Viene la Primavera

Last Sunday was the Vernal Equinox, which marks the first official day of Spring. And what better way to bring in the season of Spring with a giant party in (practically) the middle of nowhere, with about 500 - 600 Spaniards? I'm not exactly sure how we found out about this party, mostly by word of mouth, but it is definitely one scene I will never forget throughout my time in Seville. Here in Spain, all of the partying takes place outside. People don't have house parties, so they agree on a location somewhere in the city to get together to hang out and drink. This is called Botellon in Spanish. Technically botellon-ing is illegal, but the police here don't really enforce that rule. And when I say people get together to drink in the streets, I don't mean a few groups of 10 to 12 people. Botelloning almost always consists of over 100 people. What's even more interesting, is that people leave their trash (bottles, cups, bags, etc) in the street or plaza when they are done. Upon arriving in Seville and seeing this, I was kind of disappointed to see how poorly the Spaniards treated their city by littering everywhere, but as time as passed, I realized that Botellon is actually a type of luxury... an opportunity for them to hang out with their friends and enjoy their life. There is actually a street crew who cleans these messes up every night and I assume their salaries come from city taxes. But to Spaniards, paying an higher tax to be able to Botellon is entirely worth it to them because they value their friendships and having fun over money and keeping their city 100% clean and beautiful all the time. A Botellon is very casual and relaxed venture. Yes, there are hundreds of people, but the drinking is nothing like drinking in America. Generally, the Spaniards will have mixed drinks, wine, or beer. I have never seen one Spaniard take a shot, because they don't see the logic in it. Drinking here is suppose to be something casual; a process that ought to be prolonged as much as possible and above all, fun. The primary objective is being with friends and enjoying life, not being drunk. This philosophy is actually.... logical. But this particular botellon for the beginning of Spring (Fiesta de la Primavera) was by far the biggest and most extensive I have ever seen. There were several cars with huge speakers blasting Spanish pop music for everyone to hear, and guys and girls alike dancing, talking and welcoming the Springtime weather. Although most the people there seemed relatively young (16-19) this fiesta was a true representation of Spanish social life, and something I will never forget seeing and experiencing.

Every day for the past week or so has been above 70 degrees and sunny. The weather here is unbelievable, and to think that another snow storm is coming to Michigan right now makes me so grateful I am away from the miserable Michigan weather for a semester. Last weekend I decided to walk through barrio Santa Cruz, which was the old town jewish quarter in Sevilla. The neighborhood is characterized by a series of small plazas, extremely narrow streets, and a whole heck of a lot of history embedded in the walls of the buildings. Of course, I took my tour guide book with me through the neighborhood so I could know exactly what I was seeing, and it's significance. The concept of a coexistence of 3 religions in one city is very interesting to think about, especially back in the early 16th and 17th centuries. And the fact the Jews were confined to a particular region of the city makes it even that much more intriguing. The views along my walk were beautiful, mostly because it felt so preserved and authentic. On my way home from Barrio Santa Cruz, I noticed a procession of cars into a nearby church so I stopped to observe. I now feel that much more knowledgeable about Sevilla, and I have to find the next cool thing to discover about this city.

As I started to walk home to los Remedios (my neighborhood) there was actually an extravagant wedding about to take place right in Plaza Salvador, one of the plazas in the center of the city. I didn't get to see everything, but I did see the start of the wedding and the father walking the bride down the aisle. It turned out to be a successful Saturday in Sevilla, followed by an equally fun evening. That night we decided to check out one of the most talked about discos in Sevilla called Boss. Of all the discos I have been to, I think I liked this one best because they play the best music and the Spanish girls there are the most attractive I have seen in my life. I got the feeling it was a little preppy and the people liked to stick to themselves instead of interact among strangers, but my friends and I had a great time regardless. Sunday morning I took a recommendation from my discussion leader, Puri, from the January Pro-cultural Seminar in the Center and went to Plaza del Museo to look at local artists works because I want to bring my parents back a painting of the city. There is an amazing amount of talent in this city, and I was very overwhelmed by the amount of artists showcasing their work for both locals and tourists to see and buy. I didn't buy anything yet, because I want to make sure I really like it before I do, so I will definitely be returning in the coming Sundays.

Last Thursday I met up with another Intercambio, at one of the most popular places in Sevilla called Tea & Coffee. Eva recommended him to me because last semester he was set up with a kid who attended UPenn. His name is Armando and we talked in both English and Spanish. He was actually very good at English, and he studies engineering at the University of Seville. He speaks Spanish much faster than Elia, but I don't mind because that is the only way I can continue to improve. He had some very interesting questions for me, about American life and culture. All the Spaniards base their perceptions of America off of the movies. And I told him to an extent they can be accurate, but of course there is much more to America than what you see in the movies. He surprisingly knew a lot about American lifestyle and culture though, and told me one day he would like to travel there and work if possible. He seems like a very nice and smart guy, and someone I could get along well with. Hopefully we can continue to hang out these next few months. 

Tomorrow our program is headed to Ronda Spain for the day. I think we will see more scenic views of rural Spain while in Ronda, a true representation of Andalucia. This lifestyle is unreal. I'm starting to think I won't need that return ticket back to Michigan........