12-15 March: A few of weeks ago was the last week of the second trimester. Finals were not very hard, which was a good thing, but i believe the one thing that really got me that week was the amount and the exactness required. Usually if youre writing a paragraph for history class, you know the answer, but you dont say it in the exact words the teacher gives the answer, the credit will still be given because of the jest. This was not the case for this history final. There were several paragraphs we had to memorize and if they were not given in the exact words, points were definitely taken off. I believe i got most of the questions of this manner correct. I suppose i shall see in a couple of days.
Grammar and Conversation was, meh, could have done better...well, scratch that, i did my best! I owned those tests. Especially when i wrote on my conversation test that i learned more conversation tools in grammar than in conversation class. Its all good.
Taking finals was an adequate price for the week that followed.
16-23 March: We had this week off for the festival in Valencia called Las Falles. Many of Spain's different cities have different festivals that they are known for such as Pampalona is known for the run of the bulls.
Las Falles is made up with different elements. The main attractions for Las Falles are the Ninots. Ninots are statues of different themes/characters made out of a hard foam material. Themes range from the protests/unemployment to Jack the Pumpkin King to scantily clad women to Steve Jobs and other apple related points in history. These figures range from 3 feet high to the height of a small building.
There are a few specific events that is vital to attend if you are to attend Las Falles in Valencia.
1. Mescleta: this event is located in the main square where the "town hall" is located. There is a whole big area that is fenced off and a field of fire crackers are placed in a specific order to go off to make a whole show of it. These arent your run-of-the-mill fire crackers. The majority of the fire crackers are all sound and no show. Boring? Far from it! These fire crackers are the LOUDEST things your little ears will hear...unless you have been in a war zone. Then that would have the equal decimal. The mescleta usually lasts for about 5-6 minutes of teeth shattering booms.
2. Fireworks: forget all the fireworks you have seen in your lifetime. All you need to see are the fireworks in Valencia and your firework life would be complete. The process to get to the fireworks was a little less impressive. Valencia at this point in time was naturally full to the brim, but have an event in one fixed area and you will see a real european crowd. "European crowd" meaning people all grinding up each other just to get a good space, rolling joints in the midst of the crowd, blowing smoke into your face, and finally couples making out in all directions. Don't get me wrong, i enjoyed myself fully (not under any influence of anything mind altering)! and the fireworks, although seen only partially was a show i will never forget!
Earlier that night my friends and i attended a little Flamenco event by a singer and a spanish guitar player. The event was very enjoyable, spanish culture at its finest! i dont always listen to screamo, but when i do, its Flamenco. Following Flamenco we went to a spectacle in the Plaza de Torros. There was a contest between two teams, green and blue, to see how many times they could coax the bull onto different obstacles set in various places in the sand. This was my first time in the gladiator-esque colosseum. I was really excited and i was not disappointed!
3. La Crema (fire night). You would think that after making all the ninots, after all the skill that was put into them, the ninots would be saved, or go to a undefined place for hoarding purposes. well you thought wrong! On the final night of Las Falles all the Ninots, small and big, are set out throughout the city of Valencia and 10pm and after get lit up and demolished faster than you can sing a hymn. The smaller ninots are burned up before the big ones, which start to occur around 1am. After all the hard work, BAM, gone! It is very entertaining to watch all the onlookers doing their thing until you here fireworks at the Ninot you are standing at, (it is impossible to see all of them get burned, so you have to pick one and pray you got a good spot to make the 2 hours standing there worth your while) and then everyone's attention pulled to the blaze in front of you. AH so exhilarating I heard a rumor that "la crema" symbolizes the protestants being burned at the stake. Makes sense, but i dont fully believe this theory. Spaniards are just dramatic like that. If you dont believe me, youve never seen a spanish soap opera.
The trains are a popular form of transportation, this is a fact in Europe (even though they are hella expensive). On the way back to the school on the firework night was a business and a half. Thankfully the girls i was with hustled back to the train station before the crowd, but on our train back to Sagunto, that was the fullest ive ever seen a train here get. People were standing every which way and that, kinda like the metro in Washington DC during rush hour, but in Europe :)
This past week: The start of the third and final trimester. those words are like honey on a ritz cracker. OH so beautiful. Don't get me wrong, i love europe, i especially love spain, and i want to create a life here, but i have a huge hole in my heart for my people.
Everyone says this trimester goes in a flash. I can understand why, seeing that we had a week of school, and we have school for a few more days and then we set off on spring break, or Semana Santa (Holy week [Easter]). right after we return from spring break we are off to our Madrid trip with the school for another week. Then add all the "end of the year" parties. 10 more weeks. I need to, both, take full advantage of my time here and start organizing my life in the United States so when i get back i dont fail at life. That is at the point i am at right now. So far i have all my classes lined up to graduate next may, by God's grace and mercy, and who knows what will come afterwards.
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