EXAMENES :P

Round 1 of tests are done. Some went better than others, and I have yet to find out how I did. Monday I had my history and grammar tests. For history I wrote 3 essays: 1) "Describe the 5 pillars of Muslim faith, the Sunna and Corán, Sunnites and Chiites." That question was hard because there are so many parts, including the pilgrimage to Mecca, their fast, and more to not only name but explain. IN Spanish. I didn't even know how to say pilgrimage in Spanish before coming here, so it was exciting to be able to do it! 2) "Explain the Yihad." The muslim holy war. Another page on that. And then I got to explain about the political system after the Iberian Peninsula was invaded. Great fun! haha Monday night was also stressful because I had a 2 1/2 hour meeting for my serve project, and I had tests I needed to be studying for. Tuesday I had my literature exam, which I feel like I nailed. Once again, it was exciting to be able to write essays on complex literary concepts in Spanish. I also had art history, which didn't go quite so well, but I"ll know how to study better next time. Tuesday night some friends and I painted "abanicos" - fans. Everyone uses them here, so it was fun to paint one. Yup that's all that's new for now. :)

GREAT weekend!

Ok, I have a lot to write about this time. :) Friday night I did something I never thought I would/could do...I ran a 10K! On a whim. My friend Megan came to me Friday morning and was like, "wanna do the 10K with me?" I replied, "I've never run that far IN MY LIFE, but sure!" So we did, and it was the most AMAZING experience ever. The race is called "Correra Nocturna," and it is a huge deal here in Seville. It's a 10K through the streets of Seville at night, and about 20,000 people participate in it. They shut half the city down for it. It was so exciting - the adrenaline, the crowds, cameras, news crews, and everything lining the streets the whole way - WOW. The adrenaline gave me the energy to finish strong, something I never thought I would be able to do! I finished in 1:15 (and that includes stopping multiple times with my "running partner" because her toenail fell off). The funny thing is, I have not trained or run AT ALL since coming to Spain, so I was pretty surprised I was able to finish strong!
After the race we all got free t-shirts, shorts, and other goodies. The hardest part of the night was the 5.5K walk back to our house, haha. So...I got blisters and am pretty sore today in the back and legs, but it was 110% worth it!!!
Yesterday I slept in (since I was up till 3:00 am the night before), and laid around most of the day. Then in the evening Nicole, myself, and our friend Abby hung out with our new "Spanish friends" - Chano and Maria. We had so much fun! They took us to a cultural fair here, with booths from tons of different countries, then out to dinner after. Let's just say, my Spanish comprehension improved a zillion times over in a couple hours. Chano especially has a VERY strong Sevillana accent, which means he not only speaks quickly, but only says parts of words and mixes them all together. For example, instead of "Vamos a ir," it's "Vamoai." Or instead of "nada," it's "na." Add a lisp onto that, and WOW. But by the end of the evening I could understand everything they said!! We had so much fun. Maria is SO sweet...she is 19 and I already feel like I have known her forever. And Chano is one of the funniest, most animated guys I have ever met.
Wow that was long. I hope that makes up for some of my lack of blogging! :)

P.S. Prayers for Monday and Tuesday would be appreciated...4 tests. :P

Studying and Spanish friends!

Goodness, I have so much studying to do! I have 4 exams within 2 days next week, each worth 20% of my grade in the class. I'm especially nervous because for history and literature our exams will only have 3 questions, with the format: "Explain to me about..". And the topics are basically chapters in our book for history, and VERY broad, stuff like, "Explain to me about the history of Islam." Ahhh! Then for art history, our professor will show us 3 architectural images, and we have to go in depth describing EVERYTHING. Who built it, what century, why, what the arcs are called, every material used, religious significance, vocabulary, etc. Grammar will just be hard because it's an advanced grammar class. Let's just say next Tuesday I'll be relieved.
Last night was hard for me, I think a lot of the stress and frustrations and homesickness caught up to me. But after few hugs from friends I felt better. Tonight I had my first service project meeting/orientation. It was so exciting, I made my first Spanish friends! Their names are Maria and Chano, and they are best friends. We are hanging out with them tomorrow night. Their Spanish was so much harder to understand because of the Sevillana accent and speed and slang, but I think spending time with them will help my Spanish improve. :)

Tuesday

Sorry it's been so long since my last post. Really nothing exciting has happened. :) This past weekend I did a lot of studying, and went shopping with Nicole, but not much else. This week I've been doing a lot of schoolwork too. Classes are definitely picking up. I can understand lectures ok, but reading still gives me a struggle. I got my first bout of homesickness this last weekend too. Oh well, it had to come sooner or later. :) I still love it here though. Oh, Monday night I took my first flamenco class! It was really fun, and I'm excited to learn how to dance such a traditional Spanish dance. EVERYONE in Spain knows certain parts of it. Nicole and I decided we'll give a show when we get back. :) I got a couple of letters in the mail today, thank you so much for your support! It is really encouraging and means the world to me.

Tickets to Rome and Bingo!

Yesterday (Wednesday) evening, we had our student led worship service, "Encuentro." Afterward, our travel group of friends went to a coffee shop to look for airline tickets online. We ended up buying them today after class for SUPER cheap!!! We got a flight to Rome, Italy for $27 Euro, and it comes out to about $45 dollars. For a flight to Rome!! I'm so excited to get to travel to several different countries. We will likey fly back from Prague, Czech Republic or Frankfurt, Germany, to conclude our 10 day trip in November. We're still searching for the best deals there though. This afternoon I met with my small group/prayer group for the first time, so that was fun. Tonight our school went to play bingo with elderly men near the school. They were so funny...they just kept wanting to kiss us girls on the cheek, and calling us "Guapa!!!" (pretty). It was fun. I have a ton of homework tonight, so I'd better go do that now...but that's what's new with me!

Tickets to Rome and Bingo!

Yesterday (Wednesday) evening, we had our student led worship service, "Encuentro." Afterward, our travel group of friends went to a coffee shop to look for airline tickets online. We ended up buying them today after class for SUPER cheap!!! We got a flight to Rome, Italy for $27 Euro, and it comes out to about $45 dollars. For a flight to Rome!! I'm so excited to get to travel to several different countries. We will likey fly back from Prague, Czech Republic or Frankfurt, Germany, to conclude our 10 day trip in November. We're still searching for the best deals there though. This afternoon I met with my small group/prayer group for the first time, so that was fun. Tonight our school went to play bingo with elderly men near the school. They were so funny...they just kept wanting to kiss us girls on the cheek, and calling us "Guapa!!!" (pretty). It was fun. I have a ton of homework tonight, so I'd better go do that now...but that's what's new with me!

Day...? Wow I'm losing track!

Sorry it's been a few days since my last post. :) Saturday I went shopping with some friends in the morning (shopping=exploring the city, I never really buy much), and in the afternoon to the park to study with some of the other girls. After we went to the park, a group of us met at a coffee shop to plan our trips! We have a 10 day break in November, and we hope to fly to Rome, Italy, then take a train to Florence, then to Switzerland, then to Prague, and maybe even head to Germany. In December, right before we come home, we are planning to go to Ireland and maybe Scotland. We'll see. :) I love traveling though, and it would be a fun group! Sunday Nicole and I had a day of rest, then hung out with people at the park in the afternoon. Yesterday we just had classes and met in a plaza to study. This evening I'm going to have coffee with Sarah, who is kind of our RA? I don't really know how to describe her position, but she is really sweet and helpful. I'm looking forward to getting to know her better. In the mail today, in 2 separate shifts, I got a card from my parents and cards from Kami and Heather! I was soooooo excited! :) Classes here are still good, but the work load is increasing. Oh well, I"ll make it...nothing can beat my sophomore year. :) I guess that's it for now!

Days 8 and 9

Yesterday, after classes and lunch, a few of the girls from my classes and I went to a local park to study. It was fun talking and getting to know them better. Laura brought ice cream and cookies and we made ice cream sandwiches. Today we got the day off of school to go to Cordoba! We took a tour bus there (about an hour and a half away) and got to go to an archaeological excavation site near the city. There we got to see the work in progress and walk through what has already been excavated, while hearing the history of what the rooms were. From there we went to Cordoba....a beautiful city!!! The streets make me feel like I'm walking through a storybook. I will be adding pictures to facebook. Cobblestone streets, white houses (kind of Greek looking), yellow and red trim, flower baskets, iron gates...I loved it. But the most impressive part, the reason we went, was to see the Mosque and Cathedral from the 8th, 9th, and 10th centuries (the califs kept adding onto it). It was so exciting because I have been learning about the architecture and history of the Mosque in my history and art classes, and we had been talking about this one in particular. So after seeing pictures in class it was so exciting to see it in person. Knowing the history and understanding the architecture...all that I learned and understood IN SPANISH...adds a richness and depth I can't describe. Our professor walked us through and elaborated on what we saw. It is so ornate and historic. Gosh I can't even do it justice. So we just got back from that, and after dinner, I"m going to go out with a group of friends here. Every day I cannot believe how blessed I feel to live in Spain.

Day 7

I figured now that my life is becoming a little more routine (though far from boring), I'll probably just blog every couple of days. Anyway yesterday I had day 2 of classes, and they went well. Last night we had "la noche de chicas"....girls night! It was super fun. All 37 of us hung out and talked, then we went paddle boating on the river! It was fun and beautiful and we got to get to know different people because our boats were randomly assigned. It was cool - we saw these guys playing basketball in kayaks. They used their paddles instead of hands. Anyway, school went well again today, and tonight I went shopping with my friends Kelly and Megan. Had a cone of amazing European ice cream for the first time since I was 9. Then we had a worship service, "Encuentro," in one of the local churches. It was really good to worship in both languages and hear people from our group share. I also have been trying to talk with my Señora a lot...I really, really like her! I feel so blessed, because I know some of the other girls have not been getting along as well with theirs. Mine is so funny. She calls her husband the president, she's the first lady, her daughter is Shakira, and Nicole and I are the first daughters. haha She loves teaching us and talking with us. I feel so blessed.

First day of classes!

Today was our first day of classes. It went so much better than I thought it would! I was able to understand everything the professors said, and with hard work, I should be able to do pretty well. My first class is "Cuentos Españoles," or Spanish short stories. Right after that I have "Historia de España" (Spanish history), followed immediately by "Arte Española" (Spanish art history) and "Gramatica Avanzada" (Advanced Grammar). I'm done at 12:35. My hardest class will be Spanish history I think, and the rest don't seem too bad. For my art history class we get to go on "excursions" around Spain to look at art. I'm so excited! I have lots of homework and reading to do, but it won't be bad. I'm also taking a service class, in which I will volunteer one night a week to go talk with the homeless. I'm super excited about this, because I LOVE working with people and I feel as though my calling in life is headed in that direction. This program works with the University of Seville, so I'll be able to meet other college aged students and work with them. I have lecture for that class every other week and get some credit for it too, so that's icing on the cake. Ok, can I just say that I don't understand why the rest of the world doesn't take siestas? Every day when it comes time to eat lunch and take a nap, I can't help but smile and say, "I love Spain!" (ask Nicole, haha). I have so much more energy. I feel so healthy here, because I get a lot of rest, eat VERY well (fish a few times a week, NO junk food, and lots of fruits, grains, and vegetables) and exercise a lot (I walk a few miles daily to get to school and around). It's going to be hard going back to eating cafeteria food and going, going, going all the time, so I'm going to enjoy Spain while it lasts. :)

Day 5...relaxation!

Today is a day of rest. A bunch of our friends went to the beach, which is supposed to be amazing here, but Nicole and I figured since we are here for 4 months we may as well rest since we have been going, going, going. So we slept till noon, ate a late breakfast, slept more and read and journaled, ate a huge lunch, and are reading now. We start classes tomorrow....yep, super exciting day. :)

Days 3 and 4

Yesterday I found out the results of my placement test and signed up for classes. I was able to get all the advanced classes I wanted! Art history (which involves excursions around Spain to look at art), Spanish history, short stories, and advanced grammar. I start classes at 9:15 am and am done by 12:35. It's going to be great. We also had a lecture for a couple of hours - Culture 101 and safety. We learned about a bunch of the cultural differences. For example, everyone here dresses up to go out. I love that! We also learned a few other "rules," like ALWAYS wear shoes in the house, expect cat calls from men, expect it to take a while to leave somewhere because you are engaged inconversation, etc. There are way more, but those are a few. We also learned that it is completely safe to walk outside at night, until about 2am. That's when everyone goes out! My host dad, "mi Señor," gave me a talk on making sure if I'm out past then, to have a cab take me back, because it's dangerous unless I'm with people. It was cute how protective he is of Nicole and I, kind of like our dad. He made sure we had our keys and phones and everything too. :)
Speaking of going out at night, a group of us went Salsa dancing last night. It was so fun! I had taken a long siesta too so I was ready to stay up late. I LOVE the night life here. It's like a giant party! Everyone is up till 1:00am, mostly because it's so hot during the day. Even parents with babies in strollers. The streets are all lit and there are people everywhere. Dancing was fun too - where we went there were mostly older people, so that was cool to be a part of. We did get back really late, so some guys from our group walked us home. Today Nicole and I slept in, then went shopping/on a picture scavenger hunt with our school. I'm really connecting with a few other girls here, so that's really fun. I bought new shoes, because I had blisters from walking so far (we walk EVERYWHERE), and shoes=fashion in Europe apparently. That's how you can tell a tourist from a local...the shoes. I learned my European shoe size is 39, and I bought some lovely white European-looking sandals.
I'm tired, so I think I'm going to take a siesta now. I have been realizing Nicole and I got one of the best host homes for sure. Our Señora flat out spoils us, and loves talking to/with us, and cooks us amaaaaaaaaaaaaazing food, and we have a dad, and we have air conditioning (everyone at school hates us for it, haha). It's very needed in 106 degree weather. So an air conditioned siesta sounds lovely.

Day 2

Today Nicole and I went to orientation. Breakfast was delicious...a toasted baguette sort of bread, jam, and amazing European coffee (even Dutch Bros. can't compare!). I already love the food here so much. Everything here is so rich...the culture, history, food, I love it all. At orientation we met our school (faculty and other students), and got cell phones, and learned about a bunch of the opportunities we will have. I'm going to take Flamenco classes...I figure they're worth the money. Also I learned about some awesome service opportunites, and I would really like to do one working with the homeless. We were also informed of some of the different ways to get around Europe, and trips our school will be taking. I'm so excited to go to Toledo, Spanish soccer games, and more. Oh, and we all had to sign a contract saying we will speak ONLY Spanish at school, even between classes and around English speakers...this really is total immersion. Another thing I love about Spain is the siesta. Everything shuts down in the afternoon for a rest. Even school. My Señora is so funny...today she was teaching us about all the different parts of a house, mainly the little words we don't learn in spanish classes. Like how to say "bread-holder" and the different ways to say bathroom (it's not always el baño) :). And every time the phone rings, she says it's the white house calling....Obama....to talk to her. That's it for now...tonight we're going on a tour of the city, so that should be fun.

Day 1

Hello everyone!
Thank you so much for your thoughts, encouragement, and prayers as I embark on this adventure. I just got to Spain today and it already seems so long ago. My flights felt VERY short because I was able to sleep so much (SEE, thoseofyouwhoalwaysmakefunofmeforfallingasleepsoeasily, it worked to my advantage!). Because I slept most of the dozen or so hours of flying, I am already almost on the right sleep schedule here, which is a HUGE blessing considering we are 9 hours ahead! I had a slight scare in Chicago when they questioned me and took a while letting me through because I don't have a visa (GFU messed up, but half of our group doesn't have them and they all got through fine), but fortunately I made it. Immediately after getting off the plane in Seville, we were taken to our host families. My Señora's name is Pepita and she has a husband and 24-year-old daughter living with us. My roommate, Nicole, and I are sharing a TINY bedroom in a TINY apartment. But hey, I wanted an authentic experience and I got it. :) We spent some time unpacking and talking to our Señora about rules and such. She is very nice, with a strong personality, which is great, but not what I was expecting. I understood and was able to say most things, but the Spanish here in Seville is supposed to be the hardest Spanish in the world to understand, and I can see why. The locals speak very quickly and with a lisp. Nicole and I unpacked for a bit, killed a huge spider, then ate a delicious, HUGE lunch our Señora prepared for us (at 2:30pm!). Lunch and dinners are very late here. After lunch we took a brief siesta, then made ourselves wake up and shower, which felt SO good. We then got dressed in skirts and walked around our area for a while. The architecture is so beautiful! We found our school, about a 20 minute walk from our apartment. We're about to eat dinner now at 9:00 pm, but that's where I'm at now. So...thank you for your prayers, we definitely need them! A little overwhelmed but excited and living in the moment.

Oh P.S...we are mooching internet from a neighbor, so we have it in our home! Which is rare and way awesome. :)