Rain rain rain. Sevilla is getting more rain that it has in 60 years. Jackie and I already have a hard time getting out of bed and hearing rain in the morning definitely does not help our situation. It's been a bit frustrating because 1) walking 30 minutes in the rain is not my favorite thing 2) I did not pack for rain whatsoever, in fact I'm realizing I packed with the firm belief it would never be cold and 3) I haven't beeen able to explore the city as much as I would like. But I hear things should calm down soon. I went to the Andalucian town of Cordoba this past Saturday with my school and we were blessed with a beautiful day. Cordoba has a very famous mosque that is also a cathedral (I could explain but I'm not sure I understood our guide completely) and it was AMAZING. It reminded me of when I first walked into Westminster Abbey and had to catch my breath. Such detail in the architecture and design blows me away.

Jackie and I also had the opportunity to see a flamenco performance. It included two guitarists (absolutely incredible, I've never seen fingers move so quickly), a man who sang a few songs, a male flamenco dancer and a woman flamenco dancer who danced separately. I happened to see it advertised in the local paper and when I saw the word "gratis" (free) I knew it was meant to be. We ended up taking the bus to a beautiful old building that has a gorgeous little chapel, which was where the performance was held. Ah it was wonderful. The dancers were incredible. So passionate. It was a great night, it felt like a very Sevillano thing to do.

Spain is such a fun place. The other night some friends and I went out to some bars and discotecas and met a bunch of spainards. It feels so easy to meet people here. I'm sure the fact that we're American helps spark interest in conversation, but we've met some of the nicest, funniest people. I couldn't believe it because we went out last night and I figured the bar would be empty because it was a Wednesday but it was absolutely packed!! And most of the people I talked to told me they had to work or go to school the next morning. I really don't know how they do it.

This weekend my family and I will be going to their summer home in a town called Arcos. Jackie went last weekend while I was in Cordoba and she says it's lovely. We have a three day weekend because Monday is the Dia de Andalucia. Right now we're also in the process of planning our spring break. We want to start in Barcelona, travel around in the north of Spain and end up in Bilbao. Ryanair is not functioning for us though. Quite frustrating. Nonetheless we will get there! Can't wait....

Okay so these pictures are, from top to bottom: Maria, Jackie and I, the cathedral and a nice tree, oh the cathedral and another nice tree, i think that black and white building is the University of Sevilla, and a view of Sevilla from the bridge I walk across.

So I've been in Spain for about 10 days now and I'm starting to pick up on the society and culture here. One thing I've noticed is that the teenagers/college age kids here thrive on the nightlife. My sister especially. She goes out every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night usually lasting from 10pmish to 5 or 6 in the morning. She has taken Jackie and I out with her friends a few times which has been fun, but by 3:00 I'm usually ready to leave. I'm not sure how much of this fiesta-ing I can take. But I've really enjoyed it because it's given Jackie and I a really unique opportunity to hang out with other Spanish people our age. We've started making friends with Maria's friends and, although most of the time we can't understand what they say to each other because they speak so dang fast, we hang out with them quite a bit.

Another thing I've learned is that soccer is a man's sport. I was talking to a friend of Maria's who told me that very few women participate in sports. When I asked what they do instead he said "salir"-go out. Maria is a great example of this. Nonetheless, everyone loves watching futbol and everyone has their team. I'm hoping to go to a professional game sometime soon. I hear they are a blast.

I started classes last week and I've been really enjoying them all. I have a 3 hour long intensive Spanish class every day, a Cultural Realities class and a flamenco dance class. That's been fun. Maria has danced for about 15 years so she likes us to show her what we learn so she can add her own steps. My Spanish class is very fun, it's focused on vocabulary which is what I struggle with most so it's very helpful. It's basically a class based around discussing various topics with my classmates and teacher. Jackie and I have the same schedule, which is nice so we walk to and from school together (about a 30 minute walk). I'm so glad to have her as a roommate. We have very similar senses of humor which is awesome and we're both pretty easy-going and low maintenance. This sometimes causes problems though when we have to wake up and we both turn off our alarms, usually leaving us 15 minutes to get ready. Our walk to class is always quite brisk. It's unfortunately been unusually rainy here lately so we haven't had much of a desire to explore the city yet. But the weather is supposed to improve in the next couple weeks.

Spanish is starting to get more and more difficult to keep up. Jackie and I both got pretty frustrated this weekend when we felt like we couldn't understand anything Maria and her friends were saying to one another. It's discouraging to have studied Spanish so long but not be able to understand a conversation. So we've been resorting to English a bit more. It's been a nice break but we starting to get back in Spanish mode. I still feel very comfortable having direct conversations with people so I know I shouldn't be discouraged and I'm already learning tons. I'm excited to see how much I will have improved at the end of the semester.

I am incredibly grateful for my family here. Although Maria can be a bit frustrating at times when she talks too fast or when she corrects us (which I know is a good thing) she is very very fun and friendly and always invites us to hang out with her friends. Most other people in our program don't have this kind of immersion experience so I am really blessed in that way. And I absolutely adore my hostmom Charri. She is such a wonderful cook and she has the sweetest little smile. One of my favorite things to do is sit at the living room table (which has a heater underneath it to warm your feet-amaaazing) and just talk with her while we watch TV. Oh this reminds me, people watch SO much TV here. They literally sit in front of it all day, especially after a night out at the bars. But yes I love chatting with Charri. She's really smart and has been teaching me a lot about Spanish history and politics.

Well dears I feel like I could write much more but for now I must go study for my first test. I will try and be better about updating this thing.

Estoy aqui!!! Sevilla is absolutely gorgeous. I'm already in love with the city. I flew out on Tuesday and thankfully made all my connections and arrived Wednesday. The first two nights we (myself and the other CC-CS students) spent in a hotel in Sevilla, meeting the faculty of the school and getting oriented to the city. Thursday we went to meet our host families! I'm sharing a room with Jackie, another student in the program. She is wonderful. We've bonded really well and we've both decided to speak in Spanish to one another as much as we can, which I'm really excited about. We live in an apartment that's across the river from where the CC-CS center is. So we get to walk across it everyday. It's a beautiful view from the bridge.

Our host family is wonderful!!! We were greeted by our little "mom" named Charri and her 21 year-old daughter Maria. Charri has a husband but he's recuperating from surgery in a different town for a few weeks. We've heard from everyone who knows her that Charri is an amazing cook, and we are quickly finding this out for ourselves. Lunch is the biggest meal and both the lunches we've had here have been pretty formal, with different family members coming to eat with us. Everyone in the family is lovely and so sweet with us. They're so patient with our Spanish. I've found that speaking so much Spanish has been more natural for me than I thought it would be, and I'm realizing how much I have left to learn but I'm also getting more confident. Our sister Maria loves to correct us and I ask her questions all the time that she is very willing to answer. They are both so much fun. Charri is just the sweetest little lady. She has the cutest little smile and loves it when we compliment her cooking. And Maria is already taking us out on the town with her friends! I'm so glad we have a sister our age because it gives us the opportunity to really experience Sevilla from the Sevillano perspective.

Sevilla has such rich history! I absolutely love the beautiful old buildings. Everyday I get to walk by the huge cathedral. It amazes me every time. But there is also such a vibrant, modern feel. Jackie and I were walking back to our apartment last night and the cathedral was lit up and there were so many people walking around, so many families and kids. And there were a few street musicians playing. It has such a warm, friendly vibe. I'm going to try and play on the street one of these days. Heheee. We'll see how that goes. Jackie plays the bagpipes (!) but she didn't bring them. That would have been so fun. I think she might play the harmonica with me though.

I miss you all friends and family but thank you so much for your prays and warm wishes! I am so thankful for this opportunity and I intend on doing all I can to enjoy it!