Sorry for not blogging the past couple of days. I haven't really done anything exciting so I haven't had much to blog about. But I figured I would kind of change paces and write a little bit about random/fun stuff and stuff that I've learned since being here.
1) I forgot to mention that when we went to the beach, that we had to PAY to use the "public" restrooms there. We had gone to Italica beforehand, so most of us didn't have our bathing suits on yet, so we had no choice but to pay to change in the restrooms. It was the equivalent of $1.30 just to go in! How ridiculous! Random, but just thought I would mention it.
2) Every day at lunch our senora has the radio on while we eat. For some reason it reminds me of when I was younger and used to stay at grandma's with all the cousins. I remember watching the 12:00 news (WRAL of course) while we ate, and here its the 2:00 news and it's on the radio. But it still brings back lots of memories. Our senora listens to the news and every once in a while will comment on something that they say. It reminds me of grandma commenting on stuff on the news. Except here I'm eating tuna and omelets and at grandma's I would be eating fried chicken and pastry.
3) Time is different here. And I mean besides the fact that breakfast is at 9, lunch is at 2:30, and dinner is at 8:30. The Spanish lifestyle is slower. Let me explain. Americans work too much and enjoy life too little. (I know you'll appreciate that statement Mom). But it's true and my senora will happily tell you that. I remember having a conversation with her during the first week or so we were here. She was asking if I had a job and stuff and said that she sincerely hoped that I didn't work too much. She said that life was short and it wasn't worth having all the money in the world if you couldn't enjoy life. The funny thing is that most Americans would interpret her saying "enjoy life" as some kind of spending money. But that's not what she meant at all. She was referring to time spent with family and friends. One of the sole purposes of tapas (when Spaniards go out after dinner to socialize and eat "appetizers") is to spend time with friends. It's so nice to go out, enjoy this nice weather, and have good food and better company. I know I'm really going to miss that aspect of Spanish life once I get back.
4) My senora is spoiling me rotten. Note: I do realize that she is getting paid to do this, but at the same time I feel that she goes above and beyond what she gets paid to do. Again, let me explain. Not only does she cook for us, she refuses to let us help with the dishes. She even takes the time to ask what we like and do not like to eat. She adapts our meals to make sure that it's food that we enjoy eating. She washes our clothes. She even irons them for us. I told her not to worry about it (I mean I can't even remember the last time I ironed my clothes), but she insists on doing it anyways. She even ironed my jeans the other day. She gives us clean sheets WAY more often than I would change my sheets at home. She cleans our room and our bathroom at least every other day. If I don't make my bed in the morning (which is rare), it will be perfectly made when I get home from class. But the thing that means the most is the fact that she treats us like part of her family. She realizes and understands that we are far away from home and without our families. So she gives us hugs and makes sure to ask us how our day has been. She is genuinely interested in our lives and asks us just as much about our lives back home as she does about our lives here in Sevilla. She makes sure that she knows where we are going when we leave and when we plan to return (now, some may see this as a little overbearing, but for me it is her being protective over us--which I don't mind at all).
5) The coffee here is amazing. I don't normally drink much coffee, but it's so strong here that I love it. I still only drink it every once in a while (I think I've had it 4 times since I've been here), but I definitely like Spanish coffee better than I like American coffee. And what's Spanish coffee without a good conversation and great friends? Every cup MUST be enjoyed in good company! :)
6) The fruit here is the best I've ever had. There's just something about it. I'm not sure if it's the freshness of it or what, but I am officially addicted to Spanish fruit. I have eaten more plums in the last 2 days than I think I've eaten in my entire life. I can't say the same for peaches, but only because of the large amount of peaches I've eaten from our orchard at home. Oh, and I don't normally eat many nectarines, but they are SO good here. I've definitely eaten my fair share of just about every fruit available here in Spain.
7) I've learned that the simplest dish can be turned into something elegant. For instance, today for lunch we had pasta. All it was was pasta, broccoli, garlic, and olive oil - really simple, right? I don't know how she does it, but she makes it seem like the best meal in the entire world, EVERY time we eat. Maybe it's just because our senora is a phenomenal cook. But I doubt it (not to say she isn't, because she definitely is). I think it goes back to the value placed on conversation and time spent together. Every meal is spent sharing about our day, our family, the news, or something of value. Now, I can't say that it's much different from the way I grew up, because my parents always placed a lot of importance on eating together and sharing a meal together. However, I know that this is becoming less and less common in American homes, and that saddens me.
Now, I have definitely learned more than these 7 things since being here. But, for now, that is all I'm going to share. :)
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