7 April 2011

Here is a video from part 1 of the ascent to the top of the Eiffel Tower:

Here is a video from part 2 of the ascent to the top:

Now that I have officially finished uploading info from Paris, I figure I might as well let you know some more about what I have been experiencing here in Spain, the main theme for this blog. Well, now that I am down to just taking my university class, I have a lot more free time. I still have some reading to do, but I only have class twice a week, so since I got back from Paris during my class, I only had to go once this week. The weather here has been improving and so I spent a few hours at the beach with Rachel today. I needed that lazy time and I most definitely need the color from the sunshine (my arms and legs are totally different colors). For those of you who have never been to Europe before, like me before I came here to study abroad, the likelihood of you experiencing topless beaches is probably slim to none. We think that within the few hours we were at the beach today we saw about eleven women without the tops, quite a few in thongs, and a few men in speedos. It was definitely a different experience. The Spanish, or rather the Europeans in general, have a different idea about body exposure for sure than Americans. Be prepared when going to beaches while here. Also, make sure to note that there is a chance that you will see people completely naked, which, thank God, I have not had to deal with yet, but a few of my friends have. It surprisingly didn't bother me as much as I thought it would, but I know that it still shocks some of the other students here with me. We have such a different mindset, wondering why they do it. It is the same as I discussed in my social realities project on sexuality in Spain, it is rebellion on a minor level from the censorship of the era that the Spanish were under Franco. They feel that they should embrace their freedom; if they can do this, why shouldn't they? At least that is what I have been observing in my time here. It definitely has been making me think more about my culture and how we take advantage of our freedoms or take them for granted, etc. I still can't say that one is better than the other, but just that they are different. Just some food for thought.