Here's the web address for photos
http://lavidasevillana2010.shutterfly.com/
Friday, September 10, 2010
Seville
I have finally moved in to my new home in Seville :) I live with a very nice young couple with a three year old daughter! Her name is Talía and she is almost completely bilingual and working towards becoming trilingual! My host mom is actually from Nebraska but has not yet spoken a word of English to me, she is very adamant that I speak only in Spanish because she understands what it is like to acclimate to a different language and culture. My host father is native to Seville and is working towards becoming a police officer because in Spain, if you work for the government, (police, social work, sanitary services etc), you are guaranteed your job for life! The apartment they have is very small but comfortable, I have my own room with a small patio outside where clothes are hung to dry, (it is so hot in Spain that owning a dryer is a waste of energy and money).
The city of Seville is beautiful and very historic, I walk about 15 minutes to the University and every day I walk by La Giralda and La Catedral, two incredible monuments that have stood for hundreds of years. I feel as though I am in a movie walking down cobblestone streets lined with brightly colored buildings and impossibly small cars. Everywhere I go I still look like a tourist because I can't help it but to gawk at the beautiful scenery; I am trying to blend but pelo rubio (blonde hair) and freckles don't help much.
Assimilating to the language has been a bit of a challenge since the Andalusian accent is so strange, it sounds as though they speak with with a lisp because "c" and "z" are typically not pronounced. To top it off, Sevillanos like to speak direct and to the point, so it is common for people to drop letter and sometimes even entire syllables in order to communicate faster. My house father told me that if you can understand Andalusian Spanish, you can understand any type of Spanish simply because it is so fast and so fluid. I hope he is right because in this past week, I feel like someone hit the reset button on my Spanish skills!
Next week I start my intensive session, which is basically a grammar class condensed into two weeks before the regular semester begins. I am so thankful for the chance to really get used to the language before taking 4-5 classes this semester! Tonight I go to a meeting about extracurricular activities within the university like Flamenco dancing, fútbol and volunteer work; I need all the opportunities I can get to practice my Spanish!
The city of Seville is beautiful and very historic, I walk about 15 minutes to the University and every day I walk by La Giralda and La Catedral, two incredible monuments that have stood for hundreds of years. I feel as though I am in a movie walking down cobblestone streets lined with brightly colored buildings and impossibly small cars. Everywhere I go I still look like a tourist because I can't help it but to gawk at the beautiful scenery; I am trying to blend but pelo rubio (blonde hair) and freckles don't help much.
Assimilating to the language has been a bit of a challenge since the Andalusian accent is so strange, it sounds as though they speak with with a lisp because "c" and "z" are typically not pronounced. To top it off, Sevillanos like to speak direct and to the point, so it is common for people to drop letter and sometimes even entire syllables in order to communicate faster. My house father told me that if you can understand Andalusian Spanish, you can understand any type of Spanish simply because it is so fast and so fluid. I hope he is right because in this past week, I feel like someone hit the reset button on my Spanish skills!
Next week I start my intensive session, which is basically a grammar class condensed into two weeks before the regular semester begins. I am so thankful for the chance to really get used to the language before taking 4-5 classes this semester! Tonight I go to a meeting about extracurricular activities within the university like Flamenco dancing, fútbol and volunteer work; I need all the opportunities I can get to practice my Spanish!
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Madrid
Madrid es fantastico! I have been in Madrid for just two days and I don't want to leave! I am staying in a nice youth hostel close to the Plaza del Sol which is considered to be the heart of Madrid. The architecture is literally unreal, and the people are very friendly and helpful.
The hostel here provided a free 3 hour walking tour around Madrid which I attended and learned so much. It is really incredible to see the result of Moorish, (Arabic) influence in one half of the city and the contrasting European/Christian influence in the other half. I am learning that Spanish culture is essentially a hybrid Arabic and English influences.
The food here is so rich and delicious. In the afternoon and into the evening we go out for tapas, which are basically small appetizer type dishes that you can get for a very discounted price when you buy a drink at the bar. Most people go out for Tapas during siesta, (a 3-4 hour break in the day between 2 and 6 where most small businesses close down), and into the evening. Tapas began as a slice of bread placed on the top of a drink in order to prevent the dust from polluting your drink; slowly, many bars and restaurants went one step further and added meat and cheese to the bread in order to attract customers! Now it is a widespread, sometimes daily social event.
I have met so many nice people from all over the world in my hostel, and tonight a group of us plan to cruise the streets as the night transforms the city into one big fiesta. Madrid feels like a different place when the sun goes down. Tall white buildings are lit with florescent purple, green and red lights, and tapas bars begin to appear out of nowhere. With literally hundreds of bars, people everywhere and such beautiful lighting, I thought that I had managed to come to Madrid during a special celebration; but I quickly learned that this is how the Madrileños celebrate every weekend!
Tomorrow I will board the AVE train to Seville where my program will begin. AVE stands for Alta Velocidad Española which is essentially a high speed train, up to 180 mph! I regret leaving Madrid so soon but I can't wait to see what Seville has in store for me.
The hostel here provided a free 3 hour walking tour around Madrid which I attended and learned so much. It is really incredible to see the result of Moorish, (Arabic) influence in one half of the city and the contrasting European/Christian influence in the other half. I am learning that Spanish culture is essentially a hybrid Arabic and English influences.
The food here is so rich and delicious. In the afternoon and into the evening we go out for tapas, which are basically small appetizer type dishes that you can get for a very discounted price when you buy a drink at the bar. Most people go out for Tapas during siesta, (a 3-4 hour break in the day between 2 and 6 where most small businesses close down), and into the evening. Tapas began as a slice of bread placed on the top of a drink in order to prevent the dust from polluting your drink; slowly, many bars and restaurants went one step further and added meat and cheese to the bread in order to attract customers! Now it is a widespread, sometimes daily social event.
I have met so many nice people from all over the world in my hostel, and tonight a group of us plan to cruise the streets as the night transforms the city into one big fiesta. Madrid feels like a different place when the sun goes down. Tall white buildings are lit with florescent purple, green and red lights, and tapas bars begin to appear out of nowhere. With literally hundreds of bars, people everywhere and such beautiful lighting, I thought that I had managed to come to Madrid during a special celebration; but I quickly learned that this is how the Madrileños celebrate every weekend!
Tomorrow I will board the AVE train to Seville where my program will begin. AVE stands for Alta Velocidad Española which is essentially a high speed train, up to 180 mph! I regret leaving Madrid so soon but I can't wait to see what Seville has in store for me.
Friday, August 27, 2010
Pre-Departure
Thank you to everyone who has supported me in any way to take this leap abroad! I am so excited to see all the challenges and adventures that this next year will bring and I look forward to sharing my stories with everyone. I will be departing for Spain, (hopefully) on Thursday September 2nd and plan to arrive in Madrid on the 3rd and then at my final destination in Seville by the 4th!
This trip is a year long study abroad trip where I will be living in Seville, Spain with a host family and attending classes at the University of Seville. After the first semester, (end of January) I will be entering a Teaching Development program through the University of Seville where I am told I will have the opportunity to teach my own class! The school year ends in late May-early June at which point I hope to spread my wings and travel through Europe for the duration of the Summer!
My goal is to update this blog at least once a week so everyone can stay up to date at their own convenience :)
Thanks for checking in!
This trip is a year long study abroad trip where I will be living in Seville, Spain with a host family and attending classes at the University of Seville. After the first semester, (end of January) I will be entering a Teaching Development program through the University of Seville where I am told I will have the opportunity to teach my own class! The school year ends in late May-early June at which point I hope to spread my wings and travel through Europe for the duration of the Summer!
My goal is to update this blog at least once a week so everyone can stay up to date at their own convenience :)
Thanks for checking in!
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