Sevilla!

Hola a todos!

I do not yet have internet access from my laptop, so it is a bit difficult for me to stay in touch with many of you. Hopefully this week I will be able to get online more often so that I can keep you all updated.

So far everything has been great; I love my señora, barrio, the friends I have made, the food... everything!

Hope to talk to you all soon!!

:)

My cell number:
+034 600-36-98-10

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UPDATED:

September 11, 2008

After a delayed arrival, Grace and I made it to Sevilla around 11pm on Monday night. After a short walk around Sevilla, we turned in for the night, exhausted from the six hour bus ride. The next morning orientation began. We were divided into groups of about ten students, and then we walked to the Universidad de Sevilla. (The enrollment is 67,000!!) There we received our home stay information and heard from some of the program coordinators. I ended up with a señora in a neighborhood called los remedios, which is one of the nicest neighborhoods in Sevilla. We were all so excited to meet our families the next day. We then headed out for lunch – tapas. It confirmed my thoughts on Spanish food: absolutely amazing. There was jamón ibérica, octopus, eggplant with honey, potatoes, and much, much more. We ordered ten tapas between five of us. Usually when the Spaniards go out for tapas they all order a bunch of different things that they share equally, and then split the bill. Coffee soon followed and we were off again. At 6pm we had our interviews at the CIEE building, el Palacio. El Palacio is a beautiful old building, with a courtyard in the middle. There are a few classrooms and computer lab on the bottom floor, classrooms on the middle floor, and offices on the top floor, which is actually a rooftop. I feel so privileged to be attending classes in such a great place. After dinner we went to a flamenco show. Surprisingly it was at the exact same place I had been four years ago. It was stupendous! One difference was that this time I could understand some of the songs. Flamenco amazes me because it is such a sexual dance of passion and love (or heartache) and yet the two dancers never actually touch. We were all captivated by the performance. The night was still young at midnight and so a group of us headed across the river to Calle Betis to check out the scene. It seems like a great place to hang out; I’m sure we will be back sometime soon.

The next morning (Wednesday), we split back into our groups and went on a tour of Sevilla. It was semi-self guided; we were instructed to go to a certain location and find one of the CIEE guías, who then directed us to the next location. It was a great activity and a fun way to learn the city. We headed back to the hotel for the moment we had all been waiting for: meeting our families. As we stood anxiously in the sitting area, a huge crowd of excited hosts waited for us in the lobby. Finally they began to call the members of my group. The rest of us watched as one by one we greeted our señoras with a traditional two kisses on the cheeks. (To the left, then the right – a great warning so as to not find ourselves in an awkward situation.) My name was finally called and I went up to meet my host. Isabel, or Beli as she told me to call her, is absolutely fantastic. She is a seasoned host, which is nice. She is also a great cook, which is also good because I really like Spanish cuisine. We took a taxi to her flat in los remedios. As we were driving she pointed out where her daughter lives and told me about the rest of her family. She has three children and grandchildren as well. We arrived at the house; it is directly across the street from where the Ferie de abril takes place. I think I might see if I can live here the entire year, as it would be a prime location for viewing the Ferie, which is one of Sevilla’s most famous events. For lunch we ate gazpacho y paella, both homemade. I am going to be well fed this year. We went out again with our groups for tapas for dinner, and then we went to one of the biggest (and most expensive) discotecas in Sevilla.

Today was a pretty relaxed day. I walked to el Palacio from my house for the first time today; it took about 45 minutes. I wish it was a shorter distance, but at the same time I am so grateful to be living in los remedios. After lunch I was able to take advantage of la siesta. Siesta lasts about three hours and is a time to sit down and relax, or even take a nap, which is exactly what I ended up doing. It was great, and I can tell that my body needed it. I think I will use this time for my own benefit so as to not get too run down. Around 11pm a group of us met up to go to Calle Betis again. We found a little whole in the wall bar and ended up staying there until about 3am. It’s cheap and they play good music, so I think it will be our new spot. During orientation one of the presenters told us to take our time in Sevilla and make it our own – find a bar, meet los sevillanos, try something new…

I am so glad that I am participating in a CIEE program because everything is already paid for: meals, day trips, overnights, orientation events (such as the discoteca o flamenco) and more. It’s really great, and I can see how this will be a great year. Saturday is the day in which we will complete all our course information, and Sunday we are taking a day trip to Itálica to see the Roman Ruins. Before our actual classes begin we have a two week intensive language session. I am looking forward to starting my classes. They all seem like they will be very interesting and in my area of academic pursuit.