The April Fair - biggest party of the year

I haven't updated in a while but I've been busy. Since I don't live with a host family anymore, I have to do my own cooking and all that, plus I've been busy with classes and all that. But I'm still having fun. This week is the Feria and I'll be really busy during this time too.

Last weekend, a group of us went out to a disco because it was Nathan's last night in Sevilla and we all wanted to party. We had a blast and stayed out so late (I went to bed at 7am and slept in till1pm). Like I've said before, staying out that late is normal! Nathan is going to Madrid for a month and if I end up going there for a weekend trip or whatever, I'll probably call him and we can get together while I'm there.

My flamenco classes are going well. I like my classmates and teacher, and we're learning a lot for only a short time. I'm also taking a rhythm/clapping class, and I know you're probably thinking "what the frig?" but believe it or not, flamenco clapping has a technique to it! I'm only taking the rhythm/clapping class for about a month, then I'm just taking dance (but the dance class I'll be in is more advanced).

The Feria started last night and the official start is when the gateway and lights in the feria grounds light up all at once at midnight (it will end on Sunday with a fireworks display). Then, the party starts! There are casetas (tents) everywhere and most of them are private and you need to be invited in (there is even a bouncer at the entrance of each caseta to make sure no one crashes the party) but there are a few that are accessible to the public. There are also people dancing in the fair grounds outside the tents. We went to a public tent and a few of us danced Sevillanas. Then, an older woman danced with us and said that she taught Sevillanas at an academy. She said I did well. Later, a few of us decided to walk around and then we started dancing outside a caseta that had good music. A man in the tent invited us in and so we got to party in a private caseta. We had a blast! Another time, I ran into Antonio and he said that he's busy so he won't have much time to spend at the feria, but he's giving my phone number to Manolo. That way, if Manolo and I get together during the week, he can get me invited into another private caseta.

Anyway, I got class soon so I can't write too much, but don't worry, I'm still alive!

And now for the week's news, live from Sevilla!

Ok so I was typing up a huge entry on this blog but the computer suddenly shut down unexpectedly and I lost the whole thing (grrrrr). So I'll give a short version because I can't be bothered with re-typing the whole thing:

I went to see the Cathedral today and it was amazing. I spent like 2 hours there and it was totally worth the 7.5 Euro entrance price. It wasn't like the "oh what a pretty church" type of beauty, it was more like "stop dead in your tracks, jaw-dropping, holy frig it's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen!" type of beauty. It's the biggest gothic cathedral in the world and has so many beautiful statues, carvings, paintings, chapels, etc. One time, I looked up and saw something beautiful, and nearly dropped my purse in amazement! I took so many pictures... And I also climbed up the Giralda (bell tower). The only stairway in the Giralda was the last little part near the top, the rest of it was flat like a wheelchair ramp. And I got some good pictures of the views of the city from up there. If any of you are ever in Seville, the Cathedral and Giralda are an absolute must-see! Definitely one of the most beautiful churches I've ever seen.

The foreign students and I had a party on Friday at someone's apartment, and later went out. I wanted to go to a disco where I could dance to David Bisbal all night but we ended up in some bar where they were playing rock music. It was ok, but next time I go out I want to go to a disco where I can dance to some real music! We were out till 5am, which is normal for Spain. Normally, people eat supper at 10-11pm and the nightlife doesn't truly start till past midnight.

On Wednesday, I tried going to a disco close to the street where I lived but since it was the middle of the week, there weren't many people there. So I went to the bar next door, which was completely different. It was very traditional - the music playing was Sevillanas, the locals (mostly middle-aged) were dancing sevillanas, there were black-and-white pictures of flamenco artists, horses, etc on the walls, and a small replica of La Virgen del Rocio (statue of Our Lady of the Dew) in a corner. The locals saw that I was a foreigner, and chatted with me, then they got me to dance a Sevillana! They got me to dance with one of the men in the bar and I was somewhat able to keep up (I learned this dance when I was in Salamanca but haven't really danced it since then). At the end, the locals were like "muy bien, muy bien!" (very good) and the man I was dancing with kissed my hand. Well, since my flamenco course starts this week, I'll get to improve my Sevillanas and during the feria I'll be dancing them all week!

Since my Spanish course with Instituto Alhambra is over and my dance course at the flamenco school starts this week, I had to move from the host family's house to a student apartment. The "apartment" is basically nothing more than a hole in the wall (well, the rent is cheap so...), but I'm only staying for 2 months so I can deal with it. Besides, the person in the bigger bedroom is leaving soon and the landlady said I can take that room after that.

I met up with Antonio (my VT buddy) again yesterday, and this time he also brought his girlfriend Maria José and a friend named Manolo. We all went for coffee and then since they had an extra ticket for a concert, they asked me if I wanted to come along so I went to the concert with them. It was a pop/rock band that's really popular in Spain and though I'm not a big fan of rock, it was cool. Turns out the tickets were VIP tickets, so we got a big balcony with a good view of the stage, access to free booze, and a bathroom that didn't have a huge lineup. Aside from the 4 of us, Manolo's brother was there too, also Antonio's sister and her boyfriend. It was so nice and warm during the day (25-30 celcius) that I didn't bother to bring a jacket, but when it was dark it got cooler and winder so Manolo lent me his jacket. After the concert, the 4 of us went for pizza (at 3am, hehehe...) and then Manolo drove me home in his "supercar" (that is one sweet car he's got...). I know you're probably freaking out and thinking "you let some local guy you just met drive you home in his supercar at night?!" but don't worry, he's just a friend and didn't try anything inappropriate, ever. The most he did was lend me his jacket when I was cold and even Antonio had offered to lend me his sweater, so no biggie.

I bought a ticket for a bullfight, on the 25th. The matadors fighting that day will be Miguel Abellán, Julian Lopez (aka "El Juli") and Manuel Jesús (aka "El Cid"). Hehehe... I remember on my first trip to Salamanca, we went to see a bullfight and El Juli was one of the matadors there too. Since he's my age and very cute, I fell crazy in love and couldn't stop swooning over him! For the next few days, I always referred to him as "el cutie" or just "cutie". Hehehe... I'll probably be freaking out again!

I saw a guy last week who looked just like Mr. Cranky! He was tall, had the same build, a similar face, and was talking on his cell phone with the same bored-yet-cranky look on his face as Ryan. When I went out with the foreign students, I saw a guy at the bar who looked like Neal (hehehe... Neal has long-lost twins all over the world!) except a little fatter and with a rounder face. But he was even wearing preppy clothes just like Neal!

I have a cell phone now (bought it for really cheap - 59 Euros for the phone and SIM card together) so if anyone wants to call me, send me a message and I'll email you my number.

Anyway, hasta luego, and I hope PEI, Ontario, or wherever you're living is treating you well! And if you want a postcard, send me a message with your address.

flamenco, tapas, dress shopping for the feria, la Macarena, and my hot date...

Ok, so it wasn't really a hot date, but all the other foreign students kept teasing me about it! I met up with an internet friend today who lives in Seville (we're both members of VirtualTourist), but since I told my classmates that he had often commented on how sexy I look in a short skirt (hehehe... the first message he ever sent me on VirtualTourist was something like "I like what you wrote about Salamanca, it was informative. And you look sexy in that short skirt!") they kept making jokes about me having a hot date. I did wear a short dress so that he'd recognize me! Hehehe... Nathan (American guy in my class) jokingly said "tomorrow we'll find your body in the river" but don't worry, there was no danger! Antonio and I met up in the afternoon near the Cathedral (major tourist site in broad daylight - very safe) and went for coffee. We had a nice little chat and want to meet up again sometime in the weekend.

In other news, my classmates and I went to see an awesome flamenco show last week, I can't wait to be able to dance like that! And another time when I was walking around in town, I saw some people singing and dancing flamenco outside some random bodega (wine cellar/bar) in the Plaza del Salvador. The man who was singing was awesome! Flamenco singing involves so much passion, I love it. The men who sang on the balconies when the processions came out of the churches during Holy Week also had that same passion when they sang.

A few of us went to visit the Basilica de la Macarena yesterday. No, la Macarena is not that cheesy dance that is now a big joke, it's actually one of the titles of the Virgin Mary. The churches here are so beautiful and so are the statues of Mary in them (Catholics in Seville have a huge devotion to Mary) but the statue of La Virgen Macarena is probably the most beautiful I've ever seen. I don't know what it is about that statue - maybe the look and tears on her face - but for some reason while I was looking at her directly face to face I felt as though she were speaking to me. I couldn't help myself, I just had to say a Hail Mary! (actually, two). I didn't want to look away and could have spent hours there just looking at her. I had seen pictures and thought she was beautiful, but seriously, pictures are nothing compared to seeing her in person. To me, Macarena will never be the cheesy dance again.

I finally found a flamenco dress for the Feria (April Fair) that actually fits well and looks good! I tried on so many but most of them were too tight for my cuerpo de guitarra (guitar body) and in the end there were two that I liked that fit well and wouldn't need to be altered. I ended up buying the cheaper one. It's blue and white and flatters my figure without being too snug, and I also bought some accessories to go with it - peineta, flower, and shawl. I showed my new flamenco outfit to my house mother and she was like "aaaaaahhhh, te queda precioso!" (it looks precious on you!). I can't wait to wear it in the feria!

I enjoy spending time with the other foreign students. We often go for tapas and drinks in the evenings in different parts of town. One time we went to Triana (the working-class district across the river), and at night, that area along the river is so beautiful! LOVE IT! And the food is great, I love Spanish food - tortilla de patatas (potato omelette), gazpacho (cold tomato soup), jamon Iberico (Iberian ham), croquetas (croquettes), etc. Yum! And my house mother cooks well and lunch is always great. Sometimes the dog will look at us as though saying "will you pleeeeeaaaase give me some food off the table?", it's so cute!

Anyway, hasta luego, and comments are welcome!

First few days in Sevilla

Things are going good. The language school is small and most of the other foreign students are German and Dutch (reminds me of my German and Dutch buddies when I was in Sweden, hehehe...) but there is also an American guy from California, an Australian guy, a Slovenian girl, and a Korean girl. On the first day of class, the class I was placed in was too easy for me - I was thinking "Frig, I learned this in first year... challenge me, will ya?!" but then I got switched to a class that's more challenging but not difficult. Class starts at 8:30am and ends at 12:30 but we have 2 breaks in between. During the longer break, we usually go to a breakfast bar and get some coffee (cafe con leche) and toast. Today, the place we usually go to is closed because many places are closed during the last few days of Holy Week, but we found another one that was open and I had chocolate con churros instead of toast. For those of you who don't know, churros are sticks of deep-fried dough that you dip in a mug of chocolate syrup. It's the fattest thing in the world, but since I always walk everywhere I can allow myself to eat it! There are usually a lot of activities planned for the foreign students, such as tours, shows, etc and so far we're all having fun.

Since it's Holy Week, there are processions in town several times a day. Those involve huge floats with statues of Jesus' Passion, Mary, etc carried all over town. The floats aren't pulled by trucks like in most parades, they're carried by people! Yes, there are people under the floats and they hold them up and carry them all over town. And those floats are quite heavy! There are also people known as ¨nazarenos" walking in front of and behind the floats and if I hadn't known in advance what the traditional costumes look like, I would probably have freaked out and though "Whaaaat?! The KKK are in Spain?! I'm outta here!" because the costumes they wear are exactly like the KKK (long robe, pointy hat and hood with cutouts for eyes). Well, those costumes existed for a long time before the Klan existed so if anything, the Klan stole it from them. The nazarenos often carry candles in the parade (and now there is candle wax in every street where the processions passed) and baskets of candy for children. Every time the kids see them, they always ask for candy! Some of them even walk barefoot (on cobblestone streets - yikes!) . I even saw little kids in those costumes, even some toddlers in strollers wearing the full costume! Actually, one time yesterday, I saw a toddler in a stroller wearing the costume and his mother (pushing the stroller) was telling him to give candy to the people nearby. I was standing close so the kid gave me a candy!

Anyway, what usually happens in those processions is the nazarenos walk out of the church, then the floats come out and everything stops. A man on a balcony starts singing a worship song and when he finishes, the parade continues. The first float shows a scene from Jesus' Passion (one that I saw showed Jesus on the cross, another one showed Judas betraying Jesus with a kiss, etc), then more nazarenos come out and the second float has a statue of Mary wearing a golden crown and a velvet cloak with all sorts of beads and sparkles on it. At the back of the parade, there is a marching band playing music. It's all very beautiful, but so crowded! So many people go to watch it so sometimes the crowds are like Marienfeld Mass Exodus minus the turnip field.

Today was Holy Thursday, and many women (mostly middle-aged and old ladies) were wearing a peineta (tall Spanish comb) with a mantilla over it (lace shawl). Apparently, it's a cultural thing here. In two weeks, there will be the feria (April fair) so all the women will be wearing flamenco dresses. I want to wear one for the feria too, so I went to a shop to try some on, but since I'm not built like most Spanish women, most of the dresses were too tight around the hips/thighs (in some, I couldn't even sit down because my thighs were too fat for it!) so I'd have to have it altered to fit properly (the store I went to has seamstresses who can alter the dresses). The one dress that I liked and was able to sit down in was too short so I'd have to have it lengthened. Well, I'll check out some other dress shops sometime this weekend or early next week...

When I was at the Plaza de España yesterday, a gypsy ¨fortune teller" came up to me and held up a bunch of rosemary leaves, and since I remembered reading about this scam, I simply said ¨no thanks" and tried to walk away but then she shoved it in my hand, then took my hand to give me a palm reading (generic crap like "great love, phone call from your family" and stuff like that, she was barely even looking at my hand!) and wouldn't leave me alone unless I paid 5 euros. I had a few coins but she insisted on paper money but I pretended I had none, so eventually she just took the coins and left. I kept my hand on my bag after than in case there were others hiding around there waiting to pounce on my bag.

Anyway, I'll write more later, adios for now!

Arrival in Sevilla

Well, after spending a few days in Montreal and half a day in London, I have arrived in Sevilla! What an adventure that was...

Montreal was fun and now I know I want to live there next year. I spent the week at my aunt's place and had a great time. I went to Old Montreal to see the Notre Dame basilica and I LOVED it! It is seriously one of the most beautiful churches I've ever seen! I remember seeing it when I was a kid but that was a long time ago. That place is Heaven on earth. I wanna get married there! I also found a store selling religious items in Old Montreal and bought a St. Christopher medal (patron saint of travellers).

I also went shopping and of course I went to check out some dancewear boutiques since I figured there was more there than at Demipointe back home. I got a cute pair of legwarmers at Rossetti, and two pairs of dance shoes at Danz. Actually, I found a basket of pointe shoes at Danz that were 50% off, so yes, I got a pair of Sanshas (original price - $80) at half-price! I also got jazz shoes and ribbons for the pointes. I also found a store that sold stuff similar to what they have at How Bazaar and bought a cute frilly wrap skirt for $25.

I met up with Mary MacGillivray and we went to the Musee des Beaux-Arts. What an awesome museum. I especially loved the religious artwork there - paintings of Biblical scenes and saints. I also saw the Disney exhibit - it showed early Disney art and stuff (Mickey Mouse and friends, no little mermaid or Aladdin). Maria, I thought of you when I saw the Disney stuff even if it didn't include The Little Mermaid! But there was one display that well, I'm not sure what to make of it. It showed a bunch of Mickey Mouse dolls arranged around a tv screen as if they're watching tv (the tv showed Mickey Mouse cartoons) and above the tv, there was a crucifix. But not just a regular crucifix - is it a sin to nail a Mickey Mouse doll to a cross? With a sign on top that says Disney instead of ¨king of the Jews¨?

My aunt and uncle also took me out for Greek food at a nice restaurant and the food was sooooo good! I love Greek food to begin with, but this was just too good! Especially the squid rings and all those dips. Yum...

Anyway, my flight to London wasn't too bad and at first I figured it would take at least two hours before I was ready to leave Heathrow airport, but in the end it only took one hour! So I bought a subway ticket (you can take the subway from Heathrow to the city) and went into London that way. I left my suitcase at the Left Luggage area at Liverpool Street train station, bought a ticket for the Stansted Express (train that goes straight to Stansted airport) and spend the rest of the morning and early afternoon walking around the area. I bought a sandwich at a coffeeshop, then I walked all the way to the Thames and checked out the bridges. You know that bridge with the fancy towers that everyone thinks is London Bridge? Well, it's not - that one is Tower Bridge! London Bridge is actually quite normal-looking and boring. I also walked up The Monument (tower dedicated to the London fire). 311 stairs on a spiral staircase! I'm surprised my legs aren't sore after that... But I got a great view of the city from up there!

Then, I took the Stansted Express to the airport to take my Ryanair flight to Seville. It was hell trying to get through that airport - crowds, long lines, a very long walk to the gate... and consider the fact that I was tired, jet-lagged, and very low on sleep (I wasn't able to sleep on my flight to London). Then, my flight was late. After arriving at the Seville airport an hour late because of that, I couldn't find the person who was supposed to pick me up, so after panicking and actually crying when I realized I was stranded, I took a cab to the hostel where I was supposed to stay the night (it was only the next day that I would go to my host family, I had to book at a hostel for March 31). Then, when I got there and unpacked, I realized that my hair conditioner bottle cracked and had spilled. Thank goodness I had put it in a plastic pouch so that it didn't get all over my clothes, but I still had to put what I could in smaller bottles and throw away what was left over. I was also very worried about what would happen if I couldn't reach the family. I got to the hostel late at night so it was too late to call, but I tried calling the next morning and no one was home. Yes, I was panicking! But later I was finally able to reach them and walked to the house later in the morning (walking on cobblestone streets with a suitcase - ugh). But everything is fine now.

My house mother is nice and when I came in, there was a cute little dog barking loudly at the entrance. She explained that the guy who was supposed to pick me up at the airport thought I wasn't coming - he didn't know the flight was late so he left before I showed up. I have my own room and got settled in pretty quickly. The house mother also has a son who's my age, and VERY cute...

I was able to go to Mass for Palm Sunday at a nearby church. Holy Week is huge here and the priest even told us that we should be looking at the meaning of Holy Week instead of the cultural festivities. I loved the way he talked when he said that Holy Week is to remember that Jesus died for us - in Seville the celebrations are a huge spectacle and I can't wait to see it all, but I'm not going to forget the meaning of it.

Anyway, that's all for now, hasta luego everyone!