So we went to Córdoba which was not as exciting a city as we had hoped. The Mezquita was amazing. It was a mosque built on the site of a cathedral, which has since been converted back to a church (sort of). Its real beauty is the sea of striped arches which hold the building up. google it- they’re awesome. it’s a place I had wanted to go to since studying it in art history back at nvot. I’m glad I got to see it.
The Mezquita was actually stop number two for us in Cordoba. First, my roommates, along with three other English teachers, went to the gov’t building to drop off paperwork so we can get our residency permits. it’s a multi-step process so we get to go back to Cordoba in a few weeks. we didn’t get much time to plan this mini trip and we figured we might want to spend a few nights there. so, we brought clothing and stuff, but realized we didn’t need to spend more time there and paying for a hostel would have been dumb (and we couldn’t find a hostel with space in it).
after the Mezquita, we went to some Arabic baths (aka a spa). we put on bathing suits and relaxed in the hot and temperate pools (the cold one was just way too cold). there was also a sauna and we had massages. I’d never done anything like this, so it was interesting but not really worth the money. after our relaxation, we wandered around looking for food. it was 6pm so nothing was open. Spanish don’t eat dinner until 8 or 9. we found some places that were serving drinks but no food. we finally found a tapas restaurant overlooking the back of the mezquita (aka tourist central). cecilia ordered: fried calamari, croquetas (fried balls filled with chicken, ham and mashed potatoes); erin ordered: potatas bravas (potatoes in a spicy sauce) and tortilla (an omelet with onion and potato); I ordered pasta with zucchini and salmon and eggplant in honey sauce. I like the calamari and the potatas bravas, but didn’t like the eggplant- it was deep fried, but the honey sauce was great. The pasta was okay, it was supposed to be in black sauce, but it turned out to be more green than black. after dinner my roommates wanted ice cream and we had a hell of a time finding an open ice cream place (there were a million open when we wanted food). basically, eating in Cordoba was generally a frustrating experience. we were also in La Judería, Cordoba’s oldest neighborhood which resembled the old city of Jerusalem in that both are full of ridiculously narrow streets that don’t appear to have any sort of design to them.
so we wound up back in Priego for the rest of the long weekend. it’s Hispanic national day (aka Columbus day). Saturday we ran errands in the morning because we knew everything would close at 2 and not re-open until Tuesday. I went for a run during siesta hours. here’s the thing about Priego: many people have not left Preigo and, if they have, they haven’t ever met an American or don’t understand American customs. Running on the street, especially during siesta hours, is kind of an odd activity here. that can explain the people almost driving off the road at the sight of me. I got a lot of weird looks and confused expressions from people of all ages and genders. it’s also extremely difficult to run here because most of the city is hills. you almost can’t avoid running up or down a huge hill. we walk it every day to get to school and it sucks to come down it. after my run, my roommates and I went to a beer tasting/”festival” in a plaza up the hill. they both like beer and enjoyed the tasting. I had ½ a beer, which actually tasted pretty good. I think it was from Belgium maybe. Saturday night we went out. we went to two bars and had a pretty good time. the town was really active at two when we made our way down the hill to our apartment. Spaniards go out late at night. when we were going up the hill at 11:30, there were teenagers and even young children out in the plaza hanging out and having a good time. some people don’t even go out until after 1 am. it’s a similar lifestyle to Argentina, so I’m somewhat familiar with it. even so, I don’t love the idea of going to be at 2 or 3 am. also, going out is super cheap here. my roommates got beers for €1.50. I had sangria at home and didn’t order any drinks, which was fine because the bar tender at the 2nd place sent us free shots. one was called a lolly-pop and tasted just as disgustingly sweet as its name suggests. another smelled like cheese (Erin swears it was vodka). we met some locals and generally had a good time.
There is nothing to do in Priego on Sunday. literally. everything is closed. Cecilia and I went for a walk and we found the town pool, which, like most of the town, is under construction. She swam at college and wants to continue, but the pool won’t be ready until winter (at the earliest). it’s weird how there’s a lot of construction going on all over town but there are also a ton of for sale signs. they’re literally everywhere. new houses sit unoccupied in many parts of town.
after our walk, we watched the Sex and the City movie and vegged-out on our couches. We’re planning lessons for the upcoming week. I don’t actually teach the classes, but work with the teachers to help with pronunciation and talk to the kids. The bilingual schools here have us working in English classes and Science classes. So, I have 3 year olds (I haven’t been yet….we’ll see how it goes), 1st grade English and Science, 2nd grade English and Science and 5th grade English. I also have four scheduled meetings with teachers to help them plan and improve their English speaking skills. It’s been fun so far. I haven’t really had to do much because the teachers at my school are pretty dedicated and interested in what they do. They actually don’t give me a lot to do, which is different from other people in my program who are basically thrown at the front of the classroom from day one. My school is also brand new (just finished in January) and only has 180 kids from age 3-12. Each grade has one class except 5th grade which has two. My roommate Erin also teaches at my school (she has 4 and 5 year olds, and the 3rd, 4th and 6th graders). I’m looking forward to this week because I’ll actually see all of my classes. I’ve been finding some stuff online like songs and nursery rhymes to teach the kids. if anyone has any suggestions please send them my way.
On Monday (Day of Hispanic Heritage aka Columbus Day) we went on a two hour walk around town and practically saw every corner of Priego. No joke. This town is super small. The bull ring appears to be in the midst of construction, like the rest of the place. It was nice to get out for a little while. The rest of the day was spent reading and sitting around the living room waiting for something decent to come on TV (no such luck).
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Thursday, October 09, 2008
Living in Priego
I now officially live in Spain. Ok, so it’s not exactly official because I don’t yet have a residency permit. I do, however, have an apartment, which basically means I live in Spain.
Monday was the first day of school. I got really lucky. My town/city is manageable and reasonably priced and my school is small and brand new. They moved into the building in January, which means everything is still shiny and bright. They don’t have many decorations up on the wall, but everything works and they have supplies. The other awesome thing is that our classes are small! My first grade class has only ten students in it. Some grades have 13 or 15. The fifth grade has two classes of 15 or 19.
Monday was spent meeting people and walking around the school with David, our language coordinator. He’s young, probably in his late 20s, and speaks English well (for the most part). He teaches 2nd grade homeroom along with 5th and 6th grade English. We met some students who were confused to see strangers wandering around their school. Most of the students could barely speak English, which was not surprising. We’re not supposed to speak to them in Spanish, but they all know that we speak Spanish and understand when they ask us things.
Monday afternoon, we moved into the apartment. We immediately went out to the dollar store (or the China store as we have come to call it). We bought things for our kitchen, which was pretty well stocked but lacked Tupperware and knives. We also did a huge grocery-shopping run and bought tons of fruits and veggies. It was nice to finally have a kitchen again so we could stop eating out all the time. Monday night we unpacked. This was probably the best part about having an apartment; we could unpack our clothing and discover what we had. Living out of a suitcase was starting to bother me.
Tuesday, Erin (roommate and other girl teaching at my school) and I went to school and met with David again. We introduced ourselves to a few more classes and assisted him in the 6th grade English class. We made circles and talked to students about clothing and colors. It was fun even though most of the students were bouncing off the walls and misbehaving.
Wednesday was the first day Erin and I split up and followed our own schedules. I had a “coordinación” period with the younger-grades science teacher where we planned our class for later on in the week and practiced English. Then I had 2nd grade English with Ana, who is possibly the best teacher at the school. It’s only her 2nd year teaching, but she knows how to handle the kids perfectly and she is excellent at maintaining control of the classroom. After that, I went with David to 5th grade, which is probably the worst part of my schedule because they are horribly behaved and it’s frustrating to try to teach them.
Wednesday evening, Erin and I went to Ana’s apartment to celebrate her birthday with the rest of the teachers. She’s only 24, which is cool because we can hang out and stuff. Her apartment was amazing. The views of the mountains were spectacular. We had actually looked at a place on the other side of the block from it, but decided against it. She has 4 balconies, an electric stove and a nearly-American-sized refrigerator (ours is miniature). Her décor is also a little more modern than ours. The other teachers bought her a purse, which she already began using. At the party we snacked on gummy candies and she served disgusting cake. The sponge cake part was soaked in some kind of sour liquid. The chocolate top was really good and the whipped cream around the cake was gross. Everyone else loved it. The teachers also played karaoke (some Play Station version) which was hilarious. The game actually keeps score and I kicked David’s ass. The song was Baila Morena; it’s in Spanglish so it was completely fair.
Thursday we found out that we have to get all of our paperwork together and go to Córdoba Friday so we can get our residency permits. Actually, we just have to bring some papers to an office there and the woman in charge of English assistants will bring our papers for us. Then we have to go back to Cordoba when the police department calls us to pick up the residency cards. It’s a pain in the ass because we were planning on going to Málaga (a city on the beach) this weekend. It’s a long weekend and we don’t want to stay in Priego because everything will be closed on Sunday and Monday. So, we’re changing our plans and going to Córdoba. I’ve been dying to go there for a few years, so I’m happy we’re finally going. It also means we get a day off from school (aka I miss my 5th grade classes!).
Monday was the first day of school. I got really lucky. My town/city is manageable and reasonably priced and my school is small and brand new. They moved into the building in January, which means everything is still shiny and bright. They don’t have many decorations up on the wall, but everything works and they have supplies. The other awesome thing is that our classes are small! My first grade class has only ten students in it. Some grades have 13 or 15. The fifth grade has two classes of 15 or 19.
Monday was spent meeting people and walking around the school with David, our language coordinator. He’s young, probably in his late 20s, and speaks English well (for the most part). He teaches 2nd grade homeroom along with 5th and 6th grade English. We met some students who were confused to see strangers wandering around their school. Most of the students could barely speak English, which was not surprising. We’re not supposed to speak to them in Spanish, but they all know that we speak Spanish and understand when they ask us things.
Monday afternoon, we moved into the apartment. We immediately went out to the dollar store (or the China store as we have come to call it). We bought things for our kitchen, which was pretty well stocked but lacked Tupperware and knives. We also did a huge grocery-shopping run and bought tons of fruits and veggies. It was nice to finally have a kitchen again so we could stop eating out all the time. Monday night we unpacked. This was probably the best part about having an apartment; we could unpack our clothing and discover what we had. Living out of a suitcase was starting to bother me.
Tuesday, Erin (roommate and other girl teaching at my school) and I went to school and met with David again. We introduced ourselves to a few more classes and assisted him in the 6th grade English class. We made circles and talked to students about clothing and colors. It was fun even though most of the students were bouncing off the walls and misbehaving.
Wednesday was the first day Erin and I split up and followed our own schedules. I had a “coordinación” period with the younger-grades science teacher where we planned our class for later on in the week and practiced English. Then I had 2nd grade English with Ana, who is possibly the best teacher at the school. It’s only her 2nd year teaching, but she knows how to handle the kids perfectly and she is excellent at maintaining control of the classroom. After that, I went with David to 5th grade, which is probably the worst part of my schedule because they are horribly behaved and it’s frustrating to try to teach them.
Wednesday evening, Erin and I went to Ana’s apartment to celebrate her birthday with the rest of the teachers. She’s only 24, which is cool because we can hang out and stuff. Her apartment was amazing. The views of the mountains were spectacular. We had actually looked at a place on the other side of the block from it, but decided against it. She has 4 balconies, an electric stove and a nearly-American-sized refrigerator (ours is miniature). Her décor is also a little more modern than ours. The other teachers bought her a purse, which she already began using. At the party we snacked on gummy candies and she served disgusting cake. The sponge cake part was soaked in some kind of sour liquid. The chocolate top was really good and the whipped cream around the cake was gross. Everyone else loved it. The teachers also played karaoke (some Play Station version) which was hilarious. The game actually keeps score and I kicked David’s ass. The song was Baila Morena; it’s in Spanglish so it was completely fair.
Thursday we found out that we have to get all of our paperwork together and go to Córdoba Friday so we can get our residency permits. Actually, we just have to bring some papers to an office there and the woman in charge of English assistants will bring our papers for us. Then we have to go back to Cordoba when the police department calls us to pick up the residency cards. It’s a pain in the ass because we were planning on going to Málaga (a city on the beach) this weekend. It’s a long weekend and we don’t want to stay in Priego because everything will be closed on Sunday and Monday. So, we’re changing our plans and going to Córdoba. I’ve been dying to go there for a few years, so I’m happy we’re finally going. It also means we get a day off from school (aka I miss my 5th grade classes!).
Sunday, October 05, 2008
Sevilla 3-Getting to Priego
I spent my final day walking around as much as possible. I went back to the cathedral with Cecilia and Erin (the girls I’m living with). Going back to the cathedral meant I could explore it in depth and see parts I hadn’t seen the day before. After that we walked along the river a bit and went to the Plaza de España, a semi-circular shaped building with separate sections for each province. Each of the little sections had a tile map of the province on the ground and a vignette dedicated to the province. After hanging out down town we walked back to the hotel and got ready for our goodbye dinner.
The dinner was pretty terrible. It wound up being a cocktail hour rather than a sit-down dinner, which would have been okay if the food hadn’t been terrible. Most of the stuff was either meat or ham based and I really can’t stand eating either of those. Finally they brought around shot glasses of gazpacho and I think I downed six or seven of them. On my way to the bathroom I noticed people eating salads. The vegetarians had managed to get the restaurant to give them salads with caramelized onion and roasted asparagus on them. I got a hold of one of the coveted salads (people were seriously staring at me asking how they too could acquire a salad). It was actually pretty good – a million times better than the other food being served. The rest of the night was pretty blah…people I’m never going to see again and don’t really care to see again.
Friday morning we woke up and went to breakfast. Shuttle buses took us to the bus and train stations. Cecilia, Erin and I went to the bus station with a bunch of other girls. Finding our buses was a bit of a challenge, but once on board the trip to Córdoba wasn’t bad at all. When we got there, we only had to wait a half hour before our bus to Priego left. During that time, I ate a sandwich of atún con tomate (tuna with a light thin tomato sauce which beats tuna fish salad with mayo by a mile). I ate it on our bus which wound through the streets of Córdoba. It took two hours to reach Priego because we passed through a bunch of little towns and had to stop to let people off.
We got to Priego in the middle of siesta hours. In Andalucia everything shuts down between two and five. During that time, people have a large lunch and take a nap or relax before going back to their daily activities like work. Siesta time means nothing is open and there is nothing to do. We were basically stranded in an empty bus station (which was super tiny anyway) with no idea where our hotel was or how to get to it. After asking the men at the adjacent bar (some of whom were policemen from the adjacent police station), we called a taxi to take us to our hotel, which was way outside Priego. The first taxi we called was out of town. The pay phone ran out of money before we finished our call so he called another taxi. We didn’t know this and had called a third taxi. This meant that two taxi drivers showed up along with a man from Cecilia’s school (Vincente; he came to offer her an apartment) and two girls (one American, one Polish), also from Cecilia’s school, to welcome us. There was a lot of confusion for the first few minutes and by the time we got to our really far hotel, we were stressed and tired and angry to be so far away.
After a long complaint email to our program, we got back into a taxi and went back to Priego to start looking at apartments. Friday evening we saw two places. The first was Vincente’s apartment. It had three bedrooms, a bathroom in the process of being redone, a large kitchen with an oven (rare here) and a living room with a balcony. Each of the rooms faced the street and had a large window. The apartment was light and airy. The second apartment was closer to the bus station and our schools, but it was somewhat older and did not have an oven. The beds were much older as were the couches. This apartment had really nice views, but the living room was open to the hallway and the entrance meaning it would be difficult to heat in the winter. They don’t have heating here, you have to use a space heater. We didn’t really love the people who owned it. Vincente lives up the street from his apartment, meaning he can be there in 5 minutes, and it has an elevator, which is nice.
Friday night we wandered around with Christine (also from our program) trying to find a place to eat. We found a pizza place full of locals. It was down one of the narrow “streets” in Priego’s center. Many of the roads are way too narrow for some cars and only accessible by foot or moto. Cars try going down them…It’s pretty interesting to watch. Our pizza was amazing. It was nice to eat comfort food after such a stressful day. Christine and I split a fish pizza which was topped with shrimp, mussels, tuna and anchovies. This place had a lot of “different” pizzas which we appreciated. It was also super cheap. After dinner we returned to our hotel and went to sleep.
Saturday we woke, ate breakfast, and went back into Priego. We found the library and ran into Erin (another girl from NY here teaching) and Evan (from Indiana). Then we checked out some internet and phone prices and walked around town more. We called other apartments, but could only get in touch with one other person. We saw that apartment after wandering the really old parts of Priego. This apartment had the same number of rooms as the others, except it was in the middle of a block and did not have a lot of light entering it. The kitchen was REALLY old. Cabinets were falling off and it was just gross to be in. The owner, who lived in the campo/country side, had owned the place for 20 years, but had only rented it for one year of those years. This place was pretty dark and it would have cost a lot to heat it in the winter. It had the best location, but it just wasn’t worth trying to live with awful saggy couches and cabinets that were falling apart in a kitchen too gross to use.
We wandered town figuring out where we should live and finally decided on Vincente’s place. We called him and he said we could move in Monday. We walked to an old fountain to rest and then went and saw where Erin, Aleks (the Polish girl) and Jessica live. They live in a two-story condo/house the same distance from the center as we live. Their place was cute, but will probably be harder to heat than ours. We then went grocery shopping to get stuff for Sunday, when everything is completely closed. For dinner, we met up with Erin, Aleks, Evan and Christine and had shawarma! I knew there would be middle eastern food in Andalucia, but to have kebabs and shawarma in Priego was quite the discovery. There is also Chinese food here…I’m somewhat skeptical of it though…
We ate our meals in a plaza before heading back to our hotel.
Sunday afternoon Cecilia and I laid by the pool for a little while before getting Erin and walking to a neighboring village about 3-4 km down the road. The locals gave us weird looks for walking around in gym shorts and sneakers, but it was cute to see this little town. I’m pretty sure the kids there get bused to Priego to go to school because there were no schools and few shops/restaurants. The houses were white and the roads narrow, steep and curvy. We got back to the hotel and ate the food we had purchased at the grocery store on Saturday. The rest of Sunday was spent showering, packing and preparing to start work Monday morning.
The dinner was pretty terrible. It wound up being a cocktail hour rather than a sit-down dinner, which would have been okay if the food hadn’t been terrible. Most of the stuff was either meat or ham based and I really can’t stand eating either of those. Finally they brought around shot glasses of gazpacho and I think I downed six or seven of them. On my way to the bathroom I noticed people eating salads. The vegetarians had managed to get the restaurant to give them salads with caramelized onion and roasted asparagus on them. I got a hold of one of the coveted salads (people were seriously staring at me asking how they too could acquire a salad). It was actually pretty good – a million times better than the other food being served. The rest of the night was pretty blah…people I’m never going to see again and don’t really care to see again.
Friday morning we woke up and went to breakfast. Shuttle buses took us to the bus and train stations. Cecilia, Erin and I went to the bus station with a bunch of other girls. Finding our buses was a bit of a challenge, but once on board the trip to Córdoba wasn’t bad at all. When we got there, we only had to wait a half hour before our bus to Priego left. During that time, I ate a sandwich of atún con tomate (tuna with a light thin tomato sauce which beats tuna fish salad with mayo by a mile). I ate it on our bus which wound through the streets of Córdoba. It took two hours to reach Priego because we passed through a bunch of little towns and had to stop to let people off.
We got to Priego in the middle of siesta hours. In Andalucia everything shuts down between two and five. During that time, people have a large lunch and take a nap or relax before going back to their daily activities like work. Siesta time means nothing is open and there is nothing to do. We were basically stranded in an empty bus station (which was super tiny anyway) with no idea where our hotel was or how to get to it. After asking the men at the adjacent bar (some of whom were policemen from the adjacent police station), we called a taxi to take us to our hotel, which was way outside Priego. The first taxi we called was out of town. The pay phone ran out of money before we finished our call so he called another taxi. We didn’t know this and had called a third taxi. This meant that two taxi drivers showed up along with a man from Cecilia’s school (Vincente; he came to offer her an apartment) and two girls (one American, one Polish), also from Cecilia’s school, to welcome us. There was a lot of confusion for the first few minutes and by the time we got to our really far hotel, we were stressed and tired and angry to be so far away.
After a long complaint email to our program, we got back into a taxi and went back to Priego to start looking at apartments. Friday evening we saw two places. The first was Vincente’s apartment. It had three bedrooms, a bathroom in the process of being redone, a large kitchen with an oven (rare here) and a living room with a balcony. Each of the rooms faced the street and had a large window. The apartment was light and airy. The second apartment was closer to the bus station and our schools, but it was somewhat older and did not have an oven. The beds were much older as were the couches. This apartment had really nice views, but the living room was open to the hallway and the entrance meaning it would be difficult to heat in the winter. They don’t have heating here, you have to use a space heater. We didn’t really love the people who owned it. Vincente lives up the street from his apartment, meaning he can be there in 5 minutes, and it has an elevator, which is nice.
Friday night we wandered around with Christine (also from our program) trying to find a place to eat. We found a pizza place full of locals. It was down one of the narrow “streets” in Priego’s center. Many of the roads are way too narrow for some cars and only accessible by foot or moto. Cars try going down them…It’s pretty interesting to watch. Our pizza was amazing. It was nice to eat comfort food after such a stressful day. Christine and I split a fish pizza which was topped with shrimp, mussels, tuna and anchovies. This place had a lot of “different” pizzas which we appreciated. It was also super cheap. After dinner we returned to our hotel and went to sleep.
Saturday we woke, ate breakfast, and went back into Priego. We found the library and ran into Erin (another girl from NY here teaching) and Evan (from Indiana). Then we checked out some internet and phone prices and walked around town more. We called other apartments, but could only get in touch with one other person. We saw that apartment after wandering the really old parts of Priego. This apartment had the same number of rooms as the others, except it was in the middle of a block and did not have a lot of light entering it. The kitchen was REALLY old. Cabinets were falling off and it was just gross to be in. The owner, who lived in the campo/country side, had owned the place for 20 years, but had only rented it for one year of those years. This place was pretty dark and it would have cost a lot to heat it in the winter. It had the best location, but it just wasn’t worth trying to live with awful saggy couches and cabinets that were falling apart in a kitchen too gross to use.
We wandered town figuring out where we should live and finally decided on Vincente’s place. We called him and he said we could move in Monday. We walked to an old fountain to rest and then went and saw where Erin, Aleks (the Polish girl) and Jessica live. They live in a two-story condo/house the same distance from the center as we live. Their place was cute, but will probably be harder to heat than ours. We then went grocery shopping to get stuff for Sunday, when everything is completely closed. For dinner, we met up with Erin, Aleks, Evan and Christine and had shawarma! I knew there would be middle eastern food in Andalucia, but to have kebabs and shawarma in Priego was quite the discovery. There is also Chinese food here…I’m somewhat skeptical of it though…
We ate our meals in a plaza before heading back to our hotel.
Sunday afternoon Cecilia and I laid by the pool for a little while before getting Erin and walking to a neighboring village about 3-4 km down the road. The locals gave us weird looks for walking around in gym shorts and sneakers, but it was cute to see this little town. I’m pretty sure the kids there get bused to Priego to go to school because there were no schools and few shops/restaurants. The houses were white and the roads narrow, steep and curvy. We got back to the hotel and ate the food we had purchased at the grocery store on Saturday. The rest of Sunday was spent showering, packing and preparing to start work Monday morning.
Thursday, October 02, 2008
Sevilla (2)
Wednesday we had an excursion (aka field trip with way too many Americans). We went to the Alcazár which is an old mansion that was first built by the Moors, then the Christians added their part and it's been added onto and redone over time. The buildings were really ornately decorated and opulent. After our tour, another girl and I went to the Catedral. We walked around it and went up the tower to see Sevilla from above. The cathedral was pretty much like most other cathedrals I had been to in Europe and South America.
After exploring we decided to get food we would not be able to eat for many weeks- sushi! We found a Japonese restaurant and ate really great sushi. Fish is fresh here, but most of the tapas are heavy (in sauces) or fried. We just wanted something lighter. Lunch is the big meal in Spain and I still can't get used to that because I almost never eat a large lunch.
After hours of orientation classes, we (three other girls and I) went for tapas. We walked around Sevilla and crossed the river to get away from the center of the city. We found a cute tapas place right along the river and had house sangria, bull meat (tasted just like any other animal), mushrooms, veggie stew, and tuna with tomato. The tapas were good and it was nice to be out in Sevilla away from our hotel. We walked back wandering through the narrow streets in the center of the city. Every part of the buildings in Sevilla are decorated. It's nice to see such attention paid to details.
Sevilla also has a "metro." I put this in quotes because you can walk the metro line in 10 minutes. It runs through the tourist part of the city and is very quiet. They're expanding it (or so I've heard).
I'll upload some pictures of Sevilla soon. They might be here on this blog or on facebook. More to come.....
After exploring we decided to get food we would not be able to eat for many weeks- sushi! We found a Japonese restaurant and ate really great sushi. Fish is fresh here, but most of the tapas are heavy (in sauces) or fried. We just wanted something lighter. Lunch is the big meal in Spain and I still can't get used to that because I almost never eat a large lunch.
After hours of orientation classes, we (three other girls and I) went for tapas. We walked around Sevilla and crossed the river to get away from the center of the city. We found a cute tapas place right along the river and had house sangria, bull meat (tasted just like any other animal), mushrooms, veggie stew, and tuna with tomato. The tapas were good and it was nice to be out in Sevilla away from our hotel. We walked back wandering through the narrow streets in the center of the city. Every part of the buildings in Sevilla are decorated. It's nice to see such attention paid to details.
Sevilla also has a "metro." I put this in quotes because you can walk the metro line in 10 minutes. It runs through the tourist part of the city and is very quiet. They're expanding it (or so I've heard).
I'll upload some pictures of Sevilla soon. They might be here on this blog or on facebook. More to come.....
Wednesday, October 01, 2008
Sevilla
Today (Tuesday) was the first day that I went outside of a two-block radius of the hotel. Sunday I had gone for tapas at a mall around the corner (it was literally the only thing open on a Sunday afternoon). We had a mix of random potato dishes and I had an omelet with onions on top (here, an omelet is called a tortilla and almost always has potato in it). Sunday night I walked around with Cecilia, who is also going to Priego, but we wound up eating in the hotel restaurant because nothing was open. I had a tapa- seared tuna. Monday, I literally did not leave the hotel except to eat a tortilla sandwich (yes, that’s a potato omelet on bread) in a park down the street. CIEE had a tapas and cocktails party for us in the lobby of the hotel. We were really occupied with orientation and I napped during our down time. All of the girls from Priego are finally here. Erin is going to teach at the same school as I am. She’s from Indiana. Cecilia is from California (the bay area) and went to UC Davis; Jess went to UMASS and is from Sharon, MA; Christine went to Smith and is from Chicago. They all seem really nice and would be fun to live with.
So, today, after many hours of orientation and even eating lunch in the hotel, I decided to go for a run because I wanted to get out and see Sevilla. Armed with 5€, my iPod, hotel key and a map of the city, I ran down to the center of the city (.75 miles) and did a loop around the tourist area where the cathedral and university are. I also ran along the river, which was pretty. It wasn’t a very long run because I had to stop periodically to make sure I was not going too far and could still find my place on the map. The city is really old and the architecture is pretty. Many of the streets are extremely narrow and nothing in the center runs parallel or even makes sense (it’s the Boston of Spain).
After returning from my run, I showered and got ready. The program took us to a flamenco show. We walked back to the center of town and went to this cultural center. During the show, which lasted an hour, a man sung flamenco songs while another danced. Then, a woman danced with the man – most of their routine was synchronized, which was almost like watching figure skating pairs. They had really good chemistry and flamenco was both interesting and powerful. Flamenco dancing is loud: dancers smack the heels of their shoes on the stage and dance around each other. The man and woman barely touched for most of the dance, then they embraced and continued stomping. It’s not a careless stomp; there is a lot of precision in the movement. The show was really enjoyable, but I was so tired that I found it hard to stay awake. Our days are filled with orientation classes and activities – all the sitting around is pretty exhausting.
So, today, after many hours of orientation and even eating lunch in the hotel, I decided to go for a run because I wanted to get out and see Sevilla. Armed with 5€, my iPod, hotel key and a map of the city, I ran down to the center of the city (.75 miles) and did a loop around the tourist area where the cathedral and university are. I also ran along the river, which was pretty. It wasn’t a very long run because I had to stop periodically to make sure I was not going too far and could still find my place on the map. The city is really old and the architecture is pretty. Many of the streets are extremely narrow and nothing in the center runs parallel or even makes sense (it’s the Boston of Spain).
After returning from my run, I showered and got ready. The program took us to a flamenco show. We walked back to the center of town and went to this cultural center. During the show, which lasted an hour, a man sung flamenco songs while another danced. Then, a woman danced with the man – most of their routine was synchronized, which was almost like watching figure skating pairs. They had really good chemistry and flamenco was both interesting and powerful. Flamenco dancing is loud: dancers smack the heels of their shoes on the stage and dance around each other. The man and woman barely touched for most of the dance, then they embraced and continued stomping. It’s not a careless stomp; there is a lot of precision in the movement. The show was really enjoyable, but I was so tired that I found it hard to stay awake. Our days are filled with orientation classes and activities – all the sitting around is pretty exhausting.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
weird signs
i drove to NJ yesterday.
while crossing the tappan zee bridge, there was a new sign giving motorists/other people more information (ok, a phone number) in case they were having suicidal thoughts. this wasn't a very ghetto sign, it was just like all the other road signs on the highway....
i thought it was kind of weird for a bridge to have this although it also made me think of the time my bro and dad were unable to cross the bridge because it was closed because of a jumper...
while crossing the tappan zee bridge, there was a new sign giving motorists/other people more information (ok, a phone number) in case they were having suicidal thoughts. this wasn't a very ghetto sign, it was just like all the other road signs on the highway....
i thought it was kind of weird for a bridge to have this although it also made me think of the time my bro and dad were unable to cross the bridge because it was closed because of a jumper...
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Just back from Israel and Jordan....and classes have resumed
its been a while since i last blogged....okay, thats a major understatement.
anyway, winter break is over, classes have started and i am beyond confused as to what i am taking. i don't want to take a lot because its my last semester, but there are so many things i want to take still....
i'm currently enrolled in way too many classes: chicano lit (last spanish class for the major!), latin american social movements (last class for the IR major), intro to yiddish culture (just for fun!, easy and interesting), journalism (if anyone is actually reading this blog they can understand that i need/want more practice writing), yoga (this is a must), epiic (i don't want to stick with this anymore, but have to), and a CMS project (i'm losing interest.....). i'm also signed up for yogalates, but the teacher was a major bitch, and color photography, but its at the museum school and the teacher was super boring....
really, i don't know what i'm doing post-graduation.....although i might be peace corps-ing it.....we'll see if i get offered a position and if i get the med stuff done in time. i just want to travel. israel was chaotic....birthright was only somewhat worth it. ok, the free plane ticket was majorly worth it....the group-ness of the trip was majorly not. i cherished my 5 days of freedom to go to southern israel, explore jerusalem more and go to PETRA!
because of time issues, i was only in jordan for a day, but petra was really really cool....the day was validated when my petra guide asked me why i didn't bring my boyfriend on the trip. i told him that i didn't have a boyfriend and he got rather quiet than said, "well then, i wish you luck." i was somewhat floored when he said this, but realized that i had to put myself into a cultural relativism state and understand that in jordan it was not normal for single females to travel alone.
i then went back to israel and had an absolutely fabulous time....but now i'm back on campus, where its freezing cold and i can't figure out what classes to take. there are so many things i have to take, but don't want to. i'm not giving up yoga, my mental and physical health is too important. but at the same time, i don't want to give up yiddish culture or journalism.
i'm between a rock and an epiic place....i don't want to take epiic, but am forced to....which majorly sucks. why did i get myself into this mess?? (i know how. stupid igl....me and my big ideas).
anyway, its off to the library for me.....and so it begins.......
anyway, winter break is over, classes have started and i am beyond confused as to what i am taking. i don't want to take a lot because its my last semester, but there are so many things i want to take still....
i'm currently enrolled in way too many classes: chicano lit (last spanish class for the major!), latin american social movements (last class for the IR major), intro to yiddish culture (just for fun!, easy and interesting), journalism (if anyone is actually reading this blog they can understand that i need/want more practice writing), yoga (this is a must), epiic (i don't want to stick with this anymore, but have to), and a CMS project (i'm losing interest.....). i'm also signed up for yogalates, but the teacher was a major bitch, and color photography, but its at the museum school and the teacher was super boring....
really, i don't know what i'm doing post-graduation.....although i might be peace corps-ing it.....we'll see if i get offered a position and if i get the med stuff done in time. i just want to travel. israel was chaotic....birthright was only somewhat worth it. ok, the free plane ticket was majorly worth it....the group-ness of the trip was majorly not. i cherished my 5 days of freedom to go to southern israel, explore jerusalem more and go to PETRA!
because of time issues, i was only in jordan for a day, but petra was really really cool....the day was validated when my petra guide asked me why i didn't bring my boyfriend on the trip. i told him that i didn't have a boyfriend and he got rather quiet than said, "well then, i wish you luck." i was somewhat floored when he said this, but realized that i had to put myself into a cultural relativism state and understand that in jordan it was not normal for single females to travel alone.
i then went back to israel and had an absolutely fabulous time....but now i'm back on campus, where its freezing cold and i can't figure out what classes to take. there are so many things i have to take, but don't want to. i'm not giving up yoga, my mental and physical health is too important. but at the same time, i don't want to give up yiddish culture or journalism.
i'm between a rock and an epiic place....i don't want to take epiic, but am forced to....which majorly sucks. why did i get myself into this mess?? (i know how. stupid igl....me and my big ideas).
anyway, its off to the library for me.....and so it begins.......
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