I still can sort of speak Spanish, and it’s a good thing because the company I just started working for is desperate for bilingual workers. Even at my level, my Spanish is useful.

One year ago I was starting off in Spain, now I’m starting off in Chicago. My dad has been bugging me to write this ‘one year later’ post for a while, and since I’m having trouble focusing on this Saturday afternoon I decided to try.

Since my return from Spain I’ve been happier than ever. Being away from your loved ones is the most wonderful way to recognize how crucial they are. And now I am in the Midwest, away from New York City where most of my world now lives.

Yet I am much more aware of the potential of a new city, and I give Spain partial credit for that wisdom. Many things are within my control, and with an adventurous spirit and a bike I have access to them. I also am sure about my theory that it takes at least three months to feel at home anytime you move – so I’m now checking out Chicago and feeling ok about the troubles that one experiences in the first month of a new place.  Note to those going abroad: the Seville program in the fall semester is just that three months, so it is not at all enough. Go in the spring or stay a whole year…really the best thing you could do.

Let’s see…lasting effects of studying abroad – I know that I have to be nicer to people I live with. I also know that I want to try to live in South America within the next few years. I’m also more confident about taking buses around a city, handling airports on my own, and doing any day to day thing en solo. Oh and one of my most exciting outcomes is my enthusiasm for epistolary communication.

On a particularly sad note, the digital camera I received before coming to Spain is gone already. Less than a year for me to confirm that I just can’t have nice things. So if anyone sees it, it’s a slightly busted Kodak digital camera in an American Express black leather case, please holla back.

Finally, New Paltz makes it relatively easy for students to go abroa.  If you’re thinking about it, do it. America is as weird as any other place, so enjoy an excursion in relative weirdosity. And read my first book when it gets published twenty years from now.

I know this blog is suppposedly intended for me to talk about all the pretty things I saw but this, but my last night in Spain, won’t be satisfied by words. So suffice it to say, my last night in Spain I saw real Flamenco, I experienced Sevilla and la cultura Andaluz, and a few hours later I left the country.

And now I am sitting in my very favorite coffee shop in NYC writing my thoughts. I just DEVOURED the New York Times in hard copy form. While my reading comprehension improved consierably in Spainish, there’s nothing like the fix a news junkie gets from consuming a newspaper at full and fluent comprehension.

If you have been following this blog than you are aware that I am at best a critical man. Thus I have been suprising myself in conversations about my experience for the lack of aspersions I have to cast. I suppose it’s that weird thing about memory, the whole generally vague and reliable aspect of the recording capacity of our brains. I’ve found myself generally excited to talk about it, and failing to capture the weight of any negativity I had predicted to remain. Conversation and recollection seem to be happening in spite of myself, and I’m positive my eyes are doing that wistful thing by their own volition.

And then more importantly, I’m in NYC again, and soon I’ll be back in New Paltz. Distance has done this city and I very well, and we have resumed our love affair (nos amamos aun que nos queda problemas). There have already been hundreds of moments that capture the essence of our connection. Thank you Europe for reminding me just how great is the greatest city in the world!

Here’s some pictures:

I really never got enough of this bridge.

Plaza de Espana (I’m back home so I don’t know how to do tilde’s on a Mac)

we’re holding hands.

Grampa, you were wrong!

sorry about the sideways, Yay for leftist politics!

It’s December.

I didn’t see much of my brother while he was visiting but I got to know his camera rather well.

Studying abroad, especially at New Paltz, is increasingly recognized as a rite-of-passage for the undergraduate college carreer. The global tourism industry most likely has some influence in this recent Western aparition. And yet, the odd thing about is that most of my friends who studied abroad speak of their experience with a slight edge. And igualmente, I have my own criticisms of the entire concept in comparison with the reality of my experience, but such is learning right? I’ll be the first to say that I learned. Here’s a bit of the lessons which are already clear:

-The age of 22 is quite different than the age of 20.
-Spain’s sense of left and right is difficult for an American to decipher, more than even an astute political observer might realize.
-Conversations about linguistics never get old, seriously.
-Fluency is far away still.
-National identity is much stronger than I had previously believed.
-Coming home to the ones who love you is better than you could imagine.

Check back here in a few months, I’m supposed to write a post post return post. Thanks for reading.

I decided I may as well use my last hour at the internet café.  They close in an hour, and I have an hour left, it just makes sense.  I also managed to use almost all the food I had left for dinner - minus half a bag of dried lentils which are really too complicated to deal with.

Friday I found the perfect coffee shop in Sevilla, the one I´ve been looking for since I´ve been here.  I could view this negatively, and wonder why this happened at the very end, but I have decided to be optimistic.  It was there, and I found it, and enjoyed it as much as I could this weekend. 

But let´s keep this out of the sappy reflective realm until I´m unsettled back into the ´States.  My stance in Europe has made me much more aware of the increasing conflict of ethics the human rights movement seems to cause.  Please let´s exempt what we already know about my politics while reading this. 

Spain is currently dealing with their Law of Historical Memory, a law established quickly after Franco´s death to delay the reactions of those who disputably (un, right, un?) suffered throughout his dictatorship.  Now the government – members of it – are proposing some kind of way to recognize those who died, disappeared, etc.  (I suppose I should link some sort of ´real´ news article about it here, but if you read Spanish just hit up EL PAIS or El Mundo for both sides of the polemic.  And there´s always google, really there´s just no excuse for not knowing anything nowadays, is there?).

What´s going on here?  You can imagine it, many members of government served under Franco, the Baby Boomer generation in Spain lived half their lives under his rule, the younger generation did not but is not at all unified in support or opposition of either camp. 
That´s right, the ´camp´ could be a lot of things.  Even as much as who won the Civil War.  I mean, sure the Nationalists won and ruled Spain for 40 years, but then democracy was sucessfully came into power and the ´forces´ of the Republic took over.  I´m not touching that debate here. 

Ack!  I only have 20 minutes to flesh this out and I didn´t write it ahead of time!  OK I´m skipping some thoughts.  Essentially, the immediacy of information has completely ripped apart the ability to interpret history, history is as present and history is even prescient because we (everyone no matter what class, affected-by-ism) knows more than everything about an issue.  So governments can now debate what is right without even agreeing about what was wrong, becaue everything is as right as we want it to be as long as we have the internet pages to back it up.  Yes yes, a problem of democratic government that has always existed without a doubt, but I sense that the immediacy has caught up to the present. 

It sort of reminds me of the cycle of fashion trends, because as we have already recycled the 70s, 80s, and are now hitting the early 90s, fashion will eventually catch up with itself and then nobody will know what to wear, except the outfit they wore yesterday.

Well, I shouldn´t even post this as the analysis barely connects to the proceedings, and leads me to all sorts of murky debates about Never Agains and I remember better than you.

But look, my point is to highlight the ideoglical confusion, curiousity and dialectic arousal that a politically concerned American might encounter with even a modest effort at immersion in a different Nationality.  Is this the whole ´travel broadens you´ thing I´ve been so eager to discover?

And dear readers, you might suggest your own brand of resolving that confusion (some recent NYTimes bestseller that seems to have the undeniable answer) but I will almost definitely not follow the suggestion you propose to me through a blog comment.  This is a school blog, not a European politics and human rights forum (Such a cheap way to avoid discussion, eh?).

And so until the sappy reflective post, hasta luego Europa, and to conclude my list:

Number 7-1: Don´t spend so much time in internet cafés. 

Sólo me queda 2 días en Sevilla, y acabo de darme cuenta que me encanta la ciudad.  Sí, es cómo van las cosas.   Pero bueno. 

 He pasado todo el día al BIACS2, el bienal internacional de arte contemporáneo de Sevilla.  ¡Qué arte, qué fuerte!  Sería muy dificíl explicar todo que me sentía por la exposición (especialmente en castellano) pues, déjalo alla como asi.  Si alguien tiene la oportunidad a viajar a Sevilla, y tiene ganas de acercarse al mundo de arte contemporáneo, no se olvida a ver este museo. 

Me voy en dos días, y echo de menos a todos de los estados unidos.  Asimismo, podía quedarme aquí más tiempo, porque no he empezado a vivir en este ciudad.  Y quería a ver la ciudad sin obras!  Pues bien.  Tal vez volveré.  Hoy no me siento listo para reflejarme. 

Mañana veré el segundo mitad de la exposición BIACS2, en sitio diferente. 

Ay perdón, un resumen de los días que han pasado

-Mi hermano estaba aqui, y nos disfrutamos el tiempo junto.  Vimos la ópera Roméo y Juliette, y una obra de teatro. 
-Además, he llegado al fin de mis estudios en Sevilla.  Un poco anticlimático, pero bueno.  Espero mantener el contacto con algunos profesores. 

Y sí, me ha mejorado el español mucho, pero todavía no puedo expresar mis pensamientos complejos ni mis observaciónes sociales.  Pero bueno, eso pasará con más tiempo y practica…y una estancia más en un país hispañola.

Me falta las fotos, discúlpame. 

Throughout my early education and probably until some point in high school, I did not understand irony.  I had trouble analyzing literature for rhetorical humor.  Of course, all this has changed, and myself, along with my American contemporaries thrive on hunting down the irony of every situation and turning it into a conversation based on wit.  Dialogue is often laced with a competition to see who can be wittier than the last person.  I call this the sit-com effect, but I´m not going to get into that right now.  If you are working on your own piece of popculture analysis, please don´t steal my phrase.  Thanks. 

Anyway, as I become increasingly accostumed to chatting with los españoles, I learn about their colloquial conversation style.  As of this week I have realized that the Spanish have a different understanding of what constitutes humor and the dialectic value of wit. 

For starters, what we call sarcasm they call la ironía (irony).  Consequently, their sarcasm is much less sardonic, and I have yet to discover what an ironic situation would be called. 

To clarify, here are some examples. 

Example 1: Person A is holding a towel, person B has wet hands.  B asks A to use the towel, A smiles and says ¨No you can´t use the this towel¨ even though A is obviously not utilizing it for any drying function. 
       This exchange in Spanish would be called sarcástico, sarcasm, whereas in English we would see it more as a joke.

Example 2: On a bright sunny day, A comments to B ¨Gee this weather really sucks, I think we should stay inside,¨ and A carries on with their beach plans.  
       This is more what Americans know as sarcasm, but would be called ironía by a Spanish speaker. 

The first aspect of this idio-semantic discussion is to decide whether the difference exists at all.  Is this a case of tomato (mate-o) tomato (mahto) or are there actually different perceptions of humor between Spain and America?  As of my most recent conversation with my friend Andrés, I established that el sarcasmo y la ironía are indeed close, but the gradation is much like the levels between a joke and a sarcastic comment in English.  La ironía is the one that is less used, and easily misunderstood with those whom you are less acquainted. 

Well, that point of distinction between the languages is difficult to establish until we step away from the theoretical and context is added to the concepts.  First, Spanish people are definitely aware that Americans are way more sarcastic (ironíco) than they.  Simultaneously, it seems like simpler, sarcastic jokes are funnier and la ironía is not as amusing to a Spaniard.

Note to readers of my generation: keep in mind the general battle of wit we engage in regularly, and than just imagine how unsuccessful your humor would be if you were in Spain. 

The explanations for this trans-atlantic divide could lead us in some interesting directions.  I do not have these ranked really, but one possibility is the English language lends itself to heavier sarcasm with more ease than Spanish.  Considering we lack the aspectual difference in our verbs and adjectives, there is more direct vagueness that is only supplemented by an expansive vocabularly, which if not employed produces doubtful statements to be used with greater ease for consistently humorous/sarcastic intentions.  I´ll really only be able to figure this out for sure by traveling to Latin American countries and gauging different national senses of humor in the same language. 

Of course due to my lack of proficiency with the aspectual difference in Spanish, my own attempts at sarcasm or humor are almost certain to be foiled midsentence.  I have learned that lesson already.

So we have the structural cause, but there is also societal causality, and I return to the sit-com effect.  This is brought on by American prosperity, greatly connected to the success of capitalism/the product of the protestant work ethic/our generally corporatized and endless intake of media.  Constant wit is perhaps the linguistic evolution of American ideology?  (So I occasionally wax Marxist, none of my readers should be surprised by this.)  I don´t want to spend the extra Euro it would cost me to flesh out the sit-comization of American society.  We´ll just have to see if I am right, because as American sit-coms continue acquiring world wide popularity their humoristic style might well follow, and la ironía might become ubiquitous among media saturated 20-somethings everywhere. 

Good thing I´m not funny in any language!   

Or some variation of that.  Apparently that´s how Hungarians toast.  And as it clearly sounds ridiculous, it can be expanded on the more uh…toasts you make.  Yes, I weekended in Budapest this weekend, and have no fear, I fully recognize the insanity of the fact that I flew across Europe for a weekend, but that´s the study abroad experience, no?  Ridiculous adventures made possible by the advent of a fully globalized and accesible international travel system!  Frontier, ha!  I heard Lonely Planet is already working on their newest book: The Moon.  In fact, I already found a great spot to open a hostel, right next to the Sea of Tears.  And I know a bunch of Aussies on their gap year who won´t mind the low gravity as long as they can work there for a while.  Oh and there´s a really good traditional Moonish food restaurant (they use a lot of saffron in their dishes) and it´s right next to the Subway.

But yes, Eastern Europe! 

  The building across the river is the Parliament building.  Budapest was beautiful, but not in the same way as Prague.  I still haven´t really come up with a fitting description of it.  But I do know that I was not there for nearly enough time (3 nights) and would love to go back.  The city is divided by the river and one side is Buda, mostly residential and historical, and Pest, more lively and full of aspirations for status as an internationally significant city. 

I went caving!  Lots of the city and such is above a vast network of caves.  For instance, Castle Hill, on the Buda side of the city, sits on top of a hill where it´s believed only 30% of the cave have even been discovered!  I like this style a lot.  Some of the holes we fit through were barely larger than the helmets we wore.  It was quite exciting. 

Oh and I met up with New Paltz friends in Budapest.  Danny and Debby are studying in Prague, so for them coming down to Budapest is just a hop on a train.  Here´s the sibs in Heros Park:

I ate at a vegan restaurant that served their attempts at traditional Hungarian cuisine, and it was definitely fantastic.

Well there´s more, but you should just go there and see it.  Budapest isn´t yet as insanely tourist filled as Prague, so it is YOUR mission to make that happen!  Let´s leave no city unfilled with Americans to get a grande latte from Starbucks in every language! She wants you to go! 

 So do they!  They´re working with all their formerly-communist tenacity to build a five star Marriot!   

 So do the Beatles.  Don´t worry, you can buy Love in every country.

 I heard this airline is going to be offering very cheap flights.  Good luck with that!  

Among many of the intriguing differences of conception of higher education between Spain and America, I’m especially fond of students use of the library in this country. People read books in the library! There only are five computers and there is no free and accessible printer for journal articles! It’s really fascinating. Every time I’m in there I see students poring over dusty manuscripts that are kept in some back room! I suppose it reminds me of the image of what libraries in college are supposed to be.

This nostalgia for things I’ve never experienced, so very 21st century, no?

Well, seeing all the real reading going on actually motivates me to push myself harder in the library. And now that I’m entering my time-to-study mode, I’m beginning to notice the regulars. I really like getting used to studious people in the library. In a bit I’m going to start sneaking candid photos of them. Perhaps I shouldn’t post that on the internet, but at the same time Spain seems to be way less concerned with individual rights of the nit-picky sort so it might not even matter.

The professor of my politics class actually made fun of us today for another cultural difference. All European students are quite comfortable with having their grades posted in public. Every essay, test, etc is posted on a wall and online for each student to peruse. But, he told us today, when he first did that with a class of Americans there was ire and shock. Now the Universidad de Sevilla has a special place where the Americans’ grades get posted, in private, and the Europeans still look at each other’s evaluations.

The doubly amusing aspect of this FDA approved USA hypocrisy is that every American college student knows we all proceed to compare marks as soon as the class is over. Although that did not seem to happen in class today after receiving our midterms.

—————————–

My parents were visiting this weekend, but I’m having photo issues so I’ll post that stuff soon. Thanks for visiting rents.

While I do enjoy EL PAIS, the newspaper with the leftist slant, I am a little bothered by their editorial decisions right now.  They have been calling the US elections for two weeks now, essentially saying that the democrats are certain to win a majority in the states.  Of course, I’m optimistic for the same goal, but I am also wary of saying it’s definite before the elections are over.

Of course, this is VERY late to be mentioning it, but for all you abroad students, voting absentee is easy!  Even if you forgot to get your ballot before leaving the states, every county board of elections is all about facilitating your voting process.  All you have to do is send them a letter saying why you’re not there, the address you are voting from, and your signature at the bottom.  Then, they’ll send you the application with a postage paid envelope, and even if it’s close to the election they might include the actual ballot as well.  You send it back in a postage paid envelope, and then you vote absentee.

I was very excited to receive my absentee ballot, because I admit it, voting makes me happy.  Especially voting in New Paltz, we had five or six referendums this year!  Look how happy I am about it:

Anyway, voting is cool.  I am waking up at 8 in the morning to see the results.  I usually wake up that early, so I guess that’s no big deal.

I’m sick, send me some love and chicken soup.

Well, I just wrote half an entry and then the page got messed up.  It was written really well too.  So etc, pretend I just wrote some pretty things. 

Happy Halloween!

 Here´s a beautiful rainy day.  But the rain is done now.

 I think this lizard is confused and probably going to get electrocuted.

 This weekend I went to Las Tablas de Daimiel.  Essentially, a wetlands area quite similar to the Everglades, minus the alligators and bugs and disgusting Florida weather.  It was spectacular and I was reminded of the importance of getting of cities.  I don´t think I´ve gone this long in a city without having a weekend in the woods or anything.  It was revitalizing to even briefly connect with nature. 

Thanks Spain.

And a friendly reminder from the Spanish art scene. 

 Enjoy your holiday and be safe.  I think I´m gonna be an American hipster.  I don´t think the Europeans will get it.

Yeah now I´m done with the rain.  It´s wet and muddy. 

Spanish theater: thus far, could be better.  State sponsored avant garde theater is a very strange concept for me to wrap my brain around.  And also, while I don´t know the details and I could be way wrong, I really doubt their theater has full creative sovereignty.   And if theater can´t criticze the establishment, then what´s the point?

Please don´t respond to that question, it´s rhetorical. 

The first play I saw was Autoretrato Doble - Double Selfportrait.  It was the more abstract of the two, essentially two men portraying two old widowed Spanish women, displaying their disconnections with their children, the everlasting effect of La Guerra Civil and forty years of Franco, etc.  It was interesting, but nothing I haven´t seen before.  And I really feel like there was a significant amount of politics that the author conciously stepped around.  I´ve been learning that you don´t publicly talk about Franco in any kind of subjective way. 

The other play just sucked, not worth mentioning. 

I also went to two museums this weekend, the Contemporary Art Museum and the Archaeological Museum.  The latter was wonderful, not only did it have a lot of beautiful sculpture from the Peninsula during the Roman period, but it also improved my vocabularly.  The art museum had one room open, the rest was being worked on.   So blah to the blah. 

It was a lovely relaxing weekend in Spain.  But it needs to stop raining.

And the fact that my American identity struggles to accept so much state-sponsorship of the arts I guess just proves how American I really am.