I recall writing, a few weeks back, that I felt like I was living in a happy bubble here in Madrid. Well, the feeling has yet to wear off, and I’m beginning to wonder if this is the happiest place on earth (next to Disneyland, of course). First of all, I’m sitting here eating a giant chocolate cake that my mom baked and mailed to me. Yes, that’s right, my mom is insane. And amazing. I thought it was ridiculous enough that she has mailed her famous “Chocolate Disaster Cake” from Santa Barbara, CA, to Evanston for my birthday the past two years. But this last episode really, well, takes the cake (UGH horrible, I’m sorry). While I continue gorging myself on chocolate deliciousness, I’ll recount the most recent examples of good-natured Spanish fun and festivity.
Sunday, for example, was Spain Day. It was the saint day for Pilar, the patrona of Spain, and also Columbus Day (Yep, I happened to land in the only other country that celebrates it. Unfortunately, we didn’t get Monday off from school. Columbus gets no respect!) So while my Sunday afternoon activities are generally limited to waking up around 2, eating lunch, sleeping some more, and catching up on the latest episode of The Office, I actually ventured out the house this Sunday to take in the festivities. People were bustling around downtown on what is normally a pretty quiet day considering stores are closed on Sundays, and the Plaza Mayor was full of café-goers, street performers, and teens sitting in circles on the ground chatting. Ally and I made our way over to the Paseo del Prado, where there was a four-hour concert/parade going on in celebration of the Americas—presumably Spain’s discovery of them, but also a showcase of the diverse population here that includes immigrants from every South American country. People of all ages were singing and dancing as Spanish bands, from pop to traditional to what sounded distinctly like Blink-182 in Spanish, made their way down the street on big floats to their final concert destination in the Plaza del Prado.
That’s the other thing I love about Spain: old people here actually get off their butts and out of the house to take in some fresh air and fun experiences! One of my teachers actually noted that people are considered “joven” (young) until the age of 70, and that you are only “mayor” (senior… NEVER call someone “viejo”) once you’ve topped that milestone. People regularly live into their 90s and beyond here—Spain has one of the highest life expectancies globally—and I attribute it entirely to their active lifestyle. The Spanish just never tire of walking around city, meeting up with friends, going out for paella, and visiting museums and parks. I feel lazy compared to my 60-something señora; she is literally NEVER in the house. And here I am spending a whole two hours doing reading and writing this blog post! I just love the vivacity and sense of adventure that people have here. They just love life.
People here are also a lot more open about sexuality, which is slightly surprising coming from what is normally viewed as a very traditional, Catholic country. Take the National Ballet, for instance. Ally and I couldn’t help but shoot each other a quick look the first time a topless girl came onstage, but that wasn’t completely out of the norm. What I was NOT expecting was to see two men take off all of their clothes and do some sort of sexually charged dance fighting. This was after the first naked man had encountered a fully clothed woman (not for long!), who later had sex with a priest. All in all, it was a thoroughly enjoyable ballet, notwithstanding the nudity, and I liked how they incorporated lots of stomping/tapping in the dance to give it a certain Spanish flair. And I also learned that penises look really funny flapping around as men jeté and plié and whatever else they do in ballet. I guess it’s probably a good sign that I had no prior knowledge of this.
Anyway, the sun is still shining here, the weather relatively warm, and the bars and clubs still as crowded and fun as ever. I really had no idea how happy I would be here, but you can’t really help but be completely content in a place like this. I don’t know anyone on my program that isn’t totally in love with Madrid and already fretting that the semester is partially over. Maybe I should just move here… Perhaps join the naked ballet? I’ll keep you updated.
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