FC Barcelona Proclaims Historic Comeback in Champion League Semifinal: April 27, 2010

In a local news article from La Vanguardia, FC Barcelona looks to overcome its first leg loss to Inter Milan. The loss came as a shock because Barca has been able to dominate the majority of its opponents. Barca players wore T-shirts calling for fan supposet and they promised to ¨dejarse la piel¨ in the upcoming game. The response has been immediate. Barca shirts have been paraded throughout the streets as the internet stories boil and motivation videos have been posted on YouTube. This is a new and different environment for not only the players of FCB, but also the young fans. The passion for this team is at an all time high. The people of Catalunya take pride in Barca and what they have accomplished.

The upcoming game is particularly crucial for Leo Messi who was the star against Arsenal in the previous round. Now, he has gone four games without scoring a goal. The match is also a battle between two of the best coaches on the continent, Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola. Inter Milan´s coach understands that the strength of his team lies in its ability to play on the counterattach. This game is the last obstacle that remains for Barca in their pursuit to Madrid where the Champions League Final will be played. This year in particular is an important year for FCB to make it to the finals because Madrid was knocked out of the Champions League. The rivalry between Barca and Madrid is as strong as ever which is why Barca would love to win the cup in their city.

The President of Mexico Comments on Arizona Immigration Law: April 25, 2010

I found this article in the Spanish newspaper El Mundo that covers international news as well as spanish news. It is important for countries around the world to be knowledgeable about significant issues whether or not it affects them directly. In addition, Americans should remain up to date on current news throughout Europe and other continents.

The President of Mexico, Felipe Calderon, addressed the issue of immigration in Arizona in response to the anti-immigrant law passed last Friday. He spoke at the opening of the Congress of Migrant for Better Living to a very receptive audience. The Mexican President has never betrayed his citizens who are attempting to immigrate to the U.S. He has supported the proposal to create a network of lawyers free to all Mexicans who are victims of the new legislation. The law that just passed criminalizes illegal immigrants and allows police to arrest under any suspicion.

This issue has made Calderon rethink Mexico's relationship with Arizona. He is doubling his efforts to protect the Mexicans against a law opening the door to hate and discrimination. Calderon interrupted the applause from the audience when he said, "the government is unable or unwilling to remain indifferent when policies such as this one affect the human rights of civilians who for generations have contributed to the development and prosperity of Arizona that would not have been realized without them." The President of Mexico understands the severity of this law as it infuriates and saddens them. This law is an incentive to support Mexicans to Arizona and promote unity of all Mexicans in the U.S.

The Doctors of Injured Bull Fighter are Surprised by his Progress: April 26, 2010

In an article from El Periodico, one of Spain's top bullfighters from Alicante, Jose Tomas, was badly gored during a fight in Mexico. The matador was in serious condition in a hospital losing more or less 8 liters of blood. He recieved a 4-inch tear to the groin when he was pierced by a 1,100 pound bull, Navegante, in Saturday's fight in Aguascalientes. The injury punctured one of his veins and an artery as he was operated on immediately at the scene. The 34-year old matador bled so profusely that officials announced over loudspeakers for compatible donors to come forward from the crowd. He was then taken to the hospital where he underwent surgery for a number of hours. Despite the dangers of bullfighting, top-level matadors are rarely seriously injured in the ring.

Tomas was working the animal with his cape when the bull makes a quick turn toward the matador and catches him in the groin, lifting him into the air for a few seconds and shaking its head with the matador dangling from its sharp left horn. On the ground, Tomas rolled away and held his hands up as if to say he was OK, but a large, dark red stain was already spreading through his glittering gold suit. Doctors did not have enough time to anesthetize him because of how serious the injury was. Tomas is known for his daring style in which he gets particularly close to the bull. He is now recovering in the ICU and doctors are surprised at how well he is progressing after the serious injury he experienced. He understands that the recovery process will be slow and take a while, but Tomas is very grateful from all the support he has received from his fans.

Espai Gaudí La Pedrera: March 12, 2010

La Pedrera is also known as Casa Mila and was designed by Antoni Gaudi. It was built during the years 1906 to 1910, but was officially completed in 1912. It is located on Passeig de Gracia in the Eixample neighborhood. The house that Gaudi built was for a married couple, Rosario Segimon and Pere Mila. The local government objected to some of the design aspects from Gaudi. The height of the building was exceeding the city standard while they also refused to approve the huge sculpture on top of the building.

The buidling has a very unique outside design. It is hard to imagine that someone actually lived inside there because of the amount of detailed work that has been put into building it. The building is almost as if a cliff like rock with caves. From the outisde, there are balconies with iron waves. The interior of the apartment gives an idea of how it must have looked during the 20th century. Just like the outside, the inside has virtually no straight lines. Each room has its own character while the attic shows Gaudi's works including photos and scale models of his buildings. By far my favorite part of the building is the roof terrace. It features several surrealistic colorful chimneys that look like something from a science fiction movie. The view is extraordinary as you can see over the entire district. Although Casa Mila was built in the early 1900s, I was surprised at how modern the house was inside and outside.

The inside of the apartment and each room has been preserved with original halls, drawing room, dining room, bedrooms, bathrooms, etc. There are 5 floors including the main floor that all have common features. The main services, bathrooms, and kitchens are located around the courtyards while the sitting rooms, dining rooms, and bedrooms are close to the facades.

Roman Barcino: January 28, 2010

For one of our field trips, we walked what was considered the hub of Roman Barcelona, known then as Barcino. The entrance to Barcino is on the right hand side of the cathedral where a series of artistic sculptures stood. These scultures indicate when you have reached the ancient city. The center of the city was the forum which was a space for commerce and meetings. The forum area was located in Plaza St. Jaume where the council and local government buildings are still positioned today.

Most of the ancient city is now buried deep underneath today's city center. What has been dug up can be viewed in the City History Museum located in Plaza del Rei. A lift goes down into the vaults of the city while a digital year display counts down time in big red flashing numbers. The doors open at 600 A.D. You can see sections of the Roman wall, foundations of buildings, churches, and bathing areas. There was a short film that shows a graphic representation of Barcino, and its geographical location in relation to the rivers and the sea.

I found it interesting to see all of the Roman ruins and how it has transformed Barcelona into the city it is today. Although few of the buildings have been renovated, there are still many that have been there since Roman times. It was a unique experience walking through the dark alleyed streets where so much history exists. Behind the cathedral you could see the Roman walls which were taller than I expected.

La Paradeta: February 24, 2010

La Paradeta is a marisco (seafood) restaurant with a unique style of ordering. The fresh, quality seafood is caught by the restaurant´s own boat and then displayed as if in a fish market, ready for you to choose exactly what and how much you want to eat. I felt as if I was in La Boquería. What is great about this place is that you can see the quality of seafood you are buying before you even sit down to eat it. It has a relaxed-café style that Spanish and Catalans do so well. So you would think that this process would be an expensive meal, right? Wrong. It was actually very fair and reasonable as you pay by weight.

So how does the process work? There is a selection of seafood ranging from crabs, prawns, squid, lobsters, mussels, clams, oysters, and more. You pick out what you want at the counter, it´s weighed up and heaved away, and you pick it up crisp and steaming on a platter. Once you choose what food you want you proceed to the next station where you tell them what you would like to drink. Lastly, you pay for everything, take your number, and wait for them to call it over the microphone. Once our number was called, I began to indulge in the mussels, clams, fried calamari, grilled calamari, and lastly grilled prawns. By far my favorite was the fried calamari and mussels. They were unbelievable!
This concept is loads of fun, but remember to order everything at once so you don´t have to wait in line again. It is especially busy on the weekends. La Paradeta has 3 locations in Barcelona. We went to the one next to the Sagrada Familia which was nice because I had yet to see it light up at night. I found out about the restaurant by doing research on places to take my father while he was here visiting. After reading about it, I thought it would be an interesting experience and a fun way to have dinner. This is truly a seafood lover´s dream.

Museo d´Historia de Catalunya: February 17, 2010

For my Spanish Civilization and Culture class, I visited the Museum of Catalan History to understand the heritage and identity of Catalonia. The museum narrates a story beginning with ¨The Roots¨and ending with the ¨Retrat de la Catalunya contemporània¨. I typically am not a huge fan of museums, but this particular one was quite interesting. The way it was set up was as if you were walking through the history of Catalonia. The maps, pictures, and artifacts brought the story to real life which made it more interesting and easier to understand. It´s remarkable to think that a single region of Spain has so much history behind it. Also, it explains how Barcelona came to be the capital of Catalonia.

The Roots began with the most remote era in prehistory, the Lower Palaeolithic period. The spread of agriculture and husbandry changed the shape of the land and led to the emergence of new cultures. Greek and Phoenician societies in the 7th century BC led to the development of Iberian culture which is one of the most important civilizations of the western Mediterranean. By the end of the 5th century, the defeat of the Western Roman Empire paved the way for the Visigothic Kingdom.

In 711, the Muslim army began its conquest of the Visigothic Kingdom and a new country,al-Andalus, came to exist. Al-Andalus bordered the Catalan counties, which were part of the Hispanic March, the frontier territory of the Carolingian Empire. At the end of the 10th century, the Catalan counts became independent from the Franks, with the House of Barcelona as the dominant family of counts. A phase of economic growth began in Catalonia, though the struggle between the Hispanic monarchy and France led to constant border conflicts. By 1830, Catalonia began to industrialize.

During the first 30 years of the 20th century, Catalan industry went through a period of diversification, characterised by the spread of electricity and oil products. By 1959, the opening up of the economy led to major economic and social changes: foreign capital came into the country; industry diversified; tourism developed; waves of immigration from within Spain occurred; and the consumer society became established. The death of Franco meant the return of self-government and the governing institutions of Catalonia. With so much history in Catalonia, it is now clear why there is so much passion and pride for its region.