Spain, Italy, Morocco, Switzerland, Turkey, Ireland, the U.K., France, Greece. Lots and lots of places.
After about six months of being abroad, my plane touched down in Philadelphia on Wednesday afternoon.
It's like that feeling you get right after you finish a wonderful book: you set it on your lap and stare blankly at the cover, letting it all sink in. The characters, the setting, the plot. The end. You can't really do anything. You simply sit there, thinking.
My time abroad was without a doubt the greatest experience of my life. A story, most definitely, filled with humor, suspense, a touch of romance, and a whole lot of adventure.
One day I will write about it. Short stories, poems, maybe a novel. My writer's notebook is filled with ideas collected from this place and that, and someday, I'll give them definition. For now, though, I'm still in a daze.
When I tell people I came to Spain to study literature (among other reasons, but that's the academic reason), they look at me funny, as though my freckles have turned purple. Not many English majors venture to Spain; most American students go to the U.K. to study literature, which makes a lot of sense. But the U.K. is a little chilly for my tastes, so here I am. Plus, I really like Spanish and Latin American literature, probably even more than I like Brit Lit.
Márquez, considered the master of magical realism.
For decades, Latin American literature has been linked with magical realism, though technically, the genre hails from France. But as my professor told us, "Americans do it better."
But what is magical realism? For some reason, it's a genre that we have a lot of trouble defining. Often I'll look at a book that's described as magical realism, but really it's urban fantasy (or even just fantasy). Recently my professor gave us a good definition, which I figured I'd share:
Magical realism is exactly what the name suggests: magical events happen in the normal world, but what separates it from genres like urban fantasy is that the events are told as though they're completely ordinary. There is no sense of awe. No wonder. The characters show little to no reaction, and if they do, it's something like, "Hmm, that's interesting," and then they continue on with their lives. They don't dwell on it, and neither does the narrator. Magic is almost an aside: "By the way, he was levitating. No biggie."
In One Hundred Years of Solitude, for example, a character starts to levitate. Why? Because he drank hot chocolate. It's passed off as totally normal. Nothing special. Happens all the time.
So say a character discovers that her next door neighbor is a witch. If she freaks out (because who ever heard of witches actually existing?) then most likely that's urban fantasy. If it's mentioned in passing, such as, "As Natasha walked to school, she waved to her next door neighbor, Mrs. Andrews, who happened to be a witch," then most likely it's magical realism.
Since I just moved to a magical land known as Barrio Santa Cruz, I decided to do a blog post that documents my ever-exciting walk to the metro every morning. It's like a virtual tour!
I wake up, often to flamenco singing or accordion music wafting up from the street. As I open the shudders, I'm greeted with this view: a stereotypical Spanish street. Narrow, winding, with houses painted in shades of red, white, and gold.
I leave my house, which is the pink one to the left. As you can see, it's across from a bar and a variety of shops.
This shop is my favorite. I pass it every day, often several times a day. Even though the shop's fragrance covers the whole street, each time I walk by I have to stop and smell the loose-leaf teas and spices, especially the piña colada tea.
I continue toward the metro, making my way through streets like this one.
Soon I emerge from the neighborhood (Santa Cruz) through this entrance. Yes, it's bordered by the outer walls of the Álcazar, which is indeed a giant castle.
This is the main entrance into the Álcazar. Every day, I have to make sure not to get run over by these black and yellow carriages, which are all over the city, but especially prevalent in this area.
As I leave the neighborhood, the Álcazar is to my left. To my right? The Cathedral, which is the third largest in the world.
I continue forward, leaving the castle behind me and passing by the Archivo de Indias, or the Archive of the Indies (that's the big square building on the left). This is where records and all official business regarding the Americas were kept. It currently houses an impressive collection of pictures/statues of Hernán Cortés
I arrive on Avenida de la Constitución. To the left is a corner of the Cathedral (it's REALLY big) and to the right the Archivo de Indias.
I walk down Avenida de la Constitución, which is always bustling with tourists, street performers, and locals just trying to get to Plaza Nueva or Calle Tetuan.
Finally I arrive in Puerta de Jerez, where I can hop on the metro, grab a coffee, or go relax by the river.
Yay, today I'm going to talk about Spanish names, which are tons of fun. I think Spanish names are some of the most beautiful names ever, so I'm going to share the ones I've encountered, my favorites, and what their English equivalent would be (if they have one). Here it's also common to find more names that we might consider "old-fashioned," like Óscar (Oscar), Alfredo (Alfred), and Beatriz (Beatrice). I really like that.
Boys
Javier (Xavier) --> A very common name, often shortened to "Javi," and well known in the English-speaking world due to Javier Bardem.
Antonio (Anthony)
Carlos (Charles)
Álvaro
Francisco (Frances)
Rafael (Raphael)
Raúl (Ralph)
Ricardo (Richard) Juan (John) --> The king of Spain's name is Juan Carlos. Reyes --> Literally means "kings" in Spanish. Sergio (Sergius) Ángel (Angel) Santiago (James) --> Santiago (Saint James) is the patron saint of Spain. Enrique (Henry)
Girls
Beatriz (Beatrice) --> This is my favorite girls' name, pronounced "Bay-uh-treez," and often shortened to "Bea."
Isabel (Elizabeth/Isabella) --> Very common.
Florencia (Florence) --> Often shortened to Flor (the Spanish word for "flower") Soledad (Solitude) --> Despite this name's sad meaning, it's actually fairly common.
Aurelia --> Less common, and it means "gold."
Mercedes (Mercy) --> Yes, pronounced like the car, only a little softer.
Amparo --> Means "protection, shelter."
Alba --> This word means "morning light" in Spanish.
Pilar (Pillar) --> In English, we probably wouldn't name someone "Pillar," as in "column," but it's actually a pretty common name in Spanish. Personally, I really like it.
Maria + José/Luisa/Laura/etc. --> Maria is a very common name, but it's often paired with another. Rocio --> Literally translates to "dew" in Spanish.
WRITING
Names are fun, but they're also stressful. How do you choose the perfect name for a character? Sometimes, it just comes to you. Sometimes, you have to search, and search, and search…
One of my biggest pet peeves is unusual names that have no reason to be unusual. I understand want their characters to stand out, but at the same time, bizarre names often detract from believability, especially in a contemporary setting. In fantasy and science fiction, unusual names are fine, as long as they fit with the rest of the world (if you're creating your own world, even made-up names should be derived from a common language so they have a similar sound, which helps with world-building). Otherwise, tread carefully.
Be especially careful with historical fiction. It's not enough for the name to come from the language of the country in which the story is set. There was less variety back in the day (just look at Jane Austen's books, for example), and names that didn't follow the norm were very, very rare. Some names didn't even exist yet.
Like most touristy places, the big cities in Spain do a good job of showing tourists what they come to see: sunshine, siestas, palm trees, flamenco dancing, outdoor cafes that serve sangria all day, etc. This is our perception of Spain, but like all places, so much remains hidden--unheard, unknown, unseen.
I'm fortunate enough to live in the Centro, where you'll find all the touristy places, but I teach an English class in a marginal neighborhood called Polígono Sur, which is the poorest area of Sevilla. Here you won't find any outdoor cafes or souvenir shops selling keychains and postcards. You won't see very many people on the streets, except for maybe a few kids playing soccer.
Then of course there's the economic crisis. It's possible that, as a tourist, you might run into a protest, but it's hard to get a sense of why people are protesting unless you're in a place for a long period of time. That's why it's always a good idea to do some research into a country before you go. More than a guidebook, I mean. Catch up on current events, because if we don't, we'll just fuel that stereotype we all hate so much: the stereotype of the "ignorant American who thinks the universe revolves around the U.S.A." When we travel, we are representatives of our country, whether we like it or not, which is why it's important to leave a good impression by being knowledgeable and showing respect.
I'm feeling lazy, so today I'm just going to post photos of my beautiful home (Sevilla) away from my home (Williamsburg) away from home (Philadelphia).
The Guadalquiver River.
The entrance to the Alcazar.
This is me in front of the gate leading to the Feria de Abril fairgrounds. (Feria is a week-long celebration that involves flamenco dancing, carnival rides, horses, food and drink).
Part of the gardens of the Alcazar.
The Plaza de España, as seen in Star Wars Episode II.
The Cathedral, which is the third largest in the world!
Las Setas (The Mushrooms), a popular hang-out spot in Sevilla. Good for tapas.
As much as I love Spain, there's a lot I miss about my home(s) in Philadelphia and Williamsburg. Obviously, I miss my family, friends, and pets, but here are some more specific things that, if you come to Spain, you'll find lacking.
Peanut Butter
Not a thing here. Spaniards don't eat it. Heck, Europeans in general don't eat it. Peanut butter is strictly American, which I didn't know until I got here. Sure, you can find it in the supermarkets, but it's ridiculously expensive. Plus, it's not nearly as good as Jif.
However, they do have an abundance of Nutella, of which I highly approve. Good job, Europe.
Coffee Shops
Coming to Spain, I thought I would find an abundance of amazing coffee shops. It's Europe, right? I figured I'd be at a café every day, sipping excellent coffee while I wrote.
How wrong I was.
Yes, Europe has cafés, but they're not "sit and relax" cafés. It's frowned upon to do any type of work, so no reading, no writing, no opening up your laptop. Cafés are for eating, drinking, and socializing, so if you go alone to do work, you're given quite a lot of weird looks.
You know it's bad when my favorite café is Starbucks. The only place with comfortable seating and free unlimited wifi. Plus, it's acceptable to do work there (probably because it's 95% foreigners). At any rate, I miss good ol' American coffee shops, and once I get back to Williamsburg, the managers will have to literally drag me out of Aromas come closing time, because I won't ever want to leave.
Netflix
It stops working once you leave the States. No streaming. Nothing. Same goes for Hulu.
Food (other than peanut butter, which obviously deserves its own category)
Steak. Chinese take-out. Corn on the cob. Reese's Cups. Soy milk. Steak. French vanilla coffee creamer. Chips and salsa. Pita Pit. Steak. Raw vegetables. Dark chocolate M &Ms. Did I say steak?
The Iberian Peninsula has been inhabited for centuries, most notably by the Roman and Ottoman Empires. To this day, you can see many leftovers in Spanish cities, especially in the autonomous community of Andalusia, the name of which comes from the Arabic Al-Andalus.
Architecture
This Roman aqueduct is right by my house!
Moors maintained a presence on the Iberian Peninsula from 711 to 1492. That's 781 years. Comparably, Spain has only been "Spanish" as we know it for 521 years, which is very strange to think about. It's been asked if the Reconquista, or the Reconquest (when Catholics led by Ferdinand and Isabel expelled the Arabs from Spain), was actually a reconquest, or if it was just a conquest.
I believe these columns were supposedly placed here by Hercules himself. (Hercules founded many cities in Spain, including Sevilla and Barcelona, according to legend.)
Traveling through Spain, you'll find a lot of architectural leftovers from Rome and Moorish occupation. In Sevilla, for example, there are several Roman columns. My street even has the ruins of an old aqueduct :)
A patio in the Alcázar. These archways are a signature element of Islamic architecture.
As for Moorish influence, it's everywhere. Courtyards, rounded archways, and tiles all have their origins in Arabic architecture.
The Alcázar, for example, was originally a Moorish fort, converted into a royal palace. Though there are certain Gothic elements, most of it is Islamic design.
Sevilla's most famous site, the Cathedral, was actually originally a mosque. The Giralda served as a minaret from which someone would issue the call to prayer. It was converted into a Cathedral, yet it still has lots of Islamic architecture.
The Cathedral in Sevilla.
Language
While Spanish is a romance language that has Latin roots, its filled with words that come from Arabic. Some of these include:
Andalucía - from Al-Andalus, the Arabic name for the region.
Ojalá - I hope, from law šhaʾ allāh "God willing".
Alcázar - palace, from al-qasr Zumo - juice, from zum. Spain is the only Spanish-speaking country that uses "zumo" for juice. And hundreds more!
WRITING
When writers build worlds, they often draw from real cultures and civilizations. Stereotypical fantasy worlds are usually based on medieval Northern Europe (the Holy Roman Empire is probably closest in comparison); and when they name characters and places, they often pick a language to act as the "root language."
Why is this a good idea? So that the made-up words sound as though they belong to the same family, the same culture. It helps to make the world believable, and that's extremely important :) So as you create world, make like Spain and let other civilizations influence you!
P.S. I'd love to read a fantasy in which the world is based on North Africa or Middle East, so if you know of any, please let me know!
Pucker up! In Spain, as in many Hispanic countries, kisses are big. That is, dos besos--or two kisses, one on each cheek--is Spain's form of a greeting. While handshakes exist, they're exclusively between men, and even then they aren't that common.
Whenever you greet someone in Spain, whether you're best friends or you've never seen them before in your life, most likely you'll exchange besos. You'll say something like, "Hola, me llamo Sam. Mucho gusto" ("Hello, my name is Sam. Nice to meet you"), then he'll introduce himself, and proceed to give you dos besos. Sometimes the besos come even before the name. However, most of the time lips don't actually touch skin; rather, it's cheek to cheek, like this:
Besos are something that, if you come to Spain, you must do. Otherwise, you'll end up confusing a lot of people. Plus, you'll likely insult them, and you don't want that. So don't be shy!
WRITING
Who doesn't love a good kissing scene, right? They're fun to read. They're fun to write. However, it's easy to go overboard: a first kiss doesn't need to be a page long. One sentence, maybe two, will suffice. Much longer than that, and I start to roll my eyes, unless there's a specific reason it's being dragged out.
Kisses, especially in YA, are one of the weapons writers hold in their arsenals. Even if the book isn't strictly romance, the question of "When will the characters admit their love and share a kiss?" keeps readers turning pages. In the hopes that the next scene, the next chapter, will hold that long-awaited kiss. That's why I'm so opposed to insta-love. If the romance happens right away, the story can quickly lose a lot of momentum.
That's why Ron and Hermione's kiss is one of the best literary kisses of all time. Because we had to wait. And not just for a few chapters, but for seven. whole. books. So when it finally happened, I was beside myself with joy, jumping up and down, shouting "Finally!" at the top of my lungs.
What do you think about kissing scenes? What are your favorites? Least favorites?
Most likely you've heard of the infamous Don Juan, but have you ever paused to ask yourself, "What, exactly, is his deal?"
I know I didn't. Not until I came to Spain, anyway. I knew that Don Juan was a notorious lover, but that's it.
There are various versions of the tale. In general, however, it goes something like this:
Don Juan supposedly lived in Sevilla, specifically in Barrio Santa Cruz, where today there are plaques denoting his house and the house of one of his lovers, Doña Inés. He was wealthy, handsome, prone to gambling and violence, and extremely proud of his prowess.
The plaque in Barrio Santa Cruz. It reads something like: "Popular rumor says that in this part of the old neighorhood, on Chorro Street, there was born a gentleman whom nobody could surpass in games, in fighting, or in love. He died and was redeemed in Seville by Doña Inés, and the pen of Don José Zorrilla, in his retelling of the legend, gave him life in the universal work of DON JUAN TENORIO."
After seducing Don Inés, her father Don Gonzalo challenged him to a duel. Don Juan, always the better fighter, won, but had to flee the city. Shortly thereafter, Doña Inés died of sorrow.
Then Don Juan sees a vision of his own death. His own burial. Plot twist! Don Juan was actually killed in the duel with Don Gonzalo, and here is where versions split: sometimes, Doña Inés redeems him and together they go to Heaven. In others, he is swept into Hell as punishment for his philandering, violence, and vanity.
WRITING
The Don Juan legend is one that gets a lot of retelling, at least in Spanish literature. What with shows like Once Upon a Time, books like Cinder, and movies like Jack the Giant Slayer, retellings are big these days. I really like retellings, especially when they involve more obscure legends, though my all-time favorite is Ever After. Not exactly obscure, but how can you go wrong when the fairy godmother figure is Leonardo da Vinci? Right now, I'm reading This Dark Endeavor and Such Wicked Intent, both retellings/prequels of/to Frankenstein, written by one of my favorite authors, Kenneth Oppel. If you like retellings, I definitely recommend them.
What's your opinion on the retelling trend? What are you favorites? What would you like to see?
One of the biggest differences between the U.S. and Spain is the concept of the home. In the States, it seems that most of the middle to upper class lives in a house located in the suburbs of some large city or another.
Not so in Spain.
Here the vast majority of people live in a piso, a small apartment with a tiny kitchen, living room/dining room, bathroom, and maybe three bedrooms, each smaller than the average college dorm room. Not spacious at all, but it's all that's needed. The home is a family space, meant primarily for sleeping and eating, so friends don't often come over to hang out. No slumber parties, no movie marathons. The majority of social activities occur en la calle, or "on the street."
Our kitchen. Since food is bought for the day, and that's it, there's no need for a pantry.
That's why cities and towns are filled with plazas, which serve as outdoor living rooms. That's where friends can meet up and hang out, and why public drinking isn't quite as frowned upon as it is in the States. (I believe it's still illegal, but the Guardia Civil pretends it isn't.)
WRITING
Have you ever read a book in which the building(s) were extremely memorable? Hopefully, since the Hogwarts castle is amazing with its moving staircases and talking portraits. Another one that comes to mind is I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith, in which the castle is a constant presence. The narrator, Cassandra, is always telling the readers about the gatehouse, and the moat, and the towers, and the dungeon.
I always like when I feel a special attachment to a place I've never actually been. Like Hogwarts. The last book pained me for many reasons, but it was torturous to read how my beloved Hogwarts, which felt like home to me, was crumbling under an onslaught of Death Eaters. And how about Tara, from Gone with the Wind?
Setting is big for me, which is why I like to emphasize specific places, especially in short stories. Places of historical importance. Places from my childhood. Places I'd love to visit.
What about you? What are you favorite fictional places?
A lunch my host mom serves regularly. Mostly peas and chorizo.
SPAIN
Ah, the obligatory post on gastronomy, or in less fancy words, food.
The Spanish diet is, without a doubt, the single most interesting diet I've come across. Not only for the type of food, but for food's place in culture and daily life.
Breakfast: 7:00 AM
Breakfast isn't a big deal in Spain. Usually it consists of tostadas, the Spanish phrase for toast, with butter or jam, and café con leche (coffee with milk). It's eaten whenever you get up in the morning, which for me, is usually around 7:00 AM. Since lunch isn't served 'til 2:00 in the afternoon, I tend to break away from cultural norms and put peanut butter on my toast for some added protein.
(Peanut butter is not common in Spain. Spaniards don't eat it, and though you can find it in the grocery store, it's very expensive.)
Lunch: 2:00 - 3:00 PM
A few weeks ago I attended a cooking class. Here, our chef Carlos helps me make a chicken and vegetable paella.
Lunch in Spain is not a mere sandwich or salad, as it is in the U.S. Nope, lunch is the largest meal of the day, and that's large. Every day, my host mother brings out huge portions of the main course, bread, cheese, salad, and fruit. This is why the siesta is such an important aspect of Spanish culture: people come home from work for lunch, so everything shuts down (most businesses are closed from 2:00 - 5:00), and afterwards, people relax, often taking a nap.
So what does the main meal consist of?
Spain's signature dish is paella, which consists of rice, chicken, chorizo, seafood, and vegetables (though you usually won't get meat and seafood mixed). Paella, however, isn't an everyday food, unlike bread and chickpeas. Being quite an ordeal to prepare, it's usually made on special occasions, oftentimes as a family activity.
It was my job to cut the squid! To my surprise, we used the entire squid. Head, tentacles, everything except the cartilage.
Most dishes I've had are stew-like: white beans, chickpeas, or peas with bits of chicken and chorizo. Spain, being located on the Iberian peninsula, also consumes a lot of seafood: tuna, salmon, shrimp, and especially squid (often in an ink-based sauce).
If you have to eat on the run, you'll probably pack or buy a bocadillo: a baguette-type bread with either chorizo, cheese, chicken, tuna, or tortilla española.
Our final products! Paella!
Dinner: 9:00 - 11:00 PM
Dinner is small in Spain. For us students, it usually involves tortilla española, which is usually made with eggs, potatoes, and sometimes vegetables. It's very similar to quiche. We eat it every day, sometimes with pumpkin soup, pasta with tuna, or a plate of vegetables.
Dessert
Usually dessert involves fruit: bananas, oranges, apples, kiwi, strawberries. I like fruit, but not as much as I like chocolate, so I had to do some good snooping in the supermarkets. Here's what I found:
Principe cookies are like reverse Oreos, except they put Oreos to shame. You can't get them outside of Europe, so I'm going to need a whole suitcase just for my supply of Principe Cookies.
Milka is one of the big "non-fancy" chocolate brands over here, equivalent to Hershey in the States. The regular one is good, but you haven't lived until you've tried Milka with Oreo. It's like a chocolate covered Oreo…but better.
Tapas
This is in Turkey, not Spain, but you can see the spit.
If you tend to get hungry between lunch and dinner or after dinner, Spain is your kind of place. The streets are lined with tapas restaurants, where you can pay two or three euro and get small plates called tapas. Morcilla, fried brie, croquetas, and more! They're kind of like appetizers.
Random Döner Kebab - You know how the U.S. has quick Chinese food on every corner? Well, Spain has Turkish fast food in the form of döner kebab, a pita filled with chicken or lamb that's roasted on a spit. My friends and I frequently make late night döner runs.
Helado - The ice cream in Spain is the best ice cream I've ever had in my life, plus it comes in all kinds of neat flavors, including Kinder and dulce de leche.
Churros con chocolate - Fried dough dipped in thick hot chocolate. It's rough on the stomach, but it's worth trying at least once.
It has been for a few years now, and it doesn't look like it's getting better anytime soon.
What's interesting about the crisis is that it's very visible. When I first came to Spain, the Copy Center at my university went on strike. It didn't matter that classes were about to start and students needed their books. They were making a statement, because thanks to the crisis, the workers hadn't been paid in overfour months.
Mountain of garbage in Sevilla.
A few weeks later, many cities--including Seville, where I live--had a garbage strike. That mean no garbage was collected for weeks. Imagine, mountains of garbage piled up on the streets, which are fairly narrow, so there's no escape from the stench. It was, as you'd expect, gross. But hey, the workers hadn't been given a raise in over four years.
Then there are the protests. Spain likes protests. In fact, most of Europe likes protests. If history is any indication, it seems the people get bored, so what do they do? They start a revolution for kicks and giggles. Last night I was talking to a Spaniard about the Infanta Cristina scandal, and you know what he said when I asked if he thinks the monarchy is in danger? "Yeah, the people will probably want the monarchy to, well…to leave Spain."
Ready the pitchforks, folks.
Communist rally.
But seriously, it seems every few weeks I accidentally stumble upon a protest--and I mean a protest. Hundreds of people, sometimes thousands, gathering in the main streets with banners. All ages, too, not just rabblerousing youngsters. Within a few days of coming here, I found myself walking past a communist rally. A COMMUNIST rally!
Is this real life?
It was shocking to me. Try that in the States, and you're on the CIA's watch list before you can say, "Workers of the world, unite!"
With such an economic crisis, unemployment rates are sky high at over 27%, compared the U.S.'s 7.7%. For people under 25 (so right out of college), that rate is about 60%. With rates like this, people take what they can. When I asked a Spanish student what he wants to do after he graduates with a degree in computer technology, he shrugged. "I just want a job. I don't care what it is."
For more information on Spain's economic crisis, click here.
A protest on Día de Andalucía, a day during which residents of Andalusia are supposed to celebrate, not protest. But they wanted to make a statement.
So I love history, and especially Latin American history, so instead of talking about Catalonia or comida or las Carlistas or a million other topics that begin with C, I'm going to share a little bit about one of Spain's most famous historical figures, Hernán Cortés.
Assuming you've taken some sort of history class, you probably know Cortés as the conquistador behind the fall of the Aztec Empire in Mexico. You might also know him as that guy from The Road to El Dorado (which is a great movie, by the way):
Right. So a Spanish version of Johnny Bravo. (Can you tell I'm a 90s kid?)
Anyway, history at its most basic will say that Cortés marched through Mexico to Tenochtitlan, the capital city of the Aztec Empire, and with only a few hundred men and some horses, took down thousands upon thousands of natives, largely due to the smallpox they brought with them.
But that's not what makes him interesting. Conquests had been going on for centuries, and though it's interesting that the Aztecs might have believed him to be a god (though there's a lot of speculation about that), it's not what intrigues me.
Hernán Cortés
Nope, I'm fascinated by this little anecdote:
In 1518 the governor of Cuba, Diego Velázquez, sent Cortés on an expedition to conquer Mexico, but soon changed his mind, and revoked his permission. Cortés ignored that, and when Velázquez arrived on the mainland in person to tell Cortés off, he replied with, "Sorry, gotta go," and quickly fled. He then founded a town and made himself leader, which hypothetically excused him from being under the Governor of Cuba's authority. Hypothetically.
Of course, some of his men had doubts. Cortés didn't exactly have experience leading an army, and who was he to defy the governor of Cuba? Cortés, sensing that many of his men wanted to desert, scuttled every ship except one, which he sent back to Spain, literally trapping everyone on mainland Mexico, with no choice but to proceed.
To me, this little anecdote is what makes him most interesting. Are these admirable actions? No, definitely not, especially considering that it led to the deaths of thousands of natives. But it was ridiculously courageous--and certainly insane--to scuttle his own ships, stranding himself and some 600 men in a place that very few Europeans had ever visited.
Don't get me wrong: by no means do I condone his actions. In fact, he's ranked pretty darn high on my list of historical jerkwads. But there's no denying that he was, well…a badass, at least in some respects.
Here in Spain, you'll find quite a few paintings and statues dedicated to him. The General Archive of the Indies in Seville is filled with them. It's definitely interesting, since in the U.S., his history is always tinted with negativity: "Hernán Cortés, a bad guy." Since being here, my opinions about that haven't changed--Cortés and the conquistadores brought a lot of misery--but it's strange to see memorials to them. But it goes both ways: Why is Andrew Jackson, the man behind the Trail of Tears, commemorated every time we pull out a twenty?
WRITING
There are two sides to every story.
America doesn't like Cortés. To most, he's a mass murderer. But to Spain he's technically a hero, even if nowadays a lot of Spaniards don't exactly approve of his actions. His conquest of Mexico was the beginning of Spaniards taking over the rest of mainland Latin America, save Brazil. Keep in mind that Spain only became one unified country in 1492, so how awesome must it have been for this brand new country to 1) "discover" the New World, and 2) exploit its resources until it was one of the richest nations around, which enabled it to have an armada to rival the British Navy. In less than a century, it went from being a cluster of very divided kingdoms, largely controlled by North African Arabs, to the most powerful empire in the world. An evil empire, according to the French and British, who felt both jealous and threatened. C is for Competition, right?
Spains rise to power, which has a lot to do with Cortés, reminds us that there are two sides to every story. A villain isn't a villain to everybody, and the same goes for heroes. The best characters are those whose good/evil alignment isn't clear, and it all depends on your point of view. The one that immediately comes to mind is Ben Linus from ABC's Lost. Three years after the end of the show, I still have no idea whether to consider him a good guy or a bad guy. ABC is doing it again with Once Upon a Time: Where on the scale does Rumplestiltskin/Mr. Gold lie? (Interestingly, these characters also tend to be the best actors).
Ben Linus, played by Michael Emerson, from ABC's LOST
How about Javert from Les Miserables? He is the "bad guy" of the novel/musical/movie, but if you look at the story from his perspective, he's doing what society normally approves of: attempting to stop a wanted thief. If Les Miz were not fiction, but was a true story playing out in our own modern society, we would probably applaud Javert for seeking a potentially dangerous criminal.
"Of course not," you might say. "Jean Valjean is a really good man."
"Yeah," I'd reply. "But how often to you stop to chat with the criminal about his emotions, morals, dreams, family life, etc? You don't."
But because Les Miz gives us Jean Valjean's PoV, we view him as the hero, while Javert is stuck being the villain.
So keep that in mind when writing! To some, your bad guys might not actually be bad guys--and those kinds of characters tend to be the most interesting.
Like most countries, Spain is far from uniform. Rather, it is divided into seventeen different autonomous communities(and two independent cities located in North Africa), which work kind of like states. (Though it's a little more complicated than that; these communities don't have as much independence as U.S. states). Many of these autonomies used to be kingdoms before Spain became a unified nation in 1492.
I'm staying in the community of Andalusia (spelled Andalucía in Spanish), in southern Spain, the capital of which is beautiful Seville (where I live).
So what makes Andalusia unique? Well, a lot. I'm just going to cover the basics because otherwise, we'd get into novel territory, as far as length goes.
Seville's bullfighting stadium. Yes, it's still in action.
When you think stereotypical Spain, you think Andalusia, whether you realize it or not. Here is where you'll come across flamenco, bullfighting, and typical Spanish architecture. It's also a place of immense historical importance, where you'll find:
Archivo de Indias - the home of the paperwork regarding the conquest of the Americas. It's lined with images and sculptures of conquistador Hernán Cortés.
Cádiz- where revolutionaries wrote the Constitution of 1812, the first Spanish constitution.
Ronda- Hemingway set part of his Spanish Civil War novel For Whom the Bell Tolls in this city.
Granada - The last city to expel the Moors from Spain in 1492 during the Reconquista. For this reason, a symbol of Ferdinand and Isabella is the granada, or the pomegranate.
The Andalusian countryside viewed from Ronda.
Writing
For those of you who don't know, my blog is mostly about finding inspiration in real life, then applying that inspiration to my fantasy world. That is, my writing. In a way, living in Andalusia has been one big research project. Mostly, in terms of setting.
I'm a sucker for cool settings. Though, I admit, I've set many a story in places like New York, Washington, D.C., and London, I much prefer more exotic places (usually within the real world). I'd love to see more books set in Eastern Europe, North Africa and the Middle East, and especially Latin America.
Spain is a cool setting (at least in my opinion). It's warm, it's colorful, and it has a very distinct culture that screams "¡VIVA ESPAÑA!" But as far as books in English go, it generally takes a backseat to the U.S., U.K., France, Australia, and many other countries. Which is actually kind of sad, considering it's the birthplace of the novel as we know it today. Unfortunately, we English-speakers tend to forget that.
A courtyard in the Alcazar, a palace in Seville.
So for your next project, consider setting it in Spain. If you're not sure about setting, ask yourself how important the setting is: Does it make a difference if it's set in L.A. or Barcelona? If your character is American or Spanish? Obviously, it does, but that difference could be what makes your story stand out in the slushpile. Personally, if I were an agent looking at two similar urban fantasies, both with strong characters and plots, and one was set in New York and the other in Seville, I'd choose the one in Seville, just because it's unique. (Though I'm not an agent, so what do I know?)
Andalusia would also be a great place from which to draw inspiration for high fantasy. Unfortunately, high fantasy is usually pretty predictable when it comes to setting. Most of the time it's based on medieval Northern Europe, so the kingdoms that made up what is now France, Germany, and the U.K. Stone castles, fairytale-esque villages, dense evergreen forests.
Andalusia also has castles. Andalusia also has villages. Andalusia also has forests--and mountains, and deserts, and beaches, and cliffs.
Only it's castles are often inspired by Islamic architecture, like the Alcazar in Seville. Those villages, like Ronda, are sometimes situated hundreds of meters high. And while you'll find "regular" forests, you'll also come across a ton of palm trees and oranges. So why not pick the former kingdom of Al-Andalus as the basis for a fantasy world? Star Wars did it. The Plaza de España in Seville was used for scenes shot on the planet Naboo.
The list goes on. Long story short, Andalusia is important to Spanish history and culture, despite being primarily an agricultural autonomy. It's significantly less industrial than the rest of Spain. Rather than huge metropolises, you'll find a sprawling countryside adorned with sunflowers, oats, barley, wheat, olives, and especially oranges. In fact, orange trees line the streets of many Andalusian cities, including Seville
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The Plaza de España, which was featured in Star Wars: Episode I.
