Epilogue: Paris

International News Story; El Pais, Jueves Deciembre 2,"Maxima presión contra Wikileaks y su fundador"

This article discusses how Wikileaks could be in danger of shutting down. Barrack Obama has designated someone in control of all infiltration, someone to prevent more documents from being leaked, and the FBI as well as the Pentagon are investigating how these leaks were even possible.  Amazon was wikileak's original network provider, but recently it withdrew its support, and denied users access to the page. Now, Assange is being accused of sexually assaulting two Swedish women last summer. A red alert, for the arrest of Assange  had been released by Interpol in November, before the massive leak of secret documents. This crime might put an end to Wikileaks, which would make many governments around the world rest easier. 

     Many members of government see Wikileaks as a threat, admiral Mike Mullen said that Assange has hands stained with blood, he does not believe that the general public should have access to such sensitive material, because this material could also get into the hands of U.S enemies.

  I think that Wikileaks is the result of a government that is far from transparent. If governments were more willing to reveal the terrible things they have done, as well as the good, the public would not have to resort to a whistle blowing website for the truth.

El País, Jueves diciembre de 2010; España: El Caso Couso

    This article discusses the tragic event in 2003, when Spanish cameraman José Couso was killed when American soldiers bombed the hotel he was staying in, when they were aiming at enemy soldiers. José Couso's death caused a public uproar. People protested in Spain, claiming that the soldiers responsible for sending the hotel bomb, should have to answer for their actions. The investigation into Couso's death was closed when the court claimed that his death was an act of war, and therefore those involved could not be put to trial. The family was able to successfully appeal this decision, and the appeal was excepted by the Supreme Court of Spain. The case was reopened by Santiago Pedraz, and he sent out   a search warrant for three U.S soldiers.
   This article received information from wikileaks that reveals the U.S government put pressure on the Spanish government to close the court case.
  This is a significant issue because if roles were reversed, an American cameraman was killed by Spanish soldiers, it is likely the U.S government would ensure those responsible were put behind bars. It is unsettling that the U.S government can threaten the Spanish government in way that denies them the ability to seek justice for their own citizens. 

El País, Jueves diciembre de 2010; Cataluña: Asesinado un 'latin king' en Eixample

      This article discusses how there was a death among one of the latin American gangs here in Spain. 

A 17 year old boy was killed from a mortal stab in the stomach, during a gang fight in a park of Eixample. The boy belonged to the gang known as the 'Latin Kings,' which is one of the gangs with the most power in Cataluña at the moment. The victim was peruvian had been in similar fights before. This fight took place in the park 'gardens of Montserrat'. The police are often able to prevent or break up one of these fights because gangs organize themselves and alert members of the gang by communicating online. While this tactic often makes it easy for police to be forewarned, they don't always arrive on scene in time to prevent tragedy. The fight occurred for no known reason. The articles finale statement discusses how Latin American gangs are very territorial and like to occupy public spaces such as parks and warns that the 'gardens of Montserrat' in area frequently occupied by Latin American gangs.

      

      I thought it was interesting how the article emphasized that the gangs are latin American. How long have the youth and gang member been living in Spain I wonder. It seems that Spanish are always described as a nonviolent and when outbreaks of violence occur, generally it is Latin Americans who are involved. 

Food in La Garrotxa

Unfortunately I have no pictures of the wonderful food I ate at this  majestic place, but I will do my best to give the meal a worthy description. The first course was a  salad of mixed greens, nuts and raisins topped with a slab of gooey goat cheese. Then there was a choice of sausage, fish  risotto, or different savory crepes. I chose the risotto which was delicious. It was an artfully arranged pile of warm creamy rice and vegetables. There were also basket of soft fresh bread to eat. The desert was a classic flan; it was fist sized and a had clear maple syrup hue. While there are Tapas in Barcelona, a long sit down meal is a more traditional Catalan meal.

Roman Barcino Field Trip

The city museum in Barcelona allows you to see Roman ruins underneath walkways of glass. It was amazing to see this crumbling stone, because hundreds of years ago, they were part of the infrastructure of a powerful city. There were also exhibits that introduced us to an aspect of ancient Roman culture. Through the exhibit I found out that since Romans did not have the laundry detergent we use today, they used urine and ashes to clean their clothes. The urine was used to sanititize the clothing, while the ashes scrubbed away stains. Another thing I found interesting was that the architecture was designed so that buildings had large windows on the first floor and and smaller windows on the second level. Roman's homes, interestingly, also had central heating. Throughout the museum there were references to both Athena the hunter  and Minerva, among other gods and goddesses. In Roman art, women tend to be some of the most famous goddesses. Athena was an important goddess who was an inspiration for many women, as well as a protector at the time, and Minerva was the goddess of intelligence.
Baths played a major role at the time. They were not only used as a place to clean oneself but were  also places where members of society would gather.
   This is also the time period where eating becomes a social activity, where people will throw extravagant parties and orchestrate grand feists to laugh and be merry over. At the time, people drank wine more like the way we drink water. It was not quite as strong as the wine we have today, and most likely more sanitary than the water at the time. Since the refrigerator was not available, Romans covered yesterday's meat in a coating of salt, this allowed the food to be edible the next day, otherwise it would rot. It was fascinating to see Roman artifacts that have lasted throughout the centuries and see foundations of what was once one of the world's largest  empires.

Rudimentary sketch of Roman columns.

Barca V.S AD Ceuta

Fans and Cameramen get ready for the  game

On November 10th, the Barcelona futbol team played the autonomous region near Morocco,  of A.D Ceuta. It was a wednesday night in Barcelona.  Hundreds of fans  prepared for the game by going to their favorite bar, and getting inebriated.

 It is important that drinking needs are fulfilled before a futbol game, because the stadium is probably the only place alcohol is not served. Along with standard sports watching snacks like hotdogs and  nachos,  you can also buy warm chocolate croissants. Study abroad students hurried to buy a turquoise jersey so they would blend in with the passionate crowd, but many at Camp Nou were bedecked in their everyday wear and used only their throaty cheers to express their enthusiasm. Each time  the Barca team scored  another goal, a roar of chants would flow from the crowd. Along with cheering, fans showed their support by making "the wave" when a goal was scored. This expression of support is also common in the U.S. I have not been to many futbol games, but it was thrilling to watch a ball slide just out reach from the opposing team's foot, and the barcelona team passing the ball back and forth to create a final score of 5-1. A.D Ceuta's did not play badly but the Barca team is on a different tier of competition. 

Soccer is a huge part of Spanish and Catalan culture and it is one of the things that can put Catalans and Spaniards on opposing sides. Barcelona does not have their own team, so when Spain played and won the World Cup, was  controversial. Many of the players were Catalan so many Barca fans supported the team, but some felt that since the Catalans were on a Spanish team, they were playing for Spain which fundamentally goes against Catalunya, so they chose not to support the team.

Just stretching before the game

Man down! But he was up a few moments later.

The MNAC

       The MNAC( Museo Nacional d'Art de Catalunya) sits on top of Montjuic, in Placa Espanya. From the balcony at the front entrance, is a fantastic view of the city. The plaza is a mere strip, and the apartments in the area look like multicolored shoe boxes. The MNAC contains Gothic, Romanesque, Baroque and Renaixament art.

Romanesque art.

Circle of the master of Pedret, The apostles of Ager, Thaddeus and James
End of 11th century to the beginning of the 12th
Fresco transfered to canvas

                                      Even though there  are holes in this fresco it is amazing how much of it is still intact. These holy figures are clearly defined by the spheres of light behind their heads.

Circle of the Master of Pedret, Apse of El Burgal,
End of 11th century, beginning of 12th.
Fresco transferred to canvas

                                                                         Gothic Art

                        Virgin, Second half of the 14th century. Carved alabaster,
with the remains of polychrome and gold leaf

                                          Even though Christ is depicted as a child his face has an older composure. The Virgin has her traditional look of sadness, as she sees her son's ultimate fate. With Gothic Art, the artist focuses on giving images a more natural look, the Virgin's garment is carved so it looks like it is draped in delicate folds.

Descent of Christ into limbo,
Bartolome Bermejo, Cordoba.
Oil and gilding on wood, c. 1475

                                              In this painting, the artist echos techniques used during the Romanesque period. Many if the figures have those same almond shaped eyes, and all the old men have similar expressions. Each figure has a bloated stomach as well.

Factitious group with the deposition of Christ and the road to cavalry,
 Anonomous, made in Germany
Wood carving with polychrome gold leaf

While the artist uses similar styles to depict each person, they each have an individual expression or gesture. It is amazing how the artist was able to carve each nose and finger to from a vessel of grief for this moment.

                                                                           Modern Art

 Lucretia,
Damía Campeny
Rome, 1803
Cast bronze.

There are many different versions of the woeful story of Lucretia. One version, describes how the princes Titus, Aruns Brutus, Sextus and Tarquin of Collotia  were feasting, discussing who had the worthiest wife. The went to Rome to spy on their wives and see what they were doing. Three of them enjoying a meal with friends or cheating on the husbands. The third, Lucretia was still mourning the abcsense of her husband, Tarquin. Sextus, jealous of his cousin's pure wife, returned a few days later. He  took advantage of Lucretia's gracious hospitality and forced himself on her. Lucretia was  devestated by her impurity. When her husband arrived, she told him what Sextus had done and demanded they seek revenge. But she felt extreme guilt herself and claimed her own life, saying "I too must share in the punishment of this deed, lest any should think that they may be false to their husbands and live."

I find it interesting that even though Sextus's assault on Lucretia is clearly not her fault, she still feels guilty. During this time period, cheating on your husband was a severe crime, one that it seems was often followed by a death sentence. This story and sculpture is a reflection of the ideals upheld during this time, in regards to how women should behave. Some versions of the story say that the other wives were not necessarily cheating on their husbands. They were not sitting in the dark working on a garment and so they were not considered to be faithful wives.

Spanish Food: Churros con Xocolata

Churros con xocolata is a very traditional part of Spanish culture. The churros in the states are generally smothered in butter and sugar, but these churros are plain tubes of pastry that are dipped into a heavy cup of chocolate for a delicious treat. This dish is generally eaten in the morning but can also be eaten at all times of the day. This food is one of the things that bridges the gap between Spanish and Catalan culture.

Catalan Culture: La Mercé

  
      This holiday is one of the biggest holidays in Barcelona. A weekend of celebrating is dedicated to the city’s patron saint, La Mercé. First there is a parade with the giants,(  huge puppets representing people from history or folklore  that are considered to be important_) Castellers, the corofouque, and a grand finale of an amazing firework show on that Sunday. There were also concerts throughout the weekend free of cost. The two events I found to be the most interesting were the Castellers and Corofouque. 
When asked what it meant to be Catalan, many people replied that Castellers were a pivotal part of their culture. Castellers are people who train for the entire year to put on performances where different teams will compete to see who can make the strongest, tallest human pyramid. The pyramid begins  at the bottom. There is a domino-like effect  made up of about ten people deep. Each person is supporting the person in front of them, creating a circle of support. The first layer is not standing on the lower level’s shoulder, rather their weight is distributed through many supporting hands.The next layer of the pyramid consists of 8 or so people standing. They create a circle with their arms and brace themselves as the next group of people climb up their backs. Everyone has special handkerchiefs tied around their waist, to make it easier for the climbers to get onto their shoulders. I also noticed that many of the castellers wore bandanas, possibly to prevent their hair from getting pulled. While the Pyramids are being built no one is supposed to talk. The scattered comments are shushed and everyone waits for at least two levels to be built before the crowd erupts into cheers and music is played. It seems that if you cheer before the pyramid has any levels, it can be bad luck and jinx the pyramid's success. 
The last person to climb to the tip-top of the pyramid is a child generally 3-5 years old. They wear helmets as a safety precaution, but my heart jumps a little every time a pyramid collapses.

Girls peer on as the pyramid slowly grows

The second layer struggles to maintain their positions as the next layer scrambles upwards

A young casteller breaks the one rule, of climbing high structures. Don't look down!

This girl was sitting on her dad's shoulder's waving frantically, cheering on the castellers.  Towards the end a burly mustached Casteller came up to her, reached up and placed a sticker that said "Casteller'. This is a picture of how excited she was to be an honorary casteller. 

This is not an American sport. Castellers cheer on members of their own team, as well as other teams. This is a sport that emphasizes community, and shared goals. One of the Castellers is also holding the traditional Catalan horn.

A young Casteller  stops for a moment looking  out at the crowd, before continuing on with the climb

Stilt walkers parade down the street furling their beautifully colored outfits

Children playing with the discarded confetti 

A moonfaced figure shakes hands with a little boy

Singers  at La Ciutadella

  Although Corofoque is relatively new, it is a large  event in Barcelona. It used to be an event for the whole family, but now there is a tamer event for children to experience. Hundreds of people gather, to be chases by demons through the gates of hell. On Gran Via a gate has been built, connected both sides of the street. At 8:00 an explosion of red fireworks erupt and a diabolic voice sounds over  loudspeakers. Figures are also walking around in monster costumes lighting fireworks in the middle of crowds. Everyone is packed together like sardines so that if you want to break free of the mass, it is like pulling away from a magnet. You are always getting pulled the opposite direction of where you want to go.

Fire fighters lined up in case someone happens to catch on fire.

Fireworks explode during corofoque

Fireworks to end the celebrations

Grand Finale