Ronda Pics

Pics

The brother's visit:  

Some sangria before the Sevilla v. Barcelona Game

 

Top of the Giralda

Contemplating...

Mati just sat with me as I ate dinner and we chatted about Libya, bums on the street, and why you shouldn't swim in the Sevilla river.  She also told me I could live with her forever.  I may just take her up on that offer...

Hair

I have a new obsession.  Long hair.

Hair is a status symbol here in Sevilla.  The prettiest girls are the ones with long, luscious locks- dark, parted down the middle and hanging to their mid backs.  It's like an accessory- a bag, earrings, and perfect hair.  It isn't done up or anything- it's completely natural.  Curly, wavy- they don't even try.  My hair is dark and thick- just waiting for it to grow out a little more.  I haven't put it up in a pony tail in a while- what's the point?  The messier it is, the cooler I am.  Right before I left, I almost chopped it all off.  I was in one of those "moods."  I couldn't be happier to have it now.  I notice a lot of girls have two bobby pins in their hair to pin back the wildness from their faces.  Is it bad that I just stare at it?  I can't help it- I'm infatuated with the idea.  It's so beautiful.

Sunday

Bed at 6, woke up at 2, "breakfast," and then laid out by the rio ALL DAY with my roommate Kirsten and our friend Leann who lives two doors down from us in the same apartment building.  It has been pretty cold in Sevilla and today, the cold broke.  The sun was glorious.  There were hundreds of people along the river drinking all day long.  It chilled me out to see people enjoying life instead of fretting about every little thing. 

We ate ice cream, sunflower seeds, and drank some cervesas.  It was really the perfect Sunday. 

Saturday

I am currently sitting in a cafeteria-like room lined with long tables and blue chairs on either side.  It's 3:00 on a Saturday and about 20 university students are scattered around the room doing whatever homework they have.  I was determined to be semi-productive this morning after going to sleep at 5 and waking up at 2 to eat "breakfast," which really consisted of a spinach-garbanzo bean dish, chicken, and an orange.  Mati is away for the weekend so Duna, her daughter who lives with us (she's about 40), is making our meals.

So after lunch, I packed my backpack without knowing where I really wanted to go, but with one goal in mind: actually do work for the first time this semester.  It's about 70 degrees outside when I left my room which made me automatically smile.

I figured I'd try the Derechos library because it's closest to me.  I walk to the front of the entrance to see that all the doors are locked.  Come on, Sevilla, people must work on Saturdays!  A girl with a Bimba & Lola bag comes by to where I am standing- it's obvious she wants in on the library today, too.  She doesn't have a card to open the gate so I walked around the building and called out to a couple sitting in the courtyard inside of the gates.  "Como puedo entrar la biblotecha?  No tengo una tarjeta!"  They responded, "Afuera (pointing to the gate that I just came from)- necesitas esperar."  It was pretty cryptic advice.  I just wanted them to open the gate!

I go back to the gate and deliver the news to my new friend.  Just then, the gate opened.  Like magic!  (or like the security guard finally saw us).  Another girl came running as we were about to close the gate behind us so I kept it open for her to enter.  I honestly had no idea where I was going once I entered the courtyard.  Is there even a library inside?  Thankfully these two girls seemed to know what they were doing so I followed.  "Hay una bibliotecha adentro?" I asked the girl who I held the gate open for.  "Si, sigame" she said.  We went down a flight of stairs, through a bathroom, and ended up here.  The girl asked me where I was from.  I guess it's pretty obvious with my accent.  She said she lives with 4 American students but they don't take classes at the university.  I don't know what this experience would have been like if I wasn't directly enrolled at the University of Seville.  My spanish would not have been so great and I wouldn't have so many stories.

And so here I sit.  Nothing is making me want to do this tarea, but I must.  I miss my brothers- we had a crazy week together.  They just left yesterday morning.  We walked all around the city, I showed them all of the sights, and we spent some good quality time together.  My favorite was walking with Rico through the center and singing songs like we usually do.  And Adam being like my dad, buying way to much food, cracking jokes, and making me feel like I was at home.  Alison, Adam's girlfriend, also came.  She's the best- equally as funny and crazy as Adam (which is hard to find).

I slept in the hotel they were staying at all week, the Melia Sevilla.  Nothing like a real shower, in comparison to the Mati shower which has constantly changing water temperature.  Rico, Adam, and Alison met Mati and Luiqui.  It was an hysterical sight.  For the first time in my life, my Spanish surpasses Adam and Eric's, and that's saying something!  Mati was so excited to meet them and just rambled on and on in Spanish to them.  Rico said he understood about 50% of what she ways saying.

Mati also gave Rico a key chain light so he can see in the dark.  Adam said that when Mati laughs he just wants to kiss her.  It's true- she's too adorable for words.  Adam brought Mati red wine and a flower to thank her for the bocadillos she made for us when we went to the futbol game on Sunday (Sevilla v. Barcelona- tie score in the end).  It was great to see my two worlds collide.

Rico also met Belen.  Me and her were bbming all week trying to make it work out.  Mati thinks Rico is the most handsome boy ever and kept asking him if he had a girlfriend- "para Belen!" she kept saying.  Having the brothers come all the way from NY to see me made me feel like the luckiest girl in the world.  Everyone on my program who met them loves them, and for good reason.  They gave me just the encouragement I needed to finish out this program by showing me how much progress I have made up to this point.  I could never have done it without you, guys.  I love you so much!

But back to reality.  Or, well, semi-reality.  A girl sitting across from me has a shirt that says "NICE" on it. 

Just a taste of a class at the University

Enjoy the notes I took in class today.  What I gathered from a 1.5 hour lecture:

3/10/11

Fin de tema 5  y del primer parte del semestre

·      Se encuentran las respuestas- gran ideología es interpretación de la realidad.  Nada neutral, nada inocente.  No piensen en ideológicas políticas.  Ideológica – visión desenfocada.  Desverdad la realidad.  Algunos científicos- manejo la discurso ideológica.  Tipo de expresiones populares continudeo de mensaje ideológico. (T.3)

·      Pantalla rodea- representación de la realidad.  La visión del mundo.   Zonas preferentes, partes centrales- imágenes mas impactantes.  Caso de hoy: trabajo y genero- metáfora forma parte de un espacio centralizado.  Fuerte mentalidad de trabajo en un vida social.  En esta zona donde es importante- el espectador puede ver todo?  Dentro de ella- relación estaría en la esquema de decisiones concretas de valores, sentares, discusión ideológico del trabajo.  Importancia de ideológica en la construcción de cosmovisión. 

·      Asignación del trabajo domestica.  En los medios de comunicación.  Crímenes pasionales son prácticamente gratuitos?  Cárcel?  Carga y la responsabilidad de criar a los hijos.  Discurso ideológico- patriarcalita.  Cualquiera versión ideológicas,  justificar.  Darle argumentos.  Respuestas- son argumentos- explicativos- que generan parecen mental. Participan tus preguntas y ofrecen una repuesta. 

·      Ideológico de genero: informas de pensamientos.  Prácticos.  En este asignatura- la materia básico son practicas sociales. Al final, anth de trabajo- aplica en la análisis del trabajo y los procesos del trabajo.  Que tipo de sistema de control?  Alcanzar este conocimiento.  La ética de cada uno es una regla importante.  He determinados marcos de referencia.

o   Derechos humanos debate- 1978.  Constitución.  Este debate sobre genero- hay determinado intenciones.  Debate para algunos de resolución entre el respecto a la tradición y a los derechos humanos.

§  Territorios de África- anteponerse.  Ideas occidental.

§  Ejemplo: castigar una familia que Utila una niña?

·      Relación directa entre trabajo y salario.  Construcción de capitalismo es salario.  Argumento central de argumento legitimo de “trabajo trabajo.”  Es visible- intercambio.  La único fuerza de trabajo que tiene un titulo del capitalismo.  La forma mas extendida (widespread form).  El salario no retribuye al valor. 

o   Invisible (http://www.greenleft.org.au/node/893)- si no es pagado, no es trabajo.  Voluntario.  Esta extendido en la sociedad.  No visible podía ser una importante de la economía informal.  20% no es visible- pagan un salario que no esta incorporado en la población.  Dinero negro.   

§  Trabajo domestico es invisible- responde a una modelo de contrición social.  Papeles y roles distinto.  Correspondiente a la hierachy social.  Discriminación?  Roles inferiores.  No se reconoce.

§  2.  Esta integrado en un discurso donde la naturaliza es una división del trabajo.  Personas tratando justificar la división- cuerpo de hombre? Segmentación de roles.

§  Trabajo domestico- residencia del grupo domestico y que tiene que ver conjunto.  Tarea de restauración.  Prestación de esta tarea invisibilizada.  Pero, glorificada.  Conjunto de obligaciones.  y trabajo adomesido (SP?): Termina utilizando.  Como espacio…ya, en una destino distinto.  Trabajar en la calle en vez de la casa. 

§  Historica- cupla de capitalismo. Funcional en la sistema de capitalismo.  Conjunto de servicios- incumbir.  Servicios necesarios.  Si el capital contrata una persona, todo los dias 8-6 trabajar en condiciones.  El estado no esta un régimen de propiedad publica.

·      Ejemplo- revolución en China.  Cuando trabajaba en Canada. Socializados- colectivos.  Para el esfuerzo de trabajo.  Guraditamente están soportadas por el estado y el estado providencia que se proporcionado.

London & updates

It’s strange that my life here is becoming more and more normal to me.  I have a daily routine, have fallen in love with Mati, participate in class, and have made friends.  My Spanish is improving so much- I feel like once I took the pressure of myself to become fluent, the words started flowing much easier.  I used to beat myself up if I couldn’t communicate like I could in English.  I’d be in a class and if the professor spoke too quickly, I’d blame myself for not understanding.  “Sam, you’ve been taking Spanish for 15 years, what’s wrong with you!?”  I just had to accept the fact that everyone learns at a different pace and in a different way.  For me, 15 years of Spanish class wasn’t going to give me the tools necessary for idiomatic success- it’s the complete emersion that I needed.   I have learned more in the past two moths about the Spanish language than I have in the past 15 years, combined.  Adam gave me some great advice the other day.  He said to just go for it- just speak.  I’ll make a mistake, that’s a given, but who cares?  When will I see these people again?  When will I be in Spain again?  When will I be the only person in the class who isn’t from Spain?  Never.  So I started to talk more, and take myself a little less seriously.  It has helped me immensely.

My grammar teacher, Juan, always says that when we think and talk in English it’s like we’re driving a high-speed jet plane.   We can get wherever we want quickly and with ease.  In Spanish, however, we’re on foot.  We take the long route.  It’s frustrating to think at the speed of a jet but have to talk at a snails pace.  I think I’m walking briskly now.  I find myself using the verbs “tener” and “hacer” a lot- without even thinking.  Like if I have to explain something, those are my go-to verbs.  I feel like I can explain just about anything with those two words, and “ir” and “venir.”  It’s all becoming clearer.  Mati was right, “poco a poco.”

Speaking of Mati, I can’t express how obsessed with her I am.  I really feel like she understands me.  Kirsten has a late class two days a week so Mati sits with me as I eat dinner and we chat it up.  Last week, we were talking about getting older.  I compared the process to fine wine and she started laughing hysterically.  “Poco a poco- mira, ahora sabes todo!”  She remembers a lot, too.  We were talking about being forgetful- and she said that I was!  I quickly responded, “Yo? Porque yo?”  She recalled the first time that we met in the lobby of Hotel Bequer.  Luisa, one of the directors of my program, said I needed to show my passport before I could leave the hotel.  I didn’t really remember where I put it and started shuffling through my stuff to find it like a crazy woman.  She also recalled a morning a few weeks ago where I couldn’t find my keys and was shuffling through my bag in the kitchen.  She’s so right- I’m a mess. 

Mati and some huge vegetable Luiqui brought home from the market

During one of our dinners together, I asked her if I should join a club at the university to meet people.  She looked at me like I had ten heads.  “Porque?  Eres una chica agradable y muy abierta.  Sólo necesitas sonreir y decir hola!  Como te llamas? “  So that’s what I did the next day.  Now, I have a whole row of people I sit with in my derechos humanos class- one girl from Italy, one from Sweden, and one guy from Germany.

Mati also hates cooking.  Every day I offer to help her clean/cook and she refuses.  I actually wouldn’t mind it at all.  I kind of want to learn how to cook so when I live in the city with katerg3 this summer, I can cook for us.  Mati makes the BEST homemade paella.  We ate that for lunch, some pringa (http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pring%C3%A1) and a big juicy orange.  Heaven on earth.

So I’ve been traveling a lot lately.  I went to London this past weekend.  I fell in love with the place.  It’s so beautiful- clean- friendly- English.  I missed idiomatic familiarity.  I stayed with Jill, one of my sorority sisters, in her dorm/apartment in Gloucester, a beautiful neighborhood along the Circle Line.  She made me a little bed on her floor out of couch pillows.  I slept so soundly.  I really liked her two roommates, too.  She had her own bathroom with a real shower.  My time in Europe has made me appreciate good hot showers (Mati’s shower is kind of unpredictable with water temperature/doesn’t drain). 

Jill, Jenna, Katie, and I explored the city.  One day, Jill and I walked all along the water and hit up every tourist attraction.  She’s really the best- I had a great time with her.  Very upbeat and happy- it rubbed off on me. 

The best part of London for me was seeing “Love Never Dies,” the sequel to “Phantom of the Opera.”  It’s not playing in America yet, so seeing it in London was so cool.  Sierra Boggess, the actress who played Ariel in the Little Mermaid on Broadway, plays Christine in this production and we were lucky enough to catch her last performance.  The New York Times said the production was like drawing a mustache on the Mona Lisa, but I really enjoyed it.  Everyone was really into the show, too.  I have seen many many musicals but never encountered an audience as into a show as this one.  The excitement was infectious.

I also loved that Melissa, the old president of AEPhi, was also in London the same weekend as us.  It was great to see her- she’s a riot.  Me, Jenna, KRD, and MAS sat in a department store café in London and just talked about AEPhi for two hours.  It was so nice- it was like we were in the AEPhi kitchen again, BSing over Chocklay’s Sunday brunch omelets.

The last day I was in London, KRD, Jill, Jenna and I went to Oxford for the morning.  That was super fun- I felt like I stepped into a Harry Potter book.  I also ate my first bagel in three months there.  I almost started crying. Pictures below!

Great market in London- Jenna and I got some great veggie burgers here

Globe theatre! 

We owe a lot to this guy...

Rico, look!  

Fish & chips!

Portobello Market in Notting Hill

 

Buckingham Palace

 

Oxford

Like a movie...