Siesta update- Week 1

• All’s well
• Classes are pretty easy so far, including the class in which I am the living embodiment of the subject matter (English)
• Awesome professor
• Making friends, but still looking for more
• The other Americans
• Trip to Segovia was fascinating
• Generally lots of time on my hands.

I have been remiss in updating, but in my defense I haven’t had anything better to do? Things are going well here in Spain; the weather is perfect with clear skies but not too hot. Food is quote good and a nice variety of weird/different stuff, everything from weinerschintzel to calamari en su tinto (squid cooked in its own ink [which I did not eat]).

So here is the run down on my 4 classes:
Spanish: me, Jennifer and 12 Chinese kids. A great professor and generally a pretty good class all round, all the rolled 'r's seem to be eluding most of the class for some reason...

English in the real world: this is my favorite class, it’s an elective to learn about global languages especially English and their ramifications. What is especially fascinating about this class is that while the Spanish discuss the good and bad aspects of having English as a global language, they have to Americans sitting in the room. I am a living embodiment of the subject, and as such have a strange relationship with the professor. The class is taught in English, but in an accent so thick I can barely understand. So in some ways I know more than the professor!

Confluence of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam: A fascinating class with only me and Jennifer. So far we have made it to visigothic Spain (600s) and are steadily working forward. On a side note it is with this prof that we visited Segovia and will visit Toledo in a week.

History of modern/contemporary Spain: To those of you who have read this far, here is a piece of audience participation. Write down on a sheet of paper or just think in your head what year’s modern/contemporary history includes. Here is some blank space to think about it









You are wrong, so much more wrong than you can imagine. It’s just like what eddy Izard said, Europe is where the history comes from. Modern Spain is from 1492-1789 (reconquista to French revolution) and 'contemporary' is from 1789-today. So we have a lot to cover but it is also with Serafin (the same professor) who is quite nice and speaks clearly. Even better there are only 5 people in the class, and because this is Spain only 3 showed up (including me and Jenifer).

After our first day of this class I was at the window pointing out a building to Jennifer and I asked Serafin about it, he started to describe it and then said the Spanish equivalent of 'screw it, let’s just go see it'. So we hopped in his car and drove 15 minutes out to the sanctuary of the virgin sonsolas. Needless to say it was one of the best experiences I’ve had with a professor.

I'm making friends, some with the members of the police academy, others with a very few university students but most of all with the 4 American language helpers that just arrived in Avila. Spent the weekend nights with them and cheap wine! (and I mean cheap and good, this is Spain where 1.5 euro gets you a $15 bottle).

And finally, Segovia. Famous for its Roman Aqueduct (which merely confirms my running thesis 'that damn those guys knew how to build') it also has an incredibly rich history of a Jewish and Moorish populations as well as beautifully decorated walls and an awesome royal castle. Here are a few pictures I took from our time there: