Mi Ciudad Tercera (después de Seattle y Portland)

This past week or so in Spain has made me realize how accustomed to my life in Seville I've become. I may be living across the ocean but I don't feel like I'm somewhere so far away anymore. I call the house I live in "mi casa" and my hostmom "mamá" when I'm referring to them at school or with my friends. Also my friends here have pretty much become my family, it is like freshman year in the dorms- you get close to people very fast when you spend all your time with them. I feel more at ease going places by myself and I now know where to buy all the necessities and random items such as a flashlight or camera charger. It's not so easy at first, because there are all kinds of little specialty stores, pastelería for sweets, droguería for shampoo, zapatería for shoes, etc. The prices are steep though- I couldn't find sunscreen for under 12 euro! I guess it makes sense to overprice necessities- you have to buy them no matter what. I miss Bartells and Target! I have also begun to feel less intimidated by the elegance of the Spanish. Yes, they may be gorgeous in their heels, pencil skirts and blouses with their toddlers dressed up in ironed skirts and peacoats, but they still aren't so different from us. Those perfectly dressed children still scream and whine for candy, the mothers still look exasperated (probably more so because they are walking in 2 inch heels and the husbands don't seem to help out much). The point is, we're all the same, and the Spanish don't seem so foreign and elegant to me anymore.

My friends and I have also been trying to immerse ourselves more in the Spanish culture, especially the tapas and bar scene. Last week I went to get tapas at the oldest bar in Seville (built in 1670!) in one of the oldest neighborhoods, filled with beautiful old churches and restaurants. My art history teacher is actually the one who showed us this bar, while we were on a walking tour of the churches. It was a very cute place and we ate the tapas just like the Spanish: standing up around an empty wooden beer barrel with an array of dishes. We had espinacas con garbanzaos (cooked spinach with garbanzo beans), bacalao en tomate (fish), queso puro de oveja (sheep cheese), tortilla de champiñón (mushroom omelet) and more. For dessert we ordered flan and a cheesecake that would have made me love the place on its own. It was all delicious, and even with beverages, the three of us only paid 7 euro each. In order to be a true tapas connoisseur, my friend Claire and I are trying another tapas bar in that area this week to compare.

Also this last week we explored a new area of bars, actually pretty close to the Rinconcillo. The nieghorhood is called Alfalfa and we were told it is full of young people. After a pretty lengthy walk to the Alfalfa barrio(neighborhood), we were met by a scene almost resembling Cádiz: the plaza was packed full with young Spaniards drinking out in public. I didn't exactly want another night like Carnaval, so we passed, and found a bar where we could try "Agua de Sevilla" (literally means Sevilla water) which we'd been told was delicious. The bar that sold the Sevilla agua actually sold all kinds of aguas and we chose a couple to share as a group. They were all pitchers of mixed drinks including different kinds of juices, shots and even beer in one of them (the Agua de Alemania (Germany) of course). It was a fun experience and a very bustling bar, so we drank our Agua and cheered to my friend Irena's 20th birthday.

On Friday we took a trip to Córdoba, about an hour and a half away from Sevilla. We spent the day touring the Alcázar (palace) and the Mezquita (mosque) both of which were incredibly beautiful. The Mezquita of Córdoba is world famous and the interior artwork and construction is incredible: The entire mosque is soported by double arches of alternating red brick and white stone- it's hard to describe without seeing it...you can look at my photos, but it still won't portray what I saw and felt there. I think I'd be more religious if I were European, just because the churches and Mosques are so beautiful and have so much more interesting history and context than in the states. Other than the monuments, there wasn't much to see in Córdoba: it was clearly a tourist destination, I think for the first time since I've been here, Americans were in the majority!

I have a lot to look forward to for the rest of my time here: the beach next weekend, Granada the weekend after that, Barcelona with Claire for the first half of spring break, Semana Santa for the second half of spring break, and then my parents coming!! I have a feeling this last month and a half are going to fly by. I can't wait to see you all again, the hardest part of being here is missing people. But I only get to study abroad in Spain once, so I am living it up while I have the chance :)