Sunday night

Hola once more from Sevilla! Yesterday was pretty uneventful... slept until noon, ate albóndigas, or Spanish meatballs, and an egg-potato tortilla for almuerzo... then watched Monster-in-Law with Inés (La Madre del Novio). I like watching tv with my host family because I think it helps my Spanish and it gives us something to talk with them about.

After awhile, I got antsy sitting at home so Cherise and I walked to La Plaza España, which is easily one of our favorite places in the city. This was the first time we´d gone in the evening, and it was just as beautiful with even more people than during the day. Apparently La Plaza España is date-central for Spanish couples-- there were couples everywhere. You can rent little boats and paddle out on the canal, and I think every single one was taken by a couple. It made me miss Kevin a lot :(

Then I went downtown to go out to eat with Alyssa, Audra and some people from SAS, the more advanced Spanish group from UNC who just arrived on Thursday. There are apparently 30 of them (17 of us I think.) They take classes at the University of Sevilla as well as EUSA. We went to a restaurant in Santa Cruz that was across from the cathedral. It was a little expensive, but most everything is expensive in Santa Cruz because it is a tourist district. The food was good though.Apparently this is how they serve apples in Spain

This morning our art and culture class was cancelled because Fernando´s doctor´s appointment ran over. So sad that I had to wake up early and we didn´t even have class!

Flamenco dancing and Ronda

Flamenco dancing was awesome last night. We went to a little place called La Carbonería Bar recommended by Rick Steves ("La Carbonería is the sangria equivelent of a beer garden. If the Beach Boys sang flamenco, they'd hang out here.") It's in the middle of Santa Cruz, the old Jewish neighborhood of Sevilla. Santa Cruz is charming, with cobblestone streets and balconies with overhanging flowering baskets and very narrow winding streets.

Me and my roommate, Cherise

Carly, Steph, Alyssa and Audra at the Flamenco bar

The dancing was pretty intense. You could tell from watching the girl what incredible concentration and dedication it took. We had a wonderful time drinking Sangrias while we watched. I uploaded a video to Youtube, watch it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fd0aOyHNKjo


Today we went took a day trip to a little town called Ronda, which is about an hour and a half bus ride from Sevilla. Ronda is an enchanting little town that is divided down the middle by a spectacular gorge. The houses are all bright white and they sit precariously along the edges of the cliffs. It is also the birthplace of bullfighting. We had a wonderful time seeing the cathedral, hiking down the cliff and then back up again, eating tapas, drinking cerveza, strolling along all of the beautiful streets and taking hundreds of picture of the spectacular view.

The whole group that went to Ronda minus Andrew, the one guy who came with us. At the end of the trip he said "I need to go hang out with some men now."

Inside the Santa María Collegiate Church, a 15th-century church that was absolutely gorgeous.

Hiking down into the gorge, where we briefly saw the Arab Baths, a restored archaeological site located at the former city gates.

Delaney at the restaurant where we had tapas and drank cerveza. The local cerveza is called Cruzcampo, and it's a light beer that's actually pretty good. Each of these tables had its own tap that would measure how much you poured from it.

The "New Bridge," built from 1751 to 1793. We spent some time basking in the sunlight on this bridge.

On our way into Ronda and again on our way out, we stopped at this delicious little bakery that sold incredible pastries for only 2 euro.

TGIF

TGIF. Finally done with classes for the week and looking forward to an exciting weekend full of flamenco dancing, a day trip to Ronda and maybe a visit to a cathedral.

Had two classes today-- Spain and Islam and the language class. In the language class our professor, Angeles, asked us about our first boyfriends and whether our relationships ended well or badly (she was trying to demonstrate the imperfect vs. preterite past tenses.)

After class and almuerzo-- which we actually ate in the kitchen today instead of the dining room because Inés was eating with her friends later-- I went with some friends to La Plaza España and then to El Centro.

Now we are eating a quick dinner and going to watch some Flamenco dancing downtown. Hasta Luego!!

Thursday in Sevilla

Hola again from Sevilla! After a super busy day yesterday it felt strange to not have much of anything going on today. I had a new class this morning-- Spain and Islam-- and then the boring Spain and America class that seems like it's going to be a waste of time. The entire class period we argued over whether there were five or seven continents. According to our professor, who is from South America, there are five-- America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Oceania. He said that North and South America are actually one continent, Europe and Asia are two separate ones and Oceania is a combination of Austraila and Antartica. He said it was a fact and the whole world agreed, and when we tried to tell him that was not what we had learned in school, he told us we were wrong. So we spent the whole class period trying to express to him that we understood his point, but in the United States we did not think that. He said the Americas were one because they are connected, but when we tried to ask him why Europe and Asia were separate continents he said because the Americas were founded at the same time, and it had to do with history. We couldn't express to him that this was a contradiction-- it was impossible, especially with our shaky Spanish skills. So frustrating!!

Spanish professors get very passionate when they teach. It happened this morning as well-- in Spain and Islam Fernando got very passionate when he told a story about an Muslim girl who couldn't participate in a mandatory sports class because of her hijab. He even said that if her culture is not allowing her to participate in mandatory activities required by Spain, she should just go back to her country. Quite a contrast to the United States, where teachers are not allowed to state their opinions on controversial issues like this.

After school we came back and had almuerzo with Inés and Ana-- probably my least favorite meal that she's cooked so far with lentils and fish. After almuerzo I was very sleepy-- I think I am still jet lagging-- so I ended up taking a 4-hour siesta!

Not much has been going on since then-- Cherise and I have an essay due tomorrow for our language class so we have been working on that. I've had a lot of difficulty concentrating because I am not in school mode yet-- this still feels like a vacation! Homework? Pshh....

Beautiful Sevilla

Whew! Busy day! We had a field trip for our art and culture class, so we didn't have class until 12:30. After class Cherise and I went to Plaza de España and ate the sandwiches (bocadillos) that Inés had packed for us.

Me in front of one of the Plaza de España. Now it is used as government buildings, and houses the Seville Town Hall

My roommate Cherise in front of one of the tiled alcoves, which represent the provinces of Spain. We sat here for awhile and soaked in the beautiful sunlight and incredible architecture.

Apparently the Plaza de España was used for a scene in Star Wars Episode II: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edhLosefD0Q

After soaking up the beautiful architecture, we met our class and our teacher, Fernando, took us on a tour of the Alcázar Reales, which is a royal palace in Sevilla.

We began our tour in the garden of the palace. On one side of the wall is an intimate garden with small paths and on the other is a more public garden. Walking on the wall gives you a spectacular view of both.

A huge, detailed tapestry in the room of the tapestries.
They had a whole room dedicated to Christopher Columbus and discovery of the Americas. Apparently they are proud of that. This shows the virgin Mary giving her blessing to the explorers.


My class on the tour

After the tour Carly and I went shopping at the stores, which have huge "rebajas" or sales. Everything is 50-70% off. I bought a shirt and a scarf and a pretty necklace.

Then I met Cherise and we walked back to El Centro to have dinner with a bunch of girls from the program. We ate at Cien Montaditos, which has very cheap bocadillos. After we had delicious helado (ice cream.)

Cherise and Alice eating helado

Lots of walking-- my feet are killing me and I didn't get my siesta! Hasta luego por anoche!

To drop or not to drop?

I am thinking about dropping my literature class

Pros to dropping:
-I don't understand anything that's going on
-It's at 5:00 in the afternoon every day except Friday and it messes up my whole schedule so I am unable to see the city, make plans or do anything during the week
-I have 16 hours, so dropping it would give me 13
-I don't need it unless I decided to minor in Spanish
-It's the only class my roommate and I don't have together, so if I have questions I am unable to ask her

Cons:
-The professor is very nice and sweet
-I've already bought the book
-It is only 7 weeks, so in February I would be done with it
-If I could understand what is going on, it would be interesting
-I would probably learn a lot and improve my Spanish writing skills
-I get to walk through the city at a pretty time of day

Qué piensáis? (What do you think?)

First Day of Class!

First day of classes! This morning I had "Art and Culture of Spain," at 9:30. We get to take trips to see art and architecture in Sevilla! He doesn't know any English, but he's been teaching this class for a long time and and he knows how to talk slowly so we understand. Then I had a break, so I walked the streets with a friend named Allison. Then had a grammar and composition class (Span 300) with Angeles, who is also one of the program directors.

After class we went to buy cell phones so that we can communicate with each other when we need to meet up. And then home for almuerzo, which was salad and bread and delicious chicken. The salad that Inés makes is very good, with pommegranates (granadas) and lettuce and carrots and some kind of vinegarette dressing, but she puts a ton of salt on it! As always, we watched the news on TV while we ate. (Spanish people watch more TV than I had thought!)

After almuerzo and calling my parents, I had to go back for my literature class at 5:00. The literature teacher is a very nice lady from northern Spain who used to teach at UNC.

After class I went... guess where... back to El Corte Inglés with some friends from the program. More about El Corte Inglés later. I am a little sad that I still haven't seen the downtown area yet. Hopefully tomorrow!!

Picturas:
1) EUSA, the building where we take classes. EUSA is a school for international students in conjunction with the University of Sevilla
2) Picture taken in the stairwell of EUSA