Aftermath of the assault.
At 6 in the morning, the police charged at the students that had been squatting for 4 months the Historical Building of the University of Barcelona, when all of them (around 50) were sleeping. Apparently, the dean gave their special permission to the autonomical police to enter the campus - something they're not allowed to do in normal circumstances; it hasn't been a kind awakening, to say the least, but completely disproportioned, and all through the morning there's been an open fight between the so-called revolutionary students and the agents in the center of the city.
This comes after a week of random strikes, blockades and the most diverse activities to prevent teachers from giving lessons (some examples include sleeping in the corridors at noon, writing on the walls, playing music in front of the door... and the usual verbal attacks to anyone who dares attending class normally). As a result of today's events, the revolutionaries feel like they are in Tiananmen (and to think that some of them are History students...) and that they are going to be the martyrs that fighted the Bolonia process and the privatization of the Catalan colleges. The students that I know, on the other hand, do not like seeing the Colleges' doors closed until next Monday to grant the safety of the alumni, as much as we could use some time to finish writing our respective midterm essays; the University should never close.
After the cut, a meme - 5 random topics chosen by x-sunniechan-x.
Helicopters: I've flown in a plane, but never in a helicopter, even though I would like to try it (and perhaps forget my fear of crashing, something that I experience strongly every time I get into a cable cabin). Next to my primary school there was a helicopter landing stop, since the main hospital in the city was really near. Children were fascinated by it, and I recall going to school and, if it was early, stopping in the center of the big yellow cross and exploring the sky in search of a helicopter about to land exactly there. But, truth be told, only once I saw a helicopter landing - head pressed against the school's gate to feel the wind and hear the noise better.
Catalan: My language, and an adjective that applies to me in a special, touching way. It's not meant to offend anyone, and it's not meant to make me feel better than someone else. It's not meant to divide anything, either, or to set me apart from the other mortals - it's just a way to define someone who stands for a view of the world as filtered by one language and one culture.
Ballet: If I enjoy seeing ballet (both classical and contemporary) it's in part because I'm completely clueless on how to move my own body in a harmonical way. Ballet is the afternoon course all the girls in my class had except me. This is not a reason for trauma (I bet the trauma would have been worse if I had been forced to go; how embarrassing!), but it's indeed a motive to look up to professional dancers. There's something delicate but strong and full of (contained?) energy in ballet, and I love it. On the other hand, I'm not a regular assistant to ballet plays; and when it comes to the classical one, I'm quickly absorbed by music and oblivious to anything else.
Fashion: I have some interest in fashion that arises from the fact that I like looking put-together. It started when I moved to Barcelona, and discovered that around the city center (where my college is) people dressed all different, and in quite specific ways. You see, in my highschool there was something like an unofficial uniform, and nobody deviated from that (Rams23, Quicksilver / Roxy, DKNY jeans, Calvin Klein, in case anyone is curious). Barcelona was for me the paradise of original clothing and personal combinations, where nobody minds what you're wearing but people compliment what looks good. I usually wear understated items that don't make me outstand, and I like it this way; but I appreciate, on other people, the boldness of originality and, perhaps because I think I'm far from it, classiness.
Harmony: 'Harmony' was the name of a subject I took for over five years in my music school; it was also the class I was worst at and the only one I disliked: 3 hours of listening to my teacher playing chords and guessing them (Italian, French and German augmented sixth... ugh!) were a will-power test for someone who didn't plan to become a musician, anyway.
(If someone feels like doing this meme, don't hesitate to ask for your 5 topics.)
This comes after a week of random strikes, blockades and the most diverse activities to prevent teachers from giving lessons (some examples include sleeping in the corridors at noon, writing on the walls, playing music in front of the door... and the usual verbal attacks to anyone who dares attending class normally). As a result of today's events, the revolutionaries feel like they are in Tiananmen (and to think that some of them are History students...) and that they are going to be the martyrs that fighted the Bolonia process and the privatization of the Catalan colleges. The students that I know, on the other hand, do not like seeing the Colleges' doors closed until next Monday to grant the safety of the alumni, as much as we could use some time to finish writing our respective midterm essays; the University should never close.
After the cut, a meme - 5 random topics chosen by x-sunniechan-x.
Helicopters: I've flown in a plane, but never in a helicopter, even though I would like to try it (and perhaps forget my fear of crashing, something that I experience strongly every time I get into a cable cabin). Next to my primary school there was a helicopter landing stop, since the main hospital in the city was really near. Children were fascinated by it, and I recall going to school and, if it was early, stopping in the center of the big yellow cross and exploring the sky in search of a helicopter about to land exactly there. But, truth be told, only once I saw a helicopter landing - head pressed against the school's gate to feel the wind and hear the noise better.
Catalan: My language, and an adjective that applies to me in a special, touching way. It's not meant to offend anyone, and it's not meant to make me feel better than someone else. It's not meant to divide anything, either, or to set me apart from the other mortals - it's just a way to define someone who stands for a view of the world as filtered by one language and one culture.
Ballet: If I enjoy seeing ballet (both classical and contemporary) it's in part because I'm completely clueless on how to move my own body in a harmonical way. Ballet is the afternoon course all the girls in my class had except me. This is not a reason for trauma (I bet the trauma would have been worse if I had been forced to go; how embarrassing!), but it's indeed a motive to look up to professional dancers. There's something delicate but strong and full of (contained?) energy in ballet, and I love it. On the other hand, I'm not a regular assistant to ballet plays; and when it comes to the classical one, I'm quickly absorbed by music and oblivious to anything else.
Fashion: I have some interest in fashion that arises from the fact that I like looking put-together. It started when I moved to Barcelona, and discovered that around the city center (where my college is) people dressed all different, and in quite specific ways. You see, in my highschool there was something like an unofficial uniform, and nobody deviated from that (Rams23, Quicksilver / Roxy, DKNY jeans, Calvin Klein, in case anyone is curious). Barcelona was for me the paradise of original clothing and personal combinations, where nobody minds what you're wearing but people compliment what looks good. I usually wear understated items that don't make me outstand, and I like it this way; but I appreciate, on other people, the boldness of originality and, perhaps because I think I'm far from it, classiness.
Harmony: 'Harmony' was the name of a subject I took for over five years in my music school; it was also the class I was worst at and the only one I disliked: 3 hours of listening to my teacher playing chords and guessing them (Italian, French and German augmented sixth... ugh!) were a will-power test for someone who didn't plan to become a musician, anyway.
(If someone feels like doing this meme, don't hesitate to ask for your 5 topics.)