Classes, trips, and more!

We're in the midst of midterms here in Sevilla. Thankfully the weather is beautiful, so it makes up for it. My classes are going well for the most part.

Contemporary Spanish Literature: I love this class!!! My professor is amazing and I really am enjoying the books we're reading. We read 'San Manuel Bueno, martir' by Miguel de Unamuno and I think it might be one of my favorite books. I read it not once, not twice, but three times!! That's a first for me... I never read books more than once, but this one was great!

Novel and Cinema: At first I was feeling a bit iffy about this class, but now I am enjoying it more. I think because I have such an extensive background now in literature (I have taken a dozen literature classes in college!!) It's interesting to see how the written works are translated onto the screen. The class also gives me a chance to familiarize myself a bit more with Spanish film.

Contemporary Latin American Poetry: Thanks to my poetry class I am really starting to understand poetry at a different level. Before I felt kind of apathetic about poetry, but it's actually really interesting! We've just finished Cesar Vallejo, but the poet I am most excited about is Nicolas Guillen. I think that's on schedule for the last week of March... We'll see.

Social Justice and Community Service Practicum: As part of this class I have to do work in the community; I am tutoring at a school in the ghetto of Sevilla, Poligono Sur. The students are mostly gitanos so it's a good experience to work directly with the main marginalized community. I'm tutoring in English, and it's really fun! The kids are about twelve and thirteen years old. They are super eager to learn and love to hear me talk. It's a very rewarding experience and reminds me why I am gettin my teacher's licensure. Many times when we study theory I forget about the joy of working with children.

Methodology of Teaching Spanish as a Foreign Language: This is my least favorite class, but it is interesting sometimes to see the theory behind the foreign language classes I had in middle school and high school.

In January a girl named Marta from Triana, Sevilla went missing. Three weeks after she disappeared her ex-boyfriend confessed to killing her. They have been looking for her body ever since, and it's a huge deal here in Spain, but in Sevilla in particular. One of my professors offered us an opportunity to volunteer with the group 'Todos Somos Marta', which is trying to change the law to be tougher on criminals. We went last Friday and worked at a table to collect signatures. Hundreds of people are signing to change the law, so hopefully it will actually happen. While working my professor brought two men over to our table. They looked familiar and then I realized why: it was Marta's dad and uncle. It was very powerful to meet them, although I had no idea what to say to them. I feel so badly for the family, and all they want to do is recover her body and bring this boy to justice.

A friend from Mt. Holyoke who studied in Sevilla last year is visiting this week. I had a chance to spend some time with her yesterday and we're going to go out tonight. It's so nice having someone from home here! I wish you could all come...

I have a few trips planned for the coming weeks... I'm traveling almost every week until I go home! Crazy, but it'll be worth it. This weekend we have Salamanca with my program. It's a trip for the all-year students only. I'm looking forward to it. Next weekend I am going to Galicia with two friends; Galicia is the region above Portugal. We'll be going to La Coruna and Santiago de Compostela. The next week is Semana Santa, so I am going to Italy to visit my family in Milan and Sanremo. It'll be great to see them! In April I am going to go to Cordoba to visit my professor from Mount Holyoke. And then the last week of April is Feria, and I am thinking of going to Lisbon. Soon enough I will be headed home!

Fewf, that was quite an update! Hope all is well!! :)

Update

Everything here is going pretty well, although I have had the stomach flu (or something like that) for about three weeks. UGH. On top of that it started raining today. I guess Spain needs the rain, but it sure does put a damper on things... Just last week it was about 70 degrees!

I am enjoying Sevilla much more than last semester. My cousin is doing a studying abroad program here as well, and living in Triana. I have been able to spend some time with her and it has been great to catch up. I am liking my classes so far, all five of them. I have been able to get to know a few of my professors quite well, and I get sad thinking that in less than three months I will be leaving them.

On a happier note, I am taking sevillanas classes!! Sevillanas is the type of flamenco that they dance at the Feria. It's really fun, although I am super bad at it. Speaking of Feria, I am sitting at my house looking out right now as the Feria grounds are slowly being transformed from a bunch of cement, to magnificent fair grounds. They are constructing the "door" as I am writing. What a view!

Last weekend was Carnival in Cadiz. Of course I got dressed up for that; I recycled my Halloween costume, and lo and behold, it was a hit again! I can't tell you how many times the Spaniards broke out in their "Yo soy espanol, espanol, espanol!" song.

If you have a moment or two, check out the site for the magazine I wrote for last semester... My article is the one with the Golden Gate Bridge picture... (I think it's number 4)
http://www.ciee.org/masmenos/

News from Mt. Holyoke: Our president, Joanne "JoJo" Creighton is stepping down in June of 2010 after what will be a 15 year presidency. I'm still not too sure what to think of this.
http://www.mtholyoke.edu/offices/comm/pres/president.html
She has brought Mt. Holyoke so far in such a short amount of time, and has truly been an amazing leader. Although I will graduate when she is about ready to step down, her leaving Mt. Holyoke is going to play a huge part in the college's coming years.

I just added a few photos from Winter Break to my flickr account, which you can find on the right side of the screen. Sorry the photos are out of order... There are some from Inauguration and a few from London. I haven't really taken too many pictures yet in Spain.

Hasta luego!