Deceitful Beauties

 Picture of Michelle with the Flamenco team at Cueva de la Rocio

It is impossible to fully appreciate Flamenco without realizing that it is the art of gitanos or gypsies.  Our show took place in the gypsy village where many live in caves. The pictures above are in one of the caves, the decorated round ceilings visible.  Gitanos are seen as thieves, which is intertwined with their exclusion from the rest of Spanish society.  In their nomadic society they have created a culture all their own, known most famously for Flamenco.

I attached a video below to try and give a small taste of the experience.  I found the show to be passionate and mesmerizing.  The performers all had beautiful figures, but often that is where the traditional ideals of beauty ended.  Their features were very strong (almost masculine), others had very weathered faces.  Both were quite fitting given that theirs is not a gentle existence.  The music heard in the background was played live.  Gypsy singing is always a lament for their people past and present- a howl of pain that could never be mistaken with a shameful sob. (Sorry for the lame quality on the pics!)

La Ciudad Dorada de España

Salamanca: The Golden City of Spain. 

Instagram Edition. 

 Librería de segunda mano. 

I found this second hand bookstore on my walk home, complete with creepy staircase and basement filled with books.  A little overpriced, but couldn't help buy a psych book on happiness and the spirit: "El camino de la felicidad" by Fulton J. Sheen. 

 

La Plaza Mayor- The beautiful center of the city at day break.

One of the Universidad de Salamanca buildings. 

 Touring the City

Beautiful Carvings in one of the Salamanca Cathedrals.

Un poco sobre este lugar magia (A little about this magic place): The city of Salamanca is in the chilly highland plains, part of Castilla y Leon.  Universidad de Salamanca is the oldest university in Spain, and 3rd oldest European.  Today not only are the original buildings still standing, but almost all are for classes.  When I found out my academic conselors office was in a palace, it was impossible not to be slightly overwhelmed with the grandeur of it all. As if that wasn't enough, historic figures associated within the universidad include Miguel de Cervantes (famous of course for Don Quixote) and perhaps less favorably Hernán Cortés (conquistador who led to the fall of the Aztec Empire). 

More pics and trips soon!

Don't Blink- Magic is Momentary...

That moment before things get real: its the spark at the very beginning of any hook up or relationship. It's the magic that keeps us wanting more, but reality quickly dims it.  Doubts, insecurities, annoying habits are all too real for a blossoming feeling like that one.  I used to think that if someone could make you feel that amazing then you should hold on to that moment, recreate it endlessly and that's what love should feel like. I've been on both ends of the situation, but I never really thought about it before.

When I was in London most of the guys lacked enough real chemistry to interest me beyond that initial moment.  There were only two that had that intoxicating spark.  Of course they were the two I could never find again even if I had wanted to.  The first I met at a pub in Shoreditch (my favorite scene for drinking and concerts in London), but I was with another guy so there was no chance of making that happen.  The second was a Londoner in Edinburgh for a Stag-do (aka bachelor party) at the same time I was visiting Scotland. After a completely crazy night of bar and club hopping with his group, we walked back to my Travelodge. He was a total gentleman, and expected nothing in return.  I never asked for his number or email because he was leaving for another military tour shortly.  It was a perfectly preserved moment, with no ties to ruin it.  The first guy on the other hand ended up being friends with other people in the Shoreditch scene so I was able to talk to him again, but nothing came from it.  So instead of that charming mysterious guy at the bar, he now is remembered as the guy that I never heard from again. That's when I understood why it is not worth it to chase the spark if it was never meant to be. It cannot withstand the pressure of reality.  

So now I cannot help but wonder if maybe love is a combination of spark, chemistry, and compatible realities? Of magic and cold hard facts? Is this why when we are young every moment seems special? Have we unknowingly exchanged some of our innocent belief in magic with the demands of the real world?

Holiday Cheer!

I've been home for almost a week, and it has been a whirlwind! I kind of jumped right back in, everything is still very much the same but I am different.  With so many things that used to matter I am now more like an outside observer, only mildly amused by it all.  There are two things for which my love has strengthened though: my family and cooking.  No surprise there, they have always been important to me. My days home are filled with both, whether its surprising my sisters with their favorite pancakes or making dinner together.  It's been absolute heaven!  Below are some pics of the girls setting up their own yogurt parfaits tonight with pomegranate seeds, bananas, apples, and pecans. 

  Annalie adding the apples

Bananas!

Holiday Parfaits all done! 

Changing Everyday

(Above: A picture I took of a painting from the Courtauld Gallery ceiling.)

Sometimes life just hits you with one of those "Wow, when did I get so grown up?" moments.  Today is my very last Sunday in London.  In between preparing to pack my things for the trip home, I was writing a thank you card for my tutor and suddenly struck by the fact that this once in a lifetime experience is actually coming to a close.  The United Kingdom became a home to me; made me a globally aware person; gave me a completely new sense of freedom.  I am a better person for my experiences here. Intelligence is the ability to gain and understand information- that is individual.  Knowledge, however, is available to everyone because it comes from experience and education.  Study abroad is one of the greatest ways to become more knowledgeable in every way.  You can be the smartest person in the room, but what is it really worth if you miss out on opportunities to learn firsthand because you think you know everything? I believe in a well rounded perspective, and that would be impossible to achieve if I never explored outside my own society.  There are few moments when I feel like its okay to openly praise myself, honestly there is nothing worse than an over-inflated ego, especially on a blog which screams high sense of self-importance, but I am so proud of myself for taking this opportunity. They say live each day to the fullest, and I am sincerely trying to do just that. For me, I've learned that part of that is being grateful. Appreciation helps us realize just how great our lives really are so that we take no moment for granted.

Never let your life pass you by, I refuse to! 

Belfast

 Mural Work on Falls Road

 

Memorial Statue

Belfast is a city in Northern Ireland, as well as the site of much internal political unrest and violence.  Northern Ireland has been, and continues to, struggle with the issue of independence from Great Britain. Early on in the tour I was struck by the walls meant to separate Protestants and Catholics around Belfast, seventeen in total.  I could not help but think of Germany, of a single people divided within their own country.  I had never understood the large divide between the Protestants and the Catholics until realizing how it was incredibly intertwined with the unionist and nationalist movements.  

 Not until quite recently has the violence largely stopped between the two movements and towards the British Government. This struggle has been on going for centuries, but did not end centuries ago. Hearing stories about Northern Ireland was quite a different experience because it is a strong example that sometimes ancient history is not that ancient.  It was not until 2005 the Irish Republican Army agreed to peaceful means of change, and to focus on political efforts. It was a wonderful step considering it had failed in the past but seems to be lasting better than before, however clearly Belfast is still not at peace.  The many murals and flags with symbols of other wars, revolutions, and protests are clear indicators.  No war is neat, but Northern Ireland's has been particularly rough.  Known for their military violence and many prisoner protests (especially under Thatcher), this will not be something easily transitioned to the past whether they decide to separate from Great Britain or not.

Our tour was organized through former political prisoners and current activists to give us an opportunity to hear a different version of history- their personal stories.  Roads may have been rebuilt, new buildings replaced the old, but the pain of the conflict is clearly still deeply rooted and present in the community through the generation living there who fought it. The tour began on Falls Road, the site of a major attack, and continued through Belfast to see many walls, gardens, and murals of remembrance for those lost in this war.  Although it was not perhaps the most well rounded version of the story, it was undoubtedly from an expert in the field because it had shaped his entire life.  He spent 15 years as a political prisoner, and grew up on Falls Road.  

Morning Meditations

Listening to tracks #2,4,5,6 this morning.

Mornings are my art. They are my moving meditations; my calm before the storm. No sudden movements should ever take place in the morning.  I have never understood skipping breakfast, our bodies need fuel to keep us going.  Breakfast is a chance to feed the body, as well as the soul, not like the rushed meals throughout the rest of the day.  Nothing yet has disturbed the dozy peace that comes from sleep so why not foster it a bit longer instead of rushing to start with the hassles of the outside world?

As I ate my gooseberry and vanilla yogurt with bananas this morning, I decided to read some quotes.  It's something I've been doing lately since I do not find as much time as I would like to read.  Hopefully the wisdom of others will rub off on me or inspire some deeper thought. During this part of my morning ritual I noticed that many travel related quotes say something about the type of people who travel and what travel does to the person.  I interpret it like this: For those of us who do not wish to be tourists, preferring to live like locals but with a fresher pair of eyes, these journeys are about discovering ourselves.  We must open ourselves to new experiences and new people.  It is not the militant itinerary that ensures a successful trip, it is the unexpected and unknown destinations. This past week in Rome, Florence, and Paris we visited one museum and avoided all else with queues and tourists.  Instead we wandered quite aimlessly and loved much of what we encountered.

Anyways, I'm rambling. Below are some quotes so that you may take away your own interpretations.

“Our battered suitcases were piled on the sidewalk again; we had longer ways to go. 

But no matter, the road is life.” – Jack Kerouac (A favorite after going to an early showing of On The Road)

“Tourists don’t know where they've been, travelers don’t know where they’re going.” – Paul Theroux

 “Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living.” – Miriam Beard

“Without new experiences, something inside of us sleeps. The sleeper must awaken.” – Frank Herbert

“Not until we are lost do we begin to understand ourselves.” — Henry David Thoreau

“Travel is like love, mostly because it’s a heightened state of awareness, in which we are mindful, receptive, undimmed by familiarity and ready to be transformed. That is why the best trips, like the best love affairs, never really end.” — Pico Iyer (The highlighted part is a favorite of mine.)

“Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.” — Helen Keller

“Home is where the heart is, and my heart is wherever I am at the moment.” — Lily Leung