Classes and Cordoba

This week flew by. Although it didn't look like we had that many scheduled events on paper, the entire week still felt extremely busy and I can't believe tomorrow is already Sunday again. Speaking of which, it is one of the best Sundays all year for American Sports... The Superbowl. Unfortunately I'm not sure if I am going to be able to watch it live tomorrow because 1) I doubt any bars or restaurants here will be showing American Football on their one small TV located in the far corner of the bar and 2) The game will be around 3 AM Seville time. Now normally that wouldn't be a problem for me, given we stay out till 5 or 6 in the morning some week nights, however Monday marks my first day of school, and I am not sure I will want to be falling asleep in class the first day. I still can't believe I will be starting my classes at the University next week. As I said before, that is the last thing I need for my "complete immersion" into the Spanish culture. We just finished our orientation classes in the Michigan-Cornell-UPenn Centro, and now it is off to a real university, with real homework, and real Spanish students. And if I thought this week felt busy, I can't even begin to imagine what next week will feel like. Last Wednesday I met with Eva to discuss what classes I should take at the University of Seville. We came up with a list of about 8-10 classes, and next week, I have to attend the lecture in every single one of them. My schedule is packed with class from 10 in the morning (not too early, fortunately) till about 5 or 6 at night. Then, after the first week, I am required to choose 4 classes in the University and 1 to take in the Centro. Before I came here, I thought I would take mostly Economics classes, however Eva informed me that the classes are very difficult, especially for foreign students, so most of my classes are in the department of History and Geography, while a few are in "Filologia", which is a literature department within the University of Seville. There were a lot of interesting Anthropology courses, and some good History classes that I want to take too. There are actually several classes about economic topics, such as international business and the labor force as well so I may enroll in a few of those too.

On Friday, we had another day excursion to Cordoba, which is about an hour and a half north of Sevilla. I really liked Cordoba a lot because it was full of beautiful scenery, and the best known food to be served in Spain. During the years leading up to the thirteenth century, Cordoba served as the regional capital for the Moorish empire. Therefore, the Cordoba Cathedral is the perfect example of mudejar architecture, as I described in the previous post. Our group started with a tour of the "Mesquita", which is the Spanish word for Mosque. Although now the Spaniards are extremely adamant about referring to the beautiful place of religious worship as the Cordoba Cathedral, this church once served as a Mosque for the African Moors. In this regard, there is essentially a Cathedral built within a Mosque in Cordoba, and the architecture is unlike anything I have ever seen before. We began in the Patio de Naranjas, which is where the Muslims used to gather to wash themselves before prayer in their mosque. Inside, the mosque was filled with what seemed like an infinite number of columns that were topped with a double arc and alternating design between rock and stone. The floor was especially interesting to learn about as well because each floor stone appeared to be about the size of a prayer rug, where all the Muslims would kneel and pray in front of the Mihrab. The Islamic influence was very evident in the arcs, the tile designs, and the ceilings. As we worked our way towards the center, we were able to see the more Christian construction, including the high altar and the choir stalls. The Cathedral of Cordoba actually struck most of us with awe because of it's size and intricate architecture. I found it very interesting to see two religious centers combined into one building, even though the Spaniards claim everything is declared Christian today. After the tour, we broke off into groups again and explored the rest of the city. We found cheap, yet delicious tapas, some cool clothing stores, and several plazas with water fountains and monuments alike. It was a perfect day, with a temperature around 65 degrees and nothing but sun in the sky. Before we left, I made sure to observe the archway leading into the city of Cordoba. The entrance to the city is still marked by a large, almost castle-like figure that leads to a bridge over a river and into the city. I really enjoyed my time in Cordoba because it was exactly how I envisioned what a small city in Spain would look like.

Today in Sevilla, I found my favorite place so far in the entire city: Plaza España. Unfortunately I am not exactly sure what it is used for or what it's purpose is, but all I know is that is the most beautiful spot in the entire city. There was a ton of activity going on there today because the temperature was just about 70 degrees and sunny. There was a little circular river, where there were probably 30-40 rowboats going in and out. I met with some of my friends there, and we spent almost the whole day in the plaza enjoying the sun and the scenery around us. Even further into the park, we found some nice paths and gardens as well. If I could spend every weekend there I would because it was so relaxing and so beautiful to look at. No wonder it is on the cover of the Seville travel book my parents gave me for Christmas.

I'm looking forward to starting classes next week and meeting actual Spanish students! I do miss my friends and family from home a lot though. A lot of my friends birthday's are coming up, so I am disappointed I won't be in town to celebrate with them, but fortunately technology allows me to keep in touch with everyone pretty easily. Next Thursday marks the 1 month anniversary of being in Spain... but I am not sure I want to think about what that means for me because time already feels like it is going too quickly. Guess I oughta just take my own advice and... slowww downnn.