This is a view of the roof of the “centro comercial” (shoping mall) de Nervi�n, a barrio in Sevilla about an hour walk from where I live. We went there to see a movie for our class, and I took a long walk there yesterday.

These are love locks, couples write their names on them, and put them on the bridge. It’s illegal, because I guess it’s considered a form of vandalism, but I think it’s super cute!

And another view from this bridge (Puente de Isabella II), one of my favorite places to stop and just take in the city every time I walk past.

Intercambios

I mentioned in an earlier post that we’re supposed to have groups that we practice Spanish and English with through CIEE, but because of the inconvenient timing of my group’s meetings on Thursday evenings, I’m either going to switch to another, or do it independently. I’ve met a number of Spaniards that would really appreciate some extra practice. The other day, I met a girl named Cuca (pronounced, KOO-KAH), who said she’d really like to have native English speakers to talk to, so hopefully we’ll start that soon.

Still a lot to Learn

Some days I feel like I have a pretty firm grasp on the Spanish language, and that I can express myself and communicate “bastante bi�n,” (well enough), but other times it’s the complete opposite. Apart from the issue of establishing a linguistic identity, and temporarily accepting it as a somewhat less sophisticated, less expressive version of the self, there are a number of things that hold the second-language speaker back. First off, having to ask native speakers to slow down and annunciate better (especially with the lazy, syllable-chopping dialect that is Sevillano!) gives us away, and the limited vocabulary, which sometimes makes me feel like I’m not quite understanding or explaining well enough. Aside from those things, there’s also the  issue of trying to stop the bad habit of improperly using false cognates – words in English that look like direct Spanish translations [or vise versa], but aren’t.  A few that I noticed Cuca, Randa and myself tripping over the other day were the words for “speak” and “talk,” and “hear” and “listen.” The word “hablar” (to speak) is meant to have the more general implication of using language, while “decir” (to talk, or say [something]) is used to mean something was, is, or can be said. Similarly, the difference between “escuchar” (to listen), which has an implication of intention attached to it, and “oir” (to hear) is pretty important when used in context. Telling someone, “No te escuch�” makes it sound like you weren’t listening, while asking someone to repeat himself by saying, “No te o�” generally makes more sense. However, with the wonderfully distracting touch of ADD that I live with, I often find myself using both with equal intention! :-p

Intensive Spanish Grammar: Done!

Our first class in Spain is over! It’s weird to think that I just earned credits for an entire semester in two weeks, but it’s nice that that’s what the intensive course is.  We went over all of the tenses and aspects of Spanish verbs in the short 10 days of class, with take-home, and in-class essay exams at the end of each week. We also had an assignment to go see a movie called, Silencio en la Nieve, which is a new historical fiction about Spanish soldiers fighting against the “Ejercito Rojo” in the forties. It was interesting, but very hard to follow, as my “oyente” isn’t very fine-tuned, and it was also just one of those days where I wasn’t feeling as able in Spanish. Watching shows and movies on tv certainly continue to help though, and hopefully I’ll go back to the “cine” (movie theater) sometime soon.

As for the rest of the semester, I got my “ahorrario de clases” (class schedule)! It’s not 1000% final, but I’m pretty sure I’ll end up taking everything I have planned right now

Definitely a lot less than “A Million Minutes in a Day”

Now that we’ve adjusted, and life in Seville is pretty regular, time is passing much more quickly. The days go by a lot faster, especially when we have set schedules to follow. That might change once I start normal classes – but it might only mean my days are fuller and go by even faster! Fortunately though, I’ll only have classes Monday through Thursday, which makes our weekends longer for traveling and getting work done. Speaking of which, I need to start making plans to take trips to other cities! Instead of going on a day trip to C�rdoba next weekend, Hannah and I decided to sign up for an overnighter in Granada, which should be pretty cool. We heard from another friend that it was a great time, and beautiful place to see. We also want to take a weekend in Barcelona, where Hannah’s stayed before for a different program, so we need to book our flights ASAP!

Fashion…Men’s, Women’s…both?

The fashion here is pretty typically European, based on what I know and have seen of the “EuroStyle,” as I like to call it. Women almost always wear heeled or wedged shoes or boots, nice pants or tights with a blouse or dress and this time of year, a nice heavy coat! It’s been suuper cold here, I don’t know why it’s not getting warmer, as I expected it to over the course of the semester. Anyways, rebajas are still going on in most places, and it’s fun to shop around for things I wouldn’t find in the States.

As for men’s wear: The other day, I saw a man wearing the EXACT same scarf that I have…did I get robbed somehow?! And not know about it?? And then I realized: couldn’t be, I left that scarf at home in the States! Men’s fashion ALMOST looks like women’s sometimes, something I noticed especially when I went into H&M on Friday. The men’s section was a floor between the two women’s, and there were a few items – a nice white sweater, some shoes, a (man) purse that struck me as particularly…feminine. But that’s just the metro style, and really, I love it! Despite the fact that many Americans seem to think the metro style looks or seems gay sometimes, it’s pretty easy to see the line between metro and homosexual here. It’s an interesting dynamic though, because I don’t think the stigma here about being gay is quite the same as that in the States. Truth be told, I’m not 100% sure the extent of that stigma in Europe, or Andalucia and the rest of Spain specifically. In our CIEE student handbook though, there was some info about it saying that people are accepting, but as with many other minorities, there’s not much censor against derogatory jokes – even if nothing is meant by them.

Cultural Norms: Flamenco, flamencos and flamencas!

More lately than before, we’ve been watching a lot of flamenco singing competitions on tv in our apartment, and I’m noticing how pertinent it is the culture here. It’s taken some adjusting, but I can appreciate the art pretty well now that I have some comparisons to make. A lot of “famosos” (famous people) appear on game and talk shows, and sing a cappella during the episode. It’s kind of funny to see grown men and women singing and dancing around in the middle of a show like a musical or something – it’s different, but very cool.

Aside from witnessing them on the tube, I had a pretty interesting cultural experience with my friend Carlos. He took me to a flamenco spot near where we live, and he kept pointing people out, telling me, “That guy’s on tv,” and “Those girls are models,” etc. “�Tantos famosos, que raro!” (So many celebs, it’s weird!). The place itself was pretty high-end. When you walk in, there’s a giant ornate golden flamenco dress with an enormous train on display in the main lobby. Then in the main room there’s reserved seating around the perimeter, standing tables, a bar, and of course, a stage, on which people were singing and dancing – more playfully than seriously, as I’m accustomed to seeing flamenco. There were also people dancing all over the place, around the tables and through the crowd, each seemingly moving to their own music, until the last note of a song would play, and everyone would simultaneously throw a hand in the air!

Location: Triana. Sevilla, Spain.