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| Camp Sol Manifesto |
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| "The sleeping voice of the people has awoken" or something like that... |
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| "In Sol we trust" |
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| "We have the right to dream and make it a reality" |
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| "We are more" |
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Signs of the Protest
Protesters in Sol
It is interesting how things change sometimes isn't it? The last post I put on this blog was about a kind of fun little parade in Puerta del Sol. Now, it looks like Spain is all over the international news because of a protest that started in Sol, spread through the country, and continues right now.
I don't think I'll go into depth here on what this is about, the history behind it, or my personal opinion. But, the basic premise is grounded in the fact that there are a lot of frustrated, unemployed people (especially youth) in Spain and they are extremely concerned about the future.
I'm sure you can find news on this all over but here's a BBC article and one with a video by the protesters. This protest has been declared illegal, but the police are currently not planning to break it up unless it gets unruly.
Anyways, it's obviously impossible for me to avoid going and checking this kind of stuff out :). So, I went down there this afternoon. Puerta del Sol definitely looks different today than it did the last time I blogged.
There were also quite a few signs up around Sol. Maybe I'll put some of those in a different blog post so this one doesn't get any longer.
I think it will be interesting to see what comes of this. The elections are tomorrow (Sunday), but the protesters are planning to stay for as long as it takes.
I don't think I'll go into depth here on what this is about, the history behind it, or my personal opinion. But, the basic premise is grounded in the fact that there are a lot of frustrated, unemployed people (especially youth) in Spain and they are extremely concerned about the future.
I'm sure you can find news on this all over but here's a BBC article and one with a video by the protesters. This protest has been declared illegal, but the police are currently not planning to break it up unless it gets unruly.
Anyways, it's obviously impossible for me to avoid going and checking this kind of stuff out :). So, I went down there this afternoon. Puerta del Sol definitely looks different today than it did the last time I blogged.
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| Part of the camp in Sol |
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| One of the Metro entrances |
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| The bear and tree statue, symbol of Madrid |
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| Protestors and tourists |
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| When you're busy protesting, the best place to wash your feet is in the fountain |
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| Police riot vans lined up |
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| The foodie in me loves that they're making paella while protesting :) |
I think it will be interesting to see what comes of this. The elections are tomorrow (Sunday), but the protesters are planning to stay for as long as it takes.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Kickoff to the San Isidro Festival
May 11-15 is the San Isidro festival in Madrid. Other than knowing that San Isidro is Madrid's patron saint and having found this extensive schedule of events, I am not sure what the details are regarding this festival. But, I was able to catch the kickoff parade in Sol this evening - it was a little bit different :). I've never seen dancing giants before...
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| A few of the gigantes making their way into Sol. |
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| A cabezudo walked right by me, so he got his picture taken :). |
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| The gigantes men lined up to do a dance. |
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| The gigantes women lined up to dance. |
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| I think I surprised him... |
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| A few members of one of the bands taking a break. |
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| Right before those of us taking photos were shooed out so they could begin the dance. |
And here's the dance footage. Enjoy :).
Monday, May 09, 2011
Roses
Just thought you would all like to know that the roses are blooming in the palace gardens. They're pretty amazing :).
Thursday, May 05, 2011
Tunes
As you may recall from some of my previous posts, it's been a battle to really get into a focused "zone" while studying Spanish. Probably some of that is just my rusty study habits that were pretty much shelved after I was handed my degree however many years ago - ten(ish)? Wow.
Anyways, I'm not sure what the difference is from the focus level I was able to achieve working on projects in the corporate world compared to studying a second language. It's as if I've had to learn how to enter the "zone" all over again. I won't bore you with the details, but the bottom line is that is seems to be coming along - which is encouraging.
Ok, I'll give you one detail - since it was originally the goal of this post :). About a month ago, my tutor gave me a CD - to help me study Spanish :). It turned out to be classic Spanish guitar music.
Now, I focus/study best when it's quiet. Which is, for the most part, an unrealistic expectation in a city this large. So, the next most effective option is to listen to classical music while studying - no words distracting me, good to go :).
And I recently heard about this guy (below). He's apparently a pretty big deal in the classical guitar world as well.
Anyways, I'm not sure what the difference is from the focus level I was able to achieve working on projects in the corporate world compared to studying a second language. It's as if I've had to learn how to enter the "zone" all over again. I won't bore you with the details, but the bottom line is that is seems to be coming along - which is encouraging.
Ok, I'll give you one detail - since it was originally the goal of this post :). About a month ago, my tutor gave me a CD - to help me study Spanish :). It turned out to be classic Spanish guitar music.
Now, I focus/study best when it's quiet. Which is, for the most part, an unrealistic expectation in a city this large. So, the next most effective option is to listen to classical music while studying - no words distracting me, good to go :).
And I recently heard about this guy (below). He's apparently a pretty big deal in the classical guitar world as well.
I guess my tutor was right :). Anyways, it's nice to be able to focus when studying since it directly affects my ability to speak, comprehend, and read. So, thanks for praying for that - if you have been :).
Friday, April 22, 2011
Fútbol
So, we're in Spain, therefore soccer (fútbol) is a huge deal. I kind of enjoy watching fútbol every once in a while - I don't know much about it - but I'm learning.
This week, the Real Madrid fútbol team defeated Barcelona to win the Copa del Ray! Which, if I'm understanding it correctly, is essentially the Spanish national championship. And, since Real Madrid and Barcelona are pretty huge rivals, it was an even bigger deal :).
After winning a game like this, there's usually a huge celebration in Plaza de Cibeles. Erin talked me into going down there to check it out, and I'm glad she did! We mostly just wandered around in amazement, but it was neat to be there!
Here's some pictures I took a couple months ago of this area. See how it looks kind of peaceful? It's not actually, because there's a lot of traffic. But it REALLY was not peaceful the other night!
And, you can witness the jubilation of this victory on video, if you're interested :).
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Palm Sunday
This week is Semanta Santa - holy week. In Spain, holy week is marked by processionals in which effigies of Jesus, Mary, and/or various saints are carried out of their respective churches and taken through the streets. I had heard of these, but was not sure what exactly to expect when Erin, Nick, and I went to watch the first one.
From a cultural standpoint, it was really interesting to watch. From a ministry/spiritual standpoint, it's been challenging to process. I wanted to/did jump to conclusions, which may or may not have been accurate. So, here's a couple things I've been chewing on:
I came away from it so thankful for the simple, yet profound truth of the Gospel of grace that all people can have a relationship with God through the person and work of Jesus.
It stands as a stark contrast to all religions that essentially say you can/have to earn favor with God through following rules, rituals, traditions, and whatever else they come up with. Which is a total affront to Jesus. It's basically saying, "Jesus, I know You died on the cross, but I don't actually think You took care of it all. Therefore, I will step in and take care of it myself." Yikes - bold move, probably not the best idea.
So, as I was contemplating these things, the song "Give Me Jesus" just popped into my mind. It's interesting, because I can't remember the last time I actually heard this song. But it was kind of a breath of fresh air.
Sadly, I can't use it in the video due to copyright, but if you want the effect I was going for just play "Give Me Jesus" by Fernando Ortega while you watch. Otherwise, enjoy the pictures :).
One of the neat things about Semana Santa is that people seem to be more open to spiritual discussion. So, please be praying for those conversations to happen, as well as for wisdom and discernment on our part. Also, there will be more processions later this week. They start up again on Wednesday and go through Sunday, so those would be good times to pray also.
From a cultural standpoint, it was really interesting to watch. From a ministry/spiritual standpoint, it's been challenging to process. I wanted to/did jump to conclusions, which may or may not have been accurate. So, here's a couple things I've been chewing on:
- In the hearts and minds of the people attending and participating, is this an act driven solely by tradition or is there a spiritual element involved?
- If there is a spiritual element involved, do people think by performing these processions that they have earned favor with God or what is their motivation for doing it?
- What impact, if any, does this have on people's daily lives?
I came away from it so thankful for the simple, yet profound truth of the Gospel of grace that all people can have a relationship with God through the person and work of Jesus.
It stands as a stark contrast to all religions that essentially say you can/have to earn favor with God through following rules, rituals, traditions, and whatever else they come up with. Which is a total affront to Jesus. It's basically saying, "Jesus, I know You died on the cross, but I don't actually think You took care of it all. Therefore, I will step in and take care of it myself." Yikes - bold move, probably not the best idea.
So, as I was contemplating these things, the song "Give Me Jesus" just popped into my mind. It's interesting, because I can't remember the last time I actually heard this song. But it was kind of a breath of fresh air.
Sadly, I can't use it in the video due to copyright, but if you want the effect I was going for just play "Give Me Jesus" by Fernando Ortega while you watch. Otherwise, enjoy the pictures :).
One of the neat things about Semana Santa is that people seem to be more open to spiritual discussion. So, please be praying for those conversations to happen, as well as for wisdom and discernment on our part. Also, there will be more processions later this week. They start up again on Wednesday and go through Sunday, so those would be good times to pray also.