Hello to all! Yes, indeed, I have arrived safely in Sevilla. It feels good to be here, now that the jet lag has finally worn off. Let me tell you, the Spanish have life figured out. Siesta is the BEST concept ever! A good, relaxing three hours in the afternoon where they eat lunch, which is usually the largest meal of the day, when they spend the most time with their families, take a nap (which I have definitely taken advantage of) or they might watch a telenovela--a cheesy Spanish soap! And all the shops are closed except the bars and some pastry shops.
As for the speaking-in-Spanish part of this experience, I have to say, I´m not very good at it. I´m definitely becoming more comfortable being uncomfortable and way out of my comfort zone, however, it is very different here! The Spanish are very willing to repeat their questions once, even three times...by that time, I´ve found it´s best to make up an answer...they may look at you strange because it was probably no where near the answer they were looking for, but at least you aren´t there saying que? que? huh? Luckily, Kelli, my roommate and bff is almost fluent and much more comfortable speaking to the locals, so she has bailed me out of a couple confusing conversations. But not to worry, I plan to be my talkative self in no time!
It is very daunting being here and trying new things all the time. Last night at dinner, for one of the appetizers (tapas), we actually had duck patte. I was told this after I had already tasted it. I´d come to my own conclusion that it must be some sort of cheese. Nope. Duck patte. It was good though!---And my parents will appreciate this one: for lunch yesterday, we had tuna. No, not like the stuff out of the can that you can smell for days, but a pretty fresh slice of the fish. It wasn´t disgusting but that´s all I have to say about it though!!!
Earlier today (Sunday), we met our host families. Kelli and I are staying with Carmen, Manuelo and their daughter...Maria I think? I met her briefly...I´ll let you know on a post soon whether or not that´s her name! They seem pretty nice, we haven´t really been able to chat with them very much, they went out while we were eating and Kelli and I went to the cyber cafe, where I am now, before they came back. Strange? We thought so too.
Oh well! Sevilla is beautiful today! The sun finally came out after a very rainy Saturday and a cloudy morning. Everyone here walks everywhere, so while on our way to this cafe (which isn´t really a cafe...more like a room with computers, phones, and a big desk where they sell everything but the kitchen sink), we saw many people milling around, talking, strolling, just enjoying each other and the fine weather. This is such an amazing city. I have yet to feel unsafe--of course I´m always aware of who and what is around me, but I have yet to get the pulling behind my stomach I always feel when something is off!
The schedule here is going to take some getting used to! We have breakfast at a normal time, between 8 and 10 am, lunch around 2pm and dinner beginning at 9pm. Last night, we finished at 11:45pm and headed out to this really cool bar where I saw my first flamenco dancer! It was in a big room which looked like a gathering room of a medieval lodge, a guitarist, a singer and a flamenco dancer! SO much fun--we all made a pact to go back many times this semester! And another plus, it´s mostly locals (as far as we could tell) not very many Americans, so we´re getting the ¨the real Sevilla experience¨!
Well, I think that´s enough rambling for this post, more to come soon! I think we´re off to find some gelato--not Carmelo though, sounds like a good flavor, doesn´t it? Definitely was disgusting.
Tomorrow we go to UPO, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, where we´ll be taking a placement exam to determine which classes we should/shouldn´t be enrolled in...wish me luck!
I love and miss you all and can´t wait to hear from you!
God Bless!
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Hi Lauren,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your wonderful post. Sounds like you are off to a great start. Congratulations. You have already overcome one of the hardest obstacles in communicating in a foreign language--getting over the fear of speaking, or, as you so well expressed, learning to be comfortable being uncomfortable. I am sure that you have already discovered that most people around you are not only particularly patient but also extremely helpful. They generally will be pleased and impressed with your attempts at speaking their language. And you'll learn quickly. Sevilla sounds like a beautiful place, and I am glad your initial impressions are so positive. During the years I lived in Europe I never visited there, but perhaps one day. Thanks for the nice post. I look forward to reading and corresponding. Best, Dan Williams