I just wanted to say thank you so much to everyone for your wonderful birthday wishes!! I had a very special birthday in Spain and was well-celebrated by the people in the English Immersion program in Barco de Avila! It was our day to explore the village (about a 25-minute walk from our hotel) to look around, see the Castle and "take a coffee" (my favorite Spanish saying) in the town square!! What a surprise when we encountered a sweet (sometimes off-key) band and ladies dancing in the main square! I asked if the celebration was for my birthday (but of course I was just joking)!!
It was actually the Festival of Santa Águeda, a festival day when the town belongs to the women of the village for the day (hmmm.... what does that mean for the rest of the year?!?). Santa Águeda is celebrated on February 5 (better known as the Day of the Águedas), when the women in the village are the stars of the Festival alongside the Patron Saint (Saint Agnes). All of the women from town gather (sometimes with those from the nearby villages) "to eat together and act as matriarchs, serving as a special occasion to create bonds between families and villages."
The festival originates in the year 1227, when the Moors occupied the Alcázar (the fortress) of Segovia. So the story goes.... “the women of Zamarramala entertained the Moors with dancing while the men reconquered the fortress. Ever since then, the feat has been celebrated with dancing, music, and special celebration food for all” (and the women are in charge of the village for the day)!
Since we were in a small village, our fiesta was small (but lively)! I loved watching how the women moved so confidently around the square, sharing treats and dancing with each other in their brightly colored and intricately-decorated costumes! I was especially pleased when one of the women came up to me and offered me one of their traditional shortbread-type cookies and some sweet wine saying, "viva las mujeres" (long live the women).... not knowing yet what the celebration was all about! I thought to myself, "YES!! I like this village that celebrates and values the empowerment of women!!"
After watching the dancing and enjoying a bit of sweet wine and cookies, I experienced a final "this can't get any better" moment! The program participants all gathered in a coffee shop on the other side of the square (soaking up the bright sunshine in the beautiful 60-degree weather) and sang Happy Birthday to me! Durdaana told the Program Director that she was going to wait until next week to inform me that the fiesta wasn't for me so I could keep believing it was done especially for my birthday.... ha ha!! What a treat to know that I share a birthday with a day which has been celebrated since the 13th century which honors the empowerment of women in Spain!!
Sadly, our week ended too quickly!! After a VERY busy, FUN, and exhausting week of enjoying my time with some incredibly open-hearted and wonderful Spanish people, we headed back to Madrid on Friday afternoon. Our bus back was filled with a lot of sleeping people (very different than our ride there where we each had a Spaniard to talk to all the way there), but the goodbyes were difficult for all of us! I think the Spanish participants were happy to be home and able to speak Spanish again, but the goodbyes were bittersweet because we got all got very close on this program.
Each program I've done is such a delight, and the people have been incredible! I'm always amazed as I finish each program how quickly and deeply I've connected with so many people! When we did the closing ceremony, we were given a certificate and the chance to say a few words. I told them that a few years ago (okay, maybe it's been more like 15?!?), when I was trying to figure out what I wanted to be when I grew up (or more succinctly, how I want to spend the last half of my life), I would tell people my "dream job" would be chatting with people over coffee - hearing about their Journeys and sharing mine!! Everytime I participate in one of these programs, I feel my dream has come true, and I am SO blessed and honored to know so many wonderful people!!
But that dream week came to a close, and we headed back to Madrid for the weekend to get caught up on some much-needed rest and quiet time. We spent most of Saturday just hanging out, doing laundry and getting caught up with life, but our evening was filled with many unexpected DELIGHTS!! We went to the Tapas Reception to meet other volunteers who will be participating in the programs this week, then after returning to our hotel for a bit of rest, we headed out again for a late-night excursion!!
We were given the most extraordinary gift by one of our Spanish participants who is a "finance guy/entrepreneur" and helped produce this amazing musical about the life of Jesus. I wasn't sure what to expect because it was about the "last 3 years of his life" (and I get really tired of focusing on all the "blood and guts stuff" rather than the expression of LOVE that I feel Jesus embodied). But since it was a special gift from our new friend (and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity since they were closing the show in Madrid the night after we saw it!!), I of course had to go to the show!!
It was AMAZING - spectacular - incredibly heart-warming and heart-opening, and we couldn't even understand the words!! I understood a few Spanish words here and there (and of course we could all follow along with the well-known story), but I found that something amazing happens when the FEELINGS can be seen/felt/expressed without the words! It's like I got out of my head and stopped filtering the story through the lenses of the WORDS (with all the "baggage" that comes with them), and I was able to feel the Energy of Jesus' life and story.
Through the experience of understanding the "basics" of the story through the actions and a few Spanish words, I was able to relax and really FEEL the power of the music, the acting, and the energy that was being portrayed (which is probably what people felt with Jesus and other Masters who have walked the earth). I found myself weeping throughout the play because of the powerful music and open-hearted energy that was being portrayed (and I'm pretty sure a lot of those actors weren't just acting - they struck me as really special people who understood what it means to be kind, compassionate and open-hearted)!!
I could go on and on (and on and on) about this experience, but I can't really find the words to express the power of the performance! It reminded me of the wonderful performance my host family in Jesi took me to a couple years ago in Italy. I couldn't understand the words because it was in Italian, but just being there in the gorgeous theater that had been in use for hundreds of years, sitting with all the people - who were also experiencing the power of the performance - was incredible!!
In addition, just the impact of the kindness and hospitality of the Spanish participant (who picked us up, gave us the tickets and made sure we were all settled in front-row seats, no less!!) was awe-inspiring!! Very rarely in our day-to-day lives do we see such "kindness of strangers" but his generosity and kindness was evident every step of the way!! (Granted, we had all gotten to know each other pretty well during the week, but this definitely went above and beyond our expectations!!)
Once again, I was reminded that THIS is one of the things I love about this kind of traveling! This isn't the kind of "touristy travel" where we see 10 cities in 10 days (although that can be enjoyable too at times), this is "slow travel" where I really get to meet people in their environment and become a part of THEIR world (instead of breezing in and out of a place and not really connecting at a heart level with people - allowing myself to be changed by THEIR perspectives on life rather than imposing my own perspectives onto their world)!!
There is so much more to share from this past week (and I'm sure there will be lots more to share following the upcoming immersion program), but I must stop for now! Until next time....
It was actually the Festival of Santa Águeda, a festival day when the town belongs to the women of the village for the day (hmmm.... what does that mean for the rest of the year?!?). Santa Águeda is celebrated on February 5 (better known as the Day of the Águedas), when the women in the village are the stars of the Festival alongside the Patron Saint (Saint Agnes). All of the women from town gather (sometimes with those from the nearby villages) "to eat together and act as matriarchs, serving as a special occasion to create bonds between families and villages."
The festival originates in the year 1227, when the Moors occupied the Alcázar (the fortress) of Segovia. So the story goes.... “the women of Zamarramala entertained the Moors with dancing while the men reconquered the fortress. Ever since then, the feat has been celebrated with dancing, music, and special celebration food for all” (and the women are in charge of the village for the day)!
Since we were in a small village, our fiesta was small (but lively)! I loved watching how the women moved so confidently around the square, sharing treats and dancing with each other in their brightly colored and intricately-decorated costumes! I was especially pleased when one of the women came up to me and offered me one of their traditional shortbread-type cookies and some sweet wine saying, "viva las mujeres" (long live the women).... not knowing yet what the celebration was all about! I thought to myself, "YES!! I like this village that celebrates and values the empowerment of women!!"
After watching the dancing and enjoying a bit of sweet wine and cookies, I experienced a final "this can't get any better" moment! The program participants all gathered in a coffee shop on the other side of the square (soaking up the bright sunshine in the beautiful 60-degree weather) and sang Happy Birthday to me! Durdaana told the Program Director that she was going to wait until next week to inform me that the fiesta wasn't for me so I could keep believing it was done especially for my birthday.... ha ha!! What a treat to know that I share a birthday with a day which has been celebrated since the 13th century which honors the empowerment of women in Spain!!
Sadly, our week ended too quickly!! After a VERY busy, FUN, and exhausting week of enjoying my time with some incredibly open-hearted and wonderful Spanish people, we headed back to Madrid on Friday afternoon. Our bus back was filled with a lot of sleeping people (very different than our ride there where we each had a Spaniard to talk to all the way there), but the goodbyes were difficult for all of us! I think the Spanish participants were happy to be home and able to speak Spanish again, but the goodbyes were bittersweet because we got all got very close on this program.
Each program I've done is such a delight, and the people have been incredible! I'm always amazed as I finish each program how quickly and deeply I've connected with so many people! When we did the closing ceremony, we were given a certificate and the chance to say a few words. I told them that a few years ago (okay, maybe it's been more like 15?!?), when I was trying to figure out what I wanted to be when I grew up (or more succinctly, how I want to spend the last half of my life), I would tell people my "dream job" would be chatting with people over coffee - hearing about their Journeys and sharing mine!! Everytime I participate in one of these programs, I feel my dream has come true, and I am SO blessed and honored to know so many wonderful people!!
But that dream week came to a close, and we headed back to Madrid for the weekend to get caught up on some much-needed rest and quiet time. We spent most of Saturday just hanging out, doing laundry and getting caught up with life, but our evening was filled with many unexpected DELIGHTS!! We went to the Tapas Reception to meet other volunteers who will be participating in the programs this week, then after returning to our hotel for a bit of rest, we headed out again for a late-night excursion!!
We were given the most extraordinary gift by one of our Spanish participants who is a "finance guy/entrepreneur" and helped produce this amazing musical about the life of Jesus. I wasn't sure what to expect because it was about the "last 3 years of his life" (and I get really tired of focusing on all the "blood and guts stuff" rather than the expression of LOVE that I feel Jesus embodied). But since it was a special gift from our new friend (and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity since they were closing the show in Madrid the night after we saw it!!), I of course had to go to the show!!
It was AMAZING - spectacular - incredibly heart-warming and heart-opening, and we couldn't even understand the words!! I understood a few Spanish words here and there (and of course we could all follow along with the well-known story), but I found that something amazing happens when the FEELINGS can be seen/felt/expressed without the words! It's like I got out of my head and stopped filtering the story through the lenses of the WORDS (with all the "baggage" that comes with them), and I was able to feel the Energy of Jesus' life and story.
Through the experience of understanding the "basics" of the story through the actions and a few Spanish words, I was able to relax and really FEEL the power of the music, the acting, and the energy that was being portrayed (which is probably what people felt with Jesus and other Masters who have walked the earth). I found myself weeping throughout the play because of the powerful music and open-hearted energy that was being portrayed (and I'm pretty sure a lot of those actors weren't just acting - they struck me as really special people who understood what it means to be kind, compassionate and open-hearted)!!
I could go on and on (and on and on) about this experience, but I can't really find the words to express the power of the performance! It reminded me of the wonderful performance my host family in Jesi took me to a couple years ago in Italy. I couldn't understand the words because it was in Italian, but just being there in the gorgeous theater that had been in use for hundreds of years, sitting with all the people - who were also experiencing the power of the performance - was incredible!!
In addition, just the impact of the kindness and hospitality of the Spanish participant (who picked us up, gave us the tickets and made sure we were all settled in front-row seats, no less!!) was awe-inspiring!! Very rarely in our day-to-day lives do we see such "kindness of strangers" but his generosity and kindness was evident every step of the way!! (Granted, we had all gotten to know each other pretty well during the week, but this definitely went above and beyond our expectations!!)
Once again, I was reminded that THIS is one of the things I love about this kind of traveling! This isn't the kind of "touristy travel" where we see 10 cities in 10 days (although that can be enjoyable too at times), this is "slow travel" where I really get to meet people in their environment and become a part of THEIR world (instead of breezing in and out of a place and not really connecting at a heart level with people - allowing myself to be changed by THEIR perspectives on life rather than imposing my own perspectives onto their world)!!
There is so much more to share from this past week (and I'm sure there will be lots more to share following the upcoming immersion program), but I must stop for now! Until next time....
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