Last week of Intensive Classes

This past week has been better in terms of the weather, today it was 65 and sunny and the sky was absolutely gorgeous. This afternoon I visited the Museo de Bellas Artes which is only a few blocks from my house. It has hundreds of paintings depicting Christ, the holy family, other religious figures, and religious events like the end of the world. I was not able to take pictures but there was no entry fee, which was really nice. The majorities of the paintings in the permanent exhibit were from the 15^th century and were absolutely amazing in their size and detail. The paintings were at least ten to fifteen wide and over ten feet tall. Many of the sculptures were life sized and the detail was incredible and left me absolutely speechless. After the permanent exhibit was the Murillo exhibit, which contained paintings from all over the world depicting Christ as a child and other religious figures like Saint Ignatius. The grand hall was absolutely amazing and the ceiling had to be over 100 feet tall and was ornately covered in gold and awe striking paintings. In the end of the museum and the grand hall is an absolutely enormous painting of the Magdalena Mary. It hangs about twenty feet high up on the wall and dwarfed me. The museum itself was absolutely gorgeous and I felt miniscule at every point. Tomorrow I am heading to some ancient Roman ruins that contain an amphitheater and some other cool roman architecture, I will be sure to take lots of pictures.

The other night I had one of the best dishes at a bar close to my school called Los Coloniales. It was fried eggplant served over a bed of vegetables sautéed in honey, it was absolutely delicious and so sweet and complex, yet very light and a wonderful post dinner snack that was perfectly complemented with a beer.

My recent commitment to all Spanish has been tough but I have most definitely noticed that I am learning the language much faster and becoming more and more comfortable speaking with the locals. It’s a great feeling knowing that I can be in a restaurant or bar and can converse well enough that the bartender or waiter does not have to speak slowly so that I can understand them, and can understand me clearly.

I am learning that I have been very blessed with my host family and my sister and I have grown closer and now can have more complex and less mundane conversations. This has been influential in my comfort leve with the family and the transition to living like a Spaniard.

There are now more photos on Facebook of the Gardens near the Plaza de España and the Cathedral. You all should be able to view the photos by using these links, if you have any problems please let me know.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2028054&id=1607400358&l=837de7523c

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2028053&id=1607400358&l=aab57f6838

Photos on Facebook

Hey guys here is the link to view my photo albums from the palaces of Álcazar. Any questions, let me know

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2027876&id=1607400358&l=3762c3538f

This past weekend I took a bus to Cadiz, where the Carnivales de Cadiz is held. It is the worlds largest festival and can be compared Mardi Gras. The interesting part about Carnivales is that everyone comes in costume and in many cases a whole group of friends will wear the same costume or related costumes. I believe this is done for two reasons, the first to make it much easier to find your friends in the masses of people that overtake the city, and the second because it is a lot more fun. When I arrived in Cadiz there were large groups of people playing drums and the atmosphere was indescribable. My friends and I ventured to the Cathedral Square where there was a giant square. Throughout the night there were singing performances from large groups of people dressed in costumes that reminded me of Alice in Wonderland. The festival goes on for days and I cannot imagine being apart of the entire thing.

This week it has been raining everyday and all day. One of the cooler things that I have noticed is that everyone has an umbrella and since the sidewalks are very small it is important to either raise or lower your umbrella while walking past someone. This creates a pretty cool effect of dancing umbrellas on the sidewalks as people pass each other.

Lately I have been eating like a king here, today for lunch we had swordfish and yesterday we had pan-seared tuna with onions. I finally asked the cook, Reyes, how she made the strawberries and I was surprised to learn how simple my new favorite desert was to make. She simply cuts the strawberries into small parts then puts a few aside to blend with sugar into an almost paste like substance. About an hour before lunch she puts the strawberries into small dishes and pours the paste over the strawberries in the fridge. The result is a sweet delectable paste with firm and fresh strawberries. It is a great treat to finish off a great meal.

This morning while wandering the city with a friend of mine we visited the Church of Jesus de Gran Poder (Jesus of Great Power). It was incredible and I am quickly learning that even though there is a church on every block they are all very different and have a very particular style. Jesus de Gran Poder is a round church with a domed ceiling and a layer of transom windows on top. It is done very tastefully and became my favorite immediately. Today after my class I went to the Cathedral in Sevilla for Ash Wednesday mass, the cathedral is by far the most immaculate building I have ever been in and no picture can do it justice. The mass was very elaborate and an interesting part of the Spanish culture is the way in which they receive the host. To me it seems quite primitive, but instead of forming lines they simply all huddle around the priest and budge to get up there before taking a zigzag way back to their seats. I don’t know if there is any particular significance or it is just tradition but it was very interesting to see the differences in masses from the US. Tomorrow I am heading back to the Cathedral with my school for a formal tower in which we will head up to the tower, the highest building in the center of Sevilla

First Week of classes

Sorry it has been awhile since an update, the first week of classes has really kept me busy. Its been raining here all week and been very cold, around 3 degrees Celsius or in the mid to upper 30s Fahrenheit. Classes are going well, but my brain gets so tired from the constant Spanish all day. My daily schedule includes waking up around 10:30, showering, eating a little breakfast, which is usually toast and jelly and an orange or banana. There is cereal here but I have been a little hesitant to try the milk since it comes un-refrigerated and I feel like there is no way it’ll compare to good ole 2%. After breakfast, I head to school or to a plaza to do some studying if its nice out. I usually head back home which is a 15-minute walk from my school around 1:30 since we have lunch at 2:30 everyday. Lunch is the biggest and most important meal of the day and usually consists of a soup, vegetable puree, noodles and sauce, or something of that sort for a first course. Potatoes seem to be more common than anything else in the Spanish diet except pork and seafood. The main course is usually seafood, tortilla, or pork. Today we had tuna and onions seared in a pan and it was delicious. French fries are served at every meal as a complement to the main course. For desert we either have oranges, bananas, clementines, pineapple upside down cake, or strawberries in a sauce similar to a jelly. The strawberries have quickly become one my favorite foods. Lunch usually lasts between 45 minutes to an hour and is full of conversation, it is very impressive to see that the entire culture values this aspect so much and the streets are empty and stores are closed during the siesta. Another prevalent aspect of Spanish meals is bread, served with every meal. In Spain the people love small sandwich rolls that are made with white flour and are about 6 inches long. My housemother puts a couple rolls and some cheese and cured ham out to eat with the bread. After lunch I usually take a little nap if I have time and then head back to school for my afternoon class, which is technically a night class and starts at 5 and ends at 8:30 with a 15 minute break. An interesting part of Spanish culture is start and end times, they are very loose and events usually start somewhere around 5 – 10 minutes late. Spaniards tend to have very loose schedules and a very relaxed way of life. After class I head back home after checking my email and stuff since I do not have Internet in my house. After dinner we usually watch a little TV, either soccer or some sort of sitcom or reality TV show. Then around 11:30 I do a little homework and head out to meet up with some friends. The nights tend to end pretty late, around 3 or 4 in the morning but sometimes earlier.

My family here consists of my padre, Juan, who is a surgeon. My mother’s name is Concepción or Concha for short, the same word as a shell. My sister is 28; her name is Macarena and is currently out of work. She is very helpful in teaching me the language and she and I get along really well. My brother’s name is Juan Pablo and is a computer engineer. He is not around as much as Macarena but lately I have gotten to know him a lot better. Both children live in the house and it is a very typical part of Spanish culture. Concha described it this way, in the states your house is considered your parents house but in Spain it is considered the family’s house and children live with their parents until they find a very serious partner or are married because the family has so much importance and the cost of living is very expensive here. Tomorrow I am heading to Carnivales de Cadiz, the worlds largest festival. Everybody dresses up in costumes and takes over the city’s plazas and public places. This week I visited Alcazar, which is the palaces of the all the various cultures that have had control over the city since the middle ages. It was absolutely unbelievable and the rooms are enormous and covered with engravings and gold. Each era of the palaces has a distinct style. The coolest part of the palaces is that there is running water through all of them with little fountains in the center of the room. The palaces were breathtaking and were built in a way that allows large amounts of light to enter; even today there is no need for lights to display the architecture. I will put some pictures up on my facebook shortly and if you are unable to view them let me know. Once again, if you have any questions be sure to email me. Today I broke down for the first time and got a large fry from McDonalds. I walk past a burger king and McDonalds on my way to and from school every day and finally succumbed to the cravings.

I am quickly falling in love with this city and my host family. This morning we had a bus tour of the city through many of the neighborhoods (barrios). We started and ended at the Plaza de España. The plaza is absolutely gorgeous and a very special place. There are little benches and mosaics that represent all the major cities in Spain. We were there around noon and many Spaniards were taking naps on the benches. The sky was so blue it was almost surreal, and per usual I forgot my camera but will definitely return to the heart of the city to take some more pictures. Next to the plaza is a beautiful park. There are many little parks around the city and the Spaniards love their parks. This afternoon after we watched a movie at school I headed to a little café to write some emails and watch the sunset. It was absolutely picturesque. My American tendencies are becoming more and evident especially in terms of the pace of life. When I took a seat at a table outside the café I expected service immediately, but here you are to relax and you will be served when the server has had a chance to finish serving other customers. I didn’t realize that I was so needy, but I am slowly adjusting to this way of life. Earlier today at lunch I met the son in my host family, José. I believer José is 30 and seems like a real cool guy. Immediately he was very open and accommodating. For lunch we had pan-seared steak and thinly shaved fried potatoes. They weren’t completely fried so they were a little chewy, and are excellent especially with a touch of vinegar and salt. Highly recommended. For desert we had fruit, which is pretty typical in Spain. This evening we had a wonderful dinner, which included salchichas (sausage) in a red wine sauce and more potatoes from earlier. Also we had a little bread, which we have at every meal, with a French duck liver paste that was phenomenal. It was funny that they didn’t tell me what it was till I tried it. At dinner we had the TV turned to an American movie to which the name escapes me. We had great conversation at dinner and I am finally feeling like I am understanding completely what my family is saying. They are very patient and eager to teach me. After dinner I gave my host sister and mother the soap from dear aunty Heidi and they loved it very much. At dinner tonight I finally felt like I was really getting over the language barrier and getting to know the family, which is very comforting. The weather was beautiful all day, warm in the sun and cool in the shade, but it has gotten a little colder since the sun has gone down. My classes and the Spanish only policy start Monday and I am really looking forward to diving in headfirst.

A note to all my vigilant blog readers, how bout a little feedback. Too much detail? Not enough? More about anything in particular? Like customs?

Thanks for reading, if you have any questions be sure to let me know.

A beautiful city, first day in my new home

Sevilla is a beautiful city and I am finally moved into my house. It is absolutely gorgeous, my roommate Jared and I have our own rooms and we share a bathroom on the first floor. The house has three floors, the second has the lunch room, dinner room, kitchen, and master bedroom. My host family has a cook that prepared lunch, the most important and biggest meal of the day, and dinner. We eat lunch at 2:30, then nap, dinner is at 10. My host parent’s daughter lives on the third floor, in a penthouse that has a bedroom, sitting room, and small kitchen I believe. There is an elevator and the house is full of beautiful tile on the walls and floors. My address is Call de Baños 76 and if you look on google maps you can see we are very close to the heart of the city and across the river is a beautiful park with orchards and monuments from various times in Spain’s history. Sevilla is a city that has been under control of many groups of people and the remains form each culture are still very evident. Today at lunch, we sat in the lunch room, which has a sofa and nice chairs around a small table. Something cool that I learned today is that in the south of Spain most homes do not have central heat so people put a blanket under the tablecloth and there is a heater under the table. Its quite nice to keep your legs warm while you eat. We had a four course lunch today; first potato soup, second fried octopus with a parsley marmalade, third was a tortilla (in spain tortillas are like a potato bake, for desert was strawberries in a gelatin. Jared and I are headed back to school for more orientating. Our school is an old mansion with a beautiful patio in the middle. For now, back to school. Adiós todos

First few days in Madrid

Hola todos. I got into Madrid on Tuesday after a six and a half hour flight to London out of Chicago and had a two-hour layover. London-Heathrow airport is the largest in the world and I was absolutely amazed at the size of it and the many planes and grounds-crew. Their baggage handling systems were incredible, but not enough to keep track of mine. I finally arrived in Madrid around three after a relatively quick flight. My uncle Kurt, my mother’s brother picked me up from the airport and we took the metro to his place so I could drop off my backpack then we headed out. We ran a few errands and did some shopping in the markets and small stores, but not before we grabbed a caña. A caña is a small beer, maybe 8 ounces and is always served with tapas. Since few peolple own cars and are constantly walking inbetween metro trips cañas are very convenient and a great way to break up a trip and relax for a bit. The weather here is beautiful, 60’s and sunny but has not been as nice as of late.

Tapas can be just about anything, depends on the place and whatever is available but common dishes include sardines and other small fished cured in olive oil, small pieces of tortilla (which in Spain is similar to a flour and egg bake), vegetables or seafood in olive oil, olives, bread and hummus, mini-burgers on baguette with a mayonnaise based sauce, and all sorts of other things. Tapas originated a long time ago when there were fly problems in Spain and bartenders would give you a plate to put on top of your beer (hence tapas) to keep the flies out. Over time it has become expected to serve some little snack with every drink.

We spent that afternoon trying to figure out how I was going to get my bag back, visiting my aunt Gloria, kurt’s wife, at the pharmacy where she works, and meandering around the city.

We met up with Gloria after she got off work around 10, which is very typical in Spain, for a drink and some tapas then headed back to their place for dinner, which we had been shopping for all day. After dinner we headed out once again to have another caña before bed, which usually comes around 2.

My second day in Madrid was more shopping in specialty stores and markets, buying my train ticket, and retrieving my luggage. We met up with Glorias niece Carmen who is 28 and in the typical Spanish Fashion…gorgeous. Kurt’s friends Marcello and his wife and daughter nina joined us for some cañas and tapas at cool place by kurts house called Este Oeste.

Thursday morning began at around 9:30…the crack of dawn in Spain and we went out shopping to prepare a stir fry quick before I had to catch my train. Kurt accompanied me to the train station via the metro.

The train is called “El Ave” and is a high-speed train that travels in excess of 200 km/h, I should be in Sevilla in two hours, a trip that used to take around 5. The scenery is gorgeous and I have taken a few pictures of the vast olive orchards that extend far beyond the eye can see. I have orientation in a hotel tonight and tomorrow I meet my host family and get settled in my place before classes start.