"Un poco gay"

At the moment I am supposed to be writing a paper on the topic "Youth in Spain," but writing in English is easier. Today Mama Rosa took Sarah and me to Don Diego, her favorite coffee shop.  It's just down the street from where we live in Triana, so we strolled through the doors and sat down at the bar.  My host mom knew almost everyone at the bar, and introduced us to the servers and the people around us.  Rosa is a serious regular at this cafe, and assured us that pretty soon, we will be too.

Okay.  I have always always, alwaysalwaysalways wanted to be a regular in somewhere as cool as Don Diego.  Don Diego is a local cafe, with plenty of indoor and outdoor seating (kinda rare here), homemade pastries, cute old couples, and delicious coffee.  After we met one of the barista-waiters, Rosa leaned in close and told us that he may be "un poco gay."  My gaydar is off the wall here, where both gay and straight men dress nicely, wear scarves, walk arm-in-arm with other men, and tell women they are pretty.  We asked her how she would know such a thing, and apparently it's in the way he opens his mouth.  When my Spanish improves, maybe I will be able to pick up on these subtle cues too.

Our little familia at Don Diego

Alright, back to writing about the Spanish economy (it is the worst) and its relation to young love.  As my Spanish improves and I meet more locals, I'll let you know if I start to win any rounds of the game "European or Gay?"

Above the Influence

The "fiesta scene" is very different here.  Or maybe it's the same, but I wouldn't know as the bars are a novel concept to me.  Pretty much everywhere serves alcohol (liquor license? Nahhh...), the drinking age is 18, and it was legal until fairly recently to drink in public.

Near my house is a nice little street called "El Betis."  It is right on the river, and is basically a string of bars and fun little dance clubs.  You can watch Flamenco shows most nights, take chupitos for a euro, or just sit by the water and drink straight out of the 70-cent boxed wine you bought from the grocery store.

I thought when someone said "Let's go to the discotecas!" that they were joking.  Nope!  "Disco" doesn't mean tight flared pants and big hair here.  Discotechas are the place to BE on a Friday or Saturday (Sometimes Thursday) night.  They don't fill up until around 3am, and many don't open until 2 in the morning.  Last night (this morning?) Monica and I went to Abril, a hawt new discotecha for all the hip young chicas and muchachos.  We were just chillin' on the dance floor, doing our thang, you know, jamming out the do-si-do, the macarena, and the mashed potato.  We had a great time with the locals, but decided to leave when she realized someone stole her wallet.  It looks like not all of our new Spanish friends are the kind of people you want to get groovy with.

But no worries, a nice taxi cab took us both home by 6am so we could then sleep most of the day away.  Now it is 2 in the morning as I write this, and have officially been awake and functioning for 12 hours.  Class in the morning!

Bring it on, Spain.

La Catedral

On my 30-minute stroll to class every morning, I take Avenida de Constitucion and stare at all the buildings around me.  When literally every single one is beautiful, it's hard not to marvel like a tourist.  Because even though I've been in Sevilla a week, and am therefore a Spanish expert and thiiis close to being a Sevillana...I find something new to gape at every day.  The side-streets are tiny and adorable, the downtown buildings are all beautifully adorned, and the people dress like they care about themselves.  Even the pigeons are kinda classy here--they refuse to fly out of your way like poor commoner pigeons, instead they quicken their step and politely hurry away.

One of the obstacles on the way to the ISA office is the Catedral de Sevilla.  Let's see, it's the 3rd largest cathedral in the world, or the 2nd largest Catholic cathedral, or the largest Catholic Gothic cathedral.  Pick your favorite.  Yesterday we had the opportunity to explore inside on a guided tour.  Honestly, it doesn't seem real to be walking around in that much history and beauty.

The angel at the entrance to the cathedral

Christopher Columbus's tomb.  He is INSIDE that casket.

The view of the cathedral tower (tallest in Sevilla!) from the plaza

View from the top of the tower! 

The cathedral tower was built as part of a mosque centuries ago.  When the whole power and religion change-up happened, Spain destroyed the mosque and built a cathedral on top of it in the 13th century.  They kept the bell tower and added the very top part, which is currently under construction. My group climbed all the way to the top of the tower and certainly got our workout for the day.  You can see out all sides, and the view was absolutely amazing.  

After the tour we chilled beneath the tower and ate the bocadillos our host mothers made for us.  The pigeons wandered around the fountain while beautiful people used zero PDA discretion and motorcycles buzzed by. 

I live here.

Um...con carne?

Every meal is an interesting adventure here.  Most people know I refused to eat vegetables, fruit, or anything without at least one stick of butter for most of my life.  Yesterday, my host mother set a plate full of cauliflower in front of me.  Literally, my plate was piled with giant heads of cauliflower, or "coliflor."  Yup.  Nothing is lost in that translation.  It turns out, cauliflower smothered in a milky-onion sauce and sprinkled with cheese is actually pretty decent.  Until it gets cold.  Then, the bread-to-cauliflower ratio is crucial.  I'm not going to go into a restaurant and ask for "ajoarriero," you know, EVER, but I am proud to say I am capable of eating a meal with only vegetables (and a generous slice of bread) for the largest meal of the day.

Is this what growing up is like?

Top 5 Most Interesting Meals in Spain So Far
5. Any bocadillo (loaf of bread with an iiiiitty little piece of meat thrown in there last-minute.)
4. Churros con chocolate (Two words: Hot. Damn.)
3. Mussel Arancini (fried ball of mussel and cheese.)
2. Crema de Calabaza (it was like...pumpkin yogurt? Eh, it was free.)
1. Octopus (shockingly great. We're missing out in Idaho.)

Even though it's usually around 60 and sunny here during the day, all the houses are made of heat-rejecting marble and no one has central heat.  It gets really cold at night and has never been above 45 in this house.  So the Spanish came up with this awesome little device called a heater that they place beneath their dinner table, which is covered with a lovely fleece blanket and protected with a tablecloth.  We sit in the living/dining room on the couch and arm chairs and cover ourselves with the wonderfully warm blanket.  Seriously, best part of my day.

I'm not gonna lie, a week ago I had some serious doubts about Spanish cuisine.  But then I met my host mother and sat down for a meal at her heated blanket table.  Then she brought Sarah and me the best food I've had since my real madre's cooking, and I knew I found my home.

Also, yesterday was Monica's birthday!! We had a super classy evening at a bar on the river called Vogurt...no one really knew what that was about so we called it Yogurt.  Anyway, she is 21 and hawtter than EVER.  So happy to be in Spain with you Moni!

T.T.M.I.

My validation for living in this beautiful place has finally taken effect.  Monday through Friday, 9am-2pm, class is in session y'all.  This is an intensive course that I am taking before real classes start, so we are hitting Spanish in an intense way.  The first three hours are devoted to grammar, then the last two are with a different professor and all we do is talk, talk, talk.  Or habla, habla, habla, I should say.

Since it was the first day of class, we obviously had to unwind from such a tough day.  So we enjoyed this view with some sangria:

Ugh.  My life.  Is SOOO HARD.  I went shopping for the first time in Spain today! My wardrobe is severely lacking in anything appropriate to wear in Europe.  Honestly, the little kids here are even dressed like models. They're straight out of whatever European version of Baby Gap is here, and the old people are even cuter in their furry coats and black berets.  Right now las Rebajas are going on, which basically means that everything is on SUPERSALE!  

Other than that, I have been spending my days with my ISA friends and Miss Monica Martens.  Unfortunately, Monica has no embarrassing news for me to share with the world, but she is the cause of my new nickname.  Last night she met my ISA friends and introduced herself with, "Hi, I'm Monica.  Did you know Courtney was Miss Magic Valley 2009? Top Ten Miss Idaho!!"
I am now known as T.T.M.I., for Top Ten Miss Idaho.

Neat!

Mi Nueva Casa

I have now had a home in Spain for just over 24 hours.  Mi casa is BEAUTIFUL.  I will take a picture tomorrow so you can see it...it's dark now.

My host mom, Rosa, is very nice and patient with my Spanish (muchas gracias!).  My roommate Sarah and I are getting along famously in our shared room.  During dinner tonight we were talking about our favorite television programs and movies, and Rosa mentioned "El principe de Belare," but with her accent it took us a minute to figure out what she was saying.  As it turns out, my host mom used to love The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air! And obvi, Sarah and I know all the lyrics to the theme song:

NOW this is a story all about how
My life got flipped turned upside-down
And I'd like to take a moment just sit right there
I'll tell you how I became the prince of a town called Bel-Air...

Really.  I highly recommend it.

I toured Sevilla for most of today, and only got a little lost on the way home.  No worries, I've got my route home all figured out now.  Sevilla.  Is.  Beautiful.  I will put pictures on Facebook so you can see this incredible place where I have the privilege of living.  Here's one with my friends and I standing on the bridge I will cross every day on my way to school:

It's sunny and 60s here, and I have yet to see any threatening clouds on the horizon.  I don't think the word "thankful" quite matches how I'm feeling here, but it will have to work.  I am so thankful!

Toledo Toledo!!

This morning we said farewell to the city of Madrid and took a bus ride about an hour away, to Toledo.  Toledo is an incredible city that is literally living in its history.  There are castles, cathedrals, roads, and walls dating all the way back to the 12th and 13th centuries.  The views of the city are INCREDIBLE.  I literally can't describe it, so here are some pictures instead.

Ok that took an hour to load, so you can check out facebook for more pictures.

We also toured a beautiful old church with a very famous painting by El Greco, The Burial of the Count of Orgaz.  It is based on a local legend that Saint Stephen and Saint Augustine came down from heaven to bury the Count of Orgaz, who was a very pious and philanthropic man.  No pictures were allowed, laaaame.....so you need to visit.  Or google it.

We have now settled into Hotel Beatriz and I'm feeling a bit warm, so I shall go check out the pool now...mm, quite.  Happy snow day U of I!

No Fotos Permitidos

The food schedule here was made for me:

8-9am: breakfast
11ish: 2nd breakfast
2-4pm: lunch, followed by siesta
6ish: merienda--a light snack
8-10pm: dinner

Except that today I neglected my merienda amidst all the exploring we did, so we are 30 minutes from dinner and I might not survive.

Today many hours were spent with my group at the museums Reina Sofia and Del Prado.  Our tour guide was amazing and told us a lot of the background behind the paintings of Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali, Francisco Goya, and um...other Spanish artists.  No photographs were allowed in most of the exhibits, but Guernica is at Reina Sofia, along with a lot of other famous paintings.  It was so cool to see these works of art in person that I have studied about in the past!

^ My roommate Sarah and I being SUPERTURISTAS at Reina Sofia.  We got headphones to listen to our guide's microphone during the tour.  We've already been voted "Most Likely To Fit In Like Real Spaniards."

Llegada

I made it to Madrid!

The 9-hour flight and 8-hour time change really messed up my schedule, so I don't know if it really is today, because it still feels like yesterday...although now I've been up for 30-something hours.  I haven't seen a lot yet, but Madrid is beautiful!

Here is the view from my American Airlines window seat:

As soon as I got off the plane and spotted a group of suspiciously pale people with a ton of luggage, I knew I had found my fellow amigos with ISA.  It was noon in Spain, so for the first time ever  I purchased my first-ever alcoholic beverage.  

I think I like it here.  

From Dallas to Madrid

I wrote this yesterday but the airport internet was terrible so I couldn't post until just now...

Here I am, in the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, exactly forty minutes from takeoff to Madrid, Spain.  OMGOMGOMG!!!!

I had a wonderful time in Dallas with Jim and Melissa for a few days. During my first stay in Texas, I saw my first-ever ice hockey game (better luck next time, Stars), broke in my Skype with my super clear HD webcam, and spent lots of quality time with the Fort Worth branch of the Barry family tree.

Their growing puppy Jackson has an unusual talent for finding underwater treasures.  In the pond/lake near the apartment, he spends much of his time finding rocks with his paws, then dunking his head underwater….

….to uncover the perfect rock to gnaw on.  Oh, the joys of teething.

Jim unfortunately had to train some clients in Detroit, but we were able to get some supergreat dishing time in before he left.  For instance, he pointed out 87 fancy shmancy cars while driving around the streets of Forth Worth and Dallas.  I crossed off everything on my Before Leaving America bucket list, most of which had to do with food.  I had plenty of authentic Mexican tacos, Costco pizza, Steak, Starbucks coffee, and an In-N-Out cheeseburger.  I think I’m ready!!

My weekend in Fort Worth was a great way to kick off 5 months in another brand-new place…España!

Single and a Virgin

Hello all!


I am officially on my way to Spain for my semester abroad.  This morning I said farewell to the great city of Twin Falls and all I hold dear in Windmill Heights.  I have been preparing to leave for weeks and months, but this week really cranked up the emotion as I said farewell to my extensive network of Magic Valley friends (alright...it was the cat), homegrown potatoes, the power to drive, and my ever-growing family.  I have been told to "be careful," and "don't get married," about a hundred times...not without good reason, as it runs in the family to travel to Europe and run off with a native.  


So on one of my last nights in the state of Idaho, I asked my dad an important question:
"How would you rather me come back in five months, married or pregnant?"


Disgusted, Andy Barry thought for a second, leaned across the table, and replied,
 "I just want you to come back single and a virgin."  


Neato skeeto, we're being totally honest here!!
Anyway, in two and a half hours I will board a plane to Dallas to spend a few days with brother Jim and his wifey Melissa.  I am now cell phone-less and a pay phone has stolen from me something I cannot ever get back.  Next time, I will find the refund button before I dial.  Look at me, learning new things already!