Thanksgiving in Spain

The much-awaited pictures are here! Let's narrate: First, there is my Thanksgiving dinner...I will get to that later; second, you have me "wearing" the orange glasses (the strip in the middle is optional, but it shows that you've got more orange-peeling skills if you can keep it there...); ...Below, and third, is a picture of the orange peel to give you a better idea of how it is cut, in case any of you feel like attempting it before I can show you... :)





Ok, now, as I said, I will talk about our Thanksgiving...Well, it started off as a rainy day, which is a little bit atypical here in Sevilla. For that reason, I opted to not go to Italica (the Roman ruins nearby) since it was all outdoors...I ended up going shopping with some other girls instead...The rest of the day was pretty normal...In the evening I got ready for our dinner (we had to be at the restaurant by 9pm...schedules are quite a bit different here...) Evidently everyone except for Karla and me had been told to get "guapa" for the night...somewhat in rebellion and as revenge for not being important enough to be told, I wanted to not get super-guapa...but in the end I relented and I got halfway guapa...moving on...

So, I barely make it to the restaurant in time...or maybe I didn't after all, but others were later than me, so it was ok...We waited around for about an hour, and were rather ravenous since it was 10pm and we had not had any food since 3pm...the school passed out papers with nice things that the other students and the staff had written about each person...among mine were "great dimples", "cool socks", and "reminds me of a medieval princess"...it was amusing if nothing else...

Well, finally our food came (we were the last to be served, of course)...and, as you can probably tell from the picture, it was pretty disappointing, but that's what I was expecting...I must say, the green beans were amazing! Other than that, though...yeah...I'm also pretty sure that the meat was NOT turkey, and when I told Salud about my suspicions, she remembered that some other year one of the girls told her that it was ostrich meat; evidently ostrich meat is cheap here and turkey is rather expensive...who would have thought??

We later got dessert (carrot cake and/or flan; the flan was pretty good) and then got our "amigo invisible" gifts, aka "Secret Santa" gifts...I got a salt and pepper shaker from the ceramics shops! Which is funny, since I bought my "amigo invisible" a cute little cup from the ceramics shop...hehe...

So, all in all, the food wasn't great but the company was wonderful!

Hope you all have a great week!

Oh, and just in case you were wondering, I'm pretty sure that it's only 19 days until I'm home!! Crazy!!

Monday

Hola todos...

So, this weekend was pretty chill...I went and explored part of the barrio Santa Cruz with Ellen on Saturday, we took some pics, we found the fair-trade shop her housemate had told her about, we went and found the yarn shop that Salud keeps telling me about, and then we made plans to go to a flamenco bar...Unfortunately I didn't feel good when flamenco bar time came around, so I stayed back at the apartment and knitted...

Yesterday, I pretty much didn't do anything...it was nice...Every so often you just need one of those do-absolutely-nothing days, ya know? Well, yesterday was that day for me...However, I must say, I have learned to make "glasses" out of an orange peel...yes, you read that right...It's a trick that Salud showed us; her mom used to do it for all of them...Well, when she showed us the one time, I paid very close attention...and yesterday, we had absolutely MASSIVE oranges, so I figured it would be a good time to try--more room for error when it's a giant orange...well, it turned out beautifully; Salud was proud (or at least that's what I like to tell myself); we took pictures...however, I don't have my camera with me, so I can't show you all...but someday, you will see the pictures...and, if you're really lucky, someday you may see me make you a pair of orange peel glasses... :)

Fashion Trends that I hope don't make it overseas...

Well, I don't really have anything to say that's special today, but I feel like I should take the opportunity to make a blog post while I can...so I remember that I was going to make this post at some point, so I may as well do it now...

Fashion trends that I hope don't catch on:

1. Poofy crotch pants
2. Low butt-pocket jeans
3. Insanely short dresses (sometimes worn with leggings, sometimes not)
4. Short skirt with tall boots combo
5. Whatever this is
6. Tshirts with English nonsense
7. This look for men
8. Tight pants for men....sorry, couldn't find a picture...

Well, thanks to the website of a certain overpriced Spanish store, you can now see what I hope will stay located ONLY in Europe...but now I need to go to class!!

...so it's been a few days...

Yeah, usually I don't do that whole not-posting-every-day-during-the-week thing, but I guess this week I did...it's been an unusual week though: presentation on Tuesday, two tests today...but all of that is over now...I think the tests went ok...I was the first person done in both classes; that always makes me really nervous--I either really got it or really missed something...

Well, it hasn't been a particularly exciting week, but let me see what I can come up with...

On Monday, as I believe I told you, we were going to go take a little walking tour of the old Jewish Quarter of the city (which was destroyed in el pogrom de 1391)...It was pretty cool; I'd been in that area of the city once before, but it was evening, so it looked a lot different. We saw one little part of the wall that still exists that used to separate the judería from the rest of the city; kind of crazy to see it and think about when it was from and why it was there...We checked out some of those quintessential narrow European "roads" where all the windows have cute metal grates/coverings and flowers hanging over the edges and saw into the interior of what used to be houses of rich Jews...they are now either hotels or government buildings, if that gives you any idea of the size...Some of the guys in the class were talking: "Yeah, I can see why the Christians were jealous...I mean, if I lived then, I think I'd convert...Jews and Christians are pretty close in what they believe anyway...it's just the Jesus thing that's different"...Yes, yes it is, and it's kind of important...oh heavens...Needless to say, the buildings were pretty cool...The streets were narrow and winding and had funny names: "Agua" "Vida" "Muerte"...there was a bar on a corner that was named the Agua y Vida bar (the "Water and Life Bar")....because it was on the corner of Water and Life...too strange...Actually, what was really strange was when we went on a little side trip to see some commemorated thing...There were tiles that had the "commemoration" (for lack of a more precise term) written on it, that told about how the head of some girl had hung there as an example for what happened when she betrayed her father on account of love...that part may or may not be true, but José María told us that that was pretty much the first time the Inquisition was used, right here in Sevilla...crazy!

Hmm...what else? Well, they're selling a bunch of nativity scene stuff over by the cathedral, and I'm serious when I say that--there are a TON of figurines, etc...I saw that when we went on our little tour thing...I'm thinking I need to go check that out sometime...Also, Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz are shooting a movie here in Sevilla, and it's not too far from that area...so I figure that once the stars get into town, I'll maybe check out the nativity scenes and the movie scenes in the same trip...yeah, we'll see what happens...

Hope you all are having a great week!

Ronda!

As previously mentioned, we went to Ronda this past Friday...

It was mostly a sight-seeing trip, and this was one of the sights!! A very impressive bridge! There's a building in the middle of it (look closely at the middle...there's a window!) The city is divided by a deep gorge/river into two parts, "old" and "new"...although both parts are really old..."Old" here just means pre-Ferdinand-&-Isabella, or in other words, it's the very much Muslim side. We enjoyed our tour of the city, walked down through the old Arab mines to the river bed, and then struggled back up the stairs...Going down wasn't so bad...but the return definitely was!!

Saturday I did a bit of shopping. I found a ceramics store in Triana (the part of the city that I live in)...Evidently Triana has it's own style of ceramics that it is known for, so I figured I had to check this out...so I did, and I bought a few items...Then, while wandering around the neighborhood, I stumbled across several other ceramics shops that were a little more off the (tourist-)beaten path, and discovered that the prices were probably better there...Oh well! If I decided that there are some pieces I'm lacking, I'll go to one of those stores...

Today we're going to take a little trip to the old Jewish Quarter of the city for our Tres Culturas class...That portion can't be called the Jewish Quarter anymore because the "judería" was destroyed in the pogroms of, I believe, 1391...So, that should be good...

In other news, Eric and I have been together for 2 years as of today!

I'm working on uploading pics to the Picasa album...(Captions have now been added)

http://picasaweb.google.com/sarahloveseric/Spain#

Have a great week!

Three day weekend!

So, I figured that since I've got a three-day weekend coming up, I should probably write a post so that you all at least know that...so, don't be expecting any updates until Monday...

We're going to Ronda tomorrow...evidently it's just a sight-seeing trip, and it's not required for anyone (normally the outings are required for the Art Class students; I just go along because I can), so I really don't know what will be there...but hopefully it will be pretty since that's mostly the point of our going...

I had my test today...I think it went ok, but we'll find out...I felt like a wrote a whole lot of nothing...I just could not think in any clear or concise or ordered way...which made it significantly more difficult to write out the answers...since all of our tests are basically just essays...yuck...

A slightly more fun note: So, we like to play tricks on our one professor...he can take it, and it amuses him and us, so we try and think of new things we can do...It started in one class that I had with him, and now it's moving into the other class too...In theater class we had switched sides of the classroom one day (the beginning of the whole trick-playing thing), and it just threw José María off so much, and he just kept making the funniest faces at us....so, anyway, we had thought in Tres Culturas class, what would happen if we all switched sides of the room?? This would involve all of us moving to a different seat, but all of the seats still being occupied since 3C is like twice the size of Theater class...so, today I was like, "Hey, let's all switch seats!" (The effect of a test looming on the horizon, I think) So somebody else was like, "Yeah, that'd be perfect! Let's do it!" So, with a little bit of convincing, we got everyone (except for two girls who just couldn't bring themselves to switch) to move to not their usual spot...and then we waited...
José finally came in, and he was all like ok, good, let's start class...then he looked up at us. Then he looked again with shock and he gasped a bit..."Wait! What are you doing there!? And you!? And..." and he looks around the classroom..."ah! all of you! Oh, except for her...oh! and her! (I love how he immediately picked out the two that stayed put) Ugh! I'm not going to be able to concentrate at all! I just can't do class with all of you out of order...I'm an ordered person...Everything in its place...Every student in their place!!" It was amusing...several other times during class when he would look up and around at us, he would exclaim how much it was throwing him off, and at the end he basically forbade us to ever sit in different seats again...which is funny, since we don't have a seating chart...(he forbade us in jest though...but it threw us all off enough that we probably won't do it again...)

Well, hope you all have a great weekend! I've got to get going to get back for lunch on time...

Nothing much...

So, I should really be writing my composición right now...so I will make this quick...

Random observations/noticias:

• It is actually kind of chilly here nowadays...not like Ireland and definitely not like it probably is at home, but in the mornings and at night it is definitely chilly...the afternoons still aren't bad at all...crazy place...
• I tried a traditional Christmas sweet yesterday; Salud gave Karla and I one each, and Karla didn't like it, so I ended up with basically two of them...They were Salud's favorite kind; she said they were just almond and "membrillo"; however, when I read the ingredient list, although almonds were the first ingredient, membrillo was nowhere to be found...but they were absolutely delicious and reminded me a bit of gingerbread in flavor, and cookie dough in texture, so altogether they reminded me of gingerbread cookie dough...yummmm...I think I will have to bring some back to the States...

Um, yeah, I think that's about all I've got...on to the homework... :(

Back to routine...

So, yeah, life has returned to the previous "normal"...which is really not normal in any way, shape, or form, but it was the routine I was used to...and it's back...

School is school...I have a test on Thursday and a presentation next Tuesday...I am supposed to be doing some research for said presentation right now, but found my blog to be ever so much more enticing than los judíos sefardíes...I know, right? How can the blog win out over that?! But yet it has...

And yet I have nothing to really say...and yet that will not stop me from saying many things...Curious, no?

Anyway, Salud made each of us girls eat a quarter of a chicken for lunch...this really stretches me out of my comfort zone--there are bones and connective tissue, and I have to eat around it anyway...If you know me, you will know that that amount of meat plus the fact that there were icky things in it are things that definitely stretch me...It's for Salud's sake that I eat it though...Then, after consuming a quarter of a chicken, she tells me that she's worried about me because I'm skinnier than when I got here...translated: V-neck shirts show my collarbone...She would NOT believe me that that's how my collar bone has always been...and then she gave us Christmas sweets...they were amazing...when I say "they," I mean the one she gave me and the other (same kind) that she gave my roommate...but they were so stinkin delicious!! I will have to try to bring a few back...

In other news, we played a game at the end of grammar class today since Carmen wants us to get more non-instruction practice into our classes. It worked like this: one student stood in the middle of the classroom and had to answer questions; if they ever had an answer containing either "sí" or "no," they were out...The rest of the class had to come up with questions and try to ask them rapid-fire style...So the first guy was up there, answering away, and doing a great job coming up with well-thought-out answers...he thought he was invincible...we wondered if he might not be as well...then another girl asked him "¿Vas a ganar este juego?" (translated: "Are you going to win this game?") and without thinking he answered "¡Sí!" which obviously meant he was out...oh the irony!

Also, I put up a bunch of pics on facebook...check it out if you can...otherwise I'll have to put up pics on picasa a different time when I have my computer and internet access...

I'm back...

So, I'm back in Seville, and it's good to be "home"...sleeping in my own (rather uncomfortable) bed, being able to shower in non-sketch conditions, having food set out for me with no effort of my own...I am so spoiled, and I appreciate it a lot more now...BUT in other news--40 days left!!!! (Not that I'm counting or anything...) Also, those of you wishing to contact me via teléfono can do so now, as I will not be charged heinous amounts for answering at this point...

Ok, so, en resumen: trips can make enemies out of friends if they last for too long (our trip ended just in time; we're all still friends); I love Ireland and wish I could live there; I spent like 120€ and all that I have to show for it is 12€ worth of winter clothing and a couple of chocolate bars and some leftover food...

Other random tidbits...Girona was magnificent...I loved it to bits and pieces: it was pretty and laidback like Toledo, but we had more freedom to do whatever, and it was a little bit more nature-y; I almost bought pottery there that was so cute, but I didn't think I could fit it comfortably in my 1 8cmx20cmx40cm 10-kg max carry-on, and I didn't want to be wearing 6 layers of clothing on the plane, so I refrained...I hope Triana ceramics are as cute as they say...My travelling companions didn't seem to consider the fact that they had more stuff than I did to be too important and went ahead and bought ceramics...and wore like 6 layers of clothing onto the plane...Good thing Ryanair didn't actually make us try and fit our bags in the bag measurer thinger that they have...not sure it would have turned out well...But, we made it back safely...pictures to be posted later...

In Girona, we had booked a hostel and taken a chance by getting 3 out of the 5 beds in a mixed room, meaning that we could have up to two other roommates of either gender...we hoped that perhaps we'd have the room to ourselves...(it was the cheapest option; we weren't just trying to be daring for daring's sake) Well, we got there, and the two other beds had stuff on them, so we obviously weren't alone...so then we peeked around to try and figure out if our roommates were male or female...we found some stuff that looked kind of girly and some that looked kind of boy-y, so we were thinking perhaps a girl and a boy, perhaps a couple...this seemed rather awkward...so for the evening at the hostel, we'd keep screening the other guests, wondering if they could be our roommates...so when we had returned to our room for the night and our roommates came in, it turned out that they were two guys...which made us wonder about the girly looking things........but, as they were two guys from Czech Republic, and we were all ready to just sleep, not a lot of conversation happened between us...I'm hoping that the girly looking stuff was just left there by previous occupants...

Oh, here's a rundown of our lodgings, and my opinions about them all...

1. Abalon Hotel in Barcelona: moldy rooms, way too humid, no air conditioning in the "winter"...not worth it
2. Avalon House Hostel in Dublin (or, something like that...as I'm thinking about all the A-names, I'm getting more confused): pretty decent, rooms weren't particularly cushy, but they had a fun vibe altogether, and they came with a complimentary breakfast...
3. Abaghoe House Hostel in "Killarney" Ireland: NOT actually in Killarney! We were out in the middle of NOWHERE!!!! I was not happy...However, we were basically the only visitors and pretty much had the place to ourselves...the staff who were working on the necessary renovations/upkeep also stayed there some of the time, so we were never really alone, but still, we were pretty much alone...It smelled funny, and the showers had sensors on them, so that was an adventure, but the water never actually got hot, so yeah...not my fave...It was pretty cool looking since it was a renovated mansion, but still, I probably wouldn't stay there again...
4. Abigail's House Hostel in Dublin: amazing, my favorite place by far even though we only stayed there for one very short night...Nice and clean, not too much mold...en-suite bathroom, most of our roommates were from the US (the one I talked to the most was from MN! Crazy!)...It included breakfast, but we weren't around long enough for that, so I can't be the judge of it...I would definitely stay there again...
5. Equity Point (or something like that) Hostel in Girona, Spain: pretty decent...was a fairly clean place...the blankets needed a good washing though...*shudder* had a fun atmosphere, included breakfast, had a fun lounge on the top floor and even had a terrace, but didn't figure that one out until well after sunset...might stay there again...

So, if you have any questions about lodgings in those cities, hopefully that answers the questions because that's all I know... :S

It's nice to be back in my routine though...computer time in the morning before class---for FREE!!! Yay...

IRELAND!!

Yeah, I'm in Ireland...I love it here...whatever tiny percentage of Irish that I have in me is enjoying this trip immensely...However, the computer that I'm on is not a big fan of Facebook I guess, so at least that means that any of you faithful readers out there will get a bonus post from Ireland instead of having to wait until I get back to Spain...

So, updates on our trip...Barcelona was ok...that wasn't the main reason I had come on this trip anyway, so I wasn't expecting a whole lot from it, and it delivered about that much...Our hotel room was insanely damp and had mold growing on the walls, but when we told them about it, they at least attempted to clean it off, but it was a rather impossible task...We went to La Sagrada Familia which was mostly drawn out by a famous architect named Gaudi (check it out online...it's got a pretty cool history)...however, since it's still under construction, it makes for a pretty crappy visit...so I shelled out 11€ (since I didn't have my student card with me) to walk around an indoor construction site...not my fave, but pretty interesting...Other than that, I pretty much used Barcelona as a chill out time and time to recover from the sinus infection that I had been fighting for a few days (the plane ride from Sevilla to Barcelona was not my friend, let's just put it that way...)

So on Monday we got into Dublin, and it was cold...of course, it wasn't really that cold, but Sevilla has pansified us (the computer doesn't like that word, but it most adequately expresses the sentiment)...We found our hostel, which was a pretty sweet place...we enjoyed seeing things in English again! (the Gaelic threw us off a bit though) The buildings were so cute!! Then we grabbed some yummy food at a nearby cafe and then headed to buy warm things...found a place called Dunnes (with the help of some locals) which had cheap but fairly good quality stuff...interestingly enough, all of the stuff for that store, Irish as Irish can be, is made in none other than....Andalusia, Spain...crazy...

Yesterday we walked to the train station in Dublin...passed the Guiness factory on our way...saw several big churches/cathedrals that were gorgeous in the morning sun...I bought a scone...the train ride was uneventful...we switched over in Mallow and rode on to Killarney...these names are too fun! Had some issues finding the hostel here...turns out it's out in the boonies instead of in the middle of town like we'd thought, but it's really pretty looking and we've more or less got the run of the place...went into town today, enjoyed the scenery on the walk...did not enjoy the mud seeping into my shoes...we splurged for the 2€ busride back...and now my internet time is almost done...hope you have a great rest of the week!!