Sleepless, yet wonderful weekend

This past weekend was a lot of fun!  On Friday, Adi and I went out to dinner with the other Jewish girls we met in the liberal arts program, and then walked over to Calle Betis (a street filled with bars), which is along a river in Sevilla.  We chilled on the river for a while and then went to a bar for maybe thirty minutes.  The girls were leaving for Grenada in the morning, so we split up at 00:30, and Adi and I walked back, and decided to walk to a park near his house and hung out there and talked until about 02:00.  The next day, it felt SO GOOD to sleep in.  There is no motivation here to wake up…it’s cold in my room, cold in the apartment, cold in the bathroom, cold water in the shower (well, only hot for about thirty, forty-five seconds), dark outside, and breakfast stinks (bread, and only bread, doesn’t do it for me….just have to get used to it).  HOWEVER – I am in effing Spain.  I’m so happy to be here that these downsides don’t make a difference!

            I was awake around 11:30, but stayed in bed on my computer for another hour, and then started my homework.  I wrote the majority of my two papers Saturday so I didn’t have to do it during the week.  To write them though, I needed to interview Spaniards on the economic crisis here, and about universities in Spain, for the other paper.  I interviewed the family, and José’s girlfriend, Sandra, so I got a lot of good information to use, but I needed more.  So I walked the streets to interview people.  The first man I interviewed, Paco, was walking his dog and wasn’t really interested in talking to me, but answered two questions still.  The next girl I asked was a student, and she just flat out said no.  I was walking by the university to find students, and there was a huge crowd of adults waiting outside the door.  I asked someone what was going on, and they said that their kids/friends were taking a huge exam (something similar to the GMAT/MCAT or something, and everyone was waiting outside for them to finish.  That’s so nice!  What a great tradition, I think.

            That night, I wasn’t planning to stay out too late because I had to be up at 08:00 Sunday morning to go hiking, but that didn’t happen…I had a quick dinner with the family and some of José’s amigos at home (frozen pizza…so disappointing), and then met up with a bunch of friends and walked to el Centro, and we went from there  to Calle Betis again, but actually stayed there until around 03:30, when we took a taxi to a disco, but they were charging a lot for cover, and we were all exhausted, so some of us got food from a burger stand across the street, and then went home.  Got to bed by 04:30…so a solid (nap) three and a half hours of sleep…wonderful!  As much fun as bar hopping was, and as much as I enjoyed my two tinto de veranos, and a glass of agua de sevilla, I was ready for bed.

            Senderismo (hiking) was a full day activity.  Left home at 08:30 for a thirty minute walk to the bus, which was about an hour bus ride – we all slept.  It was wonderful!  We got off the bus to ice and snow, not a lot, but enough to definitely be noticed.  It wasn’t really hiking as much as it was walking around the country side, but nonetheless it was still fun.  It was really nice to get out of the city for a while and hang out with some friends from my group.  Saw a lot of farm animals, trees, beautiful views, and a pig getting slaughtered....beautiful, right?  Nope!  There was only one major hill, but that was really it.  We got back early, which was nice, so I had to time shower and relax at home until I went to bed.  For about two hours after dinner, me and a few friends were Skyping and looking for the best prices on tickets to Amsterdam.  Finally, we got it!  Only bad part was my internet kept freezing, so I had to start the purchase over again a few times…and it turns out I bought two tickets to Amsterdam by accident due to the lag in the internet.  I called today (Monday) and had to speak to a representative in Spanish for about six minutes, which was tough because she spoke super superfast, like all people in Andalucía.  All done though!  I should have the money for one of the tickets refunded in the next few days…next trip I’m planning is going up north to Barcelona to see a friend, and, possibly, to Milan, Italy for another friend’s birthday.  I found some well-priced flights and trains, so once I get a confirmation from both of them that specific dates work, I’m booking it!  Travel logistics are a lot more difficult than one would think, mainly because I’m trying to find the best price possible.

            Last night, Lola and Marta were saying they weren’t feeling too well, and this morning no one was awake when I was, so I assumed they were sick and weren’t going to school/work.  I came home from class to find them in pajama’s still.  Lola just got back from the doctor, who said she has the flu, and both José and Marta aren’t feeling well, either…oh boy!  I’m going to stop at a farmacia this afternoon to get something similar to Airborne…or so I hope I can find something.  I don’t want to be getting sick!  I already have a tiny cold (runny nose) from the cold weather in the homes here.  Heading out to check out Plaza de España with Adi, Naomi, and Miriam in a little bit…talk to you all soon!

Week 2

Hola!  Sorry it has been long time since I’ve posted last…this week has been a lot more stressful and busy than I would have thought…check it out!

Lunes, el 24 de enero

First day of class was today.  We are now entering into our two-week intensive Spanish session.  Class is from 09:00 – 12:00 every day, with a good amount of homework every night.  We were assigned a 600 word paper due on Wednesday, and homework due the next day, too.  So right off the bat we got rolling.  After lunch, everyone who was applying for an internship here had a meeting, followed by some drinks to relax.  That night, CIEE was hosting a meeting for any non-Catholic student to learn more about what opportunities are available for them.  Sevilla is majority Catholic, in case you are unaware.  So Adi and I went and there were only two other girls there.  It turns out they are both Jewish, too!  SO EXCITED FOR MORE JEWS!  The four of us decided to go out to tapas afterward, and we played Jewish geography and just got to know each other for about an hour.  It was really nice.  People don’t really realize it, but we Jews are close.  Just knowing that we were both Jewish (and somewhat active, too) was the only icebreaker we need.  Miriam Ross-Hirsch and Naomi Gamoran are the two ladies.  At the meeting, we learned that last semester, in the fall, many Jews from Cordoba came down to hold services and a Shabbat dinner for those who wanted.  Sevilla has one tiny synagogue, made up of just a few families.  I plan to go at some point this semester.  So, at the meeting we were asked if we wanted to possibly go to Cordoba for a weekend for services…OF COURSE!  So our program coordinators are going to look into us staying in Cordoba with some Jews and they will pay for us to take a train there, too.  Wonderful, right?

Martes, el 25 de enero

Class wasn’t too exciting, once again…three hours of class at nine in the morning won’t usually be too much fun.  Oh well.  After class we went to the CIEE office in el Centro to register for classes.  I have class Monday and Wednesday from 09:00 – 12:30, and then one more around 3:30, I think.  I tried talking to the program director, Jaime, again about switching language classes to a higher level, but once again I had no luck. 

Tuesday afternoon we got a tour of our barrio (neighborhood), and checked out a gym where we can get a decently priced membership, 43€ per month.  The gym is too far of a walk though for me, so I’m going to pass on the gym; however, if I lived near there, I absolutely would.  It has nine floors, all glass windows, and the view is absolutely breathtaking.  There is an outdoor area, too, to workout in.  Imagine lifting weights four floors about the ground, or in a spin class six floors up?  Amazing.  Afterwards, we went out for drinks, but I passed and went back home to write my paper. 

Miércoles, el 26 de enero

The university doesn’t have printers to use for free, so I had to go to class early and go to the book store and print my paper (0.05€ per page).  After class, a friend and I walked to a travel office for students (“We Love Spain”) and bought a trip to Portugal at the end of March.  Most of my group has already been making travel plans, and I haven’t had the time to start looking, so I wanted to at least get one trip so far, so I paid 99€ for a three day trip, which includes an apartment and travel and shows, so I thought it was a good deal!  Every time I walk home, I try to walk down different streets, and this time I found a little shop  “Super Barato Bazar,” super-cheap bazar.  So I went in and found a scarf for only 1€, so I thought, why not!  Now I look more European!   After that, I came home and did homework, had lunch, and suited up for our internship interviews!  The interviews were at a hotel, and there were about twenty or so companies there.  I interviewed with four of them, I believe, and had more I wanted to interview with, but my fourth interview, with Finca81, I got an offer on the spot!  This is the first time it has ever happened to me, so I needed time to think about it.  Ultimately, I came to the conclusion that I would learn more from this internship than I would from others, which I would be doing similar stuff that I have done in the past (i.e. working at a hotel or elsewhere as a receptionist).  The interviewer, José, was really nice and really liked me, and I would be using skills that I have already (database management especially), so I accepted on the spot.  But I couldn’t tell anyone until we all knew…that was tough.  I was so excited!

Afterwards, I came back and changed, and went out for some tapas with some friends.  We went to Cien Mandiditos, I think that’s what it’s called….whatever.  Every Wednesday, everything on the menu (except for a few things) is only 1€!  That is the new Wednesday hang out spot…sandwiches and drinks (big ones, too) all for only 1€.  We then walked to el Centro for our Intercambio party.  An intercambio is a student exchange, so we get a Spanish “buddy” to get to know; however, not all of us have gotten our buddies yet, including me.  So I just had fun with my friends at the bar.  We also were watching the Real Madrid vs. Barcelona game (yes, same teams as last week, just at a different stadium).  They tied.  We left around 00:30, and got home and in bed by 02:00.  The next day in class, everyone was so tired.  Felt bad for our professor…

Jueves, el 27 de enero

After straining to stay awake in class, I went on a tour of the Iglesia de Sevilla, the third largest church in the world.  My friends and I had some time to kill beforehand, so we got some coffee.  I’m not a coffee drinker, but it’s actually good here!  Granted I make sure to get a café con leche (coffee with milk, so like half and half) and add sugar, but I still enjoy it!

The church was absolutely amazing….definitely a place I’m going to take Mom and Dad when they come to visit.  The church is the resting place of Christopher Columbus, too.  It took about fifty years to build it, and it looks like it…the intricate designs all over the place were absolutely mind blowing.  If you don’t have a Facebook, I recommend checking out my Photobucket account to see pictures.  Similar to the Alcázcar I saw last week, this was also built by Muslims, so there were a lot of similar designs.  Part of the church used to be a mosque, so the Catholics built on top of it to show that they are better than the Muslims, and thus had a single, ginormous torre (tower), called La Giralda.  There is no elevator here my friends…just thirty-four floors of ramps, followed by seventeen stairs, and an amazing view!  Sort of like climbing Masada in Israel…but much smaller.  The view was breathtaking – very few clouds, and you could walk around the tower and see all of Sevilla – check out my pictures!

I came back for lunch, then did some homework and went to meet a friend at Tea and Coffee to study, but it was too loud so I left for the library, where I began to fall asleep….so I just left.  I walked around more side streets, bought some picos, which are similar to breadsticks, but smaller.  After coming back, I studied some more and went to bed early – by midnight.

Viernes, el 28 de enero

Test day.  First warm shower of the homestay so far…so that was nice.  I have had cold showers every day, so I have been super quick.  Really stinks, actually.  I’ve asked why it’s not warming up, and finally they tried something else, and it worked finally!  I walked to class with some friends who live down the block.  Luckily, once we finished the test, we could leave, so we finished about an hour early today.  I walked back to the historic district (el Centro) to sign something at the CIEE office, and came back, bought an apple and walked around with a friend who I ran into on the street.  And…here I am now!  Blogging is tough stuff…finding time is hard.  I hope to post sooner than a five days next time….

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Pictures

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Los primeros días

Hola a todos!

I’m not a good blogger or diary-writer, but I would like to share some memories with you, and also so I have them to look back to!

Miércoles, el 18 de enero

I flew from O’Hare to Madrid, Madrid to Sevilla.  In the O’Hare airport I saw a girl (Aiden) in IU pants, and asked if she was from IU going to Sevilla, and it turns out she was, along with another guy.  We started talking and then someone else heard us and joined us, and then our group grew to almost a dozen people!   On the plane, I sat next to a girl who played professional basketball and was drafted to play for Greece.  She played there for two years, then quit, though.  Very cool regardless!

The flight was smooth to Madrid, and somewhat empty, so Jamie (basketball player) went to another row with empty seats and I had two seats, which was nice!  Eight hours to Madrid, then an hour to Sevilla in a tiny plane.  Arriving to lots of sun and beautiful scenery, here we are!

Our flight was one of the earlier ones, so all of us just walked around the city for a little after we dropped our bags off at the hotel and checked-in with CIEE (our program).  After that was lunch, which we were all starving for!  Next, I walked around some more with some new people, who just arrived.  A bunch of people took a siesta (nap), but I tried not to so I can fall right to sleep.  After the second walk, I chilled in the hotel for a little and then finally Adi (my best friend, also from IU) arrived!  He and I and a few others went for a walk, and then stopped for a little and grabbed some beers.

As you probably know, I don’t drink much; however, I choose not to because Americans have the tendency to drink to get drunk (often…well, at least at my age); that’s not how it is here, though.  The drinking age in Spain is 18, and people casually drink together as a social event.  It was nice to not have the stigma of getting buzzed or wasted, so the beers were nice!  We bought a cubo de cervezas (bucket of beers), which had five beers for 3£, and there five of us so that was perfect!

After dinner, we met with our groups for orientation for a little and got to know each other.  After that, most of the group went out to the bars to watch the Real Madrid vs. Barcelona game (HUGE game in Spain), but I stayed back with Alex and a few others.  It ended up just being her and I playing cards though and watching the game, which was nice.  I was too tired to do anything active.  Went to bed around 1:30ish, and first night in Spain…DONE!

Jueves, el 19 de enero

Today we had breakfast (buffet of juices, espressos, lot of toast, fruits, pastries, yogurts, and a lot of meat) then got a short tour of where our classes will be, followed by a brief introduction to the program.  Lunch was at the cafeteria in our university, la Universidad de Sevilla, followed by lunch.  Right before we left for lunch though, we got information on our homestays.  I learned that I have a mom, Lola, who is 50 years old and, from my understanding, works in an office similar to that of the IRS in the US.  José, the son, is 21 years old and then Marta, the daughter, who just turned 10 last week.  They have hosted students many times before, but this is the first time they are hosting a boy, which they seem to like so far (especially José)!  According to them, I speak the best Spanish from the start of the program in comparison with their other girls, which is great to hear.  I spoke with Lola about my dietary restrictions, and she was more than happy to accommodate!  From my first interactions with them, I feel so lucky to be a part of this family.  They are so loving of one another and so family-oriented, and are so welcoming and fun to talk to, I just fell in love.  So happy here!  Sevilla is divided into multiple barrios (neighborhoods), and mine is Nervión, which is a little nicer and closer to the university than most.

We then had an oral Spanish interview to check our oral competency, which I thought I did very well on, and so did the professor I interviewed with.  After that, I had time to walk around the city again for a little, until we left to tapear (to eat tapas) at night, followed by a flamenco show.  Dinner was great…except for the fact that my chicken dish never came.  So I picked a little bit at other dishes, but not a lot because they all had pork or shellfish.  I also had a Coca-Cola, which was so much better than the Coke’s in the US!  Real sugar here!  The flamenco show afterwards was absolutely amazing!  Their feet moved so quickly, and the music and rhythms were very pretty, yet tough to follow.  After all of this, we walked back to the hotel and a dozen of us went out to the same bar I went to yesterday afternoon to get some more cubos de cervezas, but we got there at 00:08, and they closed at 00:00 (midnight).  Oh well.  So some of us went back and just went to bed. 

Viernes, el 20 de enero

Check-out day!  Bags were packed and ready to go before breakfast, and we from there walked to the university for a more orientation sessions.  I had twenty minutes before we needed to leave for the university though, and a friend that I made (Katie) wanted to get flowers for her host family, so I ran around with her finding a flower shop.  We found one inside a small meat and fish market, and I bought some too…a beautiful bouquet with an accent colored flower for only 5£!  Nextly, we finally met our families!  While we were waiting, we received the results from our interviews, and mine was disappointing….I was put into the second lowest language group, which meant I needed to take a Spanish class…meaning I can’t take one class that I wanted to take.  I’m not cocky, but in comparison to the other students on my program, my oral Spanish is extremely strong.  Everyone was so surprised when I told them this….oh well.  I’m going to talk to my professor in class tomorrow to see if I can do anything about it, or if there was a mistake.

Lola is here!  My group’s tour guide, Sara Bellido (un sevillano, a Spaniard), informed me and helped me carry out my suitcases and bags, and everyone “awww’d” and clapped at the fact that I bought flowers.  After she picked me up, we picked the kids up from the house and from school, and went grocery shopping for lunch, which was pasta with an alfredo sauce with black olives and mushrooms, along with a salad.  She also bought olives (aceitunas) that were seasoned with oregano….que rico!  (so delicious!).  I relaxed and unpacked for a little then we had to meet a guide at a corner nearby to walk back for more orientation stuff.  After that, we all went out to tapas again around 20:30, and once again, my chicken didn’t come.  At this point in the trip, I’ve been feeling light-headed from lack of food that I can comfortably eat, so I tried someone’s pork…not a fan.  I’ll try jamón (ham, but nicer than the deli kind), but after that I’ll stop if I don’t like it.  There is a lot, and I mean A LOT, of pork here, along with shellfish, making it difficult for me to find food that is filling.

After tapas, we went to an outdoor bar with about hundred people there, then walked to O’Neills, an Irish pub near most of our homes, where they were giving free beer for an hour to anyone in a CIEE program – why not!  It was a lot of fun there (only had one beer…not good.  Sort of like Keystone or Netty Light…yuck!).  Around 01:00 we left for a discoteca (dance club), and stayed there for another hour-ish.  All of us were so exhausted from walking around all day, so a bunch of us left for home.  Some took a taxi, and some walked.  I walked with a few other people, and walked the girls home first…and got lost for the first time!  Took me about an hour to get home, versus thirty minutes…oh well.  Asleep by 04:00.

Sábado, el 21 de enero

In the morning, we had an optional tour of El Centro (the older neighborhood in Sevilla), followed by drinks with our group.  After that, I came home for lunch around 15:00, which was fried fish and was so yummy!  Don’t ask me what kind, because I don’t know the translation, except the smallest fish was anchovies, which we eat everything but the heads and tails.  Afterwards, a small group of friends and I went shopping, ir de compras.  Many people still needed phones, and I just went for fun.  After shopping, we went to a café and some people got beers and some got coffee.  I got a cappuccino that came with chocolate ice cream in in it…yummy! 

That night was the big fútbol (soccer) game between Sevilla vs. Betiz (the other Sevilla team).  This rivalry is huge, like Cubs vs. White Sox, IU vs. Purdue, Yankees vs. Red Sox.  But bigger than all of those.  And combine the importance of all of the Chicago sports teams…and that’s about how huge and important this game was.  There were riot police outside the stadium near the mall we were at (the game wasn’t even at that stadium…).  Also, the Sevilla team was leaving from the hotel across the street at 20:00, so my friends and I made sure to be there by then to watch.  They are celebrities!  It was awesome getting in the excitement of it all!

We returned home for dinner around nine from there, but we didn’t eat until ten…and so far, my favorite, and simplest, meal: Tortilla Española.  Simply, it’s like a huge omelet, with potato’s in it.  But imagine the omelets from Walker Bros…the super puffy, fluffy, light ones.  Now add in some sautéed potatoes, and some seasoned tomatoes and olives on the side, along with some bread….que rico!

I ran after that to O’Neills again, where we meeting up to watch the game.  It ended up being a tie game, 1 – 1.  We left there and went to another bar, Tea and Coffee….interesting name, right?  We stayed there for a few hours and then headed home.  Once again, I walked a girl home.  The streets of Seville at night aren’t the safest, and at IU I try to always walk home girls or make sure they get back safely, so a friend from IU, Tommaso, and I walked another friend, Lauren, home.  She said she lives in the same neighborhood as me, which she does…but she is on the complete other end of the barrio.  So instead of a ten minute walk home from the bar, it was about an hour….oy.  Then I get home and José and his friends are over drinking, so I finally got to meet them.  They were nice and fun to hang out with, but I wanted to go to bed…and they were hanging out in the living room, which I have to walk through to get to my room, so I didn’t even bother going to bed until they left around 05:00.  And woke up at 09:00 for the next tour….

Domingo, el 22 de enero

This morning we got a tour of el Alcazar, the palaces where some kings lived, I believe.  It was very interesting…one of the most beautiful architectural works I’ve ever seen.  We walk in to a humongous garden, with orange trees, palm trees, and more.  Beautiful fountains and buildings, and very well done landscaping.  The designers of the buildings were Muslims, which is what intrigued me most about the palaces.  If you are unaware, Sevilla is known for a large history between Jews, Muslims, and Catholics.  All over the tile, hand-painted walls were the same five colors: green, yellow, black, white, and blue – all with significance to the Muslims.  And because the Muslims were designing the building for non-Muslims, they inscribed many messages into the walls, which simply looked like a very unique design on walls.  Many Jewish stars were on the walls, too, along with other symbols.

Afterwards, a group of about a dozen of us went to a café to relax.  I had my first café con leche, coffee with milk (almost half-coffee and half-milk, which is why I liked it!).  I’m not a big coffee drinker, but you know what they say: “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.”

We just finished eating lunch – chicken with potatoes and salad.  Nothing else is planned for today except relaxing and catching up on things I need to do before class starts tomorrow.  We begin the semester with three hours a day of Intensive Spanish, for two weeks straight.  After that, our semester begins.  I start at 09:00 everyday…not the best, but oh well!  I’m only ten minutes away from the building.

I just had some tea with Lola and Marta.  She put orange rinds and canela (cinnamon) in the water with black tea – delicious!  The food and drink has yet to put me down…except for the kosher dilemma.  Off to park with some friends!  Hope everyone is doing well back in the states.