Hi everyone,
It's been another week in Spain and I've gotten to see both more of the city and the country. This past week at work, I got a glimpse into some of the process that goes into providing food for over 60 families. Each week, we provide two meals for three groups of families. Group 1 comes on Monday and Wednesday, Group 2 on Tuesday and Thursday, Group 3 on Monday and Friday. This means Mondays are crazy and we have to prepare meals for over 90 people. Each meal consists of a first plate-some type of soup, pasta, or salad- a second plate- some type of meat- bread, and dessert- fruit, yogurt, or some type of sweet. Most of the food is donated from local hotels in Madrid that give us pans and trays full of food to divide among the families. However, multiple problems arise from this arrangement. We know how much food we receive from each hotel, but it is never enough to feed all the families. And, even though we know how much we are receiving, we never know what it will be. Often times, the hotels give us dishes made with pork and ham reflecting its cultural importance in Spain. Unfortunately, a lot of the families we serve are Moroccan immigrants that follow Islam and adhere to its dietary laws. These two problems result in us buying more food (mainly pre-cooked chickens and bread) from a near-by market.
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| Some interesting fish with vegetables we served on Friday |
On Tuesday, I opted to come in early so that I could go with Jose to pick up the food from that day's hotel and return the pans and trays to the other hotels. Driving around Madrid was like a mini-tour and it was nice to see the city by car since I mainly use the metro to travel around the city. We drove past most of Madrid's well-known landmarks including the Prado, Cibeles, Atocha, and the Bernabeu. The hotels were nice, five-star hotels and two were located across the street from the Congress of Deputies (the lower house of Spain's legislature). We picked food up from Hotel Miguel Ángel before heading back to distribute the food. Getting the food with Jose provided a cool insight into how everything fits together to provide hot meals for these families.
Over the weekend, some of the other University of Michigan students in Madrid through Cultural Vistas and I visited Granada which is about 400 km south of Madrid. Granada was the last Moorish stronghold in Spain and was captured by Catholics in 1492 during their effort to unite all of Spain. This long history and mix of cultures has left its mark on the city. Situated in the mountains, the Alhambra overlooks the city as a testament to Moorish architecture. The Arabic calligraphy and geometric designs as well as its arching ceilings and fountains has defined Arab architecture since its completion.
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| La Alhambra |
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| La Alhambra |
Down below, a magnificent cathedral testifies to the importance of Catholicism in Spanish history and the power of the Inquisition to unite Spain as Catholic country even though other religions and cultures previously had flourished in Spain. In-between the Alhambra and Cathedral are winding streets that climb the mountain and are lined with a combination of tapas bars and teterías that offer hookah as much as tea. The combination of Arab and Spanish cultures was interesting to see and it was amazing to be in a place with as much history as Granada.
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| A tetería in the streets of Granada |
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| The cathedral in Granada |
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| UofM taking on Granada and La Alhambra |
Ashley,
ReplyDeleteYour job sounds like something that I would love to do. It's interesting that you are pinpointing what seems to be minor setbacks, but are actually major problems. I know that the hotels are simply donating, but has anyone approached them to make them aware that pork plates are sometimes less than helpful? It's a double-edged sword because you don't want to "bite the hand that feeds you"...literally.
Your trip to Granada looks amazing! I'm glad that you are able to travel. I'm looking forward to your next post!
Best,
Tammy