In Roald Dahl’s multigenerational favorite, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the eccentric chocolate magnate known as Willy Wonka leads a group of enviable children through his mystical fortress of sweet temptations, hoping to discover an heir to his enterprise. One by one, the overzealous children fall victim to Wonka’s deceptively dangerous chocolate waterfall, bubble gum, nut sorting squirrels, and fresh television technology. Throwing a bunch of Boston College kids in a European city isn’t much different. Plenty of alluring vices scream our names, and it’s pretty easy to fall away from a more “virtuous” path.
In Madrid, some have decided against speaking a word of Spanish, while those who have utilized their Spanish-speaking abilities to their greatest extent, have mired themselves in the quagmire of making no BC friends. Quite easily, one of us broken Spanish speakers can pound one drink too many, and be nowhere within earshot of the nearest English speaker (let alone, the infirmary or BC Police Department). Spending money always causes problems, especially with a crappy (but improving!) exchange rate. Dreams of coming home empty handed with a full bank account, however, should not inspire someone to study in Europe. I’m not suggesting anything new – all of us who studied Aristotle’s Ethics in that barnstorm that was Philosophy of the Person I, knows that “moderation” has been kicking around for quite a while. I’ve been guilty of almost all of these, but I’ve tried my best to get a mix of everything.
It may seem obvious, but European taste differs greatly from standard American fare. While movies like Valentine’s Day dominate theaters in the United States, I’ve had the pleasure of walking down two blocks from my apartment to see the Coen brothers’ most recent effort, A Serious Man. The “Filmoteca Española,” or the Spanish Film Library, in Madrid offers screenings of its collections for two euros (about 1.50 USD), or one can buy an installment of 10 tickets for 15 euros. The screening room alone generates excitement for what you’re about to watch, and in the summer, it offers rooftop screenings.
The Filmoteca celebrated the career of David Lynch during the month of February, and the theater filled more seats for a Sunday afternoon showing of Lynch’s bizarre, melancholic The Elephant Man than when I saw Avatar this winter. Not only could I not see these movies on the big screen anywhere else, but also, the culture of what I like to call “enjoyment” is worlds apart from the United States. The Filmoteca also houses a café bar so that its patrons can have a beer before their film, or just enjoy a cup of coffee like Dale Cooper in a unique atmosphere. A well-stocked bookstore in the same building stands right next to the café. Instead of jetting in 10 minutes late to the Filmoteca and jumping up at the credits like I usually do, I took my time with a cup of coffee and discussed with a friend what we had just watched.
The clearest reflection of this difference comes in art and architecture. Old yellow brick buildings covered with graffiti, mostly protesting one former education restriction or another, litter my university, which was built during Franco’s reign. The collective shock we experienced after two and a half years at a university that tries to hoodwink the next round of 2,300 kids to pay $50,000 compared to this one that asks its students to pay minimal tuition was extraordinary.
However, some things remain the same. Tourists flock to the Palacio Real in Madrid, and when I visited London, to Buckingham Palace and Parliament, just like I’ve posed for pictures in front of the White House and Capitol building in Washington, D.C.
European museums also approach their collections differently than many in the States or even among each other. The Reina Sofia in Madrid focuses on contemporary art — a little bit from everywhere; but its proudest possessions are its collection of contemporary Spanish artists like Dali, Muro, and Picasso. Picasso’s “Guernica” was one of the most stunning visuals I’ve ever seen. London’s Victoria and Albert Museum showcases its decorative arts — an amalgam of Islamic carpets and ewers, Christian reliquaries, and post-classical sculpture. A fascinating exhibit at the British Museum told the story of the Enlightenment thinkers who first established the historic site in the 18th century.
Prices and availability to see American bands in Europe have been quite disappointing. Bands that I’d see for $12 at the Middle East in Cambridge, sell at around 25 or 30 euros per ticket in Europe, but thankfully, it works the other way around too. Last weekend, a friend and I picked up two 13 pound (20 USD) tickets for an awesome night with Italian DJ duo Crookers at one of London’s biggest clubs.
As much as I try, sometimes I can’t avoid the chocolate waterfalls that may be waiting for me throughout Europe, but when a four-year-old Ethan looked up at his father, with two bloody knees and a bloody elbow after falling in the street, trying to take the reins behind my first bicycle, my father said, “Everyone’s gotta fall a few times to learn to ride, son.”
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European museums also approach their collections differently than many in the States or even among each other. The Reina Sofia in Madrid focuses on contemporary art – a little bit from everywhere; but its proudest possessions are its collection of contemporary Spanish artists like Dali, Muro, and Picasso. Picasso’s “Guernica” was one of the most stunning visuals I’ve ever seen. London’s Victoria and Albert Museum showcases its decorative arts – an amalgam of Islamic carpets and ewers, Christian reliquaries, and post-classical sculpture. A fascinating exhibit at the British Museum told the story of the Enlightenment thinkers who first established the historic site in the 18th century.
Prices and availability to see American bands in Europe have been quite disappointing. Bands that I’d see for $12 at the Middle East in Cambridge, sell at around 25 or 30 euros per ticket in Europe, but thankfully, it works the other way around too. Last weekend, a friend and I picked up two 13 pound (20 USD) tickets for an awesome night with Italian DJ duo Crookers, at one of London’s biggest clubs.
As much as I try, sometimes I can’t avoid the chocolate waterfalls that may be waiting for me throughout Europe, but when a four-year-old Ethan looked up at his father with two bloody knees and a bloody elbow after falling in the street trying to take the reins behind my first bicycle, my father said, “Everyone’s gotta fall a few times to learn to ride, son.”
The Heights > Arts > The Scene
The Scene Goes To Spain
Published: Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Updated: Wednesday, March 10, 2010
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