Looking back: Frankfurt and Madrid

Before I begin this "looking back" of sorts, I have a brief story.

Tonight I went to help out at my old high school as a referee in a dodgeball tournament. This is about the last thing I'd ever imagine myself doing on a Thursday night, but it turned out to be quite an experience. It was the first time I had come into contact with high school kids in a long time. Having recently returned from Spain, the night truly put the changes in my life into perspective. I looked back on how trivial my four years in high school now appeared, how all the complaints I had and problems I faced then were nothing compared to the challenges I've met over the last few months.

I saw these kids so naive and hoped that some day they too would see the world through different eyes. I'm not trying to be elitist here, but nothing from high school compares even remotely with the kind of soul searching and cultural learning that I had in Spain. I saw that I had come so far, yet like these kids, still have a ways to go. I could appreciate even more the opportunities I've had in college, as well as the opportunities that lie ahead.

Speaking of opportunities, I thoroughly enjoyed the time I had in Madrid. While Frankfurt had some interesting sights, there wasn't much to do. In Madrid, I saw the palace where General Francisco Franco lived. After studying his life and his regime for three months, it was incredibly fulfilling to see it all in real life. I found myself clinging to every detail that the tour guide told us and imagining what we learned about in class happening right in front of me, in the exact room where it happened. It's just one of the beauties of studying abroad, learning about the culture, society and politics in class, and then going out and seeing it, even living it.

So here is the second round of photos. Below are two videos of Frankfurt, one of the skyscrapers at night (don't bother with sound) and the other of a flea market the next day. Enjoy.

Home sweet home

I’ve been back in the U.S. for several days now, and I can honestly say I’m a different person. I have new perspectives on society, how people live their lives, cultural differences and much more. The reverse cultural shock hasn’t left me yet. Driving is quite an experience, especially in a brand new car. It’s the simple things in life that I’m still getting used to, like menus in dollars, big screen TVs, and everybody always on the run. In some ways I prefer the life in Spain, with big lunches and a siesta in afternoon.

But it’s good to be back. I feel refreshed, like I have more energy here than I’ve had in a long time. I’m learning how to cook, taking my diet seriously, and just trying to get more out of every day. Seeing all of my extended family this past weekend was a treat, but surreal in many ways. Much of what I’ve been through is hard to put into words, but most importantly I’m a better person because of my experiences. There are many questions that I have yet to answer and a long road lies ahead, but I know I’ll get there sooner or later.

Below are two videos from the Hofbraühaus, a brewery in Munich. A band plays and a group of drunk Germans sing their own song. Fun times. The first round of photos is here.

Bittersweet Symphony

This is not goodbye. Though I leave Spain in just a short while, the people I've met, the places I've seen, and the discoveries I've made will remain with me forever. I am incredibly grateful for the experience I've had, and I eagerly await the opportunities that lie ahead of me upon returning home.

This will be my last post from Spain, with just a few more to follow when I get back in the states. It's difficult to leave everything, but this is simply the path to another adventure. It's been the ride of my life, and leaving is bittersweet.

The photo is of Myriam and I in our apartment. Thanks for sticking with Tirando Cobre.

A December to remember

I'll keep this brief, as I need to get back to tying up loose threads here like writing papers, studying for finals (still!) and that oh so wonderful word: packing. But for now, here are three photos from the three cities I visited during my latest adventure: the first from Munich, the second from Frankfurt and the third from Madrid.

The last week

I was walking to school today, wearing a light jacket and listening to music on a warm, sunny day that felt like it was straight out of September. It was just beautiful walking around Seville, taking the path that I take every day, over the bridge, past the fountains, and on the side of the cathedral. And I got emotional again. I realized this will be my home for just this week, this final week. It is hard to imagine that the end is near, and while I cannot wait to see family and friends, I don't want to leave. I've already started exchanging contact information with a few close friends here. I've met some incredible people, seen some breathtaking sights and had experiences I could never have imagined were possible. Studying abroad really does change lives. It changed mine.

And so I will begin to wrap things up here on Tirando Cobre. I know you're dying to hear more about Germany, see photos and everything. I don't have Internet at home at the moment, so it might have to wait until the weekend. But outside of Dachau, other highlights were a spectacular square in Munich, a view of the skyscrapers at night in Frankfurt, and palaces in Madrid, as well as the musical "Beauty and the Beast" in Spanish.

I'm not sure when I'll check in again, definitely at least once before the end of the week. I'll have some "looking back" type posts from home. For now it's back to studying for finals and tying up loose ends. See you soon.

Live from Munich Part II: Never forget

Today I saw the concentration camp Dachau. At first, I was frustrated by the huge groups of young German students, joking around on the bus ride and making it difficult to see certain signs at the memorial site. But then I read, and I listened. I read about the fences watched by the S.S. and how prisoners would go into forbidden territory just to end their suffering. I listened to descriptions of experiments that tortured the innocent victims at the camps. I saw a reconstruction of a barracks.

Pretty soon, I broke down into tears. It was just too much to handle. I couldn't walk through the crematorium or even look at signs that talked about some of the horrifying things that went on there. It is one thing to sit and read about it in the comfort of a classroom or watch "Schindler's List" in a cozy living room. But it's something entirely different to hear and read about what happened while standing in the exact location where it happened just 60 or so years ago. It's an experience for which I will be forever grateful, and it is one that I will never forget.

This is the one wish of survivors, most of whom have spoken somewhere or written a book about their experiences. These innocent people went through horrors that most people can't begin to fathom, and yet they still found the strength to share their stories. In today's world of questionable wars, ongoing genocide and hunger in developing countries, it is essential that we too never forget. Instead of sitting in front of the television, or concerning ourselves with the latest celebrity gossip, we too must share the story with our children and grandchildren, so there will never be another Dachau, and there will never be another Holocaust. Never again. Never forget.

Live from Munich

My friend Alicia and I have arrived in Munich, Germany. After a six-hour bus ride to Madrid in the early morning, a flight to Frankfurt in the afternoon, and six hours by train to our final destination, we are finally here. Tomorrow we are headed off to see the concentration camp, Dachau, just a short ride outside the city, as well as some other sights and sounds of Munich. Friday and Saturday will be Frankfurt, then Saturday night and Sunday in Madrid. Thus far, it is not too touristy here, and everything is written in German, but we have been getting around without much problem. For now, the hour is getting late, and so I hope to check in again soon. Until then.

An aBRIDGEd version

Marathon Day 4, Location 4: Prague

You guessed milestone No. 1. Today is my 21st birthday, and I just want to say thank you to everyone who wished me a happy birthday. It's exciting to celebrate in Spain. I had my last day of work and last day of classes, which is sad because having the opportunity to take classes in a foreign country is something I truly relish. Otherwise, I'm packing for Germany and had the most amazing dinner with a great friend. Italian food. Mmm.

As for milestone No. 2, this is Tirando Cobre's 50th post. I knew it was coming and timed it exactly with my birthday, and multimedia from PRAGUE! So here it is, finally. I'll try to post more photos when I get back to the states, or at least work on some captions. The three videos below in order come from a morning on Charles Bridge, the view from a tower in St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague Castle, and the changing of the guard ceremony at the castle. I made both photo collages myself.

That's about it, next check-in might be from Germany, so we'll just have to wait and see. Enjoy ...

Pigeon love

Marathon Day 3, Location 3: Italy

Lesson learned: Animals like to be fed. Though monkeys are much cooler than pigeons, these crazy creatures go insane on me in this video. I'm sure I'll hear about this one for the rest of my life (I can already hear you laughing). But I enjoyed the experience, and my two friends snickering in the background did as well. The video is from Venice. The city is almost like a wonder of the world, because there are practically no streets, just canals and the main river to get around. There's no place like it on Earth. Photos are here.

So Venice is my second favorite city in the world. I wonder what city tomorrow will bring ...

Monkeying around

Marathon Day 2, Location 2: Gibraltar

So about that "experience with monkeys."

Saturday I went with my study abroad program to see Gibraltar. Home to a giant rock, a naval base and some wild primates, the British territory is about a three-hour bus ride from Seville, and it's just south of Spain's border.

In addition to hanging out with the monkeys, we enjoyed talking to locals. People there are impressively bilingual in Spanish and English. They speak Spanish as well as Spaniards and English as well as the British. (There's something about British English that just cracks me up.) Generally, locals spoke English to us, and it's interesting that all of the signs and menus are in English. Again, Gibraltar is a part of England, so the currency is pounds. But it's so expensive there that people will often cross over into Spain to go shopping, sometimes for a Christmas tree!

And then you have the monkeys. They're actually pretty friendly if you feed them, though they do get attached to us (figuratively and literally) rather quickly. Monkeys swiped at a few people who tried to touch them and bit one person (nothing major). You have to offer food and let the animal come to you. Some people got a little too close to the babies, which infuriated their very protective parents. Otherwise, a good time was had by all, monkeys included.

Enjoy the video below and see more photos here.

Long live Seville

After riding a camel in the Sahara desert, sailing through Venice, walking Charles Bride in Prague, and surviving an "experience with monkeys," I'm still amazed walking around Seville, especially passing by the city's cathedral every day. I had some free time during the past few days to explore a little bit. Here's a quick recap.

• It's fun to eat out in Seville. Myriam always makes great (and big!) meals, so there's rarely a need to leave the house, but sometimes it's worth it to venture out a little. Thursday I went to an Italian restaurant in what used to be the Jewish quarter. The staff was incredibly friendly, there was a great atmosphere, and it's Italian food, so I couldn't go wrong. The next day I went out to Thai food, which was slightly disappointing. I'm spoiled with Thai food in Philadelphia, and while this was good, it just wasn't the same.
  

• I've been wearing a Seville Football Club scarf the past few days, and I can't even tell you how many comments I got about it. People are just wild about that team. I think I'd compare it to Boston with the Red Sox. It's awesome. The club unites the city.
  

• Though I missed Bruce "The Boss" Springsteen's concert recently in Madrid, I checked out a wonderful symphony orchestra performance Friday night. While the theater wasn't quite as elegant as the one in Prague, the show was significantly better. For nearly 2 1/2 hours, a pianist, harpists, violinists and a plethora of other musicians led a packed house through four extensive pieces. Some were more traditional classical music while others were more modernized and featured a soloist on piano. The musicianship is incredible, with complex tempo changes and diverse movements (sections of songs).
  

• This photo shows the bridge coming out of Nervion (my section of the city), and you can see La Giralda, the tower from the cathedral in the background. This post marks the beginning of a marathon on Tirando Cobre. In four days (today included), you'll see four posts detailing my experiences in four different cities in essentially four different countries. With multimedia and some short stories, I hope to mark TWO important milestones. Think about it.