The end of La Merce was pretty unspectacular, mostly because i had classes the whole time. There were a lot of concerts all over the city and at the end, on Wednesday was the Piromusical. The Piromusical is sort of like a fireworks show on steroids, set to music above Plaza Espanya. I wouldn't go again, because it´s hugely packed, and impossible to even see the fireworks. And also the music they set it all to was strange- the theme was television, so it was all themes to tv shows, like Teletubbies (why? i don't know).
In other news, the Spanish kids in our dorm just started to talk to us...yaaaay! They let us hang out with them last weekend. First, we went somewhere for dinner around 9:30 pm. After like 3 hours, since Spanish service is terrible and its normal to have 2-3 courses per meal, we left for some bar. We stayed at the bar until around 2:30, and then left for a discotec, Razzmatazz, which is this gigantic multistory and multibuilding dance club that's got like 5 or 6 different areas for dancing, all with different types of music playing. It was really fun there, but around 5ish I got tired, so me, Zoe and Lindsay left "early" with a few of the kids we came with, and got back to bed a little bit before 6. This is pretty typical for going out (according to Spaniards) here, but I would definitely not be able to do it this often.
I don't really think the students do it that often though, since the majority of them go home every weekend; most of them are either from Lleida or Girona, cities about an hour's train ride away. Most Spanish students go to college very close to home, and it's normal for them to live at home the whole time- so when students live in a dorm, they go home pretty much every chance they get. Unless they're from the Baleares (island system in the medit.) or Canarias (island system off of the African coast).
Last week they invited us to come and watch the novatos ("newbies" in Catalan.) In Spain the dorms are really big on hazing, so the first couple of weeks they take all of the new kids outside of the dorm and make them stand in lines and hold their hands up for like 3 hours, while they yell things at them in Catalan. I could understand maybe 50% of what was being said, since Catalan is like half Spanish, half French, so I caught some things about how Sant Jordi (the dorm) is a family, and how the new kids are not welcome and have to abide by dorm rules. I didn't catch most of the dorm rules, but I think they were just ridiculous things, since everyone was laughing during that time. Normally, they include every new kid in the dorm in this novato thing, even when they are third years and it's just their first time living in that particular dorm. But all the yelling was done in Catalan, so they just leave the American and Japanese kids out of it.
I don't really think the students do it that often though, since the majority of them go home every weekend; most of them are either from Lleida or Girona, cities about an hour's train ride away. Most Spanish students go to college very close to home, and it's normal for them to live at home the whole time- so when students live in a dorm, they go home pretty much every chance they get. Unless they're from the Baleares (island system in the medit.) or Canarias (island system off of the African coast).
Last week they invited us to come and watch the novatos ("newbies" in Catalan.) In Spain the dorms are really big on hazing, so the first couple of weeks they take all of the new kids outside of the dorm and make them stand in lines and hold their hands up for like 3 hours, while they yell things at them in Catalan. I could understand maybe 50% of what was being said, since Catalan is like half Spanish, half French, so I caught some things about how Sant Jordi (the dorm) is a family, and how the new kids are not welcome and have to abide by dorm rules. I didn't catch most of the dorm rules, but I think they were just ridiculous things, since everyone was laughing during that time. Normally, they include every new kid in the dorm in this novato thing, even when they are third years and it's just their first time living in that particular dorm. But all the yelling was done in Catalan, so they just leave the American and Japanese kids out of it.
Apparently though, my dorm's not that bad- I know some people in other dorms where they will break into their rooms, rearrange their furniture, and then tie all of their clothes in a rope and throw them outside. At my dorm, they just sort of yell at the new kids, make a bunch of noise when they come into the dining hall, and do smaller, but still annoying pranks. The Spanish kids explained to us that the whole process helps the kids who have been there get to know the newer kids- it's really important to them that the people in the dorm all know each other and are friends. I suppose totally embarassing each other sort of breaks the ice a little easier... At one point they had all of the novato guys pull their pants down their ankles and hop around in their underwear. What is with european guys and their aversion to boxers?
But for the novatos they did other things that I can see how it helps to form a sort of dorm camaraderie. A couple of nights ago they went over to another dorm nearby (the closest dorm being a 15 minutes walk away) and started a waterballoon fight, yelling the dorm song and in general being annoying. Last night was the last night of the novatos, when they stop being "the black sheep of the dorm" and turn into real people. Of course, not before totally embarassing them again. Around 11, they had all of the novatos wear shower caps, clown noses, diapers outside their pants, and signs that said (Catalan versions of) "I'm a Sant Jordi goldigger/cradlerobber" or "I'm a Sant Jordi Don Juan," depending on gender.
They all gathered on Avinguda Diagonal, the biggest street near the dorm, and just sang and yelled and passed bottles of who-knows-what around for about 3 hours. I'm really surprised the cops didn't come, and that we didn't even get yelled at by anyone. Then we walked about 15 minutes down the street, and all went into a smaller discotec that some guys at the dorm had worked out a deal with previously. The entire place was filled with kids from the dorm, which was pretty cool. Being lame americans, me, Lindsay and Zoe came home early around 4ish, since Zoe had to get up around 7 to travel.
Last weekend I also went on a day trip with Zoe, Lindsay and Grant to Tarragona. Lindsay and I had to go for a history project, so we got up early on Sunday and took the train out. It's about a hour ride, and the city is small enough that you can walk everywhere. About 5 minutes away from the train station is a Roman Ampitheatre, that was built in the 3rd century AD, with the ruins of a church that was built later in the middle. I know it's really nerdy, but Caesar Augustus visited the city, and you know that he for sure went to the Ampitheatre, and just being able to stand there with all of that history surrounding you is amazing.
Nearby was the Roman Circus, which they used to store food items. The circus was also used by Napoleon's army when they camped in the area, and converted part of the circus to a prison. I mean, there was only one way to get in, so Napoleon had to have walked through the exact same tunnel that did, and probably Augustus. !!!!! Tarragona also has this huuuuge cathedral that's really pretty- it's got a lot of gothic architecture around the outside, including gothic style stone faces encircling the whole roof.
We wandered around some more and found the main plaza, where there were remains of the Roman Forum. It looked like everyone had cleared our their basements and were having a giant garage sale. Apparently the day we went was a festival for them, which was why all of the Roman landmarks were free to enter. We ate lunch outside, and walked around the neighborhood somemore, ending up at the old Roman wall that used to encircle the city. After that we just wandered back to the train station, which was on the coast, and sat on the beach for an hour while we waited for our train. We were home by dinner. It was probably one of the most perfect days I have had here.
This weekend a lot of IES students are traveling, since IES gave us a three day weekend, and it's also Octoberfest. Three guesses what country half the Americans on our floor are in. We might do a day trip on Sunday again out to the small mountains (actually, I doubt they qualify as mountains...) that border Barcelona. Hopefully, we can find somewhere to go hiking and kayaking. It's cooled down a lot here, so it's not disgustingly hot, but it sticks around 65-70 with lots of sun, so it's good walking-around weather. Other than that, I guess I should put up some pictures on Flickr and start working on that history project...
But for the novatos they did other things that I can see how it helps to form a sort of dorm camaraderie. A couple of nights ago they went over to another dorm nearby (the closest dorm being a 15 minutes walk away) and started a waterballoon fight, yelling the dorm song and in general being annoying. Last night was the last night of the novatos, when they stop being "the black sheep of the dorm" and turn into real people. Of course, not before totally embarassing them again. Around 11, they had all of the novatos wear shower caps, clown noses, diapers outside their pants, and signs that said (Catalan versions of) "I'm a Sant Jordi goldigger/cradlerobber" or "I'm a Sant Jordi Don Juan," depending on gender.
They all gathered on Avinguda Diagonal, the biggest street near the dorm, and just sang and yelled and passed bottles of who-knows-what around for about 3 hours. I'm really surprised the cops didn't come, and that we didn't even get yelled at by anyone. Then we walked about 15 minutes down the street, and all went into a smaller discotec that some guys at the dorm had worked out a deal with previously. The entire place was filled with kids from the dorm, which was pretty cool. Being lame americans, me, Lindsay and Zoe came home early around 4ish, since Zoe had to get up around 7 to travel.
Last weekend I also went on a day trip with Zoe, Lindsay and Grant to Tarragona. Lindsay and I had to go for a history project, so we got up early on Sunday and took the train out. It's about a hour ride, and the city is small enough that you can walk everywhere. About 5 minutes away from the train station is a Roman Ampitheatre, that was built in the 3rd century AD, with the ruins of a church that was built later in the middle. I know it's really nerdy, but Caesar Augustus visited the city, and you know that he for sure went to the Ampitheatre, and just being able to stand there with all of that history surrounding you is amazing.
Nearby was the Roman Circus, which they used to store food items. The circus was also used by Napoleon's army when they camped in the area, and converted part of the circus to a prison. I mean, there was only one way to get in, so Napoleon had to have walked through the exact same tunnel that did, and probably Augustus. !!!!! Tarragona also has this huuuuge cathedral that's really pretty- it's got a lot of gothic architecture around the outside, including gothic style stone faces encircling the whole roof.
We wandered around some more and found the main plaza, where there were remains of the Roman Forum. It looked like everyone had cleared our their basements and were having a giant garage sale. Apparently the day we went was a festival for them, which was why all of the Roman landmarks were free to enter. We ate lunch outside, and walked around the neighborhood somemore, ending up at the old Roman wall that used to encircle the city. After that we just wandered back to the train station, which was on the coast, and sat on the beach for an hour while we waited for our train. We were home by dinner. It was probably one of the most perfect days I have had here.
This weekend a lot of IES students are traveling, since IES gave us a three day weekend, and it's also Octoberfest. Three guesses what country half the Americans on our floor are in. We might do a day trip on Sunday again out to the small mountains (actually, I doubt they qualify as mountains...) that border Barcelona. Hopefully, we can find somewhere to go hiking and kayaking. It's cooled down a lot here, so it's not disgustingly hot, but it sticks around 65-70 with lots of sun, so it's good walking-around weather. Other than that, I guess I should put up some pictures on Flickr and start working on that history project...
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