After our first day in Seville, CIEE took us to see Flamenco that night in the city.  I was so impressed by the skills of the guitarist, singer, and dancers.  Much of the performance was improvised, and it was exciting to watch.  Some parts of the dance almost reminded me of tap dance.  Below is one of the pictures I was allowed to take at the end.

We also visited ruins from the Roman Empire that were founded in about 205 B.C.  We saw a theatre and some mosaics that were rather intact for being about 2,000 years old!  It’s difficult to comprehend how old that really is.  The following picture is of one of these mosaics.

So, that along with the previous post was some of the culture…and here comes the culture shock.

First, let me begin by saying that I absolutely love the Spanish culture.  The music, food, people, and atmosphere are so amazing to be around.  I think what they will really teach me is to slow down.  Life shouldn’t be a race, and we should take time to enjoy it.  Siestas every afternoon from about 2-4 or 5 are a wonderful thing!  It is helping me to appreciate more and notice more. 

However, with a new place, language, and overall culture brings the inevitable culture shock.  It is very difficult to be thrown into a situation with so many unknowns.  While I am very lucky in my homestay placement, it doesn’t change the fact that everything is different.  I am surrounded by a beautiful, but extremely fast dialect.  Routines are completely different.  While I am used to eating a little continuously throughout the day with a large meal around 6 or 7, I must now eat a large meal at 2:15 and then a light one at around 10.  This is harder to adjust to than you might think.  It is also very difficult to find my way around the maze of small streets that is my neighborhood.  I am lost at some point almost every day.  The good news?  I’m not easily identified as a foreigner, which somehow makes me feel a lot safer.  I got severely lost on Friday, and an older Spanish woman guided me for about ten minutes.  She thought I was either Italian or French.  That same day, a Spanish man assumed I was a sevillana and asked me for directions, which was pretty cool!  I feel like I at least look like I fit in even if I don’t quite feel like it yet.  Oh yeah, and it’s a common thing to stare here.  It is not considered rude like it is in the U.S., so it is a little hard to get used to at first.  I get stares at some point just about every day, and one man hissed at me.  Yes, hissed.  These are things to adjust to!  I try to take everything as it comes and not compare it to home.  It is different, but that is okay and even great at times!  I’m trying to welcome change.

I definitely go through periods of being homesick throughout all of this.  I miss everyone back home a lot, but having my boyfriend here has been wonderful.  But I also miss some strange things that I never thought I cared about, such as ice in my water….who would have thought.  I think I’m going to start making a list.  It might be interesting/funny to read by the end!

Location: Seville, Spain