Monday, January 9, 2012

Más Fotos de las Cabalgatas en Montequinto y Gerena

Hello all!
Can you believe that it is already the 9th of January?  My gosh the year just started.  Ten days down...

Here are more pictures from the other two Parades for the 3 Kings, Gerena (pronounced Her-ena)  and Montequinto.

Enjoy :)

Montequinto


Look at all the people!!





The 'star' starts the beginning of every Cabalgata.  


Tractors  pulling the floats. hmm, I feel more at home.  



"Paris Hilton themed"

Cinderella.  


The world has an obsession with Hello Kitty right now. 


Yes you can!


Gerena


The Star

The people again.




















Pretty, no?

Hola Mari :)


Well, I hope you enjoyed a little Spanish Tradition.

I'm going to start working on a special post explaining why Andalucia is the best place to be in Spain in my opinion.  It really is full of history.   Especially Sevilla.  I really lucked out being placed here.

-adios

Saturday, January 7, 2012

La Cabalgata de Los Reyes

Hola!

We cleaned the WHOLE house today, and took down all the Christmas decorations.  I hate this time of the year.  You have to eat healthy now, and exercise, and study more, and take down all the decorations... :(

Well on another note, a cool one that is...
I just celebrated Los Reyes Magos!  Or the Three Kings day.
Here is a little history on this day :



Three Kings Day: Reyes_mago_2_front_lowIn Spain, Mexico, Cuba, Puerto Rico and some other Latin American countries Epiphany day is called El Día de los Reyes. The day when a group of Kings or Magi of the Bible arrived to worship and bring three gifts to the baby Jesus after following a star in the heavens. This day is also known as the Día de los Tres Reyes Magos (The day of the Three Royal Magi) or La Pascua de los Negros (Holy Day of the Blackmen), although the latter is rarely heard. In Spanish tradition, on the day of January 6th, three of the Kings: Melchor, Gaspar, and Balthazar, representing Europe, Arabia, and Africa, arrived on horse, camel and elephant, bringing respectively gold, frankincense and myrrh to the baby Jesus. In Spain, Argentina, and Uruguay, children (and adults) polish and leave their shoes ready for the Kings' presents before they go to bed on January 5th. Sweet wine, nibbles, fruit and milk are left for the Kings and their camels. In Mexico, it is traditional for children to leave their shoes on the eve of January 6 by the family nativity scene or by their beds. Also a letter with toy requests is left and sometimes the shoes are filled with hay for the camels, so that the Kings will be generous with their gifts.


Source: http://www.sofritoforyoursoul.com/2009/01/mi-gentetoday-i.html

There are also Parades or Cabalgatas that throw out loads, and loads, of candy.  I mean they literally throw whole bags.  And soccer balls, and dolls, and little plastic cars.  But lemme tell ya, be careful,  because the little kids that throw the candy from the top of the parade floats chuck the little caramels with all their might.  So you come home with bruises on your back,  head,  FACE!

I went to three Cabalgatas, as they are known.
One in downtown Sevilla, the regional capitol, one in my town of Montequinto, and one in our puebla of Gerena.

Don't worry, I took PLENTY of pictures.
Here they are:

Sevilla 

Important officers

I couldn't move there were so many people.  I'm literally telling the truth.

Exhibit A



Not the Kings.  Just regular people in costumes.

He's everywhere. 

La Estrella

There is a "Star"  at the beginning of every Cabalgata.



The Candyy!  Seriously,  you can get more candy after 5 floats here in Spain than after the whole parade during the 4th of July.... A child's dream.



Music


Bob Esponja y Patricio


I really liked this one.



Kids from around the world

FOR NARNIA!!!!!  All hail Aslan


BOOOO the White Witch

Pretty Snazzy eh?


Ariel Float.  Notice the Mermaid in the Right hand corner.


This one was pretty good.  

It was unbelievable.  The people.  Gosh.  The metro was jam packed, too!!!!!


 I am going to upload the other pictures to another post.  Otherwise this one would stretch on for miles.

- Adios

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

New Year's Resolution

Cayetano Riveras is a very famous torero, or a bullfighter.  Plus, he is super guapo.  

I find these little mini white vans with no windows VERY suspicious.  No me gusta... haha

All ya see is smart cars here.  Well not really,  but there are a lot of them  here!

Christiano Ronaldo... sin camiesta.  Need I say more?  I think I might like Real Madrid better than Barcelona.  But it changes everyday.  Maybe  tomorrow will be different.

My best friends here.  Laura, Roberto, and Alfonso.  

My boys.  Me, Alvaro, and Carlos :)

This was so not nice.  They put the shoe were I couldn't get it.  

Well, this has a little truth to it...  It's very accurate for some kids.  Not me though !  ummmmm...

Shoe people!  

My little cousin Marta's birthday :)  She turned 5.


I could not survive without my darling Noelle.  She is with AFS, too.  She comes from Tucson, AZ.  Well, at least my grandparents live in Arizona, too!  She acutally lives no more than 1 hour away from them :)  And her mother is from Wisconsin... WHAT A SMALL WORLD!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Noelle and I went shopping...




I had to share some pictures.  

Happy New Year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 2012 is going to be awesome!
I had the privilege of partaking in the Spanish tradition of eating 12 grapes in the last 12 seconds of the year.  Someone told me that 12 grapes means 12 wishes :)  Let's hope I wish for the right things!
wonder how many kids end up in the hospital due to choking...... 
This year was great, and my life has changed so much. I feel stronger, ready for whatever life brings me, I feel more spirited, and most importantly, I feel happy.

My new year's resolution?  Well here ya go:

"I will work very hard this year and try my hardest not to procrastinate.  I will hit the books hard, because they don't hit back :) I will get a sufficient about of sleep and exercise.  I will speak Spanish"

   
I have been here for about 4 months.  I feel a great improvement in my Spanish.  There is still a looooooongg way to go.  However, I have made it this far.  I'm not about to leave without being fluent.  

Gosh,  tomorrow is Los Reyes. Or the three kings day!  More presents.  This Christmas spirit here doesn't end until around the 6th :)  Joy to the world, peace on Earth!



-adios