The start of something new: welcome to Sevilla!

After more than 24 hours of traveling across the world and into a different time zone, I am happy and overjoyed to announce that I am finally in Sevilla!!!! I spent my entire Monday/whenever-the-days-melted-together-and-became- Tuesday with Marisa, one of my very best friends, traveling partner and home stay mate, and Meghan, my new friend who I have come to adore! After we parted ways with Meghan and other CIEE people at the airport, Marisa and I made it to our beloved Rosario’s house/apartment just around 9pm! We hopped out of the taxi and saw her standing out on her balcony waving at us! She buzzed us up and before you knew it we were standing in our new “home!”

After laying down the ground rules, Rosario (not to be called Madre or Rosie), set up a delicious pasta/salad dinner for Marisa and I. We learned that showering after 11pm is not allowed and although there are two showers, they must not be used at the same time. The toilet in the smaller of the two bathrooms, when flushed, sounds like it is about to flood the entire house. Laundry is done once a week and when I suggested Sunday, I was quickly informed that work on the weekend was not an option.

The dishwasher, microwave, oven and laundry machine are all placed in the kitchen and clothes are dried outside. When Marisa offered to clean her plate after dinner, Rosario said, “No! That’s what I have this machine for!” and promptly stuck it in the dishwasher. When I said, “I’m so excited that we’re all living together!” she simply shook her head and replied, “I don’t know…” I think I’m really going to like this 70-something-year-old firecracker…but I definitely don’t want to cross her.

[quote]Laundry is done once a week and when I suggested Sunday, I was quickly informed that work on the weekend was not an option.[/quote]

The weather was nice today but Rosario insisted that it is NOT summer in Sevilla and winter coats should be worn tomorrow. We started Orientation at 10am and Rosario kindly offered to walk Marisa and I to our meeting point, about 30 seconds away from our house. As Rosario hugged us goodbye at Orientation Marisa, Meghan and I met Pablo, our soon-to-be best friend for the semester. Pablo works with our program and as he fearlessly led us through the cold, but beautiful, streets of Sevilla today, he melted our hearts and won us over in just a matter of hours.

As we passed by a candy-filled store called “Wonkandy,” Pablo placed his hand over his heart and said in the sweetest voice, “Quiero vivir aqui.” (I want to live here). As we later made our way to his favorite cafe, he told us that he has hot chocolate with cornflakes in it every morning for breakfast! I think that’s probably why he is so sweet.

When the morning tour was finished, we returned home to have some beef and potato stew (although Rosario informed me that it was not stew/soup), fried fish, bread and salad for lunch. An apple served as sufficient dessert before we were on our way back out the door to meet up with Meghan, her roommate Kristen and their new friend Matt, English-born but currently lives in Milwaukee. After searching far and wide for the correct “El Corte Ingles,” because there are so many, we were finally able to find what we needed.

After a brief introduction session at the CIEE Center we made our way to La Casa de la Guitarra. What we saw and experienced during the performance was unlike anything I have ever seen before. The show started with one man playing guitar, quite beautifully. Shortly after, another man joined him on stage and began to clap loudly along with the beats/off beats, later singing. Next, a beautiful woman in a tight red and black Flamenco dress walked on from backstage and began to dance. The song was about pain and sorrow and her face looked every bit of it. Her movements were strong and purposeful as she awed the crowd with her beauty and confidence. The next songs she danced to were upbeat and more fun. I was mesmerized by her as she flowed across the stage.

Dinner was full of good food, new friends and endless laughter. Afterwards, we walked to an outside bar with our entire program group and sat in the cold Sevilla night making memories with our new friends and “familia.” Around midnight Marisa and I made our way back home and tried to be quiet as we entered and got ready for bed. Leggings will be worn under my pajama pants tonight, seeing as last night was very cold. I can’t wait to see what tomorrow has in store for us in our new little world of Casco Historico.