Life Abroad

Semana Santa

observationsabroad — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 12:51:04 +0000

I spent part of Spring Break in Sevilla during Semana Santa. I had heard that Sevilla had a lot going on for Holy Week but I had no idea what to expect. I was not familiar with Spain’s traditions during this time. I was very suprised by how many people were there. The city was flooded with families and everyone was dressed nicely as if they were going to church. Even at 2 in the morning the streets were so crowded that you could barely walk around.

At first I thought the headwear these people wore was a little scary because it reminded me of the KKK. I later learned that the KKK did model their hoods after this type of dress.

It was interesting how many people traveled to Sevilla for this week. Even though it was very crowded, everyone was calm and respectful of eachother. I don´t think I have ever seen anything like this in the States. Usually when I am in a very crowded area I feel uneasy because I feel like a fight or other violence could break out at any minute. I get stressed out in crowds but all of these people were very patient, even the young children.

I wonder who plans all of the festivities this week and how much time and money it takes to put everything together. All of the stores and restaurants have to cooperate as well because they have to close down some of the days in order to let the processions go through the streets.

Podcasting

observationsabroad — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 18:34:13 +0000

Podcasts are very convenient because they allow you to listen to a show when and where you want. This is also good for the companys that create the shows because then they are able to reach a much larger audience. Some people who are busy at the set time would not follow the show. Podcasts allow these people to be able to follow. Because of this some shows may become more popular and these companys make more money.

Podcasts are also great as globalization increases. People are traveling and immigrating to other countries where they might not be able to watch or listen to shows in their native language. I have been downloading podcasts more than ever these past few months as I have been in Spain because there are not many shows in English available here.

Podcasting creates some challenges for producers of TV shows, however. They have to keep in mind that some of their viewers are watching the show from a much smaller screen, such as on an ipod. Shows look different on a smaller scale and it is possible to miss something. The dialogue becomes more important and there cannot be any small details in the show that are not talked about verbally or the person watching on their ipod can miss something. I remember learning about one particular instance in the show LOST. There was a detail foreshadowing something that was going to happen in the future and anyone who downloaded and watched from their ipod missed out. One show was created for the specific purpose of being dowloaded as podcasts. It was a series and featured current topics such as video web blogging. It was filmed keeping in mind that it would be viewed on a much smaller scale.

Podcasts are also useful becuase many different kinds of people are able to find something that interests them. There are only a certain number of channels on the television and radio and usually try to reach the widest audience. People who want to learn about a different culture can find a podcast. Anyone would be able to find something that is interesting to them.

Another great thing is that anyone can make a podcast and get their own voice and opinions out.

At podcastalley.com you can find a podcast on anything that interests you. Right now the number one podcast of the month is Free Talk Live. It is formatted like a talk show except for that anyone can take control and voice their opinion. This is the new way of debating politics. Download, subscribe, or listen today…

http://freetalklive.com/netcast.xml

The Social Dangers of Twitter

observationsabroad — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 17:04:27 +0000

We only consider the positive aspects of Twitter, but there are many negatives as well.

I found this on Perezhilton.com, a blog I like to read about celebrity gossip. I found it absolutely ridiculous but it got me thinking about how social patterns are changing. It is not uncommon to meet your spouse on the internet anymore but where do we cross the line? Will people ever have complete relationship via the world wide web and never meet? Can you get married over the internet? I’m all for technology but I also like face-to-face interaction. With things changing so quickly I can’t help but wonder where we will be in 10 years, and 50 years. We can already see people e-mailing and using instant messanger in class while they are suppossed to be paying attention to the teacher. Why don’t these people just take courses online? What is the value of face-to-face versus technological interaction??

Parque del Retiro

observationsabroad — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 16:53:53 +0000

Retiro Park was originally created as a royal park in 1632. It was built by King Philips IV as a retreat for the Royal family. “Retiro” means retreat. At the time it was created, the park was well outside of the city walls, but today the city of Madrid has completely enclosed the park.

Retiro Park is right behinf the Prado Museum. It is the most popular and widely visited park in Madrid. On a Sunday afternoon you will see many citizens of Madrid walking with their families in the park and being entertained by the multitude of street performers.

Close to the northern entrance of the Parque del Retiro is a large artifical lake, the Estanque del Retiro. Here you can rent a row boat, especially popular during weekends and in the warmer months A large monument with an equestrian statue of King Alfonso XII overlooks this lake.

More to the south is a smaller lake. At the edge of the lake is a beautiful glass building, the Palacio de Cristal. It was built in 1887 by Ricardo Velazquez Bosco after the Crystal Palace in London. It was initially used to house exotic plants brought over from the Phillippines. It is now mainly used for temporary exhibitions for the Reina Sofia Mueuem.

The Park has many activities for people of all ages. Every Sunday from late May through early October the Banda Sinfonica de Madrid gives free concerts from the bandstand in the park near the Calle d’Alcala.

The Park has an annual Book Fair and around the lake many puppet shows perform. There are also street performers and fortune tellers and horse-drawn carriages available.

Beautiful Retiro Park is a must-see for anyone visiting Madrid!

El Periodico and The Chicago Tribune

observationsabroad — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 22:10:33 +0000

El Periodico is a much younger newspaper than the Trib. It started thirty years ago while the Tribune began in 1847. EL Periodico favors the left side, politically and does not try to hide this. The Trib is a little more complicated. It has traditionally been economically conservative and for a long time was also politically conservative. In 2004 the newspaper endorsed President Bush for re-election, a decision consistent with its longstanding support for the Repoblican Party. However, in 2008, for the first time in the paper’s history, it endorsed a Democratic president nomination, Barack Obama. It will be interesting to see which direction they go from here.

El Periodico is published in tabloid form. The Tribune, traditionally, was always published as a broadsheet. However, in January of this year they made the switch to tabloid for commuter stations and newsstands but stick with broadsheet for home deliveries.

Another difference between the two papers is that El Periodico is published in 2 different languages, Catalan and Castellano while the Trib is only in English.

Girl Talk

observationsabroad — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 20:22:56 +0000

Last night I went to Razzmatazz to see Girl Talk. It was one of the best concerts I’ve ever been to. It was a great atmosphere and everyone was really in to the music. Traditionally, some audience members are allowed on the stage, and this was not an exception although security did kick some of the people off eventually. Gellis played shirtless from his laptop.

Girl Talk is a unique musician because he doesn’t create any of his own music, yet he does not like to be called a DJ. He calls his music “mashup style remixes”. He uses often a dozen or more unauthorized samples from different songs to create a new song.

The New York Times Magazine has called his music “a lawsuit waiting to happen,”. However, he has never had a lawsuit which I find very interesting. Many artists are afarid to sue him because the laws around these things are a little iffy and he just might win.

In conclusion, Gregg Gellis has the best life ever. He is more than a DJ – he get’s to party along with his audience. But he also isn’t under the spot light as much as other artists. He doesn’t have to learn dance moves or keep up his appearance. He gets to travel around and play his music.

Marketing, Advertising, and Business 2.0

observationsabroad — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 13:58:36 +0000

I think that corporate blogs, if they work correctly and honestly, are a great tool for businesses. However, this is difficult to do. Blogs are a great way for a company to connect with their clients and consumers. A company is able to reach a wider audienc. As shown through the success of Obama’s campaign, people use the internet to connect with eachother and be a part of something. If a company uses the internet they seem to be more modern and progressive and their products will seem to be of a better quality or higher standard. But there is also the issue of trust. Consumers are aware that a company’s main goal is to make money and sell their product or service. They know that that company will do almost anything to come across as good and efficient. This is why it is sometimes hard to believe a corporate blog if all they do is tell you how great their company is. They create an image for themself that is sometimes hard to live up to.

Nevertheless, blogs are very important to consumers. I have realized that whenever I buy anything I go online and research that product. When I wanted a new cell phone I was able to read comments about people that have also bought the same phone and made my decision off of their experiences. These past few weeks I have done a lot of research before traveling. I have read blogs for different hotels and restaurants and judged them off of their websites and other people’s experiences and ratings.

Overall, the internet is the best tool for companys to use to save money while still saving time advertising for their product. I think companys should invest in employees who are able to make good webpages to make their business appear to be more credible and professional. Today’s marketers and advertisers need to have a good understanding of using the web to get their message out because that is where the consumers are looking. People don’t use travel adgents anymore and go to appliance stores much less frequently. We book our vacations and order products directly from our computers.

This blog gives some insight in to how companies can successfully create relationships with their clients and increase trust through the internet. http://blog.hubspot.com/

Politics 2.0

observationsabroad — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 21:01:20 +0000

Obama’s campagin demonstrates how political platforms have changed in order to catch up with technology. Much of the world is now on the internet and Obama took advantage of this to gain support for his presidential candadacy. He made people feel connected and a part of his campaign. This was especially apparent in young voters. College students are always on facebook and supporting Obama became a trend because he was everywhere and appeared to appeal more to young Americans. He was internet-savy and we were able to learn more about his campaign via the web. Many college students do not have time to read the newspaper or watch political speeches on TV but we are constantly on the internet, especially facebook. I think politicians use of the internet will only progress from here. It is interesting that his advisors released the awareness that they must continue to use the internet or else they would appear to be fake, like they were just using the internet to gain suport in order to win office. Obama was able to target many specific audiences via facebook. Sometimes it is difficult to do this in speeches because Americans are so diverse. He targeted groups such as “Women for Obama”, “Veterans for Obama”, “First Americans for Obama”. Each group felt more connected and that they were a part of something specific rather than just American patriotism. They felt that Obama cared about their specific cause.

http://www.facebook.com/barackobama

Rome, Florence, and …. Pisa

observationsabroad — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 18:38:01 +0000

This past weekend I went with one of my roommates, Rachel to Italy. We didn’t have a lot of time but we wanted to see as much as possible. We started off in Rome on Thursday night. We got in to the city around 10 pm, went for dinner, and then tried to walk to the Trevi Fountain. We got really lost but it was okay because we got to see a lot of the city right away. The Trevi Fountain was beautiful at night.
The next day we woke up early and went to the Vatican. We took a tour which was a little expensive but it was really good and we got a full appreciation for Vatican City. After that we walked from the Spanish steps to the Colusseum. Rome isn’t that big and you can walk almost everywhere. I learned that it is difficult to build a metro system, too, because every where you dig you find ancient artifacts.
After walking around Rome for 12 straight hours we were very tired and got on a train to Florence.
We went for dinner then went to bed early so we could have another productive day on Saturday.
We woke up early and started walking around the city. There is no public transportation in Florence but it is fairly small. At first we had a plan to follow a map and do a lot of sight seeing like in Rome but after a while we gave up. Florence is so beautiful and we just wanted to wander around and enjoy it. We did get to the Duomo, Uffizi Galleries, and many other things. Later on we stumbled upon a farmer’s market and sampled many different wines, breads, and cheeses.

That night we went to a small bar with one of my friends from college. It was great to see her.
The next day Rachel and I had different flights home. I went to the bus station to go to the Florence airport. About 45 minutes later I realized that we were way out of the city and a little after that we got to the PISA airport. I almost had a heart attack. Thankfully I was able to buy a ticket for a flight home that same day but it was not cheap. It would not have been that big of a deal except for I had 3 midterms the next day.
Overall, Italy was really pretty and I’d like to spend more time there but I was very happy to get back to Spain. The language barrier made me realize how much Spanish I’ve learned being here and how much I’ve accustomed to the way of life. Rachel and I went out for dinner and we were the last ones in the restaurants at 10:30! I thought the Italians I met were very friendly and it is a beautiful country btu I was so happy to get back to Spain.

Social Networks

observationsabroad — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 21:03:55 +0000

I can’t believe how quickly social networks have caught on. I remember when I was little I would go on AOL chatrooms and talk to people, but looking back, it was very dangerous. Anyone on the internet could talk to me. Now I can block my facebook profile and only my friends can see what I’m up to. Recently I have been getting friend requests from my aunts and uncles as well. Everyone of all ages are catching on, when facebook used to just be for college students.

I understand twitter to be like facebook’s “status” but that people subscribe to eachothers and update much more frequently. At times facebook gets annoying. I used to use it as a joke and have a lot of pictures that I wouldn’t want my extended family to see. Recently I have stopped doing this and take it more seriously, especially since going abroad.

I think facebook and other social networks demonstrate that we are going to have less privacy in the future. I think this is noticable in many different ways. People want to see what other people are doing, as seen with the reality tv craze. However, in the case with the internet, you have to open up your own life in order to pay attention to what others are doing. My friends on facebook can see my information and I can see theirs. A decline in privacy is also seen in the government. With the patriot act the government made it seem unpatriotic if we did not give up some of our privacy. I also notice a lot more cameras filming public space. Although these are safety issues, they are still something to think about.

I think it is great being able to meet people with similar interests and keeping up with friends. I’ve been able to keep up relationships with old friends and some family I don’t get to see a lot via facebook. Sometimes I feel like it takes up too much of my life though. I find myself looking at pictures and reading status’ of people I don’t know that well or don’t care to keep up relationships with. I am unable to tell whether I will spend more or less time on these social networks when I get out of college. I think I will just join a more professional network like the ones my parents are on rather than one that centers around interests and pictures.