5 lessons on how to become una Sevillana

5 lessons on how to live and survive in Sevilla:

1. Love to walk

2. Love to eat

3. Hate to shop

4. Hate to sleep

5. Have no fear of cars driving on the sidewalk!


Everyday I am learning more about the culture here in Sevilla. Some of the things we have discussed in my cultural realities class are things like food... there is a lot of it. Driving is a lot more wild than it is in Guatemala (if anyone remembers what I said about driving there, if not, lets just say it was "crazy scary"). Also, education is very different and about $38,000 less each year. Some other huge differences are that children sit at bars filled with smoke late at night, children run down the streets unattended by an adult, everyone smokes, everyone drinks, people take personal calls during a church service, lunch and dinner are huge, everyone walks a lot, people don't say "sorry" or "pardon me" not even Spanish :) and obviously the language is different.

But, there are some similarities that are comforting and some new things I love as well such as; there is a church on every block, there is Starbucks in Sevilla but I haven't gone because my Señora makes wonderful coffee, there is a McDonalds (though I could do without that), fathers walk with their children a lot (carrying pink diaper bags and all!), people are friendly and only settle for kissing cheeks (NO HANDSHAKES), believe it or not I watch (American) MTV in the morning while I eat breakfast and sometimes Nickelodeon, The Simpsons or ...A Miracle on 34th Street was on last Sunday! I have also been watching TV shows that are from Spain and they are very funny there is a comedy channel here that my Señora watches every day!

In relation to food. I have enjoyed having Activia yogurt for breakfast, but not the marmalade as much (jelly / jam doesn't exist here). I am getting used to the abundance of soup and potatoes. I am enjoying the coffee! I am trying not to eat too much of the fresh bread! And I am really enjoying all of the fresh fruit! I am adjusting to the fact that tortillas in Spain are actually omelets (my señora's specialty is a potato tortilla. People in Spain are crazy about potatoes even when they take pictures they say ....patata, patata, patata, patata...etc. I guess Americans probably like cheese too much then!

That's all for now folks! I'll put some more pictures on in the next few days! Have a great weekend!

~ Kt