Friday, March 9, 2012
SOPHIE HERZING: SPAIN and Biutiful
Hola! Como estas? Well, our sixth presentation on the culture of Spain surely enlightened us even more than what we already thought we knew about the country. Sophie illustrated various components of the culture with vivid and colorful slides depicting art, costume, and other interesting data. How wonderful that we were able to invite the Spanish class for two days to our presentation. Finally, the finale was quite tasty as we dug into the delicious tapas, gespachio, merienda, and flaun! Your task this week is to write a one-sentence Spanish greeting to Sophie expressing your satisfaction in her presentation, naming your favorite or two favorite lessons, supporting it with reasons (use Google translator if you wish). Then, explain how the film, Biutiful, illustrates different parts of Spanish culture as you have learned throughout the week.
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Sophie, trabajo excelente de esta semana nos ensena todo acerca de Espana! The film “Biutiful” opened my eyes to the poverty situation that does exist in Spain, Barcelona specifically. I was not aware of the immense amount of poverty at all! Besides learning that, I was also enlightened in numerous other ways about how Spanish people live their daily lives.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite lesson was the “Fiesta!” presentation. Of the course the food was fantastic! Thanks Sophie and Mrs. Herzing for going to all that trouble to give us a delicious meal that was very true what is actually eaten in Spain. Besides the meal, I was intrigued, as I was for all of the presentations, by the Spanish’s attitude towards different meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner), and the etiquette used when at the table. Since I have eaten out at many fancy restaurants around the country, I feel justified in saying that I am aware of American etiquette at the table. I am fascinated by what other cultures eat, and what they consider “proper.” I am shocked that breakfast is not important in Spain. I personally can’t imagine life without breakfast! I do however like their emphasis on taking an afternoon break during the day in the form of a nap. I can imagine this can lead people to be more productive at work and at home! The Spanish eat dinner very late, something I am not used to either. Some of the etiquette was interesting. The Spanish always use utensils and remain standing until the host invites you to sit down. I value the fact that hands should always remain on the table.
My next favorite lesson was Day 2, learning about the history of Barcelona, and safety as a tourist. I always wondered how a tourist should act in Spain and what they should be concerned about. The Phoenicians and Carthaginians founded Barcelona. The city was involved in numerous conflicts with the Romans and Visigoths in the early years. After conflict with Madrid, Barcelona is back to being an important city to Spain. An interesting fact is that Barcelona hosted the 1992 Summer Olympics. As far as safety is concerned, tourists should hang onto bags, never set them down, as robbery is extremely common especially to tourists. Leave important documents locked up, and anything else should be attached to a belt or put them into an interior pocket.
“Biutiful” provided evidence of what Sophie told us in her presentations. What were shown the most were the slums where there are people that commit crimes and generally have low education. They are filled bad sanitation and just downright dirty! Also the language was heard, as the entire film was in Spanish. We heard the lovely soundtrack to the film, a typical example of Spanish music.
I must say I enjoyed watching an entirely foreign film! This was the first one I had ever seen, and I found it to be a different experience. As a viewer, you get the true vibe of the culture and the emotion of the characters. Thanks again Sophie! Great job on wrapping up the 3rd quarter presentations! I am excited for Palestine next week!
Ryan-
DeleteI completely disagree with what you have to say about breakfast! I hate breakfast! It makes me sick. I do, however, agree with what you said about the etiquette being intersting. I found it strange that the wrists must be on the table so that the hands can be seen at all times. During the presentation, I tried that out and found it to be rather annoying.
I also agree that "Biutiful" was eye opening. The poverty was breathtaking in the worst way. Poverty seems to be a big thing in the films we've been watching but every time it is just as alarming.
Ryan,
DeleteYour take on the eating and timing just cracks me up! Unlike you, I can't eat breakfast or I feel like crap the rest of the day. Their breakfast I could handle though because it's all sugar which actually makes me happy. I think that the idea of when they eat their meals is actually better than ours. It is more evenly spaced out so it is more efficient. And, I think we could all do with a nap every once in a while. That part of the timing makes me jealous.
I also love that you brought up how everything Sophie spoke about appeared in the movie that very day. I think it all helped us to better understand the background that led up to such occurrences. It was nice to see!
Ryan,
DeleteI agree with you that one of the most interesting things this week was Spanish ettiquette and table manners! I know that you enjoy learning about that topic, and so do I. It's funny how very little the Spanish customs are similar to your life, while they're almost identical to mine!
I'm glad you brought up the fact that the movie was entirely in Spanish. I think this was a big deal as language is a key factor in any culture. I believe that without being immersed in a culture's language, you won't be fully acquainted with that culture! Nice blog, Ryan.
Sophie, hizo una magnífica labor con su presentación, y la obra de arte era preciosa! Along the lines of what Ryan said, I had not known about the poverty lying within the heart of Spain. What I did know about Spanish culture I had learned with Mrs. Evans through my run of Spanish classes. However, she did not present the povery, especially in not in such a vivid manner. I also learned about the different customs of the Spanish people that I had not known of before.
ReplyDeleteI LOVED your presentation of art in Spain. I know that when I did my week on Italy, that was my favorite as well. It's so interesting to trace the history of art from its roots to where it falls today. The book was amazing, by the way. Though Salvador Dali's work is a little out there, I have always been a fan of his work. As I am older now, it was very strange to look at work I had only glimpsed before through young eyes, and now see the repetitive objects in his pieces, and maybe some of the statements he wished to depict. I found that his artwork was hypnotic almost. Going through the book the day before the actual art presentation I looked at every single page. Then, during the study hall after the presentation, I did so again. His work is so different, something I am not use to seeing, so I was a HUGE fan of the art presentation.
Learning about table manners in Spain was also fascinating to me. I, unlike Ryan, was excited to find that they do not hold breakfast in such high esteem. I personally am not a fan of breakfast, and I rarely eat it. Maybe I'll move to Spain, because here in America I'm constantly being hounded to eat it! I thought it was a little peculiar that they eat their final meal so late in the evening. Here, eating dinner at eleven at night would be quite odd, especially since many people are sleeping by then. Then again, the Spanish take their siesta in the middle of the day, so at eleven at night, they are still most likely wide awake.
The film "Biutiful" painted a picture of the darkness within Spain. What really hit me in the film was the leeches. Everyone knows that I was totally disgusted by these things, mostly because they were leeches, but also because people live in conditions where huge blooding sucking creatures just live on their ceilings. What was even worse was that Uxbal just laid there. He stared at the leeches and not for a moment did any expression cross his face. He didn't seem fazed by it at all. I think that really captures the essence of the film. The poverty was normal for them, it was their everyday life to live in filth and grime.
This film, as Ryan as said before me, provided a great example of the Spanish music. I'm actually listening to the soundtrack as I am putting this together, because I love it so much. I found the soundtrack to be moving and inspirational, and also different. It is not the type of music you hear in an America film soundtrack, the instruments were different, it was just plain cool. Also, as this film was subtitled, we heard the language (shout out to Ryan's blog post again). However, even though the whole film was in Spanish, I never felt inconvenienced by the reading of subtitles. It didn't take away from the film at all.
I felt that we also got a good glimpse of Spanish film making too. I thought, or maybe I'm imagining things, that the film was put together differently than a typical American film. I felt that the use of camera was quite different. If we look at the scene with the bird flying, I felt that the camera was just a little shaky, but not in a bad way. It was just not the smooth panning that we typically associate with film. Also, as Sophie pointed out, in moments of dramatic importance, silence was used as an emphasis. I found this to be haunting, highly effective, and better than the use of background music.
Kat,
DeleteThanks for the shout-outs! :)
Your blog brings attention to many important points covered in the past week. I did not touch upon art, just because art is not my thing. However, I can appreciate the fame and significance behind certain works. I must admit that I did enjoy look through the "bookmarks" that Sophie had for us and seeing the repetitive imagery in them (as you pointed out).
The leeches were repulsive. I thought they needed water to live! Guess I was wrong. The soundtrack was lovely also.
We will have to agree to disagree on breakfast! I'm sure the majority will take your side though.. I LOVE BREAKFAST.
My favorite food was the flan. I'm all for any kind of dessert! The soup was unlike I had ever had before. It would have been interesting to heat it up and see how it tasted.
Anyway, good job Kat!
Kathryn,
DeleteI really loved reading your blog because you brought up some things that I didn't. One of these was the cinematic elements of the film. The darkness in the film was really reflected in the dark lighting that was seen throughout it. The beginning even opened in pitch black then turned to the startlingly white scene of the Pyrenees. I almost see this as going to a better place. Another one of these was the symbolism in the leeches. Sophie herself said she had not realized that the first time she watched the movie but we could see it because she explained it to us. They, once again, were black like the evil that was eating him away from the inside. You could easily see not only his physical well being deteriorate but he also became almost unstable. The only thing he could think rationally about was protecting his children.
hey, I'll move with you to Spain if you do! Naps and staying up late really doesn't sound that bad. Great blog!
Kathryn,
DeleteHaha you really put a lot of effort into this blog and for that I commend you! Anyway, I agree that the art day was one of my favorites. Unlike you, however, I did not enjoy Salvador Dali's work. It was just too strange for me. It was certainly interesting to look at.
Those leeches were disgusting! I know if those things were in my bedroom, I would NOT be calm. I would probably be freaking out.
Nice job with your blog!
(the blog wouldn't let me pusblish the whole thing, it claimed my blog was too many characters. So here is the final paragraph)
ReplyDeleteAll together, great job Soph! I loved this film, it was my favorite this year, no joke. I enjoyed how Spanish it was, especially because of the language. And by the way.... the food was fantastic! I lovedddd the soup!
Sophia, su presentacione era muy interesante y diversion! (Didn't google it so sorry if it's wrong). Muy bien! Spain was originally the culture that I was going to give a presentation on but I think you did amazing with it! I'll write you a good review if you give me a cupcake :). But honestly, the movie you chose perfectly depicted Spain and each day you gave us something new to look forward to in your presentation!
ReplyDeleteI think that my favorite part of your presentation was actually the discrepancy between how we view Spain/Barcelona and how the spaniards do! We live in a very fortunate society where we see mostly good. When we look at the media we usually see beautiful sites and amazing scenery. We immediately want to become tourists in gorgeous places that are described to us. But this is very innacurate. As your presentation showed, Barcelona is not the beautiful shining land we see it. Instead, it is filled with filth and poverty that are usually ignored. I did not realize that Spain suffered from situation but your presentation opened my eyes to this! Thank you!
I believe that my second favorite topic was the food! Not only did we get to taste amazing treats from Spain, we learned about their dining customs. I had not known that breakfast was an unimportant meal to them. To me, who does not eat breakfast, this seems fine! But I'm sure to Ryan it seems ludicrous! I liked to learn that when they go out drinking they could go to as many bars as they wished before actually eating which ends up extremely late. I know that eating late may seem ridiculous to some of us but considering their busy schedules it makes some sense!
It was amazing to see all the cultures and traditions of Spain wrapped up into one presentation! If I could give you advice on anything it would have been your pronunciations. Sometimes, you seemed very uncertain. I would have liked to see this vanish considering how it detracted from the quality of the presentation! Overall though, you did great!
Sophie, you did a great job presenting to use the culture of Spain and wrapping up the student portion of our cultural tour! There is only one word I can use to describe it and this whole process. "Biutiful!"
Alex-
DeleteI agree with the differences being interesting. I also thought that the YouTube video of the Cheetah Girls helped that too. It really enhanced how the media portrays only the best of a culture quite often, as did the clip from the Olympics. But while the Cheetah Girls are dancing and singing and the Olympics are going on, people are also living in the streets and slums, hidden from the view of the camera.
And also yes, not eating breakfast does seem fine! Now two of us agree!!
Good post couz!!
Alex,
ReplyDeleteSophie's presentation of the different viewpoint we as Americans have on Barcelona compared to locals of the city was indeed eye-opening. Americans do generally see the good side of things, which isn't always a bad thing unless it causes one to be too naive. Thank you for thinking of me concerning breakfast! I do consider it ludicrous! That must be the swimmer mentality in me, because all of us swimmers eat our breakfast! Spanish culture is something that I thought I knew a decent amount of, but I realized that I was not aware of most things. With that being said, Sophie's presentation was definitely a benefit to my knowledge of foreign countries! This has been a wonderful journey! Thank you Dr. Pam for allowing us to take it, and I am looking forward to our final destination, Palestine!
I just want to say that "all of us swimmers eat our breakfast" just absolutely made my night!
DeleteSophia, hizo muy bien con ensenarle a nosotros acerca de la cultura y la pelicula de Espana, un de mis culturas y idiomas favoritas. (Quiero que mi sentencia es correcto, o cinco anos del Espanol seria para nada!) I have always been interested in the Spanish culture, mostly spanning from my desire to learn the language. Sophie did a great job educating us on the beautiful culture of Spain and the movie ‘Biutiful’.
ReplyDeleteMi dia favorita was the day we learned about Spanish customs. I have to say that after Sophie’s presentation I’ve discovered that my lifestyle is quite similar to that of the Spaniards‘. They don’t eat breakfast besides a small piece of toast or other item, and that‘s usually the same for me. I will only (get up early enough to) eat a full breakfast on very rare occasions. Everyone in Spain participates in siesta at 2 o’clock, dropping everything to take a break. This sounds so ideal to me and would certainly be my favorite part of living in Spain! As soon as I get out of school, I am tired and want nothing more than to take a nap. Finally, the Spanish people end up working late because of siesta and only eat dinner late at night. This is very similar to how things work at my house. Everyone is usually at practices or work, so the only time we can eat dinner together is later in the evening. Eating as late as midnight is a bit extreme, however! After dinner, one takes a paseo (an evening walk). While that’s something I don’t do, I believe it would be very peaceful and healthy.
The day I liked second best was the art presentation. I was slightly disturbed by the artist Dali’s works, finding them strange and unattractive. Yet it was still interesting to see the history of art in Spain and how it was affected by art movements in other European countries.
My favorite aspect of the film “Biutiful” was how it was entirely in Spanish. I feel as though this helped immerse us even deeper into the culture of Spain and it was a great choice on Sophie’s part! I believe I picked up a few words into my Spanish vocabulary, as well. Watching subbed foreign movies or TV shows is a great way to pick up on a language, as one gets an idea as to how the sentences flow and the mouth movements to make, as well as the repetition of commonly used words and phrases.
Besides the language of the film, “Biutiful” used surrealistic filming techniques to enhance the movie. The most outstanding example of this occurrence was the dramatic final scene. Uxbal is reunited in the “ mountains” that the audience presumes to be heaven with his father that died many years ago. The two share a cigarette while the snow gently falls. This scene was very haunting and though it was disappointing that Uxbal passed away, it was a fitting end to the film.
Sophie’s great slideshows coupled with her visual aids and fantastic food proved for a wonderful presentation about the culture of Spain! After seeing the beautiful aspects of the country in class, the movie showed us the most raw and disgusting parts of Spain. By putting the two together, Sophie was able to give us a complete cultural experience that I thank her for. I look forward to our final week tomorrow, Palestine!