A Little Spanish Dancing

La danza de flamenco es muy importante y popular. En el país de
españa, este es una forma de celebración. Muchas personas participan en la actividad. Cuando yo visito el país, mis amigos y yo practicamos y miramos la danza. Las personas son muy apasionadas sobre esta actividad. La danza de flamenco tiene una historia que es muy importante y interesante a la cultura.

A huge cultural tradition originating from Southern Spain is that of the Flamenco Dance. Flamenco dancing, originally derived from the Gypsies, is celebrated throughout all of Spain. The dance is extremely expressive and seductive in nature. It is obvious how much the dancers truly care about their performance.

The dance originated out of Southern Spain and it's history is traced back to the early gypsies. The dance is also in tribute to the matedor of the bullring and his colorful cape that he uses to artfully direct the bull. The costumes are also in tribute to the gypsies and matedor, as they are extremely colorful and eye-catching in appearance.

The term "flamenco" also has a direct link to the gypsies, as it was the music that they predominantly listened to. If one visits Southern Spain today, they can still find the loud, celebratory songs that are filled with finger snapping, acoustic guitars, and castanets. All of Spain is very ritualistic in nature, Southern Spain especially so, and the flamenco dance is widely celebrated during the week of Easter. The expressive, yet mysterious, art form is paying tribute to the spirit.

 When I traveled to Spain in high school, we were lucky enough to be able to take flamenco dancing lessons. The man in the white t-shirt and jeans with the long hair was our dance instructor. He was extremely passionate about the dance and didn't tolerate anything but complete concentration. There was no joking around in his dance studio.

 After our lesson we were able to attend a show of traditional flamenco dancers. Our instructor was even one of the dancers in the show. The fast-paced show was more than entertaining and the colorful costumes were an extension of the already expressive dancing.

The culture of the flamenco dance in Spain is a perfect ending to the culture blog because it wraps everything together. It celebrates almost all noted aspects of the Spanish culture; love for friends and family, time outdoors, celebratory gatherings and meals, colorful rooms, buildings, and houses, and finally the true art form and expressive nature of dance. There are an abundance of shows that take place everyday in Spain, paying tribute to the flamenco dance. The dance burns with life, color, and romance, which all seem to shine through the native people of that country.

Costa Del Sol

Cuando yo viajo España, nosotros visitamos La Costa del Sol. Mis amigos y yo estamos en la Costa del Sol para tres noches. La Costa del Sol es un lugare de turismo pero muchas personas de españa visitan tambien. Los españoles le gustan La Costa del Sol mucho y toman el sol.

The Costa del Sol is located in Andalucia, Spain. It it a hot tourist location for people throughout all of Europe, but is also a huge attraction for the Spanish. As discussed in an earlier post, a large part of the culture in Spain is to spend as much time as possible outdoors. So many activities are centered around being outside. The Costa del Sol's weather is mild year round, with the majority of days seeing nothing but sunshine.

The Costa del Sol is very developed and is home to some of the most unique hotels and resorts in Europe. Because the coastline is in large part lined with breathtaking cliffs, the hotels have been built right along the side of the cliff. For instance, instead of walking in to the hotel on the first floor like we typically do, you would walk in to the main lobby on the top floor. The rooms are below the lobby, along the cliffs edge. In each room there is a balcony in which you can literally see nothing but the Mediterrean Sea. In other parts of the Costa del Sol you can find tourist pueblos. The costal tourism spot also contains even more outdoor restaurants, shopping, and bars then the other cities and provinces throughout spain.

Spanish Architecture

Me gusta mucho la actividad de "Virtual Tour" para la clase de lunes. Este clase es muy divertido y es el motivio para este blog. En el "virtual tour", yo miro a las pinturas muy bonitas y yo deseo hacer este blog en trabajo artistico. La casa de Herrero es en la ciudad de Santa Barbara, California y es muy magnifico. Este casa es la inspiracion de muchas casa que muchas personas construir y diseñar ahora.

As mentioned above, I really really enjoyed this week's "virtual tour". Browsing through all of the different paintings, sculptures, and different architectural styles, inspired me to do this culture blog on Spanish architecture. After googling "Spanish architecture", I stumbled across La Casa del Herrero. The home was designed by the architect, Herrero, a native of Panama. Herrero designed the house in Santa Barbara, California for the very wealthy Steedman family. The stucco walls, elaborate tiles, bright colors, large methodical patio, vibrant gardens, and spanish tiled roof, are just a few of the brilliant characteristics of this home.

The architecture of Herrero became known as the "Spanish Colonial" style in today's language among architects. His work has inspired the many beautiful homes that are splashed with glorious colors, bright stucco walls, lavish yards, and spacious patios, all of which can be found scattered throughout the United States and in a multitude of spanish-speaking countries, as well as non spanish-speaking countries.

What inspires me most about not only Herrero's work, but also many Spanish artists, is how happy it makes one feel. In Herrero's architecture, he has created a very inviting and warm atmosphere. It doesn't have the dark, drab rooms with the tightly drawn curtains. The house is designed for the Steedman's and the ones that have been modeled after it, are open and airy. From the pictures, it seems to be one large, happy space. It seems to be a place where a family can live and grow.

Salamanca, Spain

Salamanca es una ciudad en España. La ciudad es muy bonita y limpia. Mis amigos y yo comemos tapas a los restaurantes de tapas por la noche. Tambien nosotros caminamos en las calles y miramos a los edificios. Salamanca es una ciudad para los estudiantes de la universidad. La ciudad es muy divertida y son muchas cosas hermosas.

 The city of Salamanca, Spain is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been to. The streets are of cobblestone, the buildings, restaurants, houses, apartments, and hotels all have the look of magic. The city is modern yet, historical. Salamanca is like a city straight out of a fairy tale. There are many wonderful attributes that can hardly be described by words. The above picture is of the plaza mayor. This is where everyone in the city gathers. There are an abundance of restaurants, shops, and markets that are all unique and captivating in their own way. At night, the plaza mayor is luminated and becomes magnificent in every way.

While in Salamanca, my friends and I met many people in the Plaza Mayor. While there, we would meander in and out of the many clubs and bars and then would meet back up in the Plaza before heading back to our hotel. We even ran into students from High Point, NC. It was so much fun to practice the Spanish language with the people. (After our trip, all of us came home much more comfortable with conversing in the language.)

Salamanca is known for being a "college town". The above picture is one of gorgeous catholic universities. The city is very youthful and is overflowing in culture. The city is also fairly compact and everyone there travels by foot.  I learned an immeasurable amount while visiting there from the different people and places of the city.

Skin Cancer Prevalence in Spain

http://www.euroresidentes.com/Blogs/2005/05/uv-protection-in-spain.htm

Skin cancer and prevalence of it, is a topic in which I am extremely interested in. When asked to find an article that is related to the Spanish culture, I knew instantly that this was where I wanted to start. Since the age of 17, I knew that I wanted to help people with skin conditions and during that same year I visited ten different cities in Spain.  While there, I took great notice in the amount of sunbathing  and time spent outdoors. The Spanish people are, in large part, extremely active and healthy in their lifestyles but it does seem that there is a lack in skin care protection in regard to sun exposure.

This article is a perfect illustration of my point and idea for the first entry.  The opening statement of the article explains the slow process of “waking Spaniards up” to the awareness of sun protection. As I noticed while visiting the country, it also brings to point the variance in their motives for using a lotion with SPF compared to a very fair skinned person who would use it. Most residents have only the intention of getting that deep, dark tan, instead of using the sunscreen to prevent sun damage. Because of the mindset of a preferred tan rather than protected skin, many children of the country are exposed to harsh UV rays at too early of an age, therefore increasing greatly their chances for developing potentially deadly skin cancers, such as melanoma. The parents want to protect their children but aren’t necessarily sure how. The article directly addresses this issue and brings to light the development of clothing with SPF for children. SolKids is a company developed by a couple who moved from Australia to Granada, and know all-too-well the importance of sunscreen and related products.

I felt like this article was directly relevant to me and my interests and also coincides with Spanish culture. I am choosing to minor in Spanish to help reach out to people and spread the awareness of protecting your skin. Many Spanish speaking countries are very close to the equator and the risk for skin damage from harsh UV rays is very high. The culture of the people of Spain, as mentioned earlier, is to spend quality time with friends and family outdoors. This even includes sitting outdoors for meals at home and restaurants. The goal is to not change them culturally but to keep the people healthy so that they can enjoy these activities for much longer.