too good not to write about...

Pues, there is a recent development happening that I am very excited about. The frustrating culture shock part is OVER! I have noticed myself getting more and more wanting to speak Spanish and over the last few days, especially, my roommate and I have been speaking constantly to each other in Spanish! ALREADY my Spanish is a lot better. This is even a little tough to write! I have gotten over the fact that some people in the program just aren't going to want to speak it all the time, which is fine, but I shouldn't be one of them. This experience is for me and I want to leave this country with near or full fluency and the only way I can do that is by actually activly taking part in it. This afternoon some of my friends from my school came up to me and started talking to me in English, but then I answered them in Spanish. Eventually, they switched from English to Spanish and we continued our whole conversation that way! I felt so much better that even if they weren't thinking that way at first, they still want to practice it. They just need a little nudge, just like I did. I am happy my roommate is on the same page as me now. It took a while and I knew she wanted to speak, she just needed to get through it too. I don't think I have spoken more than 10 sentences in English today! :) Anyways, that is very exciting news to me!

Also, tonight my roommate and I went to an heladeria down the street to get some icecream and the whole place was filled with men watching a Real Madrid vs. Liverpool futbol game. They were the only place open with icecream, so that's where we went. We couldn't find anyone who worked there because it was so packed and these men were laughing at us and asking us which kind we wanted. Eventually someone, who knows if they work there, scooped us icecream and these men ended up paying for it because they wanted to talk to us longer. They talked to us for almost 20 minutes, they wanted to practice their English with us and we spoke Spanish. It was a little creepy since they were in their 60s and really excited to talk to us but it was fun to talk to locals so went along with it. They invited us to come every night to the same place and practice English and Spanish. Who knows if we are going to but it was fun to talk to some locales instead of just eachother and our host family. One thing that they said was for us to speak Spanish all the time, todos los dias, because we won't get better at it even though we are living here. We need to speak it to eachother and everywhere to improve it. Que ironico! (How ironic!)

Anyways, just wanted to write a little something about that. I am very excited and can't wait to speak more Spanish and get better everyday. With these new classes I am going to have to start speaking in a totally different context than I am used to. I think I am going to have a hard time coming back and not being able to speak Spanish to everyone all the time. It is going to be different and frustrating, but I think I will be able to find a place where I can practice it.

Gracias,
Buenas noches,

Besitos y Abrazos,

Betsy (todas las personas aqui llamame Elizabeth porque es mas facil a decir)

Clases

Well...this week we started my next period of classes! It has been fun having a new schedule. Especially since Mondays and Wednesdays I only have one class in the morning. I don't start until 11:40 everyday. By the time I have class I usually don't need a coat which is so nice not to carry around after class. My Women's Writers class is by far the hardest. It is a 400-level course and not only are we reading 16th century literature in Spanish, we are critically analyzing and discussing the literature in Spanish as well. Phew! It is an exhausting 2 hour class but it is going to be very interesting concerning Spain's history with women's rights. I also have Art History which is going to be my favorite class I think. We are doing many cultural visits to see real works of art and architecture, instead of just pictures. We are taking a weekend trip to Madrid to see the Prado Museum, Reina Sofia Museum, Thyssen Museum, and Palacio Real (architecture). I am very excited since those museums hold works from Dali, Picasso, Muro, Valazquez, el Greco, and thousands more including many famous Italians like Michaelangelo and Rafael. :) I can't wait! I am also taking a course on the history of the religious groups here in Spain (Jews, Muslims, Moors, and Christians). I really don't know anything about this course yet because when we showed up for the first day of class yesterday, the Director of Studies came in, gave us a note packet and DVD and told us to watch it and take notes. Apparently our professor is in Morrocco for the rest of the week....I am really wondering how many students are going to show up for class tomorrow? Probably not many, or any!

In other news, the weather is still beautiful and my senora made a potato salad (potato, onion, hard boiled eggs, olive oil) and fried swordfish for lunch today that she said she makes in Spring...yay! It is a glorious 70 degrees out and my roommate and I have been walking to the park by our house a couple times a week in the afternoon to lie in the sun and do homework...or not. Usually just listen to music, sleep, and talk. What a great life right?

Must finish some reading, then going to get some helado. :)

Sorry it was so quick! Catch up more soon!

Betsy

UPDATE

Un Buen Dia a Todos!

What a beautiful day it is today! I hope it is just as beautiful where you are reading this blog as well. I just got back from a wonderful 7mile run through Sevilla, through parks, past the large outdoor mall - Nervion Plaza, past the hospital Virgen del Rocio, through Parque Maria Luisa, and across my bridge into my neighborhood Los Remedios. :) It's a perfect 64 degrees (Farenheit) for running. I got a little lost and went further than planned, what a great plan that was though! It feels so great to be running far and in beautiful weather again. For those of you who don't know, before I left, I signed up for Grandma's Marathon in Duluth, MN on June 20th! Andy, Jennie (his sister), and Luke (his brother) will all be running it too so the support to make it through to the finish will be great! So depending on how well I motivate myself to run on my own here in Spain (and we all know that isn't my forte), I might be struggling at the end of that marathon. Yikes! Good thing I will have some great friends to keep me going. :) So far I have been good and running at least 3-4 times a week. It could be better, and next week we start our next set of classes and I don't start until 11:45 everyday. I am planning on getting into a schedule to run EVERY morning! Wish me luck with my training!

As I mentioned, we just had our final for our intensive language course on Friday. In that course, we studied more colloquial Spanish language such as vocab for traveling, clothes, tapas, family, traditions, health and diseases, the movies, jobs, and many more. Along with the vocab were a lot of expressions and colloguialisms which I have never learned before. My favorite one is "ser tu media naranja" which means literally "to be your orange half" and figuratively means to be someone's soulmate! :) Andalucia is the region best known for its oranges and when you cut one in half...you get the idea. haha Another one which I like is "Cada oveja con su pareja" which literally means "each sheep with its pair" and essentially has the same idea. I loved the class but I am very happy to be starting a new schedule.

The next period of classes I am taking Women's Writer of Spain, Art History of Spain, and Mosaic: Jew, Muslims and the Spanish Experience. I will also continue taking the Cultural Realities course once a week to discuss cultural differences and adjustments to the Spanish lifestyle as well as the Flamenco dance class twice a week. I am seriously struggling with my coordination of the arms and the feet doing two totally different things. Thank goodness its a pass-fail course! phew! Here is a professional doing her thang....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrSjGht2Ei0&feature=related
Anyways, I am excited to get a solid schedule going with running every morning, going to class, then traveling on the weekends. :) I still can't believe this is my life! Already it has gone by so fast and I have counted only 13 weeks left! Anda!

Well, I am going to get my costume ready for los Carnavales de Cadiz this evening. Being thrifty, I only bought some sweet polkadot tights and a furry headband with stars flying out of it. I'll think of a name later when the whole thing is put together. :)

Miss you all por supuesto,
Besos!

Betsy

In the News...

SO...there has been a girl missing from Sevilla for the last 3 weeks or so named Marta de Castillo. A little after I arrived in Sevilla, posters started popping up EVERYWHERE. Posters of pictures of Marta in every store window, on every light pole, on walls, in car windows, everywhere. Some don't have pictures but just say, "Todos somos Marta" Signifying the incredible amount of support there is from the community to help find her. It has been highlighted in every news broadcast for Andalucia probably 4 times a day and has been a region-wide search for her. It has been amazing to see how much effort, money, and support there is for one missing girl. You would think, of course, there should be this much support and effort to find a missing person, but thinking about the U.S. where hundreds of people go missing every year, its not the same. Everyone receives those cards in the mail saying, "Have you seen me?" and after glancing at the faces and feeling sad for a moment, everyone just throws it out. I really don't know what else you can do to help, other than looking at the picture and hope you see the person. But here, it has been heads down, solid effort by the whole community for 3 whole weeks to find just one girl. How amazing!

Just today, the ex-boyfriend of Marta confessed to killing her and throwing her in the river (Rio Guadalquivir) in Sevilla. There has been protests all through the streets by the community yelling, "Asesino! Asesino!" meaning Asassin and calling for justice. For now he is being held at a jail before his trial. The hard thing here, is that in Spain, someone can only be put in jail for up to 30 years, and that's it, except for extreme circumstances where you might get multiple sentences of 30 years at a time. No one knows how he will be charged or if he is even telling the truth. Protests outside of the jail when he was brought in were out of control and police had stand guard and hold people back from attacking him. The amount of community support and calls for justice for this poor girl are astounding and its all anyone can talk about. They still haven't found her and since the river is pretty cloudy, and it rained all last week, it might be a while before she is found.

I apologize for the negative and sad news, but it is what has been happening in this community lately and I thought I should share it since there has been such a turn of events as of today. The whole situation really makes you think about how much time you take to care about other people instead of just focusing on your own life. When I first got here, we were watching the news during dinner and noticed how much time they were spending on Marta and thought....well that's weird, what's so special about this story, its just a missing girl. I am a little ashamed that I thought that and after seeing how much her disappearance has affected the community I live in it makes me think more about the difference. I was just thinking like most other Americans, oh another missing person, that's too bad. Then turn around and try to forget about it. Here, the community wouldn't let me and it has made me think....A good thing!

I'm not sure what else to take from this. In all reality, there really isn't much one can do in a situation like that other than keeping a keen eye out for the missing person. But it does make you have a different point of view.

Okay, soppiness is over.
Wish me luck on my test tomorrow morning,

send me emails!

love,
betsy

Jerez and Arcos

Yesterday I went on my first trip outside of Sevilla to Jerez de la Frontera and Arcos de la Frontera. Jerez is the location of the Bodega Gonzalez Byass where the wine under the marked name Tio Pepe is made. The region is known for producing the best sherry in the world. We got a tour of the grounds with history included and then sat down for a wine tasting. We tasted two different sherries. The first was sweet and called Croft, very good! Then the second was very dry, called Palomino Fino and I could barely take one sip down! It was definitely something you would have to get accostomed to.

We also went to la Yeguada de la Cartuja, a reserve for the Spanish purebred horses located on the outskirts of Jerez. There is a lot of pride, history, and tradition that accompanies the purebred horses. We watched a show/presentation of many different traditional forms of working with the horses. Some included carriage racing and dressage (I have pics of more on Facebook). We were able to walk around and look at and pet the horses in their stalls. Above each stall there was a plaque with the horses information on it. It would have its name, date of birth, then its parents names underneath it. The horses were usually named after one of their parents, similar to Spanish last names (children's last names include the last name of his/her father then the last name of his/her mother and never changes when a woman marries). For example, my name would be Elizabeth Lauren Hupp Stevens for my whole life.

After the horse reserve, we took the bus to Arcos de la Frontera, a typical pueblo blanco (white hill town) in Andalucia. It is a small town but was absolutely beautiful with all the white buildings and located on the top of a cliff. The views were great, but sadly by camera battery died once we got to the best lookout point and I didn't get a chance to take any pictures of it! However, stay tuned for tagged pictures of me that other people took :) We had a lot of free time in this town so we had lunch in a park and walked around for an hour looking for icrecream (no where to be found!) Since we were there over siesta, nothing was open so we really had nothing much to do but walk and explore. Sometimes that is the best way to see a city though. We ran into great little parks and found an old church and castle.

It was a great trip and the views from Arcos were just amazing! Next weekend I am going to the Carnavales in Cadiz (on the coast). It is a two week long carnaval and my program is taking a group there for the last night. Should be a blast! It is a requirement to dress up crazy in costumes or anything weird you have. I will have to spend some time this week thinking of a costume to wear :)

Hope all is well at home,
thinking of you all,

Saludos,
Betsy

History Lesson by Pepe

So....Pepe is my host father here in Spain. His real name is Jose Ignacio but the nickname for that is Pepe. So that's who he is! I just have to talk about him because he is so great to me and my roommate! He loves asking us questions about America and the English language since he knows a few words. Tonight at dinner he asked us the meaning of Ketchup or if the name had any significance to what was inside the bottle. Funny to think of Ketchup as such an American condiment but it really is. They only had it in the refrigerator for the enjoyment of the Americans living there.

He always explains things very slowly and clearly for us so we can understand and is always laughing about it. Tonight he talked to us about what it was like during and after the Spanish Civil War in the 1930s.

HISTORY LESSON: When Franco wanted to be the government of Spain, there were people who supported him, and people who didn't; therefore a civil war that lasted 4 years. Franco-side won and since he was German, he allowed Spain to trade with only Germany and no other countries. So for the next 30-40 years, until the 60s, life was very difficult. Pepe was born the year after the war ended in Valencia and grew up not being able to eat many things that are available now. The people were allowed very little food and since there was no trade, they only had potatoes, vinagre, oil, oranges, and rice (among a few other things). There were food stamps to get your portion of food and no/very little meat or fish to eat. Marilo was from Sevilla and since her father worked in the transportation area of the city, he had access to the ships that came to port on the Rio Guadalquivir that runs right through the city. So her family had it a little better than most, even though it was illegal for her family to have that food. There were no jobs available, no food, all the clothes were the same because it had to be made here. Women didn't have any rights until the dictatorship ended in 1975 when Franco died and Spain was made into a democratic monarchy (more or less) since there is a King still. Not quite sure the correct term since the U.S. isn't quite a true democracy either. Bottom line: Spain went through a

Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed that, though it may be a bit dry! I thought it was super interesting that there was so much hardship for so many years. I would probably compare it to our Great Depression but lasting twice as long with a dictator in charge of it all. Pretty rough! And to think that women here didn't have any rights to get jobs without their husbands approval until 1975! It is amazing to think how different life is over here. Not just the culture, but the development of the people in general. To think that this country is so much older than the U.S. with such a deeper history involving a Roman reign, the Spanish Inquisition, and such a depth in art with Picasso, Dali, and Velasquez. It is so interesting to think that there were some things that just didn't get a chance to advance like everything else, like women's rights, until only 40 years ago. Well, just needed to reflect about that story and make sure I remember it for later. Hope you enjoyed that extra bit of information as much as I did!

Something a little off topic, but yesterday my program took a quick trip to an area in Sevilla called Italica for a tour. It is the site of Roman ruins from when Spain was ruled by the Roman Empire. There were buildings built in the 3rd century with remains of the houses of very important people. I will put pictures up from it very soon. It was quite interesting and exciting to see something so old still standing and imagine the kind of gladiator-type fights that occurred in the ampitheater. I guess that's my cue to head to Italy next....hmm. Maybe another year!

Tomorrow I head to Jerez and Arcos! Jerez is the region known to make the best wine in the country so we are going to a bodega (winery) for a wine tasting...can't wait! Also in Jerez we will see the horses that are bred very specifically here Pura Raza Espanola (Pure Spanish Breed). I'll be thinking of you Mom! Then we head to Arcos for a view of a typical pueblo blanco (white village) which is very well known for this region of Spain.

I will let you all know how it goes and post pictures on Facebook. :)

Saludos,
Betsy

Culture Shock

Buenos tardes,
I am just about to lie down for my afternoon siesta but I thought I would write quickly about how the whole culture shock aspect has been going. The first week or so was definitely honeymoonish. Everything was new, exciting, and different. I was eager to try so many new foods, try the wine, explore the city, and speak Spanish as much as possible. However, now that I have been here for two weeks (as of today) my point of view has shifted a little bit. "Stage 2" of culture shock is classified as when you start getting upset at the cultural differences, wish you were in your home culture, and become irritable with the people. I have stepped into this culture only a little but and have noticed the change already.

I have begun to be eager to speak English to my roommate since I get so tired from speaking and listening to Spanish and frustrated when I cannot understand everything.

I have started to get annoyed at Spanish people for doing things that are inherently a part of the culture (things I awed at when I arrived) such as the after-siesta stroll through the streets. People link arms, dress in nice clothes (many older men and women where their very best such as long fur coats with collars and men in suits) and stroll, chatting, and stopping to look at things. It is merely a time to, in a way, be social with the rest of the city, make an appearance, say hi to people, share some tapas or a cafe. I still love the concept of simply taking time to visit and relax, but recently I miss the hustle and bustle of the U.S. and people moving at a faster pace.

For those of you who know my eating habits, I have never craved a burger more but I refuse to go to any Burger King or McDonalds whatsoever. For the lack of a cultural experience and also just because I rarely eat there when I'm in the U.S. anyways. And days like today, when you don't have much sleep and you have to go to class early, the appeal of throwing on some sweatpants and a sweatshirt is almost too much to bare. However the thought of standing out as an American even more than I already do, makes me actually have to try a little harder to come up with a coordinated outfit (everyone dresses up, wearing heels, skirts, hair done, everything).

These things aren't hardly enough to knock me off my feet and love for Spain, however, I have noticed other people in the program really sinking lower into this stage. Comments referencing the food as "bad," the music not being as fun, and preferring to pay to see a flamenco show at a touristy hotel when you can go to a traditional flamenco bar for free on an unmarked street.

I know I will get more accustomed to the culture and the differences the longer I am here but it is interesting to see such differences between cultures that I have never experienced before. I will write more about the cultural differences later. However, I am late for my siesta this afternoon and have to prepare to watch the Spain vs. England soccer game tonight. (My friends and I tried to buy tickets only to find they were sold out...however scalpers tried to take full advantage of us unknowing American girls, they did not win! :)

hasta luego,
saludos,

betsy

Cultural Runs and Family Dinners

Sooo....when I last posted it was Saturday morning/night and I was really not sure what I was going to do with my weekend...Here is what happened...

Saturday morning my roommate went to Cordoba. I was excited to have the whole day to do as I please, check out some museums, shop, go running, many things! Well I woke up to go running and went for a good 45 minutes, however I was gone for well over an hour. I wanted a route that I could see things I hadn't seen yet, but still not get lost. I ran across our bridge (Puente de los Remedios) and into the large park called Parque de Maria Luisa. It is very nearby the large building of Plaza de Espana ( I have pictures of it on facebook at night!). It is a beautiful park with dirt trails, stone sculptures, geometric tiled fountains, large 100 yr old trees, bridges over ponds filled with fish, TONS of orange trees, and tons of little surprises! I was so enchanted with the park that I ended up walking through most of it because if I ran I would surely miss something wonderful. As I was wandering, I started hearing a beautiful opera voice and music! I was so excited and eventually found a clearing surrounded by tall hedges to keep the sound in that area. There were speakers set up solely for the enjoyment of others; with scattered lawn chairs in front of it for sitting. There were two men sitting their with their dogs at their feet, reading the paper, and listening to this music. I was just enchanted and sat down to listen to it for a few minutes. I want to go back another time to spend more time there. The rest of the park was beautiful and when I return I will take many pictures for everyone's enjoyment! :)

On the rest of my run, I ran down the river and saw so much activity that you get see during the week! Many crew teams (rema in Spanish) were practicing in the river as well as a kayak polo league game! I had never seen/heard of this before at all and it was quite interesting to watch. It seems there is an actual league and this game was between Sevilla and Malaga. It is a mix between water polo, kayaking, and quiddich (for those Harry Potter fans out there!) Quite a spectacle. As I continued, I ran past parks with children playing, groups of teenagers sitting in groups on steps and chatting (some sharing a bottle of Cruzcampo ;), lovers on benches snuggling, picnics, many dog walkers, pick-up soccer games with children and teenagers at little parks, and street cleaners picking up trash so more people could enjoy the area. It was so beautiful and I felt that I finally got to see the "behind the scenes" part of the city!

When I returned home, I showered and did some journaling as I waited for lunch to be prepared. Turns out we were having some special guests that day and Marilo made a LARGE pan of paella with chicken and.....RABBIT. haha It took me a while to figure out what "conejo" was and when I looked it up in the dictionary it was definitely a surprise! However, it didn't taste that much different than the chicken, just looked different. We first had Ensaladilla rusa "Russian salad" with tuna, lettuce, tomatoes, and a red dressing...I really love it! Then the paella came out and everyone got a huge plate-full. I was stuffed! The guests were Marilo and Pepe's son, also Pepe, his wife Teresa, and Teresa's father (whose name I have forgotten already...oops!). Pepe and Teresa have the baby named Augustin (in my pictures). It was such a fun lunch and they all talked to me and asked me questions about America a lot. It was great to be forced to speak Spanish and really try to convey my thoughts as best I could. Teresa's father has a very deep Sevillano accent (doesn't pronounce S's and mumbles, so he always had to be reminded to speak slower for me). After we finished the paella we had a yoghurt for desert and cafe con leche as well. Then Pepe (my senor here) offered me some vino de Moscatel, made in Valencia (where he is from). He said it was a sweet, sipping wine from Valencia made from the grape name Moscatel. It smelled very strong but tasted sweet. I would not be inclined to order this at all from a restaurant but it was a good experience.

Pepe and Teresa's father and I stayed at the table while everyone else cleared it. They drank some kind of liquor and water, then offered me the Moscatel. From his liquor cabinet he also grabbed a bottle of maple syrup! haha I laughed because they didn't know what it was. He had received it as a gift from another Americano who stayed with him before. They didn't know what it was but it was the color of the liquor so they figured it should be stored there. Then I continued to try to describe to them what it was, how it was made, and how it was used. It was quite interesting and I guarantee they won't be using it on anything. They said it had too many calories, haha.

All in all, it was an absolutely wonderful lunch but after 2-3 hours of speaking and listening intently in Spanish, I had to return to my room for some rest and mindless Facebook. It was definitely tiring but very satisfying to not be tempted to speak English to my roommate for the whole day. After I said goodbye to Teresa's father (not without a kiss on each cheek) everyone laid down for their siesta. It was a wonderful, family-oriented, and cultural afternoon that showed me how much I still have to learn to be able to convey my ideas concretely and correctly in Spanish.

A ditzy moment here: I just realized that you have all been commenting on my blogs! THANKS SO MUCH! I got so excited when I figured that out and read them all twice. haha It feels so good to know that people have been reading it and are interested in my time abroad! :)

Sorry this was so long, a great weekend and I wanted to share it with you! Keep the comments coming!

Love you all!
Betsy

PS- If you were wondering which Sevillano futbol team (Sevilla FC or Betic Club de Futbol) won the game on Saturday night.....Betis won! Pepe was very proud and it made the front page news the next morning :) Gotta love this city!

Free Time...

My roommate went to Cordoba today (Saturday) so it is the first time I have actually been alone to travel the city by myself. I can't wait! It's nice having a companion and partner in crime but exploring on your own, walking at your own pace, and seeing what YOU want to see is always better after becoming settled. I am planning on going on a long run. Running the trails of Parque de Maria Luisa, explore more of Triana and the Rio Guadalquivir, and possibly get lost, ha! Hopefully I don't get caught in another rain storm, but if I do, it will be even better! :)

The Sevilla Marathon is the 22nd of February! Que Bien! I can't wait to spectate. If I only knew about it beforehand I could have started training earlier and my first marathon would have been international!...probably not, haha.

Last night I asked Pepe where the mercadillos are today (flea markets with artwork, clothes, jewerly, etc). He knew of a few plazas but said they are run by Los Gitanos (Gypsys). He continued to talk about how dangerous they are and that if we go to the mercadillo we have to bring very little money and nothing else because it will get stolen by the gypsys. Marilo has also referred to a gypsy woman as a "woman of lesser quality." It is the culture to reject the gypsys, in every country they are. They are in France, Italy, Portugal, Spain, lots of European countries and in every one they are rejected and thought of as the lowest of the low. Below the nasty, fat American tourists that flock here every year. Its very interesting. I think I am going to go anyways, but take his advice of only bringing a few Euros with me.

Just a little culture catchup for you. I am going to try to make it to the Museo de Bellas Artes today to check out the Dali and Velazquez....I know you are jealous Adam! ;)

Chau for now,
Love you all,

Betsy

Ole!

I bet that word is very cliche for Spain...but it is true that it is used here. Last night I went to a flamenco bar with some friends of mine. We were told about it by a local student and although it was a little hard to find, we got there and had a great time! All we knew was that it was on Calle Levies and that the street wasn't on a map. If you have every been to Europe and seen the small streets with building super close together, this where we went. We weaved in a out of small streets that only motos and walkers were fit down. Finally, after asking many people we found it (including a British couple who we thought looked Spanish but didn't know where it was, a young man in his car who was driving by, and a young German man who we also thought could have been Spanish but luckily lived really nearby it so he knew the area well). Our friends had already arrived at the place and told us "it has a red door and is poorly marked" that was all we had, but lo-and-behold we walked around a corner, saw a large red door, walked inside that there it was! It was a miracle we didn't get lost!

This was the first time that I had seen flamenco in real life (Youtube videos don't do it justice at all). Flamenco is the traditional dance of Spain and very particular to Spain since it is pretty secluded from the rest of Europe by the Pyrenees. It includes manos (hands), guitarra (guitar), and voz (voice). There was a man on the guitar and two other men and a woman clapping. There is no continuous beat to follow but they all seem to know when to clap harder and how fast. One of the men was singing and it also seemed to be very unstaged. It seemed that he mearly just felt the words and the soul of the song and had to yell out his feelings/thoughts. It was so beautiful. I am giving it a very poor representation. Periodically, the woman would get up and start dancing. It is hard to explain but it is a series of wrist twists and foot movements that show so much emotion. It is not a kind of dance for purely entertainment (though it can be) but it is more enjoyed through understanding the SOUL behind the music and the movements. Kind of like ballet.

It was so powerful and after every song there would be a loud "OLE!" and applause that the whole bar would yell as a kind of "MAN, that was amazing!" I have given a whole new appreciation for Flamenco since I am taking a class about it. We have had two days and it is truly about feeling the music and the emotion of the song combined with slightly planned movements/steps, but never to a T like some Jazz or Hip Hop performances in the U.S.

I have heard you can see Flamenco performances in the U.S. and I know in the Twin Cities there is a business or organization that does it for the area. If you have time for a romantic evening, I highly suggest a flamenco show to be involved. I would love to take someone when I return to MN to see a show, it is beautiful!

The rain is still coming down in Andalucia and no body knows when it is going to stop! This morniing we had a walking tour of Los Reales Alcazares (an old palace in Sevilla built in the 10th century) and luckily had umbrellas but otherwise was completely drenched. I think I have ruined at least one probably more like two pairs of shoes. No big deal though! The uneven cobblestone streets make huge puddles that surprise you when you walk right into one. It has been very miserable and cold (for here - 50s Farenheit) and the news is filled with stories about flooding and danger levels. Lots of trees have fallen due to high winds. My impression of Spain in these first few weeks includes LOTS of rain, the most delicious oranges you can imagine, dog poop left on the beautiful sidewalks, and delicious food!

An interesting side note concerning the dog poop: It is amazing how well the city of Sevilla keeps it city, employing people to sweep the streets, trash is picked up every morning, and an electric line of public transportation. However, when people walk their dogs in the street, it is VERY common to have to watch where you walk because people don't pick up after their dogs! Not to mention the large droppings for the horses in the carriages that litter the city too. It's quite an interesting contradiction.

Hoping for beautiful weather this weekend! Hope everyone is doing well and send me emails with updates on your lives! I love getting them!

Saludos,
Betsy

Vale Vale Vale!

Buenas tardes a todos! (Good afternoon everyone!)

We FINALLY got our internet to work just a few minutes ago. Sol, this darling girl from next door has been trying to fix our internet to work in our room for the last 3 days or so. She is so incredibly nice! My roommate and I are wanting to get her a present to thank her more. So now I will be able to update more frequently than before since I only received signal in the living room where they watch TV all day, a little distracting.

Today was our third day of class. We have our intensive language course called Advanced Present-Day Usage, now everyday for 3 weeks for 3 hours every morning. Then on Tuesdays I have a Flamenco dance class (1 hour) and Cultural Realites of Spain (1 hour). So Tuesdays are quite busy but the other days it is nice to be done by 12:45 everyday! The dance class is tough because you have to move your hands and your feet in very particular ways at the same time! Phew! But it would still be fun to know how to do it. Luckily its a Pass/Fail class so I don't have to worry about not being coordinated. The Cultural Realities class is interesting and there are only about 10 people in it. We talk about Spanish culture, cultural differences, homestays, learning a new language, everything. Should be pretty helpful I think! I love my professors but 3 hours of class in the morning definitely gets long and boring after the first day. Luckily we get a break halfway through to get a cafe con leche down the street.

My roommate and I ride the bus to school every morning (20 minutes) then walk back in the afternoon because it is usually warmer and nicer out. However, lately it has been down pouring at random times so we have been getting caught in the rain a lot and getting soaked for about 10 minutes. Its still a beautiful walk down the river and through the small streets in the Centro of Sevilla.

Enough about school, I want to talk about travel! This weekend my roommate and I were going to visit a friend in Alicante but we have decided to cancel it to save money. We wanted to go to the Sevilla FC vs. Betis soccer game at the stadium here in Sevilla but since its such a big game, the cheapest tickets available are 70 euro! Here's some context, my apologies: Futbol (soccer) is incredibly popular here and everybody has their favorite team that they follow. In Sevilla there are two soccer teams: Sevilla F.C. and Betis. So far I haven't met anybody who supports Sevilla FC, only Betis. They are called Betistas if they are fans of Betis. To be a fan is not just to watch the games everyweek, you have a member card and you are completely devoted to that team whether they win or lose. No matter what happens you still believe your team is the best in Sevilla. After every game (which is usually watched in pubs with your friends), the rest of siesta and the next day is devoted to analyzing every tackle, shot, and call from the previous game. It truly consumes their lives! Very fun to be a part of though!

Back to travel, I have decided to take some trips through a business called Discover Seville because they offer much better prices than my program and go to the same places (sometimes better places). I can go to the Carnavales de Cadiz and Gibralter for 59 euro, when going through my program the Gibralter trip cost 60 euro by itself! Great deal! They are highly supported and regarded by the local students too so I can trust them. I have also decided to go to Morrocco through them as well for a six-day trip during Feria de Abril. It is a little more expensive but it includes a camel ride and ATV ride through the Sahara Desert (dunes) to an oasis where Berbers live and put on a show for us. We would see Fez, Rabat, and Assilah for cities. I am very excited and a lot of my close friends (including my roommate) will be on this trip with me. I understand that their are concerns for my well-being to travel to Morrocco. I completely understand the dangers and concerns, but the experience is once in a lifetime that I can't pass up! Discover Seville has been going to Morrocco for 5 years and the fee we pay covers all transportation, meals, housing, professional guides, and entrance fees into important buildings. I can't wait!

Anyways, this is long enough but I just wanted to check in on what has been going on here in Spain!

Miss you all and keep the emails coming!
love,
betsy

My First Day of School!

Hello everyone! Thanks so much for all your emails and facebook posts! I love getting updates on your lives too! I have been having difficulties with my microphone on my web cam so I apologize if you were looking forward to Skyping with me sometime...I'll let you know when I get it working right again.

This weekend was very relaxing but VERY RAINY. They usually don't get rain this time of year but it has rained the last 3 days or so. Very wet. The sewers aren't prepared for this much water running through it and there are a lot of floods in the parks and streets.

Saturday afternoon my roommate and I wanted to find La Plaza de Espana on our own, but, unfortunately, we forgot a map...would have been very useful. We were able to find our school and explore around La Catedral and Giralda but once we set off on our own...our orientation completely left us. We walked around for 5 hours before we finally found it, after asking numerous times for directions. We had been directly next to it at one point and had no idea. We thought we were very far away. Anyways, we got there in the end and I still don't think we know where we walked to. It was a fun experience and we found some great icecream and pictures so it was well worth it.

Tomorrow is our first day of school! We have a 3 week intensive language period before we start the rest of our classes. It will be all the grammar I have learned over the last 4 years or so, combined into 3 weeks. Dios Mio! But it will be a great refresher to have at the beginning remember the usage of all the tenses. They also have a "Solo en Espanol" rule meaning that we have to speak Spanish at all times. A great rule because you are forced to speak Spanish but also frustrating when you just can't figure out how to say something except for in English. I feel like a lot of the people in my program don't force themselves to speak Spanish together because they feel silly. I do a little too but that is a part of getting better at the language and stepping outside your comfort zone. I think that once we get going in school, it will be more comfortable to speak Spanish with my roommate and not feel silly. My professors also say (in Spanish of course), when they catch us speaking English in class, "You don't need to practice speaking English, you already know it just fine, you need to practice speaking Spanish!" They are very true. It is hard learning a new language and it is fun in the classroom, but speaking it outside of the classroom and consistently for everyday life, it definitely a change.

Speaking of differences, Pepe and Marilo (my homestay parents) are currently out of the house (by the way its almost 2am). We have no idea where they have been all day, but they haven't been here and Pepe came back from watching futbol at around 10 but then left again. My roommate and I feel silly since we are the college students coming back to the house around 10pm to go to bed, and our 68 year old homestay parents are out until the early morning hours! Very different and we are very confused about other norms, especially around eating. People go home to eat during certain meals, and eat together for certain meals, but others they just assume its fine to not be there and to go out to eat. We still haven't found a schedule or common pattern of eating, but it will come with time. I am excited to see how much easier it gets in a few weeks once the social norms become more apparent.

My roommate has a friend in Alicante right now and we might go visit her this coming weekend. Alicante is on the eastern coast by the Mediteranean Sea. It should be fun if we can go! My program is sponsering some other fun weekend trips. They cost extra but there is a flat price that covers all costs for the whole weekend. I am excited for those and will sign up for them tomorrow when I get to school.

I must go to bed since I have my first day of school in the morning! My roommate and I can walk to school in half an hour but it is supposed to be raining all day tomorrow again so we need to take the bus. One of the last modes of transportation that I haven't experienced here yet! Should be interesting navigating.

Hope you are all well and your favorite team wins the Superbowl! Keep sending me emails about your lives and check out my pictures on facebook if you can!

Miss you all!
Besos y Abrazos!
Betsy