Another post (very creative title, I know)

So, though this week was fairly busy, it went rather fast. I had another test Monday, which went fine, and then a paper for Wednesday and my final exam on Friday. It’s great to be completely done with one class already; I feel rather accomplished. To celebrate, Meara, Rachel, Chelsea, and I went out for crepes at this cool juice bar called Bliss. It’s right around the corner from the Center, and I think I might have to start going there regularly. I had an apple and strawberry crepe and freshly squeezed apple, ginger, and lemon juice. It was a really good way to wrap up the intensive period. Meara and Chelsea both got nutella crepes, which I also enjoyed, I might see if I can get a nutella and peanut butter crepe next time. Yum!

I’ll catch up a bit about last weekend as well, since my last post didn’t include it. Friday night was interesting, Rachel and I met with my intercambio (a pairing of a native Spanish speaker and American student) and we went out to the museums. Apparently there is one night that all of the museums in Sevilla are open late and free for everyone, which I think is pretty neat. Anyway, after some confusion as to where we were meeting (Justo, my intercambio, had to leave his dinner to help us find our way - I felt really bad), we waited a bit and then went to the Archiological Museum and the Museum of Customs. Some of Justo’s friends came as well, and it was good to speak Spanish with them, though I was having trouble hearing them, much less understanding them, because of all of the activity going on around us. It definitely wasn’t easy, but I think it’s a great way to learn more Spanish and get more comfortable using it.

Saturday was our trip to Córdoba, which was very interesting, though I felt a bit tired as this was the third Saturday we left Sevilla to visit somewhere else. We went to the Alcázar there (which was very different from the one in Sevilla), a synagogue, and the Mezquita, which was beautiful. It was very large, and lovely and cool after the 95º weather outside. Unfortunately, my camera’s battery ran out right after we entered, though it forced me to look at more because I couldn’t constantly snap pictures. After we got back to Sevilla, Rachel and I wanded around the shopping area near our house (buying some peanut butter, which isn’t at all common here, and therefore costs roughly $6).

Sunday was great because we finally got to sleep in. We then went running, which I am not a big fan of, and not that good at, but it felt good after we got done of course. After lunch we promptly returned to our room for a siesta. Overall, it wasn’t too eventful, but it was great because we got to do nothing for the first time in a while.

Wednesday of this week was also really cool. A few of us signed up to go to a Flamenco event and it was amazing. It really is unbelievable how fast the dancers could move their feet and how graceful and talented they were. Hopefully I cango again sometime, but I am really glad that I got to go already. I took a few pictures, but my camera ended up dying part of the way through. I did manage to get some video so hopefully that works here. I charged it that night in preparation for the trip to the Cathedral on Thursday (which was also really interesting to see - included picture), but then it died again. I’m hoping that it’s just the battery, and I can get a new one here for not too exorbitant a price, but I’m not sure. It sucks because I really want to be able to keep taking pictures of everything I do.

This last Friday, a bunch of people from the Center went to a bullfight, but I decided against going. I know it’s a large part of the culture here, and a traditional part of Sevilla’s history, but I didn’t think I would be able to handle it. I had some down time since I didn’t go, so I hung out on our rooftop terrace (that’s right, you should be jealous), and read and relaxed. Then, after a short nap, Rachel and I headed out to see if we could come across a discoteca closer to our house. We definitely found one, but it turned out to be the opening night and therefore had a huge, huge line. We hung around a bit, but ultimately decided to come back some other time when there weren’t masses of people.

Saturday we had planned to go shopping and find some of the city’s markets, but it ended up raining pretty much all day. We had a good time though, because Loli told us she had a surprise for us for Sunday´s lunch, which turned out to be calamari. We spent close to an hour pulling the squids apart and de-gunking them. It was really fun and I think Rachel and I were both really excited about getting to eat them the next day. I also got my hair cut that day, which was pretty nerve-wracking as I didn’t really know how to get across what I wanted. It turned out alright though, but it is a bit shorter in back than I wanted. After another nap (which helps tremendously if you plan on going out at night), Rachel and I set out to try and actually have an eventful night out. We met some people near the center of town and hung out at a couple of bars, but we didn’t make it to any discotecas yet again. I guess it’s really hard to get in anywhere on Saturday night because the older crowd (thirty-somethings) all go out then. I think eventually we´ll find a discoteca, but I´m alright with not going out every night as well.

Sunday was basically another sleep in day and we got to eat the results of our hard labor the day before. The calamari was delicious, Loli cooked the pieces in garlic, onion, and wine and it was really, really good. I’m definitely in love with her cooking and it’s great because I don’t feel like I have to go out (and spend a lot of money) to get really good Spanish cooking.

Today (Monday) marks the start of the continuation period so I´m starting three new classes: Present Day Spanish Usage, Advanced Composition, and Art History. I already spoke to my teacher about changing literature to composition, so I am all set for this week. My new schedule looks like this:

I already had Present Day Usage and Composition, and I think I am going to like them both a lot. I have Art History later, and I have heard there is a lot of vocabulary, but we make a trip to Madrid one weekend to see a whold bunch of museums, which should be really cool. I am also happy because I don´t have to pay any more for books, which is a great departure from previous semesters. Rachel just took Present Day Usage so I can use her book and Loli has the book I need for Art History. Plus, for Comp. we don´t need a book (and we don´t have any exams - pretty awesome).

I have a presentation in my Cultural Realities course tomorrow, so I should probably be working on that instead of my blog, but there was a lot to catch up on (again). Keep me updated on what´s going on in the States!

Good to know...

For some reason, a couple of the captions below the pictures I just posted don´t want to show up. If that´s the case for you, just click the space below each picture a couple of times and the caption should appear. Hopefully.

Lots of pictures!

This is a picture of Seville at night. We were right by the Cathedral and el Centro Norteamericano. Very beautiful all lit up at night.

This is me scrunched up in an alcove in el Centro Andaluz de Arte Contemporaneo. A bunch of us went to see a couple of exhibits there during our first week.

A picture of Rachel, Loli, and me!

Wilheim at the beach! La Costa del Algarve, Portugal.

I think this is one of the best pictures ever taken. I like candid shots the best; scroll down to see another good one.

These were taken in the Redeyebar in Lagos, Portugal.

As promised, here are some pictures of my first tapas. This is the tortilla de patatas wisky. Yummy.

This is the espinacas con garbanzos. When we had this at home it was more like garbanzos con espinaca (and I liked it more) but this was still pretty good.

This is the giant rock off of the beach in Portugal. I actually jumped off of it! I´m pretty much a badass, I know.

Catch-up, sorry!

I realize I haven’t written in this blog for quite some time, but I am trying to remedy a bit of that now. It’s hard for me to just write short amounts for some reason, I would much rather just put everything down in one sitting. That can be difficult though, because after so many days it gets harder because there is so much to record. Additionally, since we don’t have internet at home, any e-mail or blogging or whatever has to be done at school. I don’t always want to sit in an increasingly warm computer room for ages, so I’ve neglected the blog as a result. My new plan is to write the blogs at home, save them to my jump drive, and simply post them when I get to school. I think that will make things easier overall.

We left for Portugal at about nine on Saturday morning and had about a four hour bus ride before we got into the Algarve coast. We spent most of the day at a beautiful beach and enjoyed chorizo sandwiches, peaches, and yummy hazelnut wafer cookies that Loli had packed for us the night before. I was extremely lazy and stretched out on the beach the whole time, alternating between reading and just enjoying the perfect weather. It was incredibly relaxing and was just what I needed, especially after my first week of school.

We finally left and took the bus to our hotel for the night, the sol e praia in Lagos, Portugal. We checked into our rooms (Rachel and I were with Bridgette and Lauren) and then after getting cleaned up headed back to the bus to go to el fin del mundo, or the end of the world. We missed the actual sunset due to traffic, which was disappointing, but the colors were still beautiful and we managed to take a lot of pictures before it got too dark. Surprisingly, it was actually quite chilly and I think we were all glad the guide had told us to bring some warmer clothes.
After driving back, a bunch of us headed out to get some dinner. We split up to accomodate different tastes, and Rachel, Hanna, Nicole, and I found an excellent restaurant with a lot of fish on the menu thanks to a recommendation. Rachel and I split a swordfish dish, which was amazing, and came with potatoes and snap peas. It tasted so good, especially after being at the beach all day. We then headed off to a couple bars, which ended up being a lot of fun. I like the first especially, an Australian bar with good music. We snapped quite a few candid photos and had a great time overall.

The next day, after an included (pretty much my favorite word after free - now more than ever) breakfast at the hotel, we walked just a few steps to the beach alongside the hotel. The water was freezing (as was the water at the beach the day before) but it felt really good after the hot sun. I even got up the courage to jump off a huge rock located a short swim from the beach. I think Chelsea managed to snap a photo, so once I get that I’ll have to post it. I picked up just a couple pieces of pretty beach glass and managed to have another great day. Toward the end of the day, I felt like I had gotten a little too much sun, though I had been really careful in reapplying sunscreen. My back was a bit red, but it turned out not to be burnt, thankfully. We took the bus back and after getting much-needed showers, we fell into bed.

Monday was basically sent studying for our first test on Tuesday, I think Rachel and I got about three and a half hours of sleep. It paid off though, as I got my test back today (Friday) and got a 98%. I was really happy with that, and also my first paper grade, a 99%. It’s really reassuring to get such good grades, especially because I am so rusty on the grammar and speaking side of Spanish. I’ve had only literature classes for so long that I struggle with speaking, but at least I know they’ve helped immensely in my writing and test-taking skills. Plus, I am always nervous before I get my first grades of a new class, because I don’t know how things will be graded. I feel like now I can relax a bit and not worry too much about schoolwork.

This week I also received my schedule for the continuation period of the semester. I’ll be done with my Advanced Spanish Grammar course, but I’ll keep the dance course (Sevillianas) and the Cultural Realities of Spain course. For a couple of days I was really excited because I thought I only had class Monday through Wednesday, but that turned out to be a mistake. Shucks. As of now, my schedule is kind of crazy and looks something like this (might be a bit small):

I’ve heard that the continuation period is easier (which I would assume would be because everything isn’t squished into three weeks), but the way my schedule is right now, I’ll have problems with returning home for lunch. We usually eat around 2:30ish, and since it takes at least 30 minutes each way, it would be really tight Monday through Thursday. I think what I’ll do is switch Spanish-American Literature for Advanced Spanish Composition. Comp meets Monday and Wednesday from 10:15 - 12:15, so I’ll have a bit more time on Monday and Wednesday and one less class on Tuesday and Thursday.

In other news, I just discovered that walking (at least at my pace, which is pretty damn fast), it only takes me 40 minutes from my house to the center. I figure that’s pretty good, especially for when I return in the afternoon after classes. The trip takes 30 minutes by bus, and if you miss the 23 bus you have to wait for at least 10 more minutes. Plus, I get a bit of exercise, which is always good.

Anyway, though I have fallen behind since I first wrote this post, that´s all there is going to be for now. I have a test, a paper, and a final exam all in this coming week, so I might not post for a while, but I´ll write again when I can. Thanks for reading!

Jueves

I have to admit, this week has been somewhat overwhelming. I feel like there is a lot of adjustment necessary in a really short amount of time, what with traveling, moving into a new place, and starting school. Additionally, not having a grammar class in two years means I have had some trouble remembering verbs and their conjugations. Yet despite all of that, I really feel like I can learn Spanish well on top of having an awesome semester in a new country.



This photo is from a walk around Barrio Nervion. Chelsea, Meara, Rachel, and I decided to explore where we lived and we found some pretty weird (in a cool way) grafitti. We also found a really cool store (una tienda de chinos), that sells all sorts of stuff (and cool junk) for a small price. I got some pretty cool gafas de sol (sunglasses) for only 3.50€.



Today was actually pretty neat, as classes ended early and we had group excursions to various places in Seville. My group went to Alcázar, which is a royal palace here in the city. Our teacher told us that the location actually consists of many palaces layered on top of one another, originally building on top of Moorish ruins. It is a really interesting place because you have so many styles from different eras all in one location. It was really beautiful. I took a lot of pictures, which I´ll post at some point later once I put them on my jump drive to bring to the center.


Additionally, Rachel and I just went out for our first tapas, which we ate at a bodegita near the center norteamericano (which is what the Center for Cross-Cultural Study is referred to in Sevilla). We split a tortilla de patatas wisky (a Spanish omelette with potatoes, whiskey, and garlic), a small chorizo sandwhich, and espinacas con garbanzos (spinach with garbonzo beans). It was really tasty (and we took a few pictures, I´ll have to post them soon), though it was interesting to note that we have had a lot of what we ate with Loli. I´m so glad that she loves to cook, because I really love to eat her food. Plus, she talks about how she cooks in a more healthful manner, with less salt and fat and more fruits and vegetables. My stomach certainly has been happy here in Spain!


Now I need to buckle down and do some homework, though later Chelsea, Meara, Rachel, and I will be going to an exhibit of modern photograpy. I don´t know more than that, but I´m sure it will be a good time.

¡Hola!

Hello everyone!

Unfortunately, I haven´t had time to write anything in this blog since arriving in Spain, but I now have internet at the center where I am studying in Seville, The Center for Cross-Cultural Study, or el centro norteamericano, as it is referred to here.

The first part of my trip was fairly uneventful; I traveled from Atlanta to Frankfurt, Germany, leaving on September 3rd and arriving on the 4th. I was able to sleep on the plane and so the time seemed to pass rather quickly. Another Berry student studying in Spain, Saxon, was on the plane, so that also helped matters. From Frankfurt I traveled to Barcelona and after a short wait, and meeting up with another friend, Chelsea, I boarded the plane to Seville. Unfortunately, while in the air the flight attendants informed us that for some reason the airport in Sevilla had closed and we were being rerouted to Jerez, which is on the southern coast. After landing there, we received our luggage rather quickly, but then waited nearly two and a half hours for a bus to arrive to take us to Seville. We were somewhat frustrated, but it did give us a chance to use Spanish to attempt to figure out the situation. Finally, we arrived to spend the night in the Hotel de Plaza Armas, though we missed the initial orientation. I chatted a bit with my new roommate, Rachel (in the first picture), and then headed to bed.

The next day we had a walking tour of Seville and also took a placement exam (with written and oral parts) to ensure we were placed in the right courses. I can´t say that I was happy to take a test my first day in Spain, but I managed to get through it. Following an introduction to the Center, Rachel and I took a taxi to Barrio (neighborhood) Nervión to move into our new home.

We live with a woman named Loli (short for Dolores) who is extremely welcoming. She doesn´t speak English (which is great for practicing our Spanish) and talks a lot, and very fast. Gratefully, she was very clear that we should let her know if we need anything or don´t like anything that she cooks, which definitely has not been a problem for me. Loli is a wonderful cook and we´ve already had tortilla española (similar to a fritatta) and lots of delicious vegetable dishes. There is always fresh fruit for dessert, so I couldn´t be happier with the food.

Our home is small, but in a cute and cozy way. Rachel and I share a room with matching beds, bedspreads, and side tables (mesitas de noche in Spanish). We each have our own wardrobe and share a bathroom just between the two of us, so there is plenty of room for all of our stuff. Rachel brought a gnome (a gift from home) to take pictures with while she travels and we have since named him Wilheim. He resides on our table (picture 3) with a collection of shells from the beach of Mazagón where we went for our first weekend. We also have a terrace above the house which has a great view of the neighborhood.

An exciting aspect of our location is that my friend Chelsea from Berry is roommates with a friend of Rachel´s from Whitworth University (in Washington state) and they live with a friend of Loli´s, Rosario. We live just a few short blocks from them, which is great because we travel a bit to get to the Center and it´s nice to have company. The fourth picture is of the four of us this last weekend.

Classes started yesterday and have been pretty good up to this point. For the first three weeks I have Advanced Spanish Grammar from 9 to 12:45 Monday through Friday, a Sevillanas dance course from 4-5 on Monday and Wednesday, and Cultural Realities of Spain at 4 on Tuesdays. After the first three weeks, I will be done with the grammar course and add three others: Art History of Spain, Present Day Spanish Usage, and Spanish Society (which I am substituting for Spanish American Literature due to a problem with tranferring credit to Berry). For the most part, I have been able to understand my courses and have been able to get through conversations with native speakers in the city.

I hope to keep up with this blog and keep everyone interested informed as to how things are going in Seville. E-mails are definitely welcome, but I figured I would use this to give out the majority of the events to everyone all at once. If you would like it, my e-mail is: sophieanne11@hotmail.com. Also, since I don´t have everyone´s e-mail, feel free to pass on the link to anyone interested that I might have missed. The link to the blog is: http://sophie-in-spain.blogspot.com/

Thanks for reading!