Good thing I was urged to do this blog because I have NO idea about important things in the culture that I'll soon be immersing myself into.
Fun fact of the day: Flamenco Dancing is HUGE in Spain and even bigger in Andalusia.
The music is mostly Arabic but there are hints of Greek dirges (somber songs) or Jewish chants, as well as some Flemish and traditional Castillian. As for the dances there's a taste of Hindu sways and Roman mimes. Basically, no one knows where this dance actually originated. There are so many variations and styles of it! However there are 4 "stylistic pillars" that differ mainly in rhythm and mood: TonA, SoleA, Fandango and Seguiriya. There's usually clapping and a guitar playing. I'm trying to figure out what these dance performances might be equivalent to in America. I may have to get back to you on that one once I experience it. It's all about emotion and feeling the emotion through the performances.
On a boring sidenote, I'm getting a little bit antsy about not knowing anything. We haven't had a meeting like we were supposed to and I have no idea what the people I'm going with even look like, let alone their personalities. I guess the plan as of now is that we just show up in the Madrid airport and are like "oh hey, you look like you're from Wilmington, maybe I should go with you." Something tells me that isn't going to cut it. I know I'm atleast on the same flight from Atlanta to Madrid with the program leader and one other girl so I won't be totally alone. I got an email today from the person who's coordinating our program from
SAFA and the Spain side. They want more info on me so they can match me with the "perfect family." I feel like this is a pretty important "about me" that I have to send in. I can't just make up a dating ad like "this is Sarah, she's 20 years old and enjoys seeing new places and spending time with her friends." No. This has to be legit. "this is Sarah, she likes most food but will be a little cautious if it has a weird texture, also, she hates to fold her clean laundry and put it away, so sorry about that." They have to know the "real me" right off the bat...kind of scary. I already let them know on the last questionnaire that I'd prefer a family with younger children and pets and no smoking, you know, all the important things. Hopefully I hear more within the next few days so I can plan better!
It's name literally translates to "red fortress" because it reflects the red clay that it's made out of. It was actually built while Spain was still under Muslim rule. It's apparently Spain's numero uno attraction and gets more than 2 million visitors annually. The architecture is what most people go to see. It was restored after the Spanish reconquest of southern Spain in 1492 (isn't that the year Columbus sailed the ocean blue? Coincidence?) An earthquake damaged it in 1821, but it was restored again. Napoleon tried to level it in 1812 but he failed.
