Get ready for a novel...

Easily one of my favorite songs of all time.
I start these all the same way... but I really need to write here more often so it doesn't build up! I started the last entry with "Travel Update" because I meant to write another one about just life in Malaga, my thoughts and feelings, etc. but never got around to it for one reason or another. Basically, my January consisted of very little activity. Most of my friends from 2008 had left, and my apartment was relatively empty with only Jean Claude from Philadelphia (by way of Ivory Coast), and Angelo from Italy for two weeks. Therefore I found myself freezing in my apartment with not much to do, and ended up spending most of my time with my friends Taylor and Mareike. It was the coldest winter in decades here in Malaga (easily the coldest one I've ever lived in) and there was even a small tornado that destroyed the roof of the bus station, among other damages! No traveling, nothing special really... Went to a soccer game (Malaga, in their first year back in the first division has been the surprise team of the season, and my official favorite team!)

I also had some time to reflect on my time here, and life back at home. Stayed glued to my computer on the unfortunate killing of Oscar Grant, and the equally unfortunate violence that ensued. I was infuriated by the way the police and the powers-that-be handled this situation. In such an absolutely clear-cut violation of the law with indisputable evidence at their disposal, all it would have taken was for BART to release a statement denouncing the officer's actions, an apology or some explanation from the (former) officer, or a warrant for officer Mesehrle and a public image of the officer in handcuffs. He committed a crime and clearly is not a good representative of the police force, so if even one or two of the above had happened, I think a lot of the public outrage would have been squelched, therefore limiting the violent repercussions... not to condone the destruction that occurred, but I'm just saying it could have been preventable. I mean, wouldn't the police want to separate and disassociate themselves from such a person?

Also, watching the inauguration of President Obama was a special thing, even if the speech was dubbed. I knew a lot of people at the event and seeing all the joyous outpouring of support, posters, t-shirts, and art, it is something I will never forget, and possibly never experience again. The feeling of hope was passionately apparent. I remember when I studied abroad in Salamanca I sat next to a guy most days named Guionel from Gabon in Africa. He wore a watch and on the watch face was a picture of his country's president. I remember thinking that was the craziest thing to me, and asking him why on earth he would wear the face of his president on his watch. He explained to me that people loved him and believed in him so much that it wasn't a strange thing. This memory was probably the first thing that came back to me with all the "Obamamania" going around, and thinking about it then, I finally understood.


So finally in mid-Feb. I took a day trip with Taylor to Gibraltar (as in- the rock of...) and it was probably one of my favorite trips. People kind of talked it down as just a touristy destination with really nothing special, but I thought it was so cool! Crazy monkeys, caves, tunnels, and a BEAUTIFUL bay/port with multi colored water and ships waiting to dock. The old town was awesome too, and the people are a crazy mix of spanish and english, speaking both, as well as their own combination-language called "Gibraltarian" (where the word Gibberish comes from). Taylor managed to get her wallet stolen from her backpack by a rogue monkey, and after feeling rather helpless as it probed the contents for food, I finally snatched it back when it wasn't looking! We ate some hearty British pub-food, and got back in time to go out for the night! Not a bad way to spend the day...

Nexxxxt came Semana Blanca (white week holidays) where a group of 5 friends and I took off to Prague, Vienna, and Budapest for about 9 days. It was a pretty intense trip that included sleeping in an airport, train delays, sprinting to catch our bus to Vienna, and lots and lots of snow. Prague had been the city I most wanted to see that I had yet to visit, and it definitely did not disappoint. Already snowing upon arrival, it had a very medieval feel complete with a cramped old town with tall, blackened towers and cobblestone streets. The constant snow only added to the city's beauty, and it only seemed proper to view it blanketed in white as opposed to a warmer time of year. A couple quick highlights: We went to the gorgeous cathedral of St. Vitus on top of the hill in the oldest part of the city, with surrounding palace. This part of Prague dates back much over a thousand years and excavations of the site even revealed pre-historic artifacts, not to mention all the knights, saints, and other historical figures to walk its grounds. We also stopped by the John Lennon wall which during communist-era Prague was a beacon of free speech for a society that lacked a voice. The last day we took a train out to a nearby town that had a chapel completely adorned with the bones of 40,000 bodies buried on the grounds mainly from the Plague and the Hussite wars. Whatever twisted mind came up with the idea probably had some issues, but it was pretty ridiculous to see in person. Other than that we strolled around the main part of town, enjoying the old buildings, winding streets, and 24hour sausage carts. We also got to meet up with my friend Zuzana who I met in Malaga but is from Prague and she took us to a dope, multi-story artsy bar/club. Amazing city.

Next 3 of us continued on to Vienna while the others went straight to Budapest. Definitely did not regret the decision, and despite only spending one night in Austria, Vienna left a real impression. One of my neighbors from Malaga, Max, is from Vienna and took it upon himself to be our official guide for the entire day, and he took us all over!It's streets contrast from Prague in looking considerably more clean, colorful, and downright elegant. There's the palace of the Austro-Hungarian empire and outside is kind of the "national mall" of Austria with all the beautiful government buildings surrounding. In front of the Rathaus (city hall more or less I think) was a Winterfest complete with two ice rinks connected by a series of tracks which Cody and I of course had to try out. That night, Max took us to an AMAZING brewery, probably my favorite beer I've ever had, and some great authentic Austrian food (I had the goulash). That night he directed us towards this bar district that was underneath the metro line: within each small arch in the metro supports was a different bar. Overall really cool scene, and lots of fun in Austria!

Finally we arrived in Budapest, which turned out to be much bigger than I expected. I honestly didn't really do my homework on the city, because I found myself a bit overwhelmed at everything there was to see! We stayed in Pest, and walked to the Pest Castle, a disneyland-esque little castle beautifully decorated by the recent snowfall. From there we went to the bathhouse and lounged for hours in the outdoor baths in the same water where nobility used to bathe years ago (...ugh) We saw the Hungarian orchestra perform at the pretty opera house, went to a few spots to eat/drink with Cody's old roommate Dora who's from Budapest, and basically got the full Pest tour the first couple days. Then we crossed the Duna river over to Buda and explored the cathedral, palace, and even navigagted the old underground labyrinth by gaslamp beneath all of Buda's hillside monuments. Everywhere you turned was another breathtaking view, and the Parliament building on the eastern shore was a centerpiece for almost every photo. I don't know if Budapest was my favorite of the three cities, but definitely was the most impressive after coming in with basically no expectations.