El Día Primero

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1-15

             La puerta a mi casita Española

     After 30 hours of travelling and a cab ride my first brave Spanish conversation with a native, I have arrived in my home.  Mi señora es Concepción Borrego Fuentes, an older woman who lives alone in a modest Spanish apartment. I have a nice room where there is plenty of space for my stuff and a bed with 5 blankets (she knows me so well!) because it is so chilly and there is no central heating. After arriving, we had dinner and talked…she talked, I attempted to understand...about daily life here and how things work in her home as well as a little about my family.

            This morning was the first time I got to meet other CIEE students. We have a ‘punto de reunion’ at a plaza in our neighborhood that we meet at before making the hike to the university. We had interviews to confirm our placement in the intensive grammar course that I will be in these next two weeks. I’ve got a siesta this afternoon followed by a tour of our barrio (neighborhood), Triana, and tapas with other CIEE students..on CIEE! Since I got in late last night I missed it, but everyone raved about the different tapas, sangria, and beer that we don’t have to pay for (yet).

            SO many stories already and I don’t even feel like I’ve done anything! Voy a almuerza con Concepción..es el grandisimo comida del día, algo muy diferente que los EEUU.

 El barrio: Los Remedios/ La Triana y El río que se llama Guadalquivir

            The day was rounded out by a tour of my barrio (neighborhood) and tapas with my group at a place called Las Golondrinas! We tried vino de verano, which is likened to an Arnold Palmer with wine, as well as chiparones (squid), carne punta de solomillo (beef on toasted bread), caballito de jamón (ham on toasted bread),  ensalada con mejillones (salad with mussles), y varias verduras con aciete de oliva (veggies with olive oil). It’s been so much fun already trying to use as much Spanish as possible. This proves to be difficult with other American students, but they feel awkward speaking English when you speak Spanish, so it works. Talking and listening demonstrates to me the amount of Spanish that I have yet to learn, which is scary, but a challenge that I welcome with an open brain. I’m gaining my bearings about where things are more each day as I call this beautiful place home for the next 4 months

Salud,

Kelsey