February Already??

I can't believe February is here already. I am afraid this study abroad experience will be over before I know it.
Last week started out with an assignment to take a tour at the Plaza de Toros, or the bullfighting arena.

It was really interesting to learn about the history of the sport. It started out as a way to practice skills for battle. It wasn't until later that it became a close-quarters fight and show.

Before I thought I could bear to watch one show because it is such a deeply rooted tradition in this country, but now I don't think so... They don't just kill one bull, but six! And I have spoken to several locals and they all say that they're against the "corridas". One man described how he could hear the bull's labored breathing from his seat. It's too much for me. You may also notice in the above photo that the bull on the right is missing its ears. That's because the torero took them as a prize. One ear is good, two ears is better, two ears and the tail is best. But allowing the bull to live is the highest honor. You'd think they would do it more often that once every 20 or so years.
Later in the week I went over to The Room restaurant to take some pictures of food for Manu. He gave me two different dishes to shoot. The green curry was delicious.

Guasacaca: Guacamole with cornmeal patties and fried plantains

Chicken Green Curry! I wish I had flipped the plate around...

With CIEE we get our own "intercambios", or language exchange partners from the University of Seville. On Wednesday night we had an intercambio "party" to get to know some of the students. Unfortunately there were not nearly enough Sevillanos for all the Americans so it turned into a very awkward situation for everyone. Luckily towards the end of the night Miranda and I found some nice people to talk to and we will hopefully be meeting up with them soon. I want to spend more time with Spanish people!
This past weekend I went on a trip to Granada. It was very beautiful! We saw the Alhambra, the Generalife, the tombs of Don Fernando and Isabel, and had a tour of the Albayzín neighborhood. But I think my experience was marred by the poor weather we had. Very cold, windy, and rainy.

During our tour, we stopped by a convent to buy some magdalenas from the cloistered nuns. There is a specific phrase they say when you ring the bell and then you have to answer with a specific response in order to buy their sweets. They use a lazy susan to transfer the money and treats to avoid direct contact with the outside world.

On Monday I started regular classes at the University of Seville. The only class I am not excited for is the poetry class. The professor is not easy to understand and the subject matter is a little dry. The flamenco, cinema, and gastronomy classes and professors all seem great though!