Flamenco?

Our first plan that didn't quite work out as planned....Last night we headed to the Castillo de Santa Catalina to enjoy some music within the castle walls, bathed by the final rays of the day's sun.  A large crowd had gathered and waited expectantly, while a young Spaniard spun records of loud dance music.  Perhaps many of them too were looking at the stage, wondering how the music, advertised as flamenco, could possibly be played on those modern-looking instruments.  Not a flamenco guitar nor a rickety chair in sight.  Only a Gibson electric guitar, drum kit, and modern keyboard synthesizer. 

Well, the answer to this doubt and concern is easy.  The fellows who came up on stage just didn't play flamenco at all, and I think that they probably learned a valuable lesson in marketing, which probably set in just as everyone was leaving -- Lying about your "product" may attract plenty of audience, but once they all realize that they've been had, they'll revolt.  In this case, the revolt consisted of all of us (and many others) leaving within fifteen minutes of the music's beginning. Let me be the first to tell you that elevator jazz is not flamenco.  Enjoy the last photo below--it'll give you a feel for what the music sounded like. 

Still, we did all very much enjoy the sunset, and the castle and ambiance were beautiful, so not all was lost.  We'll just hope for better music next time.

Class Videos

An example of one of the videos that the students in Intermediate Spanish have made, showing the "typical day" of a Spaniard.

Andalusian Civilization

Busy as bees, we are! Yesterday was a great day, filled with Andalusian-themed activities.  We split the group into two smaller groups--Patos y Elefantes (Ducks and Elephants) -- so as to make some visits and activities more easily organized.  While the Elephants tromped through the Cathedral, the Patos spent some time decorating abanicos (typical Spanish fans).  Afterwards, everyone participated in a flamenco dance lesson.

In the evening, the students had free time, though most took our advice and headed over the Teatro Manuel de Falla for the free flamenco show, in which a woman sang from the theater balcony, which overlooked a square filled with flamenco enthusiasts.

Tonight we have another flamenco-related group activity, this time at the Castillo de Santa Catalina.  We'll be watching the sun set as we listen to live flamenco at the castle.

The days are flying by, and everyone seems to be feeling more and more comfortable with their Spanish host families and also taking advantage of all of the other culinary, cultural, and musical opportunities that the city of Cadiz offers.

I've included some photos below of yesterday's activities.  There is also a short video at the bottom of the flamenco performance from last night.  The sound is terrible-ish, but I think the video gives a nice vision of what the night looked like.  Enjoy!

Crayloa Ludoteca

Well, the students should now be quite familiar with the sights and sounds of the streets of Cadiz.  Last night they participated in our annual Photographic Scavenger Hunt, searching the city of Cadiz for such things as couples holding hands, a Smart car, someone wearing green, yellow or red pants, the European Union flag, incorrect English spelling, and graffiti in English.  All the teams performed wonderfully and nearly all came back with perfect or near perfect scores. 

Today the students had their second day of classes, and all is progressing quite well.  Javier's class (advanced) visited the Crayola Ludoteca, a state and privately-funded daycare that helps to take care of the children of working parents in a low-income area of downtown Cadiz.  Our volunteers were incredibly appreciated, and had a great time, and all complained when we had to leave. 

In the weeks that come, all of our students will have the opportunity to visit Crayola and help out the very skilled and incredibly overworked staff there. 

This evening, we've got a free night and we've recommended that the students take advantage of the free offering of flamenco that the city offers tonight in the Plaza del Teatro de Falla. 

More to come soon as life moves along here in Cadiz.

Ice Cream and Such

Some pictures follow below of our recent activities, including -- a short trip to Plaza Mina for some delicious Italian-style ice cream, a night walk on La Caleta Beach, and our afternoon elective classes.

Today was our first official day of classes, in which the students took a placement test and were placed into one of our three levels of Spanish classes.  This afternoon (right now) they are in their elective classes (Digital Photography, Culture and Conversation, or
Flamenco Dance). 

This evening, we'll have our annual Photographic Scavenger Hunt, after which all of the students should have a much better understanding of the layout of Cadiz.  Check back for more soon!

Conil de la Frontera

Today, a lovely trip down the road a bit to Conil de la Frontera, a beautiful beach village (21,000 people approximately) about a half hour from Cadiz.  After a brief stroll through the village, we headed down to the beach to enjoy the crystal-clear, very clean waters, play soccer and volleyball, and relax in the rather hot, but pleasant, temperatures.

Tonight, after an early evening ice cream in la Plaza Mina, the students will return home for an evening of dinner with their family and free time.

More soon.

Here's where we are headed today:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conil_de_la_Frontera

We'll update this page with a full report and photos upon, or shortly after, arrival.