Updated: 12:04 a.m. ET March 28, 2005
WASHINGTON - Black and Asian women with bachelor’s degrees earn slightly more than similarly educated white women, and white men with four-year degrees make more than anyone else.
advertisementA white woman with a bachelor’s degree typically earned nearly $37,800 in 2003, compared with nearly $43,700 for a college-educated Asian woman and $41,100 for a college-educated black woman, according to data being released Monday by the Census Bureau. Hispanic women took home slightly less at $37,600 a year.
The bureau did not say why the differences exist. Economists and sociologists suggest possible factors: the tendency of minority women, especially blacks, to more often hold more than one job or work more than 40 hours a week, and the tendency of black professional women who take time off to have a child to return to the work force sooner than others.
Employers in some fields may give extra financial incentives to young black women, who graduate from college at higher rates than young black men, said Roderick Harrison, a researcher at the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, a think tank that studies minority issues.
“Given the relative scarcity, if you are a woman in the sciences — if you are a black woman — you would be a rare commodity,” Harrison said.
Specific reasons unclearBecause study in the area is limited, it is hard to pinpoint specific reasons, said Barbara Gault, research director at the Washington-based Institute for Women’s Policy Research.
“It could be the fields that educated black women are choosing,” she said. “It also could be related to the important role that black women play in the total family income in African-American families.
Notions that black women are struggling financially as much other groups are should not be dismissed, Gault added.
For instance, nearly 39 percent of families headed by a single black woman were in poverty, compared with 21 percent of comparable white women, according to census estimates released last year.
A white male with a college diploma earns far more than any similarly educated man or woman — in excess of $66,000 a year, according to the Census Bureau. Among men with bachelor’s degrees, Asians earned more than $52,000 a year, Hispanics earned $49,000 and blacks earned more than $45,000.
Minorities affected by range of eventsWorkplace discrimination and the continuing difficulties of minorities to get into higher-paying management positions could help explain the disparities among men, experts say.
Demographics may offer an explanation: There are millions more college-educated white men in better paying jobs than there are black, Hispanic or Asian men.
Minorities also suffered more financially as a result of the 2001 recession and its aftermath, as has been the case with past economic downturns, said Jared Bernstein, chief economist with the Economic Policy Institute.
The figures come from the Census Bureau’s annual look at educational achievement in America, culled from a survey in March 2004. Questions about income were asked for the previous calendar year.
Regardless of race or gender, a college graduate on average earned over $51,000, compared with $28,000 for someone with only a high school diploma or an equivalent degree. College-educated men typically made $63,000, compared with $33,000 for men with just a high school education.
Among women, a college graduate earned more than $38,000, compared with nearly $22,000 for a high school graduate.
The data also showed that:
The percentage of people age 25 and older who completed at least four years of college rose again in 2004, to 27.7 percent, compared with 27.2 percent in 2003. There were increases in all race and ethnic categories.
About 29 percent of all men in the same age category finished four years of college, compared with 26 percent of women.
The gap between men and women has narrowed since the 1970s as younger, more educated women steadily replace older, less-educated women in the work force. For example, among 25- to 29-year-olds, more than 31 percent of women have finished at least four years of college, compared with 26 percent of men.
© 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed
March 28, 2005
Hip-hop debate focuses on images of women
Topics included the effect of rap videos on adolescents
By Imani Dawson
The Associated Press
Updated: 1:59 p.m. ET March 24, 2005
NEW YORK - A volatile topic inspired heated debate as several hundred people gathered to discuss the impact of misogynistic rap on black women.
Rapper Remy Ma, underground emcee Jean Grae, author and radio personality Karen Hunter, Essence magazine health editor Akiba Solomon and DJ Beverly Bond were featured on the panel, titled "Images of Women in Hip Hop," on Tuesday night at the Fashion Institute of Technology.
Hip-hop's treatment of womenMore than 300 people filled the auditorium to capacity, spilling onto the stage and into the aisles. Attendees listened raptly as panelists debated hip-hop's treatment of women before vociferously voicing their own deeply held beliefs.
The talk began with moderator Thabiti Boone, co-founder of the Hip Hop Political convention, condemning rapper Nelly's infamous "Tip Drill" video, which featured the artist swiping a credit card through a stripper's buttocks. Though nearly everyone agreed that the salacious video crossed all tasteful boundaries and blatantly disrespected women, the dialogue soon became chaotic.
Heated bickering between the panelists and the audience ensued, much to dismay of moderator Boone. On multiple occasions he was forced to quell catcalls, jeers or claps as the conversation addressed topics including parental responsibility versus community involvement in child rearing, the effect of rap videos on impressionable adolescents and even hip-hop's designation as a culture.
Remy, the lone female member of Fat Joe's Terror Squad clique, has many oral sex references in her raps on such hits as "Lean Back" and "Take me Home." During one exchange she declared, "I'm not here to raise anybody's children." Audience member and teacher Radha Blank retorted, "If you don't believe hip-hop is affecting young people, join me in the schools where junior high school girls are (performing fellatio) in the hallways."
Panelists occasionally interrupted or argued with each other. And the audience was equally divided _ younger people repeatedly claimed that hip-hop's depiction of women accurately reflects the behavior of some females, while older folks insisted that rap's content negatively affects the behavior of both young men and women.
Program ended abruptlyThe program ran almost a half-hour long as panelists and audience members battled to articulate their opinions. It ended abruptly, with little solution-oriented discourse, leaving some frustrated and unsure about next steps.
"I really didn't think much was accomplished," complained Tanysha Chaffin, a youth specialist and caseworker. "It was an attack on hip-hop that didn't solve anything."
Others remained optimistic. "The campaign's goal is to open and further a dialogue on a sometimes unpopular topic," said panelist Solomon. "We observed tonight that this is an issue the community feels passionate about."
The panel was sponsored by Essence magazine and the Center for Communication, a nonpartisan forum designed to familiarize college students with the business of media. Inspired by the 2004 Spelman College protest of the "Tip Drill" video, Essence launched a yearlong "Take Back the Music" campaign in January, featuring articles in the magazine and town hall meetings around the country tackling stereotypes about black women perpetuated by hip-hop.
Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
By Imani Dawson
The Associated Press
Updated: 1:59 p.m. ET March 24, 2005
NEW YORK - A volatile topic inspired heated debate as several hundred people gathered to discuss the impact of misogynistic rap on black women.
Rapper Remy Ma, underground emcee Jean Grae, author and radio personality Karen Hunter, Essence magazine health editor Akiba Solomon and DJ Beverly Bond were featured on the panel, titled "Images of Women in Hip Hop," on Tuesday night at the Fashion Institute of Technology.
Hip-hop's treatment of womenMore than 300 people filled the auditorium to capacity, spilling onto the stage and into the aisles. Attendees listened raptly as panelists debated hip-hop's treatment of women before vociferously voicing their own deeply held beliefs.
The talk began with moderator Thabiti Boone, co-founder of the Hip Hop Political convention, condemning rapper Nelly's infamous "Tip Drill" video, which featured the artist swiping a credit card through a stripper's buttocks. Though nearly everyone agreed that the salacious video crossed all tasteful boundaries and blatantly disrespected women, the dialogue soon became chaotic.
Heated bickering between the panelists and the audience ensued, much to dismay of moderator Boone. On multiple occasions he was forced to quell catcalls, jeers or claps as the conversation addressed topics including parental responsibility versus community involvement in child rearing, the effect of rap videos on impressionable adolescents and even hip-hop's designation as a culture.
Remy, the lone female member of Fat Joe's Terror Squad clique, has many oral sex references in her raps on such hits as "Lean Back" and "Take me Home." During one exchange she declared, "I'm not here to raise anybody's children." Audience member and teacher Radha Blank retorted, "If you don't believe hip-hop is affecting young people, join me in the schools where junior high school girls are (performing fellatio) in the hallways."
Panelists occasionally interrupted or argued with each other. And the audience was equally divided _ younger people repeatedly claimed that hip-hop's depiction of women accurately reflects the behavior of some females, while older folks insisted that rap's content negatively affects the behavior of both young men and women.
Program ended abruptlyThe program ran almost a half-hour long as panelists and audience members battled to articulate their opinions. It ended abruptly, with little solution-oriented discourse, leaving some frustrated and unsure about next steps.
"I really didn't think much was accomplished," complained Tanysha Chaffin, a youth specialist and caseworker. "It was an attack on hip-hop that didn't solve anything."
Others remained optimistic. "The campaign's goal is to open and further a dialogue on a sometimes unpopular topic," said panelist Solomon. "We observed tonight that this is an issue the community feels passionate about."
The panel was sponsored by Essence magazine and the Center for Communication, a nonpartisan forum designed to familiarize college students with the business of media. Inspired by the 2004 Spelman College protest of the "Tip Drill" video, Essence launched a yearlong "Take Back the Music" campaign in January, featuring articles in the magazine and town hall meetings around the country tackling stereotypes about black women perpetuated by hip-hop.
Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
March 19, 2005
Las Fallas, Valencia - March 19th
Las Fallas, Valencia
http://www.donquijote.org/culture/spain/fiestas/lasfallas.asp
Does the smell of gunpowder excite you? Does the sight of flames make you smile? Do you harbor pyrotechnic urges that are only socially acceptable on the Fourth of July? Well, Las Fallas de Valencia is your kind of event--a loud, smoky, rowdy fiesta where the whole town is literally set ablaze!
Las Fallas is undoubtedly one of the most unique and crazy festivals in Spain (a country known for unique and crazy festivals). What started as a feast day for St. Joseph, the patron saint of carpenters, has evolved into a 5-day, multifaceted celebration of fire. Valencia is usually a quiet city with a population of a half-million, but the town swells to an estimated three million flame-loving revelers during Las Fallas.
Las Fallas literally means "the fires" in Valencian. The focus of the fiesta is the creation and destruction of ninots--huge cardboard, wood and plaster statues--that are placed at over 350 key intersections and parks around the city today. The ninots are extremely lifelike and usually depict bawdy, satirical scenes and current events (lampooning corrupt politicians and Spanish celebrities is particularly popular). They are crafted by neighborhood organizations and take about six months to construct (and often cost upwards of US$75,000). Many ninots are several stories tall and need to be moved into position with cranes.
The ninots remain in place until March 19th, the day known as "La Crema." Starting in the early evening, young men with axes chop holes in the statues and stuff them with fireworks. The crowds start to chant, the streetlights are turned off, and all of the ninots are set on fire at exactly the stroke of midnight. Over the years, the local firemen, called "bomberos," have devised unique ways to protect the town's buildings from torching along with the ninots, such as by neatly covering storefronts with fireproof tarps. And each year, one of the ninots is spared from destruction by popular vote and exhibited in the local Museum of the Ninot along with the other favorites from years past.
Traveler and pyromaniac Janet Morton says, "The scene at Las Fallas is extremely cathartic and difficult to describe, but resembles a cross between a bawdy Disneyland, the Fourth of July and the end of the world!"
The origin of Las Fallas is a bit murky, but most credit the fires as an evolution of pagan rituals that celebrated the onset of spring and the planting season. In the sixteenth century, Valencia used streetlights only during the longer nights of winter. The street lamps were hung on wooden structures, called parots, and as the days became longer the now-unneeded parots were ceremoniously burned on St. Joseph's Day. Even today the fiesta has retained its satirical and working-class roots, and the well-to-do and faint-of-heart of Valencia often ditch out of town for Las Fallas.
Besides the burning of the ninots, there is a myriad of other activities during the fiesta. During the day, you can check out the extensive roster of bullfights, parades, paella contests and beauty pageants around the city. Spontaneous fireworks displays occur everywhere during the days leading up to "La Crema", but another highlight is the daily mascletá which occurs in the Plaza Anyuntamiento at exactly 2pm. When the huge pile of firecrackers is ignited, the ground literally shakes for the next ten minutes.
http://www.donquijote.org/culture/spain/fiestas/lasfallas.asp
Does the smell of gunpowder excite you? Does the sight of flames make you smile? Do you harbor pyrotechnic urges that are only socially acceptable on the Fourth of July? Well, Las Fallas de Valencia is your kind of event--a loud, smoky, rowdy fiesta where the whole town is literally set ablaze!
Las Fallas is undoubtedly one of the most unique and crazy festivals in Spain (a country known for unique and crazy festivals). What started as a feast day for St. Joseph, the patron saint of carpenters, has evolved into a 5-day, multifaceted celebration of fire. Valencia is usually a quiet city with a population of a half-million, but the town swells to an estimated three million flame-loving revelers during Las Fallas.
Las Fallas literally means "the fires" in Valencian. The focus of the fiesta is the creation and destruction of ninots--huge cardboard, wood and plaster statues--that are placed at over 350 key intersections and parks around the city today. The ninots are extremely lifelike and usually depict bawdy, satirical scenes and current events (lampooning corrupt politicians and Spanish celebrities is particularly popular). They are crafted by neighborhood organizations and take about six months to construct (and often cost upwards of US$75,000). Many ninots are several stories tall and need to be moved into position with cranes.
The ninots remain in place until March 19th, the day known as "La Crema." Starting in the early evening, young men with axes chop holes in the statues and stuff them with fireworks. The crowds start to chant, the streetlights are turned off, and all of the ninots are set on fire at exactly the stroke of midnight. Over the years, the local firemen, called "bomberos," have devised unique ways to protect the town's buildings from torching along with the ninots, such as by neatly covering storefronts with fireproof tarps. And each year, one of the ninots is spared from destruction by popular vote and exhibited in the local Museum of the Ninot along with the other favorites from years past.
Traveler and pyromaniac Janet Morton says, "The scene at Las Fallas is extremely cathartic and difficult to describe, but resembles a cross between a bawdy Disneyland, the Fourth of July and the end of the world!"
The origin of Las Fallas is a bit murky, but most credit the fires as an evolution of pagan rituals that celebrated the onset of spring and the planting season. In the sixteenth century, Valencia used streetlights only during the longer nights of winter. The street lamps were hung on wooden structures, called parots, and as the days became longer the now-unneeded parots were ceremoniously burned on St. Joseph's Day. Even today the fiesta has retained its satirical and working-class roots, and the well-to-do and faint-of-heart of Valencia often ditch out of town for Las Fallas.
Besides the burning of the ninots, there is a myriad of other activities during the fiesta. During the day, you can check out the extensive roster of bullfights, parades, paella contests and beauty pageants around the city. Spontaneous fireworks displays occur everywhere during the days leading up to "La Crema", but another highlight is the daily mascletá which occurs in the Plaza Anyuntamiento at exactly 2pm. When the huge pile of firecrackers is ignited, the ground literally shakes for the next ten minutes.
March 7, 2005
Spain's troop withdrawal affects U.S. study abroad programs
Spain's troop withdrawal affects U.S. study abroad programs
MISSION VIEJO, Calif. (AP) — Two community colleges have ended their study-abroad program in Spain, citing the country's troop withdrawal from Iraq.
Trustees of the South Orange County Community College District, comprising Irvine Valley College and Saddleback College, voted 5-2 last week to cancel the 14-year-old summer program.
"Spain has abandoned our fighting men and women, withdrawing their support," said trustee Tom Fuentes, a former head of the Republican Party in Orange County. "I see no reason to send students of our colleges to Spain at this moment in history."
Spain pulled its 1,300 troops after the Madrid train bombings that killed 191 people in March last year.
Fuentes said the bombing also raised concerns about student safety, although students were allowed to visit Spain three months after the bombings.
"Bringing this up now is strange," said trustee Marcia Milchiker, who voted to keep the program.
"I'm still in shock," said Professor Carmenmara Hernandez-Bravo, who runs the study abroad program. "I cannot believe a community college can put this much politics into academics."
MISSION VIEJO, Calif. (AP) — Two community colleges have ended their study-abroad program in Spain, citing the country's troop withdrawal from Iraq.
Trustees of the South Orange County Community College District, comprising Irvine Valley College and Saddleback College, voted 5-2 last week to cancel the 14-year-old summer program.
"Spain has abandoned our fighting men and women, withdrawing their support," said trustee Tom Fuentes, a former head of the Republican Party in Orange County. "I see no reason to send students of our colleges to Spain at this moment in history."
Spain pulled its 1,300 troops after the Madrid train bombings that killed 191 people in March last year.
Fuentes said the bombing also raised concerns about student safety, although students were allowed to visit Spain three months after the bombings.
"Bringing this up now is strange," said trustee Marcia Milchiker, who voted to keep the program.
"I'm still in shock," said Professor Carmenmara Hernandez-Bravo, who runs the study abroad program. "I cannot believe a community college can put this much politics into academics."
March 2, 2005
January/February 2005 Update
March 1, 2005
Dearest Friends, Family, and Rotarians,
As I turn my calendar to March 2005, I realize that it is a great time as ever to write to you about my January and February.
In summation of this time, I have had the time to relax and reflect about where I have been and where I am going. Burak and I are, most likely, moving to Durham, North Carolina in August 2005 for two years because Burak was accepted to Duke’s Fuqua School of Business MBA. Now that just means, ‘what I am going to do for two years?’ I have been exploring other career possibilities in case I don’t get into Duke or UNC Law. Additionally, I am organizing an Americans for Informed Democracy in Barcelona in June and a fundraiser for the Martinez Foundation later this spring. My second semester officially started two weeks ago, and I am settling into my new school schedule. For more details and photos, continue below, and check out my website at:
http://www.powersprep.com/rubypowers
The Full Update:
Early January was spent relaxing near Verviers, Belgium with my host family of my exchange year from four years ago. Burak and I celebrated Three Kings Day searching for the ceramic toy in the cake with the finder becoming the ‘king.’ I required much sleep to keep my French, Spanish, and English all in line. I was asked by a local bartender while out with my family, after learning I could speak all those languages, whether I wanted to be a translator. I really think it is funny how most people think the only thing you can do with speaking many languages is be a translator. I told him no, and he seemed a little disappointed.
Burak and I ate dinner with my first host family before we left Belgium. They presented us with a generous wedding gift. I was so surprised. I hadn’t expected anything at all. It struck me once more how I have come to know and care for such wonderful people all over the world and how they have grown to care for me.
Our last weekend in Belgium, we stayed with an old friend of mine I had met nearly 7 years to the day of our visit in San Antonio, Texas. He was a Rotary Exchange student from Belgium living in Gonzalez, Texas, but we had met in RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Award) when I was 16. We had kept in touch over the years when he was in Texas, I was in Belgium, and now when I lived in Spain. Hopefully, he and his fiancée will visit us in Barcelona.
The rest of January was comfortably uneventful unlike what you read about in my December update about December. I worked out to burn off the Belgian food and continued teaching my adult class and my little kids (4- and 5-year olds). I was adopted by the Rotary Club Barcelona Millennium to be their first Rotary Scholar ever and soon had a new Rotary counselor, Mark. Mark gives me rides to meetings and during the rides we get to catch up on the last week. He is a great counselor, and I am happy that I can create a relationship with my new club. I had switched clubs because the first one I was given was 50 km away from me. Attending the regular Monday meetings, I am quickly becoming a familiar face to the members.
In February, as the temperature continued to drop and my house continued not to have central heating, Burak got really sick. He had a mix between everything like cold, bronchitis, pneumonia, etc. We really weren’t sure what he had, but just kept pumping him up with medicine that I had to fight to get from a stubborn pharmacist (another story for those interested), freshly squeezed orange juice, and movies and meals in bed. He bounced back after a week and a half in bed with lots of sleep and my care. I took the role as doctor, nurse, wife, cleaning lady, cook, etc. I even found myself cooking steak for him, which slightly disgusted me as a vegetarian for 10.5 years. I just had to hold my breath as the blood oozed out of the meat. It gives me chills just thinking and writing about it.
Because Burak was sick, I was recruited to teach his high school ‘Study Skills’ class. I was slightly frightened when he asked me. I hadn’t walked into a Freshman HS class for more than 9 years, when I myself was one. I didn’t teach any material to his class, but just had to keep them under control as I held a study hall. The week before at the same international school, I had the last-minute chance to substitute for the kindergarten class. As the language of instruction is English, it wasn’t too hard to control them besides their age’s being a factor. The 5- and 6-year olds impressed me when they sang ‘Happy Birthday’ in English, Spanish, and Dutch for their Dutch classmate. Darn, these kids are sharp! I had fun being a kid again, and the school even paid me.
The second week of February was a vacation week at Burak’s school. He spent most of the week in bed, but we had plans for that weekend to spend it in Paris for Valentine’s Day weekend. At the very last minute, he decided that he could go with me despite his sickness. We stayed at an AIESEC Austin friend’s posh apartment where we slept on a better bed than ours and ate the wonderful French food. We even later learned he had cable TV and enjoyed all the luxuries that brings. Oh, yeah, we were in Paris, right? Well, we got to the top of the Eiffel Tower, took a 2-hour tour on a bus, and went out with friends almost every night. Other than that, we slept in, and Burak was still fighting off this sickness. I didn’t mind since it was my 4th time in Paris, but I had to run away from Burak for a couple of hours to see the Musee d’Orsay. I had never seen it before. In the end, it really didn’t impress me after seeing the Louvre (Paris), the Van Gogh Museum(Amsterdam), and the Prado(Madrid). Sorry if I offended anyone with that statement.
On one particular night in Paris, we accumulated most of our friends that we have met in different places in our lives, who all live in Paris now. The friend we were staying with whom we met in AIESEC in Austin, Luis, a fellow officer and friend from Rotex DC that I had attended an exchange student conference in PA the year before, Julianne, and a French friend from UT that I had taken down to my family’s ranch in Mexico to expose him to a new country, Ben. The next night, Emily, a French, former exchange student to El Paso who had lived with the same family Burak had lived with on exchange, visited where we were staying. It was really weird to all get together and know so many people living in the same European capital. That moment made me realize we surely live in an internationally connected world and getting together and staying in touch would not have been feasible without email and mobile phones.
Sometime in early February, I was approached to organize a conference for Americans for Informed Democracy (www.aidemocracy.org) in Barcelona. I was a group leader and speaker at an AID conference in Berlin in December and they were hoping to hold several similar mini-conferences in major European cities this spring. AID has very similar goals in line with my scholarship, including creating better world understanding, and that was the main reason I agreed to organize it.
With the organization’s seed money, I have booked a huge hostel that is actually a mansion in the hills of Barcelona. The conference will be held this June 3-5, 2005 for 50-70 Americans studying abroad to talk about international issues to help create better global understanding and return that knowledge back to the States. The theme of the conference will be ‘The New Worldwide Community: Globalization in the Postmodern age’ or something similar. I am currently securing speakers on a range of topics while AID will advertise the conference to study abroad Americans and filter through the applications.
I am really excited about the opportunity to use my organizational, people, and Spanish skills, and connections (Rotary, UAB, friends, etc.) to create a learning atmosphere that will help meet both Rotary and AID’s goals on many different levels. I am also thrilled to give people an excuse to come to Barcelona since it is such a great city. Furthermore, I am a Senior Political Analyst for the same organization; you can see my bio at:
http://www.aidemocracy.org/bios_directors.cfm#id_12
On a somber note, Burak’s father, Naci, died on February 17th, 2005. Burak knew that his father was in his last days and had secured tickets and leave from work for ten days in Turkey. My father-in-law was diagnosed with advanced lung cancer in November 2004. Burak had the opportunity to fly to Turkey to visit in December for a few days. He flew out the day of his dad’s passing away and was there for the funeral and his family. His mother will stay with her parents for a while before moving back to her beach house and possibly live with a cousin there. Burak’s sister, Burcu, has returned to Australia to continue her studies.
I want to say thank you to all for your kind notes, comments, and cards. Burak returned Sunday and appears to be at peace with all the events. I am so thankful we lived with his parents last summer (2004) for two months and that we live in Spain this year. We are only 3 hours from Istanbul, and Burak has visited his family 2 times since we left in August. I am grateful I shared many good moments with my father-in-law at my wedding and last summer.
I will remember my father-in-law as a very giving and funny teddy bear. I remember the moment he wore Burak’s cowboy hat while playing backgammon on the terrace of their beach house talking about how he was the best at the game while Burak was beating him. Or the time when he loved Missouri at first sight, place of my wedding, and just wanted to lie on a blanket under the stars because it reminded him of home, the small village where he grew up. Truly, my receiving this scholarship a year after I wanted it ended up being a good thing in the end for the chance to live in Turkey and the proximity of Spain to Turkey.
On a more positive note, I also held a Wine and Cheese Party in February. I had so much fun buying nuts, cheeses, bread, dried and fresh fruits, and linen-lined bread baskets that I couldn’t wait for the party to begin! I created a beautiful display of foods spiced with lit-candles for my guests to see when they walked through the front door. I took more pictures of the food than my guests (oops)! The majority of the guests were Spanish-speakers with only 4 non-Spanish at one time. It impressed me with how I had really gotten into the culture when my party’s guests and language was that of the country I was living in. The party also gave me an idea of a Rotary fundraiser that I could attempt to cater since I love to throw theme parties.
And now where am I going from here? I haven’t received law school application results except that of an acceptance to American University’s Washington College of Law and a rejection from Stanford Law. I am waiting for Duke's response. I am also considering UNC Chapel Hill, but I think I might just wait the 2 years (retake the LSAT and reapply for UT or Georgetown as my favorites).
If I don’t get into Duke, I plan to do real estate, teach, work for the government, work at an NGO, or something like along those lines. Do you know of anyone in those areas in or near North Carolina I could contact?
And to the subject of my studies at my university: As the first week of any semester is about searching out good classes, I also had to weed out the Catalan classes, because I only want Spanish-taught ones. I have come to a list of four, non-conflicting, interesting, Spanish-taught courses: International Relations of the Mediterranean, Spanish Foreign Policy, Panorama of Contemporaneous Asia, and Cultural Studies (this is a discussion class taught in English). I have one course on Mondays and Wednesday and then three back to back on Tuesday and Thursdays from the afternoon till the evening.
And to add a little Catalan/Spanish cultural observation: I joined a local, government-operated gym in November. “Government-operated” denotes that it is cheap enough for the average family, and, hence, there are a lot of members. Since January, I have been going more regularly and have made a few observations. I love going in the middle of the day when Spaniards are eating because there are very few people. If there are any, they are people of my grandparents’ ages and a few select weight-lifting fanatics there at that time, so I have free reign to my machines. Furthermore, a gym, to Catalans/Spaniards is a social club. You often see 3 or 4 of them huddled around one person occupying a machine pretending to work out while they are actually chatting. They will stay there and rotate the person pretending until you have lost your patience and figure it is not your day to use that machine. This is the main reason that I avoid the gym at all times except 2-5 p.m.
Note on language: Talking about Mexican Spanish (which is what I learned in Texas and Mexico), Saturday night at my party I said 'nieve' referring to ice cream. I was chuckled at by my Catalan/Spanish friends because that means 'snow' over here. Then I thought for a second. I remember learning that was the word for ice cream in Mexico. So, one morning when I couldn't sleep I realized I was right but the word 'nieve' is used for sherbet in Mexico. But, I think 'nieve' was used on the street for ice cream and sherbet like there was no difference( from what I remember). Funny how I have to keep relearning Spanish from the Mexican to the Spanish version.
Rotary Duties/Projects: With my four months (ouch, so little?) I have left in Spain, I plan to start a serious speaking program to Barcelona Rotary clubs and to complete a fundraiser for the Martinez Foundation, (www.martinezfoundation.org). Doctor Martinez is one of kind. She is a one-woman show that is probably the only one in the world who can help patients with a rare disease. Her patients fly into Barcelona from all over the world just to see her. She needs a research team, secured funds, and time to write and spread the word about her research. I am going to try to help her get money and recognition to help her continue her work.
And for this coming weekend, I am off to Rome to visit a friend and hopefully meet up with a Texan friend who will fly into Rome the same day. Next weekend, I will be running a “hostel” with 8 people staying with us over the course of the week (of course not all at the same time!).
In late March, Burak has Semana Santa (the Holy week before Easter) off from work, and we plan to travel possibly to Morocco and stay with friends in Seville for the festivities of Holy Week.
As I sit here with all the layers of clothing I possess, realizing I have lived in Spain for six months this week, I can’t tell you where the time went. Well, maybe I can if you read my updates, but seriously I am in shock that I am basically 2/3 over with my scholarship year. I am extremely grateful to Rotary for this opportunity, and I am already actively planning on applying for the Rotary World Peace Scholarship sometime down the road. That will give me a two-year scholarship to obtain a Masters probably in England or Australia. (Sounds okay, Burak? )
Hope all is well – Take care of yourself – and Keep in touch,
Ruby
Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar 2004-2005
Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
Dearest Friends, Family, and Rotarians,
As I turn my calendar to March 2005, I realize that it is a great time as ever to write to you about my January and February.
In summation of this time, I have had the time to relax and reflect about where I have been and where I am going. Burak and I are, most likely, moving to Durham, North Carolina in August 2005 for two years because Burak was accepted to Duke’s Fuqua School of Business MBA. Now that just means, ‘what I am going to do for two years?’ I have been exploring other career possibilities in case I don’t get into Duke or UNC Law. Additionally, I am organizing an Americans for Informed Democracy in Barcelona in June and a fundraiser for the Martinez Foundation later this spring. My second semester officially started two weeks ago, and I am settling into my new school schedule. For more details and photos, continue below, and check out my website at:
http://www.powersprep.com/rubypowers
The Full Update:
Early January was spent relaxing near Verviers, Belgium with my host family of my exchange year from four years ago. Burak and I celebrated Three Kings Day searching for the ceramic toy in the cake with the finder becoming the ‘king.’ I required much sleep to keep my French, Spanish, and English all in line. I was asked by a local bartender while out with my family, after learning I could speak all those languages, whether I wanted to be a translator. I really think it is funny how most people think the only thing you can do with speaking many languages is be a translator. I told him no, and he seemed a little disappointed.
Burak and I ate dinner with my first host family before we left Belgium. They presented us with a generous wedding gift. I was so surprised. I hadn’t expected anything at all. It struck me once more how I have come to know and care for such wonderful people all over the world and how they have grown to care for me.
Our last weekend in Belgium, we stayed with an old friend of mine I had met nearly 7 years to the day of our visit in San Antonio, Texas. He was a Rotary Exchange student from Belgium living in Gonzalez, Texas, but we had met in RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Award) when I was 16. We had kept in touch over the years when he was in Texas, I was in Belgium, and now when I lived in Spain. Hopefully, he and his fiancée will visit us in Barcelona.
The rest of January was comfortably uneventful unlike what you read about in my December update about December. I worked out to burn off the Belgian food and continued teaching my adult class and my little kids (4- and 5-year olds). I was adopted by the Rotary Club Barcelona Millennium to be their first Rotary Scholar ever and soon had a new Rotary counselor, Mark. Mark gives me rides to meetings and during the rides we get to catch up on the last week. He is a great counselor, and I am happy that I can create a relationship with my new club. I had switched clubs because the first one I was given was 50 km away from me. Attending the regular Monday meetings, I am quickly becoming a familiar face to the members.
In February, as the temperature continued to drop and my house continued not to have central heating, Burak got really sick. He had a mix between everything like cold, bronchitis, pneumonia, etc. We really weren’t sure what he had, but just kept pumping him up with medicine that I had to fight to get from a stubborn pharmacist (another story for those interested), freshly squeezed orange juice, and movies and meals in bed. He bounced back after a week and a half in bed with lots of sleep and my care. I took the role as doctor, nurse, wife, cleaning lady, cook, etc. I even found myself cooking steak for him, which slightly disgusted me as a vegetarian for 10.5 years. I just had to hold my breath as the blood oozed out of the meat. It gives me chills just thinking and writing about it.
Because Burak was sick, I was recruited to teach his high school ‘Study Skills’ class. I was slightly frightened when he asked me. I hadn’t walked into a Freshman HS class for more than 9 years, when I myself was one. I didn’t teach any material to his class, but just had to keep them under control as I held a study hall. The week before at the same international school, I had the last-minute chance to substitute for the kindergarten class. As the language of instruction is English, it wasn’t too hard to control them besides their age’s being a factor. The 5- and 6-year olds impressed me when they sang ‘Happy Birthday’ in English, Spanish, and Dutch for their Dutch classmate. Darn, these kids are sharp! I had fun being a kid again, and the school even paid me.
The second week of February was a vacation week at Burak’s school. He spent most of the week in bed, but we had plans for that weekend to spend it in Paris for Valentine’s Day weekend. At the very last minute, he decided that he could go with me despite his sickness. We stayed at an AIESEC Austin friend’s posh apartment where we slept on a better bed than ours and ate the wonderful French food. We even later learned he had cable TV and enjoyed all the luxuries that brings. Oh, yeah, we were in Paris, right? Well, we got to the top of the Eiffel Tower, took a 2-hour tour on a bus, and went out with friends almost every night. Other than that, we slept in, and Burak was still fighting off this sickness. I didn’t mind since it was my 4th time in Paris, but I had to run away from Burak for a couple of hours to see the Musee d’Orsay. I had never seen it before. In the end, it really didn’t impress me after seeing the Louvre (Paris), the Van Gogh Museum(Amsterdam), and the Prado(Madrid). Sorry if I offended anyone with that statement.
On one particular night in Paris, we accumulated most of our friends that we have met in different places in our lives, who all live in Paris now. The friend we were staying with whom we met in AIESEC in Austin, Luis, a fellow officer and friend from Rotex DC that I had attended an exchange student conference in PA the year before, Julianne, and a French friend from UT that I had taken down to my family’s ranch in Mexico to expose him to a new country, Ben. The next night, Emily, a French, former exchange student to El Paso who had lived with the same family Burak had lived with on exchange, visited where we were staying. It was really weird to all get together and know so many people living in the same European capital. That moment made me realize we surely live in an internationally connected world and getting together and staying in touch would not have been feasible without email and mobile phones.
Sometime in early February, I was approached to organize a conference for Americans for Informed Democracy (www.aidemocracy.org) in Barcelona. I was a group leader and speaker at an AID conference in Berlin in December and they were hoping to hold several similar mini-conferences in major European cities this spring. AID has very similar goals in line with my scholarship, including creating better world understanding, and that was the main reason I agreed to organize it.
With the organization’s seed money, I have booked a huge hostel that is actually a mansion in the hills of Barcelona. The conference will be held this June 3-5, 2005 for 50-70 Americans studying abroad to talk about international issues to help create better global understanding and return that knowledge back to the States. The theme of the conference will be ‘The New Worldwide Community: Globalization in the Postmodern age’ or something similar. I am currently securing speakers on a range of topics while AID will advertise the conference to study abroad Americans and filter through the applications.
I am really excited about the opportunity to use my organizational, people, and Spanish skills, and connections (Rotary, UAB, friends, etc.) to create a learning atmosphere that will help meet both Rotary and AID’s goals on many different levels. I am also thrilled to give people an excuse to come to Barcelona since it is such a great city. Furthermore, I am a Senior Political Analyst for the same organization; you can see my bio at:
http://www.aidemocracy.org/bios_directors.cfm#id_12
On a somber note, Burak’s father, Naci, died on February 17th, 2005. Burak knew that his father was in his last days and had secured tickets and leave from work for ten days in Turkey. My father-in-law was diagnosed with advanced lung cancer in November 2004. Burak had the opportunity to fly to Turkey to visit in December for a few days. He flew out the day of his dad’s passing away and was there for the funeral and his family. His mother will stay with her parents for a while before moving back to her beach house and possibly live with a cousin there. Burak’s sister, Burcu, has returned to Australia to continue her studies.
I want to say thank you to all for your kind notes, comments, and cards. Burak returned Sunday and appears to be at peace with all the events. I am so thankful we lived with his parents last summer (2004) for two months and that we live in Spain this year. We are only 3 hours from Istanbul, and Burak has visited his family 2 times since we left in August. I am grateful I shared many good moments with my father-in-law at my wedding and last summer.
I will remember my father-in-law as a very giving and funny teddy bear. I remember the moment he wore Burak’s cowboy hat while playing backgammon on the terrace of their beach house talking about how he was the best at the game while Burak was beating him. Or the time when he loved Missouri at first sight, place of my wedding, and just wanted to lie on a blanket under the stars because it reminded him of home, the small village where he grew up. Truly, my receiving this scholarship a year after I wanted it ended up being a good thing in the end for the chance to live in Turkey and the proximity of Spain to Turkey.
On a more positive note, I also held a Wine and Cheese Party in February. I had so much fun buying nuts, cheeses, bread, dried and fresh fruits, and linen-lined bread baskets that I couldn’t wait for the party to begin! I created a beautiful display of foods spiced with lit-candles for my guests to see when they walked through the front door. I took more pictures of the food than my guests (oops)! The majority of the guests were Spanish-speakers with only 4 non-Spanish at one time. It impressed me with how I had really gotten into the culture when my party’s guests and language was that of the country I was living in. The party also gave me an idea of a Rotary fundraiser that I could attempt to cater since I love to throw theme parties.
And now where am I going from here? I haven’t received law school application results except that of an acceptance to American University’s Washington College of Law and a rejection from Stanford Law. I am waiting for Duke's response. I am also considering UNC Chapel Hill, but I think I might just wait the 2 years (retake the LSAT and reapply for UT or Georgetown as my favorites).
If I don’t get into Duke, I plan to do real estate, teach, work for the government, work at an NGO, or something like along those lines. Do you know of anyone in those areas in or near North Carolina I could contact?
And to the subject of my studies at my university: As the first week of any semester is about searching out good classes, I also had to weed out the Catalan classes, because I only want Spanish-taught ones. I have come to a list of four, non-conflicting, interesting, Spanish-taught courses: International Relations of the Mediterranean, Spanish Foreign Policy, Panorama of Contemporaneous Asia, and Cultural Studies (this is a discussion class taught in English). I have one course on Mondays and Wednesday and then three back to back on Tuesday and Thursdays from the afternoon till the evening.
And to add a little Catalan/Spanish cultural observation: I joined a local, government-operated gym in November. “Government-operated” denotes that it is cheap enough for the average family, and, hence, there are a lot of members. Since January, I have been going more regularly and have made a few observations. I love going in the middle of the day when Spaniards are eating because there are very few people. If there are any, they are people of my grandparents’ ages and a few select weight-lifting fanatics there at that time, so I have free reign to my machines. Furthermore, a gym, to Catalans/Spaniards is a social club. You often see 3 or 4 of them huddled around one person occupying a machine pretending to work out while they are actually chatting. They will stay there and rotate the person pretending until you have lost your patience and figure it is not your day to use that machine. This is the main reason that I avoid the gym at all times except 2-5 p.m.
Note on language: Talking about Mexican Spanish (which is what I learned in Texas and Mexico), Saturday night at my party I said 'nieve' referring to ice cream. I was chuckled at by my Catalan/Spanish friends because that means 'snow' over here. Then I thought for a second. I remember learning that was the word for ice cream in Mexico. So, one morning when I couldn't sleep I realized I was right but the word 'nieve' is used for sherbet in Mexico. But, I think 'nieve' was used on the street for ice cream and sherbet like there was no difference( from what I remember). Funny how I have to keep relearning Spanish from the Mexican to the Spanish version.
Rotary Duties/Projects: With my four months (ouch, so little?) I have left in Spain, I plan to start a serious speaking program to Barcelona Rotary clubs and to complete a fundraiser for the Martinez Foundation, (www.martinezfoundation.org). Doctor Martinez is one of kind. She is a one-woman show that is probably the only one in the world who can help patients with a rare disease. Her patients fly into Barcelona from all over the world just to see her. She needs a research team, secured funds, and time to write and spread the word about her research. I am going to try to help her get money and recognition to help her continue her work.
And for this coming weekend, I am off to Rome to visit a friend and hopefully meet up with a Texan friend who will fly into Rome the same day. Next weekend, I will be running a “hostel” with 8 people staying with us over the course of the week (of course not all at the same time!).
In late March, Burak has Semana Santa (the Holy week before Easter) off from work, and we plan to travel possibly to Morocco and stay with friends in Seville for the festivities of Holy Week.
As I sit here with all the layers of clothing I possess, realizing I have lived in Spain for six months this week, I can’t tell you where the time went. Well, maybe I can if you read my updates, but seriously I am in shock that I am basically 2/3 over with my scholarship year. I am extremely grateful to Rotary for this opportunity, and I am already actively planning on applying for the Rotary World Peace Scholarship sometime down the road. That will give me a two-year scholarship to obtain a Masters probably in England or Australia. (Sounds okay, Burak? )
Hope all is well – Take care of yourself – and Keep in touch,
Ruby
Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar 2004-2005
Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
February 28, 2005
Imagine: 500 Miles Per Gallon
Imagine: 500 Miles Per Gallon
There have been many calls for programs to fund research. Beneath the din lies a little-noticed reality—the solution is already with us
By Fareed Zakaria
Newsweek
March 7 issue - The most important statement made last week came not from Vladimir Putin or George W. Bush but from Ali Naimi, Saudi Arabia's shrewd oil minister. Naimi predicted that crude prices would stay between $40 and $50 throughout 2005. For the last two years OPEC's official target price has been $25. Naimi's statement signals that Saudi Arabia now believes that current high prices are not a momentary thing. An Asian oil-industry executive told me that he expects oil to hit $75 this decade.
We are actually very close to a solution to the petroleum problem. Tomorrow, President Bush could make the following speech: "We are all concerned that the industrialized world, and increasingly the developing world, draw too much of their energy from one product, petroleum, which comes disproportionately from one volatile region, the Middle East. This dependence has significant political and environmental dangers for all of us. But there is now a solution, one that the United States will pursue actively.
It is now possible to build cars that are powered by a combination of electricity and alcohol-based fuels, with petroleum as only one element among many. My administration is going to put in place a series of policies that will ensure that in four years, the average new American car will get 300 miles per gallon of petroleum. And I fully expect in this period to see cars in the United States that get 500 miles per gallon. This revolution in energy use will reduce dramatically our dependence on foreign oil and achieve pathbreaking reductions in carbon-dioxide emissions, far below the targets mentioned in the Kyoto accords."
Ever since September 11, 2001, there have been many calls for Manhattan Projects and Marshall Plans for research on energy efficiency and alternate fuels. Beneath the din lies a little-noticed reality—the solution is already with us. Over the last five years, technology has matured in various fields, most importantly in semiconductors, to make possible cars that are as convenient and cheap as current ones, except that they run on a combination of electricity and fuel. Hybrid technology is the answer to the petroleum problem.
You can already buy a hybrid car that runs on a battery and petroleum. The next step is "plug-in" hybrids, with powerful batteries that are recharged at night like laptops, cell phones and iPods. Ford, Honda and Toyota already make simple hybrids. Daimler Chrysler is introducing a plug-in version soon. In many states in the American Middle West you can buy a car that can use any petroleum, or ethanol, or methanol—in any combination. Ford, for example, makes a number of its models with "flexible-fuel tanks." (Forty percent of Brazil's new cars have flexible-fuel tanks.) Put all this technology together and you get the car of the future, a plug-in hybrid with a flexible-fuel tank.
Here's the math (thanks to Gal Luft, a tireless—and independent—advocate of energy security). The current crop of hybrid cars get around 50 miles per gallon. Make it a plug-in and you can get 75 miles. Replace the conventional fuel tank with a flexible-fuel tank that can run on a combination of 15 percent petroleum and 85 percent ethanol or methanol, and you get between 400 and 500 miles per gallon of gasoline. (You don't get 500 miles per gallon of fuel, but the crucial task is to lessen the use of petroleum. And ethanol and methanol are much cheaper than gasoline, so fuel costs would drop dramatically.)
Here's the math (thanks to Gal Luft, a tireless—and independent—advocate of energy security). The current crop of hybrid cars get around 50 miles per gallon. Make it a plug-in and you can get 75 miles. Replace the conventional fuel tank with a flexible-fuel tank that can run on a combination of 15 percent petroleum and 85 percent ethanol or methanol, and you get between 400 and 500 miles per gallon of gasoline. (You don't get 500 miles per gallon of fuel, but the crucial task is to lessen the use of petroleum. And ethanol and methanol are much cheaper than gasoline, so fuel costs would drop dramatically.)
If things are already moving, why does the government need to do anything? Because this is not a pure free market. Large companies—in the oil and automotive industry—have vested interests in not changing much. There are transition costs—gas stations will need to be fitted to pump methanol and ethanol (at a cost of $20,000 to $60,000 per station). New technologies will empower new industries, few of which have lobbies in Washington.
Besides, the idea that the government should have nothing to do with this problem is bizarre. It was military funding and spending that produced much of the technology that makes hybrids possible. (The military is actually leading the hybrid trend. All new naval surface ships are now electric-powered, as are big diesel locomotives and mining trucks.) And the West's reliance on foreign oil is not cost-free. Luft estimates that a government plan that could accelerate the move to a hybrid transport system would cost $12 billion dollars. That is what we spend in Iraq in about three months.
Smart government intervention would include a combination of targeted mandates, incentives and spending. And it does not have to all happen at the federal level. New York City, for example, could require that all its new taxis be hybrids with flexible-fuel tanks. Now that's a Manhattan Project for the 21st century.
There have been many calls for programs to fund research. Beneath the din lies a little-noticed reality—the solution is already with us
By Fareed Zakaria
Newsweek
March 7 issue - The most important statement made last week came not from Vladimir Putin or George W. Bush but from Ali Naimi, Saudi Arabia's shrewd oil minister. Naimi predicted that crude prices would stay between $40 and $50 throughout 2005. For the last two years OPEC's official target price has been $25. Naimi's statement signals that Saudi Arabia now believes that current high prices are not a momentary thing. An Asian oil-industry executive told me that he expects oil to hit $75 this decade.
We are actually very close to a solution to the petroleum problem. Tomorrow, President Bush could make the following speech: "We are all concerned that the industrialized world, and increasingly the developing world, draw too much of their energy from one product, petroleum, which comes disproportionately from one volatile region, the Middle East. This dependence has significant political and environmental dangers for all of us. But there is now a solution, one that the United States will pursue actively.
It is now possible to build cars that are powered by a combination of electricity and alcohol-based fuels, with petroleum as only one element among many. My administration is going to put in place a series of policies that will ensure that in four years, the average new American car will get 300 miles per gallon of petroleum. And I fully expect in this period to see cars in the United States that get 500 miles per gallon. This revolution in energy use will reduce dramatically our dependence on foreign oil and achieve pathbreaking reductions in carbon-dioxide emissions, far below the targets mentioned in the Kyoto accords."
Ever since September 11, 2001, there have been many calls for Manhattan Projects and Marshall Plans for research on energy efficiency and alternate fuels. Beneath the din lies a little-noticed reality—the solution is already with us. Over the last five years, technology has matured in various fields, most importantly in semiconductors, to make possible cars that are as convenient and cheap as current ones, except that they run on a combination of electricity and fuel. Hybrid technology is the answer to the petroleum problem.
You can already buy a hybrid car that runs on a battery and petroleum. The next step is "plug-in" hybrids, with powerful batteries that are recharged at night like laptops, cell phones and iPods. Ford, Honda and Toyota already make simple hybrids. Daimler Chrysler is introducing a plug-in version soon. In many states in the American Middle West you can buy a car that can use any petroleum, or ethanol, or methanol—in any combination. Ford, for example, makes a number of its models with "flexible-fuel tanks." (Forty percent of Brazil's new cars have flexible-fuel tanks.) Put all this technology together and you get the car of the future, a plug-in hybrid with a flexible-fuel tank.
Here's the math (thanks to Gal Luft, a tireless—and independent—advocate of energy security). The current crop of hybrid cars get around 50 miles per gallon. Make it a plug-in and you can get 75 miles. Replace the conventional fuel tank with a flexible-fuel tank that can run on a combination of 15 percent petroleum and 85 percent ethanol or methanol, and you get between 400 and 500 miles per gallon of gasoline. (You don't get 500 miles per gallon of fuel, but the crucial task is to lessen the use of petroleum. And ethanol and methanol are much cheaper than gasoline, so fuel costs would drop dramatically.)
Here's the math (thanks to Gal Luft, a tireless—and independent—advocate of energy security). The current crop of hybrid cars get around 50 miles per gallon. Make it a plug-in and you can get 75 miles. Replace the conventional fuel tank with a flexible-fuel tank that can run on a combination of 15 percent petroleum and 85 percent ethanol or methanol, and you get between 400 and 500 miles per gallon of gasoline. (You don't get 500 miles per gallon of fuel, but the crucial task is to lessen the use of petroleum. And ethanol and methanol are much cheaper than gasoline, so fuel costs would drop dramatically.)
If things are already moving, why does the government need to do anything? Because this is not a pure free market. Large companies—in the oil and automotive industry—have vested interests in not changing much. There are transition costs—gas stations will need to be fitted to pump methanol and ethanol (at a cost of $20,000 to $60,000 per station). New technologies will empower new industries, few of which have lobbies in Washington.
Besides, the idea that the government should have nothing to do with this problem is bizarre. It was military funding and spending that produced much of the technology that makes hybrids possible. (The military is actually leading the hybrid trend. All new naval surface ships are now electric-powered, as are big diesel locomotives and mining trucks.) And the West's reliance on foreign oil is not cost-free. Luft estimates that a government plan that could accelerate the move to a hybrid transport system would cost $12 billion dollars. That is what we spend in Iraq in about three months.
Smart government intervention would include a combination of targeted mandates, incentives and spending. And it does not have to all happen at the federal level. New York City, for example, could require that all its new taxis be hybrids with flexible-fuel tanks. Now that's a Manhattan Project for the 21st century.
February 27, 2005
Non-native English-speakers now outnumber native ones 3 to 1.
Not the Queen's English
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Avocados and Ice Cream - Mexican Spanish
Because I woke up at 730am and can't sleep, I want to share the history behind the word aguacates straight from a Mexican website.
http://www.mexicodesconocido.com.mx/espanol/cultura_y_sociedad/fiestas_y_tradiciones/detalle.cfm?idcat=3&idsec=15&idsub=67&idpag=3083
AGUACATE-AHUÁCATLSu traducción etimológica es “árbol de los testículos”, en clara alusión a la forma de estos frutos. De ahuácatl, “testículo”, y cuáhuitl, “árbol”.
So if we got them from Mexico, then how come it is translated into avocat(French) and avocado(English,German, Italian)? That just shows how words can be completed mutilated from language to language, etc.
Anyway talking about Mexican Spanish, last night at my party I said 'nieve' referring to ice cream. I was chuckled at by my Catalan/Spanish friends because that means 'snow' over here. Then I thought for a second. I remember learning that was the word for ice cream in Mexico. So, this morning when I couldn't sleep I realized I was right but the word 'nieve' is used for sherbert in Mexico. But, I think 'nieve' was used on the street for ice cream and sherbert like there was no difference( from what I remember).
So, now I will to continue to check out the website. Funny how I have to keep relearning Spanish from the Mexican to the Spanish version.
http://www.mexicodesconocido.com.mx/espanol/cultura_y_sociedad/fiestas_y_tradiciones/detalle.cfm?idcat=3&idsec=15&idsub=67&idpag=3083
AGUACATE-AHUÁCATLSu traducción etimológica es “árbol de los testículos”, en clara alusión a la forma de estos frutos. De ahuácatl, “testículo”, y cuáhuitl, “árbol”.
So if we got them from Mexico, then how come it is translated into avocat(French) and avocado(English,German, Italian)? That just shows how words can be completed mutilated from language to language, etc.
Anyway talking about Mexican Spanish, last night at my party I said 'nieve' referring to ice cream. I was chuckled at by my Catalan/Spanish friends because that means 'snow' over here. Then I thought for a second. I remember learning that was the word for ice cream in Mexico. So, this morning when I couldn't sleep I realized I was right but the word 'nieve' is used for sherbert in Mexico. But, I think 'nieve' was used on the street for ice cream and sherbert like there was no difference( from what I remember).
So, now I will to continue to check out the website. Funny how I have to keep relearning Spanish from the Mexican to the Spanish version.
February 20, 2005
Baby stable after second head removed
Updated: 6:25 a.m. ET Feb. 20, 2005
Nasif Hifnawy, head of pediatrics at Benha Children’s Hospital, told Reuters that 10-month-old Manar Maged could move all four limbs and showed no signs of paralysis.
“Manar is now breathing normally and has a normal heartbeat and blood pressure,” he added. The baby remains in intensive care at the hospital, 25 miles north of Cairo, and doctors expect her to stay there for at least seven days.
Manar was born with a rare condition known as craniopagus parasiticus, which occurs when an embryo begins to split into identical twins but fails to complete the process. One of the conjoined twins fails to develop fully in the womb.
As in the case of a girl who died after similar surgery in the Dominican Republic a year ago, the second twin had developed no body. The head that was removed from Manar had been capable of smiling and blinking but not independent life, doctors said.
The 13-strong surgical team separated Manar’s brain from the conjoined organ in small stages on Saturday, cutting off the blood supply to the extra head while preventing increased blood flow to Manar’s heart, which would have risked cardiac arrest.
Benha was chosen for its equipment and proximity to the girl’s family.
Last February, seven-week-old Rebeca Martinez died in the Dominican Republic after surgery to remove a second head.
For a picture:http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6998205/
Nasif Hifnawy, head of pediatrics at Benha Children’s Hospital, told Reuters that 10-month-old Manar Maged could move all four limbs and showed no signs of paralysis.
“Manar is now breathing normally and has a normal heartbeat and blood pressure,” he added. The baby remains in intensive care at the hospital, 25 miles north of Cairo, and doctors expect her to stay there for at least seven days.
Manar was born with a rare condition known as craniopagus parasiticus, which occurs when an embryo begins to split into identical twins but fails to complete the process. One of the conjoined twins fails to develop fully in the womb.
As in the case of a girl who died after similar surgery in the Dominican Republic a year ago, the second twin had developed no body. The head that was removed from Manar had been capable of smiling and blinking but not independent life, doctors said.
The 13-strong surgical team separated Manar’s brain from the conjoined organ in small stages on Saturday, cutting off the blood supply to the extra head while preventing increased blood flow to Manar’s heart, which would have risked cardiac arrest.
Benha was chosen for its equipment and proximity to the girl’s family.
Last February, seven-week-old Rebeca Martinez died in the Dominican Republic after surgery to remove a second head.
For a picture:http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6998205/
February 12, 2005
February 10-14 in Paris, France
Ok my dear friends, I have been a bit lazy and haven't written an update. I will upload my new website soon. I just learned I can't upload it from my home connection and need to go to an internet cafe.
So, we flew to Paris on Thursday with Ryanair. First of all, if all American airlines ran like Ryanair, maybe they wouldn't be bankrupt! But that is another story.
The only problem with Ryanair, yes we bought two round trip tickets for only 73 euros, but we had to buy two roundtrip bus tickets to the airport from Barcelona to Girona and two round trip bus tickets from the Beaveau (sp) airport to Paris. That adds up to 4 hours of travel time plus about 1.5 hours of waiting which equals 5.5 hours to get from my apartment to Paris and it costs about 170 euros. Which is American dollars is probably about 200$. I guess that isnt too bad if you have the time.
Burak has been sick so I forced him to come. He is getting better. We are staying the weekend with a friend from AIESEC in Austin, Luis, who happens to be working in Paris right now. He has an awesome place with a great bed so we just stayed at his place the first day. He was in Madrid and didn't arrive until the next day.
While Burak slept, I took the liberty to check out the grocery store. Those are so much fun to find out about the people and culture. I was in heaven when I saw 2-3 aisles of cheese!! I love cheese. So I started looking into sampling a lot of different ones. The other thing I realized, this place is more expensive that Barcelona. The vegetables and all were more. So, I decided to limit my cheese expenditures.
I also saw that the wine selection was various but it was more expensive than Spain. In Spain, Burak andI have found a nice wine for only 1.09 euros. Here in Paris, I was scared to buy something to cheap. I bought something for 3-4 euros and I could tell it wasnt very good. So even though they have good wine here, it isnt as cheap as Spain's selection.
I also noticed these people seem to be really healthy. A lot of the food choices told you what else to eat to have a complete meal. I bought a pizza for Burak and it said that he should eat a salad and something else to make it a complete meal.
I also found a store called Ed, it is actually called Dia in Spain. I also noticed it had a different name in Portugal but it was the same chain. How funny. It is the cheapest grocery store you will find in Europe. It is the same type as Aldi and Lidl. Anyway, I had fun looking in there too. I bought a flan tart because it looked so good. I am going to gain weight here. The food is so darn good!
Friday, we woke up late. We went to the top of the Eiffel Tower. I was eating an apple and afterwards Burak wanted to throw it off from the top. So he did. It took a long time to get to the bottom. Luckily, it fell on a tree or something and not a person.
At 5pm, I had an interview for a job. It is for a travel company in PA that is looking for someone to travel to vacation properties and report to the company about them. They are looking to opening up their options for their loyal customers and their business and need someone to travel and report between February and May. They would pay for food, lodging, travel, and 10-12$ an hour. Their profits go to good causes so it also makes the job sound inticing. I had to speak in French for 3 minutes and Spanish for 3 minutes to prove I could communicate in those languages since I say I can. I felt very comfortable in both. I was luckily I lived in Belgium for the holidays and most of my French had come back to me recently. Also, I was in Paris during the interview and I was having to speak French occasionally on our trip.
It sounds like I might get the job. It is such a great opportunity. They need someone to go to Italy, Greek Islands, Malta, Turkey, and other places in Western Europe.
Today is Saturday and it is 2.21pm and Burak is still sleeping. We hope to get to the Louvre today and see the Mona Lisa. It will be my 3rd time and Burak's first time. Also, we plan to meet up with an Austin friend, Ben, and his gfriend tonight and also a DC Rotex friend who is on exchange this semester in Paris.
Tomorrow, Sunday, we plan to go to Versailles just outside of Paris. In the evening, we plan to hang out with Emily, a former exchange student to El Paso from France, who lived with the Powers, Burak's host family, for a while. She actually stayed with us in Austin a few years ago too.
So, we have lots to see and about 4 friends to visit here. It makes me feel special to know so many people here.
I am off to wake up Burakus Maximus and persuade him to go to an art musuem. Wish me luck!
Take care my friends and family and other people who like to read my blog...
ciao, rubes :)
So, we flew to Paris on Thursday with Ryanair. First of all, if all American airlines ran like Ryanair, maybe they wouldn't be bankrupt! But that is another story.
The only problem with Ryanair, yes we bought two round trip tickets for only 73 euros, but we had to buy two roundtrip bus tickets to the airport from Barcelona to Girona and two round trip bus tickets from the Beaveau (sp) airport to Paris. That adds up to 4 hours of travel time plus about 1.5 hours of waiting which equals 5.5 hours to get from my apartment to Paris and it costs about 170 euros. Which is American dollars is probably about 200$. I guess that isnt too bad if you have the time.
Burak has been sick so I forced him to come. He is getting better. We are staying the weekend with a friend from AIESEC in Austin, Luis, who happens to be working in Paris right now. He has an awesome place with a great bed so we just stayed at his place the first day. He was in Madrid and didn't arrive until the next day.
While Burak slept, I took the liberty to check out the grocery store. Those are so much fun to find out about the people and culture. I was in heaven when I saw 2-3 aisles of cheese!! I love cheese. So I started looking into sampling a lot of different ones. The other thing I realized, this place is more expensive that Barcelona. The vegetables and all were more. So, I decided to limit my cheese expenditures.
I also saw that the wine selection was various but it was more expensive than Spain. In Spain, Burak andI have found a nice wine for only 1.09 euros. Here in Paris, I was scared to buy something to cheap. I bought something for 3-4 euros and I could tell it wasnt very good. So even though they have good wine here, it isnt as cheap as Spain's selection.
I also noticed these people seem to be really healthy. A lot of the food choices told you what else to eat to have a complete meal. I bought a pizza for Burak and it said that he should eat a salad and something else to make it a complete meal.
I also found a store called Ed, it is actually called Dia in Spain. I also noticed it had a different name in Portugal but it was the same chain. How funny. It is the cheapest grocery store you will find in Europe. It is the same type as Aldi and Lidl. Anyway, I had fun looking in there too. I bought a flan tart because it looked so good. I am going to gain weight here. The food is so darn good!
Friday, we woke up late. We went to the top of the Eiffel Tower. I was eating an apple and afterwards Burak wanted to throw it off from the top. So he did. It took a long time to get to the bottom. Luckily, it fell on a tree or something and not a person.
At 5pm, I had an interview for a job. It is for a travel company in PA that is looking for someone to travel to vacation properties and report to the company about them. They are looking to opening up their options for their loyal customers and their business and need someone to travel and report between February and May. They would pay for food, lodging, travel, and 10-12$ an hour. Their profits go to good causes so it also makes the job sound inticing. I had to speak in French for 3 minutes and Spanish for 3 minutes to prove I could communicate in those languages since I say I can. I felt very comfortable in both. I was luckily I lived in Belgium for the holidays and most of my French had come back to me recently. Also, I was in Paris during the interview and I was having to speak French occasionally on our trip.
It sounds like I might get the job. It is such a great opportunity. They need someone to go to Italy, Greek Islands, Malta, Turkey, and other places in Western Europe.
Today is Saturday and it is 2.21pm and Burak is still sleeping. We hope to get to the Louvre today and see the Mona Lisa. It will be my 3rd time and Burak's first time. Also, we plan to meet up with an Austin friend, Ben, and his gfriend tonight and also a DC Rotex friend who is on exchange this semester in Paris.
Tomorrow, Sunday, we plan to go to Versailles just outside of Paris. In the evening, we plan to hang out with Emily, a former exchange student to El Paso from France, who lived with the Powers, Burak's host family, for a while. She actually stayed with us in Austin a few years ago too.
So, we have lots to see and about 4 friends to visit here. It makes me feel special to know so many people here.
I am off to wake up Burakus Maximus and persuade him to go to an art musuem. Wish me luck!
Take care my friends and family and other people who like to read my blog...
ciao, rubes :)
January 2, 2005
ETA bombings, Belgian Christmas, Amsterdam New Years
Happy New Years! I am here sitting in my second Belgian host family’s house (I am a former Rotary exchange student in 99-00) in a small village on the east side of Belgium reviewing this last month’s events as well as reflecting on this last year.
Before I forget, I just want to say I love living in Spain. I can’t believe Burak and I left the US 6 months ago. It has truly passed by quickly. I am only homesick for episodes of Law and Order and of courses, friends and family, but I have email and phone calls to take care of the latter. I find it amazing Burak is more homesick for the US than I am. I think that Spain is a nice mix between Belgium (Western Europe), Mexico (Former Spanish colony), and Turkey (Mediterranean country with Islamic influence). Having lived in all those three countries, Spain is a piece of cake.
My ideal job, in life, would be to travel and write about my experiences and life all over the world. What I do now, travel, speak; and write; is definitely high on my ‘What I want to do with my life’ list.
I sent my last update the last weekend of November. At that time, I raved about how Burak and I lived in a great apartment with people from all over Europe and it resembled working at the UN. As irony would have it, the same day I sent that email, one of our flat mates yelled at us for believing we didn’t do our part in cleaning the place. Of course this was not the case and we were offended that she thought yelling was acceptable. This flat mate had changed the atmosphere of the flat with a negative cloud hovering over the living place ever since she arrived and so it didn’t take long before we decided to move to a new place.
For one week, I didn’t know where I was going to live after the 22nd of December(when we planned to fly to Belgium for the holidays). I searched all over and before my trip to Berlin and Krakow, we paid a down payment for a new larger, and more conveniently located apartment.
On December 2nd I presented a group project in the morning at school and that afternoon I was on a bus to Madrid. I stayed with a scholar that lived outside of Madrid and the next day we went into town for my Northwestern Law interview with an alumnus. That very afternoon ETA bombed about five gas stations and I didn’t learn about it until I checked the American news websites before leaving Madrid for Barcelona. Luckily, my friends and I wondered around Madrid that day not knowing about it until after the fact.
On December 6th, the most parts of the country celebrated Constitution Day. Catalonia didn’t celebrate and the Basque region celebrated with ETA bombing select streets and plazas named after Spain to protest the day. I learned that there could well be a pact between ETA and Catalonia and that is why there have been no bombings in Catalonia. Therefore, we are safe in Barcelona.
On December 7th, Burak flew to Turkey to visit his family for a week. His dad was recently diagnosed with lung cancer and it is very far advanced. He took our two cameras to help document his time with his family. It served as a good time for him to realize what was happening with his father’s health and to come to peace with it.
On December 8th, I flew with another scholar (that lives in Seville) to Berlin. We were group leaders at a conference for Americans living and studying abroad. The goal of the organization is for Americans with abroad experience to return and keep a dialogue of world events and concerns alive on college campuses and in the public. It has many of the same goals that my Rotary Ambassadorial scholarship aims to achieve.
I met many Americans all over Europe and learned of new ways to pay for my living and studying abroad with other scholarships and grants. I spoke at the conference about the Rotary scholarships to an interested audience. I used my free time to visit the Reichstag, Brandenburg Gate, Christmas markets, and the Checkpoint Charlie Museum. Many people thought I was a native German and it was fun blending in and not being assumed a tourist. It was my second time ever in Berlin, so I decided to fly to a nearby country while I had the chance.
On December 13th, I flew into Krakow, Poland from Berlin. I had contacted a scholar living there to visit him and his family. I had 24 hours in Poland and it got dark at 4:10pm in Krakow, so I had to run through the sites before it got dark. I went to the Castle on the hill, the Cloth Hall, a Christmas market, several churches, and saw the university where the current Pope attended. I enjoyed visiting with the scholar’s family which included his wife and two young sons.
The next day I ran to the airport for my flight back to Berlin. I was all set to go with just a few minutes before going through security and then I read the monitor. It said my flight was CANCELLED. I panicked. I had no Polish money left, I had a flight from Berlin the next morning to Barcelona, I had classes to teach the next night, I didn’t speak the language, and I didn’t know if I could still use my phone to call anyone. Luckily, since it was the same company I had a flight with the next day, it was all changed for free and I was able to stay with the same family that extra night. I enjoyed my next day but really wanted to get home after having been away for more than a week.
I finally got to Berlin and then back to Barcelona on the 16th. I was so happy to be back and the weather was so warm compared to Berlin and Krakow, I really thought it was summer! Also, the sun stayed out longer in Barcelona and it just was a whole new world between the different places.
That very same day, Burak learned that Duke’s business school accepted him for Fall 2005 entry. We are still waiting for his other three business school applications and my 8 law school applications. Lord willing, we might be in North Carolina next fall.
On the 17th, I moved all our things to the new place with little help because Burak had to work during the day. Our new landlord let us use his car to move our things. Burak and I took several trips by foot on 15 minutes walks with 3-4 suitcases and finally one full car load to move everything. I really don’t know how we accumulated so much. That evening I had to teach. I was exhausted.
On the 18th, we held a Christmas Party with a gift exchange with about 20 people at our new apartment. When the first few guests arrived I was still in my sweat pants and had no makeup on. I figured I could use the excuse ‘I just moved and have been out of the country for a week.’ My French exchange partner was just amazed at all that I can pull off.
On the 21st, I met with Dr. Martinez regarding her foundation that helps treat those with the Zellweger syndrome. Her clinic is basically the only one in the world that has been successful in treating this rare syndrome. My fellow scholar in Barcelona and I plan to organize a fundraising event for her clinic this spring.
On the 22nd, we left for Brussels. We arrived at my family’s village later that afternoon. It was wonderful to see my family after 4 years since my last visit. It was amazing how clear my memories of the town and all the nearby villages were. My French came back but it was weak. I was grateful that I have been speaking Spanish this last 4 months but otherwise I still have work to do.
The very next day, I spoke to my old club during my exchange year, Rotary Club Verviers-Vesdre. It was wonderful seeing my dear Rotarians again after all those years. They loved my speech and I took lots of photos of them. Some said they couldn’t recognize me and others said they recognized me right away. My former Rotary counselor took Burak and I to Spa (a city in Belgium) for a dessert called baba au rhum (our tradition) and then took us out to dinner with his wife.
We spent Christmas Eve at my host mom’s parent’s house with 23 other family members. Many remembered me and we had a great night with French, German, English, Spanish, Italian, Wallon, and Portuguese being spoken around the table.
We had our gift exchange on the 26th with all my host parents’ 4 kids and their partners and their kids. I marveled at how Burak and I are not blood related in anyway to this Belgian family, but they have opened their home during this special holiday time to us. It would have been really lonely staying in Barcelona and too expensive to go back to the US. It was really the best holiday choice and I love showing Burak where I used to live.
On the 29th, we went to Liege to have drinks with current exchange students. I would frequently go to Liege on Wednesday afternoons after school to meet up with my friends living all over Belgium. This time I was an oldie, oldie, oldie, oldie, oldie. Which basically means I am a 4th or 5th generation exchange student coming back to see the current ones since I lived here 4.5 years ago. It is a great feeling being with other exchange students. The same bartender was there as well. A former exchange student that lived there when I did had returned for the holidays and we both went a took a photo with the bartender.
That afternoon, we took a train to Brussels and visited the Mannequin Pis, the street full of seafood, and the Grand Place that was beautiful decorated with lights for Christmas. The next morning we took a bus tour and saw the EU headquarters before heading to Amsterdam on the fast train.
On the 30th we were in Amsterdam. Our hotel gave our room to someone else so we found a new place for a larger price before heading out for the night. I had been there 2 times before, but enjoyed seeing the town with Burak for his first time. We went to the Van Gogh and Heineken museums before heading to cafes to hang out before midnight. At midnight the bartenders gave out free champagne and turned the TV to the festivals taking place in town. We quickly ran outside to see the entire town going crazy with fireworks in the streets, on the water, and in the air for hours to come. We waited for our 7am train to Brussels at the train station and finally arrived at my family’s house before noon.
As we all watch the reports and pray for the victims of the tsunamis of late December, it teaches us about the frailty of life and at the same time, the generosity of humankind to run their aid.
If you have chance, check out my website: www.powersprep.com/rubypowers for recent photos under ‘Barcelona, Spain’ and past updates under ‘Observations.’ Also, make sure to sign my Guestbook.
Happy New Years!
Ruby
Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar 2004 – 2005
Barcelona, Spain
Before I forget, I just want to say I love living in Spain. I can’t believe Burak and I left the US 6 months ago. It has truly passed by quickly. I am only homesick for episodes of Law and Order and of courses, friends and family, but I have email and phone calls to take care of the latter. I find it amazing Burak is more homesick for the US than I am. I think that Spain is a nice mix between Belgium (Western Europe), Mexico (Former Spanish colony), and Turkey (Mediterranean country with Islamic influence). Having lived in all those three countries, Spain is a piece of cake.
My ideal job, in life, would be to travel and write about my experiences and life all over the world. What I do now, travel, speak; and write; is definitely high on my ‘What I want to do with my life’ list.
I sent my last update the last weekend of November. At that time, I raved about how Burak and I lived in a great apartment with people from all over Europe and it resembled working at the UN. As irony would have it, the same day I sent that email, one of our flat mates yelled at us for believing we didn’t do our part in cleaning the place. Of course this was not the case and we were offended that she thought yelling was acceptable. This flat mate had changed the atmosphere of the flat with a negative cloud hovering over the living place ever since she arrived and so it didn’t take long before we decided to move to a new place.
For one week, I didn’t know where I was going to live after the 22nd of December(when we planned to fly to Belgium for the holidays). I searched all over and before my trip to Berlin and Krakow, we paid a down payment for a new larger, and more conveniently located apartment.
On December 2nd I presented a group project in the morning at school and that afternoon I was on a bus to Madrid. I stayed with a scholar that lived outside of Madrid and the next day we went into town for my Northwestern Law interview with an alumnus. That very afternoon ETA bombed about five gas stations and I didn’t learn about it until I checked the American news websites before leaving Madrid for Barcelona. Luckily, my friends and I wondered around Madrid that day not knowing about it until after the fact.
On December 6th, the most parts of the country celebrated Constitution Day. Catalonia didn’t celebrate and the Basque region celebrated with ETA bombing select streets and plazas named after Spain to protest the day. I learned that there could well be a pact between ETA and Catalonia and that is why there have been no bombings in Catalonia. Therefore, we are safe in Barcelona.
On December 7th, Burak flew to Turkey to visit his family for a week. His dad was recently diagnosed with lung cancer and it is very far advanced. He took our two cameras to help document his time with his family. It served as a good time for him to realize what was happening with his father’s health and to come to peace with it.
On December 8th, I flew with another scholar (that lives in Seville) to Berlin. We were group leaders at a conference for Americans living and studying abroad. The goal of the organization is for Americans with abroad experience to return and keep a dialogue of world events and concerns alive on college campuses and in the public. It has many of the same goals that my Rotary Ambassadorial scholarship aims to achieve.
I met many Americans all over Europe and learned of new ways to pay for my living and studying abroad with other scholarships and grants. I spoke at the conference about the Rotary scholarships to an interested audience. I used my free time to visit the Reichstag, Brandenburg Gate, Christmas markets, and the Checkpoint Charlie Museum. Many people thought I was a native German and it was fun blending in and not being assumed a tourist. It was my second time ever in Berlin, so I decided to fly to a nearby country while I had the chance.
On December 13th, I flew into Krakow, Poland from Berlin. I had contacted a scholar living there to visit him and his family. I had 24 hours in Poland and it got dark at 4:10pm in Krakow, so I had to run through the sites before it got dark. I went to the Castle on the hill, the Cloth Hall, a Christmas market, several churches, and saw the university where the current Pope attended. I enjoyed visiting with the scholar’s family which included his wife and two young sons.
The next day I ran to the airport for my flight back to Berlin. I was all set to go with just a few minutes before going through security and then I read the monitor. It said my flight was CANCELLED. I panicked. I had no Polish money left, I had a flight from Berlin the next morning to Barcelona, I had classes to teach the next night, I didn’t speak the language, and I didn’t know if I could still use my phone to call anyone. Luckily, since it was the same company I had a flight with the next day, it was all changed for free and I was able to stay with the same family that extra night. I enjoyed my next day but really wanted to get home after having been away for more than a week.
I finally got to Berlin and then back to Barcelona on the 16th. I was so happy to be back and the weather was so warm compared to Berlin and Krakow, I really thought it was summer! Also, the sun stayed out longer in Barcelona and it just was a whole new world between the different places.
That very same day, Burak learned that Duke’s business school accepted him for Fall 2005 entry. We are still waiting for his other three business school applications and my 8 law school applications. Lord willing, we might be in North Carolina next fall.
On the 17th, I moved all our things to the new place with little help because Burak had to work during the day. Our new landlord let us use his car to move our things. Burak and I took several trips by foot on 15 minutes walks with 3-4 suitcases and finally one full car load to move everything. I really don’t know how we accumulated so much. That evening I had to teach. I was exhausted.
On the 18th, we held a Christmas Party with a gift exchange with about 20 people at our new apartment. When the first few guests arrived I was still in my sweat pants and had no makeup on. I figured I could use the excuse ‘I just moved and have been out of the country for a week.’ My French exchange partner was just amazed at all that I can pull off.
On the 21st, I met with Dr. Martinez regarding her foundation that helps treat those with the Zellweger syndrome. Her clinic is basically the only one in the world that has been successful in treating this rare syndrome. My fellow scholar in Barcelona and I plan to organize a fundraising event for her clinic this spring.
On the 22nd, we left for Brussels. We arrived at my family’s village later that afternoon. It was wonderful to see my family after 4 years since my last visit. It was amazing how clear my memories of the town and all the nearby villages were. My French came back but it was weak. I was grateful that I have been speaking Spanish this last 4 months but otherwise I still have work to do.
The very next day, I spoke to my old club during my exchange year, Rotary Club Verviers-Vesdre. It was wonderful seeing my dear Rotarians again after all those years. They loved my speech and I took lots of photos of them. Some said they couldn’t recognize me and others said they recognized me right away. My former Rotary counselor took Burak and I to Spa (a city in Belgium) for a dessert called baba au rhum (our tradition) and then took us out to dinner with his wife.
We spent Christmas Eve at my host mom’s parent’s house with 23 other family members. Many remembered me and we had a great night with French, German, English, Spanish, Italian, Wallon, and Portuguese being spoken around the table.
We had our gift exchange on the 26th with all my host parents’ 4 kids and their partners and their kids. I marveled at how Burak and I are not blood related in anyway to this Belgian family, but they have opened their home during this special holiday time to us. It would have been really lonely staying in Barcelona and too expensive to go back to the US. It was really the best holiday choice and I love showing Burak where I used to live.
On the 29th, we went to Liege to have drinks with current exchange students. I would frequently go to Liege on Wednesday afternoons after school to meet up with my friends living all over Belgium. This time I was an oldie, oldie, oldie, oldie, oldie. Which basically means I am a 4th or 5th generation exchange student coming back to see the current ones since I lived here 4.5 years ago. It is a great feeling being with other exchange students. The same bartender was there as well. A former exchange student that lived there when I did had returned for the holidays and we both went a took a photo with the bartender.
That afternoon, we took a train to Brussels and visited the Mannequin Pis, the street full of seafood, and the Grand Place that was beautiful decorated with lights for Christmas. The next morning we took a bus tour and saw the EU headquarters before heading to Amsterdam on the fast train.
On the 30th we were in Amsterdam. Our hotel gave our room to someone else so we found a new place for a larger price before heading out for the night. I had been there 2 times before, but enjoyed seeing the town with Burak for his first time. We went to the Van Gogh and Heineken museums before heading to cafes to hang out before midnight. At midnight the bartenders gave out free champagne and turned the TV to the festivals taking place in town. We quickly ran outside to see the entire town going crazy with fireworks in the streets, on the water, and in the air for hours to come. We waited for our 7am train to Brussels at the train station and finally arrived at my family’s house before noon.
As we all watch the reports and pray for the victims of the tsunamis of late December, it teaches us about the frailty of life and at the same time, the generosity of humankind to run their aid.
If you have chance, check out my website: www.powersprep.com/rubypowers for recent photos under ‘Barcelona, Spain’ and past updates under ‘Observations.’ Also, make sure to sign my Guestbook.
Happy New Years!
Ruby
Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar 2004 – 2005
Barcelona, Spain
December 2, 2004
‘I do, I do’ — but not yet: More Americans putting off marriage
The Associated Press
Updated: 6:50 p.m. ET Dec. 1, 2004
WASHINGTON - It used to be common for men and women to get a marriage certificate not too long after collecting their high school diplomas. Not anymore.
Census Bureau figures for 2003 show that a third of men and nearly a quarter of women ages 30 to 34 have never been married, nearly four times the rates in 1970.
It’s further evidence that young people are focusing on education and careers before settling down and beginning families, experts say. Societal taboos about couples’ living together before marriage also have eased, said Linda Waite, a sociologist at the University of Chicago.
Jeni Landers, 30, a law student from Boston, said she considered living together a requirement before saying “I do.”
“I don’t know how people got married before living together first,” said Landers, who moved in with her fiancé after getting engaged nearly a year ago. “This is crucial to see how you get along.”
‘They see it sort of as dessert’ Data from the Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey released this week show that the age at which someone typically married for the first time rose from 20.8 for women and 23.2 for men in 1970 to 25.3 and 27.1, respectively, last year.
In 1970, only 6 percent of women 30 to 34 had never been married; the figure was 23 percent in 2003. The rate for never-married men in the same age group rose from 9 percent to 33 percent.
Among younger women, 36 percent of those 20 to 24 had never been married in 1970; last year it was 75 percent. Among men in that age group, the change was nearly as dramatic: 55 percent in 1970 to 86 percent last year.
“The majority of people still want to get married, but they see it sort of as dessert now, something that’s desirable rather than necessary,” said Dorion Solot, executive director of the Alternatives to Marriage Project, based in Albany, N.Y., which aims to fight discrimination based on marital status and to seek equality and fairness for unmarried people.
“People want to be more sure that they don’t make a marriage mistake,” Solot said.
Meanwhile, societal pressures to marry before having children have decreased, said Thomas Coleman, executive director for Unmarried America, based in Glendale, Calif., which also promotes equality for unmarried people. Among the group’s concerns are tax policies that it contends are stacked against single people.
Unmarried births also risingIn 2003, nearly 35 percent of all births were to unmarried women, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. That’s up from 11 percent in 1970, although the rate of increase has slowed since 1995, when 32 percent of births were out-of-wedlock. Births to unmarried teens have declined since the mid-1990s.
Meaghan Lamarre, 24, a research assistant in Providence, R.I., said she and her boyfriend of 10 months “are not in a big hurry to marry.” Lamarre’s focus is on work and getting into an Ivy League graduate program, possibly in public policy.
“There’s no time frame of when to get married. ... It’s not a goal,” said Lamarre, a member of the Alternatives to Marriage Project. “I’m not opposed to it, but I think I could live happily ever after without being married.”
That kind of talk disturbs David Blankenhorn, president of the Institute for American Values, a pro-marriage organization based in New York. Blankenhorn said Lamarre’s philosophy was more of a concern to him than those who delayed marriage to focus on school or careers.
Compared with 1970, Blankenhorn said, “there is a sense that marriage has a less dominant role in our society and is less influential as a social institution.”
Having parents or other relatives who are divorced may also make some people in their 20s and 30s hesitant about entering into long-term relationships, said Dennis Lowe, a psychology professor at Pepperdine University in California who focuses on counseling for engaged and married couples.
Data from the National Center for Health Statistics show that the U.S. divorce rate was 2.2 per 1,000 Americans in 1960; it rose steadily to 5.3 per 1,000 in 1981, but it has declined slowly since then, to 4 per 1,000 in 2001.
Census figures also show fewer Americans at older ages who have never been married. In 1970, 8 percent of people 65 and older had never married; now it’s 4 percent.
Landers, the Boston law student, said living with her fiancé was a “testing period” as both dealt with school and their careers. “We already knew what we had was concrete, but the actual act of getting engaged holds a lot of weight with a lot of other people,” she said.
Now there’s pressure to set a wedding date, although Landers said there was no immediate plan to do so.
“It drives people crazy,” she said.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6631910/
Updated: 6:50 p.m. ET Dec. 1, 2004
WASHINGTON - It used to be common for men and women to get a marriage certificate not too long after collecting their high school diplomas. Not anymore.
Census Bureau figures for 2003 show that a third of men and nearly a quarter of women ages 30 to 34 have never been married, nearly four times the rates in 1970.
It’s further evidence that young people are focusing on education and careers before settling down and beginning families, experts say. Societal taboos about couples’ living together before marriage also have eased, said Linda Waite, a sociologist at the University of Chicago.
Jeni Landers, 30, a law student from Boston, said she considered living together a requirement before saying “I do.”
“I don’t know how people got married before living together first,” said Landers, who moved in with her fiancé after getting engaged nearly a year ago. “This is crucial to see how you get along.”
‘They see it sort of as dessert’ Data from the Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey released this week show that the age at which someone typically married for the first time rose from 20.8 for women and 23.2 for men in 1970 to 25.3 and 27.1, respectively, last year.
In 1970, only 6 percent of women 30 to 34 had never been married; the figure was 23 percent in 2003. The rate for never-married men in the same age group rose from 9 percent to 33 percent.
Among younger women, 36 percent of those 20 to 24 had never been married in 1970; last year it was 75 percent. Among men in that age group, the change was nearly as dramatic: 55 percent in 1970 to 86 percent last year.
“The majority of people still want to get married, but they see it sort of as dessert now, something that’s desirable rather than necessary,” said Dorion Solot, executive director of the Alternatives to Marriage Project, based in Albany, N.Y., which aims to fight discrimination based on marital status and to seek equality and fairness for unmarried people.
“People want to be more sure that they don’t make a marriage mistake,” Solot said.
Meanwhile, societal pressures to marry before having children have decreased, said Thomas Coleman, executive director for Unmarried America, based in Glendale, Calif., which also promotes equality for unmarried people. Among the group’s concerns are tax policies that it contends are stacked against single people.
Unmarried births also risingIn 2003, nearly 35 percent of all births were to unmarried women, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. That’s up from 11 percent in 1970, although the rate of increase has slowed since 1995, when 32 percent of births were out-of-wedlock. Births to unmarried teens have declined since the mid-1990s.
Meaghan Lamarre, 24, a research assistant in Providence, R.I., said she and her boyfriend of 10 months “are not in a big hurry to marry.” Lamarre’s focus is on work and getting into an Ivy League graduate program, possibly in public policy.
“There’s no time frame of when to get married. ... It’s not a goal,” said Lamarre, a member of the Alternatives to Marriage Project. “I’m not opposed to it, but I think I could live happily ever after without being married.”
That kind of talk disturbs David Blankenhorn, president of the Institute for American Values, a pro-marriage organization based in New York. Blankenhorn said Lamarre’s philosophy was more of a concern to him than those who delayed marriage to focus on school or careers.
Compared with 1970, Blankenhorn said, “there is a sense that marriage has a less dominant role in our society and is less influential as a social institution.”
Having parents or other relatives who are divorced may also make some people in their 20s and 30s hesitant about entering into long-term relationships, said Dennis Lowe, a psychology professor at Pepperdine University in California who focuses on counseling for engaged and married couples.
Data from the National Center for Health Statistics show that the U.S. divorce rate was 2.2 per 1,000 Americans in 1960; it rose steadily to 5.3 per 1,000 in 1981, but it has declined slowly since then, to 4 per 1,000 in 2001.
Census figures also show fewer Americans at older ages who have never been married. In 1970, 8 percent of people 65 and older had never married; now it’s 4 percent.
Landers, the Boston law student, said living with her fiancé was a “testing period” as both dealt with school and their careers. “We already knew what we had was concrete, but the actual act of getting engaged holds a lot of weight with a lot of other people,” she said.
Now there’s pressure to set a wedding date, although Landers said there was no immediate plan to do so.
“It drives people crazy,” she said.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6631910/
November 28, 2004
Living in Spain - Late November 2004 Update
Dear Friends,
¡Hola! How are you? You probably haven’t heard from me for a while and were wondering, ‘I wonder how Ruby is doing in Barcelona?’ So, let me fill you in a little about what has been going on over here in the crazy, culture-filled city of Barcelona.
First, for those the might not know, I am a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar studying European and Middle Eastern studies at the Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona. I arrived in late August and will stay until July to return to the US for graduate/law school.
The goal of the scholarship is not just studying, but building goodwill and better understanding between countries. Since that goal is very broad, my job is full-time. I am constantly representing the US and Texas throughout my daily life while living in my apartment, going to school, working, speaking at events, coordinating projects, having language exchange partners, and conversations at parties. It is a fun job actually and really love it.
It might help you understand my life a little if you rent, ‘L’Auberge Espagnole,’ (The Spanish Apartment) which is a French film that came out about a year ago about a French Erasmus (European exchange program) student who lives in Barcelona for a year and lives in a shared apartment with people from all over. It is translated as ‘Una Casa de Locos’ in Spanish. I watched the movie about 7 times before I came to help encourage me through all the paperwork and transition I was going to go through to make it to Barcelona for a year.
I live in a shared 6-bedroom apartment with 5 other flat mates with two bathrooms, only one of which works. I share a room with my husband, and then we have 3 Italians, one Spanish guy, and a German girl. It is quite interesting because you know how when you have ever had a roommate or flat mate before, there is always room for confusion/frustration, etc. Well, these people all speak another language other than English as a first language, so that is one place for added confusion and tension. I usually speak either Spanish or English with each one depending on their abilities. Plus, we all have different culture norms which might conflict.
Not to be stereotypical, but it appears I relate most with the German and her efficiency and organization. The Italians are great as well. I love their influence on the coffee I drink every morning (Italian espresso), and how I learn some new Italian recipes. On most occasions though, they can be loud and sometimes have very strong personalities. So basically everyday is like working at the UN.
My flat is on the Entresuelo, which in American terms means the first floor. Luckily, we have a lift/elevator.
In my immediate neighborhood, I have two grocery stores, two video stores, a Tabac shop (which sells stamps), a copy/fax store, and an Internet shop, all just less than a block from my flat.
I basically go to one of the two grocery stores everyday stocking up on whatever we ran out of the day before. Living here is not like living in America when you load up your car with a week or two of groceries at anytime of the day. Everyone lives in a flat (in the city), with small storage facilities (I have only 2.5 shelves in the fridge), and many people don’t use cars. You use a grocery tote cart. Everyone has them, so Burak bought us one.
Plus, the stores are open from 8/9am to 2pm then 5pm to 8/9pm, Monday through Saturday. So, I have to coordinate in my schedule when I can shop because some days I am at school until 9pm. Also, on the holidays everything is closed as well. So I constantly have to look ahead at the calendar and see if we need to stock up for a long weekend. We have one coming up soon! Because I go to the stores everyday, I basically know all the employees and when they work. I have the client (discount) card for three stores in town. I sort of like go to the stores because no one can buy too much, so the lines stay small and also I get to be amongst the community.
My university is a 50-minute commute one way every Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. The campus is really large and sits surrounded by a forest. It is always about 5 degrees colder than Barcelona, but full of fresh air. I have four classes; International Organizations, History of the European Government, Conflicts in the Middle East, and Demography. I have Catalan, Spanish, and international friends in all my classes. There are not a lot of Americans at my school, and I hang out with only one of them and the rest are non-American.
After a couple of months, I feel really comfortable there. I know how to check out a book, where to eat, which computer labs are the best, how to buy a print card, how to print a sheet at the computer lab, how to turn something into a teacher, where the teachers’ offices are, how to matriculate, how to pay for matriculation, where the movie theatre on campus is, etc. It takes a while to figure this stuff out. It is like being a freshman all over again, but in a different language.
I honestly think I haven’t written a nice, full update since maybe September (sorry about that). I think I need to go back and catch you up on all of that then.
We arrived in Barcelona on August 29, 2004.
In September, Burak and I were taking Spanish classes at a language school. Then we moved into our new apartment that was going to be our place for the next year. We spent a couple of weekends preparing it from shopping at IKEA to painting the room blue to reinforcing the L’s that keep our closet from falling from all the weight. This took about all the weekends of September. At the same time, I was studying for the LSAT to take in Madrid on October 2nd.
I also used this month to start up a Texas Exes (University of Texas) alumni chapter in Barcelona. I somehow bumped into several alumni in town so I have organized meetings once a month at different ethnic restaurants. We have done Mexican and Cuban and in December we are going to a Tex-Mex restaurant. It is really fun to meet up with other Texans once a month and see how their lives are here. I always learn something or gain a new perspective. It is also a nice little home-sickness treatment to be able to talk about streets, places, or restaurants in Austin, and this person you met in Spain knows what you are talking about.
In late September, Barcelona celebrated their patron saint with a long weekend of festivities. I spent the Friday running around to parades, human castle-building competitions, and the Picasso museum (which was free because of the holiday). I also went out that night into the center of town and I couldn’t believe that at 1am the entire Plaza Catalunya was filled with locals. I seriously had not seen that many Catalans/Spaniards in my entire life all together like I did in the early morning for this festival.
That same weekend, I attended a Rotary Scholar conference in Madrid and met a lot of the scholars in Spain. I continue to keep in touch with them and have planned out some trips to other parts of Spain while many have visited me in Barcelona.
I started school the very next week after the conference and took the first month to find good classes in Castellano that I wanted to take. Also, I used this month to find good friends, start an English-Spanish language exchange, and get adjusted to my university.
The first weekend of school, I went back to Madrid to take the 4 hour LSAT. It went alright and used the night after the test to celebrate that it was over with Burak and another girl I met in the test that day!
The rest of October was about adjusting to my school, apartment, new gym, new friends, attending my Rotary club, keeping up with my language exchange, and applying to law school. I found time to organize a 27th birthday party for Burak with a good group of people we had met in the last month and a half. A friend of a friend came to the party and said, ‘You have all these friends, and how long have you been in Spain?’ It made appreciate that we had found a nice group of people to enjoy our time here in a short time. Later in the month, I also took a 24-hour trip (couldn’t find a hostel) to Zaragoza for a festival with other exchange students. Somehow, I turned in seven law school applications before November 1st early submission deadline.
In October, I learned about my Rotary club and met my counselor for the first time. My club is located 50km from my city so this poses some logistical problems. My counselor picked me up for the 2-hour Wednesday lunch meeting and returned me back afterwards. During the ride, I learned that my counselor’s daughter is ‘Beth’, a famous Spanish singer from a hit TV talent show (similar to American Idol) a couple of years ago. She represented Spain in the Eurovision competition that same year.
When we arrived for the meeting, it was full of members because they heard I was coming. They all were very interested in this young, female Texan scholar. The meeting started late because the restaurant had to set up more tables and chairs for the full attendance. They were very welcoming, and presented me with beautiful flowers. I spoke briefly about myself in Spanish even though their meetings are conducted in Catalan.
Later in October, I was contacted by my scholarship coordinator in Chicago about a project to find housing for a family with a son that has a metabolic disease that was coming to Barcelona within a week to visit a special doctor. The family comes to Barcelona every 6 months to meet Dr. Manuela Martinez (Manuela Martinez Foundation). She is the only doctor in the world that has been successful in helping children with metabolic diseases.
The family had just learned that the Ronald McDonald House was full and they didn’t have a place to stay. I quickly went to a Rotary meeting to find a place we could open up to the family and also had an email sent out to all the Rotarians in Barcelona. I found a place and soon welcomed the family to the apartment showing them the grocery store and metro station. We also attended a Rotary meeting that same week where they told the club about this wonderful doctor and her foundation.
After learning about the doctor’s unique work, I am planning on making it my project of the year to help her out since she is running a clinic with very little funding and many families with sick children are flying in from all over the world to see her. The families must stay at a place with a kitchen available to prepare the special food for their children. They often can’t find cheap housing, because as a tourist town, all the places found on the internet are all marketed to those that can pay 500 euros for a week or something similar. If needed, a project of mine would be to find reliable, inexpensive housing with kitchens and elevator access for the families.
In early November, we had an Austin AIESEC friend visit us from London. We went out almost every night and I took her to Montserrat. This is a mountain about 50km from Barcelona that has an odd appearance and also holds a monastery and the patron Virgin Mary of Barcelona.
Also in November, I had two work opportunities open up. I currently teach twice a week (3 hours a week) for a language teaching company at a place of business. I teach two students English after their work. It is a great chance to learn about Catalan culture from my students. I also teach twice a week at a little elementary school. I teach 4 and 5 year olds English. They speak Catalan at home, learn Castellano at school, and now take an elective of English with me. They now know their colors, numbers, and a few body parts. I received no training for either job and mostly have to make up all my material on my own. Over all, it is very encouraging to watch all of my students progress over time and build a relationship with them. I had never been a teacher like this before over a consistent amount of time so I am really enjoying this. Also, I am forced to speak Spanish with my employers and am learning about working in a foreign country.
The second weekend of November, Burak and I flew to Lisbon, Portugal. My host sister from Belgium hosted us at her place that she shares with her director-boyfriend. Burak had an interview that weekend with an alumnus from Northwestern b-school. I used the opportunity to meet up with a Rotary Scholar in Lisbon. She showed us around most of the weekend and we had a great time with her visiting a castle, monastery, and running around the small, hilly streets. We also drank porto and ginja, ate the cream tart with its famous recipe only the monks know, and also some cod specialties. We used our English and Spanish to get around. I could read the Portuguese fairly well but the accent is so different from Spanish it was hard for them to understand me if I just spoke Spanish to get around. We even had time to watch my sister and her boyfriend’s play, all of it in Portuguese of course.
The last two weeks of November, have also been busy. Burak got a call from a school he had interviewed with in September. The school’s academic counselor had pneumonia and was returning the States. He had an interview on the 19th, started the job and replaced the old academic counselor at an American school in town on the 22nd, and was invited to several Thanksgiving parties later that week.
At the dinner on Thursday, I was talking to a spouse of teacher about my project with Dr. Martinez. I learned that he is a science writer for a group of newspapers in the US and after our conversation, is currently researching to write an article about the Foundation for publication in the US. In the end, Burak found a job in a tight economy, in a foreign country, where he is not only qualified for the position but he doesn’t need to speak Spanish. It is such a blessing!
On a somber note, Burak also got a call from his mom in Turkey this week. His dad has advanced cancer and it is in the final stages. He has already started chemotherapy and seen some improvement, but it sounds like it is just a matter of time. Burak’s sister has already returned to spend her 3 month summer vacation (Australian university) with her family. Burak plans to return next weekend during the 5-day weekend holiday. This really comes as a shock to us. I am so thankful that we are close enough to Turkey Burak can fly home and that we had two wonderful months with them this summer. Our prayers are with them.
This week, also in attempt to keep Burak’s morale up, I had organized a Thanksgiving meal/party at our place inviting all my flat mates and other friends in the city. We had about 13 people or so with all the fixings. I had pumpkin pie mix imported from Texas and received a can of cranberry sauce at the American dinner I went to on Thursday. I was so happy to have all these exotic foods that I can’t find here easily. I made pumpkin pie using a crust I made from scratch. We had amazing traditional American Thanksgiving food made by Americans, Germans, Swedes, and Italians. We even went around, after I explained the tradition, and said what we were thankful for in our lives. A German friend was so happy to have her first American Thanksgiving and another German was so excited to celebrate an American holiday in Spain (she had lived in the US and was going to tell her host family she made sweet potato casserole).
Now, I am sitting at my living room table with my mp3 collection running familiar music with the sounds of the Italian’s TV seeping from his room in the background while Burak tries to sleep. It is cold here (well that is relative to what cold means to you) so we use a space heater to keep our room warm. The electricity went out a couple of minutes ago because our heater, the washer, the TV, my laptop, the electric oven, and a couple of lights were all on at the same time. Another example of the UN-type of work I conduct on a daily basis (J), we have to negotiate which appliance is the least needed and how we can keep the electricity running for the entire apartment. I turned off my living room light and our heater. Now, the clothes can be washed, the tart can be cooked, and my flat mate can continue to keep the volume high on his TV.
I am not sure where to put this in my update but I wanted to say that I have learned many things and that will probably be the topic of my next update. One of those many things is that a cockroach can survive being inside a working microwave oven. This is something I learned accidentally while I was trying to heat up some soup. For the next week, I didn’t use the microwave and started eating less. I cleaned the microwave recently and took out this useless piece that the cockroaches employ as hiding device. Now, I still check for critters before using the micro. When they say cockroaches could withstand nuclear war, I think they are right.
I seriously have been having such a great time. I know that I am not being fair with not sharing regular updates but I get so caught up in running around seeing new things, meeting new people, etc. that I can’t keep up. Today I slept 10 hours and it was such a refreshing needed break.
This weekend, I had a scholar from Seville visit me. We went to the Magic Fountain in Plaza España where the fountain has lights and music coordinated to create a amazing 15 minute show. Last night, I went to a good friend’s going away party. I met a lot of her friends that she always raves about and also a girl that wants to do a language exchange. Someone I had just met introduced me to another person and said that I spoke/understood Spanish very well. I was so happy. My work is paying off!
This coming weekend, I have to go to Madrid again. This time, for a law school interview with an alumni from Northwestern. I then will return to Barcelona for a nice long weekend to catch up on everything I haven’t had time to do. I might even update my website! Also, there might even be three scholars in town using the break to travel to my cool city.
On December 8th, I am flying with a scholar to Berlin to be a group leader at a conference aimed at Americans to discuss world opinion about the US and to bring back this discussion to campuses when they return from their time abroad. I just created plans to take advantage of my week in Berlin to go to Poland. I am still working on this idea. I know another girl from my school here that is going to the same conference and we are planning to take a train to Poland after the conference on Sunday.
I then return to Barcelona for one week before going to Belgium for a 2.5 week vacation. Since I will need to speak French during the break, I started a French-English exchange to prepare me. Burak and I will stay with my host families in Verviers and plan to do short trips to friends’ places in Holland, Germany, and around Belgium. Also, we plan to attend a Rotaract Conference New Years party. This will be the third New Years I have spent in Belgium!
On December 22nd of this year, Burak and I will celebrate 2.5 years of marriage. So, because of the occasion, the opportunity, and price, we bought tickets to have a romantic weekend in Paris for Valentine’s Day next year. Now, I just need to find someone that lives there that we can stay with! J
We will probably learn about the law and business school results between mid-December and early spring. We try not to think about it now. I still need to finish my Northwestern application and additional scholarship applications to a couple of schools.
Next spring, I am going to take a course on making documentaries at a school very close to my house. At the end of the course, from February to April, I have to produce a 12-minute documentary. I am so excited because I have always been interested in film and documentaries but haven’t really had a chance to pursue this interest until now. I brought my video camera and also have that feature on my digital camera, so I am prepared!
Everything is going well over here. It is always great to hear from friends and how things are going around the world so keep in touch!
Un beso,
Ruby
¡Hola! How are you? You probably haven’t heard from me for a while and were wondering, ‘I wonder how Ruby is doing in Barcelona?’ So, let me fill you in a little about what has been going on over here in the crazy, culture-filled city of Barcelona.
First, for those the might not know, I am a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar studying European and Middle Eastern studies at the Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona. I arrived in late August and will stay until July to return to the US for graduate/law school.
The goal of the scholarship is not just studying, but building goodwill and better understanding between countries. Since that goal is very broad, my job is full-time. I am constantly representing the US and Texas throughout my daily life while living in my apartment, going to school, working, speaking at events, coordinating projects, having language exchange partners, and conversations at parties. It is a fun job actually and really love it.
It might help you understand my life a little if you rent, ‘L’Auberge Espagnole,’ (The Spanish Apartment) which is a French film that came out about a year ago about a French Erasmus (European exchange program) student who lives in Barcelona for a year and lives in a shared apartment with people from all over. It is translated as ‘Una Casa de Locos’ in Spanish. I watched the movie about 7 times before I came to help encourage me through all the paperwork and transition I was going to go through to make it to Barcelona for a year.
I live in a shared 6-bedroom apartment with 5 other flat mates with two bathrooms, only one of which works. I share a room with my husband, and then we have 3 Italians, one Spanish guy, and a German girl. It is quite interesting because you know how when you have ever had a roommate or flat mate before, there is always room for confusion/frustration, etc. Well, these people all speak another language other than English as a first language, so that is one place for added confusion and tension. I usually speak either Spanish or English with each one depending on their abilities. Plus, we all have different culture norms which might conflict.
Not to be stereotypical, but it appears I relate most with the German and her efficiency and organization. The Italians are great as well. I love their influence on the coffee I drink every morning (Italian espresso), and how I learn some new Italian recipes. On most occasions though, they can be loud and sometimes have very strong personalities. So basically everyday is like working at the UN.
My flat is on the Entresuelo, which in American terms means the first floor. Luckily, we have a lift/elevator.
In my immediate neighborhood, I have two grocery stores, two video stores, a Tabac shop (which sells stamps), a copy/fax store, and an Internet shop, all just less than a block from my flat.
I basically go to one of the two grocery stores everyday stocking up on whatever we ran out of the day before. Living here is not like living in America when you load up your car with a week or two of groceries at anytime of the day. Everyone lives in a flat (in the city), with small storage facilities (I have only 2.5 shelves in the fridge), and many people don’t use cars. You use a grocery tote cart. Everyone has them, so Burak bought us one.
Plus, the stores are open from 8/9am to 2pm then 5pm to 8/9pm, Monday through Saturday. So, I have to coordinate in my schedule when I can shop because some days I am at school until 9pm. Also, on the holidays everything is closed as well. So I constantly have to look ahead at the calendar and see if we need to stock up for a long weekend. We have one coming up soon! Because I go to the stores everyday, I basically know all the employees and when they work. I have the client (discount) card for three stores in town. I sort of like go to the stores because no one can buy too much, so the lines stay small and also I get to be amongst the community.
My university is a 50-minute commute one way every Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. The campus is really large and sits surrounded by a forest. It is always about 5 degrees colder than Barcelona, but full of fresh air. I have four classes; International Organizations, History of the European Government, Conflicts in the Middle East, and Demography. I have Catalan, Spanish, and international friends in all my classes. There are not a lot of Americans at my school, and I hang out with only one of them and the rest are non-American.
After a couple of months, I feel really comfortable there. I know how to check out a book, where to eat, which computer labs are the best, how to buy a print card, how to print a sheet at the computer lab, how to turn something into a teacher, where the teachers’ offices are, how to matriculate, how to pay for matriculation, where the movie theatre on campus is, etc. It takes a while to figure this stuff out. It is like being a freshman all over again, but in a different language.
I honestly think I haven’t written a nice, full update since maybe September (sorry about that). I think I need to go back and catch you up on all of that then.
We arrived in Barcelona on August 29, 2004.
In September, Burak and I were taking Spanish classes at a language school. Then we moved into our new apartment that was going to be our place for the next year. We spent a couple of weekends preparing it from shopping at IKEA to painting the room blue to reinforcing the L’s that keep our closet from falling from all the weight. This took about all the weekends of September. At the same time, I was studying for the LSAT to take in Madrid on October 2nd.
I also used this month to start up a Texas Exes (University of Texas) alumni chapter in Barcelona. I somehow bumped into several alumni in town so I have organized meetings once a month at different ethnic restaurants. We have done Mexican and Cuban and in December we are going to a Tex-Mex restaurant. It is really fun to meet up with other Texans once a month and see how their lives are here. I always learn something or gain a new perspective. It is also a nice little home-sickness treatment to be able to talk about streets, places, or restaurants in Austin, and this person you met in Spain knows what you are talking about.
In late September, Barcelona celebrated their patron saint with a long weekend of festivities. I spent the Friday running around to parades, human castle-building competitions, and the Picasso museum (which was free because of the holiday). I also went out that night into the center of town and I couldn’t believe that at 1am the entire Plaza Catalunya was filled with locals. I seriously had not seen that many Catalans/Spaniards in my entire life all together like I did in the early morning for this festival.
That same weekend, I attended a Rotary Scholar conference in Madrid and met a lot of the scholars in Spain. I continue to keep in touch with them and have planned out some trips to other parts of Spain while many have visited me in Barcelona.
I started school the very next week after the conference and took the first month to find good classes in Castellano that I wanted to take. Also, I used this month to find good friends, start an English-Spanish language exchange, and get adjusted to my university.
The first weekend of school, I went back to Madrid to take the 4 hour LSAT. It went alright and used the night after the test to celebrate that it was over with Burak and another girl I met in the test that day!
The rest of October was about adjusting to my school, apartment, new gym, new friends, attending my Rotary club, keeping up with my language exchange, and applying to law school. I found time to organize a 27th birthday party for Burak with a good group of people we had met in the last month and a half. A friend of a friend came to the party and said, ‘You have all these friends, and how long have you been in Spain?’ It made appreciate that we had found a nice group of people to enjoy our time here in a short time. Later in the month, I also took a 24-hour trip (couldn’t find a hostel) to Zaragoza for a festival with other exchange students. Somehow, I turned in seven law school applications before November 1st early submission deadline.
In October, I learned about my Rotary club and met my counselor for the first time. My club is located 50km from my city so this poses some logistical problems. My counselor picked me up for the 2-hour Wednesday lunch meeting and returned me back afterwards. During the ride, I learned that my counselor’s daughter is ‘Beth’, a famous Spanish singer from a hit TV talent show (similar to American Idol) a couple of years ago. She represented Spain in the Eurovision competition that same year.
When we arrived for the meeting, it was full of members because they heard I was coming. They all were very interested in this young, female Texan scholar. The meeting started late because the restaurant had to set up more tables and chairs for the full attendance. They were very welcoming, and presented me with beautiful flowers. I spoke briefly about myself in Spanish even though their meetings are conducted in Catalan.
Later in October, I was contacted by my scholarship coordinator in Chicago about a project to find housing for a family with a son that has a metabolic disease that was coming to Barcelona within a week to visit a special doctor. The family comes to Barcelona every 6 months to meet Dr. Manuela Martinez (Manuela Martinez Foundation). She is the only doctor in the world that has been successful in helping children with metabolic diseases.
The family had just learned that the Ronald McDonald House was full and they didn’t have a place to stay. I quickly went to a Rotary meeting to find a place we could open up to the family and also had an email sent out to all the Rotarians in Barcelona. I found a place and soon welcomed the family to the apartment showing them the grocery store and metro station. We also attended a Rotary meeting that same week where they told the club about this wonderful doctor and her foundation.
After learning about the doctor’s unique work, I am planning on making it my project of the year to help her out since she is running a clinic with very little funding and many families with sick children are flying in from all over the world to see her. The families must stay at a place with a kitchen available to prepare the special food for their children. They often can’t find cheap housing, because as a tourist town, all the places found on the internet are all marketed to those that can pay 500 euros for a week or something similar. If needed, a project of mine would be to find reliable, inexpensive housing with kitchens and elevator access for the families.
In early November, we had an Austin AIESEC friend visit us from London. We went out almost every night and I took her to Montserrat. This is a mountain about 50km from Barcelona that has an odd appearance and also holds a monastery and the patron Virgin Mary of Barcelona.
Also in November, I had two work opportunities open up. I currently teach twice a week (3 hours a week) for a language teaching company at a place of business. I teach two students English after their work. It is a great chance to learn about Catalan culture from my students. I also teach twice a week at a little elementary school. I teach 4 and 5 year olds English. They speak Catalan at home, learn Castellano at school, and now take an elective of English with me. They now know their colors, numbers, and a few body parts. I received no training for either job and mostly have to make up all my material on my own. Over all, it is very encouraging to watch all of my students progress over time and build a relationship with them. I had never been a teacher like this before over a consistent amount of time so I am really enjoying this. Also, I am forced to speak Spanish with my employers and am learning about working in a foreign country.
The second weekend of November, Burak and I flew to Lisbon, Portugal. My host sister from Belgium hosted us at her place that she shares with her director-boyfriend. Burak had an interview that weekend with an alumnus from Northwestern b-school. I used the opportunity to meet up with a Rotary Scholar in Lisbon. She showed us around most of the weekend and we had a great time with her visiting a castle, monastery, and running around the small, hilly streets. We also drank porto and ginja, ate the cream tart with its famous recipe only the monks know, and also some cod specialties. We used our English and Spanish to get around. I could read the Portuguese fairly well but the accent is so different from Spanish it was hard for them to understand me if I just spoke Spanish to get around. We even had time to watch my sister and her boyfriend’s play, all of it in Portuguese of course.
The last two weeks of November, have also been busy. Burak got a call from a school he had interviewed with in September. The school’s academic counselor had pneumonia and was returning the States. He had an interview on the 19th, started the job and replaced the old academic counselor at an American school in town on the 22nd, and was invited to several Thanksgiving parties later that week.
At the dinner on Thursday, I was talking to a spouse of teacher about my project with Dr. Martinez. I learned that he is a science writer for a group of newspapers in the US and after our conversation, is currently researching to write an article about the Foundation for publication in the US. In the end, Burak found a job in a tight economy, in a foreign country, where he is not only qualified for the position but he doesn’t need to speak Spanish. It is such a blessing!
On a somber note, Burak also got a call from his mom in Turkey this week. His dad has advanced cancer and it is in the final stages. He has already started chemotherapy and seen some improvement, but it sounds like it is just a matter of time. Burak’s sister has already returned to spend her 3 month summer vacation (Australian university) with her family. Burak plans to return next weekend during the 5-day weekend holiday. This really comes as a shock to us. I am so thankful that we are close enough to Turkey Burak can fly home and that we had two wonderful months with them this summer. Our prayers are with them.
This week, also in attempt to keep Burak’s morale up, I had organized a Thanksgiving meal/party at our place inviting all my flat mates and other friends in the city. We had about 13 people or so with all the fixings. I had pumpkin pie mix imported from Texas and received a can of cranberry sauce at the American dinner I went to on Thursday. I was so happy to have all these exotic foods that I can’t find here easily. I made pumpkin pie using a crust I made from scratch. We had amazing traditional American Thanksgiving food made by Americans, Germans, Swedes, and Italians. We even went around, after I explained the tradition, and said what we were thankful for in our lives. A German friend was so happy to have her first American Thanksgiving and another German was so excited to celebrate an American holiday in Spain (she had lived in the US and was going to tell her host family she made sweet potato casserole).
Now, I am sitting at my living room table with my mp3 collection running familiar music with the sounds of the Italian’s TV seeping from his room in the background while Burak tries to sleep. It is cold here (well that is relative to what cold means to you) so we use a space heater to keep our room warm. The electricity went out a couple of minutes ago because our heater, the washer, the TV, my laptop, the electric oven, and a couple of lights were all on at the same time. Another example of the UN-type of work I conduct on a daily basis (J), we have to negotiate which appliance is the least needed and how we can keep the electricity running for the entire apartment. I turned off my living room light and our heater. Now, the clothes can be washed, the tart can be cooked, and my flat mate can continue to keep the volume high on his TV.
I am not sure where to put this in my update but I wanted to say that I have learned many things and that will probably be the topic of my next update. One of those many things is that a cockroach can survive being inside a working microwave oven. This is something I learned accidentally while I was trying to heat up some soup. For the next week, I didn’t use the microwave and started eating less. I cleaned the microwave recently and took out this useless piece that the cockroaches employ as hiding device. Now, I still check for critters before using the micro. When they say cockroaches could withstand nuclear war, I think they are right.
I seriously have been having such a great time. I know that I am not being fair with not sharing regular updates but I get so caught up in running around seeing new things, meeting new people, etc. that I can’t keep up. Today I slept 10 hours and it was such a refreshing needed break.
This weekend, I had a scholar from Seville visit me. We went to the Magic Fountain in Plaza España where the fountain has lights and music coordinated to create a amazing 15 minute show. Last night, I went to a good friend’s going away party. I met a lot of her friends that she always raves about and also a girl that wants to do a language exchange. Someone I had just met introduced me to another person and said that I spoke/understood Spanish very well. I was so happy. My work is paying off!
This coming weekend, I have to go to Madrid again. This time, for a law school interview with an alumni from Northwestern. I then will return to Barcelona for a nice long weekend to catch up on everything I haven’t had time to do. I might even update my website! Also, there might even be three scholars in town using the break to travel to my cool city.
On December 8th, I am flying with a scholar to Berlin to be a group leader at a conference aimed at Americans to discuss world opinion about the US and to bring back this discussion to campuses when they return from their time abroad. I just created plans to take advantage of my week in Berlin to go to Poland. I am still working on this idea. I know another girl from my school here that is going to the same conference and we are planning to take a train to Poland after the conference on Sunday.
I then return to Barcelona for one week before going to Belgium for a 2.5 week vacation. Since I will need to speak French during the break, I started a French-English exchange to prepare me. Burak and I will stay with my host families in Verviers and plan to do short trips to friends’ places in Holland, Germany, and around Belgium. Also, we plan to attend a Rotaract Conference New Years party. This will be the third New Years I have spent in Belgium!
On December 22nd of this year, Burak and I will celebrate 2.5 years of marriage. So, because of the occasion, the opportunity, and price, we bought tickets to have a romantic weekend in Paris for Valentine’s Day next year. Now, I just need to find someone that lives there that we can stay with! J
We will probably learn about the law and business school results between mid-December and early spring. We try not to think about it now. I still need to finish my Northwestern application and additional scholarship applications to a couple of schools.
Next spring, I am going to take a course on making documentaries at a school very close to my house. At the end of the course, from February to April, I have to produce a 12-minute documentary. I am so excited because I have always been interested in film and documentaries but haven’t really had a chance to pursue this interest until now. I brought my video camera and also have that feature on my digital camera, so I am prepared!
Everything is going well over here. It is always great to hear from friends and how things are going around the world so keep in touch!
Un beso,
Ruby
November 25, 2004
Another case of a little culture shock: Caganer
Ok, I was teaching class last night to my Catalan student of 31 yrs of age. Because the class consists of a lot of English conversation and since it is almost Christmas, we started talking about local traditions.
I was truly surprised when he explained to me the Catalan tradition of the Caganer. Cagar literally means 'to defecate' so you can imagine what Caganer means. I told my student I almost didn't believe him and wanted to research this on my own to make sure since I actually haven't seen any Caganers yet.
Basically, they are squatting figurines in the process of defecating that people locate in a position hidden from the Nativity Scene. It is now popular to buy figurines of politicians and famous people in this position. But it is true, and I found some info if you want to read about and go to the website for a picture of one.
These texts are excerpts from the book "El Caganer", by Jordi Arruga and Josep Mañà.
Also, see http://www.amicsdelcaganer.org/angles/index1.htm
We can define the caganer as an element of popular imagery which represents an individual, squatting with buttocks exposed, satisfying his physiological needs in the open air. The best-known version of this personality is, without a doubt, the genuine and unique figure that is found forming a part of our homemade Nativity scenes. He also has been called "the shitter", "the defecating man", or "the man doing his duty". He is sometimes accompanied by a pig which has eagerly sniffed out the perpetrator. The caganer is traditionally placed under a bridge, behind a haystack, or otherwise discretely hidden, since it would show a lack of respect if this figure were situated in the landscape where he would be visible from the crib of the Nativity or to those who come to adore the Christchild. It is customary for children, when contemplating the scene, to ask, "Where is the caganer?", then entertain themselves by looking for him.
HISTORY
The caganer does not appear exclusively in Nativity scenes, but also in other popular imagery. During the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries, with a preponderance of craftsmen’s unions, we find our caganer appearing as a motif among typical tiles depicting various trades. There are also 19th century ballads in Spanish and Catalan which make mention of the caganer and the action he performs. It is possible that the caganer was first incorporated into the Nativity scene during the Barroque period – at the end of the 17th or beginning of the 18th centuries. This was a time characterized by extreme realism, above all in still-lifes and local liturature, all of which relied heavily on descriptions of local life and customs. Here, working conditions and homelife were used as artistic themes. In this manner, aspects of actual daily life which previously went unappreciated, acquired a more dignified standing. Within the momentum of Barroque and the realistic themes of written works, the caganer takes on all of his significance, crude, ironic and scatologic all at once, representing the human condition and its obligations to nature. It is a figure which is very identifiable with and appropriate to the rural environment of his origins.
The Nativity scene, an artificial representation of the mystery of Christmas, originally could only be found in churches and convents – following the example of Saint Francis of Asisi, who constructed a living crèche on Christmas night in the year 1223. Little by little, idea took shape in private homes. The aristocratic homes of the 18th century were the first to erect monumental crèches, visited by many local people. Later the custom extended to the villages, and its enormous popularity endured so that, even today, it remainsone of the most vibrant elements in our popular art.
The washerwoman, the shepherd boy, the woman feeding chickens, the Magi, the caganer and other figures, along with an assortment of fowl, cork houses and silver-paper rivers, placed on bits of moss and cork in a corner of the dining room, give the illusion of a happy world and add a bit of nature to our homes.
TYPOLOGIES
The traditional caganer figure depicts a squatting farmer topped with a barretina, the traditional Catalan cap. He often smokes a cigarrette or pipe as he answers nature’s call. Sometimes his props include an open newspaper, reading to pass the time while completing his task, which will later be put to use in “cleaning up”. In reference to the feminine variation of this popular figure we must mention that 30 years ago or so, these caganera figures also began to be produced. These were first created by Lluís Vidal, a well-known figure-making craftsman in Barcelona. These first caganeras coincided with the time when miniskirts made their appearance on the streets. Among these more personalized types there are also figures dressed in traditional Hebrew apparel.
Each year some craftsmen create unusual caganers in the forms of novelties or caricatures, provoked by some particular current event or just to satisfy collectors. Among these unique models we can include caganers dressed in the colors of the local Barça or Espanyol football teams, the “Olympic caganer”, by Godia at Christmas 1986, the year Barcelona received its nomination as an Olympic city, and the caganer paying homatge to the pilgrims of the “Camino de Santiago” (Santiago Trail in Galicia), presented in 1999 by Anna Mª Pla in recgognition of an anniversary of the route. As with the “giants” which embellish processions during local festivals, some villages and towns have their own caganer figures which represent a special characteristic of the area. The towns of Ripoll, Bagà, Centelles and Anglès are examples of this.
GEOGRAPHICAL AREAS
Although Catalunya is where the caganer is the most poular and established and has the most tradition, by no means is it exclusive to this area. We have also found them in créches in Múrcia (Spain), Portugal, Naples (Italy),to name a few other locations. They go by the names “cagones”, “cagöes” and “cacone”, or more simply, “the pooping shepherd”.
I was truly surprised when he explained to me the Catalan tradition of the Caganer. Cagar literally means 'to defecate' so you can imagine what Caganer means. I told my student I almost didn't believe him and wanted to research this on my own to make sure since I actually haven't seen any Caganers yet.
Basically, they are squatting figurines in the process of defecating that people locate in a position hidden from the Nativity Scene. It is now popular to buy figurines of politicians and famous people in this position. But it is true, and I found some info if you want to read about and go to the website for a picture of one.
These texts are excerpts from the book "El Caganer", by Jordi Arruga and Josep Mañà.
Also, see http://www.amicsdelcaganer.org/angles/index1.htm
We can define the caganer as an element of popular imagery which represents an individual, squatting with buttocks exposed, satisfying his physiological needs in the open air. The best-known version of this personality is, without a doubt, the genuine and unique figure that is found forming a part of our homemade Nativity scenes. He also has been called "the shitter", "the defecating man", or "the man doing his duty". He is sometimes accompanied by a pig which has eagerly sniffed out the perpetrator. The caganer is traditionally placed under a bridge, behind a haystack, or otherwise discretely hidden, since it would show a lack of respect if this figure were situated in the landscape where he would be visible from the crib of the Nativity or to those who come to adore the Christchild. It is customary for children, when contemplating the scene, to ask, "Where is the caganer?", then entertain themselves by looking for him.
HISTORY
The caganer does not appear exclusively in Nativity scenes, but also in other popular imagery. During the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries, with a preponderance of craftsmen’s unions, we find our caganer appearing as a motif among typical tiles depicting various trades. There are also 19th century ballads in Spanish and Catalan which make mention of the caganer and the action he performs. It is possible that the caganer was first incorporated into the Nativity scene during the Barroque period – at the end of the 17th or beginning of the 18th centuries. This was a time characterized by extreme realism, above all in still-lifes and local liturature, all of which relied heavily on descriptions of local life and customs. Here, working conditions and homelife were used as artistic themes. In this manner, aspects of actual daily life which previously went unappreciated, acquired a more dignified standing. Within the momentum of Barroque and the realistic themes of written works, the caganer takes on all of his significance, crude, ironic and scatologic all at once, representing the human condition and its obligations to nature. It is a figure which is very identifiable with and appropriate to the rural environment of his origins.
The Nativity scene, an artificial representation of the mystery of Christmas, originally could only be found in churches and convents – following the example of Saint Francis of Asisi, who constructed a living crèche on Christmas night in the year 1223. Little by little, idea took shape in private homes. The aristocratic homes of the 18th century were the first to erect monumental crèches, visited by many local people. Later the custom extended to the villages, and its enormous popularity endured so that, even today, it remainsone of the most vibrant elements in our popular art.
The washerwoman, the shepherd boy, the woman feeding chickens, the Magi, the caganer and other figures, along with an assortment of fowl, cork houses and silver-paper rivers, placed on bits of moss and cork in a corner of the dining room, give the illusion of a happy world and add a bit of nature to our homes.
TYPOLOGIES
The traditional caganer figure depicts a squatting farmer topped with a barretina, the traditional Catalan cap. He often smokes a cigarrette or pipe as he answers nature’s call. Sometimes his props include an open newspaper, reading to pass the time while completing his task, which will later be put to use in “cleaning up”. In reference to the feminine variation of this popular figure we must mention that 30 years ago or so, these caganera figures also began to be produced. These were first created by Lluís Vidal, a well-known figure-making craftsman in Barcelona. These first caganeras coincided with the time when miniskirts made their appearance on the streets. Among these more personalized types there are also figures dressed in traditional Hebrew apparel.
Each year some craftsmen create unusual caganers in the forms of novelties or caricatures, provoked by some particular current event or just to satisfy collectors. Among these unique models we can include caganers dressed in the colors of the local Barça or Espanyol football teams, the “Olympic caganer”, by Godia at Christmas 1986, the year Barcelona received its nomination as an Olympic city, and the caganer paying homatge to the pilgrims of the “Camino de Santiago” (Santiago Trail in Galicia), presented in 1999 by Anna Mª Pla in recgognition of an anniversary of the route. As with the “giants” which embellish processions during local festivals, some villages and towns have their own caganer figures which represent a special characteristic of the area. The towns of Ripoll, Bagà, Centelles and Anglès are examples of this.
GEOGRAPHICAL AREAS
Although Catalunya is where the caganer is the most poular and established and has the most tradition, by no means is it exclusive to this area. We have also found them in créches in Múrcia (Spain), Portugal, Naples (Italy),to name a few other locations. They go by the names “cagones”, “cagöes” and “cacone”, or more simply, “the pooping shepherd”.
November 18, 2004
Muslim/non-muslim divide growing in Europe
Excerpt from an article from the AP:
Death threats are taken a lot more seriously since the slaying in the Netherlands two weeks ago of Dutch filmmaker Theo van Gogh by a suspected Islamic radical. Van Gogh had produced a brief television movie highly critical of the treatment of women in Muslim families.
Ruby's comments:
This event has caused a domino effect of chaos between Muslims and non-Muslims in Holland and appears to be spreading to nearby countries. There is already the cultural, sometimes language, and religious differences that can divide the groups that usually co-exist around Europe like in Holland, Belgium, Germany, and France. It could have been seen like a bomb waiting to explode and now it appears that it has. Hopefully peace can be returned soon.
Death threats are taken a lot more seriously since the slaying in the Netherlands two weeks ago of Dutch filmmaker Theo van Gogh by a suspected Islamic radical. Van Gogh had produced a brief television movie highly critical of the treatment of women in Muslim families.
Ruby's comments:
This event has caused a domino effect of chaos between Muslims and non-Muslims in Holland and appears to be spreading to nearby countries. There is already the cultural, sometimes language, and religious differences that can divide the groups that usually co-exist around Europe like in Holland, Belgium, Germany, and France. It could have been seen like a bomb waiting to explode and now it appears that it has. Hopefully peace can be returned soon.
Threats push Belgian politician into hiding
Extra precautions taken to protect critic of Islamists
The Associated Press
Updated: 2:40 p.m. ET Nov. 17, 2004
BRUSSELS, Belgium - A Belgian senator of Moroccan origin, known for her criticism of conservative traits within immigrant Muslim communities, has gone into hiding after receiving death threats, officials said Wednesday.
advertisementMimount Bousakla, 32, contacted police after receiving threatening telephone calls last weekend, said a Socialist party official who asked not to be identified. Bousakla showed up for work at Parliament on Wednesday, but now lives at a secret location.
“She again received threats and now has round-the-clock police protection and has gone into hiding,” the official said.
Death threats are taken a lot more seriously since the slaying in the Netherlands two weeks ago of Dutch filmmaker Theo van Gogh by a suspected Islamic radical. Van Gogh had produced a brief television movie highly critical of the treatment of women in Muslim families.
Bousakla last week criticized the Muslim executive, an umbrella group for Muslims in Belgium, for not condemning the attack. “Because of the murder of Theo van Gogh, the executive should have protested and called on the Muslims to criticize the attack. Instead it did nothing,” she was quoted as saying on her web site.
Over the weekend, an unknown caller threatened “to ritually slaughter her” and she took the threat seriously enough to warn police, the official said.
Two years ago, Bousakla wrote a book “Couscous with Belgian Fries” about the problems of being raised in between the Moroccan and Belgian cultures. She criticized forced marriages, the place of women in society and the role of men within the family.
The Socialist politician also has openly opposed perceived radical and fundamentalist influences in Belgian mosques.
© 2004 The Associated Press.
November 16, 2004
The problem with living in an exciting city..
..You never have enough time to sit in front of a computer and write about your experiences!
I apparently have not unpdated my blog for one month. In the last month, I have started teaching English 5 hours a week, going to Rotary meetings, had a friend visit from London, went to Portugal for a weekend and saw my Belgian host sister, watched movies, eaten a lot of guacamole, and gone to school.
I shall write more......
I apparently have not unpdated my blog for one month. In the last month, I have started teaching English 5 hours a week, going to Rotary meetings, had a friend visit from London, went to Portugal for a weekend and saw my Belgian host sister, watched movies, eaten a lot of guacamole, and gone to school.
I shall write more......
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