. An important port city on the southwestern coast, Vigo is one of the two major metropolises in the region (the other being A Coruña to the north). Nearly one out of every ten Galicians live here! So what’s the big deal about Vigo? 1) Seafood from the  ría (Source: juantiagues ) North of the city flows the  Ría de Vigo,  a narrow estuary or inlet of the sea of the same name. Galicia is famous across Spain for its fresh, high-quality seafood , and Vigo is no exception. Like most of the western coast, mussel farming is a big deal here, but Vigo is especially famous for oysters that you can buy fresh at t

Culture Shock in a Spanish Home

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Back in November, I wrote a little blog post about some significant differences between American and Spanish supermarkets —culture shock at the supermercado  is a frequent occurrence for foreigners living in Spain. But there’s an even more important place you might experience culture shock after setting foot in the country: the home. Doors Let’s start outside. One major difference that can be a little disorienting is the fact that the handle on the main door to an apartment or house is often in the middle of the door, rather than on the right-hand side where the keyholes are. Most locks in Spain completely open the door rather than leaving another lock in the handle for you to turn; i.e., when you unlock the door, the door swings open, so the handle is there for you to push or pull, not to turn. Even though intercoms might seem like a fancy feature for American residences, they’re standard on virtually all Spanish ones, from homes to apartments. To one side of the door, there’s a

20 More Fun Facts About the Galician Language

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Read my Galician crash course here to get up to speed in the language. Last year, I wrote  “22 Fun Facts About the Galician Language,”  distilling what I’d observed of Galician after a few months of contact with the language. Half a year later, I’m still learning  galego  (mainly from my preschool English students who exclusively talk to me in the language!) and picking up on the language’s subtleties. Here are 20  more  fun facts I’ve collected over the past several months: One of the most distinctive features of the coastal Galician accent spoken where I work is the gheada  phenomenon, where the G sound ends up being a throaty KH or H sound. For example, whenever my preschool students finish with a worksheet, a lot of them will ask me, “ qué fago? ” which means, “What do I do [next]?” but they pronounce it more like “kay FAH-khoe” [ke ˈfa.ħo]. Galician comic artist Luis Davila often depicts characters speaking with a gheada  accent, using the Spanish letter J to represent the so

Photo Post: Antequera, Deep in the Heart of Southern Spain

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Peña de los Enamorados Antequera—an hour north of the Mediterranean metropolis of Málaga —is a mid-sized town smack dab in the middle of Andalucía. I came here for a daytrip around this time last year en route from being a beach bum in Málaga to taking in the beauty of the Alhambra in springtime . Since I had to catch the seven-o’-clock bus from Málaga, I had to dash from my hostel to the bus station without sitting down for breakfast. That ended up not being a problem, however, because I got to try a typical local treat to start off the day: molletes de Antequera . I first learned about these large, round, spongy bread rolls thanks to an article by Lauren of Spanish Sabores  that she wrote before I left. Slathering these toasted molletes with grated tomato, salt, and olive oil, I chowed down and slowly woke up, sipping a café con leche  in between bites. Ceiling of the Church of Santa María The city of Antequera has pretty, whitewashed streets, a handful of centuries-o

My #NerdAlert Pilgrimage to the Roman Ruins of Pompeii, Italy

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I’m a big supporter of Doing What You Want when traveling: of seeing and doing things that you like rather than feeling obligated to mark things off your guidebook’s Top 10 Must-See list. You end up enjoying your travels the most when you focus on the things that interest you —even if that means skipping an “unmissable” sight somewhere else. Roman road I say all this to say… I went to the ruined Roman city of Pompeii in December because I am the biggest nerd ever. Pompeii may not be an obscure or unique place to visit when compared with others that Italy has to offer, but when I made my “Grand Tour” of Italy over Christmas Break, I passed over Venice (which is typically considered an essential stop, and which I had zero  desire to visit) in favor of Pompeii, a place I’ve dreamed for years of seeing one day in person. Studying Latin and learning about Pompeii Wave mosaics I’ve had this urge to go on a pilgrimage to this well-preserved Roman town ever since middle scho

Los Patios de Córdoba: The Courtyard Decorating Competition of Córdoba, Spain

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Córdoba is one of my favorite cities in all of Spain. The otherworldly Mosque-Cathedral with its endless rows of striped horseshoe arches…the medieval web of whitewashed, flowery streets…the savory emulsion of tomatoes and olive oil that is salmorejo …the endless season of spring festivals …the feeling of history you get while watching the Guadalquivir River flow by beneath the Roman bridge…the lost convivencia  of Christians, Jews, and Muslims visible in the old Jewish quarter…all of this combines to create an amazing atmosphere that I keep going back to. Flower-decorated courtyard But when I first visited Córdoba in December 2012, I left the city almost disappointed. Perhaps it was because I had built up too many expectations having studied the history of Islamic Spain in college, perhaps it was the cold weather, perhaps I stuck to the touristy side of town too much. Before coming to teach in Spain I had originally wanted to be placed in town here, but instead got next-door