I have three random entries for the day...
________________________________________________________
________________________1._______________________________
This is such a rare happening that it’s weird to write about – but one day when I woke up a week or so ago, I was in a terrible mood. I just felt really on edge and every little thing was irritating. I stayed cooped up in my room for a big part of the day, but by afternoon it felt stuffy and I decided to get out for some fresh air. I left the house with my music blaring and stomped around Sevilla for a little while…and found myself back down at the ol’ Río.
One of the things that I had wanted to do since I’ve been here – something on my Spain bucket list - was to go up in the Torre del Oro. We meet at the bottom of the torre every night we go out and I see it almost every day, but for some reason I had never found the opportunity to go up in it. So when I reached the río and I saw the tower, since I had no agenda and needed something new, I decided to go in. I walked in the doors and started to go up the stairs and was stopped – 3 euro entry fee. Forget that! I rolled my eyes and walked out, irritated yet again. I took a few steps away and then looked in my purse – I had 3 euros. I felt kind of dramatic so I went back in, paid the entry fee (with slight disdain) grabbed my walkie-guide and up the spiral stairs I went.
When I reached the top of the tower the sun was just beginning to set. I walked around the tiny dodecagonal top and took some pictures while I was listening to the guide. The historical information was told in a more current style fictional story, and at first I thought it was pretty dumb, but then I kind of got into it. I sat down on one of the top stairs and looked out into the sky and listened.
It turned out to be an awesome night. Watching the colorful, magnificent and peaceful sunset undisturbed at the top of this ancient tower, my entire mood changed. The quiet and the ambiance calmed me down and I got to enjoy a great view of the entire city at sunset. I stayed until close and then walked down the stairs, feeling completely refreshed and burden-free.
(For those that are curious, the Torre del Oro was built by the Almohad dynasty in the 13th century so they could control the river. A big part of it was destroyed by the Lisbon earthquake and it has been remodeled a few times since. It’s an important part of the naval history of Sevilla, which is recounted at the museum that is there today.)
___________________________________________________________
_________________________2. ________________________________
A few days later, on Friday, our group had an excursion to Ronda, which is kind of close to Málaga here in Spain. The bus ride wasn’t too long, and it was a pretty chill trip - when we got there we had a tour of the bullring (the oldest in Spain) and then had free time for lunch and to explore until departure. Ronda has three incredible bridges which serve for a great view and are very impressive. It was kind of chilly and a bit rainy, so some girls and I went and got some lunch and had coffee and sat forever talking. It was a new group of people that I don’t usually go out with and we had an awesome group dynamic…I had SUCH a great time getting to know the other girls. Ronda was very beautiful and overall it was an excellent day excursion.
___________________________________________________________
________________________3. _________________________________
I have been working on gathering my information for my honors thesis here in Spain, which mainly consists of interviewing Spanish consumers about their styles and shopping habits. Until today I had gotten a few interviews but had nowhere near the amount that I needed, so I asked a girlfriend to come with me to venture into the city and interview people (cause I didn’t have the guts to go myself). And today I got all of the rest of my interviews done! Such a huge relief. We approached groups of people sitting on benches, in cafes, and at statues – we chose viable victims relentlessly wherever we went. Every person we approached just stared at us when we walked up and the whole time we talked – no smiles or feedback or anything. I felt pretty insecure a few times when I was feebly trying to describe to them my project and that I needed them to answer my questions. But all of them were actually very nice and we got our responses pretty quickly. Initial impressions were absolutely incorrect with all of them - their scowls turned quickly to smiles after we finished presenting our position. I think they thought we were cute and they all were very happy to help. And thus, we discovered the art of subtle Sevillan kindness. The beauty of Sevilla shines through in new ways every day.
And as of today...I only have 6 DAYS of class left! A little class, a little travel, a little of finals and then back home. Where has the time gone?! The only consolation that I have for myself is simply that I can honestly say I have taken advantage of every opportunity and have lived here exactly as I've wanted to. No holding back, no lost chances and no regrets. I've learned so much about a new people and a new way of life and about myself, and my life is forever enriched with the special charm of Spain.
Sevilla...no me ha dejado.
No comments:
Post a Comment