So let's see what's been going on since my last entry. Nothing special really (which is why I haven't updated before today)...I've been going to class and to my internship and just getting the hang of my schedule. I caught a cold a couple weeks ago, and haven't been going out because I was either 1. taking cold medication or 2. had a terrible cough and there are no smoking bans here. A word to the wise--if you go out here, EVERYTHING you own that is made of fabric will reek of cigarette smoke for many days after. My classes are going well and I really like my professors. My internship is also going well, though the work is a little tedious right now. It will get better though, all internships start out this way.
Yesterday was a really fun (if really long) day. We went to Cordoba, another southern Spanish city. Cordoba (like all the others) has a really rich history. I don't know what it was about the city, but I really loved it. It was super touristy, but not in the overwhelmingly Seville-like way. Probably because all the touristy shops were bright and happy and in a place called the "Juderia" which has gorgeous buildings. If you can't figure out who traditionally lived in this neighborhood, here's a hint:
The Jews of Spain are a really interesting story. They were an integral part of administration and infrastructure in Muslim Spain, and then in Christian Spain when they conquered the South of Spain from the Moors. But then, in 1492, Ferdinand and Isabella issued an edict expelling all the Jews from Spain. They had three months to make a choice: leave Spain, or convert to Christianity. A lot of them chose the former, and now their descendants make up a community known as the Sefardic Jews--who, due to their continual separation from Spain, speak medieval Spanish (because they weren't in Spain as the language evolved). I think that this story is awesome. We went and visited an old synagogue, which was later repurposed into a church:
And then, continuing our journey into the very mixed religious world of medieval Spain, we went to the "Cathedral" of Cordoba. It looks like this:
Not very Cathedral-esque, you say? Well, that's because it was originally Cordoba's mosque--one of the largest mosques in the world (it can fit over 100,000 people). Unlike other cities (Granada and Seville), the Christians didn't demolish the mosque when they took over Cordoba. They incorporated their cathedral into the mosque, keeping the mosque's original structure. This was probably one of the most beautiful places I have ever been in my life. And it was full of suprises. For some reason or another, the emperor Carlos V really liked the mosque. Because of this, he made the governor/King of Cordoba keep the mihrab in the cathedral. He was also angry when they converted a random sort of middle place in the mosque into a very normal looking cathedral space. But it was SO gorgeous that I didn't mind. I mean, this place was just mind-blowing. There are no words that can do it justice...look on facebook if you want the rest of the pictures, I suppose :)
After this, we wandered around the Jewish quarter for a while, then got back on the buses to go to a place called Madinat al-Zahra. When Cordoba was still a caliphate, and it grew really large, the caliphs got nervous about their safety and decided to build a mirror city to Cordoba. This city took 20 years to build, but unfortunately it didn't last very long. After 40 years of existence, it was pillaged by raiders (the caliphate was really weak). Then, more orthodox Muslims took over the city and were mortified by the absolute decadence of this city, so they demolished it. About 60 years ago, archaeologists started digging in a field and found part of the city. OK, this place must have been ginormous. It took us 40 minutes to walk around the site, and apparently, the site is estimated to be only 20 percent of the original palace-city. The most amazing part? That around the year 1000, these people built a city which took water running down the mountain and piped it through their city...and had plumbing. This is while the rest of Europe was living through the Dark Ages. Such an advanced civilization! Too bad that it is mostly just rubble now.
We came back from Cordoba, and I decided to go out. We ended up at a very special club called the Camborio--it's a cave built into the mountainside with an amazing view of the Alhambra. It's basically Granada's signature club. It was kind of cold, and we got there kind of early, but it was so fun! I would definitely go again, but I think I'm going to show up at 3 or 4 next time. Some people stay there until 8 AM so that they can see the sun rise over the Alhambra. Someday this semester, I will motivate myself to do that too. Until then, staying up until 4 AM is kind of my limit. Today I am so tired that all I can do is write this blog.
There's a rant here, so if you're not in the mood for it, skip it:
Oh, an aside about my internship seminar, which degenerated into hostility this past week. Our "professor" made us do a pretty fun exercise (close your eyes, find your way to another room, grab a tennis ball, come back, find your seat, open your eyes). Then, however, she divided us into groups and told us to do the same exercise again. And I mean, exactly the same. Trying to figure out what the point of doing this in groups was, we asked her whether it was a competition. She didn't really give us an answer, but we assumed so, because otherwise there was no point to the exercise. So, my group did it the hard way: we all held hands, made our way over to the other room, picked up a ball each, and came back. The other group was smarter: they designated 2 people to run to the other room, pick up enough tennis balls for everyone, then came back. So technically, they "won", and my team was envious of their creativity. But not our teacher. She launched into this diatribe about how competitive Americans are in the workplace, basically insulting the other team. She noted how, in the Spanish workplace, people are more cooperative than competitive (a valid point). This valid point could have been imparted so much better though, because personally I think that both competition and cooperation should be parts of the workplace environment. We all tried to point this out, but she would have none of it. Just over and over: You guys are so competitive, this is so American and so bad. Some people are so angry that they're considering dropping the seminar.
In conclusion: I've been having a lot of fun just living here. I'm getting used to Spanish culture and am really enjoying our trips to places. Next weekend we have an extra day of holiday (Christopher Columbus Day is kind of a big deal here), so I'm going to Barcelona! Stay tuned...
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