Orientation slows to a crawl

I never thought I would say this, but I cannot wait for classes to start. We started the week with days packed full of activities and have slowed to only one activity per day. So what have I been doing with all my free time? Relaxing like never before :)

Friday afternoon I registered for classes. They haven't officially placed us in the classes yet but this is what I signed up for:
- Women Writers in 20th Century Spain
- Flamenco in Andalusia: Culture, Language, Music, and Dance
- Introduction to Spanish Literature: The Middle Ages
- The Art of Islamic Spain
The first two are classes directly through CIEE, which I will be taking with other CIEE students in our academic building. The second two are clases para extranjeros (classes for foreigners) at the University of Seville. These classes will be in the University but will be taken with students from different study abroad programs. I ended up deciding not to direct enroll in any University classes with Spainards because the registration process is much more complicated and I wasn't able to get the information to Hope before I signed up. Also, I would have to stay until December 23rd (at the earliest), which is calling it a little too close for returning to JFK airport by Christmas. I love Spain but I think by then I will be ready to see my wonderful family.

Friday night we went to the CIEE center and checked out all the local opportunities to get involved. I picked up some information about taking flamenco classes. But tomorrow I'm going over the Academica de Danza de Sevilla (which is, of course, at the complete opposite end of the city) to enroll in a jazz class. It will be an hour and a half twice a week and hopefully I'll meet Spainards there! I'll have to see how my schedule works out and I might do a month of flamenco at some point but I will have to do it at a different studio. Anyway, Friday night I went for leisurely tapas and churros con chocolate with some friends that are living in the Residencias (dorms that they share with Spanish students). It was delicioussss and way better than their mystery vegetables and mystery pizza with hot dog looking meat on it.

Saturday morning we went for a scavenger hunt around Sevilla with our orientation group. This is where my "asking" personality comes in handy. Yes, Jackie and Rachel, some people appreciate it! When presented with these extremely obscure facts about locations to take pictures at, I quickly found a cute old man to help us while other people asked the policeman. When I was leaving he goes, "Adios guapa! (Bye beautiful!)." I love cute old people :)
The sites were at the extreme ends of Sevilla so we didn't get many of them but it was fun to walk around with other students and see some different parts of the city. At the end of the scavenger hunt they ended up using my camera to take a group picture of our program. Yay for my SLR.

Our group at Parque Maria Luisa. This park is right across the bridge from my house.

CIEE Liberal Arts, Fall 2010

This morning we went to Itálica, which are the Roman ruins right outside of Sevilla. It was really interesting to learn about the direct connection Sevilla had to Rome while the Italians were living there. Itálica had a theater for 25,000 people because many Romans lived around the city and would come in for the events.

Teatro

Most of the ruins were reduced to a foot or two of walls, but some of the floors had been preserved extremely well. This floor had the icons of different Gods, each representing a different day of the week. The traits of the God then transferred to the characteristics of each day of the week.

Floor of one of the houses.

Itálica was only about 15 minutes away from Sevilla so we were able to make the trip this morning and still be back for the rest of the day. After lunch with my señora (tortilla española with peppers) I took a nap and woke up around 4:45. By 5:30 I had worked up the courage to go for a run, at which point I realized it was still 95 degrees out. But I endured the heat and ventured deeper into Los Remedios (my neighborhood) and ran through the Parque de Maria Luisa, which was beautiful. Unfortunately, I sweated for the next two hours. Oh well, it was definitely worth it.

I start my grammar intensive course tomorrow. We have it from 12-3 everyday for the next two weeks and our final is next Saturday. I'm excited to start some sort of structured living again since I don't quite know enough about the city to occupy all this free time. You know I need something to do when I am watching High School Musical en Español.

“Traveling is a brutality. It forces you to trust strangers and to lose sight of all that familiar comfort of home and friends. You are constantly off balance. Nothing is yours except the essential things – air, sleep, dreams, the sea, the sky – all things tending towards the eternal or what we imagine of it.” – Cesare Pavese

I am so thankful for everyday of this experience, but it comes with the sacrifice of friends and family whom I hold near and dear. I'm having the time of my life but not without wishing I could share it with the people who mean so much to me. Much love from Spain.