Barca vs Getafe, February 7th

One of the greatest experiences of my life. I cannot even begin to explain how much of an impact this game had on my sanity/lifetime experience. I have been playing soccer ever since I was four years old and, to be completely honest, it was the first love of my life. For the better part of my twenty years on this planet, I have eaten, bled, drank, cried, and breathed soccer every single day. That being the case, I am one of the few “true” soccer fans within the states and have been waiting for a moment like this for nearly fifteen years. People have always told me that “watching a football match in stadiums like Camp Nou, San Siro, Wembley, and Santiago Bernabeu are unlike anything else.” I knew that the experience was going to be something special but I didn’t truly appreciate it until now…
There is something about 80,000 individuals being in the same place at once and experiencing the same environment. I don’t know how to explain it but I will do my best to try…it felt as if everybody, both on and off the pitch, were linked as one. When Messi scored, we felt his excitement. When Iniesta was harshly fouled, we felt the frustration and anger that the players on FC Barcelona felt. And, when Getafe scored their “consolation goal,” the fans were able to feel the disappointment that Valdés felt when he was unable to keep his clean sheet for the match. I do not know how anybody could not feel that aura/atmosphere within that stadium. For that reason, I have already decided that I am attending another game in the near future! I enjoyed myself so much that I need to go back and experience a truly competitive match within La Liga (hopefully I will get to see Barcelona play Villarreal).

Roman Barcino February 4th

It is going to sound a bit strange but the experience that I had at Roman Barcino was probably one of the best experiences that I have had in Barcelona thus far. I’m certain that much of my excitement deals with the fact that I am a history major; however, that does not take away from the fact the preservation of this old city is astonishing. To think that something so old – Roman Barcino came into existence during the First Century AD – has not crumbled into ruins is absolutely amazing. Certainly, much of this preservation must be associated with the fact that people have attempted to keep everything preserved. This is quite understandable because this vestige of the Roman city provides a “sliver” of the cultural life during Roman times. The areas we saw effectively gave us an idea of what life would have been like if we had lived in their times (of course, this can only be accomplished with a little bit of imagination).
As I reflect upon my visit, I realize that there were a few things which really stuck out in my mind. The first of these deals with the fact that Roman architecture was so unbelievably strong. Roman builders were not necessary “architects” in the modern sense of the word but they certainly were engineers and knew what they were doing. As such, they did study ancient techniques and through that analysis they were able to develop “revolutionary” designs/implementations like the “arch.” Although the development of the arch is important, the thing that struck me as more fascinating is the fact that people from the Middle Ages [and even people after them] built on top of Roman ruins. This is something that is practically unheard of during these times. When new generations or invading peoples came to power, they usually took apart much of the previous inhabitants’ buildings in order to make way for their own buildings. In most cases, they would destroy “old buildings” and “salvage” the materials which could be used in the creation of their “new structure.” However, the buildings that you see above Roman Barcino sit on top of the old Roman foundations. Essentially, there are buildings from the fourteenth century that sit atop these foundations! Why you ask? They sit atop these old foundations because they are so sturdy, well laid, and effective that there was no need to destroy them. Why should you remove/fix something that is perfectly functional?
This is absolutely amazing because this is something that would never happen today. Structures today do not stand for thousands of years; let alone would their foundations be able to support new, heavier structures. This simple fact says a lot about Roman ingenuity during their times and it says even more about the mentality of the Roman people. It says so much about the people because they were the ones who created the buildings. In a way, architecture is nothing more than an extension of society and what the individuals of that society find valuable. As such, it is clear that the Roman people desired a style of architecture which was extremely strong, undeniably practical, and could effectively send a message. Of course, that clear message was that the Roman people were strong, domineering figures who were there to stay.
The second thing which was really interesting was the fact that the Roman civilization was highly advanced for their time. I knew that the Romans were a highly developed civilization; after all, they helped “lay the foundation for Western civilization.” However, to see everything up close, it truly put everything into perspective. Such highlights of their ingenuity can be seen with their advances in highway technology, development of the aqueduct system, the first real implementation of a sewer system, construction of vast temples, bath houses with [hot] running water, slopped roofs to keep the fountains filled with water, and that is just to name a few. All of these things express creativity and intelligence while at the same time they scream common sense and functionality. Even by taking a simplistic look at these developments, a person can see why the Romans were so important to the foundation of western civilization. Almost all of our “modern” developments are connected to these original creations/foundations in one way or another. It is something that really makes question how far we have actually come.

The last thing that I took a particular interest to revolves around the ongoing debate between Spain and Italy: who has the better wine? Even during the times of Roman Barcino, this argument was going on and people were quarreling over who had the best wine across the Empire. Although Italy usually won out, the wine which came from the area of Roman Barcino/came through its small port was quite good. If I remember correctly, it was considered a “good second class wine.” That being the case, it was just extraordinary to see how far that wine was able to travel through the channels of Roman trade. One of the maps that we saw made it clear that the places where the wine from this area travelled stretched from the coast of Britania all the way to parts of the Eastern Mediterranean/Byzantium. It is just fascinating to not only see how far people were able to travel during those times but, more importantly, how connected we still are with the past. Things that were going on back then (debate over who has the better wine) are still going on to this day. In a way, this fact simply serves a bizarre reminder of how history always seems to repeat itself…

Journal 1

I’m sure you have heard the term culture shock before. If you haven’t, you likely have been living under a rock for the better part of eternity. Culture shock certainly runs hand in hand with the adventure that my peers and I have chosen to embark upon. We have been thrown into a new place, with new people, a different language, and just about everything around this is different. However, I can assure you that my experience in Barcelona has been vastly different than the rest of my peers. My hometown encompasses a total population of less than 7,000 individuals. To paint a brief portrait, cows/chickens outnumber the human population and it is not uncommon to see people riding horses around the town. Furthermore, the high school which I attended had a graduating class of sixty-three individuals the year that I graduated. Basically, up until these past few weeks, my world has been relatively small and seemingly uncomplicated.
Therefore, my transition from American to Barcelona has been a bit difficult. Furthermore, I came on this adventure for entirely different reasons than the rest of my peers. It is going to sound a bit “snobby” but I came here for enlightenment. I did not come here to go crazy, get drunk every other night, and to basically have freshman year of university all over again. I came here because I wanted to learn about the new culture, to live amongst the European population, and [more importantly] to challenge everything that I thought about myself. It is indeed true that in times of great peril, when faced with the trials and tribulations of life, you begin to understand “what you are really made of.” That being the case, I came to Barcelona to put myself out there and to challenge who I am as a person.
At this moment in time, it is a bit difficult to focus on “Barcelona” and my particular experience thus far. I know that this is a great city and has a lot to offer. Soon enough, once I take down my “cultural barriers” and all other such limitations, I will begin to realize how special this place truly is and how much I will be able to learn. Even now, I can see the subtle differences between here and America: people whistling as they walk down the street, people walking their dogs without leashes, cafés/bars on every corner…undoubtedly, the lifestyle here is different. However, the primary difference revolves around the notion of “enjoyment of life.” I cannot comment on the rest of Europe but the past couple of weeks have shown me that people from Barcelona tend to appreciate the “little things” much more than people back in the states. This is a token of appreciation which I hope to become wise enough to ascertain while abroad.

Calcots Experience

Calçots “Food” Experience – January 30th, 2010
Where to begin for this culinary experience…it is fairly safe to say that what I consumed today was quite traditional to this region of Spain. The restaurant that we ate in was practically in the middle of nowhere. Actually, I will rephrase that…it was in the middle of nowhere. The bus that we took drove us down a dirt road which took us to the middle of a field. This was the location in which we were about to devour our “calçots” delicacy.
Calçots are basically spring onions which are roasted on a smoldering fire. Now, to the “faint of heart/those with weak stomachs,” these interesting looking vegetables look like burned weeds when they are served. The best place to start is to describe the atmosphere a bit. First off, it is important to stress the fact that this place is in the middle of nowhere and we are truly in the countryside. However, with that being said, there was still a massive line to get into the restaurant. It is pretty safe to say that this “restaurant” (building looked like a barn) had over 150 people waiting in line…not to mention there was about another 200 people inside already eating. This reality made me believe that this place must be doing something right…once inside, the Spanish cultural experience began almost immediately. It was quite evident that we would be enjoying a traditional “family style” meal in which many individuals sat around the table and shared the same food. There is something truly special about this sort of experience no matter what country you are in. The relationship you have with the people that you “break bread with” is absolutely remarkable and that experience is only compounded when you shared it with so many different individuals.
Anyway, the building was not nice/comfortable by any stretch of the imagination; however, the food did all of the talking. We enjoyed pan con tomate, French fries, sausage, calçots, salad, and washed it all down with some Fanta©! Although I as a bit hesitant at first to consume these leafy, green vegetables, I have since been convinced that they truly are something wonderful. Just about everything about these vegetables is unique (taste, preparation, way in which you eat them, etc.). Although they were a bit messy to eat (black charcoal/soot all over my hands and clothes) I would absolutely have then again. Furthermore, the place we that we ate at had a strong rustic feel which, with a little bit of imagination, took me back to “traditional Spain.” I would not be surprised to hear that people had been enjoying similar experiences, in the same restaurant/location, one hundred years earlier. Simply put, this authentic Spanish lunch was truly intriguing and has left me craving more; more calçots, more pan con tomate, and more Spanish culture!