Quick Update

List of excuses for not posting very often:
1. No internet at my house since moving;
2. Long lines at the computer lab at the school;
3. School is a forty-minute walk away;
4. If I use an internet cafe, I have to buy something, and I can't afford that many croissants;
5. Once I take off walking to an internet source, the Mediterranean sun gets the better of me and I forget to go inside.

Updates:
I. Classes. For the first two weeks we had an intensive grammar class. We were placed in these according to the online placement test we took last fall and a quick interview with a staff member. I felt that I was misplaced, as my Spanish was far better than most people's in the class, and we were reviewing very easy concepts. However, it was a positive experience, because the grammar review really did help (haven't had a Spanish class since freshman year), the professor was great, many classmates were great, and it enabled me to visit the Alcazar, Museo de Bellas Artes, Museo del Baile Flamenco, y others to write papers on them. It was a good deal because we get the credit equivalent of a whole class, and it was just two weeks (three hours a day). Now we've started real classes.
A. Masterpieces of Famous Spanish Painters. Pretty self-explanatory, great professor (Concha)
B. History of Flamenco in Andalucia (or something, forget the names). Also pretty self-explanatory, also great professor (Pepa Sanchez), really looking forward to it. We already practiced our palmas (hand-clapping), and we'll be singing at some point!
C. Three Cultures in Spain: Jews, Christians, and Muslims. This class is supposed to be great. However, last week was rough because our professor was recovering from surgery so we had a sub. It was very hard to pay attention, but the prof has a great reputation, and I'm really interesting in learning my history.
D. Just changed. I signed up for "Cocina y Alimentacion de la Mediterranean in Ancient and Medieval times" or something. This is a "curso para extranjeros," which are through the University of Seville, with all Americans from various programs. I wanted to do one to get into the University somehow, but the first two days did not go well. Although it sounds cool, it was impossible to follow the first two days. This also gave me four history classes, which has never been a strongsuit. The add-drop period is very short, so I switched today. I am now taking "Comparative and Contrastive Syntax." This was recommended by Kai, and the professor is fabulous. He's a CIEE staff member, so we had some training with him, and he's funny and loud and animated and awesome. This class will be good, because it will really improve my ability to say what I want to say in English in Spanish. The bad news is that we can only change classes once, so if I don't like the others, too bad. This means I don't have classes at the university, but I still have an in through.......

II. CHOIR!!!
So excited. Choir is monday and thursday nights 8:30-10. I couldn't start until this week, because I had my intensive grammar class 6-9, and I didn't really want to go late my first day, and dinner and stuff. I was very glad to learn that my friend Leia joined too, so I've been going with her. I've been twice now, and it's so great. There are guys!!!! I don't need to sing tenor!!! The choir is open to the community, so there are a lot of older folks. The director is great. He's just super nice, and funny, and very welcoming to foreigners, and he's good!! We practiced dynamics!! We're singing a Mozart mass, among some other stuff. It felt so, so good to be singing again.

Highlight: We pulled out a song called "Sarabanda Academica." This was hilarious for many reasons. First of all, the words were written by Geronimous Grape. This short piece is in an intense, dramatic, minor key. It is in English, which we practiced. The words are as follows: KNOWLEDGE. EFFORT. SCIENCES. FINE ARTS. FRIENDSHIP. JOY. [reeeally minor] THE SPIRIT OF COLLEGE! You have to imagine sixty Spaniards belting this (EFF-ORT) in their accents. Leia and I were in hysterics the whole time, wishing we had our cameras to record. The sad news is that I think we're done with it, they sang it at an academic event last week.

Thursday was even better, because people were so nice! I talked to so many people, Germans, moms, etc. Leia and I talked to two Spanish girls in front of us, Maria Jose and Estrella. Choir was good, we sang, love Mozart, but the fun really began after. I stayed after for a minute to get music for chamber! That was the best news, I will now be going Tuesday nights in addition to sing with the small, a cappella, chamber choir. Maggie, another CIEE girl who goes to choir, invited me to come out with her and some choir people. At first I thought it was just her and these two young Spanish guys, both named Jose. As it turned out, it was like thirty people. It was great, we went to a restaurant (El Torre de Plata) where we got some tapas and vino. This group included Estrella and Maria Jose, the two Joses, the accompaniest, the director, his wife, lots of others, and, most importantly, Manolo.

Manolo: The man of my dreams. I spotted him right as he walked into choir. He was wearing a blue, flannel jacket, a gray sweater vest, a gray felt fedora, and he was dancing as he walked with his umbrella. He has a great mustache, and can be best described as the love child of Groucho Marx and Grandpa Joe from "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory." Oops, forgot to mention that he's about 70. I immediately started fantasizing about strolling by the river together, ice cream in hand, playing the Spanish equivalent of Scrabble on a rainy afternoon, and singing together. I wanted him as my Grandpa figure, and spent choir trying to think of a decent conversation starter. As it turned out, I did not need it, because he made the first move. As we were walking (I hadn't noticed that he had come along), I felt someone lift up my heavy backpack. "Ay, cuantos libros tienes??" (how many books do you have?) Starting then, Manolo and I were fast friends. I could understand his Spanish, he laughed at my jokes in Spanish, and he continued humming Mozart all night. We sat at the end of our group's big table and talked, sang, and joked over our baked goat cheese with honey. He used his deep purple scarf to explain "berenjena" (eggplant). I cannot wait to build this friendship more.

This night was generally awesome. In addition to Manolo, I made friends with the two Joses (one's from Cadiz, one's from Jerez), Estrella and Maria Jose, and this girl Laura who wanted to practice English. It was strange speaking English with her, since I had been in Spanish mode all night, but is was nice to finally spend quality time with Spaniards. I realized that that's what I've been missing, companionship from spaniards outside my host family. I can't wait to reunite with my new friends on monday, and perhaps go out again next thursday!

That's all for now, I have to head back for dinner. Saturday: day in Ronda (tiny white-washed town with a big gorge) with Kai, Leia from choir, and two of her friends. Sunday: hiking in Senderismo with a group from CIEE.

I want news from home! Send me emails! socrafts@clarku.edu!

P.S. I have a little sunburn. Take that, New England!