Hola! Today I will be focusing on life in Sevilla compared to life in the US. In the past week I have learned about a million new things, so here they are! Just so you know, this post is not about the entire country because northern and southern Spain vary drastically. To make it easier, everything will be broken into categories. Let's start with...
Lifestyle!
Living space: Because we are in a city, there really are no houses around. Everyone lives in apartments. Some students from the program live in small apartments, while others live in apartments where they have a whole floor to themselves. Taylor and I live in a sizable space with three bedrooms and two bathrooms. Everything here is condensed, though. You do not see large bathrooms with lots of organization room, or grand kitchens that have all the appliances and an island to sit at.
Spanish households vs. American households: Spanish families are VERY environmentally aware. They do not have central heating (at least in the southern region) because it is really only cold during January and February (with a low of about 40 degrees Fahrenheit since I have been here). This cuts down on their carbon footprint. Taylor and I are freezing at home even when it is 60 degrees out, but once it is hot outside, we will be grateful! Spanish families also wear shoes around the house. I don't know about you, but I come from a family that takes their shoes off at the door, so this change has been interesting. Another way Spanish families lessen their carbon footprint is found with electricity. They do not leave any lights on that aren't in use. This has been a challenge for me because we always have the kitchen light on at home. One day me and Taylor left the hall light on and our host señora came in and said "Ay! All the lights are on!" Point taken. Now we always turn off the lights.
Daily routine: Everything is Spain is late. As an American I always rush my life and cram as much as I can into my day to increase productiveness. I often find myself chugging a coffee or energy drink at school before running out the door to a work event or class. But here, that would be seen as loco. In one of our orientation classes we discussed why Spain is so behind. Apparently it is because "Spain is in the wrong time zone." Spainards do take their time, though. There is not a rush to drink coffee. In fact, coffee is used as a perfect reason to catch up with one another. In the afternoon, there is often a siesta time. Now, this does not mean that all Spainards take naps everyday. It is a time where businesses close for a few hours and people get the chance to relax. Back home I struggle to relax but here, it is definitely attainable.
Food!
Meal times: To continue with the theme of a later day, meal times in Spain are very surprising. Breakfast is typically when you wake up, lunch is around 2/3pm, and dinner is normally never served before 9pm. Thankfully, there is a time around 5pm for a small snack.
Breakfast: Breakfast in Spain is not nearly important as coffee is. Most often, people in Spain drink a coffee in the morning with a side of toast, churros, or some cookies. That's it. There is no bacon, eggs, or french toast. Surprisingly, my minuscule breakfast keeps me going until lunch. My señora has been giving us hard boiled eggs so I owe it to that and the coffee.
Lunch: The first two days, waiting for lunch was excruciating. At Platteville I eat at 11:30am and at home I eat at 1pm. But now I have gotten used to eating at 3pm. However, lunch can be too much sometimes. To make up for the little breakfast, we eat a HUGE lunch in Spain. Taylor and I are scared that we are going to put on a lot of weight because it is way too much; but with how much walking we do, I think we will be just fine! We often have fruit, a vegetable, a meat, and bread.
Dinner: I am very surprised that eating dinner at 9pm is easy for me now. Thankfully, our señora eased us into the late dinner time by serving us early at first and then pushing it back. Dinner is normally a light dish of seafood, vegetables, and a small dessert. Our host has been hosting students for 10 years so she understands us very well.
The city!
Transportation: Sevilla is a walking city. Prior to traveling here, I prepared myself for this but I severely underrated how much I would actually walk. Currently, I am averaging about 21,000 steps per day--and school just started today. There are mostly taxis, delivery trucks, and mopeds driving around. I could not imagine driving here, especially since all the roads are brick or stone. Sometimes the sidewalks are less than 12 inches wide so we have no choice but to walk in the street. At first Taylor and I were nervous to cross streets or walk without a sidewalk, but now we do not care. People are everywhere and they do not care about the cars. It is slightly chaotic. Sometimes, I watch them walk right in front of a car without looking. The drivers are very patient and just let it happen. Taylor and I will remain cautious, despite the comfort in walking that has easily come over us.
The views: Sevilla is a beautiful city. The buildings are tall and are gorgeous shades of greens, pinks, blues, and yellows. I have been restraining my urges to take photos of all the pretty buildings because there are just way too many. I have seen cathedrals, statues, and memorials. I am excited about all the free things there are to see here! I will also be taking a Spanish monuments class starting this week so I have plenty of chances to see things.
Locals: People here are much more carefree. They take their time walking to their destinations. One strange thing that I have noticed, though, is that strangers make prolonged eye contact when walking past me. This is because Spanish is not just spoken by mouth, it is also spoken by the eyes and body language, which is why this is a custom. In the US, we do not do this. Instead, we awkwardly smile and nod if we are from the Midwest and continue on our way. I have broken this habit quite fast because it is not the norm here. Another interesting thing I have encountered in my short time in Sevilla is the fashion of dogs. There are so many dogs for such a crowded city. I kinda believe that they are an accessory because they are always dressed up. Dogs either have a sweater on, or they have one to two pony tails on top of their heads. The other day, I saw a fluffy dog with dreads only on his head!
School: SAIIE is not set up like a traditional campus. Instead, it is located in a building with other businesses. I expected it to be its own building but it is actually the third floor of a building. I like the change, though. Sometimes walking all over campus everyday is stressful, but here I can relax! We are high enough up that we get natural sunrise and a nice breeze through the windows!
The other school I am studying at is Universidad de Sevilla. I absolutely love the language building because it has so much history. There are small courtyards and statues inside. The school is sophisticated and historical with its detailed tiling and grad, open hallways. Interestingly, the school used to be a tabacco factory in the 1800s. It is surrounded by a now empty moat, and had a small, vacant jail on the property.
Weather!
In the weeks leading up to leaving, I checked the weather in Sevilla for fun. I feel really happy about what I packed because I have done really well with the weather. It is chilly at times but is nothing compared to Wisconsin. I did a good job escaping the snow! Near the start of March, the temperature will start climbing into the 70s and I am pumped! People here dress fancy and stylish, so with nicer weather it will be easier to blend in.
Language!
I was very insecure about my level of Spanish before arriving because Spanish is Spain is different from everything I have learned. Spainards use different verbs, tenses, and slang than I am used to. Surprisingly, I decided that Spain was the best for me to study abroad in because of this! I wanted to better round my understanding and pronunciation. My señora speaks Spanish to me and Taylor and corrects us when it is needed. Sometimes it is hard to find the right words to respond--that is why I am happy to start classes. I need more exposure throughout the day to improve my Spanish. Often times, study abroad students do not use the language they are studying with their roommate. To break this habit, Taylor and I made a rule that we have to talk in Spanish during our meals (we sit down for all three together each day). That way we can use unique words and practice different tenses. My señora loves this! Hopefully we will start to incorporate speaking in Spanish together more throughout the semester, but it has only been one week, after all. Kelley was worried about her skills too, but she is doing great! Taylor and I speak in Spanish to her to help her practice. When we are out with friends in our program from other schools, they get a little bit confused at first because the three of us are choosing to speak in Spanish while English is so much easier to use. Lately, though, they have been picking up on it and join in! I know my Spanish will get better and if the lady at the coffee shop can understand me, it must not be that bad.
Money!
As a college student, I am cheap. Thankfully, everything here is much cheaper than the US! For example a coffee that is normally 5 or 6 dollars in the US is less than two Euros here. 1 Euro equals about $1.10 in USD, so euros are fairly easy to use. The low prices could very easily become a problem, because it is easy to spend more when things are so cheap. I happily took the time to made an easy budget to work with. Students from the other schools have actually asked me to help them budget! The worst part about money here is that it costs about 7 Euro to take out cash and many places do not accept card purchases. The 7 Euro is a flat rate, though, so I plan to take out a lot of cash at a time and keep it tucked safely away in my apartment.
Nightlife!
Alcohol: Alcohol is not just part of the nightlife here. In Europe the drinking age is 18 in many countries, so alcohol consumption is more casual. I walk past outdoor bars from 9:30am-9pm everyday, and people drink at all times of the day. In Spain alone, there are 250,000 bars! One crazy fact I learned is that Spain is more famous for beer than wine! So much beer is consumed that it averages out to be 48L per person per year. A common assumption is that sangria is the most popular wine in Spain, but that is far from the truth! Many natives find it too sweet and it is honestly more of a tourist experience than a local favorite.
Smoking: I have never seen smoking be so popular in my life even when I have been in cities like New York and Chicago. This is something I dislike. I find the smell of cigarette smoke to be gross and it is inescapable here. One day Taylor and I saw a very young boy (looked to be about age 12) smoking; this made me sad because smoking is so bad for you. Perhaps smoking is advertised as trendy here, but I still do not understand why it is as popular as it is. I have been told, though, that smoking is getting less and less popular.
Tapas: A quick way to try new food in Spain is to go out for tapas! Tapas are unique dishes that are served as finger food. They are often meat or potatoes. My favorites so far are croquetas (fried mashed potato balls) and solomillo al whiskey which are pieces of beef/pork fried in a whisky sauce and served on fries.
In review, this week has gotten better each day. I experienced a lot of challenges, but I had to overcome them to enjoy my time in Sevilla. The culture is inclusive to all, and that is what I was looking for when I chose to study here. Studying abroad is about cultural enrichment and breaking away from traditional education methods. It took a lot for me to embrace this, but that is okay! As the semester continues on, I know that I will thrive in Sevilla.
Gracias por leer,
Micaela