Time and tide wait for no man, and our Virginian intern Kealani Nanz is cramming in as much as she can before having to head home. This week, religion, the Cathedral, a siesta in the park, European-style manicures and an American thriller dubbed into Spanish…
Monday morning, I woke to meet a friend for weekday mass. Though my exact position in religion is complex at this point in life, I wanted to join my friend. I wanted to experience something that gives so many people reason and hope here. Maybe even come closer to understanding myself.
The Catedrál de Valencia in the city centre was – to nobody’s surprise – as breathtaking as the other generations of old churches in the city. High-domed ceilings, artwork and endless amounts of detail in every corner. I felt during the procession as if the only difference between today and 800 years ago was the priest talking into a microphone. That, and more acceptance of gender equality. This day happened to be a celebration of a couple’s 50-year wedding anniversary. The priest gave a short sermon about marriage, and the joys and struggles of that covenant. At the end of the service, we walked out. The family was taking pictures and celebrating with tossing handfuls of rice in the air.
Churrs and chocolate
After the mass ended, we sat at Valor, a nearby café to try churros and chocolate while we talked about life and religion. Both of us have had a curiosity about religion our whole lives. Always being the ones always asking questions. Wanting to know why. Being met with answers like “because it is” or simplistic answers that don’t teach us the purpose and reasons behind the structure and beauty of religion. I don’t often think about marriage, or its purpose as a covenant. I come from two previously divorced parents who are happily remarried. And a generation who sees marriage as something somewhat overrated and not worth the insane expenses associated with the ceremony today.
A siesta on a park bench
During siesta time I walked around the Parque Central by my house. I took a nap on a concrete bench in the shade. I thought about the little girls I nannied last year. About how excited they were to tell me about their first communion. I didn’t understand it then, their pride in the accomplishment or the white formal dresses until now. I learned about the sacredness of communion and its connection to marriage.
The covenant and purpose of marriage, a divine union and commitment. How has something so sacred and special dwindled to a failure rate of 50%? As a little girl I dreamed of marrying a prince, coming to a fantasy castle riding in on a magic carriage wearing a puffy, sparkly wedding dress and living happily ever after. At only 20, after surviving the pains of middle-school awkwardness, high school crushes, lost friendships, and other brokenness, will I ever fulfil those dreams to my young self?
Nailed it
Later that afternoon was my roommate and my long-awaited appointment to get our nails done. Nailspa, on Carrer de Puerto Rico exceeded our expectations. Super friendly, helpful and great quality of work. My roommate and I recommended them to all our friends as soon as we left that day. For us, the 30€ manicures here were like early Christmas compared to the $70 ones in the States.
We talked with the women working on our nails and learned about their lives. Immigrants from Romania, Italy, and Slovakia, we learned about each other’s homes in a mix of broken English and Spanish. Sharing thoughts on music, Taylor Swift in Spain and reggaetón, a genre of music I am glad to have discovered here. I inquired about their perspective on America, and learned about the American Dream they hear about throughout their lives, and how they learned of its falseness and brokenness.
Dub be good to me
After dinner I met up with friends at the ABC Park movie theatre, my first film experience in a different country. Another delightful surprise was the 10€ ticket and 5€ popcorn – unheard of in northern Virginia. We sat down in the large theatre. We four were the only ones there, apart from a few couples scattered in the dark theatre. Another thing about going to the movies here that we learned the hard way is that they don’t have 20 minutes of ads like they do in the States. They start on time! Who knew?
We saw The Watchers, or Los Vigilantes dubbed in Spanish with no subtitles, another first experience for me. I tried to follow it with my limited comprehension, using body language, context clues and piecing together the plot with my humble vocabulary. The plot twist at the end was the most confusing part for me. The most fluent friend in our group explained the plot to us in the lobby after, but I won’t spoil it here…