Week 11

This week classes really started picking up because we got assigned a lot of projects for the end of the semester. So here we go for the rest of the semester... Wish me luck!!

Tuesday we had a meeting for our interest group and I got super excited to go to Valencia you'll read all about it at the end of this post.

Wednesday was a national strike and man it was neat!! I mean it was scary, but still really cool to see an entire country be this motivated to stand together for what they believe in.

Every Wednesday a restaurant named 100 montaditos they serve euro everything! so I met up with some friends and spent a little more time than I wanted, but it was a great time talking with friends in English and Spanish.

CIEE, my program, has planned events for people with intercambios, (Sevillanos speak in English and Americans speak in Spanish and we help each other speak properly) and on Thursday we went to a place Funky Food and just talked with a whole bunch of Spanish!

Valencia:
Friday: Waking up at 5:30 to get to the airport is NOT fun, but I am happy because we got to explore the city on Friday. Our hostel was really nice and no bunk beds, yay!! We explored the old part of the city including the Cathedral and other things like that. Then we went and got Horchata which is similar to rice milk and we had a really yummy pastry with it. We also visited the giant market they have and I bought some scrum-diddly-umpcious cheese. Then we got Subway for dinner and fell asleep.

Saturday: Woke up way too early again, but so worth it because we went to the Rice Museum and learned how rice is cleaned and skinned and seeing all the machines was really cool. Then we went to a lake and took some pictures and met two really nice bird watchers. One was from Spain and the other was from England. They were so nice and let us look through there scopes. Then we took a boat ride on the lake and had a really relaxing time. Then we did what Valencia is known for, Paella. We ate like kings for lunch. A five course meal including salad, potatoes, muscles, paella, and ice cream. Then we all went back to the hostel, and even though we were exhausted, a few of us decided to go to El museo Faller and saw a bunch of paper mache sculptures. La falla is hard to describe, but its a festival that artists spend a year building these paper mache sculptures and then they burn them, but they keep the one that describes the year the best. Then we went to dinner at a tapas place and those were soo yummy. Then we went to a discoteca and didn't have to pay a cover, because my friend had a connection so we were put on the list.























Sunday: We went to the aquarium and had such a great time. The dolphin show was by far my favorite part. Then we walked around and saw the marathon that was happening, so cool. Then we went back, ate some lunch, got to the airport, and found out there was a problem with our plane so we spent 3 extra hours bored in the airport. Then got home and just had a chill night with my host family.

Week 10

Okay this is all caught up now. This week in all of my classes we got our final projects assigned and explained.  Now classes are becoming more real because we are actually graded and we have to do actual work.  I still like all of my classes, but they are definitely getting harder.

Barcelona

So this weekend I went to Barcelona with Kristen and some other Emory students who are studying all over Europe.  I got there Thursday night and wasn't feeling so hot so I just went to bed, but all was good because the hostel was pretty great and same with my french roommates.  Then Friday we got up and went to Sagrada Familia by Gaudi.  The outside of it looked like it was melting and then the inside looked like a marble and stained glass forest.  It felt magical inside.  Then we went to get lunch at a great place called Bo de B. Then we hiked over to Parque Guell and that was a fairyland.  Gaudi was a genius with colors and imagination.  Saturday we went to the beach to see the shoreline and then we went to the olympic park and it was filled with trees and plants and it had an overlook of the city. So so pretty. Then we walked around a little bit and came back at night to watch a light and music show that happens every night in the fountain. I left Sunday morning and got on a plane to head back to Sevilla. Even though I was sick for a good portion of the weekend, it was still amazing

Week 9

So this week I had midterms. They went pretty well. I studied as much as I could before my brain started to hurt.  Wednesday was Halloween and I am sad to say that I didn't dress up for it, but I spend time with my friends who dressed up as the 7 deadly sins.  It was a week full of stress and release.

Waka Waka

Okay so this weekend I went to AFRICA!!!! Neatest thing I have ever seen.

Friday: The beginning of the trip. We all met the bus at 4:30 in the afternoon, but I wish we had left earlier to see more of Africa.  Our evening consisted of bus, then ferry, and then bus again. It was all worth it when we got to the hotel and saw this as our meal room

Okay so the next day we got up and ate and then we got on the bus again.  After a few hours in a bus we got to the beach where we got to ride camels!! Okay so the actual camel ride lasted only about 2 minutes but they had baby camels that we could play with.  So after and before we got to ride the camels I became really good friends with the camels yay. Then after that we went to a place where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Mediterranean Sea. We were so lucky to be in Morocco for such a beautiful weekend and the view to Spain from the tip of Africa. Then we went to a city that lies within the walls of a castle.  We also learned that each city in Morocco has its own colors and all the doors and windows and even walls are painted those colors. That night when we got back to the hotel we went to a karaoke night in the hotel lounge. Overall it was a pretty thrilling day!

Sunday was also pretty chaotic too. After we woke up and checked out we went to Tetuan and saw that city from the inside of a bus because it was a little dangerous... but all was good. Then we took our bus to the nest city Chefchaouen and it was really cool. We got to practice our bargaining skills.  Then we got back on our bus, and then ferry, and then bus again and got back home just in time to get a few hours of sleep before midterms week began.

Week 8

Again pretty average week of classes. It doesn't help either that I forget to write here, and I apologize for that.  But in all honesty it was just filled with classes and work.

Roma

SO the trip began on Friday when I woke up at an unholy 4:30AM to get to the airport for my flight. And the flights got even better because there were two flights... yay. But all was good when I got to Rome because the excitement was setting in!! I figured out how to use public transportation in a country where I don't speak the language so it was a pat myself on the back moment.  When I got to the metro station I met up with Kristen yay yay yay yay!! Then about 30 seconds after I checked into the hostel Kristen took me to explore the city.  First we went to a piazza and honestly, I don't remember the name but it was really neat. Then we went to the pantheon, and then the Trevi Fountain and then the Spanish steps.  So after this long day of sight seeing we ate and then went to bed.

So Saturday was the busiest day of the entire abroad experience. Woke up then went to the Vatican museum which took literally 4 hours to tour, but it was all good because it ended in the Sistine Chapel which simply took my breath away. Right after we did that museum we went to the actual Vatican and looked around inside. I don't think I have ever seen so much history and culture in my entire life combined! After we wanted to chop our feet off from this, we took an hour nap and then we went to the Colosseum and the Roman Forums. Having Kristen with me was so great too, because she needed to study for her midterms and that included stories and dates of the forums and everything we saw. For dinner we went to a neighborhood called Trestevere and it was the "happening" seen of Rome. We were going to stay out a little longer, but after the day we had, we decided it better to go to bed so that's what we did. 

 








Last day of the trip.  We walked around and did some shopping, but my plane wasn't leaving really late, so it was a day cut short.  I did buy my leather purse and then we met up with Kristen's roommate Amy and we had some food.  I took my plane back to Barcelona for my connector and spent the night in the airport.  This was absolutely the most expensive trip I think i will ever be on, but it was so great to see Kristen and experience the history and food of Roma.

Week 7

         Class is still happening. Things are starting to get real though. I don't think I realized that when I signed up for them. I have to start thinking about papers and all that stuff.
          Interest group again. We went to a wine tasting. It was pretty great. I really didn't know what to expect but our instructor was phenomenal. He was about 26 and taught us about the process about making wine and the different components and the different language that comes with wine.  We had 2 white wines and 2 red.  He also served us cheese. I definitely want to go back to that place one day.
          So this weekend I stayed in Sevilla for many reasons, but one of them was that Lauren's friend came in which meant we definitely ate well... After a day of homework we all met up, and by we I mean my friends Lauren, Arielle, Dana, Lauren's friend Alyssa, Dana'a intercambio Alejandro, Alejandro's flat mate Gerardo, and Gerardo's sister and flat mate Isa. Fun fact Gerardo will be living in Kalamazoo next semester so that will be so much fun to have a Spanish friend in the United States 45 minutes away from me! But back to our night, we went to the international festival happening in Sevilla right now. We walked around the different stands and then got food. German beer and a Venezuelan Arepa. Such a great night!
           Córdoba! Okay so CIEE also sets up an opportunity for students to go to Córdoba, the Islamic capital during the Muslim rule before the "Reconquista" in 1492 (thank you classes).  We first saw the Alcazar in Córdoba that was pretty cool. My favorite part were all the fountains and pools of water, you'll see what I mean from my pictures. Then we visited the old Jewish community. We went into a Temple and saw an old market. Definitely pretty in this community. Then we went to the main Mosque in Córdoba. It was simply breathtaking. The patio is filled with trees and fountains and it is just stunning. Then we walked into the mosque and just saw amazingness. It is huge and yet still feels close.  The really cool part is that after the "Reconquista" the "reyes católicos" built a church in the mosque. So on the skirts of the mosque it is a mosque, but in the middle is a beautiful cathedral. Definitely interesting and since I knew the history it made it all the more worth it.

Week 6

          Boring blog post, but weekends are starting to become the main entertainment for the blog. Darn school is really starting to become school.  Well anyway still have classes. That's about that on that end... Sorry for the disappointment.  If you want to know about any of my classes please post a question and ask away. I am here for your benefit. The classes I am taking are Contemporary Literature, Linguistics, Novel and Cinema, a history class on the three religions of Spain: Christianity; Judaism and Islam, and a class called "Arte y Fiesta" about Andalusian history.
          My interest group had another meeting this week. We learned how to make lentil soup!! This is probably the most commonly made thing in my home stay. Our teacher was our group leader's mother! She let us into her kitchen and showed us how to make the soup and also a form of deviled eggs if you will. They had tuna in them. I am definitely benefiting from my interest group! I will definitely bring home as many recipes as possible. Please tell me if you want any!

Granada

          So this weekend CIEE, my program, arranged for a trip to Granada! I can honestly say that Granada has and will continue to be my favorite place that I've visited!
          Right when we got there we checked into our hotel and where was it located? Across the street from La Alhambra, no big deal or anything. Anyway after we inhaled food from a buffet for lunch, we went to La Alhambra. Luckily my group was led by my favorite guide, Alejandro, he has such a passion for history and a bunch of stories about every little thing and it makes our tours so interesting. Now you know how people are always saying how great something was and then you go there and it's a let down? Well this is most definitely not the case for La Alhambra. People rave about it and there is a reason. It's ginormous! I am still in shock at how something this large was ever constructed and how it has lasted the hundreds of years it has lasted and still is amazing and decorated and in full bloom. I would describe it, but I feel that a bunch of pictures would do it much more justice so here they are.
     

          Now La Alhambra wasn't the only thing we did in Granada. Saturday night we went out for tapas and I love the way Granada does them. When you order a drink you get a free tapa. Sometimes you get to choose what it is and other times it is a surprise, but whatever you eat, it's amazing.  I definitely enjoyed myself during dinner. Then after dinner we went to a club that was in a cave! It was an amazing view and a much different experience.
         Sunday we toured the other half of the city and saw the oldest neighborhood in Granada. There was such a cool mix of Muslim houses with patios on the inside and Christian houses with beautiful windows. Then we trucked back to Sevilla and I just about crashed like there was no tomorrow.