A Tribute to Spain

I was aiming at publishing this entry during the week that I left Spain but unfortunately this didn't turn out as planned. I had started the entry but, up until now, was unable to finish it. But as you know it takes some time and efforts to move to a different country and blogging was not on my priority list during the last weeks. My feelings described below are nonetheless still true. ;-) So, here we go:

I would like to contribute my last blog entry of this Erasmus semester to the beautiful country that has been so kind to host me. It has, once again, given a wonderful account of itself! During the last three years I have travelled through Spain extensively and every time it struck me again by how beautiful the country is. With beautiful I mean the country and all it has to offer as a whole: the food, the people and their cultural habits and the experiences I was able to make.  

The food

Let me start with the food: it is simple and at times involves too much grease but it is just incredibly tasty. In addition, it is not just the food but the whole act of eating together either in a restaurant or at home. It always involves a large amount of it and it is always consumed with a lot of joy! As you know: a perfect combination for me! :-)

At first I was always wondering why an ordinary Spanish person can eat so much and not turn out to be as fat as an elephant. Here is the answer: they eat a small breakfast, a huge lunch, some snacks in between and end the day with a comparable smaller and healthy dinner.

The people

During an Erasmus semester you usually meet people from all over the world (which is awesome in itself) but not that many people that actually are from the country you are living in. The same happened to me during my stay in Madrid: I've found new friends from Denmark, France, Italy (uhm, I mean Sardinia), the US, Canada, Singapore... and many more places that I can't wait to visit in the future!
Nonetheless, the few Spaniards I was able to get to know better were just lovely creatures. Despite the fact that I speak lousy Spanish most of them speak no English at all, the Spanish are not scared to talk with you and they always try to understand what you're trying to say. So, when I told my roommate that I am so super horny because my friend from Germany is coming for a visit (because I did not know the right word for excited and just made one up that sounded alike), she supported me in the best way she could in not making me feel too embarrassed. :-) And when I could not think of the word for freezer and described it as the place in the kitchen that is really, really cold our conversation went on in a normal manner without any big disturbances. In other cultures, such as the German or Dutch one, this would have most likely happened in a different way. 

Their sense of family

Many people asked me whether or not you can feel/see/notice the economic crisis during your everyday life in Spain. I usually give the same answer: actually not! I got the impression that while many families and individuals are concerned by the crisis (they have lost their jobs, the are insecure whether or not they are going to loose their job in the near future, their friends got divorced due to their financial and social problems, ...) they try to make the best out of it. Most Spaniards I met explained to me that they are happy that their family and friends are healthy! That is what counts for them the most and I believe that this is an important indicator on why their culture is the way it is. They still want to go out for a drink with their friends despite the fact that they are low on cash. And the typical Spanish Sunday is spent with the whole family (with whole I mean whole) doing something fun together. I found this very insightful and lovely at the same time and hope to be able to adopt some parts of this mindset.

The university

When I left Groningen and set sail to Madrid, I expected that living in Spain would also imply being confronted with an unorganized system on a daily basis. However, little did I know that the Spanish university I visited was extremely well organized and that I would not encounter a single problem during my stay in this respect. In fact, I have to say that the university was better managed than my current one... :-)
So, prejudices seem to work only 90% of a time. 

Prejudices

Speaking of which: whenever people, usually Germans that have visited Mallorca up until now, start describing the Spaniards as a people that is unorganized, does not work a lot, is unreliable... Really, it is just not true! I think that what gives this impression is the fact that they just have different priorities and a very different mentality from us - which is nice. :-)

So overall, I think it is save to say that I've completely fallen in love with Spain. :-) Hope to see you soon, my love.

That's What Friends Are For...

Recently I had a conversation with another international student and he asked me when I was going to leave Madrid. When I told him that I'm going to leave next week already he was quite surprised and wanted to know why I am not planning on spending more free time in the city. I responded that I am going to start an internship in two weeks and therefore had to leave. He almost shrieked and wanted to know why every German student is doing an internship over the summer. Apparently he had heard of every German student currently in Madrid that he or she is going to start one within the next couple of weeks. :-)

Obviously I felt quite proud of my hard-working German companions but I also started to think. In my circle of German friends as well as the people I study with, we are immensely focused on doing everything right: many spent a gap year abroad (everyone is actually aiming at being able to write study/working experience in three regions on their CV, namely the U.S., Europe and Asia), we do internships during the summer, we study abroad, we aspire to speak at least four languages fluently (five would be better), we have hobbies and work voluntarily for charity, we do one or two Masters, and of course we try to do the round-the-world-trip before we start our first real job. So far so good. On paper this sounds nice and motivating. And it is! (Btw: not EVERYONE I know is like this!) :-)

However, in these times when even the Dalai Lama tweets, this is what made me think:

 

I have a couple of very good friends. Some live in my hometown, others in a couple of other countries that I have been in contact with, many do some kind of exchange or internship program abroad. They are basically spread all over the place. With this I don't want to be bragging but rather highlight how complicated this situation is. While I'm happy that we all have the opportunity to make this awesome experiences and to live in exotic places (like me living in Vermont... ;-), it sometimes also makes me quite sad. Can I really show 'genuine affection' via the Facebook chat? And can I be there for a friend in need when I am thousands of kilometers away?

When I told my parents that I was planning on doing my Master at the same university that I had already done my Bachelor degree, I was told that this is maybe not a good plan and that I should rather choose for a program taught in another country (London, the U.S. and some other destination were named in the discussion). These are my parents, the people that have educated me about important values such as friendship, loving the people around you and being there for each other. I ended up telling my father that I don't really have 600 Facebook friends by choice but rather because I have been around and have friends (acquaintances?) from all over the world. But do I stay in touch with these 600 people? Of course not. Do I call no. 545 when I feel sad and need somebody to talk to? Uhm. 

I went on to tell my parents that it is of course a nice idea of them that I go from Madrid to Berlin to London and thereafter find a job in Beijing but to put this into practice is a whole different story. Again new people, again the same small talk, again being far away from home and feeling lonely, again starting all over! At some point it becomes less fun than it was the first time... I started wondering, in order to find a satisfying job, is it really necessary for me to leave behind the people I love and the places I like all the time? It is not like a field trip in sixth grade anymore during which you have your best friend at your side at all times.

It is similar with the people around me of whom I know they're thinking that I am doing a big mistake by not choosing for a university with more prestige or one that is further away from home. They think that I am weak because I have chosen for something I already know (how boring!). Well, I'm sorry but I actually believe that I am the strong person in this equation (actually, this is not an equation, is it?!) simply due to the fact because I have chosen for staying a bit longer in a place that I like and where I have friends that I would like to give some genuine affection to. We don't always need to be on a run, do we?! I actually believe that my future employer might like my sense for loyalty and that he is not necessarily looking for somebody who is always on the go in order to enhance his or her CV.

What I am trying to say is that I think that sometimes we are taking our career-focused existence too far.  Aren't we already quite qualified and satisfying the way we are? I think so. And what do you think is more important: a job on 5th Avenue and the penthouse, or actually having people in your life that you can rely on and that you see more often than just during the time you go home for Christmas? Both would be best, I assume... ;-)

My dear friends, my preaching is finally over. :-) Sorry for pretending that I know it all and that I have it all. It is just something I have been thinking about a lot and the aforementioned conversation made me think about it even more. I think you are all doing a tremendous job in what you are doing and I'm quite proud to have that many smart and hard-working people around me! However, sometimes I just wish I would get to see you more often and spend some quality time together. 

Oh and Facebook friend no. 545: if you ever need somebody to talk to or a shoulder to cry on.. well... send me a message in the chat and I see what I can do!

Intercultural Sensitivity

Whoever has lived abroad for a while is most likely considering himself as a person that is culturally sensitive and aware of problems that may arise in this respect. In job interviews I do the same thing: claiming that because of my living, studying and working experiences abroad I know how to behave in a different culture and that I have a feeling for cultural sensitivity.

Nowadays, however, I am starting to doubt if we can ever fulfill this standard by means of our skills as well as our mindset. Of course I try to eat every local speciality they put in front of me (while staring in my face in order to check out my reaction), obviously I'm not going to make jokes about people dancing to traditional folk songs and I wouldn't walk half naked into a church in Catholic Spain. That is a minimum standard which every ordinary tourist should easily be able to fulfill.

I rather mean things that go beyond this politeness and respect of other peoples' customs. It is, for instance, much easier to have a conversation in German with a fellow German person but while other people from different nationalities are around it is rather impolite - yet we do it all the time (and I don't mean a specific nationality). The same goes for gossiping about people around in a language they don't understand. We have all been in a situation where we know something was going on, yet, we did not quite comprehend what the people in front of us were really talking about due to the language barrier.

However, even these examples do not really prove my point because they would still be resolvable by some efforts of all parties involved. I believe that there are a couple of cultural characteristics embedded in every person that are, on the one hand, not easily hidden permanently and, on the other hand, very distinct from others - making the culture what it is. Cultures shape people and influence their behavior and will always have an influence on the choices we make and the behavior we adopt.


In group work, for instance, people from other nationalities at times value that I want to work in an efficient manner and that I want to deliver work that is as good as it can be. Yet, at times, probably depending on the others' nationalities, they are just annoyed by the way I want everyone to stick to the rules and do the best they can. When the latter happens I am usually quite frustrated and feel that my cultural habits are not respected or taken into account. But honestly, what can they do? It is most likely unavoidable that some cultural characteristics are going to be standing in the way of what the majority of the group wants to do.


The same goes for the way most Germans communicate. Usually we say straight into each other's faces what we think and how we feel. If I communicate with a fellow German person, telling him or her honestly what I think about a certain thing is usually not a problem and actually considered as a valued behavior. We cherish honesty and authenticity. With other nationalities, however, doing the same thing sometimes results in frustration or even anger. Importantly, considering the fact that that person is from a culture in which you are more polite and closed about your opinions, this person would probably never tell me that I had just offended him with my honest remark. What a dilemma! :-)


Another example would be prejudices we hold towards certain countries or cultures. I think that these preconceived opinions, shaped by the media, stories we've heard or just a general dislike, are extremely difficult to be overcome. The Spanish are lazy, the Germans don't have humor, the Americans are fat. Sounds familiar? :-)


So, where does this leave us? I don't know. I don't know if something needs to be changed or if there is something we can do against this or if we just have to wait for globalization to continue doing what it is doing. I'm not aiming at over-dramatizing this issue - people with different cultural backgrounds will always manage to communicate, work and live with each other somehow. But I believe that every once in a while we need to stop and reflect on how people perceive us and how we perceive them and if there is something that should be considered with a 'real' intercultural sensitivity. Because what counts in the end is that I would never want to miss the input and experience I have gained by interacting with people from other countries and by getting to know their values and habits. There is so much more to explore!

Relationship Status: Skype

For all of you who have been living abroad for a longer amount of time this is no news: Skype can be so annoying! All the others probably think: But why? It's the easiest way to stay in touch with your friends, family and loved ones.

Well yes, this is true. Within a second of a mouse click you are able to be in the living room with your friends and watch them watching TV or you are able to see a friend who is on the complete other side of the planet. Since it is for free to video call someone, you can stay online talking with them for hours and hours. As a matter of fact, once I was preparing for a date (a long, long time ago...) and, unfortunately, was home alone. So I rang up a friend in another country and we were able to choose my outfit, decide on accessories and be nervous together before I had to leave. It was so lovely! :-) The other day I had my first Skype job interview and I believe that people use it for a whole lot of other purposes that I haven't even thought about yet.

However, I've now been living abroad for a couple of years in a row and every once in a while I come across a phenomenon which I'd like to call the "Skype fatigue". Right now I have it again and I have come to the point that I hate Skype!!! It annoys me and I wish I would never have to use it again.

Here's why: Yes, you are in the living room of somebody else and you hang out together but it is not real. You are only halfway there. At times this is a really soothing tool but if its usage becomes too much it is just frustrating. It basically shows me that I want to be with the people I'm talking to. I wanna sit with my sister on the couch and pet our new cat... Or I'd just love to have M&Ms and wine with my girlfriends while chitchatting away rather than solely lying in my bed with the laptop on my belly. 

It is not that life in Madrid makes me unhappy or something, it is rather that Skype conversations have become really unfulfilled. I've once read an article in which they showed that many long-distance relationships are maintained via Skype and the couples portrayed in the article appeared to be immensely satisfied with what they got. I really can't understand them - Skype makes you see and hear people but that obviously does not mean that you can actually go and watch a movie together, cook a meal or have a cocktail. I've met some really nice people here, with whom I do lots of fun things, but I feel like my heart is broken in little pieces that can be found in a variety of places.

In the end, I know that being able to use Skype is 100 times better than sending a letter to your boyfriend and then having to wait for two weeks for an answer. Nonetheless, the "Skype fatigue" is a phenomenon that should not be underestimated. :-) There are gonna be times when I'm gonna be appreciating this technology once again but for now I think I made my point clear: I miss you, my dear friends! Real conversations, mixed with wine and laughter are what I am longing for. :-)

Cheers! Stay in touch!

Things I've learned...

Hello my dear friends,
 

I have been quite quiet the last couple of days and am aiming to change this. It is just that Madrid has so much to offer: so many places that I'd like to discover, so many people I'd like to get to know better AND so much food I'd like to taste. :)

However, in contrast to common perception about the Erasmus program, I have also been studying for a bit at my partner university. As you may know, I am following a minor in journalism over here and I must say that I truly enjoy it. When I was younger I always wanted to become a journalist. I loved reading books and writing stories and all that kind of things and I am feeling that those passions are coming back to me somehow. (Here is a book tipp for you [for free]: The Help. Such a good book. It makes you cry and laugh and you really do feel like you are actually there, in the 1960s in Mississippi.)

Obviously the way of working at the Spanish university is much different to what I've been used to in the Netherlands. I didn't have to buy a single book. My lectures consists of maximum 25-30 people. The teachers are real-life journalists and roundabout in their mid-30s. My homework consists of tweeting, blogging and updating Wikipedia articles. And to be honest: I feel like I have learned more practical and useful things for my future career than ever. Finally I can put the things I have studied into practice and can make actually use of them. At the Spanish university, discussions between students and teachers are welcomed and the focus is clearly on learning something you can actually make use of rather than just memorizing one theory after another. I honestly love it this way! But in all fairness I have to highlight that I'm studying journalism over here, a study which obviously differs greatly from a degree in international relations (involving political science, history, law, economics).

So, I'd like to share some of the insights I have gained while studying here with you because some of them I find really interesting and they actually affect all of us. Some of these things, however; we don't know much about and other things are mainly afflicted with negative news undermining their importance. I don't want to talk in a know-it-all-manner, it is just that I find these topics worth sharing and feel like raising some awareness towards them. This are only brief descriptions of some of the key matters.

ACTA, SOPA, PIPA  

Recently, most of us have heard about the aforementioned agreements that most of our governments are about to sign. However, they have aroused a lot of disagreement throughout a large part of the population. Why is that?

Well, first of all I've watched some of the demonstrations online and got the impression that the only people joining the protests were nerds, computer freaks and some other people that usually prefer spending their days inside. :) Consequently, within a few seconds my interest for these protests diminished and I moved on to look up something else. Yet, in one of my classes I was forced to do research on all three of the agreements and was rather surprised when I found out what they entail. As a matter of fact, ACTA, SOPA and PIPA will affect all of us as soon as they have been signed. These argeements can be characterized as a threat to the freedom of speech and may ultimately allow for censorship and surveillance by our governments. Have a look at this video that explains what ACTA is about (even though it says SOPA in its title).

As a matter of fact, some of the key stones of a democracy, namely the freedoms of speech and expression, are at stake with the adoption of these kind of agreements. Net neutrality (a principle that advocates no restrictions by internet service providers or governments on consumers' access to networks that participate in the internet) as we know it would no longer be a given. So actually, this is a thing that affects us all! And I truly believe it needs to be stopped. Have a look at these causes in more detail and decide for yourself. If you are German: here is a petition you can sign (after registering) at the German Bundestag.

WikiLeaks
 

Whenever we hear something about WikiLeaks in the news it is usually dealing with issues such as the law suit of Julian Assange or a news agency reporting about some sort of shocking information uncovered by WikiLeaks. This does not shed a very good light on the organization, I think. However, I have also been asked to do some research on what WikiLeaks is about and, more importantly, what it entails in terms of information spreading and democracy enhancement.
 

WikiLeaks’ website was launched and its first documents were published in December 2006. WikiLeaks is a not-for-profit media organization and, according to their website, its goal is to bring important news and information to the public. They have become immensely well-known and respect by releasing a video showing the killing of two unarmed journalists in Iraq. The event was clearly a war crime and would have never reached the public if it wouldn't have been leaked. Obviously, the leaking of disclosed information is illegal and this clearly is a weak point of the organization. However, I nonetheless hope that WikiLeaks will in the future be regarded as a platform that enhances our understanding of how the international system functions and who the people that run the world are. The secrecy and uncertainty that overshadows much of diplomacy and policy-making is at times needed and well-founded but can also lead to dishonesty and injustice. Nowadays, journalists are able to use the information provided by WikiLeaks for their news coverage and it seems like the reports have gotten closer to reality than mere interviews with, for example, policy-makers ever will. Ultimately, reporter and the responsible people at WikiLeaks will have to decide when it might be best not to publish a certain story due to, for instance, security reasons but overall this new information outlet seems to be very beneficial for the wider public in terms of obtaining important information.

Anonymous
 

Anonymous can be described as a worldwide online activism group, initiating active civil disobedience, while attempting to maintain anonymity of its members. It is, once again, one of those groups for which I didn't pay much attention to, mostly due to the fact that they wore those masks and I couldn't really make out what they were standing for. Yes, against capitalism.. but did they really think they would change the system? 

However, I believe that the importance of Anonymous is that they were able to mobilize a large amount of people for the same, good cause. The mobilization happened mainly over the web and the message they spread was clear: If we unite together, we can do something. We can actually have an effect.
 

So, I think that most of their members do know that they are not going to change our international system based on capitalism. However, they are convinced that they can have an impact in changing peoples' mindset and may have an impact upon us in order for us to not simply accept inequality and discrimination. What Anonymous does is exercising their democratic power: they hold policy-makers accountable. Not such a bad cause after all...
 

Those are only some of the things that I've been confronted with over the last two month. I've obviously learned much more: cursing in French, how to update Wikipedia articles, that Madrid is beautiful and what Twitter is useful for. :) But I find these topics important and I truly believe that many people (including me) just don't know enough about the issues at stake and, as a consequence, deem them as not interesting for them. You may have recently watched the KONY 2012 video on Facebook and now feel inspired to do something and to fight the inequalities we are confronted with in this world. :) Well, unfortunately the conflict in Uganda is already going on for more than 20 years and most likely Mr Kony has already left the country and is enjoying a cocktail at the beach. In the end, the initiative is about obtaining justice for the Ugandian people, but that is mainly it. Here is a nicely written article that shows up some of the problems that many people, including me, have with the KONY initiative. There are issues, however; that we can still become involved with that matter today and where we can really make a difference - in Western Europe or the World.
 

Stay in touch!!

Salmonella, You Tiny Little Bastards!

I was planning on writing my next blog entry about the party life in Madrid (which for me is unique in its own way). However, some motile enterobacteria with diameters around 0.7 to 1.5 µm and lengths from 2 to 5 µm hindered me from further partying in Madrid. What I am talking about? Exactly, salmonella.

Let me start with this: a salmonella infection is no fun. Yet, I was lucky because it seems like I have gotten a rather mild version of the sickness. The symptoms usually start to show after 24 to 72 hours. So, its not like in the movies where they have food poisoning, the cute couple gets home and all of a sudden both of them start vomiting and pooping in front of each other... I had dinner with three other Erasmus students (we of course had the TIME OF OUR LIFE) and only three days later the symptoms started to show. 

If you have a salmonella infection you'll have fever, headaches, pain in the limbs, cramps and most importantly diarrhea. Woohoo! Well, I started off with everything except diarrhea and for those of you who don't know me that well might not know about this tiny piece of information: so far I've never had diarrhea. Basically I suspected to have gotten the flu and after those stressful month with the bachelor thesis and moving to Spain I thought that that was a reasonable time for me to get sick. However, after two days I talked with the other guys that I've went to the restaurant with and three out of four were sick by now. Ooops, no flu after all. The others already had severe diarrhea and cramps and so I kind of knew that something bad was going to happen. 

The day that I got diarrhea aka. the day that my divine organs could no longer cope with my lifestyle, was a very sad one... I was no longer the boss of my body. What a drag! :-) (The funny thing is that my diarrhea is most likely a joke compared to what other people have went through, but nonetheless it made me feel very uncomfortable). So, I knew that it was time to go and visit a doctor. My Spanish roommate made some phone calls and came into my room and asked me if I wanted to be picked up by an ambulance or if we could go together to the doctor's office. I chose the latter option... ;-) 

We went to a doctor who turned out to be highly overwhelmed with me and my sickness and who, in the end, pushed on random spots on my belly and suspected that I might have something with my appendix despite the fact that we told him that two other people are sick with the same symptoms. Uhm yes... So, I went to the hospital, as he told me to, only to be told by the doctor there that my salmonella infection is a joke compared to the one he had when he was in Brazil 20 years ago.  If I am not puking and shitting at the same time and if I don't have 40°C for at least four days, I should just drink a lot of water and rest. Alright then! :-) That is exactly what I did for the next days. (Arschbacken zusammenkneifen und los geht's!)

The sickness took about seven days and today is the first day that I think that I have recovered fully. If I would not have been living together with such nice roommates, I would have most likely been incredibly sad or dead by now. Be sure to have someone who supplies you with toilet paper, water and some laughter while you're suffering the salmonella infection! :-) I don't wish anyone to ever get the infection! Well, on second thought: I don't wish anyone to ever get any kind of infection... but that's pretty obvious, I guess. :-)

Train bombings of 2004

A lot of people have recently asked me about the train bombings in Madrid from 2004 and if I know more about this topic. Consequently, I've done some research and written a little chronicle about it to provide you with the necessary information. Here we go:

On March 11, 2004 ten bombs exploded in four commuter trains in Madrid. 191 people were killed and almost 2000 people injured, causing this event to be Europe’s deadliest terrorist attack in the years since the Second World War. The explosions were timed to take place during the peak of Madrid's rush hour and took place between 07:37 and 07:40 in the morning. All the affected trains were traveling on the same line and in the same direction between Alcalá de Henares and the Atocha station in Madrid, which is the largest train stations of the city. All four trains had departed the Alcalá de Henares station between 07:01 and 07:14. It was later shown that the bombs were brought in backpacks into the trains and that three other bombs did not detonate as planned and were later found intact.

The terrorist attacks were initially suspected to be the work of the Basque separatist militant group ETA. This was soon proven to be incorrect as evidence mounted against an extreme Islamist militant group loosely tied to al-Qaida. Many in Spain and around the world saw the attacks as retaliation for Spain's participation in the war in Iraq, where about 1,400 Spanish soldiers were stationed at that time.

The attacks took place two days before a major Spanish election, in which anti-war Socialists swept to power.  Shortly after the attacks, protests around Spain mounted because the people wanted to know who was responsible for this tragic events, before the polls opened two days later. The government continued to blame ETA for the terrorist attacks; however, the police investigation soon made al-Qaida responsible for it. The new government, led by Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, removed Spanish troops shortly after coming to power from Iraq, with the last leaving the country in May 2004.

Sympathy came from governments internationally, immediately following the bombings, led by Spain's partners in the European Union. France raised its terror alert level, and Athens' security was tightened at train stations and the Spanish Embassy. Similar measures were also adopted in Italy.

The train bombings of 2004 in Madrid were the most severe terrorist attacks in the history of Spain.

These information has been found on (all accessed February 4, 2012):

Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_Madrid_train_bombings

Encyclopedia Britannica: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1279086/Madrid-train-bombings-of-2004

History.com: http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/terrorists-bomb-trains-in-madrid 

PS: Atocha is the train station from which I am taking my train to the university every day. However, to quote my boyfriend (a very wise man): "It already happened there, it is by now the safest place on earth [statistically]". :-)

Don't worry be happy!