A - Z Challenge: XAVIER --> JAVIER

Again, I'm a day late.  Oh well.

SPAIN

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.

How do you choose names?

A - Z Challenge: WORDS FROM WRITERS

Today we're just going to appreciate some beautiful words, written in Spanish.  I'm going to cheat a little bit, though:  the author of these words is Pablo Neruda, who is from Chile.  So he's not Spanish.  But I wanted to share these verses because they're some of my favorite ever written, in any language.  Really this poem doesn't have anything to do with Spain, except that I read it for the first time here.  Anyway, I think it's important, too, to learn to appreciate works in other languages :)  (I'll also be practicing my translation skills!)

Excerpt from Poema 20 by Pablo Neruda (Spanish)

Como para acercarla mi mirada la busca.

Mi corazón la busca, y ella no está conmigo.

La misma noche que hace blanquear los mismos árboles.

Nosotros, los de entonces, ya no somos los mismos.

Ya no la quiero, es cierto, pero cuánto la quise.

Mi voz buscaba el viento para tocar su oído.

De otro.  Será de otro.  Como antes de mis besos.

Su voz, su cuerpo claro.  Sus ojos infinitos.

Ya no la quiero, es cierto, pero tal vez la quiero.

Es tan corto el amor, y es tan largo el olvido.

Porque en noches como ésta la tuve entre mis brazos,

Mi alma no se contenta con haberla perdido.

Aunque éste sea el último dolor que ella me causa,

y éstos sean los últimos versos que yo le escribo.

Excerpt from Poema 20 by Pablo Neruda (English)

The same night whitening the same trees.

We, the ones of then, are not the same.

I no longer love her, it's true, but how much I loved her.

My voice searched for the wind to touch her hearing.

Another's.  She will be another's.  Like before my kisses.

Her voice, her bright body.  Her infinite eyes.

I no longer love her, it's true, but maybe I love her.

Love is so short, and forgetting is so long.

Because on nights like this I held her in my arms.

My soul is not content having lost her.

Even though this is the last pain she'll cause me,

And these are the last verses I'll write her.

Unfortunately, English doesn't do the poem justice.  It's gorgeous in Spanish :)

A - Z Challenge: VESTIDOS (CLOTHES)

I'm a day late.  Oops!

SPAIN

Like many countries, Spain has its traditional national dress.  For women, it's the traje de faraleas (a flamenco dress) and for men it's the traje corto (short jacket).  Of course, these aren't part of everyday attire.  They're worn on special occasions (like the Feria de Abril in Sevilla), and that's about it.

Me (left) and my roommate (right) in flamenco garb at the Feria de Abril in Sevilla.  These dresses are from the 80s, so yes, they're a little out of fashion.  But they still have the traditional ruffles!  (Polka dots are very in)

The men are in the traje corto, at the Feria de Abril.

 Before coming to Spain (and Europe, in general), I received a lot of fashion advice to help blend in, so as to be less targeted by pickpockets.  Wear lots of skirts.  Don't wear sneakers.  Avoid clothing with brand names like North Face, Abercrombie, American Eagle, etc.  Not only are harem pants acceptable, but they're relatively common.  Sweats are for the house only.  If planning to travel to any Muslim countries (such as Morocco and Turkey), make sure you have more conservative clothing and a scarf to cover your hair, so that if you'd like to visit a mosque, you don't have to borrow a head covering.

My friend, Natalie, (left) and me (right) in front of the Blue Mosque in Istanbul.  We had to cover our hair and take off our shoes before going inside.

For more on fashion (specifically, fashion in writing), click here!

A - Z Challenge: UNSEEN, UNHEARD, UNKNOWN

SPAIN

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.

A - Z Challenge: TRAVEL

SPAIN

Hands-down my favorite thing about living in Spain is the ease of travel.  In the past three months, I've been to Italy, Morocco, Switzerland, Turkey, and Ireland, and before I return to the States in June (so soon!), I'll have added the United Kingdom, France, and Greece to the list.

I am one ridiculously lucky girl.

As part of Southwestern Europe, Spain is in a fantastic location.  The countries of Northern Europe--France, Germany, the UK, etc.--are only a short plane ride away, as are Mediterranean countries like Greece and Italy.  Hop on a ferry for half an hour, and guess what?  You're in Africa.  Or if you feel like staying even closer to home, you can take a bus to Portugal.

It.  Is.  Awesome.

A street in Chefchaouen, Morocco.

Sunset in Istanbul, Turkey.

Roman Forum in Rome, Italy.

Blarney Castle in Blarney, Ireland.

A - Z Challenge: SEVILLA

SPAIN

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.

ORANGE TREES EVERYWHERE.

A - Z Challenge: REYES CATÓLICOS (THE CATHOLIC MONARCHS)

SPAIN

From my experiences, Spanish history is not something that's taught in most American schools.  If you were to ask me about it five years ago, I'd have replied,

"Columbus discovered America, then Cortés killed all the Indians.  There was the Inquisition sometime…"

Fortunately, I've come a long way since then, thanks to some excellent history professors.  So, today I'm going to talk a little about the reyes católicos, or the Catholic Monarchs, Fernando II de Aragón and Isabel I de Castilla (Ferdinand and Isabella).  What's really neat about them is that they were a team:  rarely do you hear about one without the other, which makes them a cute historical couple.  Though not nearly as cute as my favorite royal couple, King William III and Queen Mary II, who chartered this great university somewhere in Virginia ;)

Spain owes a lot to Fernando and Isabel.  But what, exactly, did they do?

Get married

Probably one of the most important weddings in history.  When they married, they united the two largest and most powerful kingdoms, Aragon and Castile.  Thus began the unification process.  Until now, Spain was just a jumble of kingdoms.  It wouldn't become a unified nation until 1492, when Fernando and Isabel defeated the Moors in Granada.

Reconquista

Spain was occupied by Moors from North Africa from 711 to 1492.  Fernando and Isabel kicked them out, making Spain one unified Catholic country (as opposed to Muslim), which is why they're called the "Catholic Monarchs."

Inquisition

Part of the Reconquista was the establishment of the Spanish Inquisition.  Even after the fall of Granada, many muslims and jews remained in Spain, though usually in hiding.  The Inquisition, begun by Fernando and especially Isabel, was a way to find these so-called "heretics" and be rid of them.

America

Yup, Fernando and Isabel funded Christopher Columbus's journeys to America!

Had Children

Their five children married into the major ruling families of Europe, but the most famous one is Catherine of Aragon, the first wife of Henry VIII.