Preface – Viva la Virgen

Familiar faces lined an unfamiliar street as I found myself holding a heavy cross and leading several dozens of native Bicolanos living in Barcelona to the church where Mother Mary was to be blessed. I felt like I was in two places at once- both surprised I had suddenly been given such a responsibility and feeling as if I was back in the Philippines.

The food was amazing but the people were even better. I had been in Barcelona for exactly a week when I joined the United Bicolanos of Barcelona (UBB) on their Catholic pilgrimage to Tarragona, approximately one and half hours from Spain, to celebrate the birthday and feast of the virgin Mary. It was nothing short of an eye-opening, spiritually refreshing retreat from the bustling city of Barcelona…

Arrival

My jaws dropped as I looked at a place that was to be home for the next four months.

I arrived in Barcelona early and stayed in an AirBNB (hosted by a wonderful couple in the neighborhood of El Prat de LLobregat, 10 min from the airport) whilst attempting to adjust to the area and brush up on my Spanish. It was during the first 2 days before officially joining other CIEE students that I learned three major things:

1)     Plazas, plazas, plazas – public space is no joke

2)     If you’re not taking food to-go (or take away, as it’s called here), eat and pay AFTER

3)     Wave down a bus if you intend to board it

It’s highly unusual to go from being comfortable to being uncomfortable in a matter of less than 24 hours. Considering I haven’t been to Spain in nearly 5 years (I previously lived in Santander for 1 month when I was 17) I felt shocked to be in a place where everything (truly everything) was exciting. Even a bus stop had details.

Geographics of El Raval + Unihabit Ciutat Vella

After an orientation in the airport with other CIEE students, I moved into my residencia in the tight knit neighborhood of El Raval (Raval) and met people of extraordinarily different beliefs, backgrounds, and races. Barcelona is one of the most diverse cities I’ve ever encountered and it’s no wonder why it attracts people from all over the world. The residencia, called Unihabit Ciutat Vella, is a component of the larger neighborhood of Ciutat Vella (meaning Old City) and the smaller barrio called Raval. It is located at the confluence of an obviously touristic Las Ramblas (a tree filled central street with stores and restaurants galore) to the north and a very local presence in Raval and Ciutat Vella.

There are two entrances to Ciutat Vella – one located on carrer Joaquin Costa and one via placa Carmelles. The latter entrance is inaccessible after 9pm, while the one located on Joaquin Costa is open 24/7. Joaquin Costa is a dense, narrow street filled with a plethora of shops owned by locals and is where I met many people who had settled down in Barcelona, many of which are mentioned in the next section. It’s not irregular to walk down Joaquin Costa and hear five different languages – among them English, Spanish, Catalan, Tagalog, German, French, and Arabic. Placa Carmelles serves as a centrally located public space where local children go to play and the elderly congregate to talk.

A note on residencias – they are organized very differently from how dorms work in the states. Because Barcelona has such a high number of higher learning options, residencias are spread throughout the city. Students pursuing graduate and bachelors degrees from different universities are able to co-live in one rather than live according to the university.

An additional note on the residencia: our residencia, called Unihabit Ciutat Vella, was designed by a Spanish architecture firm focused on ecological buildings. As such, and not surprisingly, the design of the building is focused around energy efficiency and maximizing the mild, temperate climate of Barcelona to heat and cool passively. Other really cool stuff is the first floor lobby, study space, and kitchen which serve as central meeting points and common areas. A rooftop terrace with a ping pong table as well as an interior courtyard make this residencia the nicest and (so far) most comfortable dorm I’ve ever lived in – sorry UT.

Locals

Since I’ve been in Barcelona, one of the most noticeable things I’ve noticed is how tight knit the community of Raval and the entire city is. Perhaps this may be because of urban density, sensible public transport/transportation infrastructure, or diversity. Almost every store I’ve walked into, I’ve had the opportunity to speak to locals and hear their stories. Some stories (as I understand them) below:

Paul (sp?) – Paul was one of the first locals my friends and I had a chance to practice our conversational Spanish with. We met him at nearby bar near the Universitat de Barcelona named Bar Estudiantil. We also met a few other CIEE students and got to know each other. I had an opportunity to see how rusty my Spanish was and ask Paul some questions and learn about his background- he is a freelance 3D Designer who studied illustration and 3D modelling when in school. He was extremely amicable and patient with our Spanish, which we were extremely grateful for.

[Tita] Rita- store worker at Euroland, a convenience store that sells basic household supplies three doors down from my residencia on el carrer Joaquin Costa. Tita Rita has been in Barcelona for a number of years, originally from the Philippines, and has also been my go-to for learning about the area as well as general tips for living here. More on Tita Rita later- she is a hero of my first week story.

[Ate] Rutchie – a friend of Tita Rita and regular of Euroland, Ate Rutchie was a pleasure to meet and was very hospitable when I told her I was wanting to eat Filipino food and meet others in the area. We walked around Raval while she introduced me to some of her friends and walked me to a Filipino restaurant where I promptly ate pork adobo and cried whilst getting homesick.

Cesar – Cesar, a bike specialist in the store of el ciclo, sold me the bike I’ll be using for the next four months here in Barcelona. He even gave me a free bag and small gift as a token of good faith. The store is incredibly beautiful and I felt like I was stepping back into time as soon as I stepped in. Antiquated bikes, French music, and dim amber lights gave the shop a pleasant experience that made me want to drink wine and smoke a cigarette.

Mike – a barista who works at Nomad Coffee, just a few storefronts away from our residencia, resident of Barcelona who ended up here because of a girl he fell in love with. Originally hailing from Australia, Mike gave good insight and great recommendations and is always a friendly face when I stop in for coffee.

Sidenote- Nomad Coffee is some of the best coffee I’ve ever had, roasted locally here in Barcelona. The pourovers are truly delicious.

Diego – Speaking with Diego was a short but satisfying conversation. He works at The Garage, a local brewery located in the neighborhood of Eixample (approximately a 7 min bike ride from Raval.) Diego told me a little bit about the rise of craft breweries in Barcelona and helped me practice some of my Castellano – brewery se significa Cerveceria.

Naz – Naz is a friend of ours who lives on the fourth floor of Unihabit. It’s her third year in the residencia so she knows what’s up. Originally from Turkey, she is studying illustration at a local design school here in Barcelona and is always eager to get to know others in the residencia. She is almost always ready to talk with anyone in the residencia and enjoys a good conversation.

Sitges

On Friday, Sept 6, CIEE students from two programs (Global Architecture + Design included) travelled to Sitges, Spain, to explore the city and soak up the sun and waves. This day trip, despite being short, allowed us to get out of the hustle and bustle of Barcelona and see what the southern coast had to offer.

Sitges is filled with history. It’s ornate fortresses and narrow streets all tell a story of a city that evolved from a into a touristic resort city; nonetheless, we were able to try some incredible seafood and play frisbee on the beach while taking up some of the sun before it gets too cold.

Tarragona – Viva la Virgen

On Sunday, Sept 8, I had the opportunity to travel to Tarragona. This section deserves it’s own post simply because of how surreal it all was. First, it’s important to recall how exactly this came to happen.

As mentioned before, I met a wonderful woman named Rita who tends the store named Euroland in carrer Joaquin Costa. The second day I entered her store, I told her how I was surprised and intrigued by the Filipino community that exists in Raval. I also was able to meet Ate Rutchie, a woman who frequents Euroland and is a friend of Rita. Together, they invited me on a day trip to Tarragona to celebrate a fiesta. I knew that fiesta meant party, so I was immediately in.

To be quite honest, I had no idea what to expect or who I would meet. I had to wake up around 6:15 in the morning to meet the rest of the group at Placa Universitat, a short 5 min walk from Joaquin Costa. I arrived and was immediately introduced to a large number of Filipinos, each with a different story of how they found themselves in Barcelona.

As soon as we boarded the bus (30min late of course) we were immediately greeted by Rita, who coincidentally is the Executive President of the United Bicolanos of Barcelona (UBB.) She led in prayer for the first 20 minutes with a rosary, which reminded me all too much of Catholic upbringing.

Once we arrived in Tarragona, we arrived at a venue decorated with white and yellow and an entirely new group of Filipinos who (I’m assuming) were living in or around Tarragona. For the next hour, I found myself alongside the younger ones helping set up for the party and greeting people in a fascinating mix of English, Tagalog, Spanish, and (for a moment) Catalan.

The first event that took place was a procession to the church in Tarragona where the Virgin Mary would be blessed. As it turns out, the processional cross had been handed off to me to lead the procession. The next 30min that ensued was an awkward Filipino study abroad student (who doesn’t speak Tagalog) being told in Tagalog where to lead a group of 100+ Bicolanos. Along the way, we sang the traditional hymn Himno a la Nuestra Señora de Peñafrancia as we walked along the streets of Tarragona. The experience was one I’ll never forget.

Along the way, I was able to learn more about the deeply rooted dually cultural and spiritual celebration that I was participating in. The novena is in celebration of Nuestra Senora de Penafrancia, or Our Lady of Peñafrancia. The wooden statue, located in Naga City, Bicol, Philippines, was venerated and serves as a principal religious artifact in the city.

The history behind Peñafrancia finds its roots in a child named Miguel, a son of a seminarian studying at the Universidad of Santo Tomas, who fell seriously ill. Miguel made a vow that, if healed, he would build a chapel for Our Lady of Peñafrancia. Miraculously, he was healed, and he followed through on his promise as an adult shortly after ordination as a priest. The Church of Our Lady of Peñafrancia still stands today in Naga City.

The celebration continued with great Filipino food and a walk around Tarragona. The entire experience culminated in a celebratory mass where I was able to read prayer intentions (in Spanish with an American accent of course.) At the end of the mass, we sang the traditional hymn associated with the yearly novena. Many local Spaniards stayed behind to listen in reflection:

Resuene vibrante el himno de amor
Que entona tu pueblo con grata y emoción
Resuene vibrante el himno de amor
Que entona tu pueblo con grata emoción
Patrona del Bícol, Gran Madre de Dios
Sé siempre la Reina de Nuestra Región
Patrona del Bícol, Gran Madre de Dios
Sé siempre la Reina de Nuestra Región.

Familiar faces lined an unfamiliar street as I found myself holding a heavy cross and leading several dozens of native Bicolanos living in Barcelona to the church where Mother Mary was to be blessed. I felt like I was in two places at once- both surprised I had suddenly been given such a responsibility and feeling as if I was back in the Philippines.

The food was amazing but the people were even better. I had been in Barcelona for exactly a week when I joined the United Bicolanos of Barcelona (UBB) on their Catholic pilgrimage to Tarragona, approximately one and half hours from Spain, to celebrate the birthday and feast of the virgin Mary. It was nothing short of an eye-opening, spiritually refreshing retreat from the bustling city of Barcelona…

Conclusion

Considering the sheer number of things to do in the city is impossible. To be honest, it’s difficult to pinpoint favorite moments because everything is so new and fresh. To me, learning about the culture of Spain and specifically about the identity of Catalonia is really intriguing. With the national day of Catalonia fast approaching (Sept 11), it’s easy to become engrossed in conversations surrounding the identity of Catalonians as it relates to Spanish identity.

I’m looking forward to another week, more moments, and becoming further immersed into an experience like any other I’ve ever had.

Also, hopefully it’s clear, but I’ll reiterate: the posts for this study abroad experience will not be in chronological “blog order” or be consistently posted for the sake of the traditional “blog”- it is much more of personal reflection, study, and recollection. Posts may be short, posts may be long, posts may not be spaced equally, or some things may not be covered at all. That, in my opinion, is the beauty of studying abroad - things seem to be entirely unpredictable.

-Z