Living la vida loca

I know I haven't written in a while (over a week!) but I have just been so busy. As you all know, Liz came to visit me!!!! I had a blast last weekend. It was so nice to have my roommate again, even for only a few days. So she arrived on Wednesday night (well technically very early Thursday morning) The Sevilla Airport website said that Liz's plane was early so I decided to go down to the lobby of my apartment building to wait for her. I went down around midnight but she didn't actually get there until almost 1 am. I was so nervous because she had no way to contact me and I had no idea when her flight came in (it was delayed, thanks for lying to me, Sevilla Airport website!!) But she finally made it and I was just soooo excited!! My senora was so cute the whole time Liz was here. Even though it was 1 am, she wanted to make sure I asked Liz if she wanted anything to eat because she would cook something if she was hungry. Thursday was kind of a yucky day. It rained. All day. (Have I mentioned that I HATE THE RAIN? Well, I do.) Also, I had class all day. I hope Liz wasn't too bored!! But Thursday night we went out for tapas with some girls and had a blast despite the pouring rain and that we were soaked. Friday morning we slept in and woke up to A SUNNY DAY!! I was confused at first seeing as the sun has been non-existent here in southern Spain even though it's supposed to always be sunny here. But anywayyy...we decided to go shopping on Friday because well, I love shopping and because Liz wanted to take advantage of the lovely rebajas (sales) here. We also met up with Lindsay and had some yummy frozen yogurt. Friday night we went out for drinks at my favorite place, La Plaza del Salvador, where a glass of tinto de verano is only 1 euro. Lindsay met up with us then too and then we got churros!! I don't think I have laughed as much as we did that night. So much fun! On Saturday it was another gorgeous day so I brought Liz to La Plaza de Espana, one of my favorite places here in Sevilla. And we also climbed to the top of Giralda in La Catedral, my favorite building here in Sevilla. I absolutely love the view from the top. That night we met up with one of Liz's friends who's actually studying in France this semester and was visiting Sevilla at the same time. I brought them to the bar where they have free flamenco, but I guess it's only Friday nights or we were too late, because there was no flamenco dancer :( But we just ended up getting coffee and tea at a cafe which was fun. Sunday was kind of rainy but we still met up with Lindsay in La Plaza Nueva. We sat on benches and people watched all afternoon. It was actually very entertaining. And then we got the most delicious hot chocolate I've ever tasted. That night we just relaxed because we had to get up very early Monday morning to go to the bus station. It was such a great weekend full of laughter, good food, funny jokes, and just good times. I just wish she could've stayed longer, like for the rest of the semester. But no, she had to go back to France, I guess she likes the language or something?? :)

Tomorrow we leave for London!!! Well, tomorrow we are taking a bus at 1 am to Madrid and then flying out to London on Friday. I am so excited!! This is my first big trip while I'm here and I just can't wait to explore London. I realize it's going to be quite a bit colder there (the temperatures are still like winter there whereas today here in Sevilla, it feels like summer), but Lindsay and I have so much planned, I don't think we'll have enough time to feel the cold. I can't wait!!! We don't have class on Monday so a bunch of people are traveling this weekend. It's such a great opportunity. It's going to be so much fun!! I love being in Europe where it's so easy to travel to other countries. What a life! :)

Rain, rain, go away!!

I didn't sign up for this. When I decided to study abroad in southern Spain, I thought, "Wow, this is going to be great! It's going to be warm and sunny all the time and I'll be wearing such cute spring/summery clothes because it's just going to be so nice out all the time." Well I thought wrong. It hasn't stopped raining here. I can't even remember the last time I saw the sun. Not only that, it's cold. Very cold. And I know all you New Englanders are shaking your heads and saying that at least it's not below zero here. But the thing is, yes it doesn't get any colder than 40 degrees, but it's not meant to be 40 degrees here. The houses aren't made for 40 degree weather. So even though you guys are dealing with temps much colder than here, at least you get to go home to a heated house or dorm. I go home and it's still 40 degrees inside the house. I didn't pack enough warm clothing and I really wish I had my rain boots now. I guess it could be worse. It could be snowing. But I just want to see some of the sun I was promised would be here. Another thing about this weather, is that the people here are so depressed and grumpy. They thrive in the sun and warmth. Also, it's never supposed to rain here so seeing as all we've had is rain for like a week straight, people aren't in the best of moods.

Well, with all of the complaining out of the way, I am still having a blast here! :) On Saturday I went on a trip to Aracena which is a town north of Sevilla (so yes it was even colder there!) The town wasn't one of my favorites but we got to go into these caves and they were AMAZING. I couldn't believe how beautiful it was. And the caves were so huge!! I'm so sad I couldn't take any pictures :( But take my word for it, they were spectacular.

Yesterday I went for a 3 kilometer walk with my senora in the morning through the park that's right near our apartment building. It was nice to get some exercise even though I walk about 6-12 miles every day anyway. But then we had churros for breakfast. They were so delicious. We dipped them in hot chocolate and sugar. Seeing as it's usually just toast and coffee for breakfast, the churros were such a treat!

Liz comes the day after tomorrow. I can't even explain how excited I am. There are no words. I have some fun things planned and it will just be so great to have her here. I have a feeling these next two days are going to go by sooooo slowly because I'm just so excited. I just can't wait. :) :) :)

I have to go now. I have class in an hour :( But after class Lindsay and I are going shopping and booking our trip to Morocco. Should be fun. I just hope it stops raining!!

Besos!!

Classes, what? Oh yeah, I came here to STUDY abroad...

Today was my second day of classes but because of block scheduling, I have now had the first class for all of my classes. I realize that Monday/Wednesdays are going to be my laid-back days. I only have 2 classes. My first class isn't until 11 and it's my writing class. I really like the professor, he seems really chill and laid back. And he told us he doesn't like to read, so we don't even have to write that much! He's more concerned that we're talking and able to converse better in Spanish. After that class, I have a little break until my next class at 3. Lindsay and I have that class together so we just hang out and eat our bocadillos (sandwiches) and then we have our Seminar class about living and the culture in Sevilla. This class is pretty much all discussion and you either get an A, C, or F so I think if I participate and do all my work, I should get an A. I'm done with class at 4:35 on M/W so I just go home and relax for the night. Tuesday/Thursdays on the other hand, are going to be rough. I have class at 9 so I get up around 7. My first class is Contemporary Cinema of Spain and it's at the University of Sevilla rather than at the CIEE study center like my other classes. I know I'm really going to like this class. I really like the professor and all we do is watch and analyze Spanish films. I then have a 2 hour break and then I go to my Women's Literature class. Again, I love the professor. She is just great and we hardly have any work for the class. And, one of the authors of one of the books we are reading is coming to our class at the end of the semester so we'll get to meet her! I'm so excited! After this class, I walk the 35 minutes back home to have lunch around 3:15 and then I leave at 4:15 for class again at 5. This class is called Art and Fiesta of Andalucia. This is probably going to be my hardest class, and I don't even think it's going to be that hard. We get to visit places around Sevilla and discuss the culture of them. It should be very interesting. After class, I will probably just go home for dinner and stay in for the night. So I walk and have to listen to a lot of Spanish so I know I will be exhausted. But it will be nice to not have class on Fridays :)

So we'll see how this semester will go academically. It's very interesting that we have just started classes and we have 2 week-long breaks and I'm done May 14th. It will go by very fast but I'm looking forward to learning a lot and really improving my Spanish.

London, baby!!

That's right, Lindsay and I are going to London in 3 weeks!! We booked our plane tickets and everything. I am so excited to go! Lindsay has a friend studying in London so she'll be able to take us around and show us all the hot spots. Planning trips is so much fun, but I am suddenly realizing how much everything costs and that I will probably have no money to my name when I return in May. I mean it will be worth it, but I just can't afford to go everywhere. There are possibly 3 other trips I will be going on. Two are through programs called We Love Spain and they give you a flat rate which covers hotel, transportation, and most meals. So I think I'm going to go to Morocco and Portugal. And also, we are thinking of going to Italy for a few days during Semana Santa (Holy Week) which would be really awesome. Like I said, though, everything is adding up quickly. So I pretty much am going to try to pack as many snacks as I can so I don't have to pay for food at a nice restaurant. There are these Chinese markets here in Sevilla which remind me of the Dollar Store back in the States, where you can buy food and other things for really cheap. So we'll probably stock up and just try to snack for the 3 days we're in London. I'd rather pay to see sights than for food. I have plenty of food when I return to my homestay, what's 3 days without eating much? It'll be so worth it.

So last night a bunch of us went out to a flamenco bar. It was really cool and you got to see a live flamenco dancer for free! Usually you have to pay, but at this bar you didn't have to pay anything (well, unless you bought drinks of course). The only thing is that we realized you have to get there early to get a good seat. It was super crowded! When Liz comes, I think I'm going to take her there because you can't come to Sevilla without seeing some flamenco.

I have my final exam for my 2-week intensive grammar class today at 3. For some reason I'm not as nervous about this test even though it's worth 40% of my grade. I'm just excited for this class to be over and to start my real classes on Monday. To celebrate finishing our first class here in Spain, my friends and I are going out for tapas y tinto de verano (tapas=small dishes of food, kind of like appetizers which you share with everyone at the table and tinto de verano=half red wine, half lemonade, it tastes very fruity and not much like alcohol at all which is probably why I like it so much!) I can't wait!

I'm not going to have tastebuds by the time I go back home...

I don't know if Spaniards have a higher tolerance for hot temperatures of foods or what but I burn my mouth about 5 times every day. The food just looks so good so I go to take a bite and it's like putting molten lava into my mouth. My tongue is always sore and burnt. The coffee, the hot chocolate, all of the soups are seriously 4327894237 degrees. I don't know how they do it here. Despite the food being incredibly hot, I am enjoying it all. Most of the time I don't have a clue as to what I'm eating, all I know is that I like it. My senora likes to feed me. A LOT. I think I'm going to gain back all the weight I lost since I've been here! Last night we had cookies. She has a tin with every single kind of cookie you could ever imagine. And she kept giving me ones to try. They were so good! And she has this Belgian chocolate that is to die for. I really have to be careful as to how many sweets I eat! But I figure I walk about 1 hour to and from class every day, so I guess I can afford it. Oh, also, there is a frozen yogurt place right next to the study center called Yogurtlandia. Best frozen yogurt I've ever had. I put nutella and strawberries on it. So good!! So to sum it all up, most of the food is hot but I'm loving it all. :)

SOUI!!!

So Liz and I have made up a new language called Franish, a mixture of French and Spanish, and the only word in the new language is soui, which means yes. And since I am one of the creators of the words, I say that it has much more meaning than just si or oui or yes. It is a very excited "yes!!!" And my blog is titled "SOUI!!!" because LIZ IS COMING TO VISIT ME IN 2 WEEKS!!! Gahhhh!! I am just so excited because I have been kind of lonely and homesick and I just miss her so so so much!! I am also excited because she might be the only person from home who will be visiting me here in Spain and I am just so excited to show her everything!

Since the last time I blogged, I have visited Córdoba which is a beautiful, kind of touristy, city about 2 hours northeast of Sevilla. We visited a mosque which was huge and just gorgeous. And we just walked among the narrow streets (even narrower than here in Sevilla if you can imagine!) I also walked around and shopped and overall it was a very nice trip. I still can't fully fathom that I am really here and get to see all these new and beautiful places. I'm sorry I haven't put pictures up yet. For some reason every time I try, the internet crashes. Hopefully they will be up soon, though.

I am still in my Intensive Spanish Grammar class. It isn't the greatest class seeing as it's 3 hours long, and like it says in the title, it's intense. But the final exam is on Saturday so it'll be over soon. But then I start real classes! I'm a little nervous about those, but also excited to learn so much and to really improve my Spanish.

I have also found that I am so much more tired here than I usually am. I'm not sure if my body is still adjusting to being in a different time zone or if it's from the fact that I'm walking about 1 1/2 - 2 hours everyday. All I know is that I wake up feeling like I could still sleep for hours. But I'm hoping that will pass soon enough. I mean, I am adjusting to a lot of differences.

Well, that's about it for now. I'm going to meet with someone to work on an oral presentation we have tomorrow about whether the media here in Spain is sexist or not. It's actually pretty interesting but I'm a little nervous to give a 5-10 minute presentation all in Spanish. Wish me luck!!