5 Cultural Experiences

5 Cultural Experiences

Correfoc

One of the first weeks during my semester in Barcelona I was able to partake in what I would consider one of the more unique events in Barcelona, the Correfoc.  The Correfoc can be translated as the fire run and it is an event that takes place during Barcelona’s celebration of La Merce.  This amazing cultural experience can be described as a parade of firecrackers, full of costumes, contraptions, and statues that all are designed around one main theme, the representation of each barrio or neighborhood in Barcelona and their similar but unique portrayal of a fire show.  During the Correfoc people dress up from head to toe in clothing that is essentially fire proof. 

Those that take place in the actual parade as more then just bystanders often carry large contraptions holding a magnitude of firecrackers.  They then light these firecrackers and begin spraying the crowd with the sparks that are made from igniting firecrackers.  Bystanders, or at least the brave bystanders, will jump into the parade dancing around and being bombarded with sparks of fire.  The trick to this is to constantly be moving because if you stop the embers will sit on you and burn your back.  I suppose the more intelligent way to avoid burn marks would be to dress appropriately however I did not catch this memo in time.  The idea behind the Correfoc is that the sparks cleanse you of your sins.  This was an amazing experience and possibly one of the best days of my life.  

Independence Day

Another truly unique and empowering cultural experience I was lucky enough to encounter while studying in Barcelona was the Catalonia Independence Day.  Being from the United States I believed that I had a great conception of what cultural pride was however this day redefined the term for me.  Independence Day in Cataluyna is like nothing else, it puts the 4th of July to shame and is a true testament to cultural pride.  On this day almost all of the city was shutdown and the streets and plazas became flooded yellow and red, the colors of the Catalan Flag. 

I have never once seen so many different ages and demographics of people uniting to celebrate one specific cause, Catalan Independence.  All ages of people wrap Catalan flags around their bodies as they cheer, dance, drink, and party for Catalan Independence.  Oddly enough this day is September 11th, the day that Spain regained control over Catalonia. One of the main ideas on this day is to create a human chain going from the coast of Barcelona all the way to the border of France, initially in-circling all of Catalonia.  Many national and international news channels actually discussed this public celebration and statement and many included arial views taken from helicopters of the human chain.  This is truly an amazing experience and I highly suggest witnessing it in your life if possible.

Sala Apollo

One of the very first things people mention when discussing Barcelona is its world renown nightlife.  One can easily find themselves dancing and partying into the early hours of the morning.  One thing that I have noticed about the “discotecas” or night clubs in Barcelona is that each one possesses unique traits that help separate it from the others.  Many night clubs here attempt to draw in mainly tourists, some focus on Americans specifically, some on study abroad students, some on college students, some on locals, and some on a mixture of it all.  My favorite night of the week tends to take place at a discoteca called Sala Apollo.  Every Monday they put on a party known as Nasty Mondays in which DJ’s and live performers play 90’s rock and punk rock music.  If one is looking for a way to wrap their mind around what young Catalan adults like to do at night this would be the place to go.  When you step off the metro stop Parallel you enter a wide street filled with young adults drinking, smoking, and socializing in groups of multiple sizes.  Although most places in the United States get busy by 12 at the latest this discoteca doesn’t even open up until midnight and if one chooses to enter at this hour you will be struck with an almost completely empty two story old ballroom that has been turned into a nightclub. 

It will not be packed with people until at least 1:30-2am but once that hour hits you will be engulfed in a world full of young Catalan culture, a mix of grunge, anarchy, and passion.  If you are able to embrace this culture and attempt to talk to the people you can have the opportunity to see what a young Catalan adult may think.  However it is important to not get discouraged by rejection, especially when attempting to talk to “una chica muy guapa” (a beautiful girl) because at one point or another it is inevitable.  I have had some of the best nights of my life at Sala Apollo getting to experience young Catalan culture first hand.

Food

Coming from a country that tends to function at a very fast pace, high stress, hectic life style the idea of the siesta was a completely eye opening experience.  Being able to see the way that Spanish culture incorporates its belief of food into its meals as a time to sit down, relax, enjoy, and engage in conversation with friends and family leaving all other time constraints and stress outside the edge of the table is truly a different and memorable experience.  The fact that the way people consume food and treat meals is not the only difference though, the food itself is very different from what I am accustomed to as an American.  Prior to my study abroad experience I had never eaten Tapas or even seen a Tapas restaurant.  Although I know they do exist in America I doubt they are the same experience as eating tapas in Spain.  Unfortunately because Barcelona relies heavily on tourism it is hard to find true Tapa’s restaurants here however places like Maitea Taberna and the Xampaneria come very close to portraying the experience I encountered in Madrid at El Tigre. 

In a typical traditional Tapa’s restaurant one will find very few tables and chairs and a lot of counters or standing tables.  Often the good ones are packed nearly shoulder to shoulder leaving one to wonder how one can simply eat or navigate their way through such a place, however this is all part of the experience.  Also the floors at a traditional Tapa’s restaurant will be covered in napkins because often people just throw their used napkins on the floor to be swept up at the end of the night.  Going from American sit down

restaurants to the craziness that a Tapa’s restaurant can offer can be a very different but very amazing experience.  To go from a whole lot of personal space and a large meal to nearly zero personal space and an assortment of little snack sized plates is something every American should experience.

Camp Nou

Coming from a city that is very proud of its professional American Football team, the Denver Broncos, I am not new to the idea of breathing and bleeding the colors of your team.  However sporting events in the United States are much different then sporting events here, especially FC Barcelona futbolllllll!!!  My first time at Camp Nou was an amazing experience full of awe, not only in disbelief at the talent the athletes poses but also at the cultural attitude and behavior. 

In America big football games are stadiums full of endless amounts of booze, drunken mindless yelling and cheering, shit talking, socialization, and few moments of actually watching the athletic performance taking place.  However futbol in Barcelona presents a stadium full of die hard fans, no alcohol, and a sense of very focused very serious fans.  It is almost silent until Barca does something good or bad, but when the ball goes in the goal serious fans of all ages break their focus and erupt in communal cheers supporting their beloved team.