LEARN FROM THE PAST

 

                     Before Going to Spain I was told by a lot of people about the amount of crime that I would experience in certain places, that I was not going to be able to drink the water without getting sick, and I only saw bad news stories that highlighted a depleted healthcare system where they left people on the door steps of hospitals to die. I was also told that it would smell really bad. Once I saw the pictures for this trip, I researched Spain to find out more about it. I was surprised to learn that they were the leader in the integrated healthcare system because of the influx of diseases from Africa. I also saw beautiful images that highlighted a place of beauty and diversity and I knew that this trip was for me regardless of what I was told, and I was happy to learn that I was right. I decided to take the Western Humanities course for Renaissance- Enlightenment and throughout the course I learned a lot about Spain’s rich history during the renaissance period and about the Islamic and Jewish nation that helped to build Spain before they were ordered to leave, convert or be executed. A lot of property was seized from the Moorish people that resided in Spain including extravagant buildings, art, and books. Most of these items and buildings were destroyed by the Christian army but some still remain with great beauty and exquisite detail.

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  During my trip to Spain I was very fortunate to visit some of these buildings such as the Alhambra and the Cordoba Mosque. The Cordoba has a giant Cathedral extending from the center of the building which is confirmation of the existence of Moorish people in Spain and their exile from Spain. This is considered a controversial topic because political rule of the Catholic Church denies the Moors previous existence there. Still today they are in controversy because Islamic followers believe it is their right to practice their religion in the Cordoba Mosque but were denied. This shows how strong the political rule of the church still is in Spain today. Previously there was a rebellion to the Christian religion during the “Black Death Era”. A lot of people lost their faith in God because no priest or cardinal could rid the disease and they too became part of the era and lost their life to the mysterious killer. I decided to do research on the “black Death” (highlighted in my international portfolio) that goes into detail about the effect that the plague had on the medical profession and education system as a whole. I was very fortunate to be able to visit the Museu Nacional d’art de Cataluña on our free day of the tour where they held works of art where artists depicted the horror that they saw from the effects of the plague which added to the enrichment of my research. On the same day that we went to the museum, we also visited the Jewish quarter of Barcelona. I found out that this also added enrichment to my resource because the Jewish people were expelled from Spain as well by the Christian Church in response to the effects of the Black Plague. While we were there I found out that before the Jewish were expelled, the Christians were being expelled by the Romans. Barcelona was home to many Jewish in the middle 1300’s and was home to a Roman Empire way before the Renaissance period. We were very fortunate to visit and photographically (without flash) document the Roman remains that had been excavated deep underneath the bustling city streets. The roman style pillars and appearance of what used to be was very vivid and was obvious that these were their remains said to be anywhere from 1 century BC to 13th Century AD. Quite different from the Barcelona that we see today.

          While I was in Spain I also learned about the rivalries with different territories and how they have different ways of saying a word. It is not one unified language in Spain. If you are in Barcelona or the Northeast territory of Spain, you are in the Catalonia quarter of the country and they speak Catalan there. The Catalan people have been suppressed in Spain through laws and political warfare and their independence as people is not recognized in Spain. Catalan flags are not permitted on any government building but the people still display their pride by flying the flags outside of their homes. If you go to the southeastern part of Spain you are in Andalucía and they speak Andalusian. Andalusians also have great pride in where they come from and who they are. This is known as a heavily gypsy populated area and is home to the famous dance the “Flamenco”.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is also known as the birthplace of the famed Don Quixote. The same pride is also witnessed in the northern part of Spain called Basque country, and they either speak French or a unique language called Basque. They, like Catalans, do not consider themselves a part of Spain and fight for independence from its rule. In the middle of the country, considered Castile, the language is pretty much Spanish and most words are understood in Spanish. This area is most loyal to the Spanish and church rule. They are said to have the greatest pride in their country and love Futbol and the rivalry is greatest between Madrid and Barcelona when it comes to this sport.  

       During my trip I also experienced many foreign foods from the various market places which a lot were not my favorite but I still gave them a try. One of the foods was called chipirones which are small squid that are cut and fried right in their own ink right in front of you. I also tried other popular dishes like jamon and melon, Paella, and churros and chocolate (yum, yum, not too much though).  I was also given the opportunity to explore some areas on my own which gave me the opportunity to practice my communication skills and culture immersion.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This was done by first having to understand how to get to your location by reading maps and directions for streets, metros, ticket stops, and banks that are all in a foreign language. When you go into a shop to buy something or into a restaurant to order food, most people do not speak English which forces you to practice communication in a foreign language. It also strengthens your confidence by knowing that you have the ability to navigate effectively and interact in an environment that you have never experienced before. This also enriches your skills in marketability by being able to talk to people that you have never met before and knowing when and where to take risks.

    After my trip to Spain I have become a better-rounded individual. The skills and knowledge that I have gained from this experience are some that I would not have if I did not go on this adventure. I know more about political and current issues that are affecting the world today because I was enriched with the history of Spain. I am more than pleased with this experience and I plan to try and take more travels to other locations so I can expand my knowledge of other cultures.