As I mentioned in my previous blog, I have begun helping Doctora Ana to write a research paper for the Journal of Prosthetics and Orthotics. In this role, I help her to compile research and patient information, in addition to helping her translate the paper in English once it has been completed. As the computer system in the hospital is a bit antiquated, we spend a lot of time going through archives of her patients to put together a comprehensive spreadsheet beginning with surgeries in the 90s up until last year. Although this is laborious task, it is so enjoyable to sit with her in the archives room and share laughs and learn more about her life. She discussed with me the "machismo" that she faced in the hospital and how hard she had to work to gain respect in her field as a woman, in which she is now one of the most well respected in the country. ...continue reading "More than Numbers"
Tag: GW Madrid
A Semana Santa Adventure
By crstein1
If I were to return to the States and only take away one lesson, it would be a lesson in adventure. It seems appalling, I presume, that I could discount every other tidbit of knowledge and experience, just to sum up my time here in the one minuscule word ‘adventure’. However, I can maintain that everything I see, every person I meet, every event I’ve witnessed, has been an adventure in itself. With the language barrier and the differences in culture and customs, even the most routine tasks are out of my comfort zone, and for this reason, are mini-adventures. Yet for risk of sounding overly cliché, I’ll digress… ...continue reading "A Semana Santa Adventure"
Las Fallas
By crstein1
Normally when I travel I’m with other GW students from my program here in Madrid. We usually stay in hostels or hotels and we speak mostly in English. It’s great to travel with my friends and we always have such a great time. Recently, however, I traveled to Valencia for the Las Fallas Festival with my Flamenco teacher, Ana. Ana is absolutely the sweetest person, and she is an amazing dancer, too! My friend Jess (another GW student in my program), and Ana’s friend from Saudi Arabia, Rana, also traveled with us. My experience at Las Fallas and with Ana’s family was a once in a lifetime experience, and most definitely my favorite weekend of my study abroad experience. ...continue reading "Las Fallas"
The Passion in Life and Death
By crstein1
One of the most interesting parts of living in Spain is that I’ve had the chance to understand some of the Spanish traditions. Of course, I was aware that Spain was famous for bullfights, but it wasn’t something I ever gave much thought to. From an American perspective, bullfights are cruel and futile. My recent trip to Pamplona, the capital city of Navarre, in Northern Spain, allowed me to view the traditions surrounding bulls from a new perspective. Pamplona is famous throughout the world for the historic and sometimes controversial San Fermín festival, which occurs every year from July 6th-14th. Part of the fame of this festival is due to its presence in Ernest Hemingway’s novel, The Sun Also Rises. San Fermín was the first bishop of Pamplona and spent much of his life spreading the gospel. He was beheaded in a preaching voyage and is considered a saint and a martyr of the Catholic Church. The festival of San Fermín exists as a way to honor the saint and has been a large celebration in Pamplona since medieval times. Although there is a religious component, and there is also fireworks, parades, dancing and music, the most epic and central part of the festival is the running of the bulls. ...continue reading "The Passion in Life and Death"
The politics of borders
By crstein1
It took us about 10 seconds to drive through the checkpoint between the Spanish region of La Rioja and the region of El País Vasco (the Basque Country). It’s interesting how borders function; they can seem so arbitrary sometimes. For example, the difference between being on one side of the border between Maryland and Virginia seems practically the same as being on the other side of the border. Yet the barrier between La Rioja and El País Vasco has a completely different feeling. The Basque people are an indigenous group living in areas of Spain and France. Despite the Spanish annexation of Basque territory, the Basque people have managed to hold onto their culture, language and traditions. There is a strong sentiment of Basque nationalism, and the Basque people feverishly fight to maintain their customs. Basque is the main language taught in many schools and many people consider themselves to be of Basque nationality as opposed to Spanish nationality. Basque nationalism has also manifested into a desire for more autonomy from Spain, and the fight for an independent Basque state has at times been demonstrated through acts of terrorism. It’s so interesting- you cross through a seemingly meaningless checkpoint and everything changes. All of a sudden people are speaking in Basque, there’s a different political sentiment and there’s a whole separate culture. ...continue reading "The politics of borders"
Preventive Medicine
After only a month of working with Doctora Ana, I have observed 15 surgeries and 100+ consultations, all involving patients ranging in age from 2 months to 16 years old. I am witness to the success of her work, having seen wheel chair bound children walk. Most of the children Ana treats have a rare disease known as "osteogenesis imperfecta." Children with this condition are born with extremely fragile bones that are oftentimes deformed. In most cases these children require surgery, often between 5 and 10 times. Sometimes surgery is done to correct deformities in the bones, and other times it is needed to repair a break or fracture and place a rod in the bone for added support. ...continue reading "Preventive Medicine"
The Easy Life
By crstein1
I’m really looking forward to the spring in Madrid. The weather hasn’t been the best lately, as the last few weeks have been freezing and it even snowed on several occasions (which is very rare in Madrid). Often, my mood reflects the weather- when it’s raining I feel somewhat blue, and when it’s freezing and snowy I have no energy to leave my bed. However, I’ve felt surprisingly happy here despite the less than stellar weather. Madrid is an absolutely amazing city, and dare I say it, perhaps more incredible than my beloved home in New York. I’ve been trying to figure out why this city is so exhilarating, and why everyday life here seems so fantastic. To a certain extent, I think that a lot of my happiness results from my lack of responsibilities here. My only obligation is my classes, which don’t require the endless amount of homework and studying that is typical of classes at home. Here in Madrid, my host mom cooks, cleans and does my laundry. I’m able to spend my free time exploring the city, going to the theater, visiting museums, or hanging out with friends. I wonder, if I had this luxury at school in DC, would I be equally as happy? ...continue reading "The Easy Life"
Where All the Money Goes
By crstein1
I’ve finally figured out what GW does with all of our tuition money- it’s spent on study abroad programs. We live like kings and queens here in Spain. I had this epiphany last weekend during our trip to Barcelona. The trip, which was included in our program, was amazing. We traveled from Madrid to Barcelona on a high-speed train (a welcomed change from the buses I am accustomed to taking) and stayed in a hotel near the beach. Unfortunately, it was a bit too cold to spend time on the beach, but nonetheless, it was a nice area to be in. The first day, after a bus tour of the city, which I’ll admit I was too sleepy to pay any attention to, we ate lunch at a beautiful restaurant. When we asked if the place was nice our program director responded, “You know I take care of you guys, right? Don’t you notice that as we walk down the pier the restaurants get nicer and nicer?” When we were close to the end of the pier we entered into the restaurant. We sat at a table next to the glass wall which showed the gorgeous view of the city and the water. The waiters must’ve brought out about 10 courses. We all felt extremely fancy. ...continue reading "Where All the Money Goes"
A Spanish Fairytale
By crstein1
I’m convinced that I found the place where every fairy tale is set. My friends and I took an overnight bus from Madrid to Seville a week ago and spent most of the weekend in the picturesque city. Immediately after getting off the bus at 7 am we were mesmerized. Seville is located in the region of Andalucía, in southern Spain. All of the houses look like dollhouses and there is even a castle and a beautiful cathedral (the third biggest cathedral in Europe and the home of the tomb of Christopher Columbus). The streets are filled with thousands of orange trees and in the main plazas there are many horses and carriages which offer rides around the city. The weather was beautiful (over 60°F and incredibly sunny) and the branches of the orange trees were heavy with fruit. On a walking tour of the city, the guide explained to us that once upon a time there was a queen who lived in Seville who was from the mountains in the north of Spain. She loved Seville but missed the snow that was typical of her former home. The king had orange trees planted around the city, and when the trees began to blossom, the streets became covered with the white petals, just like snow. ...continue reading "A Spanish Fairytale"
There Isn’t Enough Bread for So Many Chorizos
By crstein1
Living in Washington, DC has given me certain perspectives on politics and society. There are always going to be conflicts and tensions between the public and the government and I believe that critiques of the administration are an advantageous way to maintain a healthy democratic state. But what happens when the situation progresses beyond the ‘healthy point’? What happens when the tensions become overwhelming? Recently, one of Spain’s main newspapers, El Pais, published information claiming that the former treasurer and the current Prime Minister, Luis Barcenas and Mariano Rajoy respectively, had received money from a secret fund. The payments were financed mostly by the construction industry and were not properly taxed. Most of the payments violated Spanish laws on party sponsorship. This news, in addition to the continuously high levels of unemployment and the disastrous state of the Spanish economy, has devastated the people of Spain.
I have witnessed many protests and strikes and it seems like the state of the government and the economy is all that people talk about these days. Only two students (out of a class of about 20) showed up to my political science class. My teacher told me that the other students were on strike for the week. He explained that there is a lack of incentive to go to class when there aren’t any jobs, and that the students will be severely affected if the economy doesn’t improve. In addition, when I was in Sevilla this past weekend, in the south of Spain, the garbage collectors were on strike and the city, although still beautiful and mesmerizing, was covered in trash. In Madrid, I watched a protest turn slightly violent, as police attempts to contain the crowd ended up in fights with the more aggressive protesters. At the protest, the most interesting thing to experience was the sign, ‘no hay pan para tanto chorizo’, which loosely translates into English as ‘there isn’t enough bread for so many chorizos’. The word chorizo can be used as a name of a spicy Spanish sausage, or as a word for a thief or swindler. The bread reference is symbolic for money and resources. In other words, there isn’t enough money for all of the corruption. It’s exciting to be in a society that’s so charged and intense, although I’m worried that the state of affairs will continue to deteriorate. I’m curious to see how the situation progresses.