Mallorca.

When I am going to a place, I look online for things that define it. With El Escorial, it was the monastery, with Toledo, for me, it was El Greco and of course, the 3 cultures intervening.
So, what defines Mallorca for me? To be honest, I didn't really care. It was where Rafael Nadal is from and that's all that mattered. But it turned out to be so much more than that.
High walls hid beautiful courtyards from us as we walked through the tiny streets of Palma, but it wasn't enough. Sometimes we did get a glimpse of what was inside and it was another world. Bright flowers and enough foliage to compensate for it's dependence on tourism, I must say that the Mallorcans are proud people who actually come alive when it's not tourist season.
I must admit, I always thought Mallorca would be this tourist place for the summer without any culture of its own, bowing down to capitalism. But it's not so. The artists (Chopin, Miro) that have sought refuge in the hills of Mallorca speak for the rich culture of the island. And let me tell you, once you are done with the beaches, take a car or a scooter and travel around the island, it isn't all that big and a week should be more than enough to enjoy everything perfectly. I couldn't, but I am going to as soon as I get the opportunity.
For me, beaches are an exquisite experience, I am another person on the beach and the fact that I was able to look beyond that and admire it, is a big thing.

Redefinition.

When we were kids we were taught to draw straight lines and make a square, to colour within these lines and stick to the colour palate. We are told that whatever we draw should look pretty. Pretty, as in, appeasing to the eye and what makes us feel good about ourselves.
So, once those boundaries are set for us, we are then asked to let our creativity flow. But, we still draw the same circle and the same square and the same triangle. It has to be perfect of course, otherwise it's not good. And with that we continue to draw and expect to draw perfect little minions of ourselves.
Then, when we go into a museum, say the Reina Sofia, (Yes, I am obsessed with it)and see something absolutely convoluted being called the Woman and the Dog, we try to look for that dog. And say, Oh pfft, it looks like a kid did it. Or say, anyone can do it.
Of course anyone can do it but they don't.
And yes, a kid did it, that kid whose creativity still exists and that kid who doesn't colour within the lines.
So, why is modern art so? Because it can be so.
I am not going to say I understand modern art, because I don't. I am not there, yet. But I will be.
And I believe I can say that for most of us, because after centuries of trying to make things perfect, we've come to the point where we don't really care and everyone's not ready to accept it, yet.
But we'll get there. I hope we do.
Once we do, the journey will be worth it.

Hala Madrid!

Standing in the cold for 2 hours, alone (we are all slaves to companionship, don't deny it) for these tickets was now going to be worth it.
So, there we are running a little late, but it's fine, we're getting to the Bernabeu. Legends played here. A club that has so much history, Chelsea, Man City and the others have nothing compared to it. Of course, in recent times it hasn't been as cultured as it was, but we'll forgive them for that.
People to look out for were:
1) Cristiano Ronaldo. Yes, we just love to hate him but love him even more all along.
2) Jose Mourinho. I never thought I'd fall in love with this guy. But now that's he's not with Chelsea, it's fine. It's allowed, permitted, whatever.
3) Xavi Alonso. Even though we don't like the scousers, one must say Alonso is amazing and he's not one anymore so he's not vermin anymore.
4) Iker Casillas. Why not, you know? He is very hot. And was the goalkeeper of the winning team in the World Cup.
5) Karim Benzema. Now, now, he's never played for an English club so we have nothing to compare him too, but nevertheless, he's one to watch out for, eh?

So, what happens in the match?
3 of the above score.
1 of them gets sent off by the stupid referee and has to coach from the stands. Fun for the spectators sitting there though.
And the other has to face a penalti which he lets through. Yes, I am going to spell penalti like that because it's so Spanish.

So what makes the stadium experience better than tv other than the fact that it's actually being there?
You know the crowd noises that seem to annoy old people when you are watching the match, you are one of them, yes, one of the screaming fanatics. And it's alright because everyone's yelling or booing or cheering. It might all seem the same on tv but not in there. In there, you know what they are saying and trust me it's not PG 13.
And yes, Real Madrid won 5-1. So it was an interesting, lively game. All for 10 euros.
All in all, it was a hell of a night.

Cocktail, anyone?

In Sociology class, the professor asked each group (we are divided into groups of 5) to discuss what we think or believe consists of a society. Yes, it was in Spanish so I was a little confused at first, but once I got the gist of it, I was fine.
He then sat with each group and spoke about how Europe as a whole could or could not be a society on it's own. Each country shares a lot with the other, even though they are all as different as they could be, there is a thread that binds them together. And however thin that might be, it exists.
On Sunday, the 7th, I saw this come to life. The European music awards were the above words put into action. With more than 20,000 people on Calle Alcala, facing the Puerta, I could hear 5 different languages spoken around me. To be precise, German, Dutch, Spanish, Italian and English, of course. I think I heard a few French words as well.
Even though some countries might be closer to each other than rest, it's still a cozy environment to live in.
I am not sure what rules there are to work and live in another European country other than your own, but travelling is as easy as it gets within Europe. And because you are travelling so much and are in touch with so many different culture, you learn to be very tolerant and open to new things.
If only the Indian subcontinent were like that.
I am not saying there aren't political tensions within Europe, but culturally, there don't seem to be any.
I think, it takes a while to get where they are right now, hopefully, we'll get there soon enough, before the world comes to an end. Though, according to the Mayans, it's going to happen soon.
Fingers crossed is all I can say.

Xpress, here's to you.

I must write an entry or a column for my college newspaper. Something like letters from Spain or Culture Shock in 300 words.
To be honest, the word limit literally limits me. Once I start I may not be able to stop. From day trips, to visiting museums to living alone, a lot of firsts have occurred in the past 2 months. And I must say I have adjusted well.
So here it goes:

First stop, Madrid, Spain, Europe.
Another continent, another world.
6 months ago if someone would have told me that I would be in another continent and would have seen Rafaels, Dalis and Picassos, I would have laughed and said, I wish. I did wish and sometimes wishes are granted.
So here I am, spending my second year of BA in Madrid at the University of Comillas, which hosts around 300 to 400 exchange students each year, most of them being Europeans. I knew I was going to be a minority here, but not because of the reason I thought. I am a vegetarian. When I convey this valuable piece of information to people here, they gasp and with a perplexed look, they ask me why. I mumble something and then our conversation moves on to something else.
Why is being vegetarian such a problem in Spain? Because they don't think being vegetarian is an option and also, they think fish is vegetarian. On my second day here, I asked for a vegetarian sandwich in Spanish and trust me, it was perfect Spanish (I have been learning for almost 2 years now), and what I got was something with lettuce and tomatoes. I figured, that's all they put on sandwiches here. But when I took a bite, something was wrong. It had tuna in it!
Well, that's Spain for you.
That being my only complaint, I can't put into words how beautiful this place is. It has a different charm, having lived in Mumbai for all my life, change feels good.
Also, I am not used to working all throughout the year for presentations and assignments that count for the final grade, but it helps me keep in touch with the subject and is fun too! There are less people in class from 8 to 50 maximum, so participating in class is a must.
Spanish culture is so vibrant that you can't help being integrated in it. These past two months have been part of that quick process, and I believe, I'll get there soon, even if I don't want to.