Speed walking never felt so good

This weekend I headed to Madrid. I absolutely loved this city! The moment I stepped off the metro, we knew we weren't in Sevilla anymore because people were walking at a normal pace - it caught me a little of guard (yes, the slow Andalusian lifestyle carries over to walking at a painfully slow pace as well). After successfully navigating the metro system  we arrived at our hostel (which with my directionally challenged ways, this was a huge success, and made me have a little more faith in myself for once I travel to a country where I don't know the language).

Our hostel had an amazing location - close to Plaza Mayor, Plaza del Sol, Palacio Real, and the Prado. After arriving we head out to explore the city a little. First we checked out Parque del Retiro. It was huge - I would like to refer to it as the Central Park of Madrid. After that we went to the Prado. There was a ton of classical art and works of many famous Spanish painters, like Goya and Velazquez. Later that night we met up with some friends to go check out the club, Kapital, that we were told was a must see. After paying 18 euro to enter, I thought to myself, wow this better be good. It definitely lived up to my expectations. This was by far the craziest club I have ever been to - 7 stories, a different theme on every floor, and a nice little blast of mist from the ceiling every 5 or 10 minutes to cool you off.

The next morning we checked out the Royal Palace.  It is home to the Royal Family in Spain, but today they live in a different home. Today it is used more for meetings. Throughout the entire tour I was in complete awe - unfortunately I wasn't allowed to take pictures. But to give you more of a picture this palace has over 2000 rooms. In each room we toured, there were anywhere from 5 to 20 different chandeliers. There was even a room that was completely made out of porcelain. After the palace, we explored the city a little more. People in Madrid will do the craziest things for money - walk around in Disney outfits, dress like headless men, etc. Later that day we made friends with 3 guys in our hostel that were studying in Switzerland. Since I love making random friends, I invited them to dinner with us. Well, we didn't leave for dinner until about 11, and a lot of places at this point were only serving appetizers. Finally, at 11:30 we found a place that served dinner, but it was a little upscale for us. However, it was delicious and we chose to ignore the glares from the much older, sophisticated crowd.

The next day we were going to check out this part of the city that was supposed to look like Manhattan. We had to take a bus there, but when I opened my purse to grab money for the bus, my wallet was gone. I was in a state of panic because I had just taken out money (100 euro, equivalent to about $140) AND had my check card in my wallet. Unfortunately, none of the places I had gone had found my wallet. Yes, I believe I was a victim of pick pocketing :( Luckily, my passport and camera were still intact. Immediately after this happened, I bought an anti-theft neck wallet at a market to use in Barcelona, Rome and on my 8 day Eurotrip. Barcelona and Rome are notorious for having some of the worst pick pocketing on earth. Yes I'll look like a nerd, but at least no one can pick pocket me :)

Inside of Palacio Real (before I had to stop taking pictures)

Outside of Palacio Real (Royal Palace)

Palacio Real

Alison, Jen and I out 

Parque del Retiro

Creepiest thing ever. One of the crazy things people did to make a little cash in Madrid.

Room keys!

and the road of learning as much as possible and not sleeping continues...

Hola familia y amigos!

5 weeks in Spain and let me tell you, I am exhausted! I have been trying to pack as much into my time here as possible because I don't want to have any regrets after I leave. Basically, this has required me to sleep minimal hours, and since I'm heading to Madrid in the morning I'm slightly nervous how exhausted I will feel once this weekend if over. But, you only live once right?

This week has been a lot more exploring Sevilla and as I've been here longer, I have been starting to notice more differences between here and the U.S.  This sounds silly, but being here longer has made me really appreciate growing up in the U.S. I didn't really expect that feeling. Don't get me wrong, I love Sevilla. However, I don't know if I could ever live here. Mostly what I have really started to notice is the difference in the mentality of life. As you probably know, Spain is in a deep economic crisis - highest unemployment rate in Europe, increased cost of living - and there aren't really any signs of things looking up right now. And as I've been here longer, it makes more sense why their economy is struggling so much. People here live first then work. Not saying thats a bad thing at all. Honestly, I think many Americans are too work oriented, but you have to make a living somehow, right? Secondly, it's not uncommon for Spaniards to live with their parents until they are in their mid to late 20s or until they get married. I cannot imagine still living with my parents for that long, and I don't think they would want me too! My intercambio, Dani, told me this is because Spaniards very family oriented. Although that may be true, it's not uncommon for Spaniards to not have their first job until their mid twenties, so no wonder they can't afford to live on their own. (These are large generalizations - My intercambio is a 27 year old financial analyst at Heineken. He's practicing his English with me so that he can study in the U.S. to get his Master's in Business Administration. And he does not live his parents. Impressive, right?) Finally, siesta time, which shuts down the majority of small businesses is completely inefficient for the economy.

Essentially, what I'm getting at here is I am so thankful for the work ethic that I have from growing up in the U.S. I've also learned to appreciate my education in the U.S. as well. Although at times I want to burn my textbooks because I am so stressed out from spending disgusting amounts of time in the library, I really know its all worth it. School here is not challenging, but what this experience is teaching me in general is invaluable. To go from having hours of homework every night to maybe 2-3 hours a week, not so bad :) But I am still learning a lot! My Spanish skills have improved exponentially. I have began to be able to express more complex ideas and thoughts in Spanish. I've actually had a number of discussions about politics and cultural differences with Spaniards. By no means is my grammar perfect, but they always can understand me and tell me I have very good Spanish :) Also, the other night my friend and I went out to eat with our Chilean friend. Well, dinner was three hours long, and we spoke Spanish the entire time! Its really the little things that get me here and make me so happy that I made the decision to study here. Sometimes I just can't stop smiling because I'm so happy I'm here - learning and practicing a language that I love all while learning about the culture.

Shark skin in Torre del Oro, an old military watch tower located on the Guadalquivir River

Bread shaped like an owl. I thought this was so cool!

Jaw bone of a whale 

Miguel! Our favorite waiter who likes to give us free wine :) You'll meet him when you come visit Mom!

Torre del Oro

Alcazar

Night out - Madison connection!

12 hours until Madrid..a new entry when I return on Monday. Hasta luego!

Finally...a little bit of culture shock

Hola a todos! I can't believe I've been in Sevilla for a month now, I feel like I just got here! And although I still have 13 more weeks left in my adventure, it seems like there's such little time with all the trips that I have planned. At the end of this month I will be going to Madrid. Then in March I will be heading to Cádiz to go to one of the most famous carnivals in the world. After that I'll be visiting Rome one weekend, and then Barcelona. Then in April I will be going to Lagos, Portugal to get some sun in, then Morocco, and finally my eurotrip which will be 4 days in Paris, 2 days in Amsterdam and 2 days in Berlin. So much to look forward to!!

Anyway, this past week I've really started to notice some differences between Spain and the U.S. Mostly, I'm beginning to think I may have been raised in a very polite society because some of the social norms here have really shocked me. For example, here it's not rude to get up during the middle of dinner to have a ten minute phone conversation. This has happened multiple times at my home stay, and I am continually surprised by it. Also, right now there are some Italian high school girls staying with us. Their Spanish is better than mine, and at times I have to ask my Señora to slow down because I can't understand her. At dinner the other night they started laughing at me! This also continued to shock me among various other little etiquette differences that I have been noticing in Spain. It's really only little small things that I have started to pick up on since I have been here longer, so sometimes I have to remind myself that it's just the culture and they really aren't trying to be rude. All I have to say is thank you mom and dad for the raising me with good manners :)

Last Friday I toured Italica, the Roman ruins just right outside of Sevilla. These ruins were founded in 200 B.C., I couldn't believe it! Although the homes were pretty run down, the amphitheater where gladiator fights took place was pretty amazing to see.

Me at the Roman Amphitheater. It used to be able to seat around 20,000 people

Where the gladiators fought

Then, on Saturday I headed to Cádiz with my program, and it was so amazing to see the beach! Cádiz is on the Atlantic Ocean and is located on the Iberian peninsula. It was a beautiful city, and we only were able to spend about 5 hours there. However, it is only an hour and half away from Sevilla, so I will definitely be making a trip back!

The view of the city from the Cathedral

Beach!!

Also, last week I went to take more pictures of place I usually go during the week. Its so beautiful here, I want you all to see it! Below is the Plaza de España. It was built for show-no real significant purpose. But I think it sure is impressive! I often meet up with friends to start runs here.

The plaza has one of these for each of the regions of Spain. This is Sevilla's!

Parque Maria Luisa...where I like to run :)

Churros con chocolate...a delicious indulgence.

Lastly, one little shout out. CONGRATULATIONS Joselyn and Grant on getting engaged! I am so happy for the both of you and cannot wait to help to start planning with you Joselyn! I love and miss you all!

Besos y abrazos!

Granada: Alhambra, mountains and better tapas

Hola! So this weekend was a blast! Friday was my last day of my Spanish intensive course, and what a relief! The 3 hour power lecture Monday through Friday was getting a little old. To celebrate, I took a bus to Granada with some friends and had an amazing weekend!

We arrived in Granada on Friday night and hit some difficulties right off the bat - accidentally booked the hostel Granada Oasis in Nicaragua, Africa! Who would've thought? And of course the man at the front desk continued to freak us out more by telling us everything in the city was booked! Well, luckily he was wrong. The first place we went to was completely empty and at 15 euro a night, it was worth it. That night one of my friends met a promoter for a discoteca. He gave us all free admission tickets (usually it costs a little under 10 euro) to get into this discoteca. We we're definitely the only Americans there, and it was such a great time!

The next morning, after a full night of dancing we dragged our tired bodies out of bed to see Alhambra. We had to walk uphill for about 15 minutes, with which how tired we were was not the most enjoyable! However, it was worth it! Alhambra was gorgeous. It was up on a hill, so you could see the entire city and the white snow capped Sierre Nevada mountains in the background. Absolutely beautiful! While in Granada I also visited the Real Capilla, where Isabel and Fernando are burried. We weren't allowed to take pictures here, but it was really eery looking at the coffins of the deceased Catholic Monarchs that have had such a huge impact on the history of Spain and the Americas.

View from Alhambra

That night we went out for drinks and tapas. Although Sevilla is amazing and beautiful, Granada wins the tapas contest. First of all, free tapas with every drink - that doesn't happen in Sevilla. Also, each tapa I ate in Granada was delicious - from calamari, montaditos (little sandwiches), beef skewers, spanish omelettes, shredded beef, and potatoes. I was in heaven, and I'm glad the food isn't as tasty in Sevilla because I would probably gain 20 pounds :)

Out for tapas!

Today, I started classes. So far they seem that they will be pretty laid back - definitely a change of pace from classes at Madison! My first class was European Economy and I think it will be interesting and helpful to learn all about the EU. My next class was Services Management. The professor for that class was pretty engaging and apparently we have a company visit at McDonald's during the semester. Yes, McDonald's is popular here too!

I have also started planning some additional trips. In March I will be heading to Rome for a weekend, and then to Barcelona for another weekend. Also, in May we have a week off from school for Semana Santa. I plan on going to Paris to visit a friend, and from there possibly Amsterdam, Belgium, and/or Germany. It's still in the works. I wish I could go everywhere, but there's just not enough time!

On a side note, just something interesting I've noticed since I've been here. As most of you know, I was a little nervous about being pinpointed as an American because my hair is so blonde. Well, its been the exact opposite. I've had multiple people ask me if I am German. One man even started speaking German to me! Also, I have been asked for directions twice now. It sounds silly, but I was flattered that I actually looked like I belonged. Moral of the story, I don't look like a complete foreigner, which I am happy about!

miss you all. besos!

Vive en el momento

Another great weekend in Sevilla! The weekend was really needed because going to school while in such an exciting place is a little harder than I expected. Although the material in my intensive Spanish course isn't overly challenging, its a bummer sometimes to have to go to class because I just want to explore the city all day! But thats expected. Actually, the Spanish intensive class has been pretty interesting. We have been learning about the current economic state and the politics in Spain, in addition to helpful business terms in Spanish. Also, my professor has assigned us three activities where we are required to interview locals, and then write a 600 word essay in Spanish on the topic. Last week I had to go to an unemployment office and ask people about how long they have been unemployed, what sector they used to work in, what their thoughts are about their future employment, etc. This experience put me a little out of my comfort zone, and made me realize another cultural difference - Spaniards are more blunt than us. For example, I thought this was terribly rude to go up to strangers and ask them how long they have been unemployed for, but my professor didn't think it was weird at all. Spaniards really seem to say things how they are, and I feel that in the U.S. we are often trying to present ourselves in the most optimal light.

On Friday I toured la Catedral. I took a ton of pictures, but they don't do it justice. Its so breathtaking in person, I don't even know how to explain it. Its pretty cool to think that I only live a ten minute walk from the third largest church in the world. Its also rumored that Christopher Columbus' bones are there, but no one is exactly sure.

The supposed tomb where Christoper Columbus' bones are. The tour guide said they were only able to recover the bottom half of his skeleton.

Me at the top of la Catedral. I had to climb up 34 ramps!

Inside la Catedral. I'm hoping to go to mass here one Sunday.  I was shocked to hear they they allow the public to attend mass here. 

After class was over with on Friday, it was time to put on my dancing shoes! On Friday I went out for tapas for a friends birthday. After that we bounced around Sevilla to various bars, and ended the night at a club called Buda. This is by far the biggest club I have ever been to, and I have never seen anything like it. Three floors, a different type of music on every floor, and its best to go after 2am. Much different than the U.S. By 5am and after 10 hours of prancing around town in heels I was ready to call it a night, but the place was still packed! I felt like I was being lame by leaving, but my poor feet had had enough.

Some friends and I out for tapas!

On Saturday I met up with some friends and walked around/shopped in el centro. We met up with this Spanish guy who one of the girls knew, and he told us he was going to show us "real Spain." He proceeded to take us to plaza where hundreds of Spaniards were hanging out, socializing and drinking - for no apparent reason.  But, the longer I've been here I've noticed that Spaniards don't seem to need a reason to socialize with one another, nor do they rely on time as much. They seem to actually try to enjoy life and just go where the day takes them. I'm always planning ahead, so its pretty different for me. But its making me realize that sometimes I just need to sit back, relax and really enjoy the moment. I'm always so busy at school, so I'm always jumping from one thing to the next. But here, I have a lot of down time and its taking some getting used to.

Later that night I went to a Bachata dance lesson. Lets just say..I am not the best dancer! But I had a great time! There were probably about 30 of us, and every time the instructor yelled "rotono!" we would switch partners. All the locals were very nice, and I think found it amussing at how clueless I was with the steps. I definitely want to go back again! After that I proceeded to dance late into the night, and my legs are definitely paying the price. I don't think I have been this sore since I ran my marathon...who knew dancing in heels was such a good work out?

Today was a pretty relaxing day. I slept in until 1pm (which I never do at home!), and then had a nice lunch with my Señora. She makes the oddest meals, but they usually taste pretty good. For example, today we had a soup that had white beans, potatoes and carrots and it was delicious. Dinner was even stranger - soup with bread, potatoes and eggs. Not something I would want on my birthday, but definitely better than I expected. After that I met up with friends in a cafe to work on my paper for tomorrow.

Hasta luego!

¿Vale?

¿Vale? If I could count the number of times that I have heard that word! Before coming to Spain, I had never heard that word, but Spaniards say it all the time. Its a way of asking "do you understand/agree" and a way to agree with someone.

I've been in Sevilla for about a week now, and what can I say? I love this city! It would be difficult not to. The old architecture is beautiful, there's an endless amount of history (I live a 5 minute walk from Alcazár de Sevilla), the people are friendly, there's wine for one euro, and the nightlife isn't too bad either :)

The past week has been a whirwind. I've gone out for tapas, checked out many Spanish cafes, gone shopping, toured Alcazár, seen la Plaza de España, gotten lost in el Centro, (which is kind of like the downtown of Sevilla), stayed out until 6am like a true Spaniard, started classes, eaten paella, spoken a lot of (broken) Spanish, and met some really fun people! Although I do struggle with speaking the language at times, I really can understand it pretty well! Now its just time to get my speaking skills up to speed.

Last Friday I moved into a home stay with  my Señora named Isabel. She's and older woman (maybe upper 60s) that doesn't speak english, but she's got some spunk to her! When I first met her, the poor tiny woman insisted on lifting my 50 pound suitcase into her car...you can imagine how mortified I was. She also was walking so fast that I could barely keep up! But overall she's a very sweet woman. On my first day she told me she was here to take care of many and that this was my home. She can cook well too - she got me to eat fish! Those of you who know me well know that I do NOT like fish. But here, its delicious!

Overall Sevilla is an amazing city with a vibrant culture and friendly people. I cannot wait to see what the next 15 weeks have in store for me! 

Also, in my short time here I have noticed some interesting cultural differences. Although I never really experienced culture shock, there are some things that I find very different here in comparison to the U.S.:

- Olive oil, olive oil, olive oil! And keep it coming! Sevillans love olive oil. It pops up in every meal, whether the meat is fried in it, on your salad, in spanish omelettes and who knows what else! Luckily, my Señora is trying to watch her weight so she doesn't "subir el peso" (gain weight), so I haven't had too much of an olive oil overload. But I've had my fair share of tapas here (small appetizers) and they are drenched in olive oil. I sometimes wonder how they are so thin.

- Where's the chicken? Good luck finding chicken here. And if it is at a restaurant, its usually fried! Instead of chicken, the Spanish eat a LOT of ham. The other day I was out for tapas with a friend and I swear the "bacon" that was on my tapa was diced pieces of ham.

- Many, many people have small dogs that are trained very well. They walk around the city next to their owner without a leash. I wonder how they train them so well. The other day I was walking up to a Supermercado and there was a tiny dog barking at the door. When I opened the door, I was afraid the dog would run inside. But instead, it just sat there waiting for its owner. 

- Lunch is somewhat of a production. My Señora brings out all the food on a little rolling cart, and serves me. Its almost like having a special meal everyday. However, she turns on the TV with every meal too, which I find really odd. 

- The siesta is not a myth! Between the hours of 3 and 5, almost everything shuts down and the streets are fairly quiet. Oftentimes a few restaurants will remain open, but not much else.

- Spain is a socialist country, and with its failing economy and high unemployment rate (20%), politics are a hot topic right now! Whenever a government representative appears on TV, my Señora says "mentiroso" (Which means liar). There's a lot of political unrest in Spain because the people want the government to pay more for retirement pensions and unemployment checks. My Señora has told me probably 3 or 4 times how electricity has increased five times this year, but her pension has remained the same. She is not very happy with the government right now. Also, last weekend I saw a protest against the privatization of utilities.  It seems that Spain is on the verge of some type of structural reform, and its very interesting to watch it all unfold.

That's all for now! I'll try and be about this and update it every week. Hasta luego!