March Madness

If this blog comes up and you're looking for basketball or baloncesto, you're in the wrong place, but please, by all means, read on.

March has been a very crazy month for me, and it just so happens that it is named for craziness in the States because of basketball or something, I think. Anyways, let's start at the beginning: el Día de los Reyes Magos, January 6th. I had a strange, across the room conversation with my host mother as, around us the family was having a discussion of some matter, undoubtedly thelack of food in our stomachs at that moment. Well, at the end of that yelled conversation that took place in between me and my host mother, and a few texts later, I had a plane ticket from Madrid to London and a plane ticket from London to Madrid.

As a direct result, on the 3rd of March, when it was still the 2nd of March in all 50 States (3a.m.), I woke up from a two hour nap, and in 30 minutes had left the flat, and I along with my host mother, her best friend, and my host sister, left for the train station, where we would subsequently catch a bus, to the Madrid airport. That is where I used those tickets purchased 2 months before. By afternoon I was breathing the [probably] polluted air of London, England, and I was liking it.

After telling you all that stuff about only the first day, I am not going to elaborte much on how the trip went. It went very well, it was my first time in England, and I am pleased to say that I liked it very much. It was a great experience. As for the things I saw, well, I'm sure I did not see everything but I sure we got pretty darn close with all the walking that we did. We returned the afternoon of March the 6th. I will attach photos. Overall, I give London two thumbs up and a reccomendation (if any of you are willing to take my reccomendation).

March 11: I randomly met, Vincent del Bosque, Spain's international soccer team coach at my school. Well, I guess I didn´t really meet him, but he was there all the same.

March 12: Nothing, regular day.

March 13: for some reason, we kind-of-not-really got punished or something and were supposed to run a 5km race, but we decided to work a stand next to the race instead for the host mother. And take some cool pictures on top of a hill/castle thingy.

March 20: Made it to another Real Madrid match in The Bernabéu. I may even become a fan if we continue like this. Real Madrid v. Sevilla 4-0. 

Holy Week: Holy Week, better known as Semana Santa, is a very big deal in Spain. It is the week during the spring that all Spanish children get off. And it is always on Holy Week. So in the USA we have spring break, but in Spain they have Semana Santa. It is a very big deal, and very, very impressive. It is definetly a thing you should see if you are very into Holy Week or are in Spain at that time. It is a very complicated and long thing to explain but I'll make a short version using only English just for you guys.

Basically they have huge parades, well processions.

But like the people are wearing these habits/costumbres that look like the KKK fell in jars of different paints (you have too look it up to see what I'm talking about). And the only musical instruments played are the horn ones and the drum ones. (I don't know anything about music). And the floats are the giant statues that all the churches have, but they are taken dowen from the church and put on plantforms. Then, men and women grab hold of these platforms and lift them to their shoulders, and they process (parade) around the city, usually at night, for a few hours. Now multiply this by the number of brotherhoods (church denominatiuons that take responsibility for organizing the processions) that there are in the city, and the statues and all Holy Week long. It's a sight to see for sure. the one word I would use to describe it is: impressive.

You can check out these processions by looking up: Semana Santa, Semana Santa Spain, Semana Santa Valladolid (where I live), and Semana Santa Medina de Rioseco (a very impressive series opf processions). And you can just go to YouTube and they should come up. I do not reccomend that you watch them entirely because there are a lot of really, really long ones. But enjoy.


Hahaha I hope some people got confused about why I put March 12 on there like that. Well, the truth is I was just trying to be funny. March 12 was by birthday, I turned 17 years old, or better said: I completed my 17th revolution around the sun. Not bad, not bad at all.It was a good birthday, that for everyone who said Happy Birthday and even everyone who didn't remember, I forgive you, but you owe me a present when I get back. (; My parents said we could have another birthday party when I get home so maybe I'll invite you guys.

Anyways see ya later,

Un saludo, Miguel Sabol

Buckingham Palace: selfie with random strangers

Granada, Francia y Más

Okay I actually forgot about the blog for a bit because of all that has been going on. And now I decided I'd write this post no matter what. Even if I'm in the middle of exams and I should be studying right now. Hahaha and by that I mean "I should be procrastinating about studying" right now. So instead of procrastinating, I'm going to write in my blog, and later I'll study. It might all work out better now that I've put my thoughts into words (and English). Writing does that sometimes.

Well I'll start my story again near the end of January. A fortunate mistake led me and my host family to have a week of vacation on the last week of January near and in Granada, Spain. A ski trip… to southern Spain. I though it was strange at first, and it still is. But then I learned that those mountains are the highest on the Iberian Peninsula (if not however in Spain). So we hit to road, and then, the slopes. Granted it has been a very warm winter (relatively, because I'm still freezing) and so there wasn't exactly a lot of slopes to hit, but we hit all the ones available. We skied for three days straight in Sierra Nevada. Then, went down the mountain to the city of Granada, and explored it. We explored the city, and then the Alahambra (one of the most famous sites in Spain, so go look it up). The city is very beautiful and there was even a nice temperature while we were there. 

Then we went home, sadly, and I was forced to return to school for a week, a week after the week that I had completely missed… aka not fun. But then that Thursday, an opportunity came up. I think it went something like this at 10:30pm "Hey Miguel, want to leave to France tomorrow and go skiing for three days?" And of course I said, "Umm, sure." So there I was Friday night, in France. I went with the club at which I play soccer and (sometimes) study. There were over 30 people in our group and we had a great time in France and on the slopes of Piau Engaly. Which admittedly had [a bit] more snow than those of Granada. And it snowed on the second day (well the night before). It was really fun boarding in all the powder. (Oh yeah I forgot to say, I don't actually ski. I snowboard). The views in the Pyrenees were amazing and the slopes were pretty great. And now I can say I've snowboarded in 3 countries on two comtinents! 

And on the way back, with the club (which is a Catholic club) stopped at Torreciudad, which translates directly to Towercity. It's not really a city, but a church a very big church on a small peninsula in the middle of a man-made lake. The "city" was very beautiful and definitely worth the stop we made there. 

Then we had returned, and once again, I woke up the next day and went back to school. This time to a week of projects, as we had had that Monday and Tuesday off of school for Canaval (Marti Gra?). Then another week of school after than. And then last week we started exams at the end of the week. And they carry into this week. Which should be great fun. Great fun. I'm really starting to like these trimesters with there three exams per year and then end of course exams. Such a great idea Spain. 

Anyways I should probably get back to stuDying. Once again, the valient Miguel Sabol will engage the enemy of all teenagers. Oh and will you look at the time, a great time to start studying. 

Un saludo, Miguel Sabol

Casa Pepe

Sierra Nevada

Granada

France

Torreciudad

Holidays Away from Home

From now on, I'll probably stop apologizing for being "late" persay on my own blog, even if I do feel a little bad at doing some stuff on time, like... write a blog post that doesn't actually have a set date. Or that's what I tell myself, even as I set the date in my mind, and then pass over it, again and again.

Anyways, this holiday season was a special one, certainly, and a different one. Thank goodness that they don't play as much Christmas music here. (Sorry if you like Christmas music, but to me it´s not that great).

The holidays here aren't much different from those that I have experienced in the USA, but at the same time, are completely different. One thing that I liked was the amount of food. And that's one thing that every person I talked to complained about after the holdidays. That they had eaten too much. A lot of times (most with my family) all the food is served at one time, or we go buffet style, but in Spain, there are courses... Well, not like a 5 course meal or anything. On a normal day there are 3 courses, but then their are holidays and festive days when we go 4 courses or more. We start out with like appetizer food in the living room, then move to the dining room to eat the (big) soup, then on to the meat, and then dessert. And that also comes with as many drinks as you need to wash it all down ;). And sinces there are a lot more festive says during Christmas break, you end up eating a lot more. I thought it was great.

We spent almost all of holiday holidays with my host extended family, all of whom are pretty cool. We filled the house a few times with all the family. We never fit at one table, let me tell you that. But to be honest, my family has never fit at one table. Haha, and so far Spain has not changed that part.

It was a busy but relaxed Christmas break all in all. We were always doing something, never stopping. But we also had a lot of relax time, just to do whatever. We took a few trips within the region, but nothing far away. I have been to a lot of convents all over Castilla y Leon (my region of Spain) because of the work that my host mother does with them. And me hitching a ride with her on her convent-ional trips (pun intended) has taken me quite a few places.

Christmas, as in the day itself, was a lot different from the previous 15 times I have experienced it. Like, a lot different. The morning was the same, we went to midnight mass, and then sometime later (earlier??) we went to sleep, but no one really woke me up a measily 5 hours later for presents. Actually I think I might have gotten a full 8 hours of sleep too. (Don't worry it wasn't a surprise to me, they'd already told me). And then, we got up and dressed, and left to go have a big meal with the family in the pueblo (basically where the family started and so they all have houses there). And we ate, made a side trip to a convent, went to visit a 100 year out aunt, and then went home and ate again, and eventually went to sleep.
Did I forget anything, no. Spaniards, in general, do not celebrate more than the birth of Jesus on the 25th of December. It's Christmas, but without the Coca Cola advertizer (Santa Claus; if you didn't catch the red and white reference). Haha those aren't my words. Those are some of the Spanish opinions that I have witnessed. They appreciate Saint Nick and what all, but Santa Claus is a bit of a sham to them. Some even asked if I was sure I was Christian (Catholic) because by having celebrated Christmas with Santa Claus, I merited that question. It was a bit wierd but they didn't bother me that much. They do presents on the 6th of January, the Epiphany. (more on that later).

I also got to go to a Real Madrid/football match in Madrid on the 30th of December. That was fun. You should go if you ever get tickets and are in Madrid. Just saying guys.

Well, they do celebrate New Years' Day basically like in the USA: alcohol, fireworks, and the same channel on TV. But we add the grapes.
The Grapes. The 12 grapes. The last and first time you choke for a year.
Basically, you down 12 grapes in the 12 second before the "ball drops". Which is basically just you choking on the 7th grape, and then you end up having 9 grapes in your mouth, while shaking the hands of everyone around you. 100% brilliant tradition. I don't have to hear your voice for the first minute of the new year. Already the year has started off good. The general public (everyone) in Spain throws a significant amount of firworks in the 2 weeks leading up to the New Year and the day/night itself. Just a warning.

Then came the 6th of January, the, by now, much anticipated day of presents, that needn't be shared with Jesus. Los Reyes Magos, the Three Wise Men, or the Three Kings, however you prefer, had arrived.

Actually, los Reyes Magos are the ones bringing the presents to all of the kids of Spain (and the rest of the world), just like they brought presents to Jesus. (And that's their reason for saying they're more Christian than I am, even when they can't stand through a 30 minute church service without complaining). So I got some presents from los Reyes Magos too. Pretty nice of them to stop by for the little American boy.

January 6th I was woken up at an unholy hour by the youngest of my host siblings here. He tried to wake everyone up, but it only made us angry at him. Because everyone in the family is a lot older and we have all decided that through years of experience that the presents are not going anywhere in the near future, and that the extra hours of sleep will be appreciated later, when we want to play with our toys. Though, eventually we got up, and opened presents. Nice job to los Reyes Magos, whereever you guys reside when it is not January 6th. (nobody would explain that one to me)

Then, suddenly and rather violently, I was thrown into school,  a measely two day later. And BAM we are back in school. Yay. 
It's been a slow start for me at school. But it only gets easier (in regards to the Spanish part; the other part just continues to get harder).

And then, I recieved a couple of packages from the US of A. And then it kind of hit me a little bit, that I had just missed my first Christmas with my mom and dad, and my siblings. And a few Kleenexes may have been needed for when I had to read the 8 letters that I found within the two packages. I send a special thanks to the genius who made each of my siblings write me a letter about why the miss me and double thanks (because it cheered me up) to them, for telling me why they didn´t miss me. That was especially nice of you guys. I needed that. Seriously, almost thought you liked me or something. (Totally joking around for those of you who don´t catch sarcasm when it is written.) Love you guys. 

All in all it was a pretty good Christmas season. Hope yours was a good one too.

Un saludo, Miguel Sabol