Happy Monday!

I suppose I should start studying for my Semantics and Phonetics exams, both tomorrow. Turns out motivation is hard to come by when you haven't done anything all semester! I've discovered my teeny tiny room is not the most studying-conducive room (cabin fever, meh), so I'll probably end up at Mama Goye, our trusty little cafe that stays open, always. It's the only reliable thing in this country, I swear. I'm definitely excited to come home...my ability to stomach chorizo is disappearing haha. 

Okay, studying commences...now. 

"Bird." -Betsy Collins, legendary

The emo stage has ceased, my apologies for being melodramatic. A new day has dawned, the cock has crowed (at least I can already joke about it, right?). I actually felt a new calm today, maybe because my ambitions have aligned. I found my perfect career: professional scheduler. I only have one class on Mondays and Fridays, at 10, first! I'm taking three of my five remaining core classes, the fruits of my previous indecisiveness in choosing a major. I'll also have a News Writing class, as an outlet to quench my language thirst, because how will I live without creating these little blurbs, in all their ineloquence? A tragic thought indeed. I may just have to continue Incessant(ly) Rambling. 

Dire Need of Detox.

Just ate the grossest thing of my life. Carmen fed us the most mysterious of mystery meats, though she did tell us it was a small type of hen (shadykins!) Nastiest color ever. Full of teeny tiny bones. Pretty sure I swallowed a few. My stomach hurts. America, I long for you. 

Single digits.

Officially done with classes, hip hip hooray! I've only been looking forward to this for about nine weeks! Not exactly sure what I'm supposed to do with myself for the next nine days, but due to my latest discovery that H&M is heated, I might just camp out there. I think I'm ready to go back to America, where things generally run smoothly and make sense, i.e. where garbage isn't collected at 2 a.m. and where the line between what is a sidewalk and a street is never a blur. I've also come to the realization that Sevilla is the most poorly designed city as far as pedestrian walk signals go. They really need some new civil engineers, maybe we can send Adam out here? For instance, on the way to class I cross a street with two different ped signals. The second signal comes on first (?), followed by the first. So by the time I cross the first part of the street, I have to run across the second to make the light. Yup, your guess is as good as mine. Additionally, on the way to the bus station, the signals come on at the same time. You have about 25 seconds to cross the first part of the street and 10 for the second. 

Side note: I can't wait to never eat chorizo again!

Mario, Luigi, The Turtles...

...back from Italy! Glorious (extended) weekend, indeed. We tore up the place, what can I say. Florence was absolutely beautiful...seeing Michaelangelo's "David" was probably worth the trip itself. We then spent two days in Rome, where we saw the Pope, no big deal. First we went to the Vatican museum, which boasts a ridiculously expansive collection of artwork. Makes me wonder how such wealth has accumulated in an institution that preaches almsgiving...but I won't get into that haha..We wanted to see St. Peter's Basilica, but for some reason no one was being let in, so what else do we do but join in the line. At 3:30 the crowd started pouring in, and we found out there was a pre-Advent celebration. The ceremony consisted of a multitude of Latin hymns and a homily from the Pope. I found it slightly awkward that a bunch of mostly tween girls near the aisle were snapping as many pictures as possible as the Pope walked by, standing on their chairs. You would have thought it was the Jonas Bros rollin' in. All in all, I had a great, grand, wonderful weekend, and it was lovely to spend the holiday with Mary, Abbey, and Molly! 

Because 12 Grimmauld Place is calling me...

Minor change in plans haha. I'll be going back to BC next semester. There were no major events really that affected this decision, mainly just that I feel oddly stagnant as far as academic progress goes. It's kind of hard not to love living in a city that is sunny virtually everyday, but I really should be taking advantage of BC. I think I miss the stress in some twisted way. The unproductivity is getting to me. I can putz around after college, in the summers, whenever. Additionally, I'm tired of our one printer at API being broken and the university library being closed due to student protests...being a fake student in general (paper ID cards, really?) Most important, 12 Gerald (Grimmauld) is calling my name, and you just don't mess with the Order of the Phoenix. 

Other events: 

I just finished my group presentation on Medicine in the Renaissance. My section was on the philosophers (yeah yeah you can laugh)...I'm just hoping I didn't sound like a total imbecile, or imbeSULLin (Brian Regan anyone? No? Okay, moving on.) 

Tomorrow Joanna "Vlada" Pasheluk and myself will be presenting our Semantics project...so hopefully no one in my class reads this tonight otherwise the surprise will be spoiled (Does anyone even read this?). 

I missed my art history class this morning to finish our power point presentation. Apparently the professor read our midterm exams aloud, and I received an 8/10. I'll take it. This was our exam, which was written on the board last week:

1. Retablo

2. Cupula

3. Montañés 

As you can see, the expectations were clear. 

Thursday I am going to Italy to meet the Arndt gals! I'm flying into Pisa, maybe stopping to see the leaning tower (before it falls over, right dad?), bus-ing to Florence, where we will be for two days, followed by two days in Rome. 

Done rambling,

Maddy

Soup du jour, hot hors d'oeuvres!

Just returned from a group trip to Paris, the City of Lights. Besides minor hotel problems (murky cesspool of yellow water and proliferating bacteria in the bathroom of our first room), I found Paris to be absolutely delightful. The night we arrived was quite clear, which is a rare occasion for this city, as the subsequent days of gray nebulosity proved. The clouds still were not enough to take the beauty away from the city. Never have I seen anything so ornate. In Paris, each bridge, each lamp post, comes down to the finest detail. 

The Eiffel Tower was a convenient 10-minute stroll from our hotel, so we took advantage of the clear first night to see it up close. It stands at the end of an expansive park, reaching toward the sky. Its blue ilumination made it a remarkable sight. On the front side is a ring of glowing stars, representing the European Union's current presence in paris. Additionally, for five minutes on the hour, the tower twinkles in brilliant crystal lights (warning to the epileptic). 

Eiffel by day: me, Marisa, Joanna

Eiffel by night

The following morning involved a three-hour bus ride slash tour through the city. It was about as exciting as a bus ride can be, but we did get to stop at the Musee d'Homme for an uniterrupted view of the Eiffel! A visit to Notre Dame and Saint-Chappelle followed. We toured the Conciergerie, the old prison where the anti-Revolutionary folk were kept before losing their heads (pun intended). Unfortunately I had to take a break from everything since I wasn't feeling well. So while I was lying incapacitated in the hotel for 3 hours, Joanna, Marisa, and Jessie went to see the catacombs. 

Saint-Chappelle

The next day began with an utmost inefficient visit to the Louvre. After waiting around for about an hour and a half, we entered the museum and probably saw about 2% of it on our tour. But hey, I saw the Mona Lisa. If nothing else, the arquitecture was immensely impressive. We hopped on down to the metro to peruse Les Puces de St-Ouen, Paris most famous flea market. The little white tents went on forever, chock full of antiques and little knick knacks. We wandered our way over to a little ma-n-pa cafe for lunch, where the four of us ate Croque Monsieur (note: the decision to eat ham was purely for cultural enrichment haha). We took the Metro to Montmartre, the gigantic and seemingly only hill in Paris. A short hike brought us to the most spectacular view of the city and the impressive Basilique de Sacre-Coeur. Jessie and I spent the remainder of the evening wandering around Marais, a neighborhood with a plethora of cafes and very cool vintage stores. We ate dinner at a small sandwich shop and chatted briefly with the two workers. One asked if we were American, and when we said yes, he mumbled something that apparently was "Obama," when the other worker corrected his pronunciation. He gave us a big grin and thumbs up and said "Obama, good!" and the other (smilingly as well) did a thumbs down as said, "Bush, bad." We encountered nothing but friendliness in Paris, and I think the recent election (or maybe a little luck) had a lot to do with that. So thank you, Barack!

Sunday we spent the day at Louis XIV palace in Versailles. The palace was majestic. One hallway included room after room of brilliant jewel-toned colors of gold, red, green, purple. My only grievance is that the palace is currently home to a Jeff Koons exhibit, with awkwardly-placed contemporary art pieces (i.e. a giant, metallic-magenta balloon dog). We wandered around the expansive gardens, but I think the cool weather and general brown-ish tone of the landscape made us appreciate it less. I would love to see it in the spring time when everything is full-bloom. 

Well, that ends my trip to Paris. I think it's time for you to put a smile on:

eHarmony

The lovely apartment I enquired about no longer is available, bummer! However, I have come across many more promising options thanks to a lovely little website called easypiso.com, where you create a profile and construct yourself in such a way that you seem as least sketchy as one possibly can in an online ad. I'd imagine this is what online dating is about (Hi, I'm a student looking for an apartment next semester. I'm clean, responsible...I like to laugh for no reason, dance in the rain, enjoy walks on the beach and roasting marshmallows by twilight, you get the picture?)

I have officially finished mid-term week, which was probably less stressful than my least-demanding week at BC, gotta love abroad programs! One test was in Contemporary Spanish Cinema. We had to write an in-class essay involving the image of the two sides in the Spanish Civil War. We watched Belle Epoque, La Nina de Tus Ojos, and La Lengua de las Mariposas, the latter being one of my all-time favorite Spanish movies, probably tied with Pan's Labyrinth. I highly recommend it for anyone looking for amazing foreign films! The title in English is "The Tongue of the Butterflies." The essay went well. I wrote for the entire two hours. I just kind of took the question and ran with it because I loved the movies so much and got really excited. So I hope that I formed a coherent idea somewhere and didn't just write a bunch of nonsensical rubbish.

Inspirational Nonfiction
Yesterday I triumphed over the forces of the Spanish grocery business when I successfully found APPLE JUICE BOXES, thus ending the 8-week drought. It only took three different stores. Never give up.

Cultural Tidbits and a Vocab Test...

...and you thought those ended in high school! 

-Spaniards (being named after saints and all), have this interesting little tradition where they celebrate the day of their namesake saint. Today happens to be el Dia de San Carlos, so kind of like the pseudo-birthday of my host-brohans! Apparently real birthdays are the bigger deal, but it does get some acknowledgement. 

-Health. I'm not really sure if the government has labeled medical research as contraband or what, but the Spaniards seem to be about 50 years behind in regards to health issues. I'll give them credit for the olive oil, but I'm pretty sure it's only used because it's so cheap here. 

1. Love of pig. By that I mean dead, roasted pig, it's everywhere. 

2. Weather paranoia. These people are so scared of rain it's not even funny. HOMBRE, YOU ARE NOT THE WICKED WITCH OF THE WEST. Everyday the meteorologists predict rain. I can count the days it has rained on one hand. They also believe cold weather directly makes you catch a cold. My host mom warned me of wearing a jacket when it was still 70 degrees. 

3. People smoking around their little infants. Seriously.

4. People smoking. 

Vocabulary and How to Sound Spanish:

Vale! = Okay. Say it quickly and repeatedly. Valevalevalevalevale. 

Hombre! = Man. But women also use it while speaking to each other, usually in a heated argument or while strongly making a point (i.e. when my *fake art history professor yelled at us for asking when our midterm was again...HOMBRE you are always asking me this blah blah blah I don't care about you guys anyway.)

Oye! = Listen! Carmen always yells a variety of phrases at Tana while we are eating and she wants to play, this is one. 

No pasa nada. = Nothing happens. It's used kind of like "Don't worry." Students: Should we study for our exam? Professor: No! No pasa nada. 

*My art history professor is not real. I think he's half robot. He is cold and does not make eye contact with us the entire class. He didn't show up the first day. He has been at least 15 minutes late each class since. Last week he came on time and scolded everyone who walked in late, saying we should be more courteous and punctual. His form of teaching is writing biographical information on the chalkboard, re-reading what he wrote, erasing it and doing it again...and this takes two hours (There's about a 30-minute break between the two chalkboard writings). Thank you, sir, but Wikipedia could have told me everything in a far more efficient manner. 

Also, since this is my blog, I will complain as much as I want. So click that tiny little X in the corner of the screen if you don't want to hear it. Boston College is a headache. Metaphorically, that's the best I can do. I tried to get course approvals for art, history, and sociology cores. My Andalusian Art class doesn't count, because "the aim of the Core is to introduce the student to the fundamentals of the discipline through a relatively broad topic in the field." I'm not too mad about it, because it counts toward my Spanish major, I was just excited about killing two birds with one stone. Besides I would gladly take another art class next semester in hopes of a more enlightening experience. For history, I was simply directed to e-mail a different person. Apparently sociology doesn't approve any courses whatsoever while abroad, and I am in the works of writing a sassy e-mail back to Mr. Michael Malec. I think I am developing a whole new sociological perspective just by living in another culture, more than I will ever learn sitting in a class at BC for 2.5 hours a week, being taught by a mediocre professor who got stuck teaching a core class. 

But enough of that. In honor of election day... MIRA 

(And if you are in the mood for some G.W./Kerry nostalgia... Classic.)

Priceless.

I look like an awkward Harry Potter. 

Juiced Up

Not on 'roids, don't fret. I went on a 3 hour walk through town, passed the apartment again (creep much? yes), searching far and wide for an open supermarket. No stores are open on Sunday, not even Zara, or el Corte Ingles. So when I passed el Corte Ingles' dark supermarket, things were looking pretty grim. I meandered toward the Cathedral, stopping to listen to some impromtu Flamenco and dodging palm-reading gypsies left and right, when I saw people with grocery bags! Open Cor happens to be open from 8 a.m. to 2 a.m. everyday, how blasphemous and un-Spanish yet awesomely convenient! I purchased some juiceboxes (peach-grape, el Corte Ingles brand, ironically enough). I downed three in-a-row, and now my Vitamin C levels are sky-high...I REFUSE TO GET SICK. 

Happy Belated November!

I thought I would study today, why not. I'm forming a close bond with my semantics notes. I love this class. We learn all sorts of "modismos," or idioms, many of which have come in quite handy. Others I just think to myself in situations for fear of sounding like a total clown. My favorite is probably, "Vete a freir esparragos!", meaning "Leave me alone!" "Scram!" etc.

Today was a historical morning, as Carlos and I ate breakfast together for the first time. He eats three pieces of plain toast. We watched Ninja Turtles (side note: Carlos is 31). Last night, Carmen told me he is moving to his own apartment, so next semester she wouldn't mind hosting three students. Awk..I thought we were going to have the housing talk where I tell her I'm living in an apartment for sure. I was not in the mood for that since yesterday my Spanish skills seemed to be down. I've had a headache the past couple of days, and I think I'm getting sick.

On a lighter note, I think I found my dream apartment! I'm waiting for the landlady to reply to my e-mail so I can see if it's even available for the months I need it. The location is perfect. It's right on this enormous plaza called Alameda de Hercules, in the north-central region of town. It's probably about a 30 minute walk to school, but since I'll be in charge of meals I can work out my schedule so I only make the trek once a day. Besides, the walk is very pleasant and goes along a long road through the heart of the city. Alameda is a cute little neighborhood, a little more gritty than Triana because it's where all the student live. The plaza is lined with bars and cafes, and there's even a theater and stage in the center. It's also closer to el Parque de Alamillo, the biggest park in Sevilla, which is perfect for running. Here's a couple pics:

Alameda

Apartment

It's a Small World After All. Part 2.

Today was a lovely little day. I literally walked around for 3 hours exploring potential neighborhoods for next semester's apartment. Lo and behold, I run into Kate Terry and her two amigas, who happened to be in Sevilla. We found ourselves sitting at a cafe chatting for a couple hours...and thinking "is this seriously happening right now?" Kate, fellow cap-i-tan of xc (see pic below), who I have seen once since high school. Geez Louise, I love it. I'm still shocked. Events like these are so crazy. What if I hadn't decided to turn that direction and start walking home? What are the chances of us walking on the same road, opposite directions? Let alone on the same side of the street? We could have easily passed by each other without notice, I can't stop smiling. Gosh. 

Big Mac, Me, Kate, and Tyler...senior year State...see how long it's been?

On an unrelated note, I made it back in time for dinner. I was on bread duty (see previous post, Carmen = homebody), right as I get to the market near our apartment it's closing. Panic. Luckily the amazing panaderia/bakery down the street was still open. "Tres andaluzas, por favor." "Espera un momentito, ya estan en el horno." Fresh bread, straight out of the oven. Carmen's three other kids (besides Carlos, of course) joined us for dinner to celebrate Jorge's (son-in-law's) birthday. We ate shrimp with fully-intact bodies, so I awkwardly sat and watched everyone else eat them to see how they de-capitated, de-tailed, and de-legged the darn things. We are all done eating, and of course there were extras, so guess who gets stuck eating them? Me. Of course. Normally Joanna and I split the impossibly large portions of food, but she bailed on me this weekend for Italy, how dare she! I'm pretty sure Jorge jocosely (yes, I did just use that word, tell Mrs. Bates) made a comment about Americans eating a lot, not appreciated, Jorge!...as I recall you all were the ones force-feeding me against my will. So for the second time today, I cannot move. 

Q: What do you call someone who put's poison in a person's corn flakes? A: A cereal killer.

Sorry, it's Halloween. I had to put up a bad Halloween joke. 

Halloween has a growing presence in Spain, due in large part to the increasing numbers of American study-abroad students. There are plenty of "international" (meaning American) parties happening tonight. I will not be attending, a. because I am anti-social, and b. because I refuse to associate myself with other American students. 

We have officially passed the half-way point of this semester's program. I only have five more weeks of class, followed by a few days of exams. Crazy. I feel like I haven't done much schoolwork. I do have a midterm to study for this weekend, but it's pretty much just memorizing verb groups and idioms. I am a bit frustrated with my art history class. My teacher is totally dull and doesn't even make eye-contact with us the entire class. He fills up the chalkbroad, reads what he wrote. We take a 20 minute break, and he does the same thing. It wasn't until yesterday we even saw actual works of art, and we had a substitute, of course. 

The whole host-family situation is working out pretty well. Carmen is a total home-body, never has left Spain except for a visit to Portugal. I'm pretty sure she only leaves the house to go to the bank and market to buy food. I am beginning to get used to the way she speaks (I can even hear her complaining about Carlos when she talks on the phone haha), but her Spanish seriously sounds like nothing I have heard before. It was making me lose faith in my language skills, thinking I could only understand our professors because they were talking down to us. But then I listen to people on the streets, or in cafes, and they are completely understandable, so things are looking up. In addition, last Monday I went to the post office and successfully explained the envelopes and stamps I need to mail in my absentee ballot. Things like that up the confidence level. 

This weekend is completely empty, with no planned excursions, probably because this week at school we have "midterms" (read: one). The upcoming weekends are looking like: Cordoba, PARIS, Sierra de Aracena, Italy with the Arndt gals!, then the weekend before exams. Holy smokes. Then begins my 7 week winter break...yes, 7. The spring program commences January 26, again with orientation in Madrid for three days. A few friends from BC will be in Madrid by then, so hopefully I will be able to spend that time catching up! Classes begin February 9. 

I have begun the whole apartment search. The options are endless. I would like to live closer to the city center/univerisity/API office. There are listings from other international students and Spanish students, alike. The prices are surprisingly inexpensive, mostly around 250 Euros for your own room. I like living with Carmen, but I have to share a room, and she puts strange meats (and pounds of salt) in our soups. I also feel slightly prisoner-like in my room. She tells Joanna and I we are welcome to use the sitting room, but all she does is watch the television. When Carlos eats with us, we watch the Simpsons. When he's not, we watch the weather. People here are obsessed and dramatic when it comes to the weather. They always think it's going to rain, Carmen always asks if I have an umbrella when I leave (did she not see my amazing light-packing skills? of course my umbrella didn't make it in). 

Anyway, happy Halloween! Sixteen minutes until lunch, so about 45 minutes until I am lying on my bed unable to move. 

Mother Theresa is a Saint.

Mother Theresa is the best....HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!! 

Love,

Your Favorite Daughter

Doesn't Sevilla know that Christmas is two months away?

Little Obversations:

a. The weather was downright disagreeable today, although the dark gray clouds failed to shower us the entire day, so thank you, weather. It is Freezing (caps F) here. If it's cold again tomorrow I will turn this place over. Sevilla is supposed to be sunny, delightful, and warm...having a high of 65 and low of 45 during the coldest time of the year (which is not October, by the way). Grr. 

b. On the streets near the city's center, one can literally find chestnuts roasting on an open fire. Disappointingly enough, I have heard nothing but negative reviews. 

Farewell, I have things to do. (kidding)

Portuguese New Glarus?

Hey guys, look what I found in Lagos! 

Pomegranate Land

I just returned from a weekend in Granada, sigh. What a precious city. Granada is about 3 hours east of Sevilla, the other main city in Andalucia. Though only half Sevilla's size (about 300.000), the city simply shines. It is well-situated in between mountain ranges, and the town itself offers rugged terrain for the adventurous with quality hiking footwear. Granada, Spanish for Pomegranate!, was the last Moorish stronghold in Spain during the Reconquist by Isabel and Ferdinand. The Arab influences abound, especially in the Albayzin, a neighborhood that houses Moroccan-style shops and restaurants. 

Pictured above is the Alhambra, one of the most-visited sites in Europe. This picture doesn't exactly do it justice but will suffice for now. The Alhambra consists of four parts: Charles V's Palace, Alcazaba (the fort), Palacios Nazaries, and the Generalife Gardens. A guide took us through the royal palace as we explored the ceremonial rooms and private quarters of the Moorish Kings. Following Muslim tradition, there was no artwork in the form of images, though painted colors adorned the buildings: red (blood), blue (heaven), green (oasis), and gold (wealth). Other forms of artwork include the stalactite-looking ceilings, floral indents in the walls, and calligraphy. One message, translating to "only Allah is victorious," is repeated 9.000 times. 

Traveling with such a large group is quite exhausting and a bit inefficient trying to get everyone going places, making decisions, etc. All in all, I highly enjoyed the visit, but am glad to be back in Seville and looking forward to staying here the upcoming weekend. This semester is about half-way over already, and soon I have to apartment hunt for next semester, ahh! 

I was so ecstatic to "fall back" today. Normally it is still dark after 8:00 a.m. when we awake for class on Monday/Wednesday. The earlier sunrise will finally be conducive to my running in the mornings. 

I should try to read my 15 pages of homework before dinner tonight, that way I can watch Sleeping Beauty afterward. A girl in my program received it in a package from a friend, and she already converted her computer to European DVDs, so the movie is in my possession (big, Cheshire Cat-like smile). I have already watched it twice, but this time I will watch it in Spanish, how's that for a justification?

Ramblings...

1. I just saw a little dog get hit by a car. It was crying and crying until it finally died. I'm not sure if it had an owner or not, but someone carried it off the road and onto the sidewalk. People were petting it during its final moments, which slightly increased my faith in humanity. 

2. I have my ballot, printed and (not) ready to go. I'm going through that whole "I don't really like either candidate" phase, but I know I must vote for someone. Hum dee dum, what to do. I have an extreme disdain for politics. It's just the two candidates making fluffy speeches while pointing out the character flaws of the other. I'm tired of watching negative t.v. ads, to me they all sound the same. The candidate who thinks of a more creative way to get their ideas across would get my vote. Now is quite an interesting time to be out of the country. Of course all (ok, not all, but most) of the Europeans are Obama fans. It is interesting to see or read news on what is happening in the States and how the candidates are portrayed. For instance, yesterday in the paper there was a picture of Obama and McCain. Obama's picture was just, you know, your average photo, handsome smile. McCain's was some crazy face he was making with his tongue out, very peculiar.  

3. I booked a flight to Marseille for December 13, which is when the first semester of my program officially ends. I am going to be a WWOOFer, woohoo! Basically WWOOF (willing workers on organic farms) is an international organization that connects volunteers who are interested in sustainable agriculture with farms looking for help. The term "organic" often carries a pretentious, negative connotation, but it is not just a fad. Growing food organically just means doing so without harsh chemicals that harm the earth, a way that is healthy for the environment. I'm not sure yet as to where exactly I will be, but I thought I would use Marseille as a good starting point since I know I want to be in southern France (j'ai besoin de practiquer mon francais, bien sur!) The farms in the WWOOF network offer volunteers room and board in exchange for work, usually 4-5 hours/day, 5 day/week. I might as well do something productive with my 6 week winter break, right?

Granada, tomorrow. Packing, now. 

Portugal es da "bom"

Pardon the hiatus! I'd like to say it was due to a heavy workload or having other important things to do, but such is not the case. I went to Portugal last weekend. There are no words to describe the beauty of this country, emanating from the language, historic buildings, and natural wonders. 

Our viaje began as our group (7 in total) gathered at the bus station for our midnight ride to Lisbon. Traveling with a small number was much more pleasant than being with the entire group. The ride wasn't bad, however the man in front of me snored the entire way. This was no average snore, let me tell ya. It sounded so painful, I have no idea how he didn't wake himself up. 

We arrived in the early a.m. and immediately went to our hostel, which ended up being a very enjoyable first hostel experience! There was a large lounge room complete with comfy couches, two computers, and marilyn monroe/elvis-adorned walls. The staff were kind enough to let us throw our bags in the backroom even though we were a few hours early for check-in. 

Time to muster up some energy and explore the city. Lisbon is suprisingly easy to navigate. We bought day passes for the metro, which were definitely worth the buy. We immediately headed to an area called Belem. Situated there is a monument dedicated to the "discoverers." A further walk along the river brought us to the Belem Tower:

The tower was built in late-gothic style and serves as a symbol of Portuguese power (and as a tribute to Vasco de Gama) during the age of the discoveries. Nearby is the Mosteiro dos Jeronimos. The cathedral is very similar to the Spanish style, though with intricate designs on the tall columns. 

We took a much-needed break at Casa Pasteis de Belem, a cafe known for its signature pastry, pastel de Belem. A cup-of-coffee later and we were refreshed and ready to continue exploring. We headed back to the city center on a trolley, where we ascended and descended the hilly, swerving streets. This was only about half the day, but I need to talk about Lagos!!

Lagos is a small town located on the southern coast of Portugal, called the Algarve. The town is booming with tourists in the summer, and as a result, most people there speak English (and perhaps because very few people are anxious to learn Portuguese, which is unfortunate considering the beauty of the language!) The highlight of the trip was our 3-hour kayaking tour of the caves and rock formations.  

Overall, the trip was fantastic. Portugal is highly underrated. It's kind of Spain's quiet wingman that never really causes any noise in the world. I am in love with the language. The best way I can describe it is as a French-Russian hybrid with a few noticable Spanish words thrown in the mix, if you can imagine that haha. Many of the words look the same, which was a huge help in getting around the city, but due to the differences in pronunciations, one would not guess that Portuguese and Spanish are two of the most closely related Romance languages in written form. 

Note: These pictures are stolen from various sites online, thanks to Google Image and generous photo-uploaders. I will for sure post kayaking pictures after I steal my friend's camera...wow, a lot of stealing going on on my part! 

Tomorrow is the last day of school for the week, and Friday we leave for Granada. I am so very excited, Barb's sister Claire told me Granada was her favorite city in Spain. I have heard nothing but good things. 

Luego!

It's a Small World After All.

I was wandering around town today, enjoying the sun, when I passed a man wearing a Green Bay Packers t-shirt. It's a small, small world. 

A Bad Case of the Mondays.

It's been a month. I haven't been too whiny yet, so I think I deserve one whiny post. Here it is:

I miss my blender. I want a choco-peanut butter-banana shake. 

I miss peanut butter. Unfortunately my frugal European lifestyle cannot afford such luxuries. However, Joanna and I decided that if Obama wins we are buying some. PLEASE VOTE FOR THE SAKE OF MY HEALTH haha 

Ok that's all. I don't have school today, thanks to Pilar. I'm not sure who Pilar is, but apparently she is worth celebrating. You don't have school thanks to Columbus...we're still celebrating him?

What can make me feel this way? Mulva.

Sung to the tune of "My Girl."

We went to Mulva today to see some ancient Roman ruins. That's really all I can tell you. The energy put towards listening to our guide was instead focused on my freezing, drenched, uncomfortable state. My mind searched for positive thoughts instead, like lunch. 

I met up with friends Stephanie and Alesha at 8, so as to reach the bus station and meet the others at 9. The train ride lasted an hour. We literally got off in the middle-of-nowhere when the merciless precipitation began. After the initial soakage, we decided to just make the most of it. Many a Disney song were sang to keep our minds in a more pleasant place. We hiked for about 40 minutes to Mulva, roamed the ruins, took shelter under a porch, lunched, etc. 

After lunch, the rain miraculously stopped. I went from soaked to damp about an hour later. We had a two hour hike to the next town, where we were to catch the train back to Sevilla. Extra time was spent at a bar, drinking down cola-caos (Spanish hot chocolate, it's no Swiss Miss, but with such timing its taste was delectable). On the way to the bar, Stephanie, Alesha, and I picked some fruits off the cacti (which, by the way, have miniscule prickers on them, and I am discovering new ones latched into my skin with every movement of my hand). Who knew cacti beared fruit (not I)! Lola, our supervisor, told us she absolutely loves them. With good reason, too, for at the bar we cut them open, and they were indeed divine. Took the train back, luckily the 50 minute walk to my apartment involved no added moisture from the sky. I'm officially showered and warm once again. Time to read until dinner. 

80s-Style aerobics in a desperate attempt to find warmth: 

I'm not actually sure how we were laughing so hard at this point, but maybe it was the delirium. 

The Marvelous Midge

Midge aka 4-10 aka Kelsi Upmann finished the Twin Cities Marathon in 3 hours, 35 minutes, and 20 seconds like a total champ, thereby qualifying for the Boston Marathon (of which the qualifying time is 3 hours, 40 minutes).....YAY MIDGE! 

PETA members, beware:

I went to the bullfight today and stayed for the entire time despite skyrocketing anxiety levels. I was nervous for the matadors, nervous for the bulls, just a whole bundle a nerves. 

Bullfighting is to Spain what baseball is to America, and not only in terms of popularity:

1. Accuracy is essential. If the matador doesn't get a clean stab right in the back of the bull's neck, the crowd boos.

2. Tight pants and tall socks. Only is Spain could a man wear such flamboyant garb and be highly respected...I mean, really, pink socks? 

3. Venders selling peanuts and beer. 

The very first bullring was built in Ronda (a small town south of Sevilla) in the late 1700s. Bullfighting in Spain is huge, and it is especially associated with Andalusian culture. The event is extremely ritualistic and ceremonial in nature. The matadors (3 in total) enter the stadium with their assistants while the band plays a march anthem. The banderilleros carry pinks capes and take center stage in the beginning of the fight. The bull runs out and charges the banderilleros, who take cover behind the gates. They don't actually do any of the wounding to the bull, and are present until the end. 

In the second part of the fight, two picadors enter the stadium on horses and carrying lances. The horses wear protective armor and are blindfolded so they don't know when the bull is going to ram into them. When this happens, the picador jabs the bull. The crowd whistles in disapproval if he wounds the bull too much. Next the banderilleros stab the bull with banderillas (brightly adorned, barbed sticks). These are put in the bull's shoulders, so as to lower its head, eventually giving the matador a better shot at it. This part of the fight made me particularly nervous, as they had no protection at all. The bull and banderillero run at each other and he jabs the bull and runs away. 

The bull is considerably injured and very bloody at this point. The matador begins the last phase, in which he tries to gracefully work with the bull and red cape with ballet-like passes. There are multiple manoeuvres with varying degrees of difficulty (i.e. having one knee on the ground, or taking the sword out of the cape so the target is smaller). When the matador is doing a good job, the crowd yells "Ole!" with each pass. After a few minutes of getting the crowd riled up, the matador lines up the bull for the kill. If done correctly, the bull dies almost instantly, because the sword goes right into its aorta. 

The first matador was horrendous. I think they went in order of least to most experienced, because the picador wounded the first bull the most. It was really sad. You could see the bull trying to breathe, which obviously got progressively harder. The bull almost died before the matador even stabbed it. The matador went in for the kill, but didn't get the sword in all the way, so the bull was still on the verge of death. It was lying on the ground, and someone else had to keep stabbing it with a dagger before it finally died. Much blood was spilled, I think I even cried (Did I just admit to that?) Who knew I had a soft spot for animals? haha My roommate and another friend Marisa left after the horses came out to drag the bull away, they were quite distraught. 

I will say I am glad I stuck it out until the end. The second and third matadors were much more of a treat to watch, and proved bullfighting takes grace and courage. After the first bull, I thought "Where is the sport in this?" All I felt were the overflowing testosterone levels. After watching the rest, I realized the craft and precision involved. The crowd waves white flags or scarves if the matador did well, then the matador proceeds to parade around the stadium, often receiving a Spanish rose or two. It's amazing that bullfighting is still going on today, not just because of ethical reasons, but because the entire ceremony, from the march anthem to the ornate costumes to the armor-clad horses, puts you a few centuries back. I'm surprised PETA members haven't been dispatched to protest such an event, but culture is culture, and it's difficult if not impossible to judge. 

Cartwheeling.

Today was our first excursion apart from Madrid and Toledo in the beginning. After a solid first week of class, filled with the usual nonsense that occupies the drop/add period, we made the short journey to La Rabida. La Rabida is the Franciscan monastery where Columbus lived the two years prior to his journey, but I'm tired of Columbus so enough about that. We took about a 30 minute bus-ride to Huelva, a small beach town that appeared deserted. For being the beginning of October, it was surprisingly warm near the water, and very relaxing because no one was around (so maybe people do actually work and attend school?). We (attempted) to do cartwheels, which only reminded me that I lack any grace whatsoever.

Side note: The Filology department library (where I need to check out a book for Monday's lit class) is open Monday through Friday, 10 to 1, and Monday and Wednesday, 5-8. We're pretty hard core. 

On an unrelated subject, I feel a tad disconnected! What a strange time to not be in America...economy...election. I have been trying to read a few articles on BBC.co.uk to receive some news from a foreign (yet familiar language) perspective. I sent in my request for an absentee ballot. I'm 99% sure I'll vote for Obama, although more research must be done to make an educated decision. I definitely don't agree with everything he says or does, but I feel most strongly about stopping the war, and clearly that won't happen with McCain. In the spirit of being in one of my sporadically political moods, I thought I'd share a fun little link (those of you had Mr. Loizzo might know about it?) Basically the Political Compass is a quiz that shows where you stand on a grid-like map according to your views. The concept is that politics are more complex than being simply left- or right-wing, so a new dimension is added- north (Authoritarian) and south (Libertarian). The site also shows where some famous leaders have stood (i.e. Stalin, Hitler, Gandhi) and where many present and potentially future leaders stand (i.e. Bush and Candidates). 

Super Awk:

1. overhearing Spaniards talk about U.S. politics and saying Jorge "Boosh" and talking about the U.S. to Carmen and saying Jorge "Boosh" 

2. ordering certain ice cream flavors. "me gustaria una tarrina pequena de vainilla con brownie." the Spaniards really need to make up a word for brownie.

Economics 101

I would receive an A+. In times of economic turmoil, chaos, and hopelessness, I saw the light. Twice. In two days. 

1. Emily Slatter was correct when she told me European Zaras (thee most ubiquitous clothing store, created by self-made and now richest Spanish man Armancio Ortega, 72 years old, worth $20.2 bill) trump the American Zaras. It took all the self-restraint I could muster up not to make any purchases. 

2. I just booked a flight to Pisa for 10 euros. It would have been 5 had I been the holder of a Visa Electron card, so there's still room for improvement. 

Until later, amigos. May the bail-out be with you. (I will obsessively be checking cnn.com for updates today)

Sevillan Nights

Sevillans live in the streets, totally opposite from Americans. It is not uncommon to see entire families out walking after midnight. Whereas Americans often congregate with friends inside someone's house for an evening of entertainment, here people prefer to meet at the bars and cafes. The house is a private space used for rest, not to entertain friends. The Spaniards would not approve of the countless Rollette Maintence Crew and Friends movie and game nights that occurred this summer haha. They would be even more shocked by Paul's mantra, "If you've been in the fridge twice, you're family." Yesterday after our (pseudo-)class, Alesha, Marisa, Joanna, and I went to a tiny cafe, sat outside, and played Yahtzee for about two hours. We kind of felt like old men, but we had fun. 

Later that evening we were joined by a couple other friends, and we were on our way to La Carboneria, a popular bar and flamenco destination. After stumbling (literally, shoes and cobblestones...not compatible) through the winding alleyways of the barrio Santa Cruz, we found it. There was a tiny, red barn-like door and no sign or address number. A very serious-looking man who could have given the British Guards a run for their money stood outside, looking straight ahead, no emotion. We entered and thought 'are we in the right place?' There was a bar on the left, in a dark alcove, with no one there. The room felt like a cave made of white brick, and there was a lady singing and sullenly playing the pianoforte. 

Finally, we found what we were looking for: two swinging doors opened up to a giant, white tent full of tables, benches, and a small stage. On the other side of the tent was a patio area, very lively. We chatted outside for a bit, but heard more and more people congregating in the tent, for what was a great spectacle. 

The performers:

young, 30-somethings guitarist

young, 60-somethings singer with a booming voice 

flamenco dancer, clad in a satin purple ruffled dress and a whole lot of attitude! 

They were outstanding, and a joy to watch. The dancer was fierce. After the performance, we managed to find our way back to the cathedral (sans getting lost), across the river, and it was back to our apartments. October 10th we are going to Arenal, where we are to watch the reportedly best Flamenco in the world. 

Tomorrow is the bull fight. I'm excited. 

Lost in Translation

...what happens to be a great movie and a phrase applicable to my current state. Sometimes I simply cannot understand my host mom. For instance, she knocks on the door this morning while I'm in the shower, asking me if the water's too cold (which it wasn't). I was a bit frazzled because I thought I had been in there too long, and she wanted me to turn off the water. Anyway, she tells me 'continue, continue'. When I got out, it took her about 5 minutes of explaining for me to understand that when you turn on the hot water, the heater in the kitchen cupboard produces fire. Since she was in the kitchen and didn't see any fire, she thought I didn't have hot water. That was all haha. I wish I could understand everything she's saying 24/7, but I know it will take time (patience was always a virtue I lacked, eh mom?) I felt a little better, though, upon reminding myself that yesterday in grammar class, Ruben our teacher told us if we could understand los sevillanos, we could understand all Spanish-speaking people. Phew. 

Bob- "Can you keep a secret? I'm trying to organize a prison break. I'm looking for, like, an accomplice. We have to first get out of this bar, then the hotel, then the city, and then the country. Are you in or you out?"

Charlotte- "I'm in. I'll pack my stuff."

Bob- "I hope you've had enough to drink. It's going to take courage." 

Princesses and Broken Cameras

Today I mourn the death of my camera. It turns on, but not completely. Kind of like the annoying iPod battery symbol that appears to let you know the battery's dead, what a tease. For now I will result to stealing group members' pictures off Facebook and utilizing Google Image. Ay. 

I'm trying to familiarize myself with Spanish sports, government, music, television, pop culture in general. Here is a song called "Princesas" by Pereza, one of the most popular Spanish Rock bands, enjoy! 

Vamos a ver una corona muy "bling bling."

...said the tour guide Pilar. Translation: We are going to see a very "bling bling" crown. Today we toured the cathedral here in Sevilla. It was magnificent: gothic architecture (tall columns, dark), 3rd biggest in the world after the Vatican and St. Paul's in London. Apparently this one is the greatest in volume, though, so...go Sevilla!

The cathedral houses the official tomb of the world's most glorified pirate: Chris Columbus. He wasn't actually buried, per se. His remains lie in a structure that is held by four kings, representing the four kingdoms of Spain, which were Castille, Leon, Aragon, and Navarre. Supposedly there are other tombs that contain some of his remains: Havana (Cuba), Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic), Valloloid (Spain) where he originally rested. 

In the words of Pilar, "May Columbus rest in pieces." 

The best part of the cathedral was the glorious Bell Tower (1st picture above), we walked up and up and up the ramp spiraling around the tower til we reached the tippy top. The bells (24 in total) sound every 15 minutes. You could see the entire city, which I noticed is almost completely flat. I saw the Plaza de Toros where we are going to see a bull fight Sunday! One girl in our group is opting out, citing that bull fighting is inhumane because they kill the bull...yet she's a carnivore. I feel like while it's not necessarily the nicest thing to do, humans have done much worse. The bull will die whether I go or not, and afterward it will end up on someone's dinner plate (just not mine haha). More to come Sunday night!

Note: Spaniards are very unaggressive drivers. No one beeps their horn at other cars (or pedestrians in the crosswalks.) I suppose it's because no one's in a hurry to get anywhere, bienvenidos a Espana.  

Art Things

Picasso's "Guernica"! Amazing, no? This is definitely el Museo de Reina Sofia's most precious work. There are three rooms dedicated to it (the glorious mural in the middle room and rooms displaying sketches of different phases of his masterpiece on either side). Guernica is a town located in Northern Spain, and during the Spanish Civil War, Franco, the brutal dictator who was buds with Hitler, allowed the Nazis to drop a saturated bomb that leveled the city. Picasso was away in France at the time, but the horror inspired him to create this brilliant anti-war mural. Perhaps it's difficult to see all the components in this picture, but it basically depicts the chaos and destruction of war..an injured horse, a woman and her dead child, a man trapped by fire, etc. 

La Vida Espanola

eat. relax. eat. siesta. eat. walk. sleep. repeat.

Mi casa, su casa

Room with a view: Unfortunately my Sony Powershot fails to capture the details of the rooftops I can see for miles and miles. 

Today I sit idly, as nothing is open on Sundays save a few cafes. We are lunching soon, afterwards I might have to sip some coffee outside and continue reading Emma, which I am shamed to admit I have been neglecting since I've been here! 

This evening we're meeting a couple girls at an internet cafe by their apartment to plan a trip to Greece in November. I'm just going along for fun (and because nothing's more exciting than vacation planning!) because I will (hopefully) be meeting the Arndt girls somewhere in Italy that weekend. Oh, and fear not, Lola (our program director), has a turkey dinner planned for us on Thanksgiving, what a charmer. 

We don't start class til next week, so I feel like a bit of a deadbeat, but I suppose I'll try to enjoy the downtime before the chaos of studies and weekly excursions begins. This week we just have a 2 hr/day crash course in grammar, and tomorrow we are going exploring with Lola on bikes around town. Seville is a very bike-friendly city. For 13 Euros, we can buy a year's pass on their bike system. There are different points around the city (bike stations, if you will) where you simply take a bike and ride it wherever you want, as long as you drop it off at another station. 

My Classes:

Spanish Art of the Golden Age

Spanish Realist Novel

Spanish Literature: Humanism to Cervantes

Contrastive Grammar: English-Spanish

Spanish Semantics 

Good day!

Destination: Sevilla

After a lovely last night in Madrid spent at el Museo del Reina Sofia, we ventured to Toledo, also known as the "City of Three Cultures." Toledo was the capital of Spain whilst under the rule of the Visigoths (after the Romans, before the Arabs) in the mid-6th century. The city was an important hub for Jews, Moors, and Christians alike. After our tours, we had an hour for lunch, but I went off to find some house slippers (with no luck), but I happened to stumble upon a little hole-in-the-wall restaurant that served kebabs.  Never in my life did I predict I would be speaking Spanish with a Turkish man haha..it was finally off to begin our 5 hour journey south to Sevilla!

Arrival: Our host families met us near the University, where we all went our separate ways. My roommate's name is Joanna, and she attends the College of Charleston. We live with a sweet little lady named Carmen, her son Carlos, and her adorable little black dog Tana. Right away, Carmen went ahead preparing us a delicious dinner of salad, tortilla (potato omelet), fresh bread, apples, and plums. We ate and watched Private Practice with dubbed over voices in Spanish, so that was interesting! Carmen just so happens to be a Grey's fanatic as well.

Our room: 7th floor, killer view...picture to come.

Little facts about Spain:

-size of Texas, 3rd biggest country in Europe after Russia and France

-17 autonomous regions (Sevilla is in Andalucia)

-2700 miles of coastline

-2nd most mountainous country in Europe after good ole Switzerland

No Bug Bites!

Don't tell Molly. Last night's sleep was delightful. Today I really felt that I was in a whole new world (!!), it makes a world of a difference to actually be conscious and aware of your surroundings, and to be able to think well enough to communicate with Spaniards.

Overview:

Went to the Royal Palace, very ornate, stunning (but what palace isn't?) Carlos III had quite the impressive collection of tea sets from Germany and France, not to mention a dining table that seats 140 guests. 

Later we visited el Museo Nacional del Prado and saw the works (obras) of El Greco, Velazquez, and Goya. El Greco was definitely my favourite. He painted eye-catching religious works, focusing on the figures. His paintings are almost divided in half: divine characters in the upper half and earthly characters on the lower half, but creating one cohesive painting.  Unfortunately this museum didn't house the works of more modern painters (i.e. Picasso and my personal favourite, Salvador Dali), but I found out they are located at another museum nearby, so have no fear, it will be found! 

Food:

It will be hard eating at American restaurants again. Food here is ridiculously amazing, or maybe I had two days of good luck?  You can choose to eat at the bar, at a table inside, or at a table outside, in increasing order of price levels, however the difference was about $1 so we thought we'd take advantage of the lovely weather. The restaurants offer a bazillion (I counted) a la carte options, but we all ordered from the menu of the day, which includes a drink, bread, two courses, dessert, and only costed 8.90 euros, so pretty good deal. I ordered gazpacho (my new-found culinary love), which is a traditional Spanish soup in a tomato base, served cold. It sounds strange, and maybe is, as I am the only one so far who absolutely loves it haha but oh well..the second course had three options, and I found out the first two were cerdo (RED FLAG! PIG! RED FLAG!). The third choice was fish, phew. If they don't serve pig, the next most popular is fish, so I'm lucky! But you would truly be amazed at the number of pig cuts and ways of cooking it the Spaniards have discovered.  Anyway it's almost 2, we have an 8 a.m. wake-up call, what am I doing? Buenas noches de Madrid!

What day is it?/Initial Thoughts

Quick explanation of title: I wrote for my school newspaper, the Criterion, and "Incessant Rambling" was the name of my title. That is what you're sure to find. I must admit my writing prowess is much inferior to that of Emily haha but bear with me, I'll try to make it interesting!

Day 1, here goes nothing

Flight: Nothing is odder than flying away from the sun and meeting it again 7 hours later, not to mention being served breakfast 3 hours after dinner. I was ecstatic upon finding my seat in the aisle (personal space!), and the girl next to me didn't get up the entire length of the flight, what a champ. 

Madrid: Madrid is huge. Five million people, I do believe. There is an astronomical difference between the architecture and feel of the outskirts of the city versus the interior. The outskirts are not necessarily "slums", but definitely not the Europe you picture. Lots of tall, brick buildings and even more graffiti, very American-urban feeling. The centro is gorgeous, as I expected. Fountains, government buildings, museums, apartments in shades of beige with the same tall windows and same tiny iron balconies. No skyscrapers. 

Hotel: It felt wonderful to finally settle into our (petite) room at Hotel Regina. The room is, well, quaint. The decor is straight out of the 70s, with gold tapestry-like comforters and silky sage green curtains. The bathroom, strangely enough, feels super modern until you note that there's no screen on the window. The window overlooks a "courtyard," which is comparable in size to an elevator shaft and resonates sound like mad, making everyone's conversation heard. 6 inch voices, people!