This experience truly did change my life

Well, it's been exactly one week since I have been home from my semester abroad, and to be quite honest, it's felt like a hell of a lot longer than that. Since I have been home, I have really gotten caught up in all the pressure there is about finding a job, planning my future, figuring out schedules, making timelines, etc. etc. etc. In fact, I constantly have to be reminded (mostly by my mother) that I have only been home for ONE week. I just came off one of the best experiences of my life, and all I can think about now is the pressure to move onto the next thing. I know it is important to redirect my focus now to my senior year at U of M, finding jobs, making money, building my resumé and everything like that, but it is also important to relax at home, and enjoy the extra time I now have to spend with my friends and family that I didn't see for five and a half months. It's really easy to get caught up in everything there is with job/internship searches but I certainly don't want it to consume my life such that I forget how amazing the last five months of my life were, and how important they were for me as a Spanish major. I guess you could say I am trying to find an even balance now between working, taking time off to relax for my last official summer before I get my degree, and planning my future for the long term with respect to academic term jobs and employment after college.

But enough about that stuff, because that is NOT what this blog is supposed to be about. If it were, it would be titled "Michael Meehan Life Thoughts" not "Michael Meehan Seville Spain". So let me start by recapping my last week or so in Sevilla. After a beach day in Huelva with Armando on Sunday June 12, I finally decided to buckle down and focus on my academics. Strangely enough, my timing was cut a little short, especially because my first University of Seville exam was the very next day... Monday the 13th. Fortunately the exam was not until 6 PM, so I had all morning to study with my friend Katie from the program. I actually think the exam I took that day went the best of all three, maybe because I was relaxed from the beach the day before. Regardless, I had my other two exams on Wednesday and Friday of that week respectively, both of which were at 9 in the morning. Although the other two exams were a little more explicit than the one I took on Monday, I had a much harder time with them because of how specific they actually were, and the fact I only really allowed myself one and a half days to study for them. Like I have repeatedly said, I was assigned so much essay homework while in Spain, that by the time my exams rolled around, I had barely enough time to review my notes and study all the facts there were to know for my history classes. In any case, I did my best on the exams and hopefully my professor's will see my hard work both in my papers and throughout the semester. I know the exam should be the best indication of a final grade, but I am hoping they consider all factors of the class when deciding on what to give me.

According to our program director, we probably won't even know our grades until the beginning of the Fall semester... A) because it takes that long for the professors to post their grades, and then B) you must factor in the time it takes for the University of Michigan to convert them to a United States grading scale and confirm them on our transcripts. I'm in no rush to see my grades for my classes though, so as far as I'm concerned, they can take as long as they want. As the end of that last week drew closer and closer, it really started to hit me that I was going to be leaving Sevilla and finishing my semester abroad so soon. All month we had been saying goodbye to the friends we made in the program as each one of us returned home to the United States, but those goodbyes were made relatively easier considering we are all from the same country and could easily visit each other and keep in close contact via text and phone calls. What I began to realize that last week was how hard it would be to say goodbye to Lourdes, my two intercambios and the city itself as a whole.

On Wednesday night, Elia told me she was going back to her town (Rubio) the next day, and that we likely wouldn't see each other again before I left for Amsterdam that Saturday. We agreed to meet at "100 Montaditos", which is a chain restaurant in Seville that serves over 100 small sandwiches all for relatively cheap prices. On Wednesdays, everything at 100 Montaditos is 1 euro, but they close at 12 AM so we had to get there kind of early (Spain time, that is). Elia brought her cousin, Miriam and her brother, Anibal so I could say goodbye to them as well. Justin also decided to come with me, since he also got to know Elia, Anibal and Miriam pretty well throughout the semester too. That night was one of the first moments I truly began to realize how much my Spanish actually improved over the course of those five months. When I first met Elia's cousin, Miriam, I don't think I understood a single word she said because she spoke so fast. That night however, Miriam and I talked for at least an hour straight, all in Spanish, about everything from culture differences between Americans and Spaniards, to the differences between olive oils and which ones are better with which foods. Justin and I hadn't expected that night to be a late one, especially because it was a Wednesday, but Elia, Anibal and Miriam were determined to make our last night with them special, and ultimately convinced us to go out for a little while. When Justin and I finally decided it was way too late for us to be out on a weeknight, two nights before one of our final exams, we told the three of them we had to leave. Little did we know how hard it would be to say goodbye though. The five of us literally spent about a half hour more in the street together, taking pictures and saying goodbye to one another. Elia and I really developed a strong relationship while I was in Spain, and even despite the language barrier, I really consider her to be a close friend; someone I will always appreciate for all she did and remember till I am an old man. Actually, I hope that Elia and I will still know each other at that point in life, especially with all the traveling plans the two of us have, not to mention the rising technology available for international communication.

The moment it really hit me though that I was leaving Sevilla was immediately after I took my last exam on June 17. I walked back to the program center for the last time to say goodbye to Eva, Luisa and Pepe, and could not believe this would be my last time stepping foot in our beloved program center and seeing the three directors, which I grew so accustomed to seeing everyday since the beginning of January. After I printed out my boarding passes and hostel reservations for Amsterdam, I said goodbye to Eva and Luisa. Unfortunately, Pepe was out of the office for the day so I did not get the chance to thank him, but I later sent him an email with photos of the group, and I know I will be back in the coming years, so I will definitely have the chance to see them all again. That afternoon, Lourdes made us an excellent lunch of chicken and mushrooms, gazpacho, small shirmp and bread. I think part of the reason she made such a good lunch was because we had a visitor, a past student of hers, visiting for the afternoon. The girl lived with Lourdes 7 years ago and had returned to work in Sevilla as a program and excursion director for a spring and summer term organization. She spoke pretty good Spanish and was really nice. Lourdes made a ton of food for the occasion, so we just ate the leftovers for our final meal with her. What was really special about our last day in Sevilla though was spending time with Lourdes at the dinner table and reflecting on the past five months with her. Justin and I gave her another magnet for her refrigerator and a framed picture of the three of us to thank her for cooking for us, doing our laundry, cleaning our room, making our beds and helping us with our Spanish... all things that most study abroad students never even get close to having on their experiences.

For my last night in Sevilla, I was determined to make it a memorable event... regardless what measures I would have to take to make it the best night I possibly could. At that point, I still had not had the chance to say goodbye to my other Spanish friend, Armando. He called me around 8 PM and invited me over to one of his friends houses, out in the Bermejales neighborhood. Armando and his friends actually live right on the edge of the city of Sevilla, but the area they live in is the most similar I've seen in Spain to that of an American town or suburb. All the houses are individual entities instead of apartments all connected to one another, and each has a small back yard and a basement as well. I took a cab there since it would have been about a 50 minute walk, and when I arrived, the taxi driver couldn't take me down the street because it was filled with at least 5 or 6 cop cars. The driver dropped me off at the end of the street and I started to walk down to see what all the commotion was about. As I got closer, I noticed about 12 to 15 guys all standing, facing a wall, some even with their arms behind their backs in handcuffs. Armando told me the address was Avenida de Italia Número 12, and I was pretty sure that was exactly where all the guys were lined up with the policemen inspecting each one of them. I called Armando and he didn't pick up, so I was pretty sure he was in that group of guys. I really didn't know what to do so I basically stood around and just thought about heading back to my neighborhood in Los Remedios. Right then though, I received a call from Armando, and he told me to walk down a little further, passed all the arrested guys and police cars and he would be standing there. When I finally got to his friends house, I asked them what was going on, and they told me it was a physical fight during a soccer game, since there is a small stadium right across the street. I was sure Armando was one of the guys under arrest, but I guess I never should have doubted him. I never really considered him to be a very violent person, but with the fight happening right outside his friends house and his failure to pick up my call, everything just seemed to add up that he was clearly part of this dispute. Him and his friends thought it was pretty funny though that I was convinced they were the ones who were being interrogated by the police for a street fight.

Anyway, a group of about 8 of us spent the next hour or so in his friend Pablo's backyard talking, drinking and eating a pizza they made. This moment was the second time I realized how good I have gotten at Spanish while I was in Seville. All his friends continued to compliment me on my language skills, and I really only ever contributed a few words to the conversation. After a while though, they redirected their attention to me and really began to quiz me on American culture. If there is one thing I have noticed about the Spaniards, they are extremely interested in University / College life. Everything they learn about the USA comes from movies, but what they really want is for me to either A) confirm these images they have in their mind about America or B) reject them. I told them that there is some truth in everything they see to a certain extent, but then again, a lot of things are exaggerated in movies for purely entertainment purposes. The smallest things they notice, or questions they had really surprised me, like "Do you have the American flag on a post outside your house?" or "Do girls really wear bikini's to parties at your school?" but then again, they are basing all these assumptions off teenage movies like American Pie, Old School etc. I think I gave them an accurate image of what life is like in the USA, or at least I hope I did. It was important to remember that as a foreigner, I was representing my country when talking to these guys and I think I did a pretty good job of explaining American life and how there is much more than what you see in the movies. And I used that very explanation as my main reason to convince all of them to travel and visit the US!! I would like nothing more than to be able to show them Grand Rapids and Ann Arbor, and I really hope I get the chance to do that with either Armando, or any foreigner for that matter, someday.

As for my last night in Sevilla goes though... at about 1 AM we finally made our way to the city center and met a group of students from my MCP program at the Botellon (the large party in the street) outside one of Sevilla's "best" discotecas, Casino. We spent about 2 more hours there, just talking and drinking amongst ourselves. Before I even knew it, it was already 3 AM, which on the Spanish clock means it was time to go to the Discoteca. Unfortunately, my last night in Sevilla was apparently a really popular night to go out to all the clubs, and both Casino and Bilindo told us it was 30 euro cover to get in.. which basically means "you aren't welcome here". Our group worked with what we could though, and ended up at a discoteca called Alfonso. It really wasn't a bad disco, in fact, I personally think it had a great set up. It wasn't nearly as big, and the people weren't as dressed up as you normally would find at other discos, but for our purposes it was just fine. We stayed there till about 6 AM, and finally decided it was time to go home as the sun began to rise and our flight to Amsterdam drew closer and closer. Justin and I said goodbye to Armando right outside Alfonso, as he went to ride his Sevici home, and Justin and I made our last walk home to Casa Lourdes.

Of course, I hadn't finished packing at that point so when I got home, I had to pack up all my suitcases. This left little to no time for me to sleep. I think I may have laid down on my bed for a half hour but certainly nothing more. It was so weird to be folding my clothes and watching the sun rise outside my window. It was like counting down the moments till I was leaving Sevilla, and it made it that much harder for me to say goodbye to a city I got to know so well, and really became to love. When we were sure we had everything packed, it was time to say goodbye to Lourdes... for real this time. As we were leaving, she told us we were always welcome back to her house and we will always be her "niños". Watching the elevator door close on her was a really emotional feeling, especially because we had become so close with her and lived with her for the past 5 and a half months. Like I have consistently said though, I know it wasn't goodbye forever. I will certainly be back to Sevilla and Lourdes will be the first person I call. I miss her so much, and wish it were easier to keep in contact with her, but at least I will always have her cell phone number and address just in case I ever happen to be in the area...

So I guess you could say that was it. We took the bus to the airport, checked in for our flight to Amsterdam, and waited for our flight, reflecting on the experience we had just had that lasted five and a half months. In the scope of life, five and a half months really isn't that long of time, but I can assure you that I learned more about a language, a culture, and most importantly, myself in that short span of time than I ever could have imagined. When I reflect on my time spent in Spain, everything is already beginning to blend together. But I have my moments when I think of a particular time, a particular place, an event, a word, a saying, a day, etc. and I remember how awesome my experience abroad truly was. Everyday in Spain to me was a new adventure, a new opportunity. I am so lucky and fortunate to have had this experience, because I can undoubtedly say it actually was one of the best of my life. Not only did my time in Spain serve as a memorable experience (one that I will have forever), but it really did change my life. I can honestly write here that I have a very new and different perspective on Spanish culture, and a deep understanding of their world, society and language. I learned things in Spain that even the distinguished University of Michigan never could have taught me, and for that, I am forever grateful and appreciative of this amazing opportunity. Now that I am home, of course, the most common question I get from people is "So how was it?" ... and to be quite honest, it is really hard to tell you exactly how it was because anything I say certainly won't do it justice. The hardest part for me so far has been the fact that I can't really explain to anyone what my experience was like, because I am the only one who truly know what my life was like for those five and a half months.  Sure, I can tell stories and show pictures, but so much of my experience was what cannot be recounted by mouth or written down on paper. I guess you could say that is kind of a gift in and of itself.. something I will always have for myself, memories I will never forget. But at the same time, I want to share my story so bad with the people I love, like my family and close friends. The best thing I can do is somehow try and merge both worlds and use my time in Spain as a learning experience for the rest of my life. If I can take all that I learned in Spain, both academically and socially, and incorporate it into my life in the United States, I think you could say I successfully completed my semester abroad, and fully maximized the potential that the MCP program put in front of me.

I said it once and I'll say it again: I. will. be. back. I've always believed that there is no such thing as an "end" to anything. My "semester abroad" may be over, but my connection to Sevilla, my relationships with my Spanish friends and host mom, and the effect this experience has had on me are definitely NOT over. In fact, I'd like to think they are only just beginning. I'm only 20 years old, and I have already lived in a house on the other side of the Atlantic for a half of a year. The possibilities for me are endless, and I really can't wait to see what the future has in store for my next trip to Sevilla, Spain.

Note: I appreciate everyone who continued to follow my blog this past semester. Of course, there are millions of stories, pictures and souvenirs I can show for those who are interested in hearing more. In fact, I really would like nothing more than to share my experience in depth with other people, so even if you have the slightest interest, please let me know! Thank you again, and I look forward to seeing everyone back at U of M in the Fall. (Go Blue!)

Michael

Amsterdam

I have been home in the United States for almost two full days now, but I want to separate my last blogs into two final posts: my end of the semester trip to Amsterdam, and then my final thoughts and reflections on the five months I spent in Sevilla, Spain. Upon finishing my last exam in Sevilla on June 17, I left almost immediately for a two and a half day final european vacation to Amsterdam in the Netherlands. Of course, I had an incredible and crazy last night in Sevilla, but I will save that story for my final blog post. Needless to say, I was exhausted the morning we left for Amsterdam. I slept the entire plane ride which was about 3 hours, and I am pretty sure I fell asleep before we even took off. It definitely wasn't enough though because when we finally arrived to Amsterdam, I still felt totally beat and exhausted. Justin and I had a little bit of a hard time getting to the city and finding our hostel because we were both extremely tired and weren't really in the best of shape to be navigating an entirely foreign country. After getting on the wrong train, taking a cab to the wrong location, and a 30 minute walk to the real hostel, we finally got there and were able to sit down. Unfortunately, the girl we had planned to go with was on a different flight and didn't have any information on the hostel, so we had to communicate with her by pay-phone and internet in order to meet up and make a plan. The first hostel we stayed at was on the perimeter of the city, about a 15 minute bus ride into the center of town. Basically all day Saturday was spent looking around for our friend Becky and waiting around in the hostel and the Centraal Station to meet up. When we finally got connected, we went directly to a restaurant to get food. We had pizza, which was actually a pretty common restaurant option around Amsterdam. Unfortunately it started raining pretty hard around 10 at night so we decided to just go back to the hostel and explore the city the next two days.

When I say I went to Amsterdam for my last european destination, a lot of people would associate that kind of trip with nothing other than the Red Light district and the free flowing source of drugs all throughout the coffeeshops and the streets. I would be lying if I said that image isn't true, but in my mind there is a lot more to Amsterdam than just those two aspects of the city. I really loved the layout of the city, it was like something I had never seen before. It is constructed like a semi-circle around a body of water, and within the city there are hundreds of different canals that run throughout the streets. What's even more awesome are the antique bikes that people lock up next to the bars of the bridges. Amsterdam is really a cool city to see because of the buildings, bikes, and boats that run all right next to each other on the streets and in the canals. Amsterdam is also always bustling with people. Whenever I was in the street, I felt like I was surrounded by pedestrians and bikers all the time. It really made the city that much more lively, despite the dreary and cold weather. Another interesting and historical part of the city is the Anne Frank Huis. Becky, Justin and I were pretty set on seeing the Anne Frank Huis from the beginning, so we decided to go on Monday morning, our last full day in Europe. Walking through the house and seeing the actual bookshelf that hid the Frank family annex was really an unbelievable thing. To think that a family of 6 hid up there for two years avoiding the Nazi's was unreal and imagining the youngest daughter (Anne) writing a diary about the whole war was so interesting. It's really a sad story that the Frank family was so close to avoiding exile to the concentration camps in Auschwitz but were discovered in their annex only a few months before the war was over. I've never read the Anne Frank diary, but the house still had a very powerful effect on me and I am really glad I walked through it.

I really can't write this blog though without mentioning the drugs and the Red Light district that characterize a large part of Amsterdam. Of course, the hard core drugs of the world are illegal in Amsterdam, but it is pretty widely known for being a city that has legalized the sale of marijuana in public coffeeshops and designated locations. You can find the coffeeshops pretty easily throughout the city and they are very clearly labeled. To each his own opinion, but if you ask me it is actually a pretty strange concept. The fact that a drug, that has such severe consequences in a large part of the world, is entirely available and cheap in a city is something that I guess really distinguishes Amsterdam from any other place in the world. Of course, some people consider this a positive, and others consider it a negative but the point is, it's a part of the city. There is no way around it, and you really can't deny it. The exact same goes for the Red Light district. Becky, Justin and I actually stumbled upon it accidently the first night just walking around the city and everyone was walking through it as if it was entirely normal. I'm sure the Red Light district is generally filled with only foreigners... with who knows what interests (mainly curiosity I would think, but hey there are always other incentives)... but for 3 Americans to witness something like that was definitely an experience I will never forget. I definitely could have lived my life happily without ever seeing it, but then again it is a new and different culture, and somehow the tradition of prostitutes filling the streets with red lights outside their doors has remained in Amsterdam throughout all these years. I guess you could say my eyes were opened to an entirely new and different city and culture, but it is always important to remember that there is so much more to a place than what first meets the eye.

All in all, I am very happy I got the chance to see Amsterdam. I'm not sure I would ever return, but it is a place that someone my age should definitely see if the opportunity presents itself. Becky, Justin and I had a great time together in the city, especially our second two days in our hostel called Durty Nelly's located directly in the city center. Saying goodbye to Becky as our last MCP student goodbye was pretty hard, especially because she has become such a good friend, along with a lot of other kids from Cornell and Penn. I will undoubtedly be visiting both schools if I get the chance and can afford it. The friends I made in my program made a huge difference in my overall experience studying abroad, and continuing a friendship with them is extremely important to me.

I'm going to give myself about a week to full adjust to the American culture and concept of "being home". I then plan on writing a summary of my last week in Sevilla and a few reflections on the overall trip and experience. It should make for a pretty long and interesting blog, or at least I hope so. I hope I have kept you all relatively interested in my travels these past five months. There is nothing I like more than being able to share my story, so I hope I have done a good job in accurately conveying my experience.

Until next time,

Michael

Islantilla and Despedidas

If you looked at my "iCal" calender on my computer, you would see that my days from 8 AM to 8 PM are entirely blank, except for the occasional note at the top indicating, "Final Paper due". No class, no planned excursion, no meetings, no program sponsored events, nothing. You'd probably think I was spending my last few days here in Spain sitting around in the sun's brutal rays trying to soak up every little minute I have left. In reality though, I have been extremely busy this past week and a half. Every day last week, I spent at least 5 to 6 hours in our program center, studying for my exams and writing my 56 pages worth of work for the end of the semester. I have never been assigned so many essay assignments in my life other than here in Spain. As much as I like to complain about the work, I know I shouldn't, because it is honestly helping my in my Spanish language skills. I have learned so much about writing style and word selection in Spanish, that I feel like I could write a Spanish paper now in the same amount of time it would take me to write an English paper. I am pretty proud of myself for being able to write so fluently in Spanish and fill 10+ pages on a completely arbitrary subject.

Upon the completion of my final essay last week, it was time to start studying for the exams I have been taking this week. To be honest, I was really burned out on school at that point, and I really had no interest in reviewing my notes starting from all the way back in February. I guess I found the time and energy somehow though, because today is already June 15 and I only have one exam left until I am entirely done with the academic semester. So far, I have taken my exams for "Historia de Iberoamérica Contemporánea" and "Historia de la Ciudad Hispanoamericana", both of which went relatively well for being a foreign student, and only beginning my studying the weekend before. On top of all these exams, I have been trying to maintain an equally busy social life. I just can't stand the fact that I will be leaving this beautiful city behind, so I try my hardest to take advantage of every opportunity to go out into the city, look around and explore.

Last Saturday, my intercambio and I got together in the Centro (downtown Sevilla) since we hadn't seen each other since the beginning of May. He brought a friend, and the three of us hung out for about three and a half hours. There is a new structure in downtown Sevilla that was finished just a few weeks ago that allows you to go up and get a panoramic view of the city. In my opinion, it kind of looks like a giant mushroom. It reminds me a little bit of the structure by Calder stage in downtown Grand Rapids (only a lot bigger). It's called the "zeta" and in my opinion, doesn't really fit the character of the city. It looks more like something that belongs in a modern city like Barcelona instead of a historical center like Sevilla. Regardless, the three of us decided to go up it and get a panoramic view of the city. It was actually a really pretty view, but I think I liked the one from the Giralda better. Armando then invited me to his beach house for the entire next day (Sunday). I was pretty hesitant at first because of my three exams and two papers due this week, but he convinced me and I figured I would appreciate the experience of going to the beach with 4 Spaniards and speaking spanish all day much more than sitting in a hot underground library studying.

His house is located in Huelva, Spain and the beach we went to was called Islantilla. The neighborhood he lives in is actually really beautiful. Technically there aren't really houses because everyone here lives in apartment buildings, but it was still a very cool "residencia" as the Spaniards like to call it. Actually, it kind of reminded me of a resort in Florida or Arizona because there are various apartment buildings that are separated by large lawns and narrow pavement pathways. Everyone in the residencia shares a pool too, which was really cool. The view from his porch was amazing. I couldn't gauge the fact I was looking over the Mediterranean sea from such a beautiful perspective. We ate lunch at his house and then made our way to the beach. Armando brought his skim board and forced me to try it. I only successively did it once, but watching him and his friends do it was amazing. They definitely grew up on the beach, because they were doing amazing tricks on the skim board, and they also all know how to surf. His friend brought a rugby ball too, so the five of us played that for a while. I think I prefer a football or frisbee on the beach, two concepts that are entirely foreign the Spanish guys. I really did get lucky with my intercambios for my semester abroad. I am so appreciative of both Elia and Armando. They really made my experience that much more amazing, I only wish I could repay them by showing them how we live at the University of Michigan (something they are CONSTANTLY asking about...)

Then, on Monday night, a group of five of us decided to go to a Flamenco bar called "Carbonería" which is also located in the downtown center. We got really lost on the way there because the center is filled with winding streets and deadends (back from when the Muslims had control of Sevilla in the 12th and 13th centuries). The frustration of not being able to find this place was quickly forgotten though when we got there. The Flamenco dancer was just as amazing as I remembered her and the singing was unbelievable. I am so happy I got the chance to see it again right before I left as a reminder of how cool the Spanish culture truly is. And of course, once we were already out, we decided to continue on with the night by showing off our own dancing skills. Who would have known you can find discos that are open till 3:30 in the morning on a Monday night? Only here in Sevilla.

So I guess you could say I have been balancing school work and social life pretty well. (Or let's hope so.. I haven't gotten any grades back yet). It's been pretty exhausting at times, but it is entirely worth it. Only 2 more full days left in Sevilla and then it is off to Amsterdam with Justin and our friend Becky from University of Pennsylvania. I'm getting to the point where I am ready to come home. I feel like I have made the absolute most of this experience and I really can't ask the city for any more. Of course I'd love for it to continue, but I know I'll be back. It's a new home: East Grand Rapids, Ann Arbor, and now Sevilla.

Note: I realized I didn't have any good pictures of the Cathedral so I decided to take some on my walk home from the University one day. The third to last picture is me and Armando at the beach. Second to last is the five of us outside of la Carbonería Flamenco bar and the last photo is our friend Wial who is one of the nicest guys our group of friends have met since being here in Sevilla.

Bullfight and Examenes

It's so crazy how little time I have left for my semester abroad. I actually read some of my old blog posts from back in January last night, and I can't believe how much time has passed since I arrived here. My perceptions of the city sure have changed. Reading those posts, it is really obvious to me how accustomed to the city I have gotten these past 5 months. The old posts seem so naive and unaware of the experience I was about to pursue. I can truly say my time in Spain has far exceeded my expectations, even with those "high standards" I set back in December.

This past weekend was really fun and relaxed. A large group of MCP students took a day trip back to Cádiz (our third time there!) and spent the whole day relaxing on the beach. Going to the beach is a very common pastime for Spaniards, especially in the summer. Ever since the end of Feria, Kiko (our host brother) has gone to the beach every weekend. And I can't really say I blame them... their beaches here are beautiful. Time went by so fast Saturday. We arrived around 10:30 and left at 7:00 but I really only felt like I was there for less than 2 hours. We played games of ultimate frisbee, laid in the sand and listened to music, and also got in two good meals while we were there (one of them being the awesome bocadillo Lourdes made us with lamb, tomatoes, and peppers). The water felt really good too. It really is getting hot in Spain. I looked at the weather for next week and it is supposed to get up to the mid 90s! Looks like I will be getting home just in time to avoid the unbearable heat.

I dedicated my entire morning on Sunday to writing my Iberoamérica paper. This paper is truly one of the hardest I have written since I have been here because the history is so detailed and complex. I have to make sure I get all the facts straight before I can put it on paper, which is really time consuming. Fortunately, I am nearly done with that one so it will be another item to cross off on the "school to-do list". Speaking of to-do lists, we FINALLY made it to a bullfight on Sunday afternoon. At first, I was a little skeptical about the whole bullfight ordeal in Spain because it really is a controversial issue. I told myself that this was truly the only opportunity to see this part of Spanish culture though, so I bought a ticket anyway, and I am really glad I did. The bullfight we went to was called "novillada" which means toreros who are in training to become true "matadors". We saw 6 toreros in total, and all 6 were successful in their task to overcome the strength of a bull and kill it in one strike. The routine for all 6 were identical, but you could definitely tell if some toreros were better than others. It always started with the bull being released from the cage, to which a series of men would then daze it with the cloth and weaken it for the matador. The image was unreal. To see a Spanish man dressed in the "traje corto" with the red cloth and everything was something most people only imagine about Spain. I can see the art in bullfighting, but I respect the views that claim it is animal cruelty and unjust. The thing is, the Spaniards do not like to see the bull suffer either. When the toreros does something incorrectly and the bull suffers, they all whistle and wave white cloths to indicate their discontent with the performance. Regardless I am glad I went, and can happily say I have done almost everything I wanted to do in Spain.

This week I have an entirely open schedule everyday. I want to finish my papers soon to get them corrected by Puri (my discussion leader back in January during the pro cultural seminar) and then I will begin studying for those three exams I have the following week. I'm looking forward to the "school" part of the program to be over, but I still maintain that I don't want to leave Sevilla. I am so excited to go home and see my parents and friends. With only 2 weeks left now, I really think about it a lot, and how strange it will be coming down that escalator and seeing my parents. As much as it pains me to finish this amazing semester abroad, I know I am going to go home completely content with my experience.

PS. The pictures below are (relatively) censored. If you'd like to see the pictures that truly depict a bullfight in Spain, I can send them to you via email.

Málaga and The End of the Beginning

This is probably the longest I have gone without blogging because I have been so consumed with schoolwork. The thing about Spanish classes is, everything is due at the end of the term. And as much as you try to work ahead in advance, there is only so much you can do to keep up with your homework and classes. Anyway, I have kept relatively close to my deadlines for my papers and stuff which is a good sign I guess.

A lot has happened since May 13 (the last time I updated). First, we went to Málaga with the program for two days. It was basically an all-paid-for beach vacation for us, because we really didn't do much except sit and bask in the sun on the Costa del Sol. When we first arrived, we went to the Picasso Museum, which houses works of art by the famous painter from all periods of his life. His family actually donated most of the works in this museum that were originally intended to be private. As I have said before, I prefer the more traditional art, but that doesn't mean I haven't come to appreciate the skill of Dalí and Picasso since I have been here. We spent the rest of the day Saturday on the beach, which was only a 3 minute walk from our hotel, Los Naranjos. The water was really refreshing but there were no waves, which was very strange. It was also weird to go back in salt water because I am so accustomed to the great lakes fresh water.

That night a group of at least 14 or 15 of us went out to dinner at a fish restaurant recommended to us by the hotel. The food was really good, but what really made it fun was having all our MCP group together. We have all become such good friends, I don't know what it is going to be like going back to the US and not be at the same university as some of them. At the dinner, we said this program sponsored trip to Málaga kind of marked the "beginning of the end" of our study abroad experience... but we decided that connotation was too depressing. None of us really want to leave Spain, so we decided to call it "the end of the beginning". As horrifically cheesy that sounds, I really hope that I can stay in contact with all of them and actually follow through with this "five year reunion" in Spain idea everyone has been passing around lately. Our time in Spain might be running out, but our friendships will certainly continue when we go back home to the US. Sunday was a beautiful day, so we spent almost our entire time on the beach again until we had to go home.

I have been trying to figure out what souvenir gifts to bring home for family and friends. I have found a lot of good things so far, but of course there are always more things I want for people. I have also been trying to cross things off our Sevilla bucket list. So far I still have a bull fight, going to Jerez, going to the top of the Torre de Oro, going to Carbonería (a Flamenco bar) and going to the beach in Huelva left on my list. Hopefully I can find time to fit all that in in these last 20 some days!!

Last Thursday night we had our "Cena final del curso" which means "End of the year dinner". Eva, Luisa and Pepe called it a "cocktail" and basically consisted of an open bar, along with waiters coming around with trays of 12 different hors d'oeuvres and small plates. All 26 of us went to the dinner, and they also invited our professors from the pro-cultural seminar and our center classes as well. It was so much fun, I would have stayed there till 3 or 4 in the morning if they would have let us. Lots of people gave toasts, and we gave Eva Pepe and Luisa our gifts as a sign of appreciation for all they did for us this semester. It was also really fun to see and talk to our professors outside of class. Personally, I think you have perfected a language when you are able to make small talk, since that truly is one of the hardest ways of talking to people, even in one's native language. I think I did really well, and can honestly say I have improved immensely in my ability to speak Spanish. When I got here, I said that the hardest part was speaking. Writing, reading and listening come relatively easier, but now thanks to my professors and my intercambios, I think I am at the same level on all four accounts.

On Saturday, Justin and I took Lourdes our to lunch for tapas with another señora (Carmen) and 2 of the girls in our program because Lourdes and Carmen are close friends. We went to a restaurant called Triplete, which is actually owned by Carmen's son in law. The food was delicious. We had bull tail sandwhiches, snails, guacamole and fish, and an assorted cheese tray. We also got dessert, which was equally as good as the main plates. We spent 4 hours at the restaurant, and spoke Spanish the entire time. I really liked Carmen a lot, she is so funny and a little easier to understand than Lourdes (not as thick of an accent). Luisa (the program director) joined us mid way through, which made the event that much more fun and entertaining.

I really don't know how I am going to leave Sevilla in 3 weeks. I have gotten to know this city so well that I can't bring myself to believe I won't be seeing it and living it every day like I have for the past 5 months. To think that I will no longer be waking up in "casa Lourdes", walking by the Torre de Oro on my way to class, sitting in beautiful plazas with water fountains in the middle, speaking spanish when I go into a store or restaurant, and going to some of the coolest discos I have ever seen in my life makes me so resistant to going home. Don't get me wrong, I miss my parents, my friends, and my life in the USA a lot, but this experience has somewhat transformed into a lifestyle since I have been here. And to think I am going to leave it makes me miss it before it's even gone! At least I recognize how limited my time is though. I really never let up an opportunity here in Sevilla. It's the only way to truly live and experience this city.

For now I have to get back to my studies. I think I have 2 more papers and 3 more exams left in this 20 day window of time before I leave for Amsterdam and then back to the United States. If you ask me, that is plenty of time to take advantage of all I have left to do.

All the best,
Michael

La Feria and La Romería

The Spanish HEAT has arrived. I'm sitting in my room right now, and can barely lay down on my bed because it is so hot in our house. Lourdes finally gave us a fan today, but I still find myself trying to escape that hot, sticky feeling even while I sit directly in front of it. I probably shouldn't be complaining now, because I know it is only going to get hotter from here on out, but to think that it is almost unbearable now makes me fear what it will be like come the middle of June. I can barely walk from my house to the program center (which is about a 7 minute walk) without breaking a sweat. Maybe I will buy one of those mobile fans that squirt water like they sell in Disney World...

I'm a little late on my blog post for Feria because I have been completely consumed with homework this week. I have my first ten page paper due next week Thursday, and I wanted to get it edited by the program center before I turned in my final draft. I made a few deadlines for myself, and so far I have followed them pretty closely, which is a good sign. While being in Spain, I have really perfected the lifestyle "work hard, play hard". I'd much rather avoid talking about the homework part though, so I will focus on the "play hard" part of my life. Last Monday night marked the beginning of Sevilla's "Feria de Abril". It's named "The April Fair" because usually Feria falls on the second to last, or last week of April, but this year since the Catholic calender was so late, Feria didn't even start until May 3rd. Also, there is generally a two week break between Semana Santa and Feria, but this year the city decided it was better to only allow a one week break in between the two holidays. The week of Feria was probably the most fun I have had since I have been in Spain. It is interesting because Feria has no religious affiliation, unlike that of Semana Santa and some of the other holidays during the Fall. Feria is entirely a celebration of life and a chance for families and friends to get together and enjoy time off work and school.

To begin, Feria takes place right in my neighborhood, Los Remedios. I was only a few blocks away from the big Fair and could usually hear it every night from my window when I would go to bed (and wake up in the morning for that matter too). The "campground" (for lack of a better word) where Feria takes place consists of approximately 1050 casetas and a temporary amusement park right next to it. The casetas look like little rectangular houses and are owned by various families in Seville. To own a caseta is actually a sign of wealth in Spain, because it costs thousands of dollars every year to have one. The costs don't stop there. Every caseta has a door guard who ensures that the only people who enter are members and their guests. Depending on the caseta, families will either pay for an open bar with food and drinks included or put a price on specific dishes since the Feria is truly the most expensive thing ever in Spain. A lot of the private casetas are owned by very large families who split the costs, and some are even conjoined groups of friends who buy a caseta together. It's interesting how private the Feria is, because most Spaniards are very open and welcoming but the Feria is viewed more as a chance to celebrate with the people close to you. I think that is what makes Feria special, because even as a foreigner, I could appreciate the desire to share Feria with those who mean the most to you.

Feria starts every year on a Monday night. At 12:00 (technically Tuesday), the big door-like structure leading into the Feria (called the Portero) lights up and marks the beginning of Sevilla's largest festival. On Monday, only members of the caseta are allowed in. Most casetas serve the traditional Feria dinner of fried fish and stay up early into the morning the next day dancing Sevillanas, eating, drinking and talking amongst each other. Tuesday through Thursday are the best days of the Feria because the casetas open up to member's guests and the Spaniards dress up to look their best. The last weekend of Feria is when all the tourism from around Spain usually comes to participate in the Feria of Sevilla. I was in Sevilla till Friday morning, so I got out just in time to avoid the big crowds. Of course, the tourists don't particpate in the private part of Feria, but a lot of them go on the amusement park rides and go to the public casetas as well (there are about 8 spread throughout the land) From what I saw Monday-Thursday, the Feria was the most Spanish event (besides the Flamenco) I have experienced. I almost can't put it into words because everything seemed unreal. As Americans, we have this image of what Spain is like in our heads, and the Feria fulfills and confirms that image. It's important to note that the Spaniards do not always dress in Flamenco dresses, and aren't always watching bullfights though. These traditions are special to holidays and that is what made it so cool to see and be a part of.

Back in the olden days, families were only supposed to arrive to the Feria by horse-drawn carriages. Of course, not everyone upholds this tradition, but of the few that do, it was very cool to see. Men, women and their children being brought to the Feria where they enter their caseta to drink, party and celebrate all day was just an inconceivable concept. There were also several men and women who rode their own horses through the streets of the Feria, dressed in "traje de gitanas" which a flamenco dresses, or "traje cortos" which are what the men wear to bullfights. Inside each caseta, there is a kitchen, tables and chairs, and dance floors. It's also funny because there are draw-string buckets that people put their valuables and other belongings in to protect them so they don't get lost or stolen easily. The nights are filled with more dancing, eating and drinking, and the amusement park gets much more active as well.

I went to the Feria every day, and even had the privilege of going to a friend's private caseta. He invited me for a meal on Thursday afternoon and I was able to meet his entire extended family and see what the inside of a private caseta was really like. I am so thankful to have had the opportunity because it is something I will truly never forget, and makes me feel very honored that I could partake in something so prized by his family. I wish the United States had a tradition like this, but I can only imagine what my Spanish friends would think if they came to America and saw a Saturday football tailgate! Culture differences are so interesting, and the Feria really opened my eyes to another way of partying and celebrating life.

For the weekend, I went to my other spanish friend's pueblo called Rubio. It is about an hour west of Sevilla by train and is the definition of "countryside" The reality is, there isn't very much to see when you go to a pueblo. But what I did have the opportunity to see was how normal and native Spaniards live their lives outside of the city. The houses are all next to each other, and there were two main restaurants, but much beyond that, it was all grassland. There were no supermarkets or shopping stores. It was exactly like farm towns of the United States. What I really liked about Rubio was the sense of community. Everyone in the town knew each other and makes a consistent effort to ask about how people are doing, and the most recent updates on their lives. In Rubio, I also got the chance to meet an entire extended family and get tours of each of their houses.

When I arrived Friday, I met my friends parents and she showed me around the town a little bit. We spent the whole day talking about various things on her patio and then went out to dinner at one of the two restaurants. We ate tapas and then went to the "Fiesta de la Romería", which is a prelude party to what was going to happen on Sunday. Believe it or not, we stayed out until 8:30 in the morning. I was absolutely exhausted and couldn't believe I had even managed to stay awake. It was so much fun because everyone from the town was at the party, from babies to 90 year old men and women. Needless to say, all day Saturday was spent sleeping till I awoke to a paella meal made by Elia's father. We had fish paella to start off the evening, and then my friend took me around to introduce me to her family that I hadn't met yet, and show me the church and central plaza of Rubio. Saturday night, we went out to dinner at the second restuarant and had a relaxed night in to prepare ourselves for the Romería party the next day.

On Sunday we woke up at 8:00 AM and got ready for the big fiesta. Elia put on her flamenco dress and we went out on the town to start the day. I guess you could say Romería was similar to Feria, in that there were tents owned by families and groups of friends, but it certainly wasn't as formal. We started by all gathering in the street and making a walk from the center of town into the countryside land. Since Romería is a religious holiday, we followed a procession with the Virgin Mary and Christ child up to a windmill stationed in literally "the middle of no where". When we got there, everyone started dancing Sevillana and singing. This moment marked the beginning of Romería and was very special for me to see. We then split up into our separate groups and got into our mobile-home like car. We were pulled by the back of a tractor for about and hour to the "campground" (which is literally what it was) and set up tents for the day. I'm sure you are probably reading this thinking it is the most hick, countryside festival possible, but the people were so proud of their tradition and so welcoming that I never questioned what we were doing at any minute. I spent the whole day with Elia and her friends (a group of about 20) under our tent doing what else, other than eating drinking and talking.

I was really proud of myself in Rubio because I spent practically the whole weekend speaking Spanish except for a few times when me and Elia would practice with her English. Again, I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to go to a Spanish pueblo. Her friends and family were so welcoming to me, especially for being a foreigner. They kept telling me how I was most likely the first American ever to set foot in their pueblo, and that they wanted me to go on the news and tell the world how much I loved their town and their Romería festival. I truly felt like a novelty in Rubio because everyone wanted to meet me. I guess I was just the center of attention, and it really felt good to be so welcomed and integrated.

Today a group of 13 MCP students crossed another thing off our Sevilla bucket list and went on the paddle boats through the Guadlquivir river. The company is called "Pedlquivir", and was definitely one of the highlights of the trip. We spent an hour going up and down the river and had a great time enjoying the sun and nice weather (even though yes, it was extremely hot). Tomorrow our program is going to Málaga for the weekend. It is our last program planned excursion, so I guess it will be one last hurrah before we start exams. I have made a lot of really good friends in Spain, both American kids from the program and native Spaniards. It is going to be really hard to watch everyone leave. And I am definitely going to miss my Spanish friends. It's hard to believe I am entering my last month of study abroad. I've had the time of my life, and am really going to miss every part of it.