I am Karna Mital, a current junior at Duke University studying Econ and Math. I am spending the Fall 2009 semester studying abroad in Barcelona, España; I will be studying at Universitat Pompeu Fabra through the Advanced Liberal Arts and Sciences program run by CEA (Cultural Experiences Abroad). This blog is intended to document my experiences: in the class room, in the city, and around Spain and Europe. From this time in Barcelona, I expect 1) a better understanding of Catalan, Spanish, and other cultures, 2) academic knowledge, 3) improved Spanish language skills, and 4) a better understanding of myself and my peers that only comes from living outside one’s usual context.
Beyond getting a guidebook, talking to past study abroad students (study abroad alums of Barcelona and other Spanish cities), and other standard preparations, here are a few different things I did to prepare for the trip:
Movies – Many of you may have seen Woody Allen’s “Vicky Cristina Barcelona,” a tale of two friends who spend a summer in Barcelona. I chose the title of my blog to Both are at transitional points in their lives, and their experiences in Barcelona force them to question the fundamental choices that govern their lives, but ultimately each continues on the same path she was originally on. Despite my personal disappointment at this, I still feel the movie asked interesting questions about relationships and this was worth the time.
The second Barcelona-related movie I saw was “L’auberge espagnole” (the Spanish Apartment), a story of a French college student who spends a year studying economics in Barcelona through the Erasmus exchange program to prepare for a stable government job back in France. Though the time away causes his love life to go awry, the experience ultimately allows him to break from the confines of others’ expectations and fulfill his childhood dreams. The movie comes in spoken French or Spanish, with Spanish and English subtitles, but the English subtitles occasionally dropped out when I watched, so it helps to know one of the spoken languages.
Cooking – To save some Euros and practice for bachelor life after college, I’ll try to cook here and there while in Barcelona. I’ve spent some time recently learning basics like pasta and omelets, and mechanics like chopping and peeling.
Chile – I spent June and July 2009 on a Duke Engage project in Santiago, Chile; I was working with 5 other Duke students. The last post from my Santiago blog explains what I was up to, while the official project blog written by Grant Alport discusses both our work and non-work experiences. Essentially, I’ve experienced “living in Spanish” as opposed to just studying the language, and this has helped both my comprehension and my fluidity in conversation. Also, I feel more comfortable living abroad, and have had both positive experiences and mistakes that can guide me to a better semester in Barcelona.
Mindset – Barcelona and Catalunya have a unique history, one which I cannot do justice to in the space of this post; suffice it to say that Catalunya was a distinct kingdom for several centuries, and retains a strong sense of identity even after having been subjugated by Castille (the kingdom which, once united with Aragon, then formed the basis of modern Spain). The first thing to know is that the native language of this city and region is NOT castellano, the language we know as Spanish in the rest of the world, but rather catalan, a distinct language spoken only in Catalunya that hybridizes Spanish, French, and perhaps other neighboring languages. Barcelona is surely a bilingual city, as many menus and other posted items are written in both Catalan and Spanish (and now English to cater to tourists!), but to fully appreciate this city and the rest of Catalunya, it helps to know Catalan or at least acknowledge the cultural difference from mainstream Spain (i.e. Madrid).
P.S. the title of this and subsequent posts will be in Catalan with English translations.
P.P.S. Names of languages will be written as they are conventionally referred to in English, unless I italicize them (i.e. "Spanish" and "French", not "español" and "francés"). Proper nouns that originate from Spanish will appear as they do in Spanish (except when I write "Spain" rather than "España"), and those that originate from Catalan will appear as they do in Catalan - this is why, for example, I write "Catalunya" because this is the Catalan spelling; " Cataluña" is the Spanish spelling.
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