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Published: June 22nd 2011
1. Monday, June 6th
Breakfast of champions!I really should have written these up over the weekend, but getting online is such a hassle (I don't have wifi at the apartment & don't want to carry my laptop to some cafe). Besides, the first week was full of activities and kinda flew by. I don't really know how to summarize it, but here we go:
Monday, June 6th: After a quick breakfast, I rushed to the school, where everyone took a written & oral test to decide what level we needed to be on. It wasn't a horrible test, but they make me so nervous! Speaking, especially, is such a nightmare. You want to speak quickly because no one wants to sound like the idiot that pauses after every three words and says, "Uh... uh..." In the end, you make all these little elementary mistakes so that you still sound like an idiot! Learning a new language is a minefield. :/
Anyway, I got placed in an intermediate level, which was higher than I expected, and have lucked out to have the best teacher in the world! Seriously, you can tell that he really loves his job and that he works hard to teach us. Our
2. Monday, June 6th
Orientation tour - a statue in Plaza Nueva. other teacher Cinta was really great, too, in my 2nd week here, her father got sick so, we've had to have subs. :/ All-in-all, though, I'm really impressed with this school.
Oh! Also, on Monday, we went on a sort of orientation tour of the city with the cultural director of the school. It was completely in Spanish, which I think must be awkward/pointless for anyone who is a complete beginner. I wasn't even sure what he was saying half the time. :/ Well, the really funny thing is that a tv crew was following us around for a segment they were going to do about the school. My dream of being on Spanish TV will be realized! It was really strange, but I can't wait to see the video and how awkward we all looked, haha.
Wednesday, June 7th: The cultural program guy planned a Flamenco night for the school. In Spain there are peñas (special members-only clubs) for fans of... well, probably anything. I know there are peñas for different soccer teams, players, etc. Well, apparently, in Sevilla there is one for flamenco. The cultural guy (Javi) told us that, historically, the husband might meet with
3. Monday, June 6th
Orientation tour - a government building, I think. his peña for guys' night out and go watch flamenco. (Spain, I don't know... haha)
Well, this night a few of us meet up at a bar and, later, went with a guide down some crazy streets to find the place and watch the show. NOW, Javi talked like it was a big deal for us to go to the club, considering peñas are usually members-only deals. Well, we were sitting there and watching as all these people started to filter in and, my, my didn't they look touristy! I don't know if they have special nights for tourists, where they charge a fee, and make money for the bar/peña, but I don't think that many of the socios (peña members) were even there.
It was a good show, though! Unfortunately, the female dancer had hurt her ankle, but the male dancer put on a show. It was incredible. There was a lot of passion to all of it; the dancing, singing, guitar playing... ALTHOUGH, I couldn't help laughing when Vanessa (a girl, who I met, from Wisconsin) said that the guy dancing looked like Prince. hahaha, it still makes me laugh.
Thursday, June 8th There was
4. Monday, June 6th
Orientation tour - The same building/arch. I think he told us that if we (the girls) walked under the arch, we wouldn't get married & would have to go to the convent. Sorry, mom! He told us after the fact. :/ a special procession through the city. (Although, to be honest, when is there not a special procession/fiesta/something?) My Grammatics professor (Profe Guapo) took us out into the city to see some of it. I don't really remember the significance to be honest. It had something to do with people out of the city, who trekked all the way here and, I think, passed through Sevilla to somewhere else. (I will never be a Sevilla tour guide, as you can see.)
Friday, June 9th After class, Vanessa nd I decided that we should walk around the city and kinda see what there was to be seen. We didn't really have any plans, but were headed in a direction and just randomly decided to go see the Plaza de España because a girl from my class had suggested it. Neither of us had been that far out from the center of the city, so we took our time and made out way in that direction.
The really interesting thing about this day, though, is that a guy I met two years ago was in the city for vacation. I don't remember how long he was staying in the city, but
5. Monday, June 6th
Orientation tour - The cathedral Laura (the Spanish girl from Castellón, who I met 2 years ago) texted me that Rafa & their friend Eva were in the city and that I should look out for him. I though, "Oh, that would be funny!" but never, ever did I believe that I'd see him.
Well, Vanessa and I are making our way down a walkway towards Plaza de España and she was talking about something. I was watching the ground (as I usually do when I walk because I don't want to trip & fall on my face) and for whatever reason I looked up and saw two people walking in our direction. I must have been staring at him pretty obviously, because Vanessa stopped talking and I noticed her follow my gaze, haha. By that point, they had gotten pretty close to us so, I (with serious reservations because you don't want to be the idiot that mistakes a stranger for someone else!) said, "Rafa...?" to which he replied, "Courtney!"
haha, it was incredible! Seriously, I was so amazed and it was really nice to see a familiar face in a completely unfamiliar city. I mean, I know that I don't know
6. Monday, June 6th
Orientation tour - The cathedral him well because last time I could barely speak Spanish nor could I understand him, but it made me really happy to see him. I was giddy all day, afterwards. Unfortunately (or perhaps, fortunately, because after speaking English with the others, my Spanish goes back to crap), Eva and Rafa had just finished seeing Plaza de España and were headed to find food so, we had to go our separate ways, but this was definitely one of the best parts of my first week here.
♥
Courtney
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