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!! :)
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