Spontaneity

I'm not that spontaneous. I usually like to stick to the plan. But today I bought a bus ticket to go to Gibraltar tomorrow with some friends. I am very excited to see this beautiful place, which is actually a part of the United Kingdom! (I'm aware this isn't THAT spontaneous, but for me it kind of is!)

My volunteering was canceled because the schools don't have class today. There is an Andalusian holiday tomorrow but I guess the schools have today and tomorrow off! I wish we had class off, because sitting through 6 hours of lectures today was a bit rough!

During the break in the middle of the day, Virginia asked me to hang around to meet her aunts who were coming over for coffee. I told her I would love to meet them, but I was going to meet a friend to look for costumes for Carnival. I decided to wait because she said they would be there soon. She told me they were on their way and about 40 minutes later they called and she said they actually didn't leave and decided not to come because it was raining. But it wasn't raining. There were like two drops of water that came from the sky when I walked outside. So, I went to the costume store with my friend Becca. The store doubles as a school supply store (interesting combination..I know)! We decided to go as hula girls, because that was the easiest and cheapest option!

I am really excited for my day trip tomorrow, mainly because Gibraltar is inhabited by Monkeys that roam the streets! YAY!

Sending Smiles From Sevilla,

Rebecca

Lunch: Rice Soup, Chicken Nuggets, and PEPPERS!

Dinner: Tortellini leftovers, and there is still more leftover. And TORTILLA ESPANOLA!! 

Sun and Singers

The sun is finally starting to come out, and boy is it hot when it does! It's crazy how quickly the temperature changes when your'e not in the sun. With so many buildings so close together in many of the neighborhood, a lot of shade is created making it very chilly! but, once you step into the sunlight be prepared to shed some layers because you will be sweating!

Today I had a fun workout with a group of 4! I then did some homework and then did a little wandering before class. I also had my first macaroon today, it was from McDonald's...haha. It was actually good! I also had to stop by the CIEE office to ask to rearrange my exams because as of right now I have 3 midterms in one day...yikes! However, apparently I went to the wrong CIEE office (I feel like there's a million different CIEE offices..) So I was sitting in the hallway forever because no one was there, but then later I ran into one of the coordinators and she told me I went to the wrong building..whoops.

After class I did a little trip planning and got some amazing coffee with my friend, Rachael. I then went back home for dinner with Virginia. During dinner we usually watch the news, but this week we get to watch people sing! Right now in Cadiz (a town about an hour.5 away) there is a big festival going on called Carnival. People wear costumes, drink, fill the streets, and there are choirs that sing! There is a big competition between different choirs and they perform in a theater and then move on to finals later in the week and sing in the streets, I believe the winner is announced on either friday or saturday! Anyways, there are a million different choirs and different categories of choirs. Some are hilarious, men dress up as women, it's a very bizarre event, but very entertaining! And it's all televised, so that's what we've been watching and talking about lately! I'm also going to carnival this weekend so I am very excited to see this event that everyone has been talking about!!

Sending Smiles From Sevilla,

Rebecca

I left this image huge to intensify and show how creepy this cat is. Once again, it was waiting for me outside of the apartment right as I left for my workout. It was also sitting there an hour later when I got back from the workout. IT JUST STARES. 

Lunch: Actually not great today. A while ago I told Virginia that at home I enjoyed grilled veggies (she usually fries or sautés them in pounds of olive oil. Today, she prepared grilled eggplant and it wasn't very good, she agreed. The spinach dish was fine, but it's so strong that I can only eat a little bit! And the soup tasted a little funky today. Maybe my taste buds were just acting up! So, I probably ate a whole loaf of bread... and then she gave me this heavenly pudding called Natilla con Galleta which is a creme brulee flavored pudding with a cookie on top. GREAT.

The great coffee I had! It's espresso with sweetened condensed milk! Fantastic!

Dinner: Zucchini pureed soup and tortellini, both good!

Lights out

Well, since I didn't get a chance to write yesterday, I thought I'd fill you in that we had an electrical outage (including losing wi-fi) yesterday! I of course had a presentation to work on so I made my first trip the business school library! I was actually very focused there, probably because I wasn't sitting on my bed. Everything is back and working now, but it was definitely a struggle to use the bathroom in the pitch black darkness!

Today was filled with a presentation, studying and two other classes! My finance class was a global discussion where we got to chat with Spanish students about financial ideas (not my favorite topic). Again, afterwards out program paid for us to go get beer with the students. I met some really awesome Spaniards who were very intrigued about the American culture!

Also, something that I thought was very interesting today happened at lunch with Virginia, Paco, Gema and Carlos. Paco was saying how he recently watched a documentary about September 11th and  Virginia mentioned that she remembers exactly where she was when she heard about the attack. I definitely remember where I was when I found out, even though I was 7, but I find it so interesting that even people halfway across the globe remember.

Lastly, just wanted to say that I love keeping in touch with people from home! So, if you're reading this and we haven't chatted pleaseeee send me a message so we can catch up! Gracias!

Sending Smiles From Sevilla,

Rebecca

See that little dot.. it's a cat.. and this is probably the 4th time that it had been sitting right outside my apartment door right as I walk outside. And it just stares at me..sometimes follows me... not sure if I should be worried about this guy or not!

Yesterday lunch: Asparagus thing, chicken, and a cold peppers/onions/tomato dish.

Yesterday dinner: amazing peppers and soup!

Lunch: fried chicken, salad and pasta! and a yummy fruit salad!

Dinner: more fried chicken, artichoke hearts, and a new potato/egg dish, liked the potato part, but not really the egg part.

GRANADA & RONDA

"Te gusta Ronda?"

"Si, pero, no me importa si me gusta. Lo que es importante es si te gusta."

Probably my favorite words of wisdom from a local in Ronda. What these beautiful words basically translate to is me asking a random adorable elderly man if he likes Ronda and him responding, that yes, he likes it but it doesn't matter if he likes it, what matters is if I like it.

Why did I like this quote so much? Because it's true. Everyone likes different things and there is absolutely nothing wrong with liking something that someone else doesn't or having a different opinion of something. But yes, I did like Ronda, I liked it a lot.

I took this trip with four other girls, Maaren, Kara, Lauren (girls from Madison that I had not known before this trip) and another friend in my program, Kelsey (who is from Oregon).

Our trip started early Friday morning with a nice bus ride to Granda. Unfortunately, the bus ride was a little longer than I anticipated and with about 90 minutes left in the ride, I had to go to the bathroom. Now, yes, there was a bathroom in the bus, but for some reason it was locked. The bus driver insisted that it was open but after multiple attempts to open it, I can say with certainty that it was locked. Fortunately, I made it to Granada, ran out of the bus and into the station to the nearest bathroom.

We took a bus to the center of Granda and successfully made it to our hostel without getting too lost. We checked in and they brought us complimentary coffee and juices. I absolutely loveeeee hostels. I've only had one real hostel experience before and it was in the Everglades, one of the coolest places I've ever stayed. This hostel in Granada was pretty neat as well! It was very spunky! I just love the idea of hostels, people from all over the world using common space...it's just such a neat environment!

After settling in our room, we got ready and headed off the La Alhambra. La Alhambra is one of the most visited attractions (2nd or 3rd most I think) in Europe! It is a huge ancient palace and it contains traces of the Muslim, Jewish and Christian religions. It was honestly one of the most beautiful things I've seen in my entire life.

After La Alhambra we went out to eat at a Moroccan restaurant, which was actually delicious! We decided that Friday would be our "night out," and we had heard from some friends to check out a fun discoteca. We wanted to go out, however, we weren't quite feeling the "going out" attire. So, we decided to wear out Nike gym shoes to the club. I'm honestly quite surprised they let us in, but let me tell you that was the best decision we ever made. So comfortable! However, I'm sure I looked absolutely ridiculous in my high wasted jeans, tank top and cardigan, and bright blue nikes with neon yellow laces. I'm still happy with the decision.

Saturday, we woke up and went to a small cafe near our hostel for breakfast/lunch. It was absolutely delicious and hit the spot! We then did a little bit of wandering around the city. We went to the Moroccan Markets and did some bartering for goods, I felt like I was back in Mexico when I would barter for cheap souvenirs. We then hit up the Jewish neighborhood and did a little tour of a free history museum. It was a relaxing afternoon! After some more exploring of the neighborhood we went back to our hostel and got ready for dinner. We first went to a spot called "St. Nicholas" which had a great view of La Alhambra at sunset. We then found a restaurant to go to for dinner. In Granda, it's a thing where if you order a drink, you get a free Tapas. The hostel recommended we go to this restaurant because they do this for you. However, they brought out one tapa after we had finished our meal and  could not eat any more! (We expected it as an appetizer and were slightly disappointed). However, the food was fantastic!

We called it an early night because we had a 6:45 train to catch for our trip to Ronda! We got up early, caught a taxi and made our way to the station! It was a pretty easy trip to Ronda and once we got there we really had no clue where we were. Also, since it was Sunday, it seemed that everything was closed. We were wandering down an empty street and a woman came up to us and asked us what we were looking for. Of course, we replied COMIDA (FOOD)! She was so sweet, she directed us to a cute little cafe and we had a wonderful breakfast! We then went to el centro and got a map of the city. It's such a cute town, right in the mountains with a famous huge bridge with a waterfall underneath! We all went on a little hike down to get a nice view of the bridge/ waterfall. I wanted to continue hiking, and so did Maaren so we went on a little adventure through the trails, hill, and little towns of Ronda. (This is where we met the little old man who said the wonderful quote posted above). This hike was quite the workout and I will most definitely be sore in the morning!

 After the hike we all met up and had lunch at a cafe in the city (yummy)! We then got some chocolate truffles (subpar). Maaren and I decided to do a little more exploring before we had to get back on the bus! We found this cute little gardens/cave that would take you to the bottom of the cliffs. There was an advertisement saying the Michelle Obama had been there, so we thought it was worth the visit! It was 4 Euros, but I of course tried to barter with the man saying we were poor college students. He said he couldn't change the price but was nice and asked where we were from. We said the states and he asked which one, and Maaren replied Wisconsin. He then said that his girlfriend is from Wisconsin! Actually a town super close to where Maaren is from. What a small world! Best part about the story, he then told us we could go in for free! It was actually super cool! We went through a cave and got to the bottom of the cliff and had an awesome view! We then went back up did a little more wandering/ exploring! We also ran into two of my friends Becca and Sheila who were visiting Ronda for the day as well!

We then had to get going and catch our bus (which was 30 minutes late...spanish time...ahhh.) But we made it back, and just in time for dinner with Virginia! She prepared a wonderful meal and we talked about our weekends!

All in all, it was a great trip! So cool to see some other cities in Spain and how different they are from Sevilla. Sevilla is definitely still my favorite, and I love calling it home :)

Other notes from the trip: When we bought our train tickets and our alhambra tickets we said we had a carnet joven, which we thought was just a student ID, because it gave us a discount...apparently not! I guess it's something that only Europeans could have so we ran into a little trouble with that. Everything in Granada is named after la alhambra..the main brand of beer there, the restaurants, cafes, everything. There is a chain called Pan y Chocolate (Bread and Chocolate) in Granada...two of my fave food groups....I went there 3 times within our 2 day stay...no shame. I had tortialla for 4 meals within 3 days...again...no shame. Took a fabulous shower at the hostel...no time constraints and hot water, some of the little things you take for granted!! 

Sending Smiles From Sevilla,

Rebecca

Granada! The little creek/ river that ran through the town! and a famous statue/ fountain!

Some of the Moroccan Markets! I loveeeed the lamps and so badly wanted to buy one, but never would have been able to get it back safely!

My heaven.

Found the Spanish Jews!

Our spunky hostel!

Moroccan veggie food at a super cool restaurant!

La Alhambra views!

RONDA!

 That's right. I went to the same exhibit as MICHELLE OBAMA. haha

Just showing off my awesome tourist/hiking outfit: (fake) leather jacket, pashmina (2.5 euro scarf), yellow sweatshirt, leggings, and bright blue nikes! I stripped off layers throughout the day... as you'll see in the photos!

An awesome group for an awesome trip!

The days are long but the years are short...

^^One of my favorite quotes! It's crazy how the weeks pass even though one day can seem to last forever!

Thursdays are my long days and while today seemed to last for forever, it's crazy that March is a little over a week away already.

I had class from 9:00-1:00, which consisted of being completely lost in my Marketing class (along with everyone else), as my professor assigned us a group presentation for Tuesday with very little explanation of what to present. In wine class, I learned about different types of grapes, wine bottles, and wine glasses. I also had to pee soooo badly about halfway through the class, and watching videos of wine being poured did not help the situation.

After class, I went to the study center to print my tickets for this weekend. I'm going to Granada and Ronda, two cities in Spain, that I'll describe in more detail when I blog after my trip this weekend!

I volunteered again today at the same institute as last week and successfully navigated the bus system today, by myself, with a little help from the bus driver and random passengers. When I got on the bus, I asked the bus driver which stop I should get off at for the institute, she got out of her seat and asked all of the passengers on the bus if any of them knew what school I was talking about. Luckily, one lady was going to the same area as I was so she helped me out big time, as I definitely would have gotten off at the wrong stop if she didn't stop me!

Today at school, I had some interesting experiences. I tried helping a girl with her math homework, which was factoring, and then I remembered how glad I am that I'm done with math. I could barely help her. A bunch of the 9th graders had a english test to study for so I helped them learn future tense, they were really struggling. The girls were really sweet and actually wanted to learn, I was trying to teach them how to speak english with an American accent and it was hilarious. We were joking around and they said they want to come back in my suitcase because they want to see Chicago.  I loved helping them and it seriously makes me go back to thinking about being a teacher.

Then a 12 year old yells "Fuck You," flips me off and I change my mind because don't think I could deal with that for a career. Why did he swear at me? I'm not really sure. Maybe because I told him not to copy his friends homework? So, I said, "Excuse me??" (in spanish!) and he then proceeded to write it on a piece of paper in front of me. Spelled just like this "FOKIU!" Oh my goodness I had just about had it with this kid. Then he left. I don't really understand this study hall room or how it's supervised because there were teachers in there that watched this whole situation play out...

I made it back to Nervion safely and in time to get a cup of coffee before class, but of course I spilled the coffee all over my pants and backpack after only a few sips. So, I got to sit through 90 minutes of las finanzas (which is basically accounting...) with wet jeans. So great.

The good news is after this very long day I cam home to a wonderful meal! I basically ate an entire tortilla espanola, a whole bunch of pasta and some chicken croquetas. So delicious. I am now attempting to pack for my weekend trip! Not sure if I'll have wi-fi at our hostel, so I'll most likely blog on Sunday with a recap of the weekend's adventures!

Sending Smiles From Sevilla,

Rebecca

Yes, that really happened.

Feasted.

Smoking is Prohibited

Smoking is Prohibited... yeah, that's not a thing here. It's more like "Smoking is Encouraged."

Yeah, I expected people in Europe to smoke, but this is kind of ridiculous. I swear just about every single person here smokes! I can say with certainty that people smoking around me is one of my biggest pet peeves, so it's definitely been an adjustment trying to have conversations with people while they are smoking and the smoke is blowing in my face.

Tonight, I went to Cien Montaditos with some friends because everything on the menu is a Euro on Wednesdays, so I had a glass of tinto de verano. I was very determined to meet spaniards, as this had been one of my goals for the week. I had a great conversation going and then, what do ya know, the cigarettes come out. I really need to learn to get over the fact that everyone here smokes. I talked to 3 different spaniards tonight and they all started smoking mid-conversation! Whyyyyyyyyy?

Culture? Everyone says it's a part of their culture. Well, I'm not a fan of culture that causes lung cancer.


Sending Smiles From Sevilla,

Rebecca

Biggest group yet! Intense awesome workout this morning with these fabulous people!

Lunch: Arroz! (Rice) with some peppers and onions mixed in

A froyo treat after class! This was a greatttt find! Only 1 Euro (+50 cents for the Nutella topping--completely worth it!)

Dinner: LOOK AT THOSE PEPPERS. Seriously my favorite thing. And the leftover oil/ salt mixture is perfect for dipping the bread in! Virginia also made a pizza with eggplant and peppers, delicious as well! I think it's funny because she doesn't use shreaded cheese on the pizza, but rather cheese singles cut into pieces and placed on top... haha, still tastes good to me!

Fashionista-itas

I thought I'd give you all a little treat for this blog post. Yeah, it might be kind of creepy that I've been taking pictures of the children of Sevilla, but I could not help myself, they are just too adorable! Like I mentioned before, people are super fashionable here, children included! So, I've snapped a few sneaky pics of some stylish kiddies for you all to see how adorable they are! Maybe I should ask them for some fashion advice!

Just so you're on the lookout, I plan to do a blog post-- baby edition and puppy edition. Get excited.

Sending Smiles From Sevilla,

Rebecca

Family with matching outfits, notice the high socks

The girls all wear their cute bows

Tights are a very popular option.

Even school uniforms are adorable

 All high-fashion stores here have kids sections. Not just a few t-shirts, full on kids stores within the big store. Here's the kids section of Zara...