Well here goes another Sunday in Sevilla. Today was much less lazy than the previous 2 have been! I woke up this morning and went to the Cathedral for church. I know I'm not Catholic but how could I not go? Although I don't understand what they are saying and don't even know what I'm supposed to be saying in english I really enjoy going. Especially to the Cathedral. I can't believe how incredible it is. How did they built that so long ago? It's so intricate! There is not a single corner that is not finished to the last detail!

After church Kyle and I walked down to an art market I guess you would call it. There were some pretty amazing paintings there but neither of us had brought very much money because we hadn't planned on needing any, probably for the best. I do intend on going back there though. There were some really cool paintings that I would love to look at again... After that we walked "home", I put home in quotations because we were not really sure where we were going just the direction we thought we needed to be heading in. We ended up by the river. Gorgeous. And walked along the river until we found our bus stop but the bus had just left so we ended up just walking the rest of the way home. It was really fun and I enjoyed not being home with Mercedes.

I have decided that I am going to change homestays. I emailed the program on Friday about it. Mercedes is just in this for the money and acts like it is such a bother to her to have me here and is not very friendly most of the time and yesterday for example, Lyndsey and I went to the Real Alcázar, beautiful- more later- and I knew that I would be late for lunch so I left her a note saying that I was sorry but that I would be late to lunch and when I got home she was really upset with me. She said (in spanish) why are you always late? you were late for dinner you were late for lunch! I have a schedule too you know! This is not acceptable!... Then she microwaved my food, a task I could have completed just as easily if she really was so upset about her schedule being thrown off, and lit up a cigarette. I just cannot take this. I HATE smoking!! I can't breath around it and I said that on my form before we got here and I know she knows it too because for the first 2 weeks she did not smoke! Now she does ALL THE TIME! Not okay. Tomorrow is the move date however so I don't know if I will be able to move then or have to wait until mid February....hopefully it'll be tomorrow!

So Friday night was a blast! We went out again with Lyndsey's host brother and his friends and they speak spanish to us which is overwhelming but good... the one who helped us the most wasn't there though, Selu, not Salu like I thought before! But we had fun then we went home and woke up Saturday and went to El Real Alcázar, the Royal Palace, it was beautiful!! We wandered there for a bit and then went home and then Saturday night we went out to a movie in spanish. What did we think we'd understand it? Wrong! It was terrible... then we just went home because we were exhausted... something about a warm theatre and a movie you don't understand just put us all to sleep... imagine that!

View of the Jardín de Troya (Garden of Troy)

Things I will never take for granted again...

1. A HOT SHOWER!

I am really not appreciating coming home from a run or waking up in the morning to realize that Mercedes has run the washing machine and I cannot bath. This is the first thing I will be doing when I get back to the states... taking a long hot shower.

Anyways, we started classes this week... Monday we went to our placement test and then to take a tour of the campus... in spanish. It did not do me as much good as it could have. UPO is just not very pretty... it's very practical... almost all the buildings are off of one long hallway but it was built back in Franco's time and looks like it! It was a "labor training center" whatever that means. It looks prison-ish but with a paint job! All the buildings look like they belong somewhere in Florida... they are coral or yellow basically haha

My schedule is good for MW but not so much on TR... I have a 4 hour break!! I guess I will get all my HW done then? Who knows! My first class was international marketing. With Alfonso. But he prefers to be called "Nano" ( like your iPod he says) He also swears in class and is hilareous! He said it's hard to make a class for every level of student when they come from Harvard or University of Bullshit. I think it's going to be a fun semester with him! After that I went to Business Spanish which I think is going to be very challenging but worth it in the end.

Then on TR I start the day out with History of Spain which looks to be interesting as well and then have a 4 hour break... I think I may add another spanish class in this slot and then join the gym and workout (and dun dun dun dun I think they have hot showers there!) and then I go to my European Union class which looks to be really interesting! And, there are max 9 people in that class so we'll get to know each other well! haha

Anyways, Thursday nights are essentially Fridays since we have no classes on Fridays so we went out last night with Lyndsey's host brother and Kyle. We went to a spanish bar called "Posturas" which serves... posturas! haha It's a brutal mixture of red wine and rum. ouch. There is nothing smooth about it going down. And if you had more than like a half I think you would be in trouble! Anyways, Jesus, Fernando and his third really attractive friend (I think his name was Salu?) were talking to us and helping us practice our spanish! It was great! Salu (I don't remember if this is right but for all intents and purposes we're gonna go with Salu for his name) was a sound tech for a TV station here and his english was pretty good so whenever we had problems he could help us! He was also adorable! He told us the best way is to find a spanish boyfriend (or girlfriend for Kyle) to learn the language and that what they tell us at orientation about Spaniards only wanting to hookup with Americans isn't necessarily true. So maybe I'll find myself a spanish boyfriend (sorry mom) for the semester and then come home speaking great spanish! haha!

Then we met their other friends and they helped us with Spanish too! We went out with them to another bar but didn't want to pay 8 euro to get into a dance club so Lyndsey got their number and then we went home. All in all- GREAT night! But today left me wondering, what do spaniards do here in the daytime other than drink? That's all I see, everywhere... people drinking. Or maybe just having a beer or a tinto all the time is a good idea haha but it's a lot of calories that's for sure!

Weekend Festivities

So as we all know my birthday was on Saturday. The golden birthday! 22 on the 22nd! But, we were all going on a 7 mile hike that was supposed to last from 9 am to 7 pm on Sunday so we went out to celebrate my birthday on Friday!

It was so much fun! DiscoverSevilla had a party that we all went to and drank sangria and just hung out with the other groups since most of them have arrived in Sevilla now... After that we chose not to go with the hundred or so americans to the american bar and instead we went to Almaeda de Hercules... it was alot of fun!! We stayed around there until they closed and then we went home.... we shared a cab for most of the way with someone who lived not very close to us and then walked. It was FREEZING!

Saturday, was a lazy day. I slept in and then walked around Nirvión Plaza with some girls and then we went out for tapas and churros but the churros place was closed so we ended up getting icecream instead :)

Sunday, we went on our "easy" hike. Yeah right! At some points of the 7 miles I legitimately felt like we were walking straight up. And, when we got there there was SNOW on the ground!! That's right! SNOW! I was told that it NEVER snows in the south of Spain and we were even more south than Sevilla! But, alas, the weather here seems to be every bit as much, if not more unpredictable than Lubbock! So, it was drizzling and freezing the entire 7 miles. And then we would get to really walking and get heated up and so then it'd be warm until we rested and then it was cold again! But, it was totally worth it in the end when we got to the top of the mountain!

Almost to the top! 

Then we got home and I went to church with Lyndsey and her señora and it was a lot of fun! Didn't understand much but it was good!

IT'S OVER!

Finally I can write again! I had soooo much to do this week it was ridiculous!! I had two compositions of 300 and 500 words! A test today! And the application for the internship with Teach For America this summer due on Sunday! It's been busy to say the least! Let's see... From Monday til Wednesday I really did nothing except homework and the application... I did a little exploring, found a grocery store near by! Yay! and then did some shopping... I finally broke down yesterday and bought a straightener for my hair.... The food this week was delicious! I told her that I really liked this one thing she makes... something de verduras and its basically vegestable puree! its sooooo good!

Our typical meal setting. We have a table cloth for everything! haha

So then today I turned in my papers, took my REALLY HARD test, and then we went and had a glass of tinto de verano...its like sangria minus the fruit... and went shopping. Bought a birthday outfit and we're going out tonight for my birthday! That's all I've got for now! I'm going on a hike in Huelva this Sunday all day and then classes start for real next week! :) 

Grammy, Thanks for posting on my blog everytime you read it! I look forward to and love hearing from you each day! I tried calling you the other day but you must've been busy! I love you!

Well it's been a few days... On Friday night we went to Torre de Orro and Calle Bettis which are the places that most people go out when they are in Sevilla and where alot of Sevillanos go out to... It was a lot of fun! Torre is just a spot on the river where everyone goes to hang out before going out.. So they get there around 12-1 and then go out at 2-3. At least the Spaniards do. WE got there at like 11 and went out at like 12-1... I don't know that I can get used to this time schedule! Anyways, we had a lot of fun!

Yesterday we woke up and a bunch of us met at the bus stop near my house and walked to Antigua Puerta de Derecho and met with the group to ride the bus to Córdoba. What a beautiful place! We say the Cathedral there, so beautiful! It used to be a mosque too, just like the cathedral in Sevilla, and it was expanded on and explanded on then finally a bishop decided that there needed to be a chapel inside since it had been converted to a christian cathedral but the chapel was a small place outside of the structure... There is so much history there! And of course, my camera died. I was so disappointed! Well, I bought some postcards with pictures for everyone to see... Mom and dad, we may have to go there during your time here and see it...

Walking through places like that, and streets that are lined with all this history and all these beautiful buildings has been so incredible. I feel so much closer to God here, I don't know if it is because of the beauty that is all around me or what but it's been really nice.

After our tour of the Cathedral there we had some free time to just wander around so that's what we did. We had tapas there and then we wandered and shopped but I didn't buy anything... still a really fun day! Our feet were tired though after a while so we decided to go lay in the courtyard of orange trees that is in the middle of the cathedral there and get some sun on us! :)

When we got home a bunch of people wanted to go out after dinner and such and feeling like I should since it's still the get to know each other phase I went out for a drink with them but ended up not getting anything and the guy who I was going to walk home with wanted to leave early on so we just left.

Today I am supposed to meet with my "Intercambio" at 5 at the Plaza Nirvión. His name is Jorge and we will meet and speak for 30 minutes in English and 30 minutes in Spanish and help each other to get better. I'm kind of excited since my señora doesn't really help me with it. I'll let y'all know how it goes!

Which reminds me! Would anyone who is reading this NOT know what I meant if I said, "Oh, his mom thinks he hung the moon." I though that was a universal type statement but I used it here and no one knew what it meant. They asked me if it was a Texas thing like y'all.

no hay mucha para decir...

Today there isn't much to tell, but since mom told me how much she looks forward to reading this I'll report it... I went to class, took a test, gave a report... Went to a bar for tapas and had una bocadilla ( a sandwhich), went shopping for like 3 hours... tried to nap and then went out for the night... I am not sure how I feel about the senora situation... after she was so mean yesterday and the day before she came in tonight and told me how pretty I was and that I should have fun while I'm out... I don't know...

Spanish is hard.

Yesterday I was so busy that I didn't get to blog at all because I had SO much homework to do for this intensive session of spanish... I don't know why but I just assumed that it would be easy? WRONG! It's really hard... I had to write a composition yesterday about my time here so far so I just basically translated my blog and turned it in this morning.. seemed like a good idea.

Let's see yesterday I got up and learned a new way to get to class on a different bus route, had class, yuck. I thought I understood the material until I got there today and she told me something completely different than she did the day before! After class I went with Lyndsey to El Mercado de Encarnación because we had to for an assignment that was also due today... let me just tell you, I have NEVER seen anything like that before... it was underneath all this construction first off so it was noisy and very similar to a farmers market? To an extent, but here the employees or dependientes serve you and you don't touch anything. It smelled like fish because there were a ton of fish places... They had some interesting things at these fish stands though... like jellyfish? Shrimp with eyes? There were also a TON of places to get vegetables... but the weirdest BY FAR was the place that sold meat. They had birds and rabbits that were not de-feathered and had heads and legs and the rabbits still had skin on them and before I could even look away the person behind the counter started to skin a rabbit right there in the middle of everything. I was appalled.

One thing that I have noticed here for sure, is that everyone goes everywhere in couples... they even have a discount at the movie theater on thursdays just for couples! Whether they are old or young every one here is coupled off.... it's so different than the US. Anyways,

After the market I came home and ate lunch, and started to write my essay. At 5:30 though I went and had a tour of my neighborhood or barrio with a guide from CIEE and she told us where to do things like get our hair done, shop, etc. Her name is Christina and she was my guide at orientation too! We had a very interesting talk while we were walking because she is a lawyer here in Sevilla!! She said she just got back from the UK where she was working for a probate lawyer to see the difference between the laws in the UK and the laws in España so we talked about it for a while. Did you know that in españa you can't will your property to just anyone? You have to save at least 1/3 of it to go to your family? It's mandated by law? I was so surprised by this and she was so surprised that in the UK and in the US you can will your property to anyone you want to...

This morning I woke up and went to school, turned in my paper and went to have tapas with Lyndsey because we're in the same class and have an assignment to observe Sevillanos and give a 5-6 minute presentation to the class about how their lives and what we've observed of them... 5-6 minutes in spanish! I'm really nervous! I talked to my señora about it too but she really just said that she works alot... Everything here is so family oriented too... and I thought that I was family oriented!! NO! sorry mom and dad but this is WAY more family oriented... who do they eat with? family. who do they vacation with? family. who do they shop with? family. They eat almost all of their meals at home and they don't even really have friends come to their homes so I'm not sure when they ever see anyone except their families. I haven't heard my señora even talk about anyone except her family, who she is constantly on the phone with. It's so bizarre. Okay, well I'm off to study and do my presentation. I love you all and miss you!! :)

Besos!

The Cathedral

This morning went well, got to class okay...although it rained again. This new class is more interesting since I moved up to the next level of spanish.

This is me inside (well in the patio anyways) of the CIEE center where my intensive spanish class is located!

My señora made me "una bocadilla" which means a sandwhich for lunch because we had an excursion to the Cathedral (El Catedral) today and I wouldn't have time to go home in between. NO HAM! I was so relieved!! We ended up eating in front of the cathedral and then going back to the CIEE center to meet the group to go back to the cathedral for the tour! SO MUCH WALKING!!! I literally don't think I stopped walking except for maybe 4-4 1/2 out of the 11 that I was out today! I left for class at 9 and got home at 8... I did NOT wear the appropriate shoes to walk that far in either! I have major blisters! :(
The cathedral was beautiful though! I took SO many photos! We learned that it used to be a mosque and that it was rebuilt in the 1200's... There is a gorgeous orange tree courtyard there still from way back when though... and they had an irrigation system setup and everything! I really like looking around the city and seeing all the orange trees! They are EVERYWHERE! Anyways, we walked all the way to the top of the tower. SO gorgeous! I took sooo many pictures it's ridiculous!

The horse carriages in front of the Catedral.

After that we went to the CIEE center and went to go buy phones for over here as a group so a leader could help us translate... it was a mad house but I got mine :) Then had some gelato for the first time and walked (yes, more walking) to the bus stop and then home.
I'm really enjoying the food my señora makes for me! Tonight I got "un tortilla de patatos con una ensalada y dos mandarinos (mandarin oranges)" All of which was amazing! Did you know that they peel everything here? including the tomatos in my salad? so weird!

Almost forgot! I also bought Harry Potter in Spanish to watch with English subtitles! Yay!

MUCHOS BESOS!

Perderme en Sevilla es meyor que pederme en Lubbock....

Today I woke up and it was the first day of the intensive session of classes so I walked down and met with one of the guides at the meeting point for our neighborhood. Spanish time is REALLY beginning to set in! I don't know that I will ever be on time again (not that I was all too often but, now I don't stand a chance) We were supposed to be there at 8:45 and I got there right at 8:48 and there were probably 3 out of 15 there already and the rest we had to wait for. Then we got on the bus and went to the stop closest to the CIEE center, got off an walked the rest of the way. SO MUCH WALKING! no wonder these people are so skinny!
Anyway, when we got there I sat through my class and it was really easy. They were going over ser and estar. So I talked to the program director and am going to move up a level (un nivel) tomorrow! Well, since I stayed to talk to the director the group that lives near me left and so I was going to walk home with these other girls who I thought had come the same way as me. Wrong. I ended up going the complete wrong way for 20 minutes, then having to leave them and turn around and then realized I was REALLY lost and it took me almost 2 hours to get back to my house and tell my mom thanks for dinner and sorry I was late, but, she had saved me some food so all was good and I think I figured my way around town out (even if a bus map was involved) so at least something good came of it!
I took tons of pictures on my walk because it was just so beautiful!
I DIDN'T NAP TODAY!! I'm so proud of myself because I really REALLY did want one! Which has only made me more tired in writing this so excuse me if it gets a little sloppy... Instead I called a few people on skype. And went shopping in la plaza nirvión y el corte ingles. There were SOOOOO many people there because their having a huge sale after the 3 wise men! It's like Black Friday...but everyday for like 2 months! It's been going on for almost a week already and it's still crazy!
The big deal about my shopping extravaganza today, other than me spending no money except for the bus fair to get there, is that I walked home all by myself! I remembered the way! No mom, it was not dark. Nor were the streets bare. Nor was it dangerous in anyway so be excited that I remembered the way which means I'm getting acclamated!! It took like 25 minutes but it was well worth it!
Mercedes got home from work a little bit after I got home from la plaza and made us dinner... it was this yellow-ish soup thing... it was kind of the texture of gezpacho but it was hot and delicious and when I asked what it was she told me it was verduras which means veggies. We also had some bread and some chiken with fruit for dessert! I love her cooking! The restaurants, not as much...but she makes things with much more flavor!
Also, major development! I have begun to think in Spanish. So much so that I have to rethink of the english words for some things now... not big things just like he, she, and, or, some verbs, etc! But it's so exciting because I think that is the first step to being bilingual! :) Also, sorry if I miss some and let them slip! :) :)

22...

As in why do I have a 22 pair of socks! TWENTY-TWO! What did I think I would never be able to wash socks??? 

This morning we got up refreshed since we didn't go out last night, went and ate breakfast, not too adventurous as I only had fruit but it was all really good, and then sat through a couple of sessions incluyendo survival español, actividades y health and safety. After that we got our host family… Mi señora se llama Mercedes y digo que you estoy muy nerviosa y ella me dije que ella esta mi madre por las meses cinco que yo estoy aqui! 

My room is alot bigger than I was imagining and all of my stuff fits perfectly! Yes, even my two massive suitcases and everything that was in them! I took a long nap today which I know is not what you're supposed to do when you're jet lagged but it just had to happen... 

We're about to go out again for tapas and all then out out with the groups from our area... more later!

muchos besos!

The rain in Spain does NOT fall mainly in the plane...

Hello out there! I don't really even know who will be reading this but I'm gonna write it anyways... Today we woke up ( a little late on my part) but my roommate Lyndsey woke me up and we got dressed and went to breakfast in the orientation hotel. You know, everyone told me that Europeans don't eat breakfast, but let me tell you there was QUITE the spread... and feeling a little reserved to try the cheese floating in what I can only hope was olive oil or the cured ham that was out I went with a croissant. After breakfast we went on a bus tour of Sevilla and not until half way through did we realize we could hear it in English. Sevilla is quite beautiful! After that we walked through el centro and went on a walking tour with our group leaders. What a walk! I think we probably just walked for a minimum of 2 hours today. Well after that we had tapas... not sure I'm liking the food here... lots of ham and seafood neither of which are my favorite...then we came back to our hotel and "rested" until we had orientation meetings and then our language placement interview in which time Lyndsey and I rocked out to Celine Dion, It's All Coming Back to Me Now... in reference of course to our spanish skills. Then we went back out for another round of tapas with our leaders. I tried octopus and quail eggs! I know! I'm getting so adventurous! and my roommate and I are determined not to gain weight on this trip so we only had one bite of the dessert! After that we went to see a Flamenco show.... not as fun as I had imagined... or I was really tired because I had to keep from nodding off the whole time! Oops...Well then everyone either went out or came home and my roommate and I decided that since we were sleeping during the show and we have to be out of the room by 9:30 tomorrow sleeping was probably the better idea... It's been raining and lightening ALL day though... which I of course LOVE but I can't find my umbrella so I'm definitely rocking the "frizzy spaniard" hair do! OH! andddd we found out who we're living with today! I got a señora! Which was my first choice... when I told this to my language interviewer she said (in spanish of course) that it sounded perfect for me because I like to talk and most señoras like to talk and that she thought by the end of the 5 months here I could be fluent! so I guess I will have to start saying things in spanish in here! That's all for now!

¡Besos!