Lleuve a Cántaros!

Lleuve Cántaros!

This is the spanish version of “it's raining cats and dogs”, though literally its saying that it seems like someone is dumping a vase of water on you. There's your Spanish for the day. Right now, it definetely does feel like someone is pouring water on Sevilla. I don't think there has been one day here when it hasn't rained at least a little bit. Some days (like today) it will be really good weather for awhile and then it will rain, then good weather for a few hours, then rain. Or pour as the case was this evening. I was just at an internet cafe I found close to my house (yay!), and I walked outside with my broken umbrella and by the time I got home my jeans were completely soaked, as well as the rest of me. Haha. Awesome. More of Sevilla...

We are approaching three weeks abroad, and so far, still no severe homesickness. I do miss not talking to my family on a regular basis (or ever!), and not being able to text people random stories during my day or when I'm bored in class, and when I see people on Skype, I really miss them, but at the same time, being able to see familiar faces makes it seem like they aren't so far away. Wow that was a huge run on sentence. When I do get a little depressed I just keep reminding myself that this is my dream and when I look back on it in a few months, I will regret every minute I spent sulking around. And when people tell me about the horribly cold weather and monotonous school days...I am definetely not jealous :)

The other day I went running for the first time since i've been here, along the river. If I haven't mentioned before, Sevilla is seperated by the Guadalavir (spelling??) River. It felt good to run even though people looked at me funny. My house and my school are on opposite sides of the river, but it is a really pretty walk, (even though it is 30-40 minutes when you are bookin' it). Speaking of walking my booty everywhere, today I had to use the last hole on my belt, so hopefully things keep going that way and I don't gain the dreaded study abroad poundage that I've heard about.

Something I really DO miss is American TV....ahhhh the days of Sex and the City re-runs and the Office are long behind me. They do show some American shows here but they are all in Spanish and at the end of the day my brain is just too tired to try and listen, though I'm sure I'll resort to them in no time. Back at school before bed I always watched the TBS and CW versions of Sex and the City, so it makes me feel more at home when I watch it before bed here. I have about 10 episodes on my ipod, so I know them all pretty much by heart now. I've also watched the Sex and the City Movie, Dodgeball, and Dane Cook...so I've pretty much exhausted all my resources very early on haha.

Things are still going great with Pepita. She makes great food!! I don't remember if I've talked about the food before but I really like it. I especially like the salads she makes me. They have all kinds of veggies like tomatoes, artichoke hearts, carrots, peppers, avocadoes, onion, corn, and fruit sometimes like oranges and pineapple. And for dressing they put on just olive oil and vinegar with a little salt. SO tasty!!! I also love tortillas españolas. They are kind of like omelettes but its just spinach it a thick egg tortilla thing. Its hard to explain but its delicious. She'll put those on my bocadillos (sandwiches when I need lunch on the go), with a little bit of cheese. Mmmm. Yesterday she also made this lentil soup which now that I think of it reminded me EXACTLY of the rosemary lentil soup at Sunroom!! Man, I'm getting so hungry. She also buys me mangoes since I love them so much. She's the bomb. Except, its a good thing I didn't get new underwear before I left because I now have three more pairs of whitie tighties since she bleached a few pairs of my previously pink ones haha. Luckily I don't like them that much.

Now onto the most exciting thing...school! This week we finish up our “intensive grammar session”, which was one class a day for three hours. I think I had it pretty easy compared to a lot of people. We did a lot of out of the classroom stuff like going to an art museum, observing “sevillana”culture in a place of our choosing (me and my friends chose a cafe), and tomorrow we are going to a museum on Flamenco dance. It has been difficult sitting through three hours of grammar, but I am excited to have three credits for two weeks of class. And lucky for me I think I got into all the classes I wanted for the regular session! Which means I will have a block of two classes a day Monday-Thursday starting at 11 I think, so I'll also be able to eat lunch at mi casa, instead of on the go. So I think my final classes are Phonetics, Spanish Film, Contemporary Spanish Literature, and 3 Cultures of Spain. It was a painnnnn to get that all figured out, so hopefully they will all transfer how I want them to.

Today I went on a visit to the Reales Alcazares, which is where the royal family stays, and has stayed for centuries, when they come to Sevilla. It was amaazzzzzing! There are tons of gardens and fountains and pools and incredible architecture of all kinds, ranging from Gothic to Muslim to Contemporary and more that I've already forgotten. Each new king in power changed some part of it. I hope to be able to put pictures up soon! This weekend I am going to Granada, which I've heard is one of the most beautiful places in Spain, so I will wait until then to add pictures. Obviously when I put them up I am only doing the bare minimum, I know its kind of annoying to look through “Sevilla 1-14”. But of course I'll have tons more to show when I come back.

Now for travel updates...as I said I'm going to Granada this weekend and I'm really looking forward to it. For those of you that are unfamiliar, look up La Alhambra, that is what it is most famous for and I've heard its breathtaking. The weekend of the14th I'm still trying to travel somewhere, and of course I'd love to go to the city of love itself, Paris, but I'd also like to visit France when it is a bit warmer. Other possibilities are London, Barcelona, or Prague. I have a friend living in Prague right now and he says its crazy cheap there so it is a definete possibility! Going to other cities in Spain, (like Barecelona or Madrid), isn't as cheap as you would think. Going to another country can many times be cheaper. The weekend of February 21st, I'm going to Cadiz for Carnaval which I'm suuuuper pumped about. Cadiz is on the very south coast of Spain and we also go there with the school but Carnaval is the festival they are famous for and I don't want to miss it. It will be craaazzzy! So far I have no travel plans in March, I'm trying to keep it open in case anyone (mostly my family—i know the rest of you are broke college students), wants to visit me! But if you think you might, please let me know so I don't make any plans. In April, though I haven't signed up for it yet, I will be going to Lagos, Portugal which is on the coast and the travel group I'm going with gets us a hotel that is right on a bluff overlooking the ocean and surfing and sangria cruises and all kinds of stuff for only 149 euros for three days. I am constantly dreaming of being on those beaches...Also in April I am going to Morroccos with the Human Rights interest group I am in over the weekend of the 17th. Wow I am reading this over and I just write run on sentences that make it sound like i'm running out of breath haha my bad.

Tonight, providing it doesn't start pouring again and my friends still want to go, we're going to an International Party at a few of the discotecas here. I guess its a place to meet up with your intercambios, which if I haven't mentioned before, are Spanish people who want to practice English while you practice Spaish. So that should be interesting...I'm sure I will have another long entry once I return from Granada so stay tuned!! Besos, abrazos, y mucho amor! (kisses, hugs, and lots of love!)