La Vida en Sevilla: Spanish Life

This week will mark one month of living in Spain. Last week I think was the first time I finally felt settled in and more like I was living real life than I have since I arrived. I'm sure my three exams, two presentations, one quiz and paper all helped with that reality check. . . But this week was also full of Spanish cultural experiences and friends and I have realized that I really am living la vida en Sevilla: So here are some glimpses of my Spanish life this week.

Tuesday was the first time I met with my "intercambio", which is basically an assigned Spanish friend given by my program to whoever wants one. The purpose is to interact in Spanish and English so that each person can practice the other language. My intercambio's name is Maria and she is 22 and studying history at the University of Sevilla. She is super cool, fun and helpful. I needed to purchase bus tickets for some upcoming trips and wasn't sure where to go but she went with me and helped make sure I was doing everything correctly. Then she took me to her favorite coffee shop and we sat and chatted in Spanish for a couple hours (she was embarrassed of her English and said we'd talk some in English the next time we met). It was very fun because we are both very interested in the other person's life and culture so we just exchanged stories over green tea and coffee. We are going to try to meet once a week which I am very excited about. She has already told me so many cool places she wants to take me and show me!

Thursday I went to the site I am volunteering at for my Acción Solidaria, Misión Urbana. It is a 45 minute bus ride to East Sevilla, and we ended up spending 3 and a half hours there this week, though normally it will only be 2. We were working with kids from ages 4 to 12 who come from broken homes or have some sort of financial or emotional problems. The Spanish teacher was awesome and there were 3 of us girls who were assisting her in leading them in games, helping with homework, etc. The kids were awesome and it was really fun to be with them, not to mention very good for improving my Spanish speaking and understanding (they talk crazy fast!). I was even given a paper airplane and High School Musical button by two different kids, and am really looking forward to serving there this semester.

Friday afternoon I went with my friends Jana and Emma to watch their 13-year-old host sister's roller skating competition. It was really interesting, I had never seen anything like it. Think combination of dance team and ice skating, but in a gym and with roller skates. But we had a blast and it was definitely a slice of Spanish culture. That whole day we were wearing Sevilla soccer jerseys we had bought, and all kinds of random people on the street would either cheer and sing the Sevilla anthem or boo us because they are Betis fans (the other soccer team in the city and Sevilla's rival). That night, in order to celebrate Emma's birthday, Valentine's Day and the end of exams, 6 of us girls went to a Sevilla soccer game! (hence wearing the jerseys around) We had a great time- the fans were awesome and Sevilla won 3-1 against Real Club Deportivo La Coruña!

This morning Jana and I went to an open air market outside the Art Museum where local artists were selling their art. It was very lovely, and I got two paintings there. Thus is Spanish life. The next two weekends are big excursions (Toledo and Madrid, then Amsterdam) which I am so blessed to be able to do. My passage of the week has been Psalm 34. Its reminders to align my heart to praise our righteous God have been very important as I have been living here. "I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul makes its boast in the Lord; let the humble hear and be glad. Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together!..."