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.