Flashback! The third.

9/26/2004

Spain Week something:

1)  I kayaked on the Guadalquivir.  Okay, the guy I kayaked with (Andy from St. Louis) and I decided it was more like a plastic log than a kayak, but it was still awesome.  Our canoa was caught under a cave kind of place at one point, but you´ll all be glad to know we lived.

2)  We went to Isla Mágica!  That´s an amusement park here that is riddled with pirate propoganda.  They even had a Fantasmic kind of show that told the tale of a pirate named Salva Tierra (well, it involved a pirate and a genie.  it was a little complicated and confusing, but I was still amused).  Afterwards, we all dined at a chinese food restaurant for over two hours (don´t anyone get too excited about my eating habits.  I enjoyed chicken, french fries and ice cream there).

C)  Seth, Andy and I jumped off the side of the river.  (Our school director

banned us from jumping off the bridge, but she failed to mention the wall next to the bridge.)  The wall we jumped from was about 15 feet up, so it wasn´t thrilling, but it was cool (except MAN that river stinks).

4)  Yesterday Seth, Andy and I dared to enter a Spanish peluqueria to get our hair cut (hairs cut?  haircuts?) and disaster ensued.  They both currently look like they belong in the army (Seth asked if I liked it and I was completely honest and said no) and I look like...well I´ve never had so many layers in my life.  The guys attempted to convince me that I have a mullet.  I don´t.  Also, the woman washing my hair seemed to be simultaneously torturing me with her claws of death.  Once again, I lived.  And my hair will grow back, right? 

5)  My salsa instructor says that I´m like a column because I can´t move my hips.  I keep trying to tell him that I don´t HAVE hips.

Point the last)  I attended a bullfight.  I have to equate that experience with

a baseball game:  a few exciting moments mixed in with a few hours of waiting

for those moments (sorry, Ani and Fatty...it´s true) and the best part was

hanging out with people there.  Also, it was revolting and awesome all at the

same time.

Thanks to all who have been emailing.  And to those of you who haven´t...grawr.  ;)

Love and squishiness!

Emily

Pulchritudinous Places #1: Sevilla

I spent the Fall semester of 2004 studying Spanish in Seville, Spain. This was an amazing experience for about 1207 reasons, but I'm just posting this to tell you why I love the place itself. Ready? Go.


Every day I passed beautiful, historic structures. Fountains, bridges, towers, cathedrals. Here are a couple faves:

That's the Triana bridge on the left and the Torre del Oro 
(Tower of Gold, an old military watchtower) on the right.
This was what I saw every day on my way to school.
Photo credit Jessica Anderson

This is the Cathedral in Seville. Some say Christopher 
Columbus is buried here. All say this place is stunning.

The people are beautiful too. I remember a businessman I passed on the way to school each day who always slicked his hair back and wore slacks and a button down shirt and...a Cookie Monster backpack. I remember thinking that it looked like everyone was dressed for a rockin' 80s party, and by the end of my semester, I owned neon, neon, neon. I remember the classy Spanish girls with their large pearl earrings, cream skin, dark hair, and coordinating sweater sets. I even found the man with the bottle cap glasses and highwater pants who paced the bridge and talked to a large invisible crowd beautiful in his quirkiness (my roommate and I dubbed him Don Loco). 


The things to do in Sevilla are also gorgeous and varied. While I was there, I kayaked, jumped off the side of a bridge into a river, toured cathedrals and gardens and palaces, saw flamenco dancers, snuck into a five star hotel and swam in their pool, went to an amusement park, took dance classes (yeah, I didn't last long there), went to a flamenco concert, saw a bullfight, shopped too much, ate a lot of food that was fried in olive oil, and even learned some Spanish. 


My only complaint about Sevilla - my complaint about Europe, really - is that there is no Diet Pepsi or Diet Coke. Yes, there's Coca Cola Light, but it is not the same. I gave up caffeine for the three and a half months I was there. And if a decaffeinated me can find beauty in a place, then it must be beautiful. Go visit. I command you.