Halloween in Spain!

October 31st

The internet is a remarkable thing.  I spent a couple hours working on my "Get Out and Vote (Ballot-Power)! Film Competition" entry.  Since I have limited access to film equipment, I used the built in camera on my computer and wrote out a script for a satirical piece.  After doing a couple takes and getting the lighting the way I wanted, I recorded the official entry.  I submitted it to the ballot-power.com website as a "Video Response."  The films with the most youtube views will be considered as finalists in the competition.  Whether I win or lose, the message of getting out and voting is what is important.  You can see my video at youtube.com/watch?v=Xt8lj6ynwbs&feature=related.

In my recent memory, it always seems to rain on Halloween.  Granada was no exception.  I held the umbrella over Nathalie and me as we went to look for last minute touches for our costumes.  I had wanted to find a fake beard for my Arab Sheikh, OPEC, costume but there weren't any that I liked.  I had bought a traditional Arab head dress in one of the stores in the Alcaicería.  I was planning on wearing my sunglasses and RL shirt and being part of the "globalization quartet" costume with Maggie, Kendra, and Jessica.  Nathalie and her friend found cool vampire outfits and we went back to the piso to get dressed up.  With her black-hair wig, Nathalie looked completely different.

Antonio's friends, Sergio and Francisco, came over and together we all walked over to a Halloween party at Kendra and Maggie's piso.  They had decorated their piso really well and everyone who came over was dressed up.  Halloween here in Spain (and I think the rest of Europe of well) is something relatively new.  To the Spaniards, its an imported American holiday that is an excuse to dress up and have a party.  Maggie and Kendra live with three Spanish girls and they had invited all of the their Spanish friends.  It was a lot of fun talking with everyone and I know that parties like this and other social events really improve my speaking and comprehension abilities.  Its like class, but a little more fun.

At around 3:00am everyone at the party walked over to Granada 10 discotheque.  It was packed and everyone was in costume.  We finished our Halloween celebrations at around 8:00am in the morning.