A few more things to add....

Hola otra vez!

I forgot to add a bunch of things, so here we go!

This past week, Adi and Jordan and I went shopping at the mall, and I got new shoes (they are nice!) and a fake leather jacket…so between my new shoes, jacket, and scarf, I can confidently say that I look quite European!  The shoes aren’t wide enough though, as always, so I’m stretching them by stuffing them with shorts, so hopefully that will work.

Last night (Friday), I went to a flamenco concert.  Miriam’s host mom sings flamenco and invited her and her friends to join, so a small group of us went.  It was absolutely beautiful.  It was a specific type of flamenco singing, but I can’t remember what it’s called.  Starts with an s though.  This type is much more emotional and you can tell the emotions the singers are trying to portray in their voices.  It was really nice throwing myself into a group of Spaniards like that, all Spanish, nothing else.  Which brings me to my next point…starting sometime next week, I’m signing a contract to only speak Spanish, with a only a few exceptions: when talking to family/friends from home, Thursdays from 8pm – bedtime, and under personal circumstances.  We also have to volunteer within the Sevilla community, which I wanted to do anyways.  I know that my Spanish has been improving already, but I’m here to mejorar mi español, to better my Spanish, so I’m making this promise.  Well, I’m going to try at least.  Last semester was the first time CIEE Business and Society (my program) tried this, and 10 people signed up, and only 1 person successfully finished.  What do I get out of it, might you ask?  Personal pride and a letter of recommendation from your program director.  DON’T WORRY THOUGH!  My blog posts will still be in English!

After the flamenco show, Adi and I walked home, ate dinner, and then met up again to go have a mini-bottelon (drinking in public outside, generally with music.  It’s illegal here, but you don’t get in trouble unless you are being rowdy, loud, and in a large group) with wine, followed by some bar-hopping.  It was fun, but just super cold out.  This weekend is hovering just below freezing, so it’s chilly walking around outside!  I got home around 02:30, and went right to bed.

Got up at 10:30 this morning and met Adi at 11:30 to go walking around for a little and then meet up with the girls again for a walking tour of their neighborhood and then ours.  He had to pick up a package at the post office, so we went to get it, but we were redirected to another post office, which was at least an hour away with our getting-lost shenanigans…but we made it five minutes before they closed!  We met up with the girls just on time, which was perfect.  We walked down the main downtown area of Triana, their barrio, into a huge market, really similar to an Israel shuk, and then walked to Nervion.  We took them by our school, and up and down the main road.  We say El Rey León, in 3D.  Yes, that was Lion King, in 3D!  I wanted to see a movie in Spanish, and seeing one I knew the storyline of would be helpful.  It was a fun experience, and the 3D was so cool!  Totally forgot how great of a movie that was.  After that, we hit up El Corte Inglés for a little bit, and then I walked the girls back to the main road they needed to get home, and I came home.

OK…those of you who are wondering how I’m doing with the whole being single and depressed about Marisa, here you go….everyday I think about her in some way, whether it’s something I see that reminds me of her, or someone asking me, or just thinking.  There have been a few days that I’ve crashed, and have been on her Facebook page or reading her blog or looking at old pictures of her and me.  No more.  Can’t take this depression and pain anymore.  I just unfriended her on Facebook, and sent her a message explaining myself.  I love her to death, but loving her still is what’s killing me now.  And I took her picture down from my wall.  Done.  No more depression I hope!

Going out with the girls and Adi again tonight.  It’s 22:30 here, and dinner still hasn’t been served….oh boy.  About an hour walk to meet the girls, too.  I can’t wait until my bike-pass gets here!

Talk to you guys soon!