The Chew...Goes to School?!

~Sant Cugat

     

The Chew		The View
Xurros con Chocolate Caliente		My Loverly School, ESADE

Amidst all these articles of traveling, picnicking, wining and dining, you must be wondering when that whole "education" thing comes into play. After all, this is a study abroad program I'm enjoying.

Hold your breath no longer, as I'm an official ESADE student! We started full classes this week, and here's what my course load looks like:

09C15871 2 - Leadership

09B20877 2 - Marketing in Spain

09C11013 - Media Convergence and New Business Models

09C15831 2 - Motivation, Values and Commitment

09C30852 - Risk Management in Financial Institutions

09C15837 - Seminario: Cross-Cultural Communication

Marketing in Spain ~ Your basic marketing class with Spanish-based cases (woot, Zara in 2 weeks!). We've got a funny Indian professor who was nicknamed JJ in the States, but realized that this nickname won't work in Spain--that would make him "Hay Hay"

Risk Management ~ Planning to switch outta this one--all the graduate finance students get googly-eyed over it. I just will never get it. Sandwiches make me salivate, not credit scores.

Motivation ~ Similar to an Organizational Behavior class. Nice and fluffy, like my eggs.
(Have I mentioned that I have yet to enjoy a good BREAKFAST here? Minus the pastisseries, which are everywhere here).

 

While I'm on this lovely food tangent, let me tell you about the way breakfast works here.

Cafe con leche ~ You have to ask for this to get a regular coffee. Otherwise, you are automatically signing up for an espresso shot that'll send you reeling for the next hour.

White Chocolate Croissant ~ Ok, this was just the pastry I enjoyed. The chocolate variations are popular here, with both ends dipped in white or dark chocolate, and a lovely chocolate center. Oooo and nice and flaky. Gorgeous, buttery, flaky croissants. The size of your head. 

Chocolate Caliente ~ This ain't our Nesquik. It's drinkable fondue. Literally melted chocolate with a little chocolate milk to make it somewhat sippable, this stuff won't travel up a straw like normal liquids. In fact, it just begs to be dipped into by these guys: xurros.

Don't mind the spelling, the Catalans here like to use x's with the soft "s" sound. It distinguishes them from general Spanish, which is an important part of Barcelonian culture. Although everyone speaks Spanish, you are constantly reminded of the French-Spanish Catalan language spoken on metros and in restaurants colloqially. Greetings of "Bon dia" and requests of "Cie us plaut" are commonplace.

I'm sure you're dying to hear more about school, but I want to tell you a little secret, and about a food festival I stumbled across. I went to my friend Blair's apartment in Gracia, a bohemian neighborhood in Northern Barcelona reminscient of Silver Lake with the packed streets of Greenwich Village. She hosted a rooftop BBQ--and let me tell you, rooftop terraces are a BIG deal here. I guess this place gets warm or something, since people plant umbrellas like toothpicks. Looking from one rooftop, you can see the outdoor domains of rivaling buildings, where the balconies often rival the small apartments they sit atop (pictures of our own rooftop will come in warmer conditions).

After drinking vino and grilling, we moved downstairs to her apartment and noted some large bonfires in the Placa del Diamant that her building overlooks. Pagan witchcraft? Catalan rebellion?

Actually, a SPANISH FOOD FESTIVAL had found me! It's called the Sa Pobla a Gràcia, and it honours St. Anthony, one of Spain's most celebrated saints (if sainthood earns you food gatherings in your name, count me in the running). The Mallorcans--from the island of Mallorca, next to Ibiza--throw this festival for the Barcelonians. Barcelonians return the favor later in the year at Mallorca.

Needless to say we hustled down to stake our claim in the line of revelers. And for 3 euros, we enjoyed gastro-revelry. You get a paper bag with two slices of bread, chorizo sausage, and a piece of raw meat. You cook everything yourself! This certainly wouldn't fly in health-code regulated USA & England. Raw meat rests on the same plate with the cooked food. Possible salmonella in light of deliciousness?

Curiosity won my tastebuds. 

 

 Portuguese-->American-->American-->Italian-->English-->German

I've met such a diverse group of Europeans here, it's astounding!

As for my vegetarianism? I'm still avidly in search of the best veggie burgers and exotic veggie fare, but there are times when I will starve. And at those times, I relish the fact that delicious meat is in fact at hand. The Spanish meat industry is much more local-based, making it less of a pervasive, factory-based supply chain like it is in the US--so I feel more responsible paying for meat here when there are simply no other options.

I'm no carnivore, though, never fear :)

Walking my tail off,
The Chew