Spanish dreams

This month,Laura Arranz Mardomingo will miss the festivities of Holy Week that the Spanish celebrate every year. Every April, the Spaniards commemorate the last week of the earthly life of Jesus Christ as recorded in the Canonical gospels. “ We march to the statue of Jesus in my city barefoot,” says the 24-year-old,who is in Pune as a part of the student exchange program at Indira College. “ I am currently pursuing MBA. I will be returning home in June,” she says. Hailing from Valladolid,a city in Spain with a population of around 30,000 people,Laura has tried to catch up to Pune’s crowded streets. “ It’s quite crowded here,but the people are so warm,” she smiles. “ Also,religion here is really important. What I see in Spain is that a lot of youngsters are not into the nitty-gritties of the religion. They are believers but the customs aren’t really followed.”

As you begin asking her about what she misses the most about Spain,she quickly replies,“ The long walks at night. Post dinner,my family would go for walks and just catch up on the happenings of the day. It’s always alright there to be out till late.” Here in Pune,Laura often shortens here name. “ My full name is Laura Arranz Mardomingo. Arranz Mardomingo are both my surnames. In Spain we use officially both surnames from our father and the other from our mother. Sometimes when I share this with people,they are quite surprised,” she says.

Currently recovering from the recession phase,Laura feels that Spain will take its time to get back to the way it was before. “ I am planning to get back and find a job. It is very difficult now to get a job,but it’s improving,” she shares. But what is her city like? “ We have the usual things – cafes,discos,parks and all that,but its also a city that has a lot of students,like Pune.” With the El Classico in the La Liga coming up (Real Madrid vs Barcelona in the Spanish football top division),Laura is all geared to be the cheerleader. “ I like football,and I make it a point to see all important matches. The El Classico cannot be missed,” she says.