Another two weeks have gone by and it´s been a mix of good work and some time off. With July ending and August starting, many businesses and stores are closing for break and vacation. I´m not quite sure if this is what it´s like in other parts of Europe, but in Spain, the end of July and all the way through August are dead periods where not much goes on within the country. During this time of break for many, there are a number of local events that happen as well as construction throughout the city that take place during this time. This can range from renovations, reconstructions, and new roads and you see this all take place throughout the summer months. Initially, there is little construction that progresses into more cranes, bulldozers, and concrete being placed around the city. This has increased traffic and commute times a generous amount, but because there are less people around, the traffic and construction cancels out.

This is all to say, work has been less busier than usual. My coworker and I are traveling less around the city and are spending more time reaching out to people electronically while organizing paperwork. With many people who we have on file on vacation, it’s harder to get in contact with them. However, this doesn´t stop the work we are trying to get done for when break ends. There´s still plenty to do in order to prepare for the upcoming season of work here and I´m grateful to be a part of it. This past week, the organization was invited to attend a presentation at Casa de Américas about a celebration coming up representing Bolivian culture on August 16th. Many other Bolivian based organizations, reporters, and people who work in Casaméricas were there to present and support the occasion! There were a couple performances of traditional dances that we would be able to see that day as well.. It was incredible to see the cultural differences between Bolivia and Spain from simply a few snippets of dances. That Friday was also a national holiday for Spain, so I was able to have a day off of work and have a longer, relaxing weekend. 🙂

With a little more time off to myself, I´ve been trying to figure out what I can do to maximize my opportunities in what I can do here. Even though I´ve visited many places around the city by myself and with friends, I´m trying to go out of my comfort zone and try exploring different parts of the city that many tourists don´t go to. In attempting to do this, I´ve noticed that the Spaniards continue to take advantage of their time as a community. Many local and smaller restaurants and bars continue to be filled with people throughout the night getting together with family and friends. This aspect is one that I admire about Spanish culture and wish that there were more places in the U.S. like this. I think we’ve become accustomed as a country to see bar culture, especially during the evening, as places of parties while having drinks. Here, people see bar culture as places to enjoy spending time with other people while conversing and eating tapas throughout the day. Not to mention bars are typically also places for families and kids at any point in time!

Side note: pictures will be posted soon!