Wednesday, March 12, 2008

La vida es linda...

I haven't yet talked much about what it's like living here in Seville. I've been doing so much traveling that sometimes it seems as though I am just making pit stops along the way in Seville...but lemme tell you a little bit the city.
Right now, all of the orange trees are in bloom and the city has the most incredible smell as you walk through the streets. Honestly, like nothing you've ever smelt before! (smelt? is that a word?) The weather has been incredible lately, today was all clear skies and probably close to 75 degrees. I have classes four days a week, and today took two of my midterms. Next week we have off for Semana Santa, where the Spainards will celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. I won't be here to see much of it, as I am leaving for Morrocco on Friday, but I will be here in time to see the best of the celebrations, which takes place on Thursday night. What happens is that there are these huge parades, where a group of 20 or so men walk through the streets with a float type thing on their backs. These can last for up to 8 hours my teacher told me today, because there are certain stops that each float has to make along the way before arriving at the Cathedral. It will be really interesting to see.
The food here is...decent. Some things I absolutely love...like the stuffed artichokes my maid made last week. Others...like the jamon serrano (ham cut straight off the leg of a pig) I'm not to crazy about. The tapas here (appetizers...or little plates of food) are nothing like they have at the Tapas bars in the US. I have yet to see dates wrapped in bacon and some of the other delicious things they serve back in the US. There is a lot of ham...and a lot of tuna. (anyone ever had tuna lasagna??? I have!!! not very appetizing...). I eat a lot of bread...and our maid for some reason loves to cook soup. We have soup at least two or three times a week...lentil, garbanzo bean, cabbage and potato...its good, don't get me wrong...but one can only handle so much soup.
The nightlife is good...my friends and I like going to little bars and having some beer or wine...and some of the night clubs are fun too (that is if we can stay up until about 2 or 3 am, when they start to get hoppin...). I've had a few nights where I am just getting in when the maid is coming in to work...haha. Sometimes we have to fend of creepy men...but for the most part its fun. We botellon every once and a while (like pregaming in college...but only we do it down by the river...). Its a very festive country...
I recently decided that instead of going home after the semester is over, at the end of May, I am going to be staying here in Seville until the end of June. I'm going to try to find a room to rent, and possibly get a job as a waitress or tutoring in english or something if I run out of money (which is quite possible). I think it would be good for me to be here during a time where I am no surrounded by American students every where I turn.
One of the hardest things about living here is making Spanish friends. I actually dont have any. I'm not lonely by any means, I have quite a few American friends here...but there are so many foreign students in this city that the Spainards aren't really interested in getting to know any of us...this is really different for me from living in Brasil, where I was the only American girl during that whole year, and the Brasilians were really interested in meeting me. I do meet people at the bars and school and stuff...but none that I have become friends with.
The past few weeks have been a whole mix of emotions and thoughts running through my head...like what will I being doing a year from now? I'm supposed to be graduating in December with a degree in Spanish Translation...but...then what? I'll have quite a few loans to start paying back...so unfortunately traveling carelessly throughout the world probably isn't an option...(as much as I would love to do so). I've given some thought to teaching english abroad...I'd love to go back to South America...but I guess we'll just have to see what happens.
Also...I've been noticing lately that more and more of my high school classmates and people my age are getting in serious relationships and engaged and even having children! Those of you who know me well know that I haven't been in very many serious relationships...I'm so picky when it comes to who I date (my dad reminds me all the time...)...but I just don't let myself settle for anyone thats all. But anyways,...sometimes it gets me thinking...am I ever going to find someone that I feel I could live with for the rest of my life? Some of you know (and I know some of you had no idea) that for the past several months before I left for Spain I was seeing someone...not a lot of people know the details because I was kinda worried about the reactions that I would get...but it was someone that I cared really deeply about, but that I just don't see a future with because he would not be able to provide me and a family with what I would need and want in life. However, the fact that I was able to find out that there are people out there in the world that I can care so much about in that way was reassuring to me...because before him I wasn't sure! It's just another one of those things that will come when the time is right...
Anyways...now that I've spilled my guts to everyone...its time for me to get going for a night out on the town. We leave at 5 am on Friday...so there will be no bar hopping for me tomorrow night!! Hope everyone is well!!!