I decided blogging is like working out and not like
homework. You can’t procrastinate and let it pile up; you cannot reap benefits
that way. You have to do it in a certain timeframe for it to really count.
Nonetheless, I’ll continue with my way-late blogs. . . take it on if you can,
but maybe in pieces.
So this is still a catch up on October, but there is so much
more to share! Most importantly, the fact that my mom and stepdad came to
Sevilla! Knocking on the door of their hotel room the first time was so trippy
and surreal. We only had a weekend, but we made the most of it.
MAVON IN SEVILLA!
Thursday I had figured out a bus route to take us outside
the city center to find the Sevilla Harley store, for which Lavon is somewhat
of a groupie. However, did I mention they (and apparently I) were pretty tired?
We slept through the correct stop and ended up walking into some café-bar on a
dirt road to ask for help. Basically I had a great start as their tour guide.
We did eventually find the place, and met a guy there that had been to Kansas
City twice! Instant friendship. And discount. Back in the center I took them to
Plaza de España, one of my favorite spots, and we walked through a park
afterward. The parks in Sevilla are
honestly top-notch. I explored a new one just last week actually. There are
always lots of people and tiny dogs. Side-note: there are so many dogs in this
city and they are all SO SMALL. Guys in the past have complained about
girlfriends wanting tiny dogs because it “looks dumb” on a guy, and I thought
this was ridiculous. I understand now. They’re just so tiny. And in such a
bustling place, I’m honestly surprised there aren’t more casualties. Nonetheless,
they are consistently adorable.
Thursday night I took my parents to Las Setas, which is a
big, architectural, modern structure that is quite hard to describe but offers
great views of the city when you go to the top. In my first weeks here, I saw
and heard about a skyscraper being built by the river that was getting a lot of
negative response from the people of Sevilla because it “didn’t fit in” and “was
ugly” and other similar comments. I secretly thought it was somewhat of an
overreaction until I was on top of the Setas and saw the big picture for
myself. The thing looks terrible and violently interrupts an otherwise peaceful
city skyline that is short and beautiful because of its age.
A view of Las Setas
Friday my parents got to meet the one and only Mary Alice,
the lady who makes study abroad in Sevilla such a dream. We had breakfast with
her, Ashlyn, Gifton, and a TCU alum that has moved her life to Sevilla. I
ordered milk, but apparently it is served hot here, which was a surprise. Turns
out I love warm milk and it is now a regular thing for me. Don’t knock it ‘til
you’ve tried it. Afterward we toured the cathedral and a Muslim palace called
the Alcázar. Friday evening I took them to a flamenco show. Flamenco is the
tradition dance that arose in Andalucia, the southern region of Spain that
Sevilla is in. It’s super different but I like it and pretty much any Sevillano
knows the basics of how to dance it. They all get really into it and sweat a
lot because there is so much clapping and tapping. After the flamenco show was
dinner at a favorite tapas spot right on the river Guadalquivir. Ashlyn and
Gifton joined us and everything was of course quite tasty, with the added bonus
of awesome views from the terrace. Have I mentioned gofres yet? They are little
Belgium waffles but served as dessert with chocolate syrup and ice cream and we
had them for dessert on Friday. They’re pretty unbeatable. I’ll probably being
making single servings of waffle batter when I get home just for gofre.
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Saturday morning we had breakfast with my Sevilla parents
and Ashlyn. This was honestly such a cool moment. Ashlyn and I were translating
the whole time obviously because neither pair speaks hardly a word of the
other’s language and we were, in one sense, the only ones that really knew the
details of what was going on. Nevertheless it really seemed like everyone was
connecting/enjoying the company of the others! It seems like translating would be
such a cool job, and so important. The entire success of the interaction
depends on what words the translator chooses to represent an idea, and how they
objectively interpret the intentions of one party in order to convey them to
the other. Isn’t that crazy? It makes me think we should probably all learn
every language just to ensure our thoughts are accurately expressed to whomever
we’re talking with. Despite the importance I feel the language aspect has, a
lot can be said for gestures and facial expressions. I translated the words,
but the camaraderie happened elsewhere. I re-enforced this learning when in
Italy, but I would say that even when you don’t know the language of whomever
you’re talking with, you gain a lot by saying something in your native language.
Quite possibly your foreign conversation partner won’t understand you, but they
will pick up on your tone and facial expressions, and those will only be
natural if you speak what you know. Little philosophy of Jenna Wiles for you.
That one’s for free.
Right of me is Elisa and Monolo, my host parents.
The rest of Saturday
was chill. We meandered in a beautiful fresh market in my neighborhood, sat by the
river, ate some bomb paella for lunch, and just relaxed until departure time.
I’m really excited to be able to just sit in each other’s company again when I
get home, this is for sure. I miss that. I accompanied them to the train
station to see them off, because I wanted to make sure everything went
smoothly. This is funny to me because Lavon has been to so many countries, and
they made it to Sevilla just fine so they can obviously manage, but there I was
showing them their train platform. THEN my mom gets all “do you know how to get
home and everything?” which is also hilarious because I have lived in Sevilla
for several weeks, frequented this train station, and successfully made it to
and from multiple other countries since I last saw her. I don’t blame her,
because it probably felt like the right thing to do, as did chaperoning them to
the station, but in all practicality, it’s a little funny on both sides.
(thanks for caring about me Momma!). I did in fact make it home, but the ride
was lonelier than I thought it’d be. Parents are the best and I really had
missed/still do miss mine.
CORDOBA AND GRANADA
Believe it or not, even more things happened in October. In
the weekdays it was class and hanging out with my unbelievably wonderful host
family, roommate, and Spanish friends/acquaintances. There was also a strike at
the university one day. It felt like senior skip day but I was the junior. Most
of the Spanish students didn’t come, either because they had an excuse not to
or actually supported the strike, but the American students really have no
stake in the matter so we and about 6 other people came to campus that day. But
the next weekend, there was an excursion to two other cities in Andalucia: Córdoba
and Granada.
Córdoba is most known because there you will find La
Mezquita. This structure was a mosque but later turned into a temple and then a
cathedral and at one time there were Muslims, Jews, and Christians all
worshiping there together. My host mom calls it a monument to humanity and it
is actually pretty cool. The most outstanding feature is these red and white
arches that fill the whole place. In richer years of expansion they were
constructed with brick and stone and in poorer years the red was just painted
on. The bridge to cross the river to La Mezquita still has the original Roman
pillars holding it up. I am not one to get too excited about history, but this
stuff was cool. After this visit, the small group of us went with our guide to
Granada. Our guide, Luis Miguel, was stellar. He is a history teacher but has
been out of work for a few years so he picked up this job as a trip guide. He’s
great at it because of his honest passion for the history of Spain, but I know
he wants to teach again. He told us how hard he is trying to learn English to
help get a job, but it is so frustratingly hard and most of his classmates are
teenagers. I really admire his drive. I’ve spent a lot of minutes here thinking
about my chance placement into a country where I learned English from birth,
when so many are giving anything to learn it.
Inside La Mezquita
The city of Granada was an instant love. It is right by the
Sierra Nevada mountains and if things work out I’ll be returning again this
semester. We had such little time there and it is a cool place. There is
something about being by mountains, you know? I really loved it. It has the
same tiny streets and café con leche, but way different weather and views. It
also has La Alhambra! This thing is AMAZING. It is a Muslim palace from when
Granada was the Muslim capital of the Iberian peninsula. Super old and super
beautiful. It is on top of a hill overlooking the rest of the city and has
expansive gardens that we had the pleasure of walking through in perfect
weather. Second to Sevilla, of cities in Spain I think I would most like to
have studied abroad in Granada.
the Alhambra from afar
Granada from the Alhambra
Gardens!
HALLOWEEN
As for the last day of October, aka Halloween, it is
celebrated here. This only began less than a decade ago and is entirely a copy
of the American holiday that is projected in movies and shows. One lady I spoke
with said no one really knows why they do it here, Spaniards just like any
reason to have a party. Out in the streets that night, you could tell who was
American and who Spanish by the costumes. Spaniards almost all go the
traditional route (witches, ghosts, zombies, skeletons, vampires) whereas
costumes in the States are highly varied and based on anything. Or sometimes nothing.
Okay, you and I desperately need this post to end because it
is largísima (. . . really long) but hopefully another will be coming soon. It
is December tomorrow after all.
It’s a great day in Sevilla, and I hope you are having a
great day wherever you are as well!
Jenna
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