Hey Guys
Well, I know everyone is eager to know all about my adventures around Sevilla and the rest of Spain. I heard someone asked if I would keep a diary/journal, and while I am keeping one, it’s a bit too personal for me to allow everyone to read; however, I think keeping a blog such as this would be a wonderful way to keep everyone updated. I can write up entries on my laptop at the apartment, save them to a flash drive, and post them online when I have the time too. I am also uploading pictures onto a website, webshots.com if you have not seen any of my albums yet. In this blog, I will let you know when it has new pictures to see. So, whenever you have a moment or are wondering what I’ve been doing over here, just pop over to this blog and read up.
Let me describe life here so far. I have been here for over two weeks now! Time has really flown by for me. Everyday is a new adventure or challenge. I will confess: the first couple days were very trying for me. The culture shock, known in Spanish as choque cultural, is real! I was fine for the first couple of hours in Spain, busy meeting the people in my program and getting over the jet lag, but I did have a moment that hit home for me. It was trivial. I see that when I look back, but at the moment, it was a big realization. I needed conditioner to take a shower and the hotel bathroom only had shampoo. I went to ask the clerk if they had any. At first he thought I was talking about a hairdryer (secador) and then finally, after a couple of moments of charades, I thought he understood me and went into the back to get some. Instead, he came out with more shampoo. I went up to my room frustrated to the point of tears because the incident made me realize I would have to get accustomed to being misunderstood often for the next six months. The language barrier has gotten better though. Let me introduce you to some of the elements from my story.
The setting: I live in an apartment with Cristina, a widow, and her dog Rufo. Rufo is mostly blind and deaf, but he gets around the apartment fairly well. Cristina has four children: twins Miguel Ángel and Cristina, Jairo, and Javi. Javi is married and from the pictures she has shown me, he served in the military and fought in…Bosnia? That could be wrong. Jairo has a girlfriend and lives nearby. He has come over twice for lunch. Cristina, the younger, is living in Italy with her boyfriend and studying dramatic art. Miguel Ángel lives in the apartment but he works construction and so keeps odd hours. I have only seen him a couple of times. The apartment is somewhat small (although I think most are in Sevilla) but very accommodating. There is no carpet, only tiled floor which is used to keep the place cool in the summer. As a consequence however, it can get very cold and so slippers are a must. Anna, my roommate, and I share the bedroom that was Cristina’s (the younger) when she was a little girl. There are two single beds, a tiny closet and desk, and a window to let the natural light in. We also have a bathroom to share.
The apartment is quite dark. Spain does not have a way to produce its own energy and so it is imported. As a result, energy costs are high and the apartment does not have heat, air conditioning, cable or internet. We are only allowed ten minutes in the shower, but the water is only moderately warm, so time is not a problem. You jump in and out to get back into warm clothes! Cristina wants us to keep the window cracked too because she claims the ceiling will turn black from the steam, but we don’t believe her. We let the shower steam up the bathroom and make it warm for when we towel off, only opening the window after we have gotten dressed. Some days the water is warmer than others but it is still only lukewarm at best. Skyler would have a fit! One of the first things I want when I return is a long hot shower. Also, lights are only kept on in occupied rooms and the sunlight is utilized during the day. Cristina is always telling us to unplug appliances, like the toaster, because it would make electricity costs go up. I don’t know if that is true, but we do it to appease her.
Cristina is very nice. She’s a bit like a grandmother and has been acting as the mother hen for Anna after the accident. She is always telling us to take a scarf, keep our money in our pockets instead of our purses (Sevilla is known for its petty theft), and asking if we want another serving during dinner. I cannot believe it but I think I found a place that is more concerned with food than our family! Breakfast consists of two pieces of toast with jelly and a cup of coffee around 10 am. Lunch comes between 2 and 3 and is the biggest meal of the day. Cristina can’t quite understand how I don’t eat red meat or how Anna does not eat meat at all. Cristina did make the mistake of serving me ham one time at lunch and I ate half of it to be polite but then told her I was full. Dinner usually is some sort of soup with a side, although now that Cristina has discovered my love of pasta, she has made me tortellini and spaghetti.
We live in the northern part of the city called Nervión. Dad would love it because we are close enough to hear the yells from the stadium of the soccer team, Sevilla. There are two teams here for soccer, Sevilla and Real Betis. They are fierce rivals. As one of our program directors told us, soccer is a religion here. In actuality, the rivalry reminds me of UNC and State. Sevilla is the better team by far and has won 9 of their last 10 meetings. They won’t even play in Sevilla at the same time unless they are playing each other! One team is home one week while the other is away. Anyway, Nervión is about a ten to fifteen minute walk to EUSA, the tourism school I have my introductory class at and close to 35 minutes from the Universidad de Sevilla. The people from the group are spread out all over the city.
I have made friends with the people in the group so far. Anna, my roommate, is very nice and fun to talk to. She is also a big help when I need advice or when I can’t understand Cristina. She was skiing in Sierra Nevada over the Christmas break with her Spanish boyfriend, Albert, and some of his friends when she had an accident, fell, and broke her jaw in close to 6 places. She was in the hospital when I arrived and returned home soon after her surgery. Her jaw is currently wired shut but she can talk through it. On the 27th, she has an appointment to see when she will able to have everything removed. After, the doctors have said she will need jaw physical therapy (we have made jokes wondering how that works) and some cosmetic work to fix the teeth of her lower jaw. She is also a twin! She has a twin sister named Meghan who attends UNC as well. They were roommates last year in the dorm and are getting an apartment at the Verve when she returns. They seem very close. Anna is a sophomore like me and is the only person this year studying in Sevilla for two semesters. She is very brave; I do not think I would have stuck around after having such a scary accident. It is hard enough without having your jaw wired shut.
There are two girls from my program, Andrea and Angela, who live in my apartment complex and we have been going out together with Carolyn and David, a couple who live (not together) up the road from us. Andrea is in SAS (my program) and Angela is in LSCS. The difference is how much Spanish you had previously. In SAS, you are allowed to take classes at the Universidad de Sevilla instead of exclusively at EUSA.
We have been learning about the Spanish school system and education here. There is much controversy right now over the Bolonia Plan. I do not know if you have heard of it but I never had until I came here. Basically, it would be a complete transformation of the university system into one that more resembles what we have in the United States. Right now, Spanish students receive becas or scholarships which resemble grants or financial aid from the government that covers almost all of their school expenses. They pay less than 1.000 euro a year for taking classes at the university.
Well...it looks like I have run out of time, but I will post more when I have time to write this weekend. Love and miss you all!
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