It's Beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

One of the things that I love most about Europe is the random fairs and festivals that pop up overnight...

In my opinion there is no better way to start a Sunday than at Starbucks. When I walked in I immediately noticed that suddenly Starbucks and all of Sevilla for that matter have been transformed. Christmas cups, music, and ambiance is in the air.

Hundreds of Christmas lights were hung over the streets, trees, lampposts and stores. Little booths were constructed along the tramline selling incense, Christmas cookies and figurines for nativity scenes. They literally have everything from miniature saucepans with eggs and bacon, to elaborate scenes with electrical components. 

As we walked through el centro astounded by all the lights hanging, anticipating when they will be turned on, we stumbled upon a full fledged renaissance fair. There was an entire pig roasting on a spit, men having a sword fight in the street, artisans selling their jewelry, owls, and some free puppies being given away? Of course no festival is complete without a dazzling array of baked goods, cheeses, and beers on tap. 

A toffeenut latte and exploring the festival was the perfect end to this surprising weekend.

Dia de Acción de Gracias

These past few days have been a whirlwind. I have been teaching about Thanksgiving (Dia de acción de gracias,) and cooking up a storm, for not one, but two Thanksgiving dinners.

I have to admit it was difficult to get into the Thanksgiving spirit this year being so far away from home. I know I shouldn’t complain about the 70-degree weather, but without the changing fall leaves, a trip to the Cidermill, and missing ugg boot season entirely, I have been in a bit of a funk recently.

On Friday night my roommates and I went to a thanksgiving potluck dinner with other CIEE teach in Spain participants. Then on Saturday, we prepared a feast for about 20 Spaniards in our piso. I made butternut squash soup and after a long tiring search for cheddar cheese, I whipped up multiple trays of macaroni and cheese.

Cooking this amount of food was no easy feat. First of all, we can’t figure out how to use our oven, it’s a guessing game in which the oven usually wins. My chocolate cake I baked a few weeks back was it's first casualty. We also lack measuring cups, the correct cooking utensils, a dishwasher and a garbage disposable at out convince. No matter, I still love any opportunity to cook; I had great company, and some new country music to listen to in the kitchen.

I am happy to report that Thanksgiving was just what I needed, two nights in a row of eating, drinking, talking with our mouths full, and getting in some good laughs has lifted my fussy mood, hopefully once and for all.

Although I am not with from family and friends this year, I think that the far distance away during the holiday season has renewed my appreciation for living abroad and has helped me recognize what I am grateful for, even more than usual.

So on that note I wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving, and for those of you back in the in Vestal right now, eat an extra slice of pumpkin pie for me!

Turkey hands we made in class

Roommates at Thanksgiving dinner #2

Fútbol

There is very little that I know about fútbol (soccer.) I have played basketball my whole life, and the only team that I follow regularly is Syracuse basketball, GO ORANGE!

I decided last minute on Sunday to buy a ticket to the Sevilla vs. Betis game to see what all the fuss is about. ¿por qué no? Before heading to the game I was warned to be extra cautious because Betis is Sevilla’s greatest rivalry and the fans tend to get a bit rowdy.

Policemen watching over the tailgate, "botellón"

Much like a football game in the United States, fans gathered outside the stadium early in the morning to tailgate or "botellón" as it is called here. By the time I arrived two hours before the game, drunken fans were shooting off fireworks, dancing around, cheering, and proudly singing fight songs at the top of their lungs.

We joined right in on the festivities, and celebrated with the masses at the 5-1 win over Betis. 

 

Churros con Chocolate

On my way to work, not only do I bike along the beautiful Guadalquivir River, but I also pass by a multitude of patisseries frying up fresh churros each morning. I breathe in the sweet aroma of the chocolate as the scent lingers in the air.

The time has finally come that I turn a blind eye to calories, and finally indulge in churros con chocolate, a common breakfast for many Spaniards.

The chocolate is warm, rich, and slightly bitter reminiscent of a thick pudding. The churros, in this case are loops of fried dough that are light and crisp. 

As if this is not enough, a generous coating of cinnamon and sugar enhances the flavor. The chocolate is poured into small mugs, and the dipping commences, leaving behind traces of sugar crystals underneath my fingernails.

There is no turning back now, I am addicted.

RONDAzvous

After two weeks of constant rain and fog, on Saturday I was relieved to see the weather forecast for a sunny day. I rallied the troops and we caught the first bus to Ronda, a city located in the province of Malaga, only a two-hour ride from Sevilla.

After a short snooze on the bus, I awoke to bright skies, and one of the most visually stunning cities I have ever seen before. According to Ernest Hemmingway, Ronda is the most romantic town in all of Spain, and I couldn’t agree more, the views were unforgettable.

The Puente Nuevo, "new bridge"  joins the old Moorish town and the newer part of the city, El Mercadillo

Young at Heart

I think that the Rugrats said it best,

Take me there, I wanna go there
Take me there, you know where
Take me to that great place
With wonders and wishes!

We had PARACHUTE day in gym class this week! No matter how old I get, I will always grin ear to ear on parachute day.

Arabian Nights

It’s somewhat difficult to summarize my journey to Morocco. To put it simply, it was a thrilling and an eye-opening weekend.

After a quick hop, skip, and a ferry ride from Tarifa Spain, through the Straight of Gibraltar to Tangiers Africa, I found myself in Northern Morocco, surrounded by the striking and expansive Rif Mountains on Friday night.

From the ferry we went straight to the hotel for a traditional Moroccan feast. Our table was piled high with round chewy rolls, a large salad with beets, eggs, corn, tomato, carrots and cucumber. In the center was the pièce de résistance, a mountain of couscous with a plethora of vegetables. Following dinner a Berber man gave a presentation on spices and apothecaries in Morocco, explaining various products that can heal any ailment. 

Saturday morning we hopped on the bus and drove through town after little town. The locals glared up at us through our tinted windows, while young kids ran behind our bus, even jumping on the back at times.

We went on a short camel ride on one of the beaches in Tangiers overlooking the point at which the Mediterranean Sea meets the Atlantic Ocean. Then we explored the Caves of Hercules.We stopped in a town called Asilah for lunch at what appeared to be a rundown deserted building, but once inside we were transported back into time. We sat low to the ground on pillows, dining in an intricately tiled room with a domed ceiling. 

We spent the rest of the afternoon shopping and bargaining with the shop owners in the Medina (central part of the city enclosed by walls) of Asilah. The vendors were quite aggressive, but in the end I bought a scarf, and a little leather camel for half the dirham (Moroccan currency) of the original asking price. Before we left the city, we sipped on fresh, sweet mint tea as the call of prayer sung out over all of Asilah.

On Sunday we drove to see the cities of Tetouan and Chefchaouen. Although it was a long bus ride I was able to gaze out the window at the panoramic view of the Rif and Atlas Mountains, while swapping stories with friends I was reunited with from orientation. 

My favorite city was Chefchaouen also known as "the blue city,” situated in a valley between two mountains, with a waterfall running through. This clean, and potable water is quite miraculous, since we were advised not to drink the any tap water in Morocco, not even while brushing our teeth. According to our tour guide the houses in Chefchaouen are freshly painted every 6 months with contrasting variations of blue, and bright white in order to ward of flies. 

There was something very mysterious and enchanting about Chefchaouen, it seemed to really represented the heart of Moroccan culture. The blue houses were striking; around every corner was a picture perfect sight.

For some reason, I imagined Morocco to be desolate, arid, and barren, but this could not be further from the truth; I seriously underestimated the beauty of Morocco. The landscape is a bit surreal, one moment we were driving along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, and the next moment we were in the lush mountains. Nevertheless after two very full days I have to say that I could not be happier to be safely back home in Sevilla.

Trick or Treat

October has come and quickly passed; officially marking two months I have been in Sevilla.

As October 31^st started to draw near, my mind was buzzing with ideas to teach my students about Halloween. As it turns out the festivities of Halloween transcend borders, and there was very little I had to explain. The spirit of Halloween is alive and strong in Spain. My classes learned Halloween songs, vocabulary, read ghost stories and then went trick or treating throughout the school.

 

Although pumpkins are scarce, and there is no scent of fall in the air, Halloween is celebrated with gusto. Refreshingly, costumes are not overly sexualized; emphasis here is a little heavier on fright as I learned from seeing terrifying costumes on Halloween night.

Some of the 5th grade girls who put on a play in English

Pin the nose on the pumpkin, one of the stations at the Halloween festival.

While I had no tricks up my sleeve to offer, that has never stopped me from indulging in a Halloween treat. Recently all I have been craving is a pumpkin spice latte and a Reese’s peanut butter cup, but unfortunately neither of these are available in Spain.  Therefore I decided my treat would be to finally taste a chirimoya, an exotic, pale green fruit that I have been eying at the supermarket.

After waiting 3 days for it to ripen, it was perfectly soft and squishy enough to slice into. Unsure how to go about eating it, I decided to hold it by the rind, as if it was a watermelon and eat it face first, spitting out the coffee bean sized pits along the way.

The inside is white in color and has a creamy yet slightly slimy texture, leaving juice all over my face. The succulent flavors were reminiscent of a very sweet pineapple, with a tinge of banana and coconut flavoring, making it the perfect Halloween treat not to mention the added benefit of it being on the healthier side.