Study Abroad Spain - Bullfighting

Before we left Sevilla I decided to take a tour of the great Plaza del Toros.  For those of you who do not know this is where the bull fights take place and perhaps Spain’s most famous sport.  Like most great sports it is slowly falling apart due to politics and mainly everyone becoming a lot more caring about almost everything unlike our danger-seeking death defying predecessors.  That is why this trip is such an honor, because that means that Sevilla’s Plaza del Toros is one of the last of a dying breed.  I learned many things on this tour ranging from what occurs in the fights, who takes place, and the public’s response to the sport.

The fights are exactly as you’d imagine: morbid and thrilling, after all it is a fight.  However, the Spaniards have a brilliant talent in turning something so horrible into something beautiful.  The guide explained the fight as not so much as a battle, but a dance.  As she continued to explain I could see how they perceived this, as the suavely dressed matador moved his cape like a flamenco dancer over the bull as its power and strength broke through the mirage. Or, if you don’t have a great imagination you could take it as what it is which is men in colorful suits stabbing a cow. 

There are four waves that the bull has coming at him, first he has the picador which is a man on an armored horse who carries a big spear and uses it accordingly.  Next, are the banderilleros who have quick feet and “banderillas” which are like smaller gafts for fishing. Then the big name guys come out the youger Torero’s, who tire the bull out more with flashy moves of the cape and continuous movement.  Finally, the main man, the Matador, the face of Spanish culture, comes out looking like a complete stud and finishes the bull off.  The uniform of the matador is filled with flashy colors and gold and artistic designs so he looks qualified and honorable enough to do his job.  Spanish people honor Matadors and revere them as national heroes.  Honestly, I would love to be a matador only if I did not have to kill such a great animal, or maybe I just want to wear that awesome uniform.

As I stated earlier the world is getting softer and people are starting to take action in stopping this sport, only about 30% of people from Spain approve of this sport and only 15% attend the actual fights, the rest are tourists.  Seats are like Mets games, pretty affordable unless you want to be as close as you possible can, and you usually don’t leave the stadium constantly disappointed.  Regardless, it is a once and a life time experience which I think everyone should at least watch or learn about.

I understand why people do not like bull fighting; I am an animal lover just as much as the next person but this is culture and in my opinion culture is the most important thing there is in a country.  A country’s culture is what defines who they are as a people and what has long past them.  Culture allows countries to succeed and compete in markets in which otherwise they would fail, it creates jobs and produces income.  It may not be a big difference but culture is the reason there are all those tourists in the seats of the arena.

- Vincent Bellaran, Senior, Modern Language major, Mike Company

Jacob in Ecuador - Week 2

Last weekend we went on an excursion to Baños, Ecuador. It is safe to say that it was one of the best weekends of my life, and I will dream about it for years to come! We left at around 8:00 am on Saturday morning and did not return until 10:30 on Sunday night. It was a 3 hour bus ride filled with awesome views, and I was blown away by the small city when we got there. Baños is surrounded by mountains on three sides and there is a Volcano nearby. It is a very religious city, but it is also a major tourist attraction because of the mountains and the hot springs. Throughout the weekend, we hiked the mountains, took a dip in the hot springs, rode a gondola over a giant canyon, and we even rode a zipline over a waterfall. I also tried to eat guinea pig for the first time and I actually enjoyed it! If we can find a couple of free days this month, I am going to try my hardest to go back and hike more and maybe even go bungee jumping!

            On Monday everyone was a little depressed when we got back to class because we had so much fun in Baños. However, we got through it and after class I continued my ritual of running in the parque de Carolina and going to the gym. On Tuesday we went to the Botanical gardens after class. It reminded me of the botanical gardens back in Myrtle Beach, SC., except there were many plants native to Ecuador. Afterwards we played basketball with some locals, which I have been itching to do since I got here. Ecuadoreans are generally shorter than North Americans, and I had the opportunity to be the tallest guy on the court for the first time in my life! Basketball is actually popular here, but not nearly as popular as soccer. I have heard that the entire city will shut down when the world cup starts, and I am excited to watch the games with the locals and witness the passion that the people here have for the sport!

            Tomorrow night we are going bowling at the mall, and Friday we are going to the movies again. Every day has been so much fun thus far, and I am honestly having the time of my life. There is never a dull moment here, and our group always has activities that we can go to. I am impressed with how well the program is being ran, and I have no regrets about coming here!

Study Abroad England - Globe Theater

I enjoyed the Globe Theater tour and felt that it set up a good baseline in terms of what to expect later that evening. Some people disliked the fact that our tour guide was a Globe actress, but I liked having that perspective. Rather than hearing strictly about the history of the original Globe and its former incarnations, I got to understand the theater from the perspective of a professional who uses it as her stage. I especially liked her discussion of the acoustics inside The Globe, and how the rounded shape and set-up allowed for excellent projection of the voice. Once she pointed it out, I did realize that the shape of the theater reminded me of the multi-layered echo walls/chambers I saw at The Temple of Heaven in Beijing. Her perspective really helped inform my viewing in the evening. I stood to the side, and leaned right up against the stage. My favorite parts were the audience participation, how as a collective it became a living and breathing character in the scene acted out before us. We were expected to voice our approval, our cheers and our opinions. We were a part of the action, and sometimes even joined in; the actors addressed us directly, both as a group and occasionally singling out individuals. Our tour guide had talked about this as well, completely transforming the way that I think of and examine the soliloquy...how the actor does not turn in on himself for these personal monologues, but rather poses their thoughts to the audience. This is something that someone merely reading a play instead of watching it performed might totally miss. My proximity to the stage also heightened the experience, the physical closeness facilitated a closeness of experience; it felt like I had walked into someone else's life, not just that I was watching it, as in a movie theater. I also especially enjoyed the music, how my limited perspective from the side caused me to rely much more on audio cues; I could not always see their facial expressions so I turned to the music to deduce the current mood of the scene. All in all, I loved the experience and would love to go again if I get a chance before I leave. 

- Jane Ma, Senior, Biology major, Golf Company

Study Abroad Spain - All Things Seville

After living in Seville for two weeks, I had seen and done most everything that the city had to offer. I had gone to all the major sights such as La Catedral, The Archivo General de Indias, Plaza de Espana, and the amazing view that the Metropol Parasol had to offer. 

When I wasn't in class, which was only four hours each day, I was out meeting other students from around the world or playing soccer at a local recreation center. Normally we would get a group of people from our own school to play a couple games of soccer, but eventually we got to know some locals from Seville and started a couple pick up games with them. 

Personally my favorite part of being in Seville was getting to know a lot of different people my age from all over the world and learn about how they see things it seemed like a very large melting pot for students to travel and study. 

As for the food in Seville, I without a doubt tried some of the most delicious dishes and tapas during my stay such as Rabo de Toro, Pulpo, Jamon, Navajas, and Txpirones, which I would have never been exposed to or had a chance to try without visiting Spain. 

My host mother in Seville also made a lot of common dishes of Spain, for instance Tortilla Espanol, Paella, and Gazpacho. After dinner, which was usually around 9:00pm, I would head out to see the night life of Seville with new friends I made from different countries, and needless to say we always found something to do or a place to relax and talk about the differences from our own countries and customs. 

My time in Spain has encouraged me to travel as much as I can whenever I have the opportunity to, and it has helped me to better appreciate the things I have back in the United States.

- James Grimm, Junior, Political Science major, Bravo Company

Study Abroad Spain - Seville

We asked the head of each of our study abroad programs to have their students write about some of things they are seeing and learning about abroad. Our group from Spain is sharing about their travels in Seville.

¡Hola a todos! The past week in Sevilla has been absolutely enchanting. After classes we have plenty of free time (with the exception of siestas of course) to wander the city and absorb as much as possible. The first day of class we were given a tour that took us throughout the various barrios of Sevilla so we could become better acquainted with the city. We saw some gorgeous views on the ground and some even more impressive ones on top of La Torre de Oro, an old tower that was a prison during the Middle Ages that overlooks the Guadalquivir River. We were also able to take a walk around La Catedral de Santa María de la Sede, a beautiful Gothic cathedral that happens to be the third largest church and the largest cathedral with a sitting bishop in the world. Pride for España was evident from the many flags and other patriotic symbols we saw, including numerous statues of famous matadores and toreros, or bullfighters.

                With only one more week in Sevilla until we travel to Valencia for the remaining two weeks, we are eager to continue experiencing all that Sevilla has to offer. There are more sights to be seen, more pictures to be taken, more fun to be had, and more cuisine to enjoy. ¡Adiós!

- Kaiya Narayan, Senior, Criminal Justice & Modern Languages major, Band Company

One of the places that I visited while in Seville was the Cathedral. It was one of the most magnificent things that I have ever seen. The Cathedral in Seville was one of the largest structures that I have seen in person, and one of the most detailed. I saw the Cathedral while on a small tour of Seville and it took my breath away. Not only is the Cathedral a work of art, but it also a piece of history. One interesting fact that I learned since I have been here in Seville is that Christopher Columbus is buried within the Cathedral, and if you go inside you are able to see his tomb and where he was laid to rest.  Another interesting fact about the Cathedral that I learned is that looking at the Cathedral you are able to notice that there are there different types of architecture that makeup the tremendous structure. The three different architect types that can be seen on the Cathedral are Roman, Arabic, and Gothic. I know that I have stressed the fact that the Cathedral is an absolutely mind rattling structure in the terms of beauty and history, but if I had to recommend you see one thing while you are in Seville it would be the Cathedral. It was one of my favorite things that I encountered on my adventure to Seville.

- Josh Terry, Junior, Computer Science major, Kilo Company

Jacob in Ecuador - Week 1

I cannot believe that it is already Friday, I have been having so much fun that this week has flown by! I’m not going to lie and say that class has been fun, but I have already learned so much about the language. I am now a fluent listener, but I still need a little work with the speaking part. Surprisingly, I have learned the most outside the classroom through exploring the city and talking with the Quito natives. Andres and I decided to join a gym near our house, and we have already made a group of friends through working out. It is so interesting to learn how these people view life, which is completely different than the average North American. I have come to appreciate living in the United States so much more than I did before. Throughout the week I learned about Ecuador’s Socialist government and I have interacted with people who tell me what it is like living here. Though Quito is a nice city, there is much poverty. We are truly blessed to live in the land of the free.

            On Wednesday our group went on a tour of the historic center here in Quito. I was amazed by the precise architecture of the many churches and government buildings that we saw. My favorite part of the night was seeing the statue of the virgin that overlooks the city of Quito. It is said that the statue protects the city from evil, and the statue is of an angel standing over a serpent. The statue is on a mountain and it was very foggy when we went so I was unable to get a good picture. However I plan on going back when I have free time so I can get some awesome pictures and a view of the city.

            There has not been a dull moment since the moment I closed my laptop after finishing my last entry. Quito has quite the nightlife, and a very modern movie theatre and mall. I have been going to the gym everyday with Andres and Dominique Calderone. We all have to go to LDAC shortly after we get back, and we are going to be in awesome shape. We are just now getting fully acclimated to the high altitude, and we can walk to school and back without losing our breath.

            Tomorrow we are heading to the baños, which is a very popular tourist attraction in Ecuador. There will be waterfalls, hot springs, and great views! We are spending two days there and I am very excited to go. Our instructors are very fun and they make sure that we have a good time! I am starting to wish that I had more than one month in Quito because there is so much to see and do. 

Jacob in Ecuador - First Day

Yesterday I landed in Quito right on time at 6:30! The flight was awesome, but the food on the plane gave me painful memories of the mess hall back at school. I decided to go with the chicken, which I do not advise if you plan on international travel in the near future. The flight was around 4 hours long, and I knew we were close when I could see the mountaintops peeking at us from under the clouds. From the moment we landed, I felt the excitement of a little kid walking down the stairs on Christmas morning. Andres and I got off the plane as quickly as we could and met up with Dr. Segle and Dr. Urroz who were waiting for us in the terminal. We were reunited with a group of familiar Citadel buddies, and we all told war stories of the airplane food until our bus arrived to take us to our new houses. Andres and I were assigned to the Brito family, and I was overcome with joy when I saw that our house was on the same street as a gym and a Subway restaurant. I had been concerned that I would not have the opportunity to work out in Quito and that I would hate the food, but it turns out that I was worried over nothing. We met Senorita Brito, or Sandra, upon arrival at the house and she greeted us with a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Apparently this is the custom in Quito. Sandra is very nice, and she warmly took us on a tour of her house and made us a delicious dinner of steak, green beans, and potatoes. We each have our own rooms with a T.V., and there is internet and a warm shower. Andres and I both agreed that our new home was far better than the barracks, and we feel very at home here. The only downside to our location is that we will face a 25 minute walk to the school each morning, and the first half is up a tyrannical mountainside. However, we will both be in great shape for LDAC when we get home!

This morning, I was awakened at 10:00 by a delicious smell emanating from the kitchen. Sandra had cooked us a delicious breakfast consisting of empanadas and coffee which I ate in a matter of minutes. Afterwards, we were given a quick tour of Quito by Sandra’s sister and nephew, Ricardo. They showed us how to get to the school where we will be taking classes, and all the bakeries and stores along the way. I was surprised at how modern Quito is, as I previously imagined that it would be far different from the cities back home. There is a giant mall, a really nice park, and many internet cafes and clothing stores. We had lunch in the parque de Carolina, which is a very popular place here. The food here is very cheap and tastes amazing! I had a dish which included beans, rice, pork, and a fried banana. After lunch we went to the mall, which was surprisingly huge and very nice. It was very similar to an American mall, and had many of the same stores and restaurants. We later met up with some friends at the mall for dinner and to catch up with one another. We will probably go to the mall very often because it is the “rainy season” right now and there are sporadic rain episodes almost every day. I was able to order food and make some clothing purchases in Spanish, which boosted my confidence! I am so happy that I decided to come to Quito, and I look forward to the upcoming month. 

View from the plane

First day of school

Andres and I

At Panaderia