A great weekend!

NEW PHOTOS: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2027965&id=152001486&l=fe48a0da67

Friday we went to Córdoba on a class field trip. We went to an archaeological dig site at an ancient city call Madinat al-Zahra, named after one of the Arabic ruler’s favorite concubines. A legend at the city says that the woman wanted more than anything to see the ground covered with snow. However, Córdoba never EVER gets snow. So the ruler planted thousands of almond trees all over the city and in the surrounding countryside. When the trees bloomed and the flowers fell to the ground, the layer of white petals was as close to the gift of snow that he could give her.

After exploring the ruins for about an hour, we went back into the city of Córdoba to the mosque. This mosque is unique for several reasons. First, its beauty and architecture are world-renown. Second, it has a Catholic cathedral built smack dab in the middle of it thanks to Spain’s history of Muslim and Catholic conquest. Third, it is the only mosque in the entire world that is not oriented towards Mecca. Our professors acted as our tour guides, and since they weren’t allowed to talk loudly, everyone wore these earpiece radio things and our professors talked softly into microphones as we walked around. The mosque is definitely one of the most visually stunning buildings I’ve ever been in.

Friday night we returned from Córdoba. Lisa and I had tickets for a concert in the gardens at the Real Alcázar, the royal palace. First we went out for dinner at a “bar” near the gardens. I say “bar” because a bar in Spain is not like a bar in the U.S. Here, a bar is simply like a little café eatery with outdoor seating and a bar counter inside. Anyways, we ended up talking with our waiter a little bit, and he was very nice. He invited us to come back to the restaurant anytime we wanted. Lisa and I think perhaps he was flirting with us, but I am not versed in such matters, and as such I have absolutely no idea whether he actually was flirting. After dinner we went to the gardens and walked around for about an hour. The gardens are huge and beautiful, and it was really cool to be there at night because normally it’s only open during the day. Then we went and found our seats for the concert and sat down. We were the very last two seats in the very last row…perfect for sneaking out of the concert a little early to head home, which we ended up doing. The concert was good: Irish folk music with Spanish lyrics, and every song was about the Virgin Mary. Odd. Very odd, but a good concert nonetheless.

On our way home, we decided we didn’t really know how to get home from the gardens, but we did know how to get home from the Plaza de España, which is nearby. So we walked to the Plaza, and ran into a ginormous botellón. A botellón is what young people do at night on the weekends here. They buy whiskey and Coca-Cola and plastic cups and congregate in numbers that range anywhere from a small circle of close friends to (in this case) what seems like half the young people in the city. As we walked by, it was getting kind of rowdy, so we hurried past, but much to our dismay, a couple blocks down we ran into another botellón in full swing, and it was even sketchier than the first one! So rather than walk through this one (in the dark, mind you), we took an exit off the street into the park, which I thought I knew where we were then. Apparently I did not. When we came out of the park on the other side, I had absolutely no clue where we were. I have spent some time in the past couple weeks studying my map so that if I get lost and don’t have my map with me I could at least hopefully have some idea where in the city I was. However, none of these street names looked familiar. (Come to find out later, the reason I didn’t recognize the streets is because we had walked so far we were off my map!) Lisa and I found a sign for our neighborhood, so we turned the corner and followed that. This street also happened to be a street full of discotecas and nightclubs. So here we are, dressed in our wholesome “let’s go tour Córdoba” clothes, walking with our school bags against the flow of what seemed like a hundred scantily-clad Spaniards heading in to party the night away. We definitely looked out of place. Eventually, the road started looking familiar and we found our way home. I’m glad I had Lisa with me, and I’m also glad to have gained a little more self-confidence through the experience.

Saturday we woke up bright and early and headed for the bus station at Plaza de Armas to meet a group of friends. We were planning on taking a bus to the beach at Matalascañas, on the Atlantic coast. We bought our tickets and headed downstairs to wait in line for our bus. When it pulled up, we expected to get on quickly, as we were only maybe 15 people back in the line or so. Case in point: when you are in another culture, never expect things to be done a certain way. Your presuppositions often make you look like a fool. Another case in point: Spanish bus stations sell tickets, not seats. So just because you have a ticket, doesn’t mean you have a seat. When the bus pulled up, rather than staying in our orderly line, the people rushed forward, pushing and shoving to get on the bus. What had been a group of civilized adults five seconds before turned into a madhouse. Lisa and another girl from our group made it on the bus, but the rest of us didn’t, along with about thirty others. Luckily, about three minutes later, the company had arranged another bus to bring the rest of us to the beach. Matalascañas was gorgeous, and I forgot my camera, but I did manage to steal some of Lisa’s photos. It was so relaxing: the sand was like flour, and the water was the perfect temperature. Something cool about the beach at Matalascañas is that a portion of an old tower fell down into the water, and it sits smack dab in the middle of the beach, about twenty meters into the water at low tide. We all got on the bus back home just fine.

Sunday morning we went to Iglesia Prosperidad again. I like it there, but I found it hard to understand the man who gave this week’s message. It didn’t help that he spoke really fast, or that the main verb that seemed to be in every one of his points is one that I didn’t know, or that he talked in a type of past tense that I rarely use or hear, so it was hard to follow. But it was good nonetheless, and Sunday afternoon was spent doing homework at the house.

Oh, and it’s cooling off here! By cooling off, I mean it’s like 80 degrees, which now feels like sweatshirt weather to me. That’s hard for me to believe!

Anyways, this has been a majorly long post, but it feels good to have it done. J

Blessings,
Katie

What I want to say, I can't say. And what I don't need to say, I know perfectly well how to say it.

The glitter is starting to fade…I still love it here, but eventually the new-ness and wonder of it all has to wear off. And for me that happened today.

My grammar class is really making me question my abilities. I understand pretty much everything she says, but I am quickly realizing that my grammar and vocabulary are nowhere near what they should be for someone who has spoken the language for so long. The professor says I need to talk to Spaniards, and that is the point of difficulty for me right now. I live with an American roommate, my señora and her “companion” cleaning lady don’t really talk that much, and I don’t really enjoy talking with my señora that much because all she wants to talk about is either how good and nutritious the food is for you or how much she loves Obama or how the whole world needs to model itself after Spain. Haha I anticipate getting connected with Spaniards in the next few weeks in my service learning class and with an “intercambio” which is like an “assigned friend” that wants to learn English, and you help each other with your prospective languages. I also might get involved in a Bible study every once in a while through the Universidad de Sevilla, and that’s something I REALLY want to do, but I don’t know if I’ll have enough time and I don’t want to overload myself. Until all those things happen though, I have to talk to Spaniards elsewhere, like in stores or restaurants, which requires me to be very outgoing (here in Spain, you don’t just go up to people you don’t know….that’s a cultural no-no). I am praying for a spirit of adventure and boldness so I can better my Spanish, and I ask you to pray for that as well.

Now that I’ve been here for a week and am required to speak Spanish pretty much all the time when I’m with the other students, I’m getting frustrated. I’m trying to make friends and be myself. However, I have the vocabulary of roughly a 6 year old child. I am an intelligent, funny human being that has a lot to offer. I just can’t express any of it in Spanish. I think that is the most frustrating thing of all. I’m trying to be myself, but so much of who I am is intricately tied to the language I speak, and when I’m speaking another language I can’t really be the real me yet.

Just got done with dinner. Lisa and I more or less succeeded tonight with avoiding them making us eat so much. We just said “no” and stuck to our guns, and tonight they weren’t able to shove food down our throats like they did at lunch. So perhaps we’ll exercise this tactic more often. Oh, and we went out for ice cream tonight. Thinking I wanted it in a cup and not a cone, I asked for it in a “copa” which seems to be the word in this region for cup. I received a giant goblet full of ice cream, and while it was delectable, I was absolutely stuffed by the time I left, having still been full from our enormous lunch. After ice cream, we went to our first “Encuentro” which is the worship gathering the school puts on every Wednesday.

Yesterday night was girls’ night out…aka Noche de Chicas, a program the school hosted. We met up at the school and ate chocolate and talked about feelings and all the things girls do. Then we went paddleboating on the river. It was so much fun! I didn’t take my camera, but Lisa did, so I stole her photos. haha

Well, I’m getting ready for bed now, but I wanted to post an update. I tried to upload photos of Noche de Chicas and the ice cream, but the uploader for the blog isn't working right now. But I did post them to the facebook album, so just use the link I posted in earlier entries or go to my facebook page to see them. They're like the last 6 photos or so in the album. :-)

Goodnight!

Mi Horario Diario

I'm falling into my rhythm and routine here. It feels like I've been here forever, not just a week (a week exactly from today, actually). My daily schedule looks a lot different than in the US, mostly thanks to Spanish mealtimes, but that's ok...I kinda like it.

7:00 am - Wake up and stumble to the bathroom to take a shower and wash off all the sweat that I can't seem to escape for even a moment here.

8-8:30 am - Begin walking to school. It's about a 30 minute walk, and it's fun to see the same people on a regular basis. It helps this huge city feel more like home. We are now "regulars" with the guy who hands out the free newspapers on the corner by our school every morning. :-)

9:00 am - Classes start for most students, but I have a break during the first time slot, when I usually check my email and update my blog...this is actually when I'm writing this right now. haha

10:00-1:30 pm - Classes with a break between my second and third class. I'm taking Spanish Art and Architecture, History of Spain's Religious Cultures, and Advanced Communication/Grammar.

1:30-2:00 pm - Classes are done and Lisa and I walk home.

2:30 pm - Lunch with Angeles and Basilia at home.

3:30-5:30 pm - SIESTA!!! and homework time

6:00-9:00 pm - Sometime we have an evening activity, and sometimes we just stay home. It depends on the day. Yesterday we went to the "papeleria" and bought notebooks and folders for school and then to the "heladeria" on the corner near our house for some DELICIOUS ice cream. I'm not kidding...this place rivals the Custard Cup.

10 or 10:30 pm - Dinner and then we watch TV for awhile after we finish eating.

11:00-11:30 pm - Finish any homework and read my book while Lisa showers.

11:30-midnight - Go to bed and toss and turn for a half hour while I sweat to death in our oven of a bedroom. :-)

Bullfight

Bullfight photos: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2027809&id=152001486&l=29c1f9fe48

Well, last night was certainly interesting. I can't say that I necessarily enjoyed it, but it was a good experience to have under my belt as a future Spanish teacher. Just for the record, if any of my future students ever read this, I did this for you and not for me. :-)

It was pretty gory. I don't especially want to go into detail, but basically there are three "toreros" or matadors and each of them get to kill 2 bulls. They don't just kill the bull, though. They weaken it by stabbing it a bunch of times and making it run around. Needless to say, it was a horrifying spectacle to watch, but I made myself watch one entire fight and then I let myself read the program for the rest of the fights. Lisa and I met another American

student who was sitting next to us, and she was telling us some different things about the bullfights. She said the meat from the bulls goes to poor families in the city, but our senora said that was not true and the meat goes to butcher shops and sells for a lot because it's highly coveted. Once the bull is killed, one of the men working to weaken the bull will judge whether or not the torero did well. If the torero did well, they cut off one of the bulls ears for him. If he did really well, he gets both ears. And if the torero did a superb job, he gets both ears and the tail. What morbid prizes!

Today is the first day of classes, and I'm writing this during my little break before my first class. Wish me luck! :-)

Soy una guiri!

NEW PHOTOS: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2027733&id=152001486&l=d5a417896a

That’s right! A “guiri” is the Spaniard’s way of saying “foreigner”. Today we had a Culture 101 class that helped point out some of the ways we can seem less “foreign” in Sevilla and become more like locals during our time here. The following is a list of things I’ve learned or experienced since arriving that accurately describe a facet of the Spanish culture:

1. Spaniards don’t smile or say hello unless they know you, which for me means no one. I’m starting to be able to spot Americans from a distance because they always have a goofy grin on their face. The Spanish mentality is that if I don’t know you, why should I waste the energy on acknowledging you.

2. “Piropos” are compliments that men yell to you on the street. They say things like “Hola guapa!” (Hey there, beautiful!) or “Ay, rubia!” (Oh, blonde!). It sometimes seems strange and a little rude or vulgar, but here it is the way men express their appreciation of your beauty. I’m learning to just smile to myself and keep walking. J And it is kinda nice to hear that you look nice. American men should adopt this custom…hahaha

3. “Dressed up” in America is, like, notches below the Spanish “casual”. The women here dress VERY fashionably and wear thin sandals with no support or spiky high heels on the uneven cobblestone streets. I definitely stick out a little in my Chaco sandals, but at least I don’t have sprained ankles! J The Spanish women have a phrase, “Para presumir, hay que sufrir.” Which translates to “If you want to look good you have to suffer.”

4. Spanish women also dress with the mentality of “If you’ve got it, flaunt it. And even if you don’t got it, still flaunt it.” Short short dresses, revealing tops…all accepted as natural. Overweight women still wear tight clothes and show it all off. I’m still getting used to not categorizing some women in the “slutty dresser” category and realizing it’s totally normal here.

5. Television is a huge part of the culture. Mealtimes are oriented around the TV. Our senora has the TV on during every meal and we talk a little during the meal, but we watch TV for about a half hour or so afterwards. Oh, and they LOVE soap operas. The cheesier and more melodramatic, the better.

6. Public nudity is not illegal here as long as no one under 18 sees you. Nor are graphic public displays of affection that unusual. I speak from experience on this one. L

7. Alcohol is available pretty much whenever and wherever, even if you don’t want it. For example, today I went to a “bar” or little café, and ordered a fanta, or orange soda, and received an orange soda wine cooler. Not what I ordered, but delicious nonetheless. J

Exploring the City

In Spain, the biggest meal is lunch, which is in the late afternoon. Yesterday we had salad and spaghetti. Lisa and I think she made spaghetti because the day before we both said we really like pasta dishes. :-) haha And for dinner we had a homemade soup that was very similar to Mrs. Grass chicken noodle and cheese cubes (Gouda cheese with sesame seeds and herbs in it...it wasn't bad) and chorizo which is like a chunky sausage that I guess you could compare to a more flavorful bratwurst. So far the food has all been very good. Lisa and I are finding out that Spaniards don't really save most leftovers, and they hate to throw food away, so she and I are trying explain to Angeles every time we eat that we are full, and she keeps telling us to eat more so it doesn't go to waste. haha It's kinda funny and Lisa and I just look at each other and smile.

I'm walking a lot here. The school is about a 30 minute walk, and the other days I've been here we've gone exploring. So the first day I walked about 3 hours and yesterday about 4 and a half hours, and today another 3 hours or so. So that's good. My legs are really tired at the end of the day, but I'm not all-out exhausted yet. :-) We registered for classes today and met with our professors one-on-one, and I made it into the advanced classes. Yay! I’ll be taking History of Spanish Art, Spain of Three Cultures (A history of the Jewish, Christian, and Muslim influences in the country), and Advanced Communication. J Also, I’m doing a community service class, which I don’t know yet where I’ll be assigned. Hopefully, I’m also doing flamenco dancing classes, a Bible study, and meeting with a language exchange partner, called an “intercambio”.

I think this weekend Lisa and I are going to go over our calendar and figure out where we might want to go and when this semester. We also might go to a bullfight on Sunday. They are really bloody and gory and they kill the bull at the end, and I don't really want to see that part. But the bullfight is at the center of Sevillan culture, and I definitely want to experience it, especially to relate the experience to my students.

I took some more pictures last night on our guided tour, especially when we went back to that governmental headquarters place, which I found out is called La Plaza Espanola. It is gorgeous there. Our tour guide, Martin, is a student at the University of Seville, and he said that when people get married, they all go to this plaza to take their wedding pictures, and every Saturday and Sunday afternoon you can go there and see at least five or six different newlyweds at any given time doing their pictures.

Tonight we went to a park about a block away from our apartment with the rest of the students and had pizza and just chatted for a while. It was a lot of fun, and Lisa and I made a new friend! Her name is Raquel, and she lives about 5 minutes away, so tomorrow we are walking to the school together to go to the photo scavenger hunt they have set up for us. I’m starting to really get my bearings in our neighborhood and in the area around the school, and it’s nice to sort of feel like I belong here, even though I still stick out. J

I'm in Spain, Safe and Sound!!

FOR PHOTOS: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2027733&id=152001486&l=d5a417896a

I made it here safely and uneventfully! I'm getting all settled in with my sen~ora. Her name is Angeles, and she seems nice but kind of distant right now. I hope that improves throughout the semester. Lisa and I share a cozy bedroom with two pink twin beds, two closet/armoir type things, a desk with workspace for both of us, a dresser, and shelves. Everything fits nicely into our room. :-)

If I could pick two words to describe Sevilla, they would be "enchanting" and "sweating". It is so STINKING HOT here. I'm talking like, "four miles from the surface of the Sun" kind of hot. Since landing in Spain I have not stopped sweating. Our room has a window, which is open 24/7 (no worries, as we're on the 9th floor) and a fan, but there are no working outlets in our room, so the fan is kind of pointless as of yet. I also choose the word enchanting, because I am quickly falling in love with the city. It is so inspiring to be walking along the river under the palm trees and gaze up at bright blue skies, the ancient Torre del Oro, and the sunlight glistening off the river. My experience so far in walking around exploring with Lisa have given me the impression that the part of the city I will pretty much spend all my time in is clean and safe, which is reassuring, as it is a huge transition to live in a major city.

Lisa and I did our first walk to our school today, and we clocked it at almost a half hour exactly, which is one of the longest walks out of all the students as far as I've heard, but it is a nice walk along shop-lined streets and across a beautiful bridge to get to the other side of the river. We met some of our fellow SIS students at the McDonalds right by the school this afternoon and decided to walk around and explore the area immediately around the school, as it has many beautiful old buildings. We walked through the open halls of the stately Universidad de Sevilla and ended up in the governmental palace courtyard kind of by accident, but it was an amazing place to stumble upon.

Jet lag is getting the best of me right now, and I think I shall go relax with Lisa a bit before supper. Meal times are different here in Spain, so lunch is around 2:00 in the afternoon, and dinner comes anywhere between 8:00 and 11:00. Crazy! Lisa and I were discussing how it would be nice to not have to wait up for dinner tonight, because the only thing that's keeping us from going to bed right now (approximately 8:30) is the fact that we're waiting to eat dinner. :-)

Tomorrow is orientation and a city tour (which I really hope is by bus, as my feet are very tired already). I'll hopefully be able to post tomorrow night about the events of the day.

Much love and many blessings,

Katie