International News Story
Kony 2012
El Mundo: Kony
CNN: Kony
A video that recently went viral was the Kony 2012 video about capturing the Ugandan leader of the Lord's Resistance Army. Following the story, it has caused a lot of controversy in not only the United States (where the video originated) but also the rest of the world. I found an article about it on CNN and also in the Spanish newspaper, El Mundo. It is amazing to see how issues like this become so internationally known so quickly. 

National News Story
Spanair Collapse 
El Pais: Spanair
In January, Spanair, the fourth largest airline in Spain ceased its operations leaving 22,000 passengers stranded during the weekend. With many complaints being filed, mine included, they are trying to find a way to reimburse everyone. I had a flight scheduled to go to Munich with Spanair that I was never able to go on because of their collapse.  

Field Trips

Pamphlets from MUHBA

Museu d'Historia de Barcelona 
Our first field trip took us to the MUHBA, which is a new concept of museum which has facilities all around the city of Barcelona. Together they account for more then 2,000 years of history in the city with the objective to conserve the heritage of Barcelona and spread it among visitors. On our trip we saw the Temple d'August which are ancient Roman remains. The columns are still intact located inside a building where people now live (as pictured below). I find it fascinating that you could walk by this building many times and never know that inside are these huge ancient columns.  

Barri Gotic
The narrow streets here are very different to the roads near my apartment and the streets I walk on daily. Being the center of the old city, the Gothic quarter has such an ancient feel. Learning about the streets and having them named in relation to what was sold/who lived there really took me back to a different era and allowed me to grasp just how old the area was that I was standing in. Buildings dating from Medieval times and even Roman times really put in perspective how old Europe is in relation to the US.

 

Leisure Activities
FC Barcelona Game

      The other night I went to a local bar with some Spanish friends to watch the Barca vs Atletico Madrid game. While I have been keeping up with the futbol crazy in Barcelona and had previously watched the Barca vs Real Madrid game, watching the game with true Catalan fans was a different experience. I bought Xavi's jersey and one of the guys was I was with was very impressed with me. He explained to me how he is from Xavi's hometown, Tarrassa, and that to him Xavi is the best player and the brains behind Messi's plays. He also explained to me why this was a big game because of the huge rivalry between Barcelona and Madrid. 






Nightlife

 Going out in Barcelona is certainly a different experience then going out in the States. While I am used to going out at about eleven, going to a bar then heading home at about two or three when the bars close is completely different then nightlife in Barcelona. First off dinner isn't until about 9:30 then we will go to a bar at about twelve, then head to a club at three and stay until five or six. When I explain this to my friends and family they are baffled as to when Spaniards sleep! 

Local News Stories
The University Strike
Walking home from class the other day, I found myself stuck in the middle of a huge strike going on in Plaza Catalunya. I was able to see hundreds of young people chanting in the streets, tagging the walls of storefronts with their graffiti. The strike against budget cuts proved to be an important issue with many people in Barcelona given the sheer amount of people involved and their attitudes. 
 La huelga universitat

 

 

General Strike: March 29th

Huelga General

Again, in town for yet another strike this one appeared to be more violent then the previous. Thousands of people participated in this general strike to protest the new labor reform. Not being able to use the metro made this day a bit difficult and as my roommates and I were having dinner, we left the restaurant only to find numerous trash containers on fire and the streets fairly chaotic. 

Cultural Activities
Carnaval in Sitges
Sitges celebrates non-stop during the liturgical season with Carnaval. My friends and I decided to attend on the final Tuesday. There was an eclectic mix of outrageous costumes, constant music and parade after parade. We got to Stiges by train which happens to be much of the extent of my photographs. My friends and I to joined in the debauchery and dressed in costume as Indians, a devil, a matador and many other silly things. 

Olympic Museum 

Located on top of Montjuic, I was able to see the remnants of the '92 Olympic games and visit the museum. It was great to actually be able to put somewhat of a face to the games since we were talking about it in class and how it literally changed the whole city. Not only did I learn about sport in society but I was able to learn more about how they changed the city of Barcelona. 

Restaurants
Restaurant Masia Fontscaldes

    This was the restaurant that we stopped at on the way home from Valencia and had Calcotes. Personally I loved the experience given that I am not typically a person who tries a lot of new foods, but I had to try this Catalan experience out, and I was pleasantly surprised (although I enjoyed the Romesco dipping sauce more then the onions). 


Cerveceria Catalana

When my roommates dad was in town he took us to this restaurant and it quickly became my favorite place to eat tapas in Barcelona. We ordered many dishes including spanish tortilla, a cheese covered in peanuts and my favorite (pictured) pimientos de padron. In this dish it is said that about 1 in every 10 peppers is hot.