A Tourist in My Own City

I was held back in Sevilla this weekend for yet another class field trip. As fate would have it, the field trip to McDonalds (of all places) was cancelled, due to scheduling conflicts (of course). Our professor promised us a make-up visit in the near future, in place of a class period. Let’s hope McDonald’s pulls through.

So I was left celebrating the end of midterms in good ol’ Sevilla. Like the tourist I am, I made sure I made the most of my weekend at home…packed from Thursday afternoon (post Finance) until Sunday afternoon.

As you are well aware, this past Thursday was St. Patrick’s Day (and the last day of midterms). As the (metaphorical) bell rang at 4:30PM, my classmates and I rushed out of our Finance classroom and quickly made our way to O’Neils, one of the few Irish Pubs in Sevilla.  When we arrived, we found fellow classmates already comfortable in their outdoor seats, with face paint and St. Patty’s Day hats to get the celebrations started with a bang (see pictures). We spent the whole night chatting about how glad we were to have ended the LONG week, but how sad we were to hit the HALFWAY mark in our study abroad program.  Turkish food and a U2 cover band were also included in the night’s mix.

(Side note: At some point during the night, I realized that it was on this day, one year ago, that I was celebrating St. Patty’s Day with a group of wonderful Kelley’s in GHANA, AFRICA! Here’s a shout out to some of my favorites…and the great memories created that spring break…see below!)

The next morning (Friday), while the rest of my peers were recovering from the previous night’s festivities, I was woken up by BW (at 9:30AM mind you) to finalize plans for that morning. I scurried out of bed, ate some cereal and was out the door for a day of exploring. BW, CR and I were off to Triana to visit its famous market, el Castelo de San George and the Feria Grounds (Feria is a HUGE festival held in Sevilla during April). Friday night, we had coffee with some intercambios (Spanish friends) and practiced our Spanish (while they practiced their English). I also caught up on trip planning, skyping and some cleaning.

Saturday CR and I headed to Plaza de Espana to soak in Spain’s history…and of course a LOT of sun.  That day temperatures hit a high of 88F (yes, I’ve got a healthy glow) and was perfect for touristy fountain and garden pictures. BW joined us for a stroll through the beautiful Parque de Maria Luisa.  We continued the day walking around el Centro and then ended the night with a Tapas Crawl (trademarking that name…it’s the most creative idea I’ve come up with). The three of us and KS went from Tapas Bar to Tapas Bar trying new dishes. BW was the bravest of us all having Octopus, Bull’s Tail and Dogfish (Squid) all in one night. 

My biggest accomplishment of the weekend took place on Sunday. I went on yet another Senderismo (hike), except this one was NINE miles long, in the Northern Sierras of Huelva.  Little did I know that when the program ups the number of miles, it also ups the difficulty level of the route. Oh my, did I struggle at some points of the hike, but I was lucky enough to have three wonderful hiking buddies (MF, AS and EH) to motivate me for five hours. Thank you girls! My words wouldn’t do justice to the beauty I witnessed that afternoon…so check out these pictures!



I’m grateful for having the opportunity to learn more about my city over the past two weekends, but I’m itching to start traveling again. This Globe-Trotter has a packed itinerary for the next 5 weeks (I’ll announce my locations as the weeks progress…there needs to be air of mystery, and a reason for you all to continue reading my blog!). However, I will say that I’m headed to Morocco this weekend and am really excited for this trip. One of my best friends has been studying there for the semester and has absolutely loved his experience. He’s also been kind enough to teach me a few bargaining phrases for when I shop at the Medina (local market).

To end, Navroz Mubarak to my fellow Muslims; I hope this new year brings happiness, prosperity and many exciting experiences for you all.

NO NI NÁ

Successful weekend in Córdoba y Cádiz? No ni ná.

Making friends with some Spaniards and learning phrases in Spanish that would never be taught in the classroom? No ni ná.

Conquering a six mile hike in sloshy/muddy terrain? No ni ná.

Slacking on my blog posts? No ni ná.

If you hadn’t figured it out by now, No ni ná is the superlative of “yes of course” or “this is the truth,” one of the few colloquial phrases I learned on a two hour bus ride with some Spanish intercambios.

Again, I apologize for the length of this blog, it’s been a while since I’ve last posted, but I’ve had a fun-filled, PACKED weekend to share with you all.  So, this past Friday, I had a field trip for my European Corporate Organizations class which prevented me from traveling outside of Spain (I usually leave Thursday nights for excursions).  Nonetheless, I embraced the weekend in Spain, surprising learning much more than I had expected.

This field trip was to Cáfe AB’s manufacturing warehouse.  A little background: Cáfe AB is Spain’s premiere coffee producer, virtually monopolizing Sevilla’s Cáfe market.  Served in almost 100% of the local bars, cafes and restaurants, Cáfe AB prides itself in its coffee blends, mixing together Arab and Turkish flavors (among others) into one packet, creating a unique taste.  We had the chance to see this production, learn about the company’s coffee bean regional sources, play the role of coffee bean farmers (weeding out the bad beans from the good ones) and of course, sip on some quality coffee. NOM NOM NOM.

On Saturday, CIEE took our program on a day trip to Córdoba. Once again, I was able to relive my religious history during our tour through the Mezquita (Mosque).  Originally a sacred haven for 30,000 Muslims (centuries ago), the Mosque has now been “renovated” into a church. When our tour guide was asked if Muslims still came to pray he responded, “No porque hay personas enterradas en la iglesia. Los Musulmanes no rezan en un cemetario” (No, because there are people buried in the church. Muslims never pray in a cemetery).  Walking through the corridors – observing names etched into pillars (in Arabic), examining beautiful Roman inspired archways, attempting to make out the calligraphy on the walls – I wished I was alive during Muslim rule to experience prayers in the Mezquita.



We also visited a church, a Jewish neighborhood and an old synagogue. I especially loved the little Jewish town and was suddenly reminded of the days of Bar/Bat-Mitzvah, Yom Kippur and Hanukah I encountered in junior high and high school. Great memories J

Sunday, I stepped out of my element and went on a six mile hike through the jungles of Cádiz, bordering Málaga.  For those of you who know me, I’m not one to lace on my hiking shoes, strap on a fairly sized backpack with a raincoat, lunch and LOTS of water.  But, somehow, my inner Jane came alive and I trekked through a week’s worth of muddy terrain, in the rain, to the top of a mountain, into the small pueblo (town) of “El Bosque.” I definitely felt a great sense of accomplishment once I reached the top, and vowed to take advantage of another Senderismo (hiking) opportunity.

Unfortunately, I’ll have to stop here for now. Studying for midterms has been physically and mentally taxing.  I think we’re all looking forward to Thursday post-exams, when we can fully celebrate the Irish culture…St. Patty’s Day!

Until then.

Pirates of CÁDIZ: At Europe’s End

Okay, so we weren’t really PIRATES of Cádiz, but yesterday we were at the end of Europe. 

Arguably the oldest, inhabited city in all of Iberia, Cádiz was originally named Gadir (meaning “Wall”) by the Phoenicians.  The CIEE program took us on a day trip to Southern Spain to see this Peninsula.

After some two hours on a coach bus, we were greeted by the warm southern weather and salty smells of the Atlantic Ocean.  Our group kinda lucked out experiencing 65-70 degree weather in mid-February (rare for this time in Spain).  Not only did we explore the city, but we had a chance to TAN on the miles and miles of beaches Cádiz is popularly known for. 

My favorite part of the trip was visiting the local Mercado (market) in the town’s Centro (center; downtown).  Straight out of a scene in a Bollywood movie, el Mercado had stands of fresh fruits, vegetables and fish. (Yes, FISH…check out the pictures below). We also climbed to the top of another Catedral (it’s legit become a weekly workout), admired the decorations being set up for el Carnival de Cádiz (a Carnival/festival held in March that makes Little 5 and Unofficial look like child’s play), and bargained with a few street vendors…just to improve our Spanish.

HI DAD! You would've LOVED this place!

Cádiz is also home to a unique Botanical Garden, full of plant life from all over the world.  A few of us had a great time exploring the greenery (check out more fun pictures).

On the Sleepless en Sevilla front, I had a great night with MF, her intercambio Carmen and some of Carmen’s friends. We had a delicious (and filling) dinner in el Centro with great conversation in Spanish. MF and I suspected one of Carmen’s out-of-town friends was crushing on her best friend, Isabel, as we watched the poor guy make pass after pass to grab the girl’s attention. It’s quite entertaining to watch a guy try so hard! But nonetheless, we were really pulling for Carlos!

Afterwards, the group of us headed over to Calle Betiz (the center of nightlife in Sevilla) for some Flamenco dancing! Though MF and I struggled to keep up with the rest of the gang, it was a very fun experience…taking me back to the days of SHS when Bollywood dancing was part of my daily routine. I miss that constant cultural incorporation and am partaking in FREE Salsa lessons, twice a week, to fill that void.

This awesome weekend is followed by homework and readings for this week’s classes.  BUT only FOUR days stand between me and MADRID next weekend. I can definitely get used to hopping from city to city every weekend! ;)

It’s Always Sunny en Sevilla

Today has been AWESOME. Ever have one of those days when everything just seems to be going right? A day that’s too good to be true it makes you want to knock on wood to avoid jinxing it? Yep, I experienced one of those today.

Not only is it literally sunny in Sevilla (we’re enjoying 60 degree weather, be jealous you Hooisers and Chicagoians), but my Intensive Spanish class has been going REALLY well, I have the most bomb dot com presentation group, two trips outside of Sevilla are now booked and I’m planning a third, I had Rosemary Chicken and chocolate covered strawberries for lunch AND there are only three days left in this week.  See what I mean? GREAT DAY!

But the highlight of my day was having “Afternoon Tea” with a friend’s intercambio.  At the beginning of the semester, each of us was assigned an intercambio (Spanish student from the University). The goal was to help American students improve their Spanish and eventually help the Spanish students improve their English…also making new friends! I have yet to meet my intercambio; we’ve only communicated via email since he’s in the middle of midterms.  However, I’ve sort of adopted this friend’s intercambio.

Carmen and I met my first weekend in Sevilla and became friends instantaneously.  From our conversations over the past week, I learned that she and I have the similar values and dreams for the future.  I was super excited to meet her this afternoon.  After classes, Carmen, MS, MF and I went to a tapas bar and had a great conversation over café con leche (coffee with milk).  We talked about everything: school, relationship (or lack thereof), trips to other countries, festivals…pretty much everything under the sun (all in Spanish). 

On my walk home, I couldn’t help but feel a great sense of accomplishment. I had just carried on an hour long conversation, in Spanish, with a local.  Almost suddenly I had this epiphany: I LOVE this place, absolutely love it (cheesy, I know).  It was in that moment, I truly appreciated being in Sevilla and having the opportunity of becoming fluent in another language, immersing myself in a different culture.

I’ve got to make the most out of my time here and today was a big step in the right direction!