Monday night, Sevilla FC played Valencia. It was a really good game. Too bad I couldn’t sit and watch it with María and my host dad. Instead I retreated back to my lonely little room to slave away on my homework, listening to the cheers from living/dining room.
Tuesday during lunch my host parents said that all I ever do now is study. Explaining my classes and the fact that I am taking them because they are the only ones my university back home accepts, did not make me feel like any less of a loser.
I knew Wednesday would be brutal before it even started. I had a boat-load of homework due the next day. On the way back from class, I stopped at Dia (one of the grocery stores) and purchased a snack. I bought a nut and “dried fruit” (they claim to be dried fruit, but they aren’t the typical fruits we think of) trail mix. It was so salty that I could feel my arteries clogging and I literally thought that I was going to die of a heart attack right there on the side of the road as I waited for the cross-walk to turn green...Instead, I tried the tres chocolates turrón. This was a mistake. Not because it was bad, but because it was good. So good. By the end of the night, this giant bar of rich dulce goodness was gone. I ate the entire thing. Myself. I can assure you that this was probably more than my recommended daily caloric intake. In hindsight I kind of want to puke. I could blame it on my sleep-deprived homework crazed state of mind, but let’s be honest, I knew what I was getting myself into. No regrets. Viva España, right?!
The only thing that kept me awake long enough to finish half of my homework (I did the other half when I woke up…this is my life right now. I wish I was kidding.), was the adrenaline I got after getting an email telling me that I got the CRA position and an email I got from a high school Spanish teacher in the Peoria area that I’ve been corresponding with, saying that she’d love to have me Student Teach with her. I’m still pumped about this, to tell you the truth.
Thursday after my first class. Such a weight had been lifted from my shoulders. I was so relieved to be done with all of that work that I could finally sit back and relax for a moment. My history teacher (who’s a wealth of knowledge) took us on a class field trip to el barrio de Santa Cruz (the old Jewish portion of Sevilla…because during the Inquisition, the Christians physically separated them to emphasize the belief that they were “different” and needed to be treated differently).
Later that day, I discovered that the World Cup trophy was in downtown Triana! Apparently, it tours around Spain, so that everyone can get a chance to see it and feel united and proud. I really wanted to go and see it, but it would have taken over 4 hours. The line wound around gates and down the block, like the line for Splash Mountain at Disney World or the grand opening for the Superman rollercoaster at Six Flags. Needless to say, class got in the way. But at least I can say that I kind of saw it.
In class we finished watching a classic Spanish film (according to our professor). La Tía Tula. It was based on a novella by Miguel de Unamuno, a Spanish writer during the literary period of “la generación del ’98.” I really like Unamuno, actually. He questions everything in life. Poor guy. He probably never slept. Anyway…I normally have an extremely difficult time sitting through this 2 hour class every Tuesday and Thursday night. The professor is clearly new at this and he is dry. But he has started working on it. He wants to be liked, and he’s trying to relate to us now. It’s cute...End of tangent. This week was the best two days of this class all semester, so far! I loved the movie! I was so into it, that I had a discussion with Ivan (the professor) after class. After our class finished the movie, we had a rousing discussion about the film. At one point it got slightly heated. And it was funny that my professor was the only male in the room at that time, because there were quite a few feminist comments that made him nervous. This difference in beliefs of the characters in the film (shot during the 70s) was a difference of perspectives of a society plagued by Franco’s beliefs of gender roles and modern America’s beliefs on gender roles. Very different. Before learning about this in one of my other classes here, I would not have understood this (like the majority of people in my class).
After class, I went to the Festival de Cine Europeo to see a film. It costs 3 € for each film, unless you have a special pass, which the students in one of the interest groups received. Aisha has one of these passes, so I’ve gotten into some films for free! The film we went to see was sold out (some of the people there are crazy about this festival and make elaborate schedules to see as many of them as physically possible). We chose a random film that was playing at the same time. It was called Farewell. It was a film from Holland, made entirely out of archived film clips from the journey of the Graf Zeppelin across the world in 1929, narrated from the perspective of Lady Grace Drummond-Hay, the first woman to successfully fly around the world. We had no idea what we were getting ourselves into, but it was really good. I never would have learned about this if I hadn’t seen this film. It’s crazy to me, to think about how much history happens everywhere every day that we never learn about because it is impossible to teach everything, so “they” have to choose what’s most important. And then I think, who are we to decide what is most important to learn. Is any one culture’s history more important than another’s (I realize we are generally most interested in what affects us more directly)?
After the film, I hung out with Fran, some of his Spanish friends, and a group of Americans in my program at a botellón for Fran, Dani, and Lourve’s birthday. I didn’t stay too long, though. I was exhausted.
Friday morning, I woke up to go see an “official selction” film in el Teatro Lope de Vega. It was a beautiful old theater in the park built for the Ibero-American Expo. The film was called, The Happy Housewife. I really enjoyed it. It was a very strong film. An emotionally tolling drama with a profound message. My favorite kind…After the film we stood around for a while and then guess who just happened to show up?! Drum-roll please….Antonio Banderas! I’m not kidding! It was so cool! There was a red carpet, a press room, and everything. There were not many people there. Just press mainly. It was not chaotic like everything you see on TV in the U.S. It was very surreal. Antonio seemed very nice to me. He took pictures with some people who were close and any time the paparazzi asked him to look to their cameras, he did so kindly. He looked older in person, without all the stage makeup on, but he was still suave and graceful with his dark hair slicked back and his classy-casual ensemble. I still cannot believe that this happened! I saw two other films later that night. They were ok. I was not very fond of Black Field and I am kind of indifferent about Silent Souls. The cinematography was extraordinary (set in Russia…which I’ve discovered really fascinates me) and the language was beautiful. I ate dinner at a restaurant by myself (not a sit-down restaurant so it doesn’t really count) and went to a movie by myself. I can now check these things off my list.
(On the red carpet in el Teatro Lope de Vega)
(Inside the lobby of the theater...I couldn't get a picture of the actual theater, which was absolutely beautiful)
(the red carpet)
(paparazzi shot of Antonio)
(Do I need to explain this one?)
(The press conference that Aisha snuck into...and then got kicked out of)
(Aisha in front of the fotocal...is that how it's spelled in Spanish...anyone?)
(I'm basically a celebrity)
(In front of the theater)
I woke up this morning after a wonderfully long slumber. Much needed. I will be meeting with Juan, my intercambio, later this evening to practice his English/my Spanish, and then I will be enjoying my last film festival flick.
Summary of this past week:
I spend too much time on homework. I love film festivals! I can no longer by turrón for myself. I should probably sleep more. All I feel like doing right now is reading Harry Potter. The weather has been beautiful. I love my new boots! My house is in Spain, but my home is in the United States of America.
This is the life I live.
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