Vamos a la playa & the sounds of FIESTA!

It's been a week since my last post since I have been sooo busy!  With class, group excursions, our own trips, going out almost every night, and way too much homework there is almost no time to do anything including sleep.  My two classes aren't too hard there is just more work than I expected.  I have a literature class that has a lot of reading and writing assignments every day and since I don't like reading and writing in English I obviously don't like it in Spanish.  I actually like my other class called "Spain Today" because we are learning a lot about Spain's history and what is actually going on around us in this country today.  It also has less assignments and the professor is much more organized.  My literature class is at 12:30 and my Spain today class is at 5 so I eat lunch and catch up on homework in between during siesta.  We have started to figure out where to go to each nights and are starting to become friends which some of the locals which is cool.  Speaking Spanish with them is more fun because they speak some English so can help us when we don't know a word unlike my family I'm living with that doesn't speak any English and looks at me like I'm crazy if I say an English word.

colosseum

Saturday we went on a group excursion to Itálica and then they took us to Matalascañas afterwards (the beach I went to a few days after I got here).  Usually for group excursions they divide us into two groups based on our level of spanish but this one we got to do as a whole group which was fun.  Itálica has a lot of Roman ruins that have been preserved which was kind of cool.  It was hard to picture what it was like though.  The coolest part was the colosseum where they used to fight lions.  It was huge and we got to see where the people came to pray before a fight and where the lions were kept.  The beach was fun and I didn't burn too badly except for a couple streaks I missed.

Saturday night we had a learning experience through trial and error.  First we met a huge group of people from the program at a bar to pre-game and since we were sitting outside some people brought there own bottles of wine.  There is technically an open container law in Sevilla but usually they don't enforce it.  All of the sudden I turned around and a police van was facing us perpendicular to the street.  Around 5 cops got out and since we had bought drinks from the bar we walked away.  Apparently the people who did just had to poor there wine out and didn't get in trouble.  However we learned not to botellón at Coffee & Tea.  After this we went to a club we had gone to the first Friday we had in Sevilla that was a lot of fun.  Eventually we started noticing groups of guys taking pictures together, holding hands, and dancing together and we realized it must be gay night.  So our second lesson was not to go to Abril on Saturday nights.








Sunday a bunch of people from the program and I went to Cádiz.  We took a train and got there around 11am.  The city is really old so it had a lot of really cool buildings and was overall a really cute city.  The beach was gorgeous too.  It had old castles surrounding it and one was completely in the water.  After we decided we should start heading back to the train station we stopped at an American restaurant so people could get their American food fix including french fries, ketchup, ranch, burgers, etc.  I wasn't hungry so I didn't get anything.  Anytime we are not going to be in Sevilla for lunch our señora makes us a bagged lunch to take with us which is nice.  We got back to Sevilla around 8 which left plenty of time to do homework before Monday.

That is about all I have time for now.  We are about to go to a bar that has free sangria until 1am!

Primer Día de Clases y La Catedral de Sevilla

I woke up yesterday around 11am to get ready for my Literature class at 12:30.  Caroline and I met in front of the school and then walked up to the classroom together.  Our professor Coro was very nice and funny but had an accent that was a little difficult to understand.  She told us about the different assignments we would do and gave us three short stories to read.  We only get 2 free absences and overall I think the class is going to be a little more work than I expected.  Thankfully I only need to pass to get credit because the grade doesn't transfer to UNC.  However it is hard to get myself in the mindset that I don't have to get an A.

Christopher Columbus's Tomb

the tower

After class I walked back to our apartment for lunch at 2.  We had pasta with marinara which was really good.  Then I had to rush to meet people to walk to the Cathedral because we were supposed to meet there at 3:15 and it was a relatively long walk.  I had seen the Cathedral before from the outside shopping so I knew where it was.  Once we got there we took some pictures and waited for the tour to start.  Our professor that teaches "España Inmediata" (my second class) gave us the tour in spanish.  I understood him well and it was cool to get a tour in Spain in spanish.  He told us really interesting things about the cathedral but also gave us plenty of time to take pictures.  Apparently the builders were trying to build the biggest cathedral in the world so it is huge, although it is not the biggest.  In the cathedral were a lot of cool things including the tomb of Christopher Columbus and a room dedicated to him where he came to pray before he left on his trip where he discovered America.  There was also a huge tower that you can only climb using ramps which were built so that the horses could carry up supplies to build it.  There were 34 flights total but once you got to the top you could see everything!  It was like Sevilla's Eiffel Tower.

view from the top of the tower

After the tour of the Cathedral we convinced our professor to have class in a plaza near the cathedral so we wouldn't have to walk all the way back to the school.  He gave us the syllabus and explained what we would be doing.  Then, he discussed different things about Spain such as the name of the king, the major soccer teams, etc.  It was really interesting and I think this class will be awesome to take to really understand what is going on in Spain while I'm here.

caña de chocolate

We started walking back to our apartments but stopped at a cafe to get something to drink.  Everyone drinks bottled water here but one of the girls in our program explained that if we asked for "agua de griffo" (tap water) it was free.  This has become one of my favorite phrases in spanish.  It is so hot here and we walk so far everyday that I am always thirsty and don't want to pay for bottled water.  At the cafe we sat down next to a display of pastries and of course we gave in and bought some.  Caroline and I split a caña de chocolate which was basically like a chocolate croissant which was sooo good.  After we finished eating we all went back to our separate apartments.

Once back at the apartment I started my reading for my first class.  It took me a pretty long time to go through and define the words I didn't know so I could thoroughly understand what was going on.  I only finished one reading before dinner.  After dinner I talked to Mackenzie about trying to plan our trip to Barcelona not this weekend but the next.  There is a big soccer game that Barcelona is supposed to win so we want to be there for the fiestas.  However we are obviously not the only ones with this idea because most of the hostels were booked.  We finally found some options and decided to meet the next day to finalize plans.  After I finished all that it was already really late and I still had homework.  That is my problem here ... I never have enough time in the day!  I don't know when I'm going to have time to do homework.  Thankfully I didn't have class until 12:30 the next day so I could sleep in but on nights when I want to go out getting my homework done is going to be a problem.  I'm sure over time I will figure it out though.

I was thinking the other day that on my blog I have said what I have been doing each day but not just facts about Spain that are interesting.  So here are some I have come up with:

1.  In Spain there is a national nap time called "siesta" where all shops and businesses shut down from 2 to 5 and bars and restaurants shut down from 4 to 8.  It is separate because obviously people want to go eat during the 2 to 5 siesta.  I read that siesta started so the workers in the feels could rest during the heat of the day (around 5) and then go back to work until late.  However today people use it so they can stay out all night.  Spanish nightlife doesn't get started until around 12am and people typically stay out until 3 or 4am and later as we have experienced.  I wish I had time to nap during this time but this is the time I use to blog, upload pictures, do homework, etc.

2.  Lunch is the big meal of the day and it is usually around 2.  Everyone comes home from work to eat a big meal before siesta.  Dinner is usually smaller and much later, usually around 9:30 and sometimes later.

3.  Since there is so much time between meals tapas are popular in Spain and are served at most cafes.  Tapas are like snacks that can be a wide variety of things.  I haven't had any yet but they but I have seen them everywhere.

4.  It is extremely hot here and the hottest month isn't until July.  The nights are extremely pleasant but the days I am always sweating.  I am forever craving water so I've started carrying around a water bottle.   I can't imagine what it is like in July.  Thankfully we are leaving at the end of June.  Even in the heat almost everyone in Spain wears skinny jeans and loose shirts.  I probably stick out in my dresses but it is the coolest option and I would probably melt into a puddle if I attempted to wear jeans.

5.  The fruit is awesome.  They have fruterías scattered throughout the city where you can buy fresh fruit.   Our señora de la casa usually serves us fresh fruit for dessert.

6.  We have discovered that most public restrooms don't have toilet paper.  It isn't that they run out but that they don't offer it period.  For this reason most spanish women carry around small tissue packets to use instead.

7.  Water is really expensive in Spain.  On our list of rules it said only to take one 5 minute shower a day.  I haven't had a problem so far I am just going to have to shave in the sink.

That's all I can come up with for now I will add more as I think of more.  If I have more time later I will write what I did today but it hasn't been too eventful so far.  I have to leave for class now though.  ¡Hasta luego!

La Playa de Matalascañas

the beach when we got there ... empty

I had to be ready this morning at 7:10 in order to catch a taxi to the bus station where a bus would take me and five other girls in my program to the beach.  The taxi came on time and we went to meet the other girls.  Everything worked out fine but when we got to the train station I realized I left my bus pass that I bought yesterday in a pocket in my satchel and had not moved it to my beach bag.  I had to buy another one which was a waste of 12.88 euro but I guess it could have been worse.  It was extremely early and were all tired but figured out how the bus system worked and then spent some time sleeping on the bus.  When we got to Matalascañas it was around 9:30 and the beach was pretty empty.  We walked down the beach for awhile and found a spot to lay down.  It was kind of cold at first but as time passed it quickly becoming extremely hot and sunny.  Also as it got later, a lot of people started coming and the beach became much more crowded close to the main walkway.

we are sitting on the top!

After relaxing for a few hours in our more remote location we moved closer to the people and the rock of Matalascañas.  It is an old watchtower which the ocean caused to collapse that now appears upside down.  When the tide comes in people climb on the rock and some jump off so we decided to join in.  It took incredible effort for the four of us to get onto the rock but with some great teamwork we made it.  We climbed to the top but only one of the girls was daring enough to jump off from the top.  It was scary because it was not a straight jump so you had to jump out too.

the beach got crowded quickly

With more people around we started seeing more and more topless women.  They were everywhere and walk around like they are completely covered.  It was definitely interesting but none of us were daring enough to try out that custom.  There were also a lot of dogs on the beach which was cool.

After some of the girls got ice cream and we spent more time laying out on the beach, the sun had worn us out and we were ready to go back to Sevilla.  We went and waited for the bus which left a little before 6pm.  Once back at the train station in Sevilla a few of us had to use the restroom but when we got in there you had to pay to use it.  A spanish lady told us not to pay and just hold the door open for each other and she explained how there is no toilet paper and offered to give us some of her tissues.  It was a weird experience but not having toilet paper must be common in Spain because many of the bars we went to last night didn't have it either.

La Plaza de Toros

While the other girls decided to take a taxi back from the station I decided to walk because I didn't want to spend money on a taxi.  While walking I passed a lot of places I had passed before but also saw La Plaza de Toros.  On my walk I also realized that I have become pretty familiar with some of the area and am feeling a lot more comfortable walking around which is good.  Tomorrow we start classes and have a tour of the Cathedral which should be cool.  I'm not going out tonight since there is not as much going on Sunday nights and I have a lot of sleep to catch up on.  Thankfully my first class isn't until 12:30.

A Saturday Loco

Sara had to wake up this morning early because the intermediate group had an excursion to Cordoba.  I on the other hand slept until 12:30.  We had lunch around 2 which was a dish with some type of meatball and potatoes in a sauce along with other stuff which was really good.  I then met Caroline and some other girls from the program around 3 to go buy tickets from the bus station in order to go to the beach Sunday.  We did some shopping on the way but it was an extremely long walk.  We also took a lot of pictures.  When we got to the bus station we got tickets for about thirteen euro.  We then walked back but first decided to stop for water and pizza to split.

When I finally got back from my walk around the world, it seemed like at least, it was about 6:30 and Sara was back.  They had a great time in Cordoba so I'm excited for my group to go.  I was tired from walking all day and was not planning on going out but she said she was meeting up with people to go to places near the river which I hadn't been to yet so I gave in and said I'd go with.  We had dinner late and then showered and got ready to go.

McBeer! (aka cerveza grande)

UNC flag!

We met a group of people in our program at a cafe near our apartment.  Then we all walked together to the river and met up with more people from our program at a pretty place next to the river where everyone brings drinks and hangs out.  We didn't bring anything so we went across the street and bought a beer from McDonald's to take over to the spot.  There were a lot of Americans and we wanted to go somewhere else so we crossed the river and first went to a club where a band was setting up.  It was empty so we went to another bar that had drinks for one euro.  At the bar we met a group of spanish guys who knew some english and told us where the good places to go on the river were.  They showed us a fun place to dance with latino music so we stayed there and danced for awhile.  Then they told us about another fun bar on the river that we went to.  There even was  a UNC flag on the ceiling!  After awhile we decided it was time to go back.  Tomorrow is beach day!!

part of the group we met

Our First Whole Day in Sevilla

Our Room

Our second day in Spain and first whole day (May 13) we got a wake up call at 8:30 so we could go downstairs and eat breakfast.  We then packed and waited for them to call us down.  Around 11 they called and got us a taxi and gave the driver the address.  The driver was confused which building we were in so after he dropped us off I asked a woman in front of the building if it was the right one and said no it was across the street so we then went to another one and asked another person if that was the right one and it was.  The door required a key but thankfully there was a cleaning man coming out so we went in and took the small elevator up to the right apartment.  We rang the doorbell and la señora de la casa answered and thankfully knew who we were.  She showed us to our room and Sara unpacked while I watched since I was still bagless.

We rested in our room until lunch and at lunch we had a dish with marinara over rice with a bunch of other sides which was good.  After lunch we rested more until we had to go to our school for a meeting from 5 to 7.  The meeting gave us some tips about where things are and other security-related things.  After the meeting since our bags still were not there we went searching for the mall and after walking the longest way possible and eventually asking for directions we found it.  We went to a store called Pull and Bear and ended up finding stuff to wear the next day.  Then we returned to our apartment and waited for dinner.

Abril

Right before dinner I got a call that our bags finally arrived.  We ate around 10 and then walked to the hotel.  I felt like such a tourist rolling my bag back to our place.  When we got back I unpacked and showered and we met up with a group of people in our program at a club called Abril.  It took us some time to find it and we had to ask some people but we eventually made it around 1am.  The club had a list but apparently they let people in anyways.  When we got to the front one of the bouncers asked me something in spanish and I had no clue what he said.  I looked extremely confused and he ended up just waving us in.  The club was a lot of fun and there was spanish and american music which was cool.  Drinks were really expensive, rum and coke was 7 euro ($10), so we ended up dancing more than drinking.  We ended up getting back at like 4am and I slept until 12:30pm.

Arriving to Sevilla and El Primer Día

Spanish instructions first

Mackenzie, Caroline, and I left for Sevilla Wednesday morning (May 11).  Mom, dad, and Brandon brought me to the airport and mom took plenty of pictures to document it (including a picture of the weight of my bag).  We had no problems flying from RDU to Miami but when we got to Miami had a little bit of trouble finding the right terminal.  When we got to the terminal it seemed like everyone there was spanish. We learned this was true when the boarding instructions were also in spanish.  It was hectic!  As we walked toward the plane there was a line of about fifteen policemen and even a dog which was kind of scary.  On the plane, the attendants always spoke spanish first and even the spanish writing came first.  Luckily, they played "No Strings Attached" in english.  The food was good and although I did not sleep at all it went by very quickly.

Madrid Airport

When we arrived in Madrid we had no clue where to go since there was no board of flight gates so we had to kind of guess and luckily we figured it out.  The customs guy was a jerk and ignored me when I said hello and a muttering security guy made me feel like an idiot until Mackenzie finally told me he was telling me to pick up my backpack.  There was no free internet in the airport but we managed to find a computer with some time left on it and sent some emails home.  When we finally saw a board with flights on it ours did not have a gate so we had to hang out in the McDonald's until we could figure out where our gate was.

Once on the flight it was really fast and we finally got to Sevilla.  We went to get our luggage and waited until the carousel stopped and a guard said "nunca más" to us and about 15 other people.  We find out at the desk that our bags were left in Miami and won't be there until the same flight the next day.  This was upsetting but there was nothing we could do about it so we got a taxi to the hotel we were supposed to check-in at.  We checked in and decided to search for clothes to wear and cell phones to use.  The city was beautiful and we found clothes at Zara and H&M.  We figured out how to get a pay-as-you-go phone and the details about it all in spanish with a guy who did not speak any english.

Sangria in our new clothes

 When we got back to the hotel Caroline and Mackenzie napped and I finally connected to the internet to skype mom, Brandon, and Emily.  The rooms were pretty cool because you had to use your room key to make the lights work so that way you couldn't leave the lights on.  I met my roommate Sara who is awesome and we chatted for awhile.  Then we had a group meeting and dinner which wasn't anything too special.  We got our house assignments that say we are living close to the school with a couple.  It also said the woman is a costume designer.  We then went to a Mexican-themed place a few doors down from the hotel and chatted outside over sangria which was awesome!  I then went to sleep since I hadn't slept since 8:00am on wednesday Raleigh time.