Melanie En España!!

2005-12-16T10:47:00.000-08:00

I know I haven't been the best at keeping this up-to-date, but sometime this weekend I'll sit down (since I have tons of free tome) and write about my birthday & my trip to Italy!

Until then, I have a moment I want to remember forever...last night as Michelle & I were packing up the last of her things (I was adding colorful ribbons to her black suitcases as to make them noticeable as hers) Abuela came into our room, dancing a bit, and was jamming out on my iPod to Barry White's "Can't Get Enough of Your Love". She's trying her hardest to make it really hard for me to leave here. What she's really doing is giving me incentive to return one day :)

2005-12-02T03:09:00.000-08:00

It's been a long while since I wrote in this...a lot has happened, so this will be a nice thorough update to log my time in Spain!! I've put on the Christmas tunes on the computer & readied myself to do quite a bit of typing...

So the first weekend in November (3-4) we went to Granada. When we got off the bus we were at the Alhambra, the palace of Granada, which was once its own city. Granada is known for being the last Muslim stronghold in Spain until Isabel & Ferdinand conquered all in the name of Christianity. So we toured the Alhambra, & you can all come visit me there next summer, there are PLENTY of rooms for you to vacation in & you simply MUST see the gardens. They're beautiful! And there are so many fountains creating a sense of extreme peace & tranquility, which is something we all need in our lives!
After the Alhambra tour, which lasted a full 2 hours, we went to the hostal & hung out for a bit. Then we went out & did some window shopping in the streets before dinner. The streets with shopping are in the Arab district of Granada, one of the few areas to still have a strong sense of the Arab culture alive & thriving. The streets were crowded & there were lots of people selling things & making offers- it was kind of intense. A lot of my friends said it was like a watered down Morocco without the extreme poverty, which I have no intention of going to experience.
Then we ate at this great Moroccan restaurant. I had Moroccan cold pasta salad & then asparagus with cheese sauce. The food was so good. There was lots of flavor to the foods, filling our mouths with an overload of tastes! After dinner, we walked around & tried to find a churros & chocolate place that Shaina wanted to go to, but it was closed. :( So we got them elsewhere, then we went back to the hostal. We chilled there, chatting & laughing, I got a few phone calls from my family while they were at Colleen's wedding (wish I could have been there, Colleen!). Then we spent some quality time singing love songs from my iPod in our room...we rocked old school classics by Mariah Carey & even belted out some Rascall Flatts!

Saturday we went out early for churros & chocolate for breakfast (back where Shaina wanted to go originally) The hot chocolate we had was AMAZING. It was so thick, almost like hot fudge that we were dipping these churros into. We went to the oldest & (reportedly) best churros & chocolate restaurant in all of Granada! It was pretty great. We then took a guided tour of the Albicyne. This is an old Arab neighborhood at the top of Granada, with winding streets leading right to the Royal Chapel. Along the tour we stopped & looked at the Alhambra with the Sierra Nevada mountains behind it- it was breathtaking. The browns, oranges, and reds from the Alhambra were so rich in the sunlight, and the first bits of snow were starting to form at the mountain peaks! Simply gorgeous. It was from this spot that 2 important people have made notable comments:
1. President Clinton (when on tour several years ago) said that it was from this spot he saw the most beautiful sunset in the world.
2. As Bilbao (the Muslim ruler of Granada at time of conquest) was looking out at his fallen palace, his mother turned to him & said, "Do not cry like a woman over what you could not protect as a man"...yeah. Pretty great.
We finished the tour at the base of the Royal Chapel, where we began our last guided tour of Granada. Queen Isabel & King Ferdinand were originally to be buried in Madrid. However, 2 months before Isabel died, she requested that her will be changed that she might be buried in Granada. There was no where for her to be buried, so they began construction of the Royal Chapel. It was also her request that everyday for the rest of time a Mass be said in the chapel for the repose of her soul. SO everyday before the tours, a Mass is said for Isabel's soul. Amazingly, on the tour, you walk down some stairs to the crypt where BAM there are Isabel & Ferdinand's coffins!!!! Above the crypt is the pantheon of the two rulers. On most pantheons, a woman's head dips into her pillow a little bit because traditionally her pillow would have been softer. However, the dip on Isabel's pillow is so big that many people think it is because she had more power than Ferdinand & her head was weighed down with more issues.
After the Royal Chapel, Michelle & I decided to partake in the tradition that exists in Granada. When you buy a drink, you get a free tapa. We found, when you buy a drink, you get a tapa & make some friends! Two old men, Luis & Albeolar, offered to let us share their big tall table next to the window where we ordered our drinks outside. We accepted- they were at least 70, no harm could be done. So we being chatting with them, I talk primarily to Luis, all in Spanish. I learned all about his life in Spain, where he likes most in Spain, where I have to go, and his thoughts on how cold Canada really is. They order us wine, we get a tapa. This tapa is potato salad, red peppers, & fish. Really good. Then we're chatting, they start to ask for the check, & then stop & decide, we should all have another drink. I'd already had a beer & the huge goblet of wine, but it was really good wine-sure, go for it, Luis. We get the wine (white) & the next tapa comes out. Are you ready? It is shrimp- from the port of Cadiz, where I was October 1st. It's not cocktail shrimp...it's WHOLE shrimp with eyes, legs, the whole kit & kaboodle. So Luis explains to me, you just rip off the head, suck out the brains, peel off the shell, then eat the insides. I was *shockingly* not repulsed. I did it. I ate shrimp brains after being given free wine by 70 year old Spanish men. And I loved every minute of it.

That next week we celebrated Shaina's 21st birthday. She doesn't really like to drink, but she loves to dip things! So for her 21st birthday we had a dipping party at Starbucks. Everyone brought cookies or crackers or veggies & something to dip them in...it was so great! Michelle & I brought Maria Cookies (think...actually, can't think of a similar American product...shortbread cookies? hmm) and nutella. Nutella is a chocolate hazelnut spread that our family puts on breakfast croissants (small hot dog rolls basically). So since (as my Spanish family points out regularly) I don't eat breakfast, I only have it when I travel & Celia packs me one in my bag of sandwiches for the travel.
Then I geared up & packed for Belgium! My trip last Thursday began at 8am when I took the city bus to the last stop. I walked 15 minutes to the bus station & took a 6 hour bus to Madrid. I waited in a coffee shop for Ana to finish classes & then we went to the airport & waited for our flight. We took Virgin Express airlines to Brussels, where we took 2 short commuter trains into Leuven & met Maureen. It was really exciting to see someone from home. We walked through Leuven to her residence, a whole building filled with Loyola College participants in the Belgium program, which by the way- is at the Catholic Univ of Belgium, our affiliate school in Europe! We met people from Spain, Italy, Romania, & other US States in her hall. Then she gave us the Belgian beer she bought for us to try before we went out. Duvel is QUITE the beer. It's pretty heavy & I think she said was the equivalent of 3 beers in the US. I also had a Stella that night, which was much lighter & easier to handle. Then she took us to The Wink (think the Cheers of Americans in Belgium studying abroad). It was a cute little bar with good music & lots of her friends. We sat around talking & sharing stories, & then we went back to her place.
Friday we laid around & watched the OC (she has a friend whose parents record the OC, burn it to DVD, & send her the episodes...she claims it was part of her demands before leaving to study abroad.) Anyways, we caught up on some of the OC, showered, walked around Leuven & ate Pizza Hut (it was armistice day, so everything was closed...don't judge me). That night we went back to The Wink, drank some more Belgian beer, danced, & went back to her place after meeting her Belgian boyfriend, who bought our drinks, we liked him (not just because he bought our drinks, he was a nice guy, too!)

Ohhhh Saturday. After sleeping a terrible 4 hours collectively after drinking Belgian beer (liquid bricks, really) we got up, showered, & headed to the train station... we took the train to Amsterdam. Funny story: in Amsterdam there are beautiful Dutch buildings, the CUTEST children ever, people playing soccer & frisbee in fields in autumn weather (I miss US seasons)!
So Melanie goes to Holland! (musical interlude here to sing "All I Want for Christmas is You")
So we're en route to Holland- no plans of staying the night...no one has any clothes, toothbrushes, etc...Maureen's friends call. They paid for 6 for the hostal & it can't be refunded, so we're staying. We get to a center plaza in Amsterdam where there are tons of restaurants, bridges over some water, street performers...a great city it seems! We're excited. Maureen's excited as she sees her friends get off the tram. (cable cars run through the city!) We say hi! Ana & I opt out of the Heineken tour (I never want to have beer again at this point in my life) & adventure through Amsterdam, where we discover a great big field near the VanGogh museum, hot chocolate in the fall with leaves all around us, and some little streets that already have Christmas decoration in the store windows. We decide we should go back to that plaza. We find a map. We realize...we do not know any Dutch. We CANNOT read the map. Haha. But I remembered seeing the number 2 tram so we follow some tram tracks, talk to some AMAZING Dutch people & find our way to the plaza. But first, how did I ask these Dutch people? "Do you know where there's a plaza with restaurants & a lot of people?" I may as well have said, do you know where there are people here in Holland?
Ana & I got Mexican food for dinner at the plaza. Then Maureen wants to meet with us so we go with her & her friends to some restuarant for them to eat dinner. We order a coffe & everyone chats.
Maureen & her friends go back to the hostal while Ana & I decide Ben & Jerry's & tooling around Holland at night with the Christmas decorations & souvenir shops is a better idea. And it was fabulous! When we returned to the hostal Ana & I got a soda, talked about high school & went to lay down in the hostal. The room was nice (dormitory style with 12 girls) Most of the girls were our age our a year or 2 younger & there were lockers for personal belongings...o right, we didn't have any. So everyone falls asleep & I listen to people talking outside, someone snoring, someone's phone ringing, footsteps, I do not sleep...again. (cue extreme aggravation regarding my new found insomnia)
Sunday morning they all woke up & her friends had to leave. Then We miss the train by 30 seconds. We have to wait an hour. I went to get a soda. I looked at magazines, I bought a piece of chocolate, I looked at books...anything to distract me. We take the train back to Antwerpen & then Ana asks Maureen that we really wanted to go to Brussels & we understood that she wanted to go hang out with Amanda that we would call when we got bak to Leuven. Which we did...AFTER we went into chocolate shops, bought belgian waffles, saw the big square, took picture after picture, & saw the FATTEST pug EVER (there is a picture, fear not). NOW...here's the best part of chocolate shops. THey like to give out samples. While I only acutally ate 2 samples, the 2nd one was the greatest shopping experience of my life. This man says, "have you been here before?" I tell him I had not...he tells me I get a free sample. I tell him upon being asked that I like milk chocolate the most. And then he says, "Who likes caramel?" And like a 6 year old in Willy Wonka I reply, "I do! I like caramel!" I think Ana is STILL laughing about it. It was ridiculous. He told me it was the world's greatest caramel, I might just believe him...it was great. Our return to Leuven brought Maureen on her fietz (bike in Dutch), which by the way...THOUSANDS UPON THOUSANDS of bikes in Belgium & Holland...old fashioned ones, too, with huge handlebars! It was classic!!! We went back to her place, ate pasta & broccoli that she made for us, showered (finally), and then watched the very first episode of Sex & the City. They went to bed & I couldn't sleep. So I went on Instant Messenger for the first time in a long long time...and there was only 1 person online! So Stephanie & I chatter then I thought I was maybe ready to sleep. I was wrong. I was ready to lay in my sleeping bag tired but awake until the alarm went off at 540. I started my journey back to Spain & arrived here at 8:50 that night. It was a long weekend, with a lot of good things. I loved Belgium & Holland--they're so different from Spain. It was cool to get a sense of a different part of Europe. PLUS! I decided I loved Holland because Albany was a Dutch settlement & I felt a little at home there...plus I felt all lit up inside with my hot chocolate, leaves on the ground changing color, & Christmas lights & decorations everywhere.

I spent the next few days battling insomnia of nearly 2 weeks. I was finally gifted with some Tylenol PM & have been sleeping like a rock since.

This week has been an adventure in & of itself! I spent Monday morning in a Spanish emergency room after coughing myself into oblivion. I received chest x-rays & was told I had an extreme amount of mucus in my lungs (ew gross!). I was given some meds to stop the cough & break up the stuff in my lungs. Wednesday I was not any better so I went BACK to the Spanish emergency room with a list of things to tell the doctor. He listened & deemed that I had a bronchial infection & wrote a prescription for an antibiotic! Hoorahh! So yesterday I went to class & then came back here & coughed & slept & then Katie found me while I was at an atm so we chatted then I got ready for my Thanksgiving dinner.

The Institute held a nice dinner for us at "Fort Apache". It was JUST like the first Thanksgiving...Native American hosted event & I brought the disease. Haha bad jokes...but Colleen & I thought they were funny! My friend, Caleb, & I were at the head of the table which was a huge T. We were right where it crosses. We're kind of a big deal, what can I say? I was impressed with the food quality for Thanksgiving in Spain. I took some Tylenol PM & zonked out until I strated writing this email.

While writing I heard someone walking around...weird. I should be alone in the house. Why, you ask? Well, Abu is in the north country until this afternoon. She is visiting her INTERNET FRIEND. I can't make these things up!!! So who was it walking around? The family delinquent, Sofia. She has skipped school 3 days in a row now. She leaves as though she's going to school with Celia, waits until young Celia leaves, then comes BACK in the house...so weird. Then she smokes in the bathroom, leaving ash in the sink...and has hacked into someone's password on the computer & spends all day online chatting...who is not in school for her to be chatting with??? It's so weird.

Thankgiving night when I got home from my dinner my whole family called & I got to talk with a bunch of people! Cousins, aunts, it was great! Last Friday I went to my friend Katie's apartment so we could practice for our oral exam next week. She made us dinner! Saturday I went to Ronda with my program (our last trip from the trip package!!). We sat through an excellent presentation about bullfighting & then walked down a path into the gorge in Ronda...getting out was a bit trickier. People with 2 fully functioning lungs were huffing & puffing. I considered staying there instead of continuing the climb out for about 2 seconds...but it was too cold & windy.

Monday I returned to the Clinica de Fatima emergency room for more x-rays & bloodwork. I left with a new prescription for the 2 medicines I was already taking..awesome. It was a dark time. I've been missing home a lot since being so sick...I just wish I could cuddle up in my own house or go to Shaker Peds & have someone actually take care of me...and not have a language barrier between me & my doctor...argh.

Abuela has been squeezing oranges at night & heating the juice with honey. She then brings it to me while I'm laying in bed to help my cough stop to sleep...it's amazing. I'll miss her when I leave.

Ana comes today! We're going to Katie's apartment...she's making chicken wings for dinner! Tomorrow we'll tool around Sevilla, I think go to Italica if the weather is nice, and then a bunch of us are going out for dessert for my birthday! 21st! Woohoo! Sunday I think we'll go the Cathedral for Mass and then wander around the barrio Santa Cruz for a bit.
Tuesday I head off to Italy!!! I won't be back in Spain until Sunday. Monday I have an exam, Tuesday I have 2 exams, Wednesday I have a paper due, and then packing & finishing up until I leave early Monday morning! Albany is so close!

I've received several cards & packages in the mail for my birthday...and I'm waiting to open the wrapped presents from my parents until tomorrow!!! Yesterday I received 21 fun things from kate for my 21st birthday...how awesome is that??? She's the best! And I have cards all over my table in my room. It's very exciting :)

2005-10-28T23:06:00.000-07:00

oK. So I've been pretty busy lately, but this weekend I finally have some downtime. I have been really tired all week, so I'm taking advantage of my weekend here in Sevilla (first since my actual first weekend in Spain) & resting up for the whirlwind tour that is to be the 2nd half of my time here in Spain. I'm right around the 50 day mark, some day next week is 45 days...it marks exactly 1/2 of my trip being over, & 1/2 remaining. So far I've travelled to Jerez, Cadiz, Madrid, Cordoba, and Nerja.

Nerja was my absolute favorite hands down, no questions asked. It was absolutely beautiful; hot sunny weather, refreshing blue green waves crashing on the sandy coves & beaches, huge caves, big rocks to climb on, and amazing company was kept with me the entire time. In Nerja we karaoked, ate waffles with ice cream on the Balcony of Europe, watched the sun set over the Mediterranean Sea, saw a flamenco show (which one of our friends was forced into performing in!) with a very flamboyant dancer, frolicked (literally...there are pictures of my frolicking!) in the sea in October, hiked a long distance to journey through caves that were millions of years old, and saw perhaps the most beautiful landscape imaginable. The pinks, oranges, reds, purples, & yellows of these flowers in Nerja made us stop, take pictures, and continue to look at the intricate detail of so simple a thing as a flower. The trees were huge with extremely extensive root systems, and the white washed houses that were nestled into the mountains overlooking the Mediterranean Sea were my favorite. Who wouldn't love to live in one of those houses?

I went for a 40 minute run through Sevilla today. I saw the Torre del Oro, Plaza de Toros, Plaza Nueva, the Cathedral, the University, Maria Luisa Park...I saw it all on my run. It was nice--it's in the mid-70s here, which is awesome...and really strange considering Tuesday is November 1st! It rained a little on my run, but I didn't mind the cool-down. So I'm tuckered out from all I've done this week & in weeks past, so I'm staying in. There's no way I could have gone out dancing tonight. I'm way too sleepy...but it doesn't bother me! I've got a lot to look forward to in the 2nd half of my adventure!

Next week I head to Granada on an overnight trip with the Institute & my various friends through the program. Oh! That reminds me that I went on a tour of the Alcazar in Sevilla today! It wasn't as impressive as I'd hoped, but the history behind it is what captivates me. I love to hear that I'm walking in gardens & halls that Queen Isabel once walked through...how cool! So yeah. And then the 2nd weekend in November is my big adventure with Ana to Belgium to see Maureen! I am SO excited for this trip! I cannot wait! It will be a nice vacation adventure! That following weekend there have been a few suggestions, but I think the Straits of Gibraltar might win out, which would be a day trip, meaning I could spend more time exploring Sevilla. The last weekend in November is my last trip with the Institute, to Ronda. And who can forget what November brings? A Mel-abration on the 3rd (with Ana!) for my 21st birthday here in Sevilla, a trip to Italy, and home! What a great month. I've always loved December.

So! As for the family I live with here in Sevilla...

Celia the daughter has remained a constant. She has been the same since the very beginning, pretty chill, and an independent spirit. I think there's some real energy that she keeps bottled inside, but I don't know why.

Ignacio moved out, but frequents the apartment with his daughter, Celia, on a regular basis. Yesterday Celia spoke the English that she learned in school for me "My name is Marta" I told her in Spanish her name was Celia, not Marta, but she doesn't like talking to me or Michelle...so she just walked away. :(

Fernando & José Luis have been here approximately once a week to visit, & the highlight is when J.L translates single words for me. Today I thanked him for the word he translated & he laughed. We're best friends (not really, but he is amazing...his oxford shirts & sweaters...not to mention he drives a moto!)

Abuela & I are great friends. She laughs at me, and I'm finally getting comfortable enough with my knowledge of the language to speak without pre-determining every word out of my mouth, and have even begun to joke around with her! We have a blast, & I say hi to her all of the time when I see her around the apartment.

Celia the mother is one of the sweetest people I've encountered in my life. She really seems to care about us, and takes time everyday to sit & chat after dinner. She & Abuela still roll their eyes whenever Sofia leaves the room, or when she starts getting fresh...which is often. I think Sofia has been in 3 shouting matches this week with every member of the family. It's getting on my nerves..today it woke me up from siesta...never oK.

I knew it would be a long week for her when her phone & computer privileges were revoked (as well as her weekend) on Monday. She's pretty sulky, but I talk to her everyday & try & get her to chat with me. Celia told us the other day that Sofia wants nothing to do with American students anymore, but she used to love having them until just recently.

Abuela made us our own user name on the computer with a password, because she has removed Sofia from the computer & will not let her know how to get on. Abuela made me promise today not to say anything to anyone about what the password is, because they're "having problems with Sofia"...Abuela's wrath is the LAST thing I want to experience here, so the secret is safe with me.

Well, looks like Abuela's ready for sleep so I'm off to my room to read & sleep! I can't believe tomorrow is the Head of the Schuylkill race...Miche & I talked about our race freshman year on the Schuylkill yesterday...it all seems so long ago...but then again, so does my arrival in Spain...only a month & a half ago. Wow...a month and a half left!

2005-10-21T13:20:00.000-07:00

I guess I’ll start this one with flamenco! My classes are going really well. I am absolutely amazed by my professor…she has got to be at least 65 and moves better than all of us! She can move soooo quickly, too! Her feet are so fast that sometimes when I forget a step I find myself watching her instead of getting back into the groove of the flamenco. She recently started playing the castanets while we dance. Sometimes it’s hard to figure out how her clicks are on beat, and other times they help time the steps perfectly. The music is amazing that we dance to; I look forward to getting the music we dance to & bringing it home with me. I’ll have to research where I can find it!

Last Thursday I went to the club “El Doblon” with a bunch of the students at the Institute. It was an all-white affair. Most of us only had 1 white item, so I wore a white top with khaki bottoms…some people didn’t even bother to wear white…I commend them. I stayed at the club dancing for a very long time last Thursday. I arrived back home at 7AM Friday morning. I saw a bus running when coming back!!! It was amazing. Not having classes on Fridays & siesta make nights like that possible. Phenomenal.

Saturday was my second trip organized by the Institute. We went to Cordoba, which is just about 2 hours east/northeast of Sevilla. (read the last post for full details!)

Yesterday marked a full month of my being in Sevilla. I can’t believe it in many ways. On one hand, I feel like I’ve accomplished a lot since being here; if I had to leave tomorrow, I would feel as though I was fulfilled. On the other hand, I still have so much to do! I have my reservations for Belgium with Ana & Maureen, I’m going to Nerja, Ronda, & Granada all here in Spain, and then there’s the trip to Italy in December after my birthday! I can hardly believe it all…and in only 2 months time! It has been said before that living in Sevilla (Spain) is like living 2 different days in each single day that other people live. It’s true. We sleep twice, get ready twice, and do different things by the morning and evening. I am a student during the first day & a young woman living in and exploring Seville during the second day. And yet, I accomplish both of these things in 24 hours. It’s a really cool concept when you think about it.

I’m signing up for a second intercambio because Paco is MIA. We had a good first meeting, and he had suggested we go out sometimes & meet later that week, but I have not heard from/heard back from him yet. Therefore, I think my best bet might just be signing up for a second, that way I can have someone to meet with, and should Paco resurface, there’s no saying I can’t practice my Spanish with more than one Spaniard!

It’s strange to think that it’s already been a month since I left Albany. Today in my Fonetics class my new found friend Katie (from NY!) and I were chatting about being “homesick” and just plain old missing home & things about it. I’ve gotten past the homesickness, but it’s true that there are certain things that I love about home that I don’t know I’ll ever adjust to not having wherever I am. I’m the same way at CUA…I love to call home & just see how my parents are doing, what they’re having for dinner, say hello. It’s just the comforts of home, I guess, I miss sometimes. I miss having a dog big enough to actually pet & obtain affection from. Curro is so small that my hand is bigger than his head! When I pet him it’s usually with 2 or 3 fingers tapping his head…it’s weird.

I HAVE, however, reached a great point with Abuela. She’s crazy & I love it. She started a “regimen” (diet) last week & the very first night she got ice cream when she saw Celia bring some to me! So I turned & asked her (in as sarcastic a tone I can convey in Spanish) “How’s the diet?” And she laughed for a long time & then told people who weren’t in the room about how funny I was when I asked her about the diet! THEN yesterday I was reading the paper about the bird flu & walked into her room & told her I was terrified of the bird flu & she said I wouldn’t get it & it would never come to Spain. She promised me I’d be fine. And then we laughed about my irrational fear…God love her.

And Celia is just, one of the nicest women I’ve ever encountered in all my life. Last night she gave us big hugs & kisses & told us she’s always been lucky with the students from abroad, but that we were by far the best’s ever had. She likes that we enjoy spending time with the family & care about them. I guess a lot of students just think of the house as somewhere to stay, but I thrive on family…even in a foreign country, I guess! For example, I told Abuela & Celia all about my dad while they were eating & raving about his chocolate chip cookies he sent to me. Everyone was so excited that the cookies were so wonderful! And they were even more excited that my dad knew how to bake! I love it.

Travel plans: So Saturday & Sunday we’re going to Nerja, which is an hour beyond Malaga (think beach). There are supposed to be some amazing coves in Nerja and some fun little food places to check out along the beaches, too. We’re just staying the one night and then coming back on Sunday. I can’t believe that next week is the last week of October! Then the first week in November is the overnight trip to Granada with the Institute and then…..*drumroll* BELGIUM!!!!! I’m taking a bus to Madrid & then flying with Ana from Madrid to Brussels…where we then take a short train ride into Leuven, to stay with Maureen!!!!! We’re staying Thursday-Monday morning. I can’t wait!!!!
Then I have a week of nothing, then a trip to Ronda with the Institute (our last trip). The week after that (SURPRISE!) is December…my birthday!!!! Ana’s planning to come from Madrid to Sevilla for it (Celia said Ana is welcome to stay here…either on the floor or sharing my twin bed…haha). And 3 days later??? ITALY. I’m going to Italy with Katie. We’re flying into Milan & taking a train to Rome. We’ll be in Rome for Tues, Wed, Thurs, & Fri. Then Saturday we’re taking the train back to Milan to see some sights there & then flying out Sunday morning back to Sevilla. Travel after that? A distant land known as the US… :)

2005-10-19T08:37:00.000-07:00

On Saturday I ventured to Cordoba, an amazing little town just northeast of Sevilla about a 2 hour bus ride. We first visited the Mezquita, which was at first a Mosque built by Spanish Muslims in the 700s. Over 200 years of construction it was transformed into a Christian owned building, when the Christians conquered Spain. Surprisingly, the Christians did not ruin the Mezquita as they did many Muslim buildings during the conquest. ...the building was AWESOME. There were these huge arches inside the Mezquita, hundreds of them!! Double arches (not side by side like McDonald´s) but instead, one arch on top of the other, the one helping to support the other & help hold up the building. There´s a spot you can stand in & see all the columns that they call the "Forest of Columns". It really looks like a forest!

After the conquering of the Mezquita, the Christians transformed it into many small chapels & a large central cathedral with a high ceiling & rich mahogany (haha...that made me think of Ron Burgundy´s apartment smelling of rich mahogany & many leather bound books!) seats & pulpits. There was marble right from Spain on the altar & some fantastic stained glass. The whole building was completed within 200 years, expanded under various rulers.

After the Mezquita we walked to a tiny patio area through small winding streets (only wide enough for 2-3 people with arms outstretched!) to see an amazing view of the Christian tower of the Mezquita (which was built around the Muslim tower which still stands inside) through a narrow street. The buildings in the Old Jewish quarter where we were walking were all white with flower pots all over the sides. The view of the tower showed the perspective through many plants beyond the buildings...it was really cool.

Speaking of the old Jewish quarter, we next saw a small Jewish synangogue, which was no larger than 50 square meters (that´s not my size estimate, that´s what the guide said!) The synangoge still had original moldings on the walls & a cross on the wall from when the Christians expelled the Jews from Spain in 1492 under Isabel & Ferdinand.

Speaking of Isabel & Ferdinand (man...my segways are ON today!) I also toured the Alcazar where they once lived! I walked through the same gardens as they once did! The gardens were beautiful. I wasn´t really too impressed with the building, but it was used for many things. Other than a royal palace it was also a prison during the Spanish Inquisition (cue music from History of the World...)

We spent the afternoon walking around Cordoba seeing the various leather goods & other gifts such as Don Quixote paraphanelia, t shirts, post cards, tile & ceramic goods. And I spent a good portion of the afternoon being approached by gypsies who continuously asked ME & only me from my group if I "speak the English?" I told them no & kept walking. So what if my friends have brown hair & tanner skin than I do...I don´t look THAT out of place in Spain...ok yes. Yes I do. But it´s amazing just the same!!

2005-10-12T06:37:00.000-07:00

Madrid was amazing. It is HUGE. Lots of grafitti. But the Plazas are beautiful & the museums are just breathtaking. Salvador Dali was definitely disturbed. Luckily, he didn´t live in our times, for if he had, he would have been heavily medicated & none of his paintings would exist at present. And after learning about Picasso´s "Guernica" for years in my Spanish classes, it was slightly surreal to see it in person. It was just enormous. Floor to ceiling practically & SO long...just unbelievable.

So I´ve taken 2 weekend trips to other locations in Spain & each time have been happy I chose Sevilla to study in. Madrid may be really old with lots of history, but you have to search for it because of the huge city that has evolved there. Sevilla has become a city, but still has history everywhere you look...and isn´t nearly as crowded, dirty, or loud as Madrid.

I saw the sculpture of Cervantes above the statues of Don Quixote & Poncho Villa in the Plaza de España, which was awesome. Don Quixote is a big deal in Madrid, with lots of posters & artwork of him around every corner. We went to the Casa de Botin, famous for their Roast Suckling Pig. Some ordered the pig, I got some wonderful eggs with black sausage & potatoes & onions.

We had amazing food the first night! I ordered Tortollini with spinach & herbs. They were wonderful. But before our meals, the waiter brought us 8 Mussels with peppers and onions in the half shells. We each had one & it was one of the best things I´ve ever tasted. There were so many full and fantastic flavors! We had the best sangria we´ve tasted thus far that night at dinner & the waiter brought us after dinner drinks once we finished our meals, too!

We did some shopping on Saturday then we went on a cable car ride to a hillside to see the view of Madrid, it was pretty. On our way back we noticed something weird about one of the parks we passed over...there were very scantily clad women...spread out...and a car or two driving by & slowing down as they passed...come to find out, prostitution is legal in Spain & apparently that´s a prime spot for it in Madrid...weird. Then we went to the Museum of Reina Sofia, which was one of the best museums I´ve ever been to before. Picasso, Dali, Miro...phenomenal works in 1 building. Ana & I each paid 3€ to get the audio guides to the works in English, which explained a lot! That night we went to a small restaurant along a windy rode & got "Patatas Fritas & Chorrizo" Which are real potatoes made into french fries & spanish sausage. Then we walked around some plazas, saw street performers & then got Churros & Hot Chocolate.

Sunday we hit up the Prado for 2 1/2 hours, which was surreal. It was SO big. We didn´t even see 1/2 of it, I´m sure. El Greco´s works were amazing as were those of Velasquez. Then we went back to the bus station & rode 6 hours back to Sevilla...it was so worth it. Madrid was great.

No classes on today, it´s Spain´s National Day & we´re celebrating that Columbus sailed under the Spanish flag to the US...and Saturday is the school trip to Cordoba. Time is flying by here! Monday I had another flamenco course, this time we didn´t work on the move the requires you to move your hips...I told you all about that, didn´t I? The teacher laughed pretty hard last week when I just shook my butt instead of my hips...go me! It was really pretty amazing.

Monday I went to buy a phone card & then sat in a local cafe drinking a cafe con leche (coffee with milk) while reading a little Harry Potter & listening to Tom Petty. Then I walked to Flamenco. When I returned to the house we had a dinner of eggs with peppers, onions, &potatoes. Then I had a text message from my intercambio.What´s an intercambio, Melanie? Glad you asked. I am an English speaking student who wishes to further my conversational skills in Spanish. I am paired with a Spanish speaking student who wishes to further his English conversational skills. We inter-change/exchange help...hence, intercambio! The best news about it? My intercambio´s name is...... *drumroll* PACO.

So I met Paco yesterday. His eyes are full of life & his smile is one of true happiness. We talked for over an hour and a half, switching between English & Spanish as we deemed fit. We´re meeting again tomorrow (I think somewhere in the University...and seeing as I can´t find ANYTHING in the University, I´ll just say we have plans to meet tomorrow!)

Oh! When we got coffee in Madrid the employee asked what our names were & wrote them on the cup...my name? Naomi. I asked Joey, Caleb, Ana, Michelle, Noel, Kelsie, & Shaina to refer to me as Naomi for the duration of the trip...I think Joey called me Naomi once & Noel definitely appreciated it the most. The highlight of churros & hot chocolate was doing an a capella version of "The Final Countdown" outside the restaurant...love it!!!!

I can´t believe October is already half over. Less then a month until Belgium with Ana to visit Maureen...can´t wait!!! And JUST over 2 months until I´m back in the US??? Crazy!!! Plans are already being made with Mama Sinny to make sure that I have Diet Coke at my beckon call in the car on the way home. She proclaimed the other night on the phone, "You can drink Diet Coke all the way home" And people question why my parents are my best friends...geesh. Isn´t it obvious? A promise of Diet Coke all the way home from my mom (seeing as Coca-Light is NOT the same thing as Diet Coke...yuck!) and an email yesterday from my dad that said his famous chocolate chip cookies were en route to me!!

It´s rained here the past few days, which was wonderful for Spain. They have been suffering from quite the bad drought for awhile now. For almost 2 weeks "Spain´s Water Problem" was the lead story on every evening news show...then when it started to POUR during lunch yesterday, I thought the family was going to cry, everyone was so happy. But let me tell you, rain like this is NOT good for a student who walks 30 minutes to class & back everyday. Thus, I´ve been riding the bus a bit more. The forecast shows no rain tomorrow though...so that´s good! It´s still really warm here, which is nice...but gross with all the rain...yuck!

Well, back to do some more reading (I´m about 1/3 done with "Sense & Sensibility") and then Flamenco class...with my amazing pink shoes!

2005-10-06T18:28:00.000-07:00

This week I´ve had my first 2 flamenco classes...the music is amazing, what´s even better are the BRIGHT PINK flamenco shoes I bought with Miche the other day. Her shoes are orange with white polkadots...they´re both great pairs of shoes! Yesterday´s class was pretty great since we had a step to practice that involved moving your hips to let your feet move quickly...apparently...I CANNOT move my hips, but can only shake my butt. The teacher was laughing at me as I laughed at myself...it was pretty amusing from what I could tell. Abuela assures me it´s because it was just the first week, but we shall see!!!

We met Ignacio´s daughter, Celia, today. She is 5 & absolutely beautiful. She has big blue eyes & is SO tall for 5 years old! Ignacio went to introduce her to me & Michelle & couldn´t remember my name...because the family always forgets my name...what´s up with that???

Oh! Who is Ignacio? Hmm...so a description of the family would come in handy. Let´s start from the top!

Abuela (Grandmother: name: Celia) Abuela is crazy & I love her for it. She´s always on her mobile or on an MSN chat. The funniest thing so far with Abuela was when I walked by a room one night & no lights were on, but suddenly I heard a voice from the shadows. It scared me so much! But alas, it was just Abuela...on her mobile. She could have come in & talked on my bed...chances are I wasn´t going to understand her based on how fast she talks...or should I say...screams on the phone. Abuela doesn´t realize that phones carry voices, you don´t need to shout across the phone line...awesome.

Celia (Mother: named for her mother, Abuela) (Pronounced THelia) Celia has so much love in her heart to give...and she makes a MEAN bocadilla. She is very patient and seems genuinely interested in our broken Spanish stories we have to tell & is always the first to explain something we don´t understand. When she says, "hola hija" when she sees me come in the door, I feel as at home in Spain as I think I ever could.

Celia (Daughter: Named for Celia the mother) Celia is an independent spirit here in Spain & gives us a glimpse to the softer side of alternative teenagers. She has her own sense of style, usually short cut off shirts & baggy jeans, pink converse sneakers (similar to my pink flamenco shoes...we´re clearly destined to be friends) and she has her chin pierced. She´s really nice & will talk to us, even when we don´t make sense. Celia is 16.

Sofia (Daughter 13) Sofia is hitting her teen years with full force. She doesn´t talk to the family too much...but does talk to the dog a lot in a high falsetto voice very quickly. The family has indicated she speaks a language we may never understand because it´s the youth talk of Spain...and told us not to listen to her because of what she says. I don´t understand it though, so I "listen" anyways!

Curro (Dog: 3 years old. Small) Curro is the small brown dog that no one really likes except for Sofia and Celia the daughter (maybe). Abuela told us that she doesn´t like dogs...and doesn´t like Curro. I am personally not a fan of Curro because he entered my room last week & licked my hand while I wsa sleeping, which startled me & then I awoke to his cries. Boooo Curro. But he´s pretty cute!

Ignacio (40 something) Ignacio is Abuela´s son, Celia´s brother, & therefore the Uncle of the girls. Ignacio is finalizing a divorce with his wife of 9 years & has a 5 year old daughter, Celia. He seems to be a very loving father & despite my initial feeling that he was a bit of a lurker, I like him a lot more now. Ignacio is moving out next week & will be hosting a party at his new house for the family to see (Miche & I included).

So that´s the fam that lives in the house. And then there are Fernando & Juan Luis who stop by, they are Abuela´s other 2 sons. Juan Luis shows up in khakis, a white oxford, and a navy sweater draped over his shoulders every few days. He´s amazing. He´ll translate random words for us as though it was helping us understand the conversation....For example...there´s a whole Spanish conversation amongst the adults & then he´ll turn mid sentence & say, "thur-sday" as though that´s the key that unlocks the mystery of the rest of the convo...haha I love it!!!!

I came to the Institute today because I got a package from my parents!!! It says candy & medicine is inside...I can´t wait to open it!

Tomorrow I head off to Madrid with Miche & Noel, Kelsie & Shaina (our traveling companions from Cadiz), and Joey & Caleb (2 cute, nice guys we´ve befriended in our prgram). I can´t believe tomorrow night I´ll see Ana in Madrid!!! Our first Columbus Day weekend spent together is in Spain...I love it!!!

Did I mention I spent the 1st of October swimming in the Atlantic Ocean? If not, I meant to. Cadiz was nice for visiting for the beach, but the city smelled of cat pee (ew gross) and there were actually cats EVERYWHERE. Ugh...anyways. The time on the beach was nice, & it was sooooo hot!!!

I love that it´s October & is so hot out in the sun...it´s just amazing...as is being in Sevilla!

2005-09-27T14:43:00.000-07:00

By the way, I forgot to mention that Michelle & I have only been here 1 week and already are famous. We were in the newspaper today..a picture of us walking while we were out shopping yesterday!

2005-09-27T11:41:00.000-07:00

Here I am at my host family´s house typing away in my blog...in Spain.

It´s crazy, being in Spain. Walking past these buildings on the way to class that are just so old & magnificent.

So far I´ve had a stomach flu, a complete meltdown throughout the streets of Seville, (also in front of a professor, with friends, on the phone with my mom...yesterday was a rough day), a Heineken for 1.50€ a Corona for 1.80€ and Sangria at 1€ a piece down the street from the house I´m staying in.

I´ve seen the Seville by foot, bus, and boat, a bullfight, a Spanish dragqueen comedy act, way too many public displays of affection, myself & Michelle in the newspaper, and dark circles from exhaustion that form slowly but surely under my eyes.

This weekend I´m going to the Jerez wine cellars Friday morning with the CCIS (program through which I´m studying). Friday afternoon we are all going to a beach on Cadiz, and then Friday night I´m staying in a hostel with Michelle, Noel, Noel´s roomie Katie, and 2 girls from the program who asked me to go with them and if I knew anyone else who would like to go (Miche & Noel!).

I am acively searching prices to go to Belgium to visit Maureen the 2nd or 3rd week of October, and am most likely going to Madrid next weekend to see Ana!

Living with Michelle has been wonderful and eased a little of the homesickness, but let´s get real...it´s Melanie & I´m pretty homesick. Being in classes the past 2 days has helped to keep me busy & has moved the days along quickly, which makes me think that everything will go quickly from this point on...especially with the plans we all have to make some trips (Scotland is in the works, too!)

It´s time for dinner & then copying my notes into actual notebooks (most of the notebooks in Spain are graph paper...but I did find lined paper eventually...weird.) Then sleep. I´m more exhausted than usual...and while I nap at home, siestas are expected everyday here!

More soon! And hopefully one day I can load some of the 200+ pics I already have!

2005-09-26T12:06:00.000-07:00

Melanie is in Spain!