Just Gotta Get Back Up on That Horse

Alright, I realize I've gotten in to the nasty habit of only blogging once a week, but honestly, it's because I would so much rather be in the sun and by the river than on a computer typing inside... oops. However, I will give the update on my life.

So last week was just one of those weeks. It started off on Monday which I talked about in my last entry and the rest of the week just kind of followed in the same fashion. I am not saying it was all bad, but it was just one of those things where I would be having a pretty good day and then I would just get pushed down by something. Overall it wasn't a bad week. I had an awesome time at practicum as usual, it was just kind of exhausting. I was worn down by the time Friday rolled around. But as my grandpa always says, when you get knocked off the horse, you just gotta get right back up on it. Fortunately for me, we were going to Málaga on Friday to help me get back on the horse!

Now, I am currently exhausted, so I am going to let the weekend speak for itself through pictures. Let me just say that this was one of the best weekends of my life. My friends and the Mediterranean got me out of my funk and I am completely ready to start a new week. So this was my weekend in Málaga in pictures.

Granada!!! AKA Really Awesome Weekend

So much to update on... I will try not to be long winded.

Sleeping Beauty

So the rest of the week went fairly normally last week. I taught a little bit in my classes on Thursday, and it was really fun. I think they understood me... They told me I talk really fast which blows my mind because I am intentionally speaking slower. I think I just get nervous. Thursday night Holly, Marcy, Eric and I went out after class and that was a really fun night, but pretty laid back. On Friday, we had to be at the University at 8:30 in the morning. I was totally going to be on time, but then I left my camera in my house and of course I needed that. So then I had to take this long adventure of walking and riding the bus to the University because it is 30 minutes away from my house. I was the last one there, but it was okay because all my friends saved me a seat on the back row with them! All five of us were sitting in one row, it was precious.

On our way to Granada, we stopped at this rest area and it was complete madness. Everyone was crowded around the counter, there was no line, and you just shouted your order to the waitress. I felt really bad for everyone behind the counter, but they were obviously pros and got all the orders out super fast. After that we were on our way to Granada again! The way in to Granada was beautiful, we drove through the country side. One thing about my friends is that they all think that I live in the boondocks. Every once in a while my country accent slips and so they think I am from the middle of no where. When we were driving to Granada, there was one house in the middle of this field and Eric turned to me and said "Oh you live somewhere like that, right?" Sooooooo funny. When they come visit me, they will be shocked to see that I live in a city and wear shoes and don't eat fried chicken all the time!

Once we got to Granada, we were dropped off at the hotel and we had a little break before lunch. I took a long hot shower and did not feel guilty about it. When I'm at home I try to be in and out of the shower as quick as possible because water and electricity to heat it are very expensive here. It was kind of nice to just let the water run and not worry about how much I was costing Eva. Then we had this awesome Spanish buffet, full of all kinds of typical Spanish dishes. Of course we looked like fat Americans, but it was worth it.

Alhambra

After lunch, we went to Alhambra, which is the last palace of the Muslim kings in Andalusia. It is considered the last hoorah of the Muslim kings and a kind of demonstration of their art and culture before the Christians conquered them. It was absolutely breathe taking. It is up on a hill to where you can see all of Granada and the gardens were so beautiful, even without flowers. Plus, Granada is surrounded by mountains, so that added to the beauty. After we went through Alhambra, we walked back down to our hotel and that was a really cool way to see more of Granada. It was weird walking on hills again because Sevilla is so flat. We went in all of these really small shops and found some really awesome hand made gifts there. Then we went back to the hotel to rest for a bit before dinner.

Granada has this really awesome deal where if you go in to a bar, you order a drink and they bring you a free tapa with it. So naturally, we took advantage of this deal. We went to three different bars and had drinks and food until I was about to bust, and then we went back to the hotel. We were all pretty exhausted from walking around all day, thus the short end to the night.

TDP Group!

The next morning, we got up early and had a big breakfast. We all got on the bus and we were dropped off in the middle of a historic neighborhood in Granada at the top of the hill. This neighborhood was honestly one of the coolest things I had ever seen. It had long winding streets, per Muslim city planning, and bright white buildings with all kinds of tile designs. Our tour guide told us that it is the "hippie" neighborhood now, and she was fairly accurate. A lot of dreadlocks, baggy pants, and the smell of weed all around. But it was such a relaxed environment (possibly from the weed) that you couldn't help but love it. We came upon an overlook where there were all kinds of vendors selling homemade jewelry and other things. It had a beautiful view and I did not want to leave there. But as we kept walking, we passed a convent where claustered nuns live. They bake sweets to sell to the public, but since you cannot see the nuns, the baked goods come out in a lazy susan style door and then you put the money after they give you the food. It was such a cool process to see and to see the trust demonstrated by them by giving you the food first. Also, everything was delicious, I think God had something to do with it.

We kept walking until we arrived at Capilla Real, or the Royal Chapel, which is where Isabel and Ferdinand, as in the Reyes Catolicos are buried. IT WAS SO COOL. I felt like such a nerd for getting so worked up about it, but not only did we get to see their tombs, we got to see Isabel's crown and bible and Ferdinand's septor. It was amazing to see.

After the chapel we had lunch and hopped on the bus. Once we got back to Sevilla, my friend Emily came and watched movies and spent the night with me in my house because Eva was out of town. It was really nice to have her here because I was tired and a little sad, so she helped cheer me up.

Parque Miraflores

Sunday morning, Emily and I went out to breakfast and then we got to witness part of the Sevilla Marathon! The course ran down the main road right next to my house, so we got to see all of the runners suffering, I mean doing awesome. Apparently the guy who won it finished it in 2 hours and 15 minutes. Yes, you read correctly. My mind was blown when I heard that. I would be lucky to finish a marathon in 10 hours, that is if I could even finish it. But anyways, after that all of us went park hopping. We started in one park close to Emily and had our sack lunches there. Then we went exploring in Macarena, Emily's neighborhood and saw some really cool churches and plazas. Then we went to a huge park really close to me, Parque Miraflores, where we just sat and laid in the sun. It was actually warm so I finally got to wear a dress! My face is starting to get tan, but the rest of my body has been so covered in clothes that it definitely does not match. But it's okay, I'm in Spain! It was a really wonderful day yesterday, full of relaxing and not doing homework.

Today, on the other hand, was a slightly different story. I woke up this morning not feeling so hot, both mentally and physically. Apparently it was obvious because one of my professors asked me if I was okay because I wasn't smiling as much... Oh the international form of communication... Anyways, then I broke my converter for my computer at which point I just broke down and cried. Luckily, I have awesome friends here who help me problem solve when I am incapable of doing anything else, and that problem was solved. I started to feel a lot better and the day started looking up. And tonight we are going to this awesome place called Cien Montaditos where we can get two huge jars of beer and nachos for two Euro. Woo! Looks like today is looking up after all.

I think I ended up being long winded...

First Day of Practicum... Oh and Valentine's Day Too.

This week marked my first time in my classroom for my practicum!!! Before I went, I was super nervous because I am in a class of the equivalent of freshmen in high school... Yikes. I was really worried that they would know English grammar and concepts better than me, and they most definitely know how to speak Spanish better than me. I got to the school in the morning and went to the teacher's lounge, where I awkwardly sat with a few other teachers and waited for my teacher to come and get me. My teacher, Isabel, came after a few minutes, and she is super sweet. She brought me to my first class, where all of the students were leaning out the door looking and waiting for us. After we set all of our stuff down, I stood up and introduced myself in English and it seemed like they all understood. I asked if they had any questions, and there was dead silence. They were so quiet, not just for me, but for Isabel too. It blew my mind, but it also could have been because it was 10 in the morning. Who knows? But then Isabel started on the lesson and I sat and followed along in the book. They teach British English here, so I end up learning some new vocabulary too. I couldn't help but giggle whenever Isabel would start teaching in English, because she would be speaking to me in a ver Sevillano Spanish, and then she would switch to a proper British accent in English. I found it very amusing.

After that class, we had a thirty minute break where we went and sat in the teacher's lounge again. A bunch of other teachers came in and started speaking very loudly and excitedly, like most Spaniards do when in large groups. Needless to say, it was very interesting to listen too, but at the same time slightly overwhelming because it was such a confined space. I did meet one teacher who was from Ireland, and she came here to teach because her boyfriend lives here. She was really nice and was telling me how when she teaches English, it is really easy, but sometimes if she is tired or not feeling well, teaching in Spanish is really hard for her, so that made me feel a little better. Everyone at the school was super nice and made an attempt to talk to me, even though I was slightly tongue tied because of how overwhelmed I was, but hopefully they will realize I'm not an idiot after a while.

Then Isabel and I had our second class, which was very, very different than the first. They were super talkative and from the moment I walked in, they were asking me my name and where I was from and all kinds of things. I got through my introduction and then asked if anyone had questions. Four or five hands shot up with questions like "Do you have brothers and sisters?" "Do you have pets?" "Do you know anyone famous?" and my favorite, "Do you have a facebook?". I loved it though and I was relieved to see that they were actually intrigued by my presence in the class. The lesson was the same as the first class, so I was able to participate a little more since I knew what was going on. Then at the end of the class, Isabel told me the lesson for next time and said if I wanted to participate and teach part of it I could. Woo!

After practicum, I had class, which was fine. I didn't feel as stupid as I did last time, which was nice. Then after class, we all went out for pizza for my roommate's birthday, which was delicious. Then, the five of us went to our new favorite tapas place and got chocolate mousse for dessert as a Valentine's day celebration. All day I had been trying not to remind myself what day it was, just because I didn't want to miss Alex at all. But with all of my friends around me, I couldn't feel sad. Also, you know your friends know you well when they all agree to keep a close eye on you on Valentine's day in case you are super sad. I wasn't, but I thought it was really funny that they made that pact. What would I do without them? Dessert was awesome and so was conversation, so it was the perfect end to a good day.

Then today, I GOT MY VALENTINE'S DAY PRESENT FROM ALEX!!!!! I started crying happy tears in the middle of the study center I was so excited. Which that is a testament to how emotional I have become here, I have only cried happy tears probably twice in my life. It just doesn't happen. But the present was super sweet and thoughtful and it was just what I needed. He even put in some American movies, HOORAY! And shout out to his sister for helping him with some of it, Elizabeth's the best. As for the rest of the day, I will be doing homework! It feels like I have a lot here, but I know it is just because I chose to occupy my time exploring and doing things as opposed to doing my homework. Fortunately, grades don't transfer. :) (Don't worry mom, I will still pass!) I guess I just have different priorities over here, and I think that is a good thing. You can't learn everything in a book, after all.

La Barbacoa

Today was an absolutely wonderful day. We woke up, got ready, and then we all packed in to Eva's car to go to the barbecue. We had it in this house with a huge back yard that Eva and all of her friends rented out. By the time we got there, Eva's mom and aunt and cousins were there ready to start setting everything up. It was a little chilly out, so we set up all of the tables and chairs in the back yard in the sun. Then it was time to get out the food. To begin with, there were all kinds of cold cuts, small empanadas, olives, and bread. I was starving by this time, so naturally I gorged on those, when little did I know how much food was to come. People started trickling in slowly and then by 2, pretty much everyone had arrived and the food was almost all cooked. There was shish kabobs, jamon iberica, vegetable casserole, tortilla, soup, sausage, hamburgers, basically anything you could want. After everyone had eaten a really good amount, the band showed up and we started dancing. I am a really terrible dancer, however I still gave it my best effort. I did know the dance that Eva and I learned earlier this week, and they played it probably three times, so that was my redemption. We danced and ate, danced and ate, for the majority of the afternoon. I even won a game that was similar to musical chairs, only when the music stopped you had to find your partner and strike a pose that someone with the mic called out. Naturally, my partner and I won (not competitive at all). That was a really good way to kind of break the ice and get people to talk to me more.

After a lot more dancing, we all sat down and started talking in our groups. Most of the people there were a lot older than me, so it was still really cool talking to them about where they were from and their lives and what they liked best about Seville. Then, out came dessert. There was chocolate cake, pound cake, and apple tart, which of course I tried all of them. There is a reason that the image of the fat American exists. Oops. Anyways, it was all delicious, not surprisingly. We danced a little more after that and then it was time to clean up and come home.

Besides the fact that the food was so amazing today, the reason today was so much fun was because of all the people I met. It was kind of hard at first to integrate myself and start talking to them, but once I opened up and they opened up to me, it was much easier and I even started to feel like myself. That is one thing I have noticed while here- personalities do not translate through language unless you are 100% completely without a doubt fluent. It is really hard to express yourself in the same way in one language as the other and I think that is part of the reason that I have been kind of frustrated while here. I feel like people don't know the real me because I am incapable of expressing the real me. But hopefully after what I saw today, it will become easier and easier to be the real me and truly express myself.

Also, as a side note, I have been here a month. It is crazy to think that it has been that long, and it is weird to think that I only have three more months left here. Better go make the best of them!

The Routine

It's been a while since I have blogged, just because I feel like everything I am doing is becoming a routine, therefore I don't have anything to write about. However, not true. So here is the weekly update-

When we FINALLY got back on Sunday from Rome, Emily, Eric, and Marcy were all waiting for me at a pizza place close to my house. It was really nice to come back to friendly faces who wanted to know all about the trip and how I was doing. Even though we didn't know each other before we came here, we are really all each other has, and I am happy I have found such a great group.

Monday, we started our regular session classes! I was actually really excited about taking classes so that I would start to be busier and I was excited to start learning again. (Nerd, I know). The classes really don't seem like they will be too bad, not like Transy at least. For the most part, each of my classes has a midterm and a final and then one paper due at the end. For one or two of them I have to turn in a weekly two page paper, which in the grand scheme of things, really isn't that bad. I tried to explain to my friends here what Transy was like, but I just found myself coming off pretentious and like I was trying to say my school was way harder than theirs, which I was not. I guess you just have to come to Transy to find out what it is really like. Anyways, I have a cuisine and culture class, which should be really interesting, we get to try different types of food that is typical in this culture, which obviously I am excited about. Then I have a literature class which seems really interesting too because it is Literature of the Margins, meaning all of the authors we are studying were from some sort of marginalized group. It seems really cool. Then I have a Methodology of Teaching Spanish class, which is already super useful. I have only had two classes and I have learned so much. I really like it because Transy doesn't really have a class like that, so it is useful and also helps me justify taking a fluff class like cuisine. Finally, I have my practicum class, and the professor is awesome. He is so animated, he is basically like a cartoon character. But he is super excited and enthusiastic about what he does and about what we do, so that really helps.

I only have class from 9-11 in the morning on Mondays and Wednesdays, but then I have class from 3-9 in the afternoon Tuesdays and Thursdays. That is kind of a rough stretch, especially when you add in the fact that I have my actual practicum where I go and observe/teach from 10-12:30 in the morning on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Thank God for Mondays and Wednesdays, right?

So I went to all of my classes this week and I got to tour the school I will be working in. It was really cool to finally see it and it made me so excited to start teaching! At the same time though, it kind of made me miss home and my family a lot, seeing all the little kids run around and such. But then I remind myself that MY FAMILY IS COMING TO SEE ME. They just booked the trip this week and I am absolutely ecstatic! I didn't think it would be possible for them to come, and this definitely helps with my homesickness.

On Wednesday night, my senora and I sat in the living room and watched recordings of her performing at the resort she used to work at in the Canary Islands. We also learned the dance to this really popular song that they play at the bars at least 5 times a night. I am so lucky that I was paired with her, she has really helped me feel more comfortable here and I loved learning about her life. She is fascinating and hilarious and I am so happy here.

Then on Thursday, I kind of started to hit a wall. I'm not sure, but I was just in a foul mood and everything pissed me off. We visited the school, which was great, but it also made me miss everyone as I said before. Then I went to class and it was just one thing after the other. In my Lit class, we were talking about if there were basic values or principles that everyone believes in. Keep in mind that these classes are in Spanish, so I am already hesitant to speak my mind because I don't want to sound stupid because of how I speak. But me being me, I said yes, I believe that there are some basic values, for example, don't kill. This was my hopeful, optimistic, belief in humanity side that was coming out. Well apparently the rest of the class has learned to ignore this side because literally every single one of them raised their hands to disagree with me and I didn't get a chance to defend myself. That was awesome. Then when we were in practicum, we were doing these vocabulary exercises to help us with teaching and I just could not get an answer right. It was wearing me out. Fortunately, I have awesome friends who can laugh with me, so we all went out for tapas and drinks after class. It was the perfect way to end a so-so day.

Today, I woke up later and went to the store to buy ingredients to make guacamole for a barbecue my senora and her friends are having tomorrow. However, the avocados I got were the hardest darn things I have ever worked with in my life. Needless to say, the guacamole doesn't taste quite ripe, but that's ok. I hope... Then Eva took me out to lunch with some of her cousins and they sat and talked for hours. I couldn't really get much of a word in, but I really liked listening to them. Also, I am still timid about talking to natives because I hate sounding stupid, so that kind of held me back. (I know, who ever would have thought I would be timid about anything?) After lunch, we went to check out the place where the cookout is going to be. It was kind of like a country house with a huge back yard and patio and everything. Apparently around 50 people are coming to this and it is going to be an all day ordeal. I am so excited. An entire day of eating, drinking, and speaking Spanish. What could be better? My senora and I are also planning on teaching everyone the dance we learned... that should be interesting. I am very excited for tomorrow and I'm sure I will have all kinds of stuff to blog about then!

When In Rome... Do Not Fly in to Ciampino.

Alrighty ladies and gents, buckle on up, it's going to be a long ride.
So last week was pretty much the usual, which was nice to feel like I was in a routine. I did get a job for this summer and it was the job that I really really really wanted, so I was SUPER pumped about that. I had a final and a paper due in my intensive class, so that took up a lot of my time. I also started out on a new running route/routine, and I really like all that I get to see while running. But where the fun really starts is this past weekend.

Waiting in Seville!

On Friday, I had my exam and after that I went out with Marcy, Eric, and Emily for coffee. Then I came home and got my stuff packed to meet Holly at the train station to catch our bus to the airport to leave for Rome! (I know, a bus at the train station seems weird.) We made it to the airport pretty early and being inexperienced travelers on Ryanair, we thought we had to wait in the lobby to check in until we saw our flight pop up on the screen by the check in counter. Little did we know that that was only for checking bags in, so once we figured that out, we went straight through security to our gate. Once there, our flight got delayed an hour. Keep in mind we were originally supposed to get in to Rome at around 10. So we waited and waited until a half hour before the flight when all of the sudden everyone gets in to a line unannounced. We had no idea what this line was for, but we figured we should get in it, so we did. Turns out it was to check hand luggage and your ticket. Also, Ryanair doesn't assign seats, so when we boarded the plane it was a mad dash for who could get the best seat. Ryanair really is just a whole new experience for anyone who has not flown with them before. Holly and I decided it is like the fast food of airlines. Don't get me wrong, I love how cheap the flights are and everything, but it pretty much is you do everything yourself or we charge you for it. But I digress...

We finally landed in Rome and we were so excited! And we didn't realize that you don't have to go through customs when you are flying between EU countries, so that was kind of cool. Holly's friend, Caitlin, lives in Rome this semester, so she was letting us stay with her, God bless her. But because of where she lives and how late we got in, we couldn't take the public transportation to her apartment, we had to take a taxi. In Rome, the rule is that as long as the taxi is taking you some where within the city walls, it costs 30 euro... right. Anyways, we went outside to wait for a taxi and it was about 33 degrees and raining. And there were about forty people waiting in line for one without a taxi in sight. We just assumed that they would be there shortly, so we waited in line. In about 30 minutes, one taxi came. At this time, the rain turned to snow and it was coming down hard. We ended up waiting in line for about an hour and a half in the rain/snow. Finally, two taxis came at the same time and I couldn't wait any longer and Holly and I both were in physical pain, so I did something my father would do. I ran out in front of the taxi before it could get to the awning and asked the driver how much. He said 50 and I said deal and jumped in the cab while waiting for Holly to get there. At this point neither of us cared how much it cost, we just wanted to be somewhere warm.

Colosseum

Vaticano!

The taxi got us to the apartment after a few near death experiences, and Caitlin was a saint and had tomato, mozzarella, and bread waiting for us. And after we finished that, she made us pasta. Holly and I talked about it the next day, and we have no recollection of what was said that night, that is how much shock we were in from standing outside for so long. So ridiculous. We went to bed after that and got up bright and early the next morning to go to the Colosseum! It was so cool because as soon as you get off the metro stop, there it is! And it was covered completely with snow, so that made it that much more beautiful and majestic. Sadly, because of the snow we couldn't go in, but it was still awesome to see it from the outside. As we were walking around seeing everything, there was a news station doing a report on all the snow and we walked by it. Then when we were in a cafe for breakfast, we saw the report and there we were in the background! Practically famous. And the cafe we were at had the best pastries that were completely fresh and wonderful. I thought I had died and gone to heaven. After the Colosseum, we got a call from our Vatican tour place saying that due to the snow, the Vatican was closing everything at 1 and that our tour was cancelled. So we hoped on the metro and went to the Vatican to see as much as possible before it closed. Once again, we only got to see things from the outside, but it was still super cool. We saw the Vatican sites, then we got pastries and gelato. When in Rome right? By this point our shoes were completely soaked through, so we headed for home, but not before picking up delicious panini from this precious sandwich shop that Caitlin showed us. We took about a three hour siesta while we waited for everything to mostly dry out.

Nutella and Chocolate Gelato

Saturday night we went out for a traditional Italian dinner. We went to this tiny restaurant where we had three courses each with wine and bread. The pasta was so perfect and I had lamb chops too. In case you were wondering, the only thing we bought this entire trip was food. Just to clarify.

Making a Wish at Trevi Fountain

Sunday morning we got up early again and packed everything up. Then we went to the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps. Both were incredible to see, even if it was freezing cold once again! After we saw those sites, we had to make our way to the metro station to catch our bus to the airport, but not before we stopped for eggplant and tomato pizza. We said goodbye to Caitlin, who was so wonderful to us, and hopped on the bus. We made it to the airport, Ciampino, fine and got through security really fast. Just to give you an idea, Ciampino airport is about half the size of the Lexington Bluegrass Airport. We are talking tiny and the only people who fly in there pretty much is Ryanair. We were supposed to leave around 3:45, but we ended up not boarding our flight until 6:45. Needless to say, it was a slightly stressful trip traveling wise, even though it was completely worth it in the long run! When we finally got back to Seville, Holly and I could have kissed the ground. This feels like home to us now, and there is no feeling like coming home after a stressful day.

We Hate Ciampino

 
And that is my story. It was a whirlwind of a weekend, but it was amazing. I still am in shock that I was in Italy this weekend, it just doesn't feel real. But I wouldn't take it back for anything. And now I want to go back, only next time, maybe I won't fly in to Ciampino.