Letras de España

wow! Can you believe it’s been more than a month?? It’s weird because at times, I feel like times go by so fast, and other times, I feel as if it’s taking it’s sweet time.

Anyways, less about time, more about my travel to Italia! But first I want to tell you of a book I’ve been reading, “Eat, Pray, Love” by Elizabeth Gilbert. I absolutely love this book because I feel like me and Liz are pretty much the same person (granted there are differences, of course). But the way she describes how she processes every emotional, mental, experience, was like WOW, I completely relate to that because I’ve felt that at least once in my life. Just the way she came to God, the emotional, mental, turmoil and anguish that she went through, was just something I found so familiar. After all this inner struggle, she goes to Italy to, basically heal from her open wounds. And I guess you can say that what saved her was, food. Pizza, pasta, gelato. All day, eerrvery day. I know what you’re thinking….food? But it wasn’t so much food; it was the simplicity of its pleasure.

As a psychology major (I know, I always do this), I’ve studied that the difference between people who fall into depression/anxiety and normal people isn’t that depressed people experience more unpleasant things. It’s that they experience less pleasurable things. Happy people are able to find pleasure in simple things, things such has having coffee while reading the paper. It’s all about perceptions. If you aren’t receptive to the simple wonders around you, you’re not going to experience them. And if you don’t experience, you’re less likely to be happy. But it’s so easy to overlook the simple, especially in our society. It’s almost as if we’re desensitized. We work extra hard to live extra happily. But when we go on these extravagant vacations, we can’t even enjoy them. Why? Because if you can’t even enjoy the simple pleasures in life, how are you to fully enjoy the greater? Happiness isn’t the things you do. It comes from the inside out. If you’re not happy inside, nothing you do on the outside will ever make you happy (and I define happiness as contentment with your life)

With that said, I found my trip to Italy very much a mental, emotional, and spiritual experience. As you may or may not know, I’ve had a pretty rough last year. Sorting through so much emotional, spiritual baggage. Having to face so much ugliness in my life and not only accept it, but to embrace it, and use it. I’ve realized that all my life, I’ve harbored this open wound, but instead of healing from it, I’ve built walls around it. But not only walls. Fortresses, with barbed wires, and electrical fences. I let no one in, not even myself. So when I tried to break down those walls, it was as though I emotionally endured the cutting of barbed wires to the point that it was physically draining. Long story short, I felt numb to the point where I could not enjoy anything, I had major anxiety and almost-depression (because anxiety leads to depression). For most of my life, I had looked through obscured lenses—too afraid to hope, always expected the worst, cynical, with major trust issues. But winter and spring quarter of last year, God really put people in my life who helped me come out of that. The healing process felt soo sloow. I constantly struggled with whether or not I was actually getting better. But now looking back, it was actually incredibly fast. It takes years and years for some people to even come as far as I have—mentally, emotionally. Just another evidence of God’s healing power.

Anyways, Italy assured me that I’ve healed far more than I thought I did. We didn’t do anything grand. In fact, when I was in Florence, I spent most of my morning laying around a fountain in a botanical garden. It was something so simple, but I enjoyed it so much. I know that some people may think, “what a waste of money, you go to Italy, to lay around a garden, when you can do that almost anywhere and not have to spend that much”. Trust me, I understand, because I used to think that way (I’m a big advocate getting every penny’s worth) But then with that kind of thinking, there’s so much pressure. Pressure to see, to “appreciate”, to absorb, to “enjoy”, everything in an impossible amount of time. But, I think that for me to be able to enjoy the simple things in a city so full of extravagance was proof that I’ve reached a point of contentment in my life. And that, to me, is priceless.

our panini stop!

Knowing that, was the highlight of my trip, because then I was able to enjoy everything else. Like the absolute BEST Panini (the cute boy who made my panini helped) and gelato in the world.

Oh, and also, I got food poisoning the day before I left Italy. After throwing up all day, I got the flu (I’m still sick right now). Great, right? Because my sole purpose in Italy was to eat as much as I possibly could. But now I couldn’t even smell or taste. But that did not stop me. I stuffed my face anyway, and I pretty much forced my taste buds to taste. (Also, I completely lost my voice the second day in Florence—we were planning to go to Venice too, but 3 out of 4 of us were sickly so we didn’t make it, and I’m so glad because I love Florence—but I didn’t let it bother me, I continued on with my sultry raspy voice anyway). This was when I realized the power of positivity. I refused to let this stupid little obstacle ruin my trip. And I had so much fun still!

This was my first pizza in Pisa. A meter long Margarita with a liter of wine!

Gelato!

Bunch of naked statues, the fake statue of David (I mean it’s not like I’m going to get some supernatural tingly feeling if I see the real one, so why pay?)

Real mature, I know

I just don't understand how and why the Romans think of these awkward positions

Statue of David

Just incase one's not enough

The Duomo in Florence. This was incredible because we were just wandering around Florence, without an agenda, just the knowing that the next stop was some church marked by a square on the map, (none of us had ever seen pictures). And I was following the map so intently, (Yes! I guided us there!—if you know me, I’m probably the most directionally challenged person ever), that when I looked up, it was like BAM in my face. It was such an overwhelming feeling of DAAAAAANNGGG.

After, we stumble upon the best gelato place ever. Festival del Gelato! (which looked like a 80’s discotecha)

Then we went to the river (don’t know why but all the rivers in Europe are a barfy green)

At night, we wandered around—seriously, wandering is the best! We come to a piazzi, and I hear this heavenly music. We follow the sound and its this (I want to say) couple, performing. She’s singing, and he’s on the accordion. It was beautiful. So beautiful in fact, I had to buy a CD, and not only that, get both their autographs, and hold up the entire show so I can get a picture with them both (yea, I got an applause for that). My mom would love this!

The next day, my friend Lauren and I trek all the way up to the Piazzale Michelangiolo for this amazing landscape view of Florence. It was so lovely because people just sit on the steps and sip wine. We sat there soaking it all in.

The next day, we take a 4 hr train to Roma.

Roma…..was FILLED with tourists! Everywhere we turned were people squished into tiny streets. It was crazy!

this place was crawling with people, gross

making a wish at Trevi Fountain!

Trevi Fountain. We had to fight our way to the front.

But seriously in Roma, every five steps, there’s something to see. We decided to buy a Roma pass anyway. Free transportation (although I never see people actually pay for the bus) and we got to see 2 sites for free without waiting in line.

El Foro Romano (oh gosh, just had a test on this. Basically it was a public space for citizens)

Something Roman

First stop, obvi, COLOSEUM!

Colosseum on a sunny day, it was gloom when we went

Thought this was cool

me and my friend emily!

Did you know that they would also have naval battles in the Colosseum?? Yah, they would flood the place with water and then have ships battle each other. craazzzy

Then it started pouring, which was perfect timing because I had just bought my Roma umbrella.

Then we go Eat, Pray, Love-status and ask the locals for the best, non-touristy, restaurants. We found this tiny corner restaurant called Augusto in the cutest non-touristy area ever. It was the best Caprice salad and chicken with this saucy tomato spice I’ve ever had (and of course, with a liter of wine)! It was a much-needed break after a day of walking all over Roma in the rain.

Piazza where our restaurant was near

Then gelato, duh

Next day, we wake up early to attempt to get into Vatican city. When we arrived, there were already buttloads of people waiting. We didn’t want to play the line game. So we went to the free area ahaha.

Then we had to use up one more free item, so we decide to go to the oldest museum. It was as interesting as an old museum gets (not very). I don’t like museums much. I wish there was someone telling me the history behind all of it. I felt like I was seriously just looking at pieces of rocks sculpted into human form. It wasn’t very special, for me at least.

Though I enjoyed Rome, there was just so much pressure to see everything, because there’s so much to see. Even if I stayed a few months, I still wouldn’t be able to see everything.

So because we fly back out from Pisa, we take the morning train back. It was a nice 4 hr ride/nap along the ocean (oh how I miss San Diego). Went to the leaning tower, watched everyone do funny poses, did them ourselves, then made our way, yet again, to another pizza/gelato place, an amazing way to end Italia.

hehe, had to

on our way to get our last gelato!

However, our flight was delayed 3 hours because there was a strike in France (no idea how that affected us) and ended up flying out at 12:30 am. Arrive at the Malaga airport at 3 in the morning. Fell asleep on the most uncomfortable chairs with immovable armrests (and attempted to lay down on them). Our plan was to catch our 6:45am train back to Cordoba and make it to class by 9:30. But, we took the wrong metro, missed our train, took the next cheapest one and made it to our second class (shower included!).

Through all of this travel fiasco, I’ve learned to just let go, and move on. Things are bound to go wrong. It’s nobody’s fault and it’s pointless getting upset. Try hard to look for the positive (because I guarantee you, there is), then figure things out from there.

So….don’t worry, `bout a thing, cause everything’s going to be all right.

Can’t wait to go back!

Love Italy!

I'm usually not a history person, but its so different when you're in a city so full of history. It makes the city seem so, I don't know, real, alive, and in a way, even more mysterious.

Let's start at the end.

Granada was the last Muslim capital/city in Andalucia (south of Spain). What's so amazing about this city is that it was basically the pearl of Andalucia. When the Christians started to take over Spain, all the Muslims flocked into this tiny city. It was so rich, so full of culture. And when the rest of Europe was going through its Dark Ages, it was at its Golden stage. The Arabs introduced so much to Spain, the architecture, literature, etiquette, food, and basically everything else. And for the longest time, this small city stood strong because it was protected by the Sierra Nevadas (which was also its water source).

View of the Albaycin (the city) from the Alhambra

The Albaycin was where the locals lived. And in Sacromonte (close to where our hostel was) were these caves that people used to live in. Because of the Sierre Nevadas, it was cold in the winter, so the Muslims dug caves because they were better insulated. Now, people live in it. I also went to one that was converted into a discotecha. SO COOL, now I can say I went caving.

View of the Alhambra

interesting fact about these towers. The first one was partly destroyed so the Christians tried to rebuild it when they came. So they found these random, perfectly square shaped stones with funny inscriptions that said for ex: "Mohammad, you were a loving father, etc etc". Turns out, they were gravestones and they couldn't read the writing because it was in arabic,

everything is detailed

stones going against their own nature, becoming plant life

After the Christians conquered Granada, they transformed all the mosques into churches. You can tell this was once a mosque because there is a fountain on the side. According to muslim religion, you had to cleanse yourself before you entered.

At the top of this church was this sign. Originally, it was just the 3 spheres which was the Muslim symbol declaring Islam to be the religion of the universe, but when the Christians came, Isabel stacked a cross on top. Blatant, yeah? It's almost like the Mezquita where they stabbed a chapel in the heart. Some say it's religious vandalism.

This was the room where Boabdil handed over the keys of the city (and cried like a baby) to Isabel and Fernando. This was 1492 when Columbus sailed the ocean blue. Ironically, also the room where Isabel gave Columbus the grant to discover the Americas.

Another arab bath house. So while everyone in europe was dying from poverty and sickness, the arabs were spa-ing it up in their bath house. They had this whole intricate system to heat the floors, a vapor room, each room had different temperatures, it's crazy. Being clean was so important because its part of their religion to purify their bodies. So when the Christians came, they made everyone convert, or leave. One way to check if the muslims truly converted was to check their hands to see if they were clean. If they were clean, that meant that they were still practicing their religions. Basically back then, the Christians were a dirty bunch.