Yesterday I arrived home too late to check in with you all, so I thought I'd build up the suspense and wait another day before posting. Mwa ha ha ha. But I have returned at last - with much to tell.
On Wednesday, after meeting Isabel at Plaza Eliptica, we took the bus to campus for the first time. The bus is the fastest way for me to get to campus and I have now taken this it both to and from campus by myself (I am very proud of my successful public transportation use, as it makes me feel like an independent city girl, hehe).
At UC3M (which I have been abbreviating incorrectly) we took two more tests - a written test and a grammar test. The combination of these two tests with the oral test that we took on Tuesday will determine the level of our language class. I hope I did well - fingers crossed - the classes will be posted tomorrow. We also listened to the first half of the professors' presentations of their classes. Unlike a semester at Stetson, all Cursos Hispanicos students wait to register for the semester until they get here. Then the professors all present their classes and we can make our registrations decisions from these presentations. We heard the second half of the presentations and I think I have made my registration decisions. They are as follows: Historia (the history of Spain from the beginning to the present), Arte (a study of Spanish art), Literatura Siglo de Oro (lit of the Gold Age) and Lengua (level still unknown). I am very excited about these classes and nerdily can't wait to buy school supplies this weekend. In all seriousness, these classes will also be an excellent way to fully enjoy Madrid - especially Arte and Historia which will include many trips to museums and historic sites around the city - awesome! Still - we're going to pack in the fun this weekend as it our first and last homework-free weekend in Spain.
Speaking of fun, last night our group enjoyed the great cultural experience of a tablao flamenco show at Las Carboneras. It was phenomenal!! Flamenco, I recalled, is the energetic dancing with complicated turns, lots of clapping and furious stomping of wooden heels. Last night we learned that there are two kinds of flamenco: tablao and professional flamenco. The second of these is the kind of dance performed by professional dance companies usually with a repertoire of other kinds of dance – like ballet. Tablao on the other hand performed by people who never took professional dance lessons but instead learned flamenco from their parents (traditionally this dance style is passed down through families of gypsy origin in Spain). Gypsy is a term that refers to a group of people that originated in India but immigrated to
Europe long ago. This combined Indian/Spanish origin is clearly visible in the flamenco style of dance. The straight poses with raised arms, Isabel explained, are stylistically part of the matadors technique in los toros while the warbling singing voice and the careful finger movements in the dance are reminiscent of the India tradition. I had heard before that Flamenco is a powerfully emotional dance form – but until yesterday I didn’t know what that meant. The intensity with which these dancers moved and the passion in their eyes was incredible. They seemed to look and move as if their lives were dependant upon the speed of their clicking heels and the straightness of their backs. This fierceness if almost impossible to understand without seeing it so I will try to upload a video after this post if the my wireless here will let me … While watching the dance we also enjoyed a collection of traditional Spanish foods – tapas style – as well as my first “copa de sangria” in Spain. All was very tasty!
Other than that, I’ve been taking it easy in my free time. I’ve looked around some of the shops in Sol and I’ve spent more time with Elena in my home (since the first few days were so busy). It is really fun getting to know her. I now know that we have the same favorite color - purple – and that we both really like the movie El Dairo de Noa (The Notebook). So, guess that’s all for now … Meeting with Isabel in the morning so I’d better get to bed. I’ve got to be well rested because this weekend’s going to be busy J
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