Classes officially began a week ago and for any of you that thought study abroad students spend the majority of their time partying and very little time studying, I am here to dispel that rumor. Well, I suppose I can't speak for everyone but believe me, my classes are no joke! I have a course load that is comparable to that of my University except I'm only taking 4 classes right now instead of 5 (I knocked the first one out in the first 2 weeks). I mentioned my classes before but to reiterate, I am taking Cervantes' El Quijote, a course exclusively dedicated to reading and analyzing the 1332 page beast; Contemporaty Spanish Literature, the class that has surprisingly become my favorite due to an excellent teacher, interactive classroom environment, and material I am thoroughly enjoying; Flamenco in Andalucia, a class I was expecting to enjoy alot but am currently pretty bored with (too much history); and The Gastronomy of Spain (which means study of food for anyone who doesn't know... because I definitely didn't) which is very interesting but hard to wake up for because it's at 9:00am. Right now we're learning about the importance of olive oil in Spain, how it's made, and on Thursday are going to have a tasting in class!
Last weekend I visited Granada, a 3 hour bus ride away from Sevilla, and had one of the most amazing weekends I've had since being here. I swear they just keep getting better and better! We visited the Alhambra, a palace/fortress with both Moslem and Catholic influence situated in one of the most beautiful and picturesque settings imaginable. The Alhambra was recently named the 8th greatest wonder of the world (although our guides Alejandro and Fran kept insisting that it should be higher up on the list). Our walking tour covered 2.5 miles of historical ground and the intricacies of the palace architecture combined with the fountains, gardens, and backdrop of the Sierra Nevadas made for one of the most humbling and awe-inspiring experiences I've ever had. As a side note, I thought it would be hilarious to walk behind Alejandro humming the Lady Gaga song every time there was a moment of silence, he didn't think it was as funny as I did.
Alejandro jaja
I can't get over how lucky I am to have the opportunity to be here in Spain and have experiences such as these. Furthermore, I have been so blessed by the ease with which friendships here have come! Perhaps my favorite thing about studying in Spain is that simply socializing with Spaniards truly is an extension of the classroom.... and oh how Spaniards love to socialize! Partying is built into program sponsored activities and even expected. For example, last weekend in Granada CIEE gave all of us 10 euros (like 13 bucks) to go out to get drinks and tapas Saturday night. It doesn't get much better than that! My week is also just peppered with Spanish-related activities outside the classroom, some fun, some work, but nonetheless all dedicated to achieving the same goal. The next few days look something like this:
Wednesday: 12-1, I requested a private tutor so I can get some extra practice in and refresh my memory on some basics
2-3, One of the guides at CIEE named lucia told me she loved my hair and subsequently asked if I wanted to get lunch with her so we can get to know each other. The more Spanish conversation the better!
5-7, Meeting with my intercambio, a really sweet girl named Sofia, to practice my Spanish and her English
9-10, My gastronomy interest group meeting where we're learning about something food related
Thursday: Class all day then meeting with Roman for tapas (he's my pseudo-intercambio/good friend) and later going out with one of our guides Fran (my absolute favorite) and some friends.
Friday: My Senora Inma heard I was going to see a tutor for extra practice and volunteered to teach me some herself (she used to be a teacher), so I'm bonding with her over Spanish grammar friday afternoon. So much learning!!
Alright, well I'm off to get a quickie run in before my next class tonight. Hasta luego! xo
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