Likes and dislikes

Hola everybody!

How are you all doing? Life here in Sevilla is going pretty well! We just had our finals for our Intensive Period Spanish classes on Friday and I am SOO glad to be done. We have just started our Continuation Period classes today, which is pretty crazy. I can't believe that I have been here for 3 and a half weeks!

Today as I was walking back to school for one of my classes I was hit by the fact that I really am in Spain and that I only have 8 months left! I get this reality check from time to time, although a lot of the time it doesn't seem possible that this is actually happening. I have had some times where I was pretty down or stressed, but right now I am feeling pretty good!

Well, anyway, I decided for this email update that I would tell you some of the things I like and appreciate about Sevilla as well as the things I really dislike or could really do without, since studying abroad definitely has its ups and downs. I warn you that this will be long, since I haven't written in a while, but you have the choice whether to read it or not! =)

LIKE: My host family
I have been so incredibly blessed in where I live! My host family is awesome! They are very relaxed and laidback and are always willing to answer my questions and telling me not to worry when I get stressed. Pepe, my host dad, is pretty funny. I talk with him about the most random topics some deep and some lighthearted. It turns out that we both like some of the same movies. Pepe really likes older movies, like the Natural (really good baseball movie with Robert Redford), which is awesome because that's one of my dad's favorites too. I have to do a bit of translating in my head when Pepe talks about actors though because he pronounces their names like they were Spanish. Haha. Edu, my host mom, is so good to me! She is always taking care of me and won't let me help with anything. She and Pepe can be really funny to listen to when they talk together. They once had an argument (all in good fun) whether men or women were more intelligent. Haha! Edu also made fun of Pepe once because he talks too much with his hands. I just sit there and laugh and occasionally say something, but I mostly just enjoy listening to their we've-been-married-for-forty-years banter. I can't understand everything my family talks about, especially when they discuss things on the news, but I am learning pretty quickly. I really like my host sister, Alicia, too. I had a really good talk with her a week or so ago in which she shared a lot of her story with me. She is always willing to talk to me and I'm so glad I have an older sister here.

DISLIKE: Smoking!... It's quite common here
Seriously, I know this is a big problem in most big cities but I absolutely HATE smoking. I saw a sign a few days ago on my walk to school that said "Cuando uno fuma, fumamos todos", which means that when one person smokes, we all smoke. So true! It really irks me when I am walking to and from school enjoying looking around at all the sites and then the person in front of me or to the side of me blows a huge cloud of smoke RIGHT IN MY FACE. That is my BIGGEST PET PEEVE ever! “Thank you very much! If you want to smoke, fine! But please don't share it with the rest of us.”

LIKE: Siesta
I am being completely serious when I say this: we REALLY need to adopt this tradition in the U.S. I seriously take at least an hour nap after lunch almost every day here. And I have absolutely no classes from about 1 to 5! Sweet!!

DISLIKE: Creepy men
Okay, most of the people here are really nice, normal people that are just going about their daily lives. But there are definitely some creepers here. I came here to Spain prepared for the piropos (catcalls), so those don't really bother me because they really don't happen all that often. When they do they usually happen when we girls walk by a group of young Spanish men and they will call out things like "Guapa!" (pretty, or good-looking). My host dad told me that it is just part of the culture. They don't expect the women to respond in any way (it would be weird if we did), and it's just a way of giving a compliment. So anyway, those don't really bother me. BUT, I get super creeped out when old men stare at me and the other girls and mutter things that we can't really hear as we walk by. Don't they have anything better to do than gawk at women, especially ones that could be their granddaughters? Sheesh. *Shudder.*

LIKE: Rio Guadalquivir
This is the main river that runs through Sevilla. It separates Triana (my neighborhood) and a few other neighborhoods from the center of the city. I live almost exactly in the middle of Triana and in the middle of the two bridges that I can cross to get to school. I usually take the Triana Bridge, but I switch it up sometimes. Anyway, the river is SO beautiful, especially at sunrise and sunset! The buildings, roads, and trees that line it add to the scenery. If you have Facebook and want to see my pictures, I have a few of my walk to school. (Speaking of, if you want me to email you pictures directly, let me know). The river also reminds me that God is here even in a place far from home. It gives me peace after a stressful day, and I am glad that it is something I get to see at least twice a day.

DISLIKE: Traffic
Most of the people here in Sevilla know how to drive, but they don't seem to grasp the rules of the road. It's kind of ridiculous. Thankfully most of the cars in Sevilla are quite small (I have yet to see a legit mini-van or pickup truck), but parking in the city is still really awful. People park in the oddest places, like right where the crosswalk begins on some small streets. And then they don't leave any room for you to squeeze between cars so it's like walking through a maze in some parts. People also use their car horns A LOT, which just boggles my mind. Think about it: if you're sitting in traffic and the cars in front of you can't move for some reason, honking your horn insistently DOES NOT HELP ANYONE! Novel concept, I know.

LIKE: Food!
My host mom makes really good food here! Breakfast is usually quite small, which takes some getting used to, but we eat a LOT for lunch and a good sized dinner. The food is really tasty, and mostly quite healthy. Some of it is similar to the food in the U.S., while other dishes are completely unique. I was able to have gazpacho once, which is kind of like a soup (similar consistency) made mostly of tomatoes and other vegetables. I like it, but only in small amounts. One of the things I really like about their meals is that we have fruit or yogurt for dessert, which makes me feel healthier. Their fruit is pretty tasty too (still not the same as Oregon, but pretty darn good!).

DISLIKE: PDA
This really doesn’t normally bother me that much mostly because I just think it’s hilarious, but the PDA here is a lot more prominent than in the U.S. You can be walking along the street minding your own business and then you walk right past a young couple just making out on the side of the street! It’s kind of awkward, but mostly just funny.

LIKE: Spanish expressions
I absolutely love the words that people use to refer to other people here in Spain! A lot of times we will say things in English like “my dear”, “honey”, “babe” or things like that, but I love the Spanish words a lot. They of course have cariño, which means dear, but there are other unique ones as well. Mi alma, literally means “my soul”, and people use that to refer to people they are close to, such as family members. My host parents call me that a lot. My friend Marta told me that they also use expressions like mi cielo (my heaven) and mi amor (my love). My host parents also call me hija (daughter), which is cool because I feel like part of the family.

DISLIKE: When people walk really slow
I think that this is just something I am going to have to get over. I walk faster than a lot of Americans anyway, but in Spain the people seem to walk even slower. It’s hard to pass people too if you’re in a hurry to get anywhere. I think I just need to learn more patience and learn how to enjoy even the time I have walking to and from places.

LIKE: One of the best things here: my church!
I am so blessed to have found a church here! Fatima and I were walking back to our houses one time and stumbled across a small church (Iglesia Cristiana Evangelica – Christian Evangelical Church) that is literally on the street RIGHT NEXT TO MINE. Cool, huh? That was such a God-thing. I know He worked it out because we prayed about finding a place before I came here, and honestly, what are the odds that it would be right by my house?? I am so thankful! The church is quite small, but I really like that about it. It’s full of families praising God together. In the beginning they alternate between singing a song or two and then having someone randomly pray as they are led (from what I can tell). Then the pastor shares a lesson from the Bible, most of which I can understand. It’s totally awesome and I can see God’s hand in it.

Well, that’s all for now, folks! I’m sure most of you are relieved, if you actually finished reading this, haha. =) Next time I write an email I will tell you about seeing both flamenco and a bullfight! Muy guay! (Very cool). I will write about them in my blog as well. I hope you all are doing well and that you are very, very blessed! I always love to hear updates from your lives, so feel free to write me anytime and I will respond when I get a chance.

Dios te bendiga!
Abrazos,
Sierra

Adjusting

Well, I have been here in Sevilla for less than a week, but it feels so much longer than that. I want to write down everything I am experiencing here in my journal, but that would take forever, so I am learning how to be more concise.
My thoughts are becoming a mixture of English and Spanish, so I sometimes mix up my words, especially when I switch back to talking or writing in English. I feel like it´s getting worse too, so I hope my blog is still worth reading in a few weeks!
I had an interesting cultural experience on Sunday. I went to Mass in the Cathedral at 12, which was really neat. The cathedral here is the third largest in the world, and I think that it is absolutely breathtaking. When I walked by it the night before, I thought that it is perhaps the most beautiful thing in all of Sevilla. The stained glass windows inside and the huge columns make the inside just as beautiful as the outside. I was able to understand most of the Mass too, so that made it more interesting as well. It was really hot inside though! The weather here is quite different from my home in Oregon.
The really interesting cultural experience that I had was that I and the girls I was with that Sunday were confronted by some women that wanted to read our hands and tell us our fortunes. Three of the girls realized what was going on and tried to warn us as they hurried away, but three of us got caught by the women because we were being too nice and polite, which is a bad idea in those situations. The women (probably gypsies) were very forceful. The woman took my hand, gave me a small branch from a plant, and read my palm (all good things of course, haha). I then thanked her just so she would leave, but she told me to pay her. The other two girls and I refused to pay and finally got away from them, although they were a bit miffed. Nothing worse happened though, for which I was extremely thankful, but I think it was a good experience overall because I learned a lot from it. From now on I will just keep walking and ignore them!
I have ups and downs emotionally, but overall I am glad to be here and I want to make the most of my time here. Whenever I feel lonely or scared or overwhelmed, I just read the cards from friends and family that I brought with me and then I pray and ask God for help. I am always encouraged by both of these things, and God keeps giving me peace, hope, and courage. I just want to live for Him while I am here and somehow be a light to those around me. If you could remember me in your prayers, I would be extremely grateful!

This is an email that I sent out on my email list, but I put it here (and will put all future ones here as well) for those who don't want to get all those emails. =)

Hola todos!

    I do not have a lot of time to write an email because I am currently sitting in an Internet cafe and I am trying to keep the time under 30 minutes. But I wanted to let you all know that I am here in Sevilla, Spain, beginning my 9 month adventure. I am both excited and nervous!

    So far everything has gone well overall, although I am still quite tired and therefore have a harder time being patient with myself and situations. I am still quite tired at times because of jet lag, but hopefully that will pass quickly.

Our flights to Sevilla went very well, but they were quite long. The first was to Frankfurt (10 hours), but it was pretty neat because the man sitting next to me was Russian and the high school aged guy sitting on the other side of him was from Germany. Turns out he had been visiting friends in Canby! Small world! The other two flights (to Barcelona and then to Sevilla) were only about an hour and a half. We were late getting to the Orientation, but we knew that was going to happen, so it was all right. None of our luggage got lost either! Praise God!

    All of the students in the program are from various parts of the U.S. Everyone is really nice and it is a good-sized group (48 people). It is difficult though because we all want to talk in English together, but we really need to speak in Spanish as often as we can. There are groups of people that talk in Spanish more often though, which is good practice for me.

My host family is great! My host parents are Eduarda (Edu) and Pepe (his real name is Jose). They are probably in their 60s, and they have been hosting students for 20 years! The have four children who are all in their 30s and 40s. I met the oldest, Conchi, the first day. She is married and has 2 sons (23 and 7). One of the other daughters, Alicia, lives with her parents, so I will see her quite often. I have not met the other son or daughter yet though because they live elsewhere.

Well, Sevilla really is a very charming city. It is quite a big city, but it is not too noisy, and most of the cool sites are within walking distance from my house or the Center (our school). Even some of the places that I read about, including the Torre del Oro (Tower of Gold) and La Giralda (another really tall tower connected to a beautiful cathedral) are really close! I am excited!!

    I will try to write again soon, but I am running out of time. We just returned from a trip to see the Monasterio de la Rabida (a monastery). It was really neat! I will have to tell you about it later though. We also went to la playa (the beach) for a few hours, and I had to put on a TON of sunscreen because the sun is very strong here. It was a lot of fun though! I can´t believe I was swimming in the Mediterranean!

    I miss you all! If you could pray for me, and for the people in my group as well, that would be amazing! I go back and forth between excitement at where I am to the feeling that I will not be able to survive 9 months away from home. I would appreciate prayers for me to have courage and to be continuously joyful and thankful for being here on this adventure. I am staying in the Word and praying and trying to be faitful in keeping a journal. I will upload pictures as soon as I can!

    I hope you all have an amazing week!!

Hasta luego!

 -Sierra