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