Here goes nothing!

Hola todos! I know this is a day early, but I am leaving for a week-long vacation this afternoon, so I figured I would get this up before I left! While this past week has seemed to go on forever, in anticipation of break, it has also been a really enjoyable week (not that I've had an unenjoyable one!)

This past Monday, after my Flamenco class, we were able to pick out our dresses for our "recital", which is at the end of November. I was so excited to try on all the dresses, but also worried that I wouldn't be able to find one long enough (6ft Spanish women aren't exactly common!). We were all trying the dresses on and it felt like prom/wedding dress shopping, with everyone drooling over everyone else's dresses... so pretty much we were like little girls playing dress up! After much searching I was able to find a skirt that was long enough, which I could hardly believe! I'm so excited to wear it!!!

On Wednesday after Encuentro a group of us decided to go out for tapas. I absolutely love getting tapas because I always want to try a lot of things on a menu, and sharing tapas lets you do that! Between the four of us we bought 8 things...and then decided on 2 desserts, and they were all delicious! Afterwords we walked around and were able to listen to my favorite spanish guitarist again. When he was done we even talked to him a little, which was really interesting!

***Side note about Spanish (or any other language) in general: you need to learn to laugh at yourself! There are a lot of words that can be made into something completely different by simply changing one or two letters, which can lead to a lot of laughs or confusion. I find this to be one of the most amusing things of learning a new language! For example, masaje (massage) can be easily confused with mensaje (message), which explains why my friend looked at me so weird when she thought I said I was getting a back message. Along the same lines, I don't know how many times I have mistakenly mixed up espalda (back) with espada (sword), which always leads to an interesting conversation. One of the worst/funniest mistakes though is mixing up the word mora (blackberry) with a somewhat old and derogatory term that refers to Muslims... Lets just say I have witnessed two people try to ask for blackberry jam and accidentally end up asking for something else...

Anyways.... since we don't have class over Halloween, our school had a Halloween party on Thursday. This party included a costume contest, so of course I had to dress up! It was difficult coming up with an idea since I don't have near as many costume options here (unless I went out and bought something, but who wants to do that?!), so in the end my roommate Chelsea and I decided to be old women (which turned into abuelitas, or little grandmas!) We dressed all frumpy-like, powered our hair, drew wrinkles (all that practice from high school theater finally came to good use), walked with canes, and talked like old women for the majority of the day. I would talk to my professors as if I was old, and they totally went along with it, which was a lot of fun! We had a break between the end of classes and the Halloween party, so Chelsea and I decided to go take a walk outside down the main road and act like old women. We received a lot of strange looks, and it was absolutely hilarious! When we got back it was time for the party, and we found out the winners of the costume contest (which there were three winners) and we were one of them! Needless to say, there were a lot of laughs that day!

All this past week I have also been finalizing all my plans for our week-long break! I will be leaving this afternoon with 5 friends on a trip to London, Amsterdam, and Paris!!!!! I can hardly believe it! I am so excited to travel around Europe for a week (and to visit the motherland!), but also kind of nervous because I have no idea what to expect! But I know it will be awesome! That being said, prayers for safety and an enjoyable trip would be much appreciated! We will be doing a lot of traveling, so prayers that everything will go smoothly with transportation would be great as well! We will be coming back on November 3, so I'm letting you all know in advance that the next blog is going to be late, if I have time to write that week at all (sorry!).
Love and miss you all!
Hasta luego!
Rachel :)

Mmmmm tapas!

Las Abuelitas...

Glamour shot....

It's all in the timing

Hola todos! Another week has come and gone, and with that I have reached the halfway point of my semester here in Sevilla (can you believe it?! because I certainly can't!) As I look back at the calendar I can hardly believe all the things I have done so far, the Spanish language and culture I've absorbed, and the things God has taught me about myself and others. I feel so blessed to be here every day, and I wouldn't change a thing about it! I could go on and on, so I'll spare you the sentimentalities and get to my week ;)

So Monday we didn't have school in celebration of Fiesta Nacional de España (which you all know as Columbus Day). My friends and I wanted to visit the Torre del Oro because it's normally free on Mondays. However, it was closed for the holiday, so we decided to go to a different museum instead. On the way there we passed the Plaza de España and there was a hot air balloon there. We were intrigued, so we went to find out the price, and turns out it was FREE! Needless to say, we hopped in line as fast as we could! We had to wait awhile, and the ride only went up for about a minute and then came back down, but it was still totally worth it! Afterwords we walked to a different part of the park where there are tons of pigeons, so we bought food and fed them. There were so many, and they would land all over you if you had food. I was slightly scared I would get pooped on with so many birds, but it was so funny, I had to try! Right by this park was an Archeology Museum, which also happened to be free that day, so we stopped in there as well. Needless to say, that morning did not turn out as planned, but I couldn't have planned it any better!

On Tuesday, our art class visited the Cathedral in Sevilla to look at the gothic architecture. While its not as beautiful as the Cathedral in Toledo, it was still amazing! After the tour we wanted to go up La Giralda, which is the tower connected to the Cathedral that was originally built as part of the mosque, which was partially demolished to build the cathedral. At first they wouldn't let us up because they were going to close in 10min, but our professor convinced them to let us up, but we still only had 10min. Approximately 5min, 35 ramps, and 170ft later we were at the top, where were were treated to a beautiful view of Sevilla....and then promptly had to go back down. It was so worth it though!

Friday we had a "noche de chic@s" (girls and guys night), which consisted of delicious guacamole and american snacks, great people, and of course The Princess Bride. After the movie we proceeded to have an impromptu dance party, complete with the Cupid Shuffle, Wobble, Macarena... you get the idea! I laughed so much that night, which was really nice after finishing 2 exams this week as well! While I love everything Spanish, it was nice to just have a "normal" american night for once!

After a week or so of cooling down, the weather decided to warm up again here in Spain, so on Saturday we decided to go to a beach outside of Huelva for the morning and afternoon. This beach, like all the others, was so beautiful! Even though it was surrounded by vacation homes, there was hardly anyone there! The beach seemed to go on forever, and was covered in shells at the water line all the way down! I've never seen so many shells before! After spending about 4 hours there we headed home, where I relaxed a little, ate some dinner, and then headed off to the discoteca! I wasn't really sure what to expect with the discoteca, and I wasn't sure if I would like it, but I figured I had to try it out for myself! Well, it definitely ended up being an interesting experience, but overall I enjoyed it. I just danced with my group of friends and we had a good time!

Thank you all so much for your continued prayers and support! I am so thankful for them, and for you all! As I look ahead to the upcoming week, I would really appreciate prayers for focus in my classes, as this is the last week before our week-long break. There's a lot of planning that has to get done before we leave still, and I tend to put vacation planning over homework.... Continued prayers for safely and good health are always appreciated as well!

Well, I think thats all for this week! Love and miss you all!
Hasta luego!
Rachel :)

Front alter of the Cathedral in Seville

View from the top of La Giralda... this is my home! Crazy, right?!

Obligatory selfie at the top of La Giralda

Feeding the birds

Getting ready to take off in the hot air balloon!

The beautiful beach in Huelva!

Learning to speak human

Hola todos! Yet another week has passed, and I can hardly believe it! I know I say it practically every week, but time goes by so incredibly fast here, I can hardly keep up with it! So this week was a week of getting to know people better and spending time with friends. While I didn't go on any big excursion, I had a lot of great small ones here around Sevilla. 

I guess I have to start at Monday. On this day I had my Flamenco dance class as always, but today we also had to pick a partner with whom we would dance for the rest of the semester. While this sounds so simple, this was a really big decision, and I had to laugh because we all seemed like we were in middle school gym class, and no one wanted to make the first move. Fortunately, by the time class was over we all had chosen a partner and survived ;)

On Tuesday and Wednesday I had my small group and Encuentro respectively. While I always feel spiritually nourished after these, this week was especially great. Between what I have talked about in these groups and the conversations and activities I have had with people here this week, I have really been able to understand how to listen and act upon the will of God more clearly and have seen how God works for the good of His people. It has been really exciting to see God work within and through me these past 6 weeks, even if its only something small!

Thursday was also a day of connections for me. First, after school I was able to go out with a small group for coffee to celebrate my friend's birthday. While it wasn't a big celebration, it was great to simply take a break and enjoy each other's company and celebrate together (and I tried my first Pumpkin Spice Latte of my life... call me stereotypical, but it was pretty good!). In the afternoon I went over to the hospital where the old me now live to play Bingo again. This time there were only 3 of us students who showed up, but I was really glad I went! The men are very sweet, and you can tell it means a lot to them that you are there... even though half the time I can't make out what they're saying! Plus, I have a friend there who I see every week when we go for Encuentro, and I had told him I would come back for Bingo. Overall it was a very fun night, and I was really glad I went!

The next day we decided to go out and celebrate the birthday of another one of my friends here. We all got dressed up and then met up together for a Flamenco show, which was amazing! For those of you who have yet to experience one, in a Flamenco show there will be 1+ dancers, and then a guitarist and usually a singer. This show had 2 dancers, a man and a women. The show was absolutely wonderful- the passion and talent of each of the performers was very obvious, but not in an obnoxious way. Every song they were so in sync with each other, it was incredible. Before one of the songs, the singer talked to the audience and said, in effect, "Flamenco has no language. It doesn't matter where you come from, everyone from every language understands it," and it's true. The majority of the song is about the emotion you portray, which is done through more than words. I think this is why I love watching and listening to Flamenco so much! After the concert we all went out for tapas and just had a really great night in each other's company. 

Yesterday I also had a really great time simply in the company of others. In the morning I did a little exploring around the city with friends, and was able to visit 2 museums really close to my house that I didn't even know existed! For lunch we ate at my host mom's mom's house (host-abuela?) because my host family went on vacation this weekend (this is a holiday weekend over here). My host-grandma is also a host mom, so this weekend we have been fortunate to eat with 2 other girls from our program and get a glimpse into their home life (and eat some really delicious food!). In the afternoon I went with some friends to the movies, which was a really exciting experience. We decided to watch a thriller/mystery movie that was made in Spain, and it was something else. The movie itself was really good, but between the 6 of us we maybe got 70% of the plot. Most of the time we were just laughing at things that in reality were not supposed to be funny, and trying to figure out the main points of the plot. Even though the movie was a little more gruesome than I prefer, I still had a great time and hope to go back some other time this semester. 

Today for church I decided to try out a new place where a Spanish friend of ours goes, and it was a really good decision. Just in the first 10 min of walking in I was approached by 3 or 4 members of the church who immediately approached me, talked to me, and made me feel welcomed. This warm reception is something that I have really missed being here, where strangers usually look at each other with a blank stare, if they look at all. I had a huge grin on my face the entire time, because it was the first time I could do so and not look like a huge flirt/American!

As I look at the upcoming week there are definitely things I could use prayer for. First, this week I have 3 exams (midterms I guess) in two days, as well as a very packed schedule the days beforehand. On top of this, I have been having some signs of a cold coming in, which is definitely a pain in the butt! So prayers for health, strength, motivation, and endurance in this upcoming week would be much needed and appreciated! Thanks again for all the support and prayers this past week, I can definitely feel them! Remember, feel free to Facebook/email me any time, I love hearing from you all (I also love mail, hint hint ;) ) 

Love and miss you all!

Hasta luego,

Rachel :)

Just enjoying a little snack at small group... :)

First Pumpkin Spice Latte of my life

The birthday celebration group! 

Flamenco show!!! (that will be me one day!)

Some of the tile/ceramic artwork around the museum that we found

Living in the moment

Hola todos! It's already that time again, believe it or not! This week, like every other, has been filled with explorations and culture-learning experiences, including a trip to Toledo! (It's pretty nice taking a trip with school for 2 reasons... 1. You don't miss anything 2. They pay for lodging and museum visits. I can't complain about that!)

Before I hit that though, I did have a few days here in Sevilla, which were mostly spent physically recovering from my trip to Portugal! On Monday we had our third Sevillanas (Flamenco) class. As always, I had a great time, and we learned yet ANOTHER dance (we are up to 3 now). However, we still have yet to learn the hands, which for now I'm more than ok with. I would like to think that I'm halfway decent at this as long as I can! I also met with my Intercambio, and I tried té con leche (black tea steeped in steamed milk with sugar, similar to Chai tea) and it was delicious! I now have another coffee substitute!

Tuesday was supposed to be a pretty normal day for me, but it ended up ending a lot different than expected. After various meetings and practice in the afternoon, I expected to pass the night at home, but at 9:45 some friends invited me to a flamenco show at 10:30, and after 30sec of deciding if it was worth going out (I had a test the next day...) I decided to go. The show was at a bar named La Carboneria, which is a converted coal(?) factory hidden in the depths of Sevilla that hosts poetry readings, Flamenco dancing, classical Spanish music, and artists... so pretty much a gem in the rough. The show we saw consisted of a Spanish guitarist, a singer, and one flamenco dancer, and was amazing! Even though it was decently touristy, I felt like I finally saw something culturally unique to Sevilla!

Early Thursday morning (6:20) we all met to drive to Toledo, where we had plans for a 2-day trip! The main purpose of this was so the art students (thats me) could see the gothic architecture of the Cathedral and some of El Greco's paintings. On the way there, we were able to stop by the windmills in la mancha, made famous by the novel Don Quixote. It was really cool to see these extremely old windmills up close! When we arrived in Toledo we went to the church that houses El Greco's most famous painting, "El Entierro del Conde de Orgaz". I was expecting a decently-sized painting, but it was huge! It was amazing to see it up close! Afterwords we went to an old monastery church to look at the gothic architecture, and this too was amazing. It is crazy that people built these extremely ornate buildings around the 15th century! After the church we had some free time, and so a group of us decided to find these ancient Roman springs.... well this ended very similarly to when we tried to find the concert a few weeks back.... needless to say, we didn't see any springs that day!

After the most glorious night of sleep since I've arrived in Spain (because of the a.c. it was cold enough in my room that I could use a comforter!!!), we ventured off to the famous Cathedral in Toledo, the oldest in the country. The entire thing was absolutely beautiful! From the hand-carved wood seats ta the grand roseton (flower-shaped stained glass), everything was stunning! In one of the back rooms there were other works by El Greco, and Goya as well. After the cathedral we had more free time, which I used to look around the shops. Toledo is known for their swords (and knives for that matter), and so it was really cool to pass all the knife stores! For all you Lord of the Rings fans, there were replicas of many a sword from that movie! Unfortunately I don't have a suitcase, or a wallet, big enough to buy one :/

This Saturday, I spent the morning walking around my neighborhood. Triana is known for its painted tiles, and I really wanted to visit a tile store/factory and look, so I visited 3! In the afternoon, I spent a long time hanging out with some friends from the program and their intercambios. It was really cool being able to spend some time with people my age from Sevilla and not feel like a tourist for once, but an actual Sevillana! This morning some friends and I decided to go to mass in the Cathedral in Sevilla. I wasn't sure what to expect going into it, and the service was much different that what I am used to, but I was really glad I went. A highlight would definitely be singing the Latin chants, being accompanied by the grand organ! Simply being able to worship in the largest cathedral in Spain was something truly remarkable!

One thing that has really hit me this week is the idea of enjoying every day you have, and making use of the places around you. This semester I have really made an effort to go out and explore the events of the city and get to know my surroundings. While our trips don't always go as planned, they always end up as good memories. God has blessed me with every day here, and I'm learning to really treat these days as gifts, and this mentality is one that I know I can use more of back in Chicago!

And as always, your prayers and support are highly appreciated! I love hearing from you all back at home (whether by Facebook, Skype, or mail, hint hint....hahaha).... As I get ready to start another week of class, I would really appreciate prayers for endurance. Being surrounded by Spanish all the time is great, but sometimes I just really want to have a class in English, or be able to completely understand what my host family is saying!

Miss you and love you all!
Hasta luego!
Rachel :)

View of the windmills on the hilltop

Just chillin in a windmill :)

View of Toledo from the mountainside surrounding the city

Organ from the Cathedral in Toledo

Painting by El Greco, "El Espolio"

Just your run-of-the-mill sword shop...