Hola from Sevilla!
Not a whole ton has happened since the last time I blogged, but I thought I’d update regardless!
Before coming over to España, there were two things that I decided I MUST do: experience a discoteca and a bullfight (corrida). They are two very different things, but both are VERY Spanish.
First stop: Discoteca.
One night last week, me and about 10 girls from our program made the 45 minute trek to the infamous discoteca of Sevilla…BUDA. That place was ridiculous! Its 3 stories tall, and each floor has its own “theme.” The top floor was the strictly American music floor, where they played some Backstreet, some Chris Brown, only our most recent hits…. The second floor played only Spanish music and was definitely the most fun. There weren’t as many Spanish guys there looking to get with the hot American chicas like there was on the ridiculously packed American floor. I’m glad I got my Buda in. It was a lot to take in, but it was well worth it! I’ve sort of decided that discotecas are not really the Spanish scene, considering that 80% of the people we met were Americans. The Spanish people seem to prefer more of the bar and café scene, and I don’t blame them at all! There is seriously a café every few feet, and you can guarantee that they are ALWAYS full….just my kind of place.
A little less exciting than going to Buda, my program took us to Córdoba for more of an informational tour of the city. We went on a tour of the Mosque that was half-Mosque/half-Cathedral. So pretty! I don’t have pictures from it, but I’ll explain about that later. In the plaza right outside the Mosque, there was this fountain. Tradition has it that if you drink from the “magic water” you are guaranteed a boyfriend in the very near future. Needless to say, I took a sip. Some girls really got into the tradition and took entire Nalgene bottle-fulls of the stuff. I mean, whatever works :)
The next day, Sunday, was definitely a day of rest. We didn’t wake up until 2:15, just in time for lunch. Then we made our way to the Plaza de Torreos for the bullfight, destination #2 on my list of things I MUST do! Let’s just say it’s not exactly what I had expected. Apparently, it’s not just the guy with the red cloth making the bull dizzy, which is all that I had ever seen about it on TV. In real bull fights, two men on horses come out after the bull is good and mad, and they stab the bull in the back. Then three men come out and put hooks into the bull’s back that hang there for the rest of the match. That’s when the matador finally makes his appearance. He plays with the bull for a while and then pulls out the killing sword and stabs the bull straight through the heart. This happens with 3 different matadors and 6 different bulls, one after the other. We were lucky enough to witness a “perfect match” where the bull died immediately from the final stabbing. I actually enjoyed the whole experience, but once was enough.
And to no one’s surprise, I now have NO camera whatsoever. I’ve decided that it must have fallen out of my purse on the way to the bullfight because that’s the last time I remember seeing it. So far on this trip, I’ve gone through 3 cameras and we’ve only been here for less than 2 weeks. Those are not good odds at all! But, hey, it happens.
Other than the whole camera experience, my trip here in Spain has still been fantastic! I love hearing from everyone back at home, so if you have Skype, FIND ME! traci.potocnik
And yes, we CAN get mail here :) The address is:
EUSA-CINECU
Att: Traci Potocnik
C/Plácido Fernández Viagas, 4
41013 Sevilla
ESPAÑA
