A Day in the Life...: Rollercoaster week!

Besides getting sick (and still sick), getting electrocuted, and breaking down in front of Senora at lunch on Friday, this week has been ok. I would describe it as more of an emotional rollercoaster week! Academically, I got my first paper back and was extremely pleased, took my first test, and had quite a bit of homework each night. As far as the homework goes, it’s not really checked, but it is what least into our discussions each day so you look dumb if you haven’t prepared anything. I am really starting to understand more Spanish each and every day and I am starting to pick up on the little phrases, which I have learned in class, around town and with my senora! With my friends we try to speak Spanish, but it is more of like a bad habit that we need to cut when we speak English. Sometimes, especially in a week like mine it helps me get through.

On about Wednesday I woke up with a fever, chest congestion, and just total body aches. The weather has been so hot here that I think I was getting heat sickness. I didn’t eat much for a few days and then my senora bought me some mineral water and yogurt to settle my stomach. I was having pretty painful stomach aches and headaches. I even sat out for Dance on Wednesday because I just didn’t feel right! To make things better, later that day I electrocuted myself, I have no idea how, but I did. So painful! And how do I explain that to my senora if something bad would have resulted?

On Friday, I was just frustrated with my phone and the whole no internet idea that I just broke down. Senora and I were eating lunch and I just couldn’t hold it back. The main reason behind breaking down was that I feel like I am losing all connections to contact my mom and dad! For someone who calls their parents like twice a day at school, to barely talking twice a week…it is quite the adjustment and challenge! It was my first true breakdown and Senora really felt for me. She always says that it is hard and I am just not used to all the customs, and food, and people, and the LANGUAGE! I honestly think I wouldn’t be this homesick if I was in a country that spoke English, but that’s the whole reason I am here! It will take time, but I wish it were coming sooner!

The other day I decided to re-read the “Culture Shock” phases that were in our handout book! I was surprised to see how well I was following them to a T! I have been through the Honeymoon Stage where I love being here, it’s a new city, I can do whatever and have all this true independence until….I reach my current stage the Hostile Stage, where everything seems to be going wrong, I can’t talk with my parents whenever I want, sometimes I wonder why I came…And so on! I am just looking forward to the Sense of Humor and Integration Phases when I can look back and start to appreciate more things and love the Spanish lifestyle! Man that can’t come soon enough! I don’t want to look back on this experience at all the times when I was homesick or didn’t like something. As our director told me, this is a time to experience these challenges, but in three months I will go back to my normal lifestyle!

On the flip side…There were many fun things I did this week and weekend! My favorite thing that I did this week was tour the Catedral! Not only is it the third largest Cathedral in the world and the largest Gothic cathedral in the world, but it is in my city of Sevilla and I pass by it EVERYDAY! I feel like I take advantage of all these historical sites that are set in my host city! How amazing! On top stands a woman named Giralda and she turns in response to the wind. In Spanish the verb GIRAR means to turn, and that is the root of her name. We also got to walk to the very top of the tower and overlook the entire city of Sevilla. Definitively a hot spot if you come to Sevilla.

This weekend we had two day trips. On Saturday we went to Cordoba, a city about an hour and a half from here to tour yet another palace, a synagogue, and a mosque. All were very ancient and colorful, but one tour after another sure drags on especially when the narrating is in Spanish, my mind often wanders when I don’t understand everything! When I got home Saturday night, there is the Feria de los Naciones (Fair of Nations) going on like 15 minutes from my house that we all went to! It was so awesome! It goes on until November 1^st and basically there is a booth from like 30 nations with common food and drinks as well as little shops that sell everything! Kind of like a mini state fair! I like to say I went to Argentina and got a sausage that was delicious. They had everything from Egyptian food, to octopus, to kangaroo, to quesadillas, to German sausage, and corndogs at the USA booth! I would never buy one though because they sort of lacked on what they should be like! Haha… I plan to go back multiple times to buy gifts and try more food. I definitely need to become more cultured! On Sunday we went on a trip to a tiny town (pueblo) called Zahara – when I told my senora she kept thinking I said Sahara and she was like no I don’t think you are going to Africa! I finally just had to show her the spelling of the city. It was a lot of hiking through the mountains, which were overlooking a huge manmade lake! Absolute beauty! We also walked through a cemetery and through castle ruins!

In all, I have a blast here in Spain; it’s just out of my norm! Enjoy all my pictures after reading that lengthy blog! Here’s to WEEK 4 in Spain!