Sevilla!!!

Hi loyal followers... or average internet scum,

I am in Seville and it is breathtaking!!

Things I was surprised about:

1) How urban it all is. Yes, yes. I know, Seville is the Mecca of the south, but I sort of pictured the stereotypical Flamenco dancers stomping about through the streets and sketchy people smoking hookahs on every block. Okay, now you all know I'm an idiot. However, they do have a lot of flamenco and hookahs here :) The city is intensely urban, yet there is a bizarre feeling of viability here unlike other cities. That even though you are amidst a ton of people, they all see you for exactly what you are. Which brings me to my next revelation--

2) MIRA Y MIRA Y MIRA Y MIRA. The Sevillanos love to look. They stare constantly at everyone and everything. The shoes, the hair, the body, the face-- everything. It is so disconcerting that I asked my host mom Cristina what was up with Spaniards and their full-frontal rudeness. She responded that they don't mean any harm, it's just cultural to look at other people. She also commented that when she goes out with her friends, her friends will feel really unhappy and insignificant if nobody stares at them. How different from the virtual invisibility we experience in big cities like New York and Boston where diversity is plentiful and stares are awkward.

3) How well I understand everyone!! I thought that I would be totally lost in translation--and that´s not to say that at times I´m not-- but I can joke and understand the Sevillanos, and they, me.

4) How beautiful everything is. I have never seen a more beautiful city on earth. Literally it is picture perfect. It is a wonderful mix of italian architecture with mudejar design harking back to the cities arabic roots. What is great (and slightly controversial) is the new infusion of modern design... as it is indeed a modern city!

Ah! I´m being kicked out of the computer lab!!

Hasta luego chicos,
Gina Marie Maini