Mucho para ver

I cannot believe that I have been here one week already! Well, I mean I can... but it seems like it's been much longer. Or maybe it's because our days have been incredibly long and our hours are much different here than in the States. We've been getting up pretty early recently for excursions and orientation info sessions and staying out much later than usual (do as the Spanish do)...BUT at least I've been able to take a Siesta and nap for a little while the past couple of days.

My goal for this blog is to post around four times a week. Its great to be able to tell everyone at home what life is like here and how I'm doing. But, I'm doing so much that I'm starting to forget little details, so this is to help me remember! OH!...a word about my blog title. I tried to explain it to someone here. I thought it was a clever title but I guess you can't hear it unless you really look it. That doesn't make sense...sorry. Lemme try this again. Adam in Spanish is Adán... Adán rhymes with Espan...España? Get it? I think it's funny. I'm sorry for you if you don't :)

Anyway one of the cool things about living in the resedencia is that while the food in the dining hall is not the best...everyone comes together to eat. I however was late to lunch yesterday and there was only one other girl in the dining hall. So naturally I asked, "¿puedo sentar contigo?" (can I sit with you?) and we started talking. She turned out to be studying here in Spain from Greece! She's from the Athens area and is studying at the University of Sevilla to complete her thesis for her doctorate. Like the woman I spoke to on the plane from France in Spanish, it was once again really cool to be able to use Spanish as a median language. There was another kid who lives in the resedencia who's from Italy studying nueroscience here at the University of Sevilla. How cool is that? I'm getting to meet people from all over the world here in Sevilla...in the dining hall. Makes up for the cafeteria food... a little.

Yesterday morning all the CIEE liberal arts students met in the Plaza Nueva for what we thought was going to be a walking tour of the city. Turns out we were there for a scavenger hunt with our orientation groups. We were given a list of questions and clues that would lead us to certain places in the city. For example... One of the questions was what museum is considered to be the most important art museum in Andalucia (the province where Sevilla is) and the second most important in Spain? Anyone know?? It's Museo de Bellas Artes! Right where I live! So once you figure out the answer to the clue you have to go to the destination and your whole group has to take a picture in front of it. Each clue is worth a certain amount of points. The group with the most amount of points wins a prize... Well, our group got tired very quickly and didn't really go all out...but it was a great way to see some areas in Sevilla that I've yet to see. Especially La Plaza de España. It was built in 1928 for the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929 but it is a classic example of Spanish achitecture and its incredibly, for lack of a better word, cool!

After that walk around the city Scott, Paige and I had some tapas at a restaurant across the river and talked about all of the foods that we love. Mom- don't worry. I did you proud with the description of your chicken soup. I took some time to walk around the city nap take some pictures and later a group of us got together to try to plan some trips. I think our first two are going to be to Lagos, Portugal and Morocco! I was gunning for Greece (Yes, Leela.. I accidentally spelled it "Grease" at first.) But its so far away and price wise is ridiculous. I'm not giving up yet, but I look forward to blogging about seeing the rest of Europe! That night we went by the river and our waiter was named Lolo. He quickly figured out we were from the States and told us how much he loved Lady Gaga. Aparantly she's also a fenomenon here in Seville. She's coming to Madrid in Decemeber. Of course Lolo already has his tickets, but he is so intrigued by everything that is American and gave us a free pitcher of Sangria as we watched Seville at night from the river. Que Guay.

This morning we visited Italica which is a Roman City...well Roman ruins. Our tour guide was speaking so quickly in Spanish and I was trying to take everything in so I missed a lot of what she was saying. But, basically Italica was a city under the Roman empire built in 206 BC by the Roman general Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus in order to settle Roman soldiers that were wounded. Italica essentially turned into a mini city and was a huge arena for Gladiators and theatre and other art spectacles. From what I was able to understand, they also used to flood part of the amphitheatre and bring in boats and have gladiator boat battles! The ruins are beautiful and it's too bad my camera died half way through...look it up!...but it was a very cool excursion close to Seville and is amazing to be around something that old.

Long blog post... I know... BUT in La Plaza de Museo every Sunday there are artists selling these beautiful paintings. As I was walking back to my apartment I caught the very end of it but all these local painters, who have their own unique style, set up shop in the plaza and sell their work. I shmoozed a bit with a couple of the artists and saw some pieces I really liked... They offered me "special prices" but I told them, "I'll be back" and that I live right around the corner. I figure it'll be something I'll do on a free Sunday until I get the price I want! Its amazing how you can see so many different things in this one city!

Hasta que volvamos a ver!

P.S. If you wanna check out some of my photos, here's a link! CLICK HERE!
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