Sevilla: the most Spanish city in Spain!

Okie dokie people, this time I’m going to tell you a little bit about the culture here in the city where live in. Just like I said in the post about Semana Santa, Sevilla is the most Spanish city in Spain when it comes to religion, culture and holidays. Next you’re going to find out what this actually means. Firstly the Easter week was already an example of this phenomenon, but definitely not the only example.

Few years ago bull fighting was prohibited in Catalunya – but not here in Andalusia. In here, the tradition of bullfighting lives on - regardless the people who are protesting on the streets to stop it! Bullfighting is something that is strongly connected to Spanish culture. I mean, the natives consider bull fights as art forms that are linked with their history, art and culture. Even the King of Spain has said that if EU decides to ban bullfighting, Spain will leave the EU :O

Even though I’m not in favor of torturing animals, curiosity made me want to go see it here in Sevilla. I wanted to see what’s so cool about it? Sevilla has Spain’s 2^nd oldest bullfighting arena just after the arena in Ronda. The arena is actually pretty big, it has capacity of 12,500 people and it is considered to be the most important one in the world and so it attracts the best fighters. During the bullfighting season, all seats are full every evening!

For me, the fighting was not anything special. They brought up around 6 bulls and from the 3^rd one I was already bored a bit. I mean, it was interesting, but the show was always the same and actually more interesting was to watch these 50-year-old Spanish guys show in the top shelf of the audience where they drank wine from a flagon and shouted out insolences :D Just like in Finnish ice hockey games

Anyway, I did not quite understand what was so cool about the fighting. Of course, if you haven’t ever seen ballet, you don’t understand it either, do you? It's like a guy next to me said when people were chanting: "Why he's good, I don't know." :D Well, I kind of think bull fighting as "show business butchering". Because that’s what it is: butchering the bulls. And there’s nothing wrong with the butchering part - you can even buy the meat afterwards! It's just that I think those animals could probably go some easier way...

Soy el quimico unico con la formula secreta del destino
la formula del sonido rapido en nuestro universo - galaxia
voy a mezclar ahora un liquido, quimico, toxico, acido y peligroso,
que cambiare la materia humana, ah, ah...

Ruido sintetico, sonido rapido, ruido incognito, quimico unico...
666 - Ruido Sintetico

Feria de Abril, Sevilla

Feria was something that everyone who lives in Sevilla had been talking about since I got here. “During Feria this, in the Feria that..” Actually they started to build up the Feria area for over two months before the actual happening! So I figured it’s probably quite a big party! I still didn’t have any idea what was it about. But when you think of it, party that lasts for a week is probably pretty big!

Feria de Abril is a weeklong festival, always held in April as the name tells. It’s about eating and drinking good, wearing your best clothes: all the men wear suits and ties and all the chicas wear usually the flamenco dress.

You can’t compare it to the festivals back home where everybody who lives in the city runs away while people from elsewhere come around to party. In here, EVERYBODY in the city participates the festival! For instance, if you walk in the city, everyone is dressed up! It’s unbelievable!

We decided to go and participate the party the next day. Our company naturally didn’t have any days off during the week, but we still had shorter days so that we could participate in to the festival. Actually on Wednesday, we stopped working earlier, headed out to change nice clothes and went to have a late lunch in the Feria area. It was really interesting and nice to see all that. The place was full of people, horses and tents.

Yes, tents. People can rent a tent for themselves for the week. Only the cost is at least 2000 euros for one! Usually you can’t enter a tent, if you are not invited and that makes the tents really desirable for people to get. For those people, who don’t have access to any tent, there are public tents (where to buy food and drinks). Only the prize might get pretty high! Also, there are a LOT of horses around. All the people bring their own horses from the country side and ride them in the festival. You can even buy a horse ride for yourself – if you have the money, it only costs 200 euros for one hour!

In the night time, the Feria area is more about drinking than eating. My friend even said that the Feria is the only place where you can see even Spanish girls going as wasted as their sisters back in Finland! :D The area is lit by over 300,000 light bulbs during the night time and actually the whole Feria area consumes as much energy as a city of 50,000 people. In addition to the tent area, there is an amusement park in the area! All this combined, lasting for a week, now that is a BIG PARTY!?

Make me come alive
Come on turn me on
Touch me, save my life
Come on and turn me on
I'm too young to die
Come on and turn me on
 

Turn me on, Turn me on, Turn me on, Turn me on

David Guetta Ft.  Nicki Minaj -Turn Me On (Michael Calfan remix)

Getting to know the basics

Alright I guess it’s time for me to tell you guys a little bit about my first few days here. So as you know, I departed Spain on Monday the 9th at 10 pm in the evening (or the night). The first work day was already the next day. So I had a very brief introduction to the apartment I would live in and then get straight to bed. The next morning we left to work at 8 am with another intern working in there.

      Another day at the office? My fellow intern Miika.                      Here's Susanna, another owner of the company.

The first few days at work were mostly just about observing and trying to learn what was going on there. The office is actually very cozy, although it is quite cold inside in there as well. But altogether it’s a really nice place to work! The company owners are also very nice and friendly. It’s especially great that they are quite young so it’s easy to be on the "same level" with them (when it comes to humour for instance)!

             The view from my very own balcony!                            There are hundreds of alleys like this all around the city centre!


The second night, on Tuesday, we went out for a little clubbing on “Super Tuesday” –student party. It was ok, but not great (wonder if I’m starting to get old?) so I was a little bit disappointed… But it was still nice to go out with some new people and meet some more people! In the other hand, it wasn’t nice when I had to wake up for work at 8 am again the next morning. You can imagine it was quite difficult, as I was awake and had been drinking until 3:30 am in the morning! :D After a day at work with quite bad hangover I decided that I’d skip the Super Tuesdays in the future… And that's all I got to say about Wednesday!

    International dinner with some Dutch, Spanish and Finnish people.

On Thursday we went out to have dinner with a mixture of Dutch people, Finnish people and a Spaniard. We had a dinner together because one the Dutch interns was having a kind of like going-away –party. I would have the next day free so I thought it would be best to get a good sleep after a hard week. On Friday I slept until 12 am and after waking up, I decided to go for a walk around the city centre. The city of Sevilla, it is so magnificent… There’s nothing like that in Finland. It’s different, old and still clean and nice. It’s a romantic city!

Sevilla's got some style, baby ;)

Soundtrack: Manu Chao - Me gustas tu
Que voy a hacer,
je ne sais pas
Que voy a hacer
Je ne sais plus
Que voy a hacer
Je suis perdu
Que horas son, mi corazon

All systems go!

Today it started, it finally started! The moment and the journey I’ve been waiting for and been thrilled about for 5 months. Today I stepped onto the train to Helsinki at Joensuu train station and kissed goodbye to my dear hometown for the next 5 to 6 months. My travel plan for the next few days ahead is to travel to Helsinki and Turku by train and meet some good friends of mine for the last time before my departure. After Helsinki and Turku I’ll travel to Tampere and fly off to Spain for the next 5 months!

Why I'm so anxious about this moment is because for the last five months I’ve done tons of preparations and arranged my life in every aspect so that this could be possible. And I’m now finally starting my journey to Spain. My name’s Aaron Ilmakari and I am 23-year-old BBA student from Joensuu, Eastern Finland. I study in North-Karelia University of applied sciences and am majoring in marketing and entrepreneurship. Now I’m off to complete my practical training as a marketing assistant in a small international office in Sevilla, Spain. Now, how cool is that? ;)

Feelings that are going through my head right now are most controversial. In the other hand I’m thrilled as hell because I get to see a whole new country, new culture and a whole bunch of new people. Also, I’ll surely get some very useful professional knowledge and experience. But in the other hand I’m also a little bit afraid or should I say reserved about the fact that I’m leaving virtually everything behind me and from now on I'm on my own and nearly everything will be new to me. But I think it's just healthy: people do tend to get stressed about lesser things, right?

As I started travelling, I started wondering what I will miss from Finland. The first thing that comes in mind is of course friends and relatives. But I can’t start whining about that, because it was me who chose to leave and they’ll be here when I get back – if I get back. Another thing I’ll most likely miss will be food. It’ll definitely take a while to get accustomed with only white bread and so on... But they’ll probably have kebab in Spain as well? ;D

“All systems go”

The thing is that this very moment I’m feeling that there aren’t so many things I will miss from Finland. I’m somehow so full of all the serious, dark-minded and arrogant people in there. It's no offense to anyone, but Finns tend to be a little bit like that. I’ve also had so many bitter disappointments in my human relationships past year or two so I’ll feel incredibly relieved to leave it all behind me and get a new start from “a clean table”. There’s nothing that holds me back or gives me second thoughts about leaving – nothing – de nada! Instead, there are rather things that are pushing me to leave. I’m at “all systems go” –mode at the moment!

Another thing is that I really can’t say what to expect from the time in Spain – besides the fact that it isn’t dark all the time and it isn't raining water filled snow all the time. The weather in general is a bit more humane :D But the big question is whether the grass is greener on the other side or not? You see, this journey, it isn’t just a “great experience” or a “possibility to improve my professional skills”. It’s more to me. It is an end to one section in my life and a beginning of another. It is a chance for me to rethink my life and the direction I will head.

Well, maybe I’m now getting a little too serious about all this. I really should consider my energy on how to adapt to Spain and my soon-to-come working assignment. I don’t really know much about it yet, but I’m pretty confident about it. I’m a fast learner and relatively good with people so I don’t believe there will be any objects that I will not eventually overcome. Although I maybe should feel a little skeptic about how do I go along with people and how do I manage my tasks, I am determined that I will not stress about it! This journey, it’s not about performing; it’s about having the time of my life! Period.

Soundtrack: Metallica – Turn The Page

Here I am, on the road again
There I am, up on the stage
Here I go, playin' star again
There I go, turn the page...