Classes have officially begun at the University of Sevilla! Well, the add/drop period at least, which consists of everyone attending 6 to 8 classes that they “may” be interested in to decide which professors they like, which exam dates are the earliest, and which course content they can actually understand. Only then must the student come to a final decision about which classes they will take. I have made my decisions and am looking forward to my discussion-based classes on International Relations and Political and Social Thought. Although I feel like I won’t have a set of coherent notes at the end of the semester, I do hope to get a bit of a different perspective from each of these. My hopes of meeting Spaniards in my classes have fallen a bit though, as the majority of the students in the university seem to be Erasmus (European study-abroad) or the 25 of us CIEE kids. It is relieving to see a familiar face around the university, but it also takes away the being-alone feeling that inspires me to go up to random groups and attempt to make new friends.
This the first weekend in a while that I have spent in Sevilla, and I have been busy relaxing. Saturday was spent mostly in the Parque Maria Luisa, which is a veritable jungle in the middle of the city. Parrots fly overhead, dogs play with anything mobile, and groups of friends can be found drinking beer and eating bread and cheese at any time of the day. Saturday evening brings the entire city to the main street, Calle de la Constitucion. Couples hold hands, parents push strollers, and the extremely well-dressed small children of Sevilla chase each other up and down the streets. There is more of a feeling of comfort and community in being on the streets in this large Spanish city at night. With offerings of ice cream, coffee, tapas, beer, wine, and conversation to be had in all parts, the early evening describes the family life, a part of the culture that most of us, as students, are unfamiliar with. We know the afternoon bustle to classes, and the late-night lively streets, but I had never before experienced this in-between time. As we settle into our regular routines and get to know more of the city, it’s good to know that Sevilla still has new sights and feelings to offer.
The Cathedral after dark.
Basking by the Rio Gualdalquivir
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