Lazy Sunday

Last week we had everyone over together in our apartment for the first time to hang out before hitting Calle Betis, which is the street for bars/clubs for international students. Usually about 98% of the people in the places on Calle Betis speak English. I like being among peers, but I would definitely like to find out where the Spaniards go out and go there also. It was great having everyone in the apartment though. My natural love of hosting was showing as I happily opened our door and offered finger sandwiches to the 20 people crammed around our table playing Ring of Fire. I am looking forward to many nights like these and many more happy memories in our chateau, as we like to sarcastically call it. Really though, it doesn’t matter how nice a place is as long as it’s safe and filled with people you love and good times with happy memories. And since that is the case, I see a very bright future for our little chateau.

The Sevilla v Real Betis soccer game was last night, which is a very heated rivalry since, with both teams being based out of Sevilla, it divides the citizens of the city. We went back to the same bar as before to watch the game again. It was not quite as exciting as the last game because it ended in a tie. Apparently the rivalry can get pretty violent though, so I’m almost glad that no one team won, or we might have seen some intense bar fights. (It is on my bucket list to see a bar fight though, but I guess I’ll just have to wait until another impassioned rivalry) I chose last night about 10 minutes before the game started that I would be a supporter of Sevilla, based solely on the reasoning that Sevilla’s team color is red and Betis’ is green. I look much better in red. I’ve already planned to by a red scarf with the team’s emblem on it. Gotta show team pride! This then lead to my friend Blakely, who chose to support Betis 2 days before the game, and I ironically screaming in each other’s faces about “our” teams. It’s much more fun to watch sports when you care next to zero about the turn out of the match.

Yesterday afternoon before the game, we took a walk around the city with some friends, exploring small streets and big streets and restaurants and landmarks. One sight that we found is called “Las Setas” (literally meaning “The Mushrooms”), which is a giant sculpture in the middle of the city that is in the shape of several different mushrooms. It is made out of huge criss-crossing beams of wood and claims to be the largest wooden structure in the world. Taking an elevator to the top and following the pathways can provide a beautiful panoramic of the city. I’m still struggling to comprehend why this structure is here. What purpose it provides, why they decided to put it where they put it, why it is designed so modernly and then placed in the middle of vintage, quaint buildings. I suppose it’s supposed to be artsy and I just don’t get it. Maybe I should be taking an art class while I’m here. Regardless, it is a great way to see the city in a unique way.

While we were out exploring yesterday, we came across a busy street in the Triana district of the city. With restaurants and shops lining the sides of the streets, vendors and musicians posted up on the sidewalks, and people scattered everywhere, it was so alive. It’s about a 30-minute walk from the apartment, but I would still love to spend some more time there. While strolling down the street, one of the many signs taped to one of the many light posts caught my attention. It was advertising yoga classes! Josie and I are going to check into it, and I hope that it ends up working out. Yoga is a culture of its own that can be practiced in all parts of the world, each place with its own culture. It would be interesting to see how the culture of yoga translates to an entirely different place; to see how the culture of the place that it is being practiced is reflected on the practice of the yoga itself.  If it ends up happening I’ll be sure to report my findings!

Today we spent the day in a grassy park right next to the river, watching rowboats, kayakers, paddleboats, and tour boats pass by. Sitting in the sun all day is just what I needed. Our chateau doesn’t get enough light, and if I am there for more than 3 hours, I start to get very antsy. So we packed a lunch, threw some books and our computers in our backpacks, and headed to the river. The walking pathway that runs parallel to the river is lined with palm trees and trees that look like willow trees. The contrast between the shade of the trees and the bright sun is so picturesque. I would be content to spend every Sunday this way (except the weekends when we are in fabulous places like Morocco and Ireland of course!). Also, as a side note, we discovered while lounging on the lawn today that the phenomenon of leggings as pants being worn by people in questionable shape does exist here. I thought I had escaped that when I left the States. Darn. Photo evidence: 

The place that I am updating my blog from is almost unbelievably pretty. Sitting riverside by the Guadalquivir on a cobblestone walkway lined with palm trees and tropical flowers, with a skyline of church steeples and charming apartments in the background, all while the sun sits at the perfect level in the sky where its not blindingly bright but still warms your whole being. Days like these are the reason that I know I was right to choose Sevilla.

Love from Spain! xoxo

Beginning to Unwind…

 These past few days have been amazing. I have discovered that one of my favorite things while walking around the city are batidos (milkshakes). I’m one of those weird people that when it’s cold outside, I crave cold things and since it has pretty consistently about 15 degrees Celsius (that’s about 59 to 60 degrees Farenheit, but feels much colder due to the humidity) milkshakes are becoming my thing. Milkshakes and wandering the city. I have heard from past students and current Sevillanos that the best possible thing to do in Sevilla is just to get lost. Sevilla is such a safe and small enough city that wandering into the winding alleys of the center of the city and following whichever road feels right is the best way to find the hidden treasures. Whether it be a quaint tapas bar or an adorable shoe store, there are many places just waiting to be discovered nestled in the small cobblestone streets of the ‘downtown’ district of the city. I have yet to fully put this advice into action, but that is the plan for Saturday. We and several of the international students are blocking out several hours of the day this upcoming Saturday for the purpose of getting lost. I have actually written “get lost in Sevilla” in my planner. Maybe one day I’ll lose my sense of urgency and learn to relax in the way that the Sevillanos do…

One of the places that we found today was a little hole-in-the-wall-restaurant that we were lured into by the fantastic nostalgic smells of home: Pizza. As soon as we walked in, we were greeted with “Hey guys. What’s goin’ on?” by James, a born and raised New Yorker. This was our first run in, other than other students, with a real American. We were attracted by the smell of his food, but can tell that we will be frequenting James’ shop, “Slice of New York City” thanks to his friendly demeanor, helpful advice coming from someone once in a similar situation, and sinfully delicious (except that calories don’t count while you’re abroad, so it’s actually just regular delicious) pizza and garlic knots.

Those Spaniards do love their fútbol. The other day, we watched the Madrid v Barcelona Soccer game at what would be an American version of sports bar. There were at least 10 TVs in a huge bar, all streaming the exciting action of a match between two of the best soccer teams in Europe (so I’m told; Go Sports!). It was exactly the atmosphere that I would have expected from a European soccer watch party, except no one screamed goal for 50 seconds straight like I was hoping. But other than that minor let down, it was so high energy and amazing. The crowd was split pretty evenly between Madrid and Barca fans, so no matter what happened, there were shouts of encouragement/bragging or screams of curse words and criticisms. Even for someone who doesn’t know how many quarterbacks there on the field at one time, I had a great time watching the game with some great people.

Today we took our exámen de nivel (placement test) for our placement for which classes we will be taking during the semester. It was just a short essay, but sometimes that is more complicated. I think it went alright, but keep your fingers crossed because I need to place Advanced in order to get the classes I need. Muchas gracias!

Ladies and Gentlemen, Josie Hoggard has arrived! My wonderful friend from Appalachian State that is also studying at UPO for the semester will be staying with us until her host family is ready for her. She and her banjo found their way to our apartment at about 6 pm this evening, excited as ever. I was ready for her to want to pass out from her 25 hour-long journey here, but she was ready and willing to explore the city! We went downtown for some sangria and a tapas as a “Welcome to Spain!” outing and then explored around a little, just wandering. We found a delicious little restaurant that has the classic Spanish dessert of churros accompanied by a mug of hot chocolate meant to serve as a dipping sauce for the deep fried bread; delicious.

I am slowly adjusting to the more relaxed lifestyle of Sevilla. Siestas in the afternoon, wandering the streets for no reason other than to wander, meeting and chatting with strangers: I love it all. This city might be just what I needed.

Stay tuned for the continuing adventures of a broad abroad! Love from Spain xoxo

La Gente Vive en la Calle

A lot has happened since my last post. Classes started, we met and have been hanging out with the other international students, we went grocery shopping and cooked our first meal in the apartment, we actually got internet to work in our apartment so we don’t have to go to the hotel down the street to borrow their wifi, I opened my Spanish bank account, we successfully got a backup gas tank for the apartment so we can have hot water, and we went on our first Spanish bar/clubhopping night. I’m sure there’s many more firsts that I’ve experienced, but those are the major ones.

By the way, I am updating this right now as we watch Spanish game shows that we discovered a few days ago. Our favorites are “¡Ahora, Caigo!” (Spain’s version of Who’s Still Standing?) and “Atrapa un Milion” (Million Dollar Money Drop)and “Uno Para Ganar” (Minute to Win It) It’s just like at home where we watch primetime game shows while we eat dinner. It’s nice to know that things haven’t changed too much, but at the same time, doing things that are so similar to what we do at home just makes me miss it more.

There is a store here called El Corte Ingles. It’s Spain’s super version of a department store and it’s magical. It has everything you could possibly need. It has all the things a normal department store would have, like clothes and shoes and home accessories and makeup, but it has way more of all those things. And it also has things like a grocery store and a hair salon and kiosks for all the major electronic companies, like Apple and Dell and Vodaphone The one near us is 6 stories, and each level is enormous. If I don’t update my blog for a while, ya’ll can go ahead and assume that I was lost in the Corte Ingles.

We and the other students have founds some great deals around the city. There is a restaurant that does a deal where you can get a pizza and a sangria or beer for 3 euros (They call it PizzaMania), another restaurant where you can get 2 beers and nachos or French fries for 2 euros (SuperLunes), and a bar where on different nights of the week, certain drinks are 50 cents. We have definitely found some places that we will be at a lot.

Getting internet to work in the apartment was much more of an adventure than it sounds. Our landlord, who speaks no English, met up with us so that she could go with us to the store to explain our situation and what we wanted. I don’t know how we would have done it without her because it was a very complicated process. She and her friend picked us up in her 2-door Yaris sized car and we all somehow crammed in that (Trevor’s knees were in his chest) and we made our way to one store, where we were told that you needed a passport to have an account with them, and then we went to another store where we spent 2 hours there trying to figure everything out. We have it now though and it is so nice!

This weekend was our first experience with Spanish nightlife and it was amazing. We have found some spots that we can tell are going to be regular places for us. Also, “botellóns” are popular for people our age. It’s where people bring their own mixers and alcohol to public outdoor places all over the city to drink and essentially make their own party outside. It’s much cheaper than paying for drinks in the bar, since alcohol is cheaper than bottled water here. Last night, we were invited to a gathering at the Torre del Oro and there were literally about 100 people just standing in a group. We met some people that told us that they all move as a pack and are a different spot every night. Needless to say, we found them on Facebook so we can stay up on their location of the night! Going to a botellón is more popular for Sevillanos than going to a bar or club, and their motto is “La gente vive en la calle!” (The people live in the street) Just by walking around the city at night, it is obvious that this is a very accurate statement. Streets are packed with large groups of people congregated in various places. If there is one thing that I have noticed about Spain, it is the La gente vive en la calle. No matter what they are doing, people prefer to be outside in the streets among the lively atmosphere.

Now that classes have started, I am becoming more and more comfortable here. Finding people in the same situation as me was just what I needed to ensure me that I wasn’t crazy for picking up and moving to another country for 6 months. The other students are great too. We mostly all speak English, which is a nice break from the constant need to speak Spanish since hardly anyone in Sevilla speaks English any better than we speak Spanish. I am hoping to become friends with Spanish students. That will be easier once the real classes start for the semester on the 24^th, since right now is just a 2 week Spanish language brush up course. 

I promise I’ll try and be better about updating so that my posts don’t have to be this long again.

Love from Spain!

PS I took my mailing address off to keep it private, but if you would like it, just send me an email!

I Actually Live Here!

Today we tried to go to la Giralda, which is a tall tower at the Catedral that you can go to the top of to have a great view of the city, but when we got to it it was closed. So we are planning on going back tomorrow to that and also to the Alcazar, which was originally a Moorish fort and is now a museum. After we found out those were closed, we walked to the Parque Maria Luisa, where the Plaza de España and other monuments are, and spent the day walking through the park and looking at all the beautifully designed buildings. Why can normal buildings in America be as ornate and pretty as all the ones here? Banks and restaurants look like they should be national monuments. We spent some time in the Archeological Museum of Sevilla, and watched the sunset as we walked to dinner. We went to a dinner show where we ate seafood paella, a traditional Spanish dish with rice and assorted seafood, drank Sangria, and watched a Flamenco dancer accompanied by a guitarist and singer in a small restaurant with a lively atmosphere. Tonight was my first "I actually live here and these things can be normal occurrences for me" moment. It was a good feeling and one that I have been waiting for for a long time.

    

Other Countries are Scary (but only at first)

   Today we woke up at 2 pm after an exhausting and overwhelming first day. We landed after 18 hours of traveling and then took a taxi ride to a Vodfone to get our Spanish cell phones, then met with the landlord and our realtor and her son to exchange our dollars to euros to pay for the apartment, checked the apartment out, and got some food, all in an intensely fast-paced rate in Spanish. By the time everything was done, it was 8 o'clock and we still hadn't gotten a chance to talk to our frantically worried families (sorry everyone for the lack of communication!). After we ate some dinner, there was nothing left to do but crash. Hence the waking up at 2 pm today. Since most things here close at 1 or 2, we weren't able to do any of the chores we wanted to, like grocery shop and open bank accounts. All that will just have to wait until Monday, giving us the rest of today and this weekend to sightsee and have fun! Today during what was meant to be our neighborhood stroll, we ended up walking through almost all of the city, stumbling upon fantastic things like one of the several beautiful gardens, the Plaza de España which has a small moat man made river around it where we rented a little row boat, La Giralda (a cathedral), a festival complete with a ferris wheel and chocolate stuffed churros called "El Festivo de los Mariscos Andalucias", and the Torre del Oro.
   Also, as a side note, Jamon Iberico may be the most delicious kind of ham/meat I've ever eaten. The picture makes it look like a plate of undercooked bacon, but I promise it's awesome. And if you ask for "chocolate caliente" ("hot chocolate") here, they will literally hand you a mug full of warm liquid chocolate.
   Yesterday everything seemed overwhelming and impossible and terrifying, but the more time I spend in this great country, the more comfortable I feel in my ability to survive here for 6 months. I'm still so homesick and scared, but I know that I will adjust and by the end of the trip, I will be crying just as hard about leaving here as have been about leaving home.

One Step Closer...

Trying to fall asleep the night before setting out on a 6 month adventure of living in another country that speaks a language I'm just learning is a pretty difficult thing to do. It is a constant internal struggle between my body which says, "I need sleep; We've been running around since 8 am this morning buying last minute supplies and trying to shove way too much stuff into way too little luggage" and my mind which says, "You forgot this and that, and you need to do this in the morning and are you sure you have your passport?". It's pretty frustrating.

This is one of the few times that I've truly been able to reflect on what I am about to do. Up until this moment, all my energy has focused on the preparation for the journey, and not enough on the journey. I am so thankful, nervous, excited, thrilled and anxious to begin. It still hasn't quite hit me yet, though. I'll keep you posted on when my mind fully registers what is happening.