Vale!

So "vale" is the most important word I've learned so far while I've been here. They use it for ok (in every sense of the word), ya know, yes, correct, a filler, etc. Walking down the street and talking with Sevillans you hear it a million times. That's your Spanish lesson for the day. :D I can feel myself already improving so much it's crazy! I guess that's what happens when no one around you speaks English other than your roommates.

Classes began yesterday and I'm really excited about them. I'm taking three major classes (Art history, grammar, and a short story class) and then two other classes that are mostly to learn about culture. One is a current events class and the other is called Accion Solidaria which is a service class. I'll get to meet natives from Sevilla and work with them. We haven't been assigned our sites yet, but one of the sites is through the University of Sevilla and they go out to serve coffee to homeless people. It will definitely help me talk better and give me a way to meet people here which is the best way to learn the language.

One of the things I love about being here is how people will recognize that we are Americans and then try to show us how much English they know, or say "hello" and stuff like that. My roommates are blonde so we kind of stick out as we walk around. One of the funniest things that has happened so far was last Sunday. Irene, my roommate, and I were walking around taking pictures and the roads here are hard to distinguish from the sidewalks, bike paths, metro tracks, etc. So as we were taking a picture, apparently the metro was honking at us and we are just standing there in the middle of the track taking a picture. Finally a guy close to us said, "Hello!" in a very thick accent. hahaha We turned just because it sounded funny and then realized that the metro thing was waiting for us. It was hilarious and we are much more careful now where we stand to take pictures. :D

I forgot this picture earlier but this is the bridge that I cross every day on my way to school or whenever I want to go pretty much any where from my house.