Here's another one of my email updates that I sent out recently. I will forewarn you that it is quite long, but it includes updates from some of my travels to places like Granada and Cádiz.
Hi everyone!
How are you all doing? I miss you all a LOT! I figured I would write to you all again since it has already been over a week (can't believe it!). This last week was pretty busy, so the weekend was a welcome respite. Plus I got an extra hour of sleep because we changed the clocks back! I took two tests this last week and the last one I took may have kicked my butt, but I am hoping that I did okay. It is very difficult to write short answer/essay responses in Spanish, believe me! I had two tests this week that were very similar in format - one in Anthropology and one in Spanish-American Civilization. I am so glad to be done with them! Is it already time for midterms back in the States? If so, I wish all of you students good luck and blessings on your tests and papers! I honestly can't believe that October is drawing to a close soon.
To update you all on my last week or so here, last Thursday (the day before I last wrote to you), one of my friends (Swathi) and I decided to go watch the movie Agora in theaters. In case you didn't know, although it is originally filmed in English, the director (Aménabar) is Spanish. We were really excited to go see it! Swathi was especially excited because she couldn't find anyone to go at first because she wanted to go to the midnight showing and everyone was really tired. She must have caught me on a good night because I actually was up for staying out late (I'm normally not because I like my sleep, which is why she didn't call me). Anyway, we went to the theater but found out that they didn't have that late of a showing on Thursdays, which was disappointing. We ended up stopping by this little kiosk-type place and eating churros con chocolate (yummy!) and chatting about life until about 1:45 in the morning. It was really cool and better than watching a movie in the end. Swathi and I have had a lot of really good discussions about God, life, family, etc.
Speaking of late nights, I struggle a lot with the idea of going to the discotecas (clubs) here in Sevilla. Going out at night is a big part of the culture here. Drinking is also very big here, although people (not including teenagers) are generally less likely to go out and get wasted. It's more of a social thing. I understand the cultural aspect of it all, but I have yet to go to a club to go dancing with friends and the only alcohol I have consumed has been a few sips of sangria or wine to try it. To be completely honest, I feel totally uncomfortable and a bit afraid of the whole dancing/drinking/staying out till 4 in the morning scene. I know that for a lot of Christians it's not as big of a struggle to have fun in that environment and at the same time still honor God, but I have yet to find that balance. I don't know if that makes sense. I just don't see the beneficial or godly aspects in it at all, so I avoid it all together pretty much. It's just a personal decision for me and I'm not judging anyone else or saying they need to do the same. I just struggle with being "in the world and not of it" and could really use prayer for wisdom in that area.
Anyway, back to this last week... Friday I pretty much stayed home and only went to the school to meet up with my friends Katie and Margaret to start planning for our winter travels (as I am not coming home for the winter). It's all kind of up in the air and difficult to plan (another thing I need to pray more about).
Saturday I got up early and walked to the bus station to take a bus to Granada. I am going to preface this whole story by saying that Granada is now one of my favorite places in all of Spain!! Anyway, Fatima caught up with me on the way over there so we walked over together. We went with 5 other friends from our program: Geethu, Marta, Swathi, Jenn, and Zack. The bus ride was a lot more comfortable than the one to Lisbon, probably because it was only 3 hours and I was able to listen to music (Caleb and Sol!) on the way over. We also got to see a gorgeous sunrise in front of us as we drove east to Granada. It was kind of a pink lemonade color and was so pretty! Once we got to Granada we found our hostel and ate our lunches there. My host mom always offers to make me a bocadillo (sandwich) for my trips, which is so sweet of her! Our hostel was pretty cool. It had a great view of La Alhambra, which is a famous castle complex originally built in the 9th century. It used to be a Muslim military fortress, but was eventually used as the Muslim kings' home in Granada. It's name comes from two Arabic root words that mean red castle, so named because the walls and towers were a reddish color. Here's a little interesting historical fact for you: Granada was the last city to fall to the Catholic Monarchs (Ferdinand and Isabella) in 1492, which is, yes, the year that Columbus "sailed the ocean blue".
Since La Alhambra is really famous in Spain (the most visited tourist site, I believe), we of course went there and ended up staying there for about 5 hours. Trust me, there's a lot to see! There are a few beautiful and very detailed palaces, towers to climb with amazing views of all of Granada AND the Sierra Nevada Mountains (yea-uh!), and beautiful gardens with bright flowers everywhere. It was so cool! One of the first places we visited inside it was the Palacio de los Nazareitos (I think that's how it's spelled), which was a royal house or palace. The rooms were decorated with tiles and extremely detailed stucco and ceramic work. Some of it was Arabic words written in a design all around the room. We spent a lot of time just wandering through and taking pictures. We were also in the room where Boabdil, the last Muslim king in Granada decided to hand over the keys of Granada to the Catholic Monarchs. I bought a guidebook outside the palace before entering, so I was reading random facts as we went along. This last one gave me chills. To think that something with that much historical significance happened in the very room we were standing in! Incredible.
One of my other favorite parts of the Alhambra was the Generalife, which was an huge garden area outside of the palaces. It was absolutely beautiful and I really don't have words to describe it accurately. The flowers were in every color possible it seemed: bright orange, cheery yellow, deep pinks, light and dark purple, and so many different shades of roses!! The shrubbery was really neat too. It was pruned and trimmed in different patterns, and I could totally tell that they spend a lot of time taking care of the gardens there. They also had quite a few fountains spread throughout the palaces and gardens. That's really not surprising though because there are fountains EVERYWHERE in Spain.One of the last places we went to in La Alhambra was the tallest tower in the Alcazaba, which is the oldest part of the Alhambra "reconstructed upon the ruins of a castle in the 9th century", as my book says. I really want to know who built the first castle, because the 9th century was a long time ago! Anyway, the tower that we spent the most time at was the Torre de la Vela (Watch-tower). It is the most distinguishable because it is the tallest and has a bell at the top, along with several flags. From the walls of the tower we could see all of Granada spread out before our eyes. I spent a long time just standing in one spot, thinking, talking to God, and staring at the Sierra Nevada Mountains. For some reason, they made me think of Idaho and of my family back there. I thought and prayed for you all, for my family and friends, while standing there. I really wished I could go back and see everyone at that moment, but I was also very, very glad that I was where I was, taking in all that beauty. I just felt a lot more alive while standing there. Even though I have been reading my Bible every day, I have been feeling spiritually dry at times, so that moment, and a few others this past week, have helped me to get back on track.
That Saturday night, as we were leaving the Alhambra, we had a chance to watch a beautiful sunset. God is an amazing artist! We then retraced our path down the hill and into town in search of food. We ended up buying some tasty kebabs (in tortilla) at this little eatery on our way back to the hostel. We also bought some sweets for dessert, which has become our tradition on our trips to different places. We are all really bad and can't resist all the pastries and ice cream and such. Haha. We also went out that night and watched some flamenco at this little bar. We were only there for a little bit because it was really crowded and we couldn't see very much, but it was still pretty fun. The funniest part was that we all ordered juice when the server came up and asked us what we wanted. He then looked really confused and asked us if we were minors or of drinking age. We all paused for a second and then said that we were older than 18, to which he gave us the most priceless look EVER. It was a "why in the world are you ordering peach juice when you can have wine, sangria, etc???" look. We got a pretty good laugh out of that one.
On Sunday, our second day in Granada, we got up and ate breakfast at the hostel. We were also able to check our email and Fatima was able to give me the good news that our Linfield football team had a pretty sweet win at Homecoming, which was exciting! Once we checked out of the hostel, we joined a free walking tour led by this pretty funny English guy. He had been living in Granada for 7 months or so and just walks around talking to people and living off of donations that he gets from people he gives the tour to. He knew a lot of interesting facts about the city and the history there. I'm still not completely sure of the accuracy of some of his stories, but it was a fun tour and we got to see a lot that we wouldn't have seen on our own. We even walked up into the hills a bit and saw all of the houses that people had built out of caves. I also met a guy named Gil from Quebec, Canada and talked with him about Quebec, the U.S., and all of our travels so far for a good part of the walking part of the tour. One of my favorite parts about traveling is meeting and talking to people from different countries. After our walking tour, we stopped at a store and bought sandwiches and ate by a children's playground. A few of us played on the teeter-totters for a bit, which was fun. We ended up reading the sign nearby when we were done and found out that we weren't allowed to play on the play equipment. Woops! But seriously, haven't these people ever read Peter Pan? Who puts an age limit on having fun?? We eventually split up our group because Fatima and I were leaving an hour earlier to head back. We walked around the city a bit more and bought some really yummy ice cream (a must) before taking the bus home.
Monday through Thursday was pretty busy for me. I had those tests on Wednesday and Thursday, so I had to study (although I have to be honest and say that I did procrastinate on studying, as usual). Bible study on Tuesday was a little shorter than normal, but it was still as awesome as ever. We talked a lot about God's peace (Philippians). I love that group of people! We had to all meet in Starbuck's this time though because it was really raining that day. I must admit that I was humbled that day because I had been bragging that Oregonians know all about rain and don't need umbrellas. Um.... yeah... We do need umbrellas here in Sevilla. Here it doesn't rain that much, but when it does it's like the skies just dump water all over you for a short period of time. Oh, and the drainage systems really aren't that great, so in some places it's practically flooding. On my way back home that evening I DID have an umbrella, but it was basically useless because the wind just blew the water all over me anyway. I was thoroughly drenched, but I learned my lesson!
This last Friday I pretty much stayed home again. I only went out to go buy my bus ticket to go to Cádiz for Saturday (a small city on the coast). It was nice to just have a day to relax and get a few things done though.
Saturday was a lot of fun! I met up with my friends Phil and Zack at the bus station to go to Cádiz. We visited a few sites in the city when we first got there, including a really interesting art and archaeology museum (Museo de Cádiz). There was so much history in that building! I like the Roman statues and artifacts best (just because I like Roman history), but the museum also had some pretty cool Phoenician artifacts, including two sarcophagi. Anyway, after that we stopped to buy some sandwiches and ate them on the steps of the cathedral while listening to some Native American men (random, I know) playing some really pretty music in the plaza. We then headed for the beach and spent a few hours there. It was perfect temperature and the sky was clear - a perfect day to go to the beach. I took a few walks along the shore in the water and collected some shells. It was a very relaxing time and another good opportunity to talk with God and just breathe. I also helped Phil build a sandcastle, which turned out pretty cool considering we didn't have any buckets or shovels to help us out. The guys also threw a tennis ball back and forth in the water and took walks at separate times as well. The beach was huge! You could walk for a while before getting to the end of it. We walked back into town as the sun was starting to set and got some ice cream (of course!) on the walk back. The sunset was breathtakingly beautiful! All in all it was a super fun day!
Well, today was also good... very relaxing. I went to church again this morning (it was hard missing it for two weeks) and really enjoyed being able to worship and hear a message. It takes a significant amount of effort to concentrate in another language for that long, but it is good practice! Other than that I have just been hanging out at home and starting to get ready for the upcoming week. Thanks so much for keeping in touch with me and for reading my really long emails! =) I miss you all!! I have really enjoyed hearing from you!! I hope you all are very blessed this week. Until next time!
Con amor y abrazos,
Sierra
Thursday, October 22, 2009
The rain in Spain...
The rain in Spain is nothing like the rain in Portland, Oregon. I learned this well-deserved lesson about a week ago. I told so many people that I did not need an umbrella in the rain because in Oregon we get rain for 3/4 of the year but we just suck it up and walk through it with only hooded jackets or sweatshirts. The only time we use umbrellas is if the rain is really bad or if we are outside for a long time (like at a soccer game). Anyway, since I had lived near Portland for 10 years, I figured that I had a bit more experience with rain than most people.
I think the weather in Spain decided to prove me wrong. Let's just say my pride took a hit last Tuesday. Here in Sevilla it doesn't rain that often, but when it does rain it doesn't only pour, it practically floods. It rains a lot in a short period of time. I found this out after Bible study Tuesday evening. I brought my little umbrella with me to Starbucks, where we were meeting for Bible study. It was helpful on the way over there, but not so much on the way back. The 25 minute walk home ended up being the longest walk of my time here so far.
I first left Starbucks and walked to CC-CS (my school). It was a short walk, but by the time I got there the front part of my jeans was soaked. I decided to continue on after a short break at the school, but I really should have waited for the rain to let up a little bit. It was coming down really hard when I left, and the wind was blowing the water all over. My umbrella ended up being useless because it really is a flimsy little thing and the wind practically turned it inside out a few times. There were puddles everywhere, and I had to watch where I was going. I passed several Spanish people standing in doorways watching me pass by; the streets were the emptiest I had seen so far. Only a few brave (or foolish) souls like me were struggling their way to wherever they had to go. I decided that Spanish people have a fear of water for a reason. When in Spain, do as the Spaniards do, especially when it's raining. Hide in a doorway or store or at home until the rain and wind stop.
When I got home, my tennis shoes were so wet that I was sloshing my way up the stairs to my third floor apartment. I had worn those shoes because it was going to rain, but that ended up being a bad decision. It took 2 days for them to dry completely. I'm thinking about investing in some rainboots. My jeans were almost completely wet, and the rain had permeated my jacket so that my shirt was a bit wet as well. My hair was in disarray and I was quite disgusted with my choice of umbrella. In the end, the good news is that I found the whole thing kind of funny. I still look back on it and laugh at myself. This Oregon City girl learned her lesson!
I think the weather in Spain decided to prove me wrong. Let's just say my pride took a hit last Tuesday. Here in Sevilla it doesn't rain that often, but when it does rain it doesn't only pour, it practically floods. It rains a lot in a short period of time. I found this out after Bible study Tuesday evening. I brought my little umbrella with me to Starbucks, where we were meeting for Bible study. It was helpful on the way over there, but not so much on the way back. The 25 minute walk home ended up being the longest walk of my time here so far.
I first left Starbucks and walked to CC-CS (my school). It was a short walk, but by the time I got there the front part of my jeans was soaked. I decided to continue on after a short break at the school, but I really should have waited for the rain to let up a little bit. It was coming down really hard when I left, and the wind was blowing the water all over. My umbrella ended up being useless because it really is a flimsy little thing and the wind practically turned it inside out a few times. There were puddles everywhere, and I had to watch where I was going. I passed several Spanish people standing in doorways watching me pass by; the streets were the emptiest I had seen so far. Only a few brave (or foolish) souls like me were struggling their way to wherever they had to go. I decided that Spanish people have a fear of water for a reason. When in Spain, do as the Spaniards do, especially when it's raining. Hide in a doorway or store or at home until the rain and wind stop.
When I got home, my tennis shoes were so wet that I was sloshing my way up the stairs to my third floor apartment. I had worn those shoes because it was going to rain, but that ended up being a bad decision. It took 2 days for them to dry completely. I'm thinking about investing in some rainboots. My jeans were almost completely wet, and the rain had permeated my jacket so that my shirt was a bit wet as well. My hair was in disarray and I was quite disgusted with my choice of umbrella. In the end, the good news is that I found the whole thing kind of funny. I still look back on it and laugh at myself. This Oregon City girl learned her lesson!
Monday, October 19, 2009
This is an email that I sent out last Friday about the last couple of weeks here in Spain. I will write about my adventures in Granada soon as well!
Hi my wonderful family and friends!
I apologize for not writing for two weeks. Time really does seem to fly here! I have been here in Spain for 6 weeks now, which I really can’t believe. I am still enjoying my time here very much, and I thank God that I have this opportunity. Sometimes I still have those “Oh my gosh! I’m in Spain!” moments.
Classes are going well. My Spanish-American Civilization class is quite interesting most of the time because we talk about explorers (like Columbus) who set sail from this very city centuries ago. It’s hard to grasp it all sometimes, but when I stop to think about it, I am blown away by the fact that all of that took place in the very same city that I am now living in. My other classes are a Spanish grammar/composition type class, Cultural Realities, and Cultural Anthropology. I ended up dropping my fifth class (Spanish Cinema) because I felt really lost the first day there and it was taking away from other activities that I was really interested in doing.
Speaking of those other activities… I joined a Bible study here! One of the guys from my program found it. It is on Tuesday evenings, which was when I originally had that class, but I have been able to go the last two weeks and I have been so incredibly blessed by it. God opened a door so I could go and brought me this opportunity out of nowhere. Fatima has been going with me, and two of our friends from the program have been going as well. It’s made up of other American students from different programs that are from all over the U.S. The crazy thing is that one of the girls that was there the first time I went is from Pocatello, ID (where I was born). Small world, huh? All of the people in the group are very friendly and nice and I felt right at home from the first day. It’s like God just opened my eyes to the fact that He IS everywhere in this world and that His body, the body of Christ, is all over the earth as well. I really missed having that support group that I have at Linfield, so I was very grateful and relieved to have this Bible study.
I also now have time to tutor a girl in Spanish. CC-CS has a tutoring program that we can sign up for where we work with a kid or kids from Spanish families to help improve their English. It’s actually a job, so we get paid for every hour we work, which is a nice bonus. The girl that I tutor is named Lucia, and she is 14 years old. She is really cute and sweet and her family is really nice as well. I hope I can be a good role model for her and be a witness for Christ to her and her family as well. I’m excited that I will get to know another Spanish family.
Last time I wrote, I told you I would tell you about the bullfight I saw and about flamenco. I might write a longer, more detailed explanation of the bullfight on my blog, but I will try to explain both of them here as well.
Flamenco: This is not just a type of dancing. It is a musical genre and tradition that I believe was originally from the gypsies. It is a very important cultural tradition here in Sevilla and in Andalusia in general (the region that Sevilla is a part of). The thing I love the most about flamenco is the rhythm to it. The place that we went to had several different acts where different groups of guys, girls, or guys and girls performed. Most of the dances had men singing, playing the guitar, and clapping in the background. The dancing kind of reminds me of tap dancing because their shoes make a similar sound and mixed with the clapping create an infectious rhythm. I admire the flamenco dancers a lot (as well as the men that have to clap all the time) because it takes a lot of energy, strength, and endurance to dance the way they do. Everything about flamenco is very captivating: the rhythm, the clothing, the music, and the feeling that they put into it. I am so glad I got to see it!
Bullfight: They say here in Spain that the bullfight is one of the only things that begins on time here (probably because they don’t want to keep the toreros (amateur matadors) or matadors (bullfighters) waiting for very long. I went to the bullfight with two of my friends, Swathi and Geethu. It started at 6:00 and took about 3 hours. There are three toreros and 6 bulls, 2 for each torero. There are different stages to the bullfight. Each torero has several helpers. These men start by testing the bull with big capes to see how it charges and how aggressive it is. Then the torero will perform several passes (where he moves the cape and draws the bull toward him, trying to get it as close to his body as possible to make it more exciting) before more of his helpers on horses (which are completely protected by a type of armor… don’t worry, the horses rarely get hurt at all) ride out and the bull charges at them. Some people are shocked when the bull runs into the horses and the riders stab it with the banderillas, but the point of that is to let the bull get his horns on something so he doesn’t get bored and give up after chasing the cape for a while.
Contrary to popular belief and lore, the bull does not charge at red, or any other color for that matter. It charges at movement, especially movement that is close to it and low to the ground, because it is nearsighted. Anyway, the last stage of the fight involves just the torero and the bull. The torero exchanges his big pink cape for the smaller red muleta (they don’t call it a cape). With the muleta he can draw the bull even closer to himself, and it takes a lot of skill to get the bull to follow the muleta and not charge the torero himself. It is very dangerous and definitely had me on the edge of my seat at times. One of the toreros, the youngest (19!), was the best one because he was the most exciting and performed the best. At the end of his first fight he received two of the bull’s ears, which is a big honor. He received it for how he performed and also for how he killed the bull. If this part is done right, the killing of the bull is relatively quick. Some very inexperienced toreros take a lot of tries to kill it with the sword that they have, but most good toreros make a killing stroke that weakens the bull so that it collapses. Someone then runs up and kills it instantly if it does not die quickly. This sounds all awful and gruesome and everything, but if you study the culture behind it and realize that those bulls are raised like kings (way better than the cattle raised for meat), the bullfight becomes less horrifying and more fascinating. I definitely didn’t like watching the bulls die, but the whole cultural experience was very interesting and I can see both sides to it.
Well, life here is flying by! I have had regular classes for 3 weeks now. During the week I usually just go to class, hang out at school chatting with people or checking email, go home for meals or sometimes take naps if I have time. I have Bible study once a week and tutoring for an hour twice a week. We don’t have class on Fridays (Yay!), so I often have a day to relax, hang out with people, and maybe get some homework done. Most Sundays I go to church in the morning and have a relaxing day where I usually get to Skype with my dad and sister. The last couple of Sundays I have been traveling though, so that changed my schedule a bit.
This last weekend I had the opportunity to go to Portugal (Lisboa – the capitol, and Sintra). It was so cool! I went with 5 other girls (including Fatima), and we really had a fun time. The only thing I didn’t like was the bus rides there and back. They were about 6 or 7 hours long and we left at 12:00 a.m. Saturday morning and got back at 5:30 a.m. on Tuesday. I learned one thing – sleeping on a bus, especially when you have long legs, is next to impossible. It was an adventure though! We stayed in a hostel for two nights (with complimentary breakfasts) and walked everywhere, exploring and taking tons of pictures. We mostly ate bread with either nutella or cheese and turkey, which was cheap but still really yummy and filling. We were in Lisboa the first day, spent most of the day in Sintra the second day, and then spent Monday (which is Dia de la Hispanidad, or Columbus Day in the U.S., which means we didn’t have school) taking the metro, bus, and tram to different parts of Lisboa.
My favorite moment from our trip to Lisboa had to be the first night, when we trekked our way up to the Castelo de San Jorge (a castle). We got there just in time for the sunset, and the view from outside the castle and from up on the castle walls was amazing. We didn’t get to explore for a super long time because it got dark pretty quickly, but at one point we climbed up to one of the highest points on the walls and we could see for miles. When I climbed up there I just stood in silence, taking in the sunset and talking to God silently, thanking Him for painting such a beautiful picture for us. The sky was a rainbow of colors. Most of it was indigo/dark blue, which faded to green for second, yellow in the middle, and then into a red color (kind of like a dusky rose color – Leanna and Alex – remember Christy Miller?). It was breathtaking.
Sintra was very refreshing because, like Lisboa, it was SOO much quieter than Sevilla. I feel like the noise level diminished drastically when we got to Portugal. Sintra was also very green, which made me feel more at home because it reminded me of Oregon. We walked a LOT in Sintra, and a lot of the area was quite hilly, so I was starting to get sore by the end of the day, but it was totally worth it. We stopped and rested a lot, just taking everything in, which was nice. Our trip was pretty flexible. There were a lot of things we couldn’t do or see because they were too expensive, but we still had a really fun time and got to see a lot! The palace that we visited there was really neat too. The rooms in the palace were named for the ceilings (Swan Hall had swans on the ceiling, Magpie Hall, magpies, Mermaid Hall, mermaids…). A man there explained to us what the magpie room was all about. I will probably butcher this story, but oh well. Apparently there was a rumor going around the palace about the king and a woman who was not his wife (although nothing had happened), and so the king explained that, and then had a magpie put up on the ceiling for every person that gossiped about it, so the rumor stopped. For those of you who have never seen or heard of magpies, they are really annoying birds, which is why they were an appropriate choice.
Anyway, this message is very, very long now, and I must stop writing because I need to go to bed as I am leaving for Granada for two days early in the morning (Saturday). I will try to post more specific information about trips and adventures on my blog when I get a chance (http://www.sierraadventuresabroad.blogspot.com). I just wanted to update you on how everything is going and let you all know that I am alive and well! I miss you all very much. I am living an adventure of a lifetime, but my home and my family and friends there are never far from my heart.
Abrazos (hugs),
Sierra
Hi my wonderful family and friends!
I apologize for not writing for two weeks. Time really does seem to fly here! I have been here in Spain for 6 weeks now, which I really can’t believe. I am still enjoying my time here very much, and I thank God that I have this opportunity. Sometimes I still have those “Oh my gosh! I’m in Spain!” moments.
Classes are going well. My Spanish-American Civilization class is quite interesting most of the time because we talk about explorers (like Columbus) who set sail from this very city centuries ago. It’s hard to grasp it all sometimes, but when I stop to think about it, I am blown away by the fact that all of that took place in the very same city that I am now living in. My other classes are a Spanish grammar/composition type class, Cultural Realities, and Cultural Anthropology. I ended up dropping my fifth class (Spanish Cinema) because I felt really lost the first day there and it was taking away from other activities that I was really interested in doing.
Speaking of those other activities… I joined a Bible study here! One of the guys from my program found it. It is on Tuesday evenings, which was when I originally had that class, but I have been able to go the last two weeks and I have been so incredibly blessed by it. God opened a door so I could go and brought me this opportunity out of nowhere. Fatima has been going with me, and two of our friends from the program have been going as well. It’s made up of other American students from different programs that are from all over the U.S. The crazy thing is that one of the girls that was there the first time I went is from Pocatello, ID (where I was born). Small world, huh? All of the people in the group are very friendly and nice and I felt right at home from the first day. It’s like God just opened my eyes to the fact that He IS everywhere in this world and that His body, the body of Christ, is all over the earth as well. I really missed having that support group that I have at Linfield, so I was very grateful and relieved to have this Bible study.
I also now have time to tutor a girl in Spanish. CC-CS has a tutoring program that we can sign up for where we work with a kid or kids from Spanish families to help improve their English. It’s actually a job, so we get paid for every hour we work, which is a nice bonus. The girl that I tutor is named Lucia, and she is 14 years old. She is really cute and sweet and her family is really nice as well. I hope I can be a good role model for her and be a witness for Christ to her and her family as well. I’m excited that I will get to know another Spanish family.
Last time I wrote, I told you I would tell you about the bullfight I saw and about flamenco. I might write a longer, more detailed explanation of the bullfight on my blog, but I will try to explain both of them here as well.
Flamenco: This is not just a type of dancing. It is a musical genre and tradition that I believe was originally from the gypsies. It is a very important cultural tradition here in Sevilla and in Andalusia in general (the region that Sevilla is a part of). The thing I love the most about flamenco is the rhythm to it. The place that we went to had several different acts where different groups of guys, girls, or guys and girls performed. Most of the dances had men singing, playing the guitar, and clapping in the background. The dancing kind of reminds me of tap dancing because their shoes make a similar sound and mixed with the clapping create an infectious rhythm. I admire the flamenco dancers a lot (as well as the men that have to clap all the time) because it takes a lot of energy, strength, and endurance to dance the way they do. Everything about flamenco is very captivating: the rhythm, the clothing, the music, and the feeling that they put into it. I am so glad I got to see it!
Bullfight: They say here in Spain that the bullfight is one of the only things that begins on time here (probably because they don’t want to keep the toreros (amateur matadors) or matadors (bullfighters) waiting for very long. I went to the bullfight with two of my friends, Swathi and Geethu. It started at 6:00 and took about 3 hours. There are three toreros and 6 bulls, 2 for each torero. There are different stages to the bullfight. Each torero has several helpers. These men start by testing the bull with big capes to see how it charges and how aggressive it is. Then the torero will perform several passes (where he moves the cape and draws the bull toward him, trying to get it as close to his body as possible to make it more exciting) before more of his helpers on horses (which are completely protected by a type of armor… don’t worry, the horses rarely get hurt at all) ride out and the bull charges at them. Some people are shocked when the bull runs into the horses and the riders stab it with the banderillas, but the point of that is to let the bull get his horns on something so he doesn’t get bored and give up after chasing the cape for a while.
Contrary to popular belief and lore, the bull does not charge at red, or any other color for that matter. It charges at movement, especially movement that is close to it and low to the ground, because it is nearsighted. Anyway, the last stage of the fight involves just the torero and the bull. The torero exchanges his big pink cape for the smaller red muleta (they don’t call it a cape). With the muleta he can draw the bull even closer to himself, and it takes a lot of skill to get the bull to follow the muleta and not charge the torero himself. It is very dangerous and definitely had me on the edge of my seat at times. One of the toreros, the youngest (19!), was the best one because he was the most exciting and performed the best. At the end of his first fight he received two of the bull’s ears, which is a big honor. He received it for how he performed and also for how he killed the bull. If this part is done right, the killing of the bull is relatively quick. Some very inexperienced toreros take a lot of tries to kill it with the sword that they have, but most good toreros make a killing stroke that weakens the bull so that it collapses. Someone then runs up and kills it instantly if it does not die quickly. This sounds all awful and gruesome and everything, but if you study the culture behind it and realize that those bulls are raised like kings (way better than the cattle raised for meat), the bullfight becomes less horrifying and more fascinating. I definitely didn’t like watching the bulls die, but the whole cultural experience was very interesting and I can see both sides to it.
Well, life here is flying by! I have had regular classes for 3 weeks now. During the week I usually just go to class, hang out at school chatting with people or checking email, go home for meals or sometimes take naps if I have time. I have Bible study once a week and tutoring for an hour twice a week. We don’t have class on Fridays (Yay!), so I often have a day to relax, hang out with people, and maybe get some homework done. Most Sundays I go to church in the morning and have a relaxing day where I usually get to Skype with my dad and sister. The last couple of Sundays I have been traveling though, so that changed my schedule a bit.
This last weekend I had the opportunity to go to Portugal (Lisboa – the capitol, and Sintra). It was so cool! I went with 5 other girls (including Fatima), and we really had a fun time. The only thing I didn’t like was the bus rides there and back. They were about 6 or 7 hours long and we left at 12:00 a.m. Saturday morning and got back at 5:30 a.m. on Tuesday. I learned one thing – sleeping on a bus, especially when you have long legs, is next to impossible. It was an adventure though! We stayed in a hostel for two nights (with complimentary breakfasts) and walked everywhere, exploring and taking tons of pictures. We mostly ate bread with either nutella or cheese and turkey, which was cheap but still really yummy and filling. We were in Lisboa the first day, spent most of the day in Sintra the second day, and then spent Monday (which is Dia de la Hispanidad, or Columbus Day in the U.S., which means we didn’t have school) taking the metro, bus, and tram to different parts of Lisboa.
My favorite moment from our trip to Lisboa had to be the first night, when we trekked our way up to the Castelo de San Jorge (a castle). We got there just in time for the sunset, and the view from outside the castle and from up on the castle walls was amazing. We didn’t get to explore for a super long time because it got dark pretty quickly, but at one point we climbed up to one of the highest points on the walls and we could see for miles. When I climbed up there I just stood in silence, taking in the sunset and talking to God silently, thanking Him for painting such a beautiful picture for us. The sky was a rainbow of colors. Most of it was indigo/dark blue, which faded to green for second, yellow in the middle, and then into a red color (kind of like a dusky rose color – Leanna and Alex – remember Christy Miller?). It was breathtaking.
Sintra was very refreshing because, like Lisboa, it was SOO much quieter than Sevilla. I feel like the noise level diminished drastically when we got to Portugal. Sintra was also very green, which made me feel more at home because it reminded me of Oregon. We walked a LOT in Sintra, and a lot of the area was quite hilly, so I was starting to get sore by the end of the day, but it was totally worth it. We stopped and rested a lot, just taking everything in, which was nice. Our trip was pretty flexible. There were a lot of things we couldn’t do or see because they were too expensive, but we still had a really fun time and got to see a lot! The palace that we visited there was really neat too. The rooms in the palace were named for the ceilings (Swan Hall had swans on the ceiling, Magpie Hall, magpies, Mermaid Hall, mermaids…). A man there explained to us what the magpie room was all about. I will probably butcher this story, but oh well. Apparently there was a rumor going around the palace about the king and a woman who was not his wife (although nothing had happened), and so the king explained that, and then had a magpie put up on the ceiling for every person that gossiped about it, so the rumor stopped. For those of you who have never seen or heard of magpies, they are really annoying birds, which is why they were an appropriate choice.
Anyway, this message is very, very long now, and I must stop writing because I need to go to bed as I am leaving for Granada for two days early in the morning (Saturday). I will try to post more specific information about trips and adventures on my blog when I get a chance (http://www.sierraadventuresabroad.blogspot.com). I just wanted to update you on how everything is going and let you all know that I am alive and well! I miss you all very much. I am living an adventure of a lifetime, but my home and my family and friends there are never far from my heart.
Abrazos (hugs),
Sierra
Friday, October 16, 2009
Some of my favorite pictures...
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Joy comes in many forms...
Have you ever had a day that left you smiling at the end of it? Literally smiling? You know those days where you get home, sit down, and give a loud sigh of contentment, thanking God for the awesome day He just gave you. I had one of those days a week ago, and it still makes me happy to think about it.
The reason that Tuesday was so good had to do with three things. First of all, God gave me an opportunity to join a Bible study with other American students here in Sevilla. Two of the guys from my program, James and John, talked to me about starting a Bible study, but John ended up finding one that had already been started. I wasn't able to go the first week because I originally had a class at that time, but I ended up dropping it because I didn't like it and because I REALLY wanted to go to the Bible study and have time to do a English tutoring program as well. Anyway, two Tuesdays ago I finally was able to go to the Bible study, and it was absolutely amazing. I realized that I really missed having that group of people, the family of Christ, around me. I have been staying pretty faithful at staying in the Word and spending time talking with God, but I didn't have that strong community of believers around me that I had had at Linfield.
Anyway, the Bible study group is awesome! All of the people are really cool and super nice. They are from all parts of the U.S. (just like the people in my program), which is really neat. I was totally encouraged after leaving that study that afternoon, and I knew that God's hand was at work. I have learned firsthand that even if I go somewhere really far away, God is still right beside me and still just as all-powerful, and that the body of Christ is all over the world. Even in a country that is very secular you can find people who are honestly seeking after God. He provided me with a home church and a Bible study group, and I am so incredibly thankful!
The second thing that left me smiling was that my tutoring family ended up being really amazing as well. I signed up to tutor kids in English for a couple of hours a week, and I really wasn't sure what they would be like. They are awesome though! I am tutoring a girl named Lucia, who is 14 years old. She is really cute and sweet, and her parents are very kind and welcoming as well. I actually started tutoring her yesterday (the 14th of October), and it went really well.
Back to that Tuesday... I left their house and walked home (which is pretty close by) in the evening hours. I couldn't help but smile as I walked down the street because I felt very blessed and full of joy. I think it was because I was finally getting more involved here in Sevilla instead of just going to class and doing my thing. I am finally meeting more Spanish people! Speaking of... the third good thing that day was that I got up the courage to approach this girl that I saw walking on the sidewalk close to my house. She was wearing basketball clothes, which I don't really see here at all, so I decided to ask her if she played basketball. We struck up a conversation, and she showed me a school right by my house where I can play basketball anytime. I also ended up playing with her and her friends and one of the girls from my program, Michelle, the day after, which was really fun. I was really glad that I finally had the courage to talk to someone that I didn't know here in Spain.
All in all, that day was a very blessed, joyful day. God constantly gives me moments of joy throughout my time here. The sunrises or sunsets by the river on my walks to and from school, spending time with people from our program, travelling to different cities, the beautiful and fragrant flowers in the house where I tutor... the list goes on and on.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
