...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!