Tanto que decir, tan poco tiempo

"So Much to Say, So Little Time"

I swear the world has been against me updating my blog the past few days. First, as you know, I got sick. Then, the internet stopped working. Then, my computer wasn't working properly. Finally, I think everything (me, the internet and my computer) is in proper working order and I can finally update you on the past three weeks. I'm pretty sure Dorothy was about to start a mutiny or something.

So, let's travel back three weekends ago to my trip to Córdoba where we visted the old "mesquita" or mosque that is now a catholic cathedral. Like many buildings in Spain, or at least in Andalucía, the mesquita was built by the Arabs using Roman materials. Most of the columns you will see in the following pictures are marble Roman columns. Then, once the Christians took over, the buildings were converted or altered. In this case it looks like someone dropped a cathedral in the middle of the mosque. It is somewhat strange to see but the mixing of cultures is really beautiful. In these first three pictures you can see the Arab characteristics of the architecture.



And then in the center of the building you find this cathedral that seems very out of place. This picture is of the outside of the cathedral area.

This is a view of the altar made out of rose marble which is very typical of the area.

Here is a huge organ that is still used during mass today.

After touring the mesquita we had some free time to wander around the city. It is really beautiful with its small winding streets and lots of little shops. Apparently, Córdoba is well known for its leather work and for silver filigree. So there were lots of beautiful hand made items to look at like wallets, jewelry, rosaries, sandals, purses, etc. Here is a picture of me on one of the streets in the city; I believe its name was "Paseo de las flores" which translates to Flower Walk or maybe Flower Way.

So the next weekend included a holiday on Monday so I went to Mardid with my friends Ryan and Marybelle. Friday morning we took a 7 hour bus ride (it was supposed to be only 6 hours) for the low price of 33 euro, round trip. When we arrived in Mardid, we realized we had no idea where our hotel was located in relation to the bus station. So we went to the information booth and asked where we could find a map. The only maps they had were of the Metro or were hanging on the wall. Neither of these were of much help at this point so we called the hotel and they told us we should take the Metro and gave us the name of the stop near the hotel. This turned out to be pretty easy. We only had to make one transfer and then walked about a block to our hotel. Finally, after a day's worth of traveling we had made it to Madrid.

After having a bite to eat and resting for a bit we decided to head out and see the city. Ryan took charge and lead the way saying that Plaza Mayor (the major plaza) wasn't too far and we could definitely walk there. After we walked for a little bit I could tell we weren't going in the right direction so we stopped and asked for directions from this nice older couple. At first, when we asked where Plaza Mayor was they just said "Muy lejos. Muy lejos." (Very far. Very far.) But they pointed us in the right direction and we went on our merry way. After walking a good distance more we decided to stop and ask for directions again to make sure we were on the right track. And again we got the same reaction. "Muy lejos." This time, we were right near a Metro station and this man showed us where we were on the map and told us how to get to the plaza on the Metro.

So, finally we were at our destination! It turns out Ryan had us walking as if we were leaving from the bus station which is in the southern part of the city rather than from our hotel which is in the northern part of the city. As we walked up the stairs from the Metro station I could hear the crowd. There were tons of people everywhere! This turned out to be a theme in Madrid. Everywhere I went I was surrounded by hordes of people. From the station we had to walk a short distance to Plaza Mayor which was filled with street performers. There were people pretending to be statues, magic shows, flamenco dancers and small musical groups. This video gives you a feeling for what it was like. My camera died while I was taking it so there are no other pictures from the first night but all we did was wander around anyway.

On Saturday, we started our explorations at "El Parque de Buen Retiro" (The Good Retirement Park). Here is a picture of me in front of the monument dedicated to King Alfonso XIII and the reflecting pool.

One of the first thins I wanted to see was the "Palacio de Cristal" (Crystal Palace). It wasn't as neat as I had imagined it but it was still pretty cool.

Then Marybelle and Ryan went to ride in a rowboat on the reflecting pool while I explored the park some more. Riding in a rowboat on a relfecting pool just doesn't sound that exciting when I can do it on a real lake at camp. While I was on my own I found this beautiful rose garden.

Once Ryan and Marybelle were done we reunited and walked to "El Museo de Reina Sofía" (The Queen Sofia Museum) which is a modern art museum. This museum has lots of Picasso's work and I got to see "La Guernica" in person. I've studied it in Spanish classes before but I never realized just how big it is. Here is a picture to show you my point.

This was a nice museum but I can only spend so much time in museums before I get bored. We went back to our hotel for a break and some food after Reina Sofía. After resting up we went to a bar for a drink or two where we met some nice Spaniards. It was nice to just sit and hang out for a while.

Sunday began with "El Rastro" (flea market). It was so huge it seriously felt like it was never going to end. There were lots of cool things to look at; a few booths had some nice handmade jewelry but it was also very stressful for me. I like to have my own personal space and it was just far to crowded for that. I was literally surrounded on all sides for a couple hours. It just made me feel very anxious after a while.

Then Marybelle and I headed to the Prado Museum to meet up with Ryan. We got in the museum for free but couldn't stay very long because we had a reservation at the oldest restauraunt in the world (according to the Guiness Book of World Records). I was exhuasted from the crowd earlier so I didn't mind not having much time at the museum. So this restaurant is named "Botín" and apparently Ernest Hemingway used to spend time there. It was a little expensive but worth it for the experience I think. Marybelle got roast suckling pig, Ryan had roast baby lamb and I had a steak. I'm not big on eating baby animals.

After dinner we went back to the hotel and watched a movie on TV. I fell asleep right away. I was so exhausted. Then we woke up Monday for our last day in Madrid. Ryan wanted to go see the military parade (I wasn't too excited about the crowd) but it turns out we were too late missed it. So we hopped on the Metro to check out El Palacio Real (The Royal Palace). As we approached we notice there was a crowd gathering and we weren't sure why. So, of course we joined them to try and figure out what was going on. There were police, guards on foot and guards on horseback. Eventually we overheard that the King was supposed to come out but it wouldn't be for at least another hour, if not more. So we decided to move on and go visit the cathedral nearby. Here are some pictures of the palace though.

Here are a couple views of the Santa María la Real de La Almudena Cathedral in Madrid. It is actually a relatively new cathedral, especially in European terms, but it is very pretty and colorful.

Here are some pictures of the inside. I enjoyed this cathedral a lot since it has so many beatiful colors inside. It was pretty small but there was a lot to look at.

After the cathedral we wadered around a little while longer, got our luggage from the hotel and hopped on the Metro back to the bus station. As we were transferring from one Metro line to the other some excitement ocurred, and not the good kind. We were standing on the platform waiting for the train to stop and three guys joined us at the door, one on either side of us and one behind. Once the train stopped the two guys on either side of us pressed the button to open the doors. One of the guys stepped on the train in front of Ryan as Marybelle and I stepped on. As I walk to the other side of the train to get out of other people's way I hear a little commotion from Ryan's area. The guy who had stepped in front of him had dropped his phone by Ryan's feet and was trying to pick it up. He kept shouting "teléfono! teléfono!" as he was pushing Ryan back into the other two guys who were behind him. Ryan had dropped the bags he was holding in his hands and kicked the guy's telephone. The whistle blew to signal that the train was going to leave, the guy picked up his phone and the three of them ran off the train. I didn't realize what had actually happened until Ryan filled in all the details. It turns out there were four guys following us through the Metro station. When it came time for us to pick between platform 1 or 2 we stopped to figure out which was the correct one. The four guys were about to go to platform 1 until we decided to go to platform 2 at which point they decided to follow us. Ryan noticed this (Marybelle and I did not) and knew something strange was going on. So as we were waiting for the doors of the train to open he was aware of everything going on. He noticed that three of the four guys had surrounded us. It turns out the first guy dropped his phone to distract Ryan so the other two could pickpocket him. Since Ryan was on his guard he dropped his bags and immediately placed his hands on his back pockets. He could even feel their hands in his pockets but he was able to prevent them from getting anything. Everyone else on the train knew what was going on and were appalled which is why those guys ran away as fast as possible. I guess we did look like perfect targets with all our luggage but it sure did make us mad for a long time. Then we got on the bus for a 7 hour bus ride home.

Last weekend my program took us on a trip to Ronda. When we got there Judy, one of the professors at the international college, taught us all about bullfighting. She was in a relationship with the only American bullfighter to ever truly make it in bullfighting. She loves bullfighting even though she's practically a vegetarian and a huge animal lover. She had some good points about it but I'm still not a huge fan. After her talk we visited the bullring there which is the oldest one in Spain. Then we had free time and my friends and I decided to go explore the gorge. It was so beautiful. I didn't see much of the town so Drew and I are planning to go back in December. I definitely didn't get to spend enough time there. The whole town is surrounded by beautiful mountains and divided by a deep gorge. Years ago Judy had a student fall off the top of the gorge all the way to the bottom. And he survived! He only had external injuries. I think he's the only person to survive that fall. During the Civil War I believe they threw people off the bridge to kill them. Surviving it is unheard of. Here are some pictures from the visit.

This was out of the bus window on the way to Ronda.

Inside the oldest bullring in Spain.

La primera semana de clases

"The first week of classes"

I'm sure some of you have been anxiously awaiting a new post so you could hear how my classes are going. I wanted to wait until today though so I could talk about the classes after going to each one twice. The first day of class is never really a good representation of the class. The second day is always better. That being said, I am very happy to report that I love my classes so far. Even though I was in class for 6 straight hours today, the day went by very fast. But let me start at the beginning.

During orientation at ICS (the international college) back in early September, Ignacio (the academic director) said that the classes at the University would be different than what we were accustomed to in the US. He claimed that the professors would be much less personable and the classes would typically be based solely on lecture and very little on discussion. He told us that the professors would come in, lecture and that would be it. They wouldn't want to get to know us on a deeper level. Thus far, I am finding Ignacio's claims to be mostly false. All of my professors have been very kind and welcoming. They all made sure to tell us to let them know if we don't understand something, if they're speaking too fast, etc. I have all their e-mail addresses and would not hesitate to contact them if need be. I was surprised at how young the professors seem but they seem very knowledgable as well.

On Mondays and Wednesdays I start my day with Contemporary Spanish Literature. I think this will probably be my least favorite class but only because literature classes typically aren't my favorite. However, I anticipate that this lit class will be easier than what I am used to at Truman. Actually, I think that will be the case with all my classes. I am already starting to feel more comfortable speaking Spanish in class here than I have been at Truman. I think part of the reason is that I feel as though my level of Spanish is on the higher end of the students here whereas at Truman I generally just feel average. After my lit class, I go home for lunch and then return to school for Andalusian Sociolinguistics. I am really excited about the topic of the class because I have loved all my linguistics classes thus far however the professor seems somewhat inexperienced at teaching. It gets a little boring somtimes but she's very nice. I think it will get better as the semester goes on.

On Tuesdays and Thursdays I have my three favorite classes. I start out with Comparative Grammar with my favorite professor. She's very warm and welcoming and has made class very fun. The two hours went by so fast today. I think most of this class will be review for me but a necessary and helpful one. I need to refresh my memory on a few things and she's great about correcting us in a positive way. Plus, it transfers well back to Truman. Contemporary Spanish Cinema is my next class. The first day we watched clips of every movie we will watch this semester. I'm very excited about them. Hopefully, I'll be able to find my favorite ones in the US so anyone that's interested can watch them as well. Again, the professor for this class is great. Another woman. I only have one male professor and that is for my last class, Spanish Syntax. The first two classes have been very thought provoking. He doesn't just stand in front of class and lecture. Instead, he asks us lots of questions and requires us to think first. He's fairly soft-spoken and seems kind of shy but I think he's going to be a great teacher. I have found that all my professors incorporate discussion into the class, despite what Ignacio said.

I have not had any trouble understanding the majority of what my professors say. I was very nervous about taking classes at the University but I feel like I am exactly where I need to be. I love being excited about school. Even though it seems like these classes will be easier than what I'm accustomed to at Truman, I still think they are going to be very valuable. I anticpate that I will learn a great deal without having to kill myself to complete all my work. It is definitely nice to have a break from Truman's curriculum.

Tomorrow, I have a tour of the Archeological Museum with ICS and then we are going to Córdoba on Saturday. I'm not sure what we're doing there but I'm sure it will be fun and beautiful. So I should have pictures to upload on Sunday.

A la universidad

"At the University"

Today all the study abroad students had a welcome reception at the University of Seville. I don't know if I mentioned this already or not but the building I'm taking classes in used to be a tobacco factory. It is a huge building with lots of different courtyards. It's really beautiful so I will eventually post more pictures of it. I never thought I'd say this but I'm definitely ready to start classes so that I have some scheduled things to do. I'm going to sign up for the intercambio program where I'll be paired up with a Spanish student who wants to practice English and I'll get a chance to practicemy Spanish and get to know someone from Spain. The University also has a volunteering office, so I am hoping that they'll be able to help me find some volunteer work with animals. Regardless, I need to get at least 5 hours of service while I'm here for my service sorority at Truman.

For those of you that are curious here is my class schedule for the semester. Monday and Wednesday I have The Contemporary Spanish Novel from 1-3 and Andalusian Sociolinguistics from 5-7. Then Tuesday and Thursday I have Comparative Grammar from 11-1, Contemporary Spanish Cinema from 1-3 and Spanish Syntax from 3-5. Tuesdays and Thursdays are going to be full of classes. These classes are taught by the regular faculty of the University but are specifically designed for study abroad students. This is slightly different than I was expecting but I feel a lot less nervous knowing that I'm in the same boat as everyone. I'm sure my Comparative Grammar professor will speak English but most of them do not. So I will still be immersed in Spanish when I'm in class. Also, I will meet more American students that have a decent grasp on the language whereas most of my friends so far don't speak much Spanish. I'm one of four students from my program taking classes at the university. The other 20 or so are taking classes at the international college.

Another thing I'm really excited about is braving the bus system here. Ryan, Denya, Stephanie and I recently started taking the bus. We bought our "Bonobus" which allows you to take 10 rides with unlimited transfers for 7 euro. Although, Seville is gradually phasing out this type of bus card and replacing it with a more durable rechargable card. So, eventually we'll probably get those. It just depends which kind the stores have. Either way it is definitely worth it! There are multiple bus stops right by my apartment and taking a bus/the tram to the center beats the 30-45 minute walk. It also makes it easier to get back home in time for meals. Also, now we'll be able to explore more of the city. And when it is time to leave I will be able to take a bus to the airport rather than paying for a taxi.

I also found out that I should be able to store my extra luggage at ICS while Drew and I travel around between Dec. 18th and the 30th. I just have to check with Gina to make sure someone will be here on the 29th to let me in. This shouldn't be a problem though since Gina and Ignacio both live in Seville and their families are here. I guess I've never mentioned that Drew is coming to visit me! He's planning to leave from St. Louis on Dec. 16th to meet me here on the 17th which is the last day of my finals. We've been discussing where we want to visit during those 2 weeks so if you have any suggestions let me know! We're definitely going to Paris and Venice but that's all we know at this point. In the next couple months I'm planning trips to Morocco and Rome as well as some small towns around Seville. I will also be visiting Cordoba, Ronda and Granada through my program.

Well I think that's all I have for now. I'm not sure what I'm doing this weekend but I'll definitely give you an update if anything exciting happens. Otherwise I will definitely update after my first couple days of classes.

Me enamoré

"I Fell in Love"

This past weekend I went to the city of Lagos on the southern coast of Portugal and fell in love. However, my weekend actually started at the Alcázar (fortress or palace) in Sevilla. We met one of the professors from the international college at the entrance and she took us on a tour through the building. It is a really fascinating place because it was originally built by the Arabs using many pre-existing Roman structures. This archway, for instance, was a Roman aqueduct which could date back to 200 BCE.

After the Arabs the Christians took over and modified parts of the fortress. Elements of all three eras are visible all over the building. At one point I was standing where Christopher Columbus met with King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella to ask them to fund his journey to the west. It is very ornate and beautiful but difficult to get good pictures because there are so many people inside. There is no entrance fee for students though so I'm hoping to go back sometime during siesta when it will be less crowded. Here are a few more pictures though.

In this picture, the columns on the first floor are Roman columns made out of marble. Even though they are over 2000 years old they are still in perfect condition. It is amazing.This picture shows how detailed everything is, even the ceilings.After touring the Alcázar for a couple hours my friends Denya, Ashley and I walked back to the Plaza de España to get on the bus to Portugal. Our shoulders hurt from carrying all our stuff so long, but it was definitely worth it. The bus ride was about three hours from Sevilla to Lagos and we arrived around 5:00 pm at our hotel which was right by the beach. Here are a couple pictures of the view right outside our hotel. After exploring the beach for a little while we met our group in the lobby of the hotel to walk to the center for dinner. We ate at a restaurant called Nah Nah Bah which is owned by an American man. We didn't have Portugese food that night but it was still delicious. I had a pasta dish with penne, green peppers and chicken in a lemon pepper cream sauce. After dinner, we went to a bar nearby to have a drink. Denya's mother is Portugese so she speaks the language decently and we met lots of friendly people. Also, I large portion of the people we met also speak English so it was really easy to get around. The Portugese people as a whole were much nicer than Spaniards. Denya and I both felt like we were more welcome in Lagos than in Seville and the locals seemed less judgemental. When I get back to the US I would really like to learn Portugese so I can go back sometime. I really did fall in love with Lagos. It is difficult to compare it to Seville though because it is much smaller. Now I would really like to explore some small towns in Spain to see what they're like. Perhaps I'm just not a city girl even though I love St. Louis.

On Saturday morning we met with the group again to go on a sailboat ride and grotto tour. I've never been on a boat before so it was really fun. The sailboat holds about 30-40 people and then we divided up into smaller groups to ride in a small boat to explore the caves and grottos along the coast.We also jumped off the boat and went swimming. The water was freezing but definitely worth it. We spent the rest of the day on the beach and then went to Cabo São Vicente (Cape St. Vincent) on the southwestern coast of Portugal to watch the sunset. It was cloudy so we didn't get to see he most beautiful sunset in the world but the view was still amzaing. Supposedly, this is the spot people believed to be the end of the world. Regardless of whether that is true or not, it was definitely beautiful. The cliffs are really high right over the water. I can never bring my children there because I'd probably have a heart attack thinking they'd fall over the edge. We then went back to Lagos to eat dinner at a local Portugese restaurant. I had grilled salmon and it was definitely the best salmon I have ever had. I know I'm definitely going to be craving that again. After dinner, my friends and I walked around and explored the city. We found some shops that were still open and I bough a really cute and unique dress. I'll take a picture in it sometime for you to see. There were lots of hippies selling handmade jewelry on the street. One man was selling some handmade sandals. Denya and I each bought a pair because they fit us perfectly. I'm really excited about them. Once I get pictures up on facebook you'll be able to see what they look like and we took a picture with the man who made them. Uploading pictures to my blog is kind of a pain so I don't feel like putting anymore in this post. On Sunday we wandered around the city again and then came back to Sevilla. It was a great weekend. I can't wait to go back to Portugal some day.