Turistas sevillanas (Sevillian Tourists)

Everyday we have some kind of meeting all together from 12-1pm (about safety, internet use in the city, etc), but today we got to do something else--something new and different and fantastic! We were tourists. Yes, indeedy. And it was great! El centro paid for all of us to take one of the hour-and-a-half tourist, double-decker busses around the city to see everything. Our program occupied almost all of the top, and everybody whipped out their cameras, hats, and sunglasses (I wish I had taken a picture of Liliana--she rocked the tourist look). Blue skies, hot sun, cool breeze, swaying palm trees... Sevilla at it's finest! We sat on the upper, open level, looking all around and getting a really comprehensive understanding of the city, all from our seats! It was nice to be relaxing with everyone, making jokes (some people even danced a little bit), but also get a tour of the city. People pointed out the neighborhoods where they lived as we passed them. I enjoyed being a tourist for the few hours. And, lord knows, a group of 33 Americans can definitely pull off the Sevilla turista look.

And now, a few other random things...

1) The news here is much better than the news in the United States. I can say that with complete confidence after being here for just over one week. We often watch the news while we eat (Mayte thinks it's good for our Spanish, and I think I agree) and they show footage of all kinds. All kinds. I have not eaten one meal without seeing some kind of bloody, disformed person up-close. This would never happen in the US. We rarely see uncomfortable photos, especially when it has to do with what our country is involved in (thank you, dear Bush). Here, people get a much more comprehensive, vivid picture of what is actually going on all over the world. It isn't pretty, but it's there. I like the news here a lot. I'm sure there's still some forms of censorship and the whatnot, but they openly show much more than the US does. For that, I am thankful. (Same with the newspapers, too.)

2) I have been stumbling with trying to find a way to explain the type of person Katie is and why I like her and why we get along. But now I have a good, quick way to describe her. Her alarm clock in the US is a singing Chicken. Like, legitimately there is a chicken that stands on the clock (I think she said with a guitar?) that sings and says things to you in English until you turn it off. As she described it, the alarm is "unsnoozable." I think that's great. I want a chicken alarm clock!

3) We just finished studying art in the morning lecture and discussion classes. It was pretty interesting stuff. I remember a decent bit from the Art History class I took in high school, but it was cool ("guay" en espanol) to learn about all the extra details that apply strictly to southern Spain and how that affected culture here. It's good to know and interesting to keep in mind on a daily basis here. We're also going to Madrid next weekend, so when we go to the Prado it will have that much more meaning.

4) Katie and I have been having some great conversation with Mayte (and a little with Fernando, too). Today we talked about what it was like for her and her parents under the Franco regime, and what she thinks about sexism and how she raised her kids. We also talked about how her and Fernando met and things like that. She's a great lady, really forward-thinking, and whenever Katie and I finish eating our meal and talking to her, we're always a little frustrated that we can't have more advanced discussions with her.

5) I look forward to meal times here, and I'm not really sure why. The food is enjoyable, but not completely unbelievable (en casa, anyway). Maybe I like the slow pace that goes along with eating. And siesta-ing. Yep, that's probably it!