Halfway through the semester

Ok, so the past 2 weeks have been a bit of a downward spiral, but that is stopping now! I am turning over a new leaf. I am halfway done with the semester today...in 2 months, I will be heading to Madrid to fly back to the States! Its a bittersweet feeling right now. I miss you guys over there! Computer  update: I am getting a new computer thanks to my awesome parents. I am excited about it! Also, midterms went well. Good grades all around.

But anyway, I am writing today because this weekend, things are going to get crazy. About 2 million people will be heading to Valencia for Las Fallas that start next week. Fallas is a long, loud and crazy street fiesta with fireworks, masclets, falleras, paella, beer and crowds! I will attempt to explain a little of this craziness right now for you...

1. Crowds: Valencia is a city that houses about 1 million people...during Fallas, there are about 3 million people in the city.

2. History: It is a celebration to celebrate Saint Joseph of Valencia.
Each neighbourhood of the city has an organized group of people, the Casal faller, that works all year long holding fundraising parties and dinners. Each casal faller produces a construction known as a falla which is eventually burnt. A casal faller is also known as a comissió fallera. The names derives from the word 'falles', meaning 'torch', because at the end of the festival, all the Fallas are burnt. The girls in the beautiful dresses are calles Falleras. It is a huge honor and they are all so pretty!

4. Falla: a huge paper-maché sculpture that has a central theme and the best Falla of the festival is spared from the torch and is saved in the Fallas museum. A group of artists get together to create and assemble the fallas which are all over Valencia.

5. La Despertá: each day of Fallas at 5am, brass bands play in the streets around the city playing lively music. Behind them are people who throw firecrackers making more noise.

6. La Mascleta: a display of fireworks and firecrackers. They go on all around the city and in the main plaza at 2pm everyday. This is more of a show of noise than for appearance. They are loud....REALLY loud. I went to my first one yesterday...it was loud. Imagine bombs going off around you, and you are imagining a mascleta. They last about 10 minutes.

7. Els Castells and La Nit del Foc: Every night a huge firework display is seen from all over Valencia. Each night gets progessivly grander.
8. La Crema: The final night of the festival, all the Fallas are burnt as huge bonfires and firecrackers. This is the climax of the festival and it is called the Night of Fire.

And finally: There are paella competitions throughout the city, drinking all day, discotecas all over the city, churros stands, costumes, music and more!

So this is why I am writing to you all now. Valencia is going to explode soon and I am SO excited! I will take plenty of pictures for everyone (the pictures here are just googled ones).