So, I'm really not making a rule of blogging just once a week, but that's just the way it has worked out over the last few weeks. I will try to give updates at least once a week though, so my mom won't freak out and think that I'm dead. Once again, this week did not involve any traveling and was one of the more tranquil weeks I've had since coming here.
Eminem and I
What does one of the world's most popular and offensive rappers have in common with me? Well, I hope very little. Still, there's at least one definite similarity. Some might argue it's a unique brand of irresistability (my game is futility); some would say it's a talent for making rhyme (all the time); some might say it's thinking on their feet (without missing a beat). Regardless, I find myself in opposition to these propositions whose imposition is naught but fiction. Okay, I'll stop that now. But I don't know how. Argh, no more rhymes, and I mean it. Anybody want a peanut?
Okay really, what on earth is this all about? What do I have in common with Eminem? Answer: 8 Mile. Eminem made it a movie; I made it a jog. All this to say that this morning (like 30 minutes ago) I ran 8 miles in accordance with my training program. It feels good because that is a distance that 2 months ago I would have gaped at and despaired. I actually still gaped at it today, but I made it. I'd like to thank my leg muscles for not rebelling, the rest of my body for not cramping unbearably, my iPod for inspirational music, and the weather for holding off the rain. This is a good milestone, but there's much more to go. 8 miles was I struggle; I need 13.1. We'll see!
Marisol Has Jokes
So, my senora thinks she is hilarious. And in a way, she is. But what's really funny to me is what she finds entertaining. To me, her sense of humor is like a small child's (or old man's) in that repetition does not diminish the humor one bit. For example, the vice president of Spain is an older lady with an odd haircut. Every time she shows up on the news, Marisol says, "Oh, look! The chicken. Look at her hair. She looks like a chicken. How ugly!" The chicken comment seems to just get better every time (...not!). This weekend was a new experience though. This time when the VP shows up on TV, Marisol went through the typical "Look...chicken...ugly" mantra, but this time she was inspired. She then proceeded to say, "Look, Thomas, this is how she looks." What happened next was a Kodak moment. Marisol puffed out her cheeks (already puffy enough due to the fact that she is a little heavy...okay, she's just downright obese) and crossed her eyes. Actually, she failed at crossing her eyes about 3 times and then finally got them crossed to complete the spectacle. Wow.
Another humorous note: One of the other senoras with the UNC program lives in the same building as Marisol and I...I think her name is Antonia. Anyhow, Danya (who lives with Antonia) told me that her senora said that one of her favorite things in the world was seeing me and Marisol together because "he is so tall and skinny and she is so short and fat!" I daresay, although I'm not sure if I like that commentary or not, we probably do look really goofy when we walk side by side.
High/Low
In weeks of normal life, when adventures are fewer and further between, I like to go to the High/Low--a sort of summary of the best and worst of this week.
THE BEST
-> Contact with friends. I've gotten to hear from several this week, and that's always a blessing. Most notably, perhaps, is that I got to skype with Rachel and plan our visit to Florence/Milan! I'm really excited...that's less than a month away!
-> Blue Like Jazz- If you haven't read it, I would highly recommend it. It's written by Donald Miller, an author with a personal, stream-of-consciousness style of writing who relates stories and lessons from his life and his path to faith from a point of view not at all like the holier-than-thou fundamentalist rants that one may be accustomed to.
-> Yesterday was my sister Mary's birthday! It's hard to believe she is 15. I really wish I could spend more time with both her and Deborah...they're growing and changing, and I see that every time I get to come home and visit from UNC. I think it a shame I can't be around more often to see them, but I'm looking forward to being at home this summer and getting that chance.
-> Yesterday I also went to see Avatar...in Spanish. The movie had interested me, but I never saw it before, and I was bored enough that when Marisol invited me I was more than happy to go. It was a good movie...worth seeing (if for no other reason) simply for the special effects. They were mind-boggling and I'd have to say it was a one-of-a-kind film.
-> Churros con chocolate. It finally happened...I went to Virgen de los Reyes and had some churros. They were wonderful. If you don't know what a 'churro' is, it is much like a funnel cake only the dough comes out more pastry-like and is shaped in large, cylindrical pieces. Mmm-mm.
THE REST
-> Let me check...yep still rainy on most days. It's alright today, but I know it'll just get cloudy again. And forecasts say...oh, guess what? More rain for next week.
-> My senora still has no concept of timeliness. Meals scheduled for 2:30? Anywhere from 2:45-4 pm. Meals scheduled for 9? 9:30 at the earliest. As if they aren't already late enough, haha. All the same, the food is pretty good, pretty good indeed.
-> I'm finding out that my schedule is a little more spread out than I like. The biggest chunk of time I have to do stuff is in the mornings, and after the morning, my day just gets consumed. It's not like I'm busy all the time, but my time is just not consolidated, and I have to be pretty proactive if I'm gonna do something that takes more than 30 mins.
-> Can someone please tell Spain about Boberry Biscuits, Cookout trays, and SWEET TEA? Just give one to President Zapatero. I can see it now: he'd jump up and shout "SANTA MARIA! QUE SABOR! QUE ASOMBROSO!" And they'd be available all over Spain within a week. It's a plan I'm going to submit to Unhealthy Food Inc. (or whoever owns these glorious franchises) in the near future.
Well, another week down. 3 weeks until the half marathon (*cue Chariots of Fire music*). 4 weeks until Milan/Florence. 4 and a half weeks until my family visits. A lot to look forward to, for sure. Peace be with you all!
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Monday, February 22, 2010
Académico that I am
Well, caballeros y damas, the end of February is almost upon us, which will represent one and a half out of 5 months of my stay in Spain. That's not as hard-hitting when you consider that those of you at UNC will be about halfway done with your semester, and those seniors among you...we won't think about that, for all of our sakes, okay? So, it's been a week since Granada, and this past weekend was, at long last, a weekend without any kind of scheduled traveling. Thus, this entry will probably be more brief and less exotic...although Sevilla is sufficiently exotic for me.
Speaking of Traveling
I don't believe I've documented my travel plans on here. Well, as I know I have mentioned, I will be going to Lisbon for the half marathon on the weekend of March 19, and the next weekend I'll head to Milan and Florence to visit with a dear friend who's studying there. But, I figured why stop there? The latest booked plans are for a spring break of sorts in mid-April. I'm going to be leaving Thursday the 15th and coming back Monday the 26th. Quite a long trip, but I think there will be plenty to do as I will be visiting London, Paris, and Barcelona, spending about 3 days in each city. I'm pumped! But that is a ways away, and there's much more to be excited about before that, like Lisbon, Italy, and my family visiting!
To the University...oops, I mean, la universidad!
Classes started for real, and they're not looking too hard. Still, they're enough work to keep me from being lazy, which I guess is a lamentably good thing. The first couple of days it was really hard to understand the professors, and, although it's going smoothly now, every so often they will go into a rant or discourse that speeds in one of my ears and out the other like Usain Bolt. The students are impossible to understand, because they talk under their breath and say things REALLY quickly. Reading is also really hard in Spanish, and, as I am a Spanish minor and do not need literature credits, I have little background in reading academic works in Spanish. Not fun.
Despite these...challenges with learning the language, I've had some really positive experiences too. There have been a couple of times where I've received compliments from Spaniards that (although maybe too nice) made my day. Whether it was my Senora saying I "speak a lot of Spanish", a guy I met in a bar saying I speak it perfectly, or my professor being laudatory in office hours, it's always encouraging to hear.
Isa 60:1-3: "Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you. For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the LORD will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you. And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.
How great is our God! I have been overjoyed to see God move in our midst some here in Sevilla, and I hope it continues. Some of the situations, the conversations that I have encoutered over the last several days have shown me that God is moving and (I hope and pray) drawing people to repentance and, more importantly, to Christ.
John 4:35: "Do you not say, 'There are yet four months, then comes the harvest'? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest."
I don't know what exactly it will look like, but I hope that God provides us with the opportunity to reach out and the empowerment to do whatever is set before us. I see so much potential, and the verse above definitely comes to mind. I don't know what the end result or even what the process of this semester is going to look like, but a "Thy will be done" is all I can say with regards to that. But I am here, and I hope that God establishes His presence here too.
Well, almost dinner. I miss you all, and hope that you're celebrating the US dominating Canada in hockey. No one in Spain really cares. Hasta luego!
Speaking of Traveling
I don't believe I've documented my travel plans on here. Well, as I know I have mentioned, I will be going to Lisbon for the half marathon on the weekend of March 19, and the next weekend I'll head to Milan and Florence to visit with a dear friend who's studying there. But, I figured why stop there? The latest booked plans are for a spring break of sorts in mid-April. I'm going to be leaving Thursday the 15th and coming back Monday the 26th. Quite a long trip, but I think there will be plenty to do as I will be visiting London, Paris, and Barcelona, spending about 3 days in each city. I'm pumped! But that is a ways away, and there's much more to be excited about before that, like Lisbon, Italy, and my family visiting!
To the University...oops, I mean, la universidad!
Classes started for real, and they're not looking too hard. Still, they're enough work to keep me from being lazy, which I guess is a lamentably good thing. The first couple of days it was really hard to understand the professors, and, although it's going smoothly now, every so often they will go into a rant or discourse that speeds in one of my ears and out the other like Usain Bolt. The students are impossible to understand, because they talk under their breath and say things REALLY quickly. Reading is also really hard in Spanish, and, as I am a Spanish minor and do not need literature credits, I have little background in reading academic works in Spanish. Not fun.
Despite these...challenges with learning the language, I've had some really positive experiences too. There have been a couple of times where I've received compliments from Spaniards that (although maybe too nice) made my day. Whether it was my Senora saying I "speak a lot of Spanish", a guy I met in a bar saying I speak it perfectly, or my professor being laudatory in office hours, it's always encouraging to hear.
Isa 60:1-3: "Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you. For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the LORD will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you. And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.
How great is our God! I have been overjoyed to see God move in our midst some here in Sevilla, and I hope it continues. Some of the situations, the conversations that I have encoutered over the last several days have shown me that God is moving and (I hope and pray) drawing people to repentance and, more importantly, to Christ.
John 4:35: "Do you not say, 'There are yet four months, then comes the harvest'? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest."
I don't know what exactly it will look like, but I hope that God provides us with the opportunity to reach out and the empowerment to do whatever is set before us. I see so much potential, and the verse above definitely comes to mind. I don't know what the end result or even what the process of this semester is going to look like, but a "Thy will be done" is all I can say with regards to that. But I am here, and I hope that God establishes His presence here too.
Well, almost dinner. I miss you all, and hope that you're celebrating the US dominating Canada in hockey. No one in Spain really cares. Hasta luego!
Monday, February 15, 2010
Another weekend, another adventure
Just reviewing my blog, I find it a little odd. I don't like the bullet point system so much, but I have been using it for efficiency. I felt like since there is so much to cover it would be easier for me to write and more likely that others would read it. However, I believe I'm just going to write from here on out, simply because one story is, to me, more interesting than 10 facts. So, this weekend was yet another venture out of Sevilla to a new city. I feel like that's happened a lot: I've spent maybe 5 weekends here and only 2 of them have not involved a trip out of Sevilla. This weekend was Granada.
Gimme Some Tapas--FO FREE
Granada is an absolutely beauttiful city in the Sierra Nevada mountains of southern Spain. Granada was the last Moorish city to fall into the hands of the Christians during the Reconquista, and as such it has a lot of history and retains a large Arabic cultural heritage. Once we arrived in Granada, it was lunchtime (2:30 in Spain), and some of us decided to leave our stuff in the hotel lounge (our rooms were not ready yet) and survey the local eating scene. Granada retains a most worthy tradition that is dying in most of Spain: if you go to a bar and order a soda or beer or some kind of drink, you get a free tapa (appetizer-size portion of food). This was most delightful, and, despite the fact that the drinks are a little more expensive, it makes for a wonderful way to get full and try different Spanish foods cheaply. We went to a couple of different places sampling grilled bocatas (sandwiches) and even some fried octopus (yummy).
How I Became Famous
Upon returning to the hotel, I found that my bags were not where I had left them. Needless to say, I was a little distressed, especially when I found that my roommates had taken the only key and left the hotel. I asked reception if they had seen it--no luck. I asked the people that had stayed to watch everyone's stuff, and they simply told me that everyone had picked up their stuff and there was none left. I begged to differ. I looked up and down for it. In the process, I had some Spaniards that were also staying at the hotel that were most inquisitive as to my frantic search and pre-occupied demeanor. I shared my plight, and they thrived on the mystery, giving all kinds of suggestions as to what I should do and telling all of their friends that there was some poor fellow who'd lost his bag and indeed it is that chap in the red Liverpool scarf.
Well, after some suspense, my roommates returned and informed me that they had thrown my bags in our room and, out of the kindness of their hearts, refrained from mentioning it to me. I am grateful that they did; a bag in the room is better than a bag in the lobby. However, the result of all of this was quite hilarious, and I shall proceed to tell.
What you see above is an image of the white-marble Cathedral of Granada, which contains the tombs of Ferdinand and Isabel in a connected chapel. We visited these places after the bag fiasco with the entire UNC program (about 50 of us). In a funny turn of events, so did almost all of the Spaniards I had met at the hotel and all of their friends that they had talked to. During our tour, it seemed like almost every one of them came up to me and started asking me (in Spanish) about my lost bag, proclaiming how happy they were that I found it, and giving the customary, friendly double-cheek farwell kiss. It was sweet, but my comrades were quite confused by how many people were talking to me (not all knew why) in this city I had never been to. I just told them that you can't help it when you're famous.
Tea and Alhambra
After the cathderal tour, we split up, and I went with a group to a Teteria (tea house) to drink some customary Arabic tea. It was quite good and a really fun time. I had Oriental Tea, which was black tea with milk, cinnamon, vanilla, and lemon. I've never been a hot tea connosieur, but that was pretty good stuff. The next day, we went to the Alhambra, which is a MASSIVE fortress/palace/gardens that was built by the Moors. It was a 3.5 hour tour (yeah) that saw everything from walls and towers to royal chambers to patios and fountains. It had marvelous views of Granada from the towers and some amazing Arabic architecture. I believe I will let the pictures speak for themselves in this case. Granada was, much like Ronda, glorious.
A patio of the Alhambra
Walls of the Alhambra
Candlelight at the teteria...attempt to look mysterious
Enjoying the delights of the teteria
Gimme Some Tapas--FO FREE
Granada is an absolutely beauttiful city in the Sierra Nevada mountains of southern Spain. Granada was the last Moorish city to fall into the hands of the Christians during the Reconquista, and as such it has a lot of history and retains a large Arabic cultural heritage. Once we arrived in Granada, it was lunchtime (2:30 in Spain), and some of us decided to leave our stuff in the hotel lounge (our rooms were not ready yet) and survey the local eating scene. Granada retains a most worthy tradition that is dying in most of Spain: if you go to a bar and order a soda or beer or some kind of drink, you get a free tapa (appetizer-size portion of food). This was most delightful, and, despite the fact that the drinks are a little more expensive, it makes for a wonderful way to get full and try different Spanish foods cheaply. We went to a couple of different places sampling grilled bocatas (sandwiches) and even some fried octopus (yummy).
How I Became Famous
Upon returning to the hotel, I found that my bags were not where I had left them. Needless to say, I was a little distressed, especially when I found that my roommates had taken the only key and left the hotel. I asked reception if they had seen it--no luck. I asked the people that had stayed to watch everyone's stuff, and they simply told me that everyone had picked up their stuff and there was none left. I begged to differ. I looked up and down for it. In the process, I had some Spaniards that were also staying at the hotel that were most inquisitive as to my frantic search and pre-occupied demeanor. I shared my plight, and they thrived on the mystery, giving all kinds of suggestions as to what I should do and telling all of their friends that there was some poor fellow who'd lost his bag and indeed it is that chap in the red Liverpool scarf.
Well, after some suspense, my roommates returned and informed me that they had thrown my bags in our room and, out of the kindness of their hearts, refrained from mentioning it to me. I am grateful that they did; a bag in the room is better than a bag in the lobby. However, the result of all of this was quite hilarious, and I shall proceed to tell.
What you see above is an image of the white-marble Cathedral of Granada, which contains the tombs of Ferdinand and Isabel in a connected chapel. We visited these places after the bag fiasco with the entire UNC program (about 50 of us). In a funny turn of events, so did almost all of the Spaniards I had met at the hotel and all of their friends that they had talked to. During our tour, it seemed like almost every one of them came up to me and started asking me (in Spanish) about my lost bag, proclaiming how happy they were that I found it, and giving the customary, friendly double-cheek farwell kiss. It was sweet, but my comrades were quite confused by how many people were talking to me (not all knew why) in this city I had never been to. I just told them that you can't help it when you're famous.
Tea and Alhambra
After the cathderal tour, we split up, and I went with a group to a Teteria (tea house) to drink some customary Arabic tea. It was quite good and a really fun time. I had Oriental Tea, which was black tea with milk, cinnamon, vanilla, and lemon. I've never been a hot tea connosieur, but that was pretty good stuff. The next day, we went to the Alhambra, which is a MASSIVE fortress/palace/gardens that was built by the Moors. It was a 3.5 hour tour (yeah) that saw everything from walls and towers to royal chambers to patios and fountains. It had marvelous views of Granada from the towers and some amazing Arabic architecture. I believe I will let the pictures speak for themselves in this case. Granada was, much like Ronda, glorious.
A patio of the Alhambra
Walls of the Alhambra
Candlelight at the teteria...attempt to look mysterious
Enjoying the delights of the teteria
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Quick update
So, I just wanted to get this in before I forgot again. I am starting to wonder if I am getting addicted to this Spanish pastry...it's called a palmera. Just listen to the music in that word...PAL-ME-RA. If you can't hear the Hallelujah Chorus singing of the flaky bread covered with a honey glaze appropriately shaped like a heart that is about the width of both my hands, then you just haven't been fortunate enough to try one. I've only had 2 or 3, but I think about them every day.
I booked the trip to Lisbon...so it's official. I'm going to run this baby for as long as I can. Did 5 miles again today, and it was really rough going for the last couple. I think my eating habits are slowing me down, but I'm ALWAYS HUNGRY over here and I can't really change what my senora feeds me. It's not very healthy.
We're headed to Granada this weekend, and I'm pretty excited to see the Alhambra, try some Arabic tea, and see another Spanish city. I'll update you after I get back, vale? Hasta luego, amigos; os echo de menos siempre!
I booked the trip to Lisbon...so it's official. I'm going to run this baby for as long as I can. Did 5 miles again today, and it was really rough going for the last couple. I think my eating habits are slowing me down, but I'm ALWAYS HUNGRY over here and I can't really change what my senora feeds me. It's not very healthy.
We're headed to Granada this weekend, and I'm pretty excited to see the Alhambra, try some Arabic tea, and see another Spanish city. I'll update you after I get back, vale? Hasta luego, amigos; os echo de menos siempre!
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Hace un mes (casi)...
So, January is gone and I've almost been here a month. I've already learned a lot about Spain and done a lot, but there is so much more that I haven't. So, a quick rundown of recent developments:
-I got sick pretty badly. You remember how my roomate got ill in Morocco? Yeah, well I think a got what he had, just not as badly as he had it. I'm pretty much recovered.
-I ate at a Burger King in Spain. Yeah. And surprisingly, it wasn't bad. But the best burger I've had in Spain (out of not many) was at the Irish pub where...
-I watched the Super Bowl with some friends. This Irish pub called O'Neills was showing it, and it was fun. The broadcast had no commercials though, which was kind of weird. So I didn't see any funny commercials. The food at the pub was really good and surprisingly cheap. The main catch was that I didn't get home until about 4 AM because of the time difference...yeah.
-My orientation class is about to finish up this Friday, and I am overjoyed. It was a decent enough class and definitely worth it for 3 hrs of credit, but it was 3 hrs per day every weekeday and just got way too redundant. Classes in the university/EUSA should be a lot more relaxed and spread out through the day.
-Half marathon training got thrown off by my illness, and I am starting to try to get back into it. I've adjusted my training schedule to go a little slower for the time being. I ran 4 miles today, which was a step back but probably necessary since it was not an easy run. We're looking into booking the trip to Lisbon now.
-My Senora is trying to push my roommate and I out of the house over a long weekend at the end of February so she can go to the beach. However, everything is pretty expensive travel-wise, and I'm not sure if I really want to spend the money. Awkward...
-Spanish television is still terrible.
-I went to Ronda this past weekend on Saturday. This may have been the highlight of my entire trip so far. The bus ride over was pretty enough, emerald green grass slowly arching and growing into rolling hills which gained trees and rock faces and gradually became small mountains. Ronda is a cliff town...a town built on top of some enormous cliffs in the middle of the Andalucian countryside. The town is divided by a massive ravine: the Old Town on one side and the New Town on the other. Here in Spain, they have a different definition of old...the Old Town means it was there before the 15th Century. Yeah. Anyways, the 2 parts of the town are connected by bridges (again, old and new). There are panoramic vistas all over the place. You can be walking in a park or down the street or wherever and out of nowhere BAM--awesome view of the landscape.
We walked around the city some and then proceeded to hike on a trail called Puerta de las Molinas, which took us down towards the bottom of the cliffs on one side of the town. From here we had a marvelous view of the cliffs from the side, and it was worth the semi-strenuous walk.
That's all I can think of for now...although I'm sure much more has happened. If anything important comes to mind, I'll let you know. Almost a month down here out of five. It's been pretty chaotic trying to adjust, but I think I'm really getting there. And I'm definitely looking forward to more adventures here in Europe; it should be easier to organize them once I'm in a regular schedule at the University. Hasta luego, amigos!
-I got sick pretty badly. You remember how my roomate got ill in Morocco? Yeah, well I think a got what he had, just not as badly as he had it. I'm pretty much recovered.
-I ate at a Burger King in Spain. Yeah. And surprisingly, it wasn't bad. But the best burger I've had in Spain (out of not many) was at the Irish pub where...
-I watched the Super Bowl with some friends. This Irish pub called O'Neills was showing it, and it was fun. The broadcast had no commercials though, which was kind of weird. So I didn't see any funny commercials. The food at the pub was really good and surprisingly cheap. The main catch was that I didn't get home until about 4 AM because of the time difference...yeah.
-My orientation class is about to finish up this Friday, and I am overjoyed. It was a decent enough class and definitely worth it for 3 hrs of credit, but it was 3 hrs per day every weekeday and just got way too redundant. Classes in the university/EUSA should be a lot more relaxed and spread out through the day.
-Half marathon training got thrown off by my illness, and I am starting to try to get back into it. I've adjusted my training schedule to go a little slower for the time being. I ran 4 miles today, which was a step back but probably necessary since it was not an easy run. We're looking into booking the trip to Lisbon now.
-My Senora is trying to push my roommate and I out of the house over a long weekend at the end of February so she can go to the beach. However, everything is pretty expensive travel-wise, and I'm not sure if I really want to spend the money. Awkward...
-Spanish television is still terrible.
-I went to Ronda this past weekend on Saturday. This may have been the highlight of my entire trip so far. The bus ride over was pretty enough, emerald green grass slowly arching and growing into rolling hills which gained trees and rock faces and gradually became small mountains. Ronda is a cliff town...a town built on top of some enormous cliffs in the middle of the Andalucian countryside. The town is divided by a massive ravine: the Old Town on one side and the New Town on the other. Here in Spain, they have a different definition of old...the Old Town means it was there before the 15th Century. Yeah. Anyways, the 2 parts of the town are connected by bridges (again, old and new). There are panoramic vistas all over the place. You can be walking in a park or down the street or wherever and out of nowhere BAM--awesome view of the landscape.
We walked around the city some and then proceeded to hike on a trail called Puerta de las Molinas, which took us down towards the bottom of the cliffs on one side of the town. From here we had a marvelous view of the cliffs from the side, and it was worth the semi-strenuous walk.
That's all I can think of for now...although I'm sure much more has happened. If anything important comes to mind, I'll let you know. Almost a month down here out of five. It's been pretty chaotic trying to adjust, but I think I'm really getting there. And I'm definitely looking forward to more adventures here in Europe; it should be easier to organize them once I'm in a regular schedule at the University. Hasta luego, amigos!
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Planning, Punting, and Poison
Hola todos! I hope that this finds everyone in good health! I am doing well myself, though getting a little tired from running. So, a quick update on what's going on here in Sevilla.
-Half marathon training: My week is divided up between running days, stretch & strengthen, cross training, run some more, rest, and run some more. The big runs are once a week when I try to take my distance to the next level. These happen on Sundays. This past Sunday I ran 5 miles. And was about to collapse. It's rough. Today I ran 4, which I will do again on Thursday. Can't wait to see some improvement.
-I went to a Sevilla FC soccer game with some of my friends and tens of thousands of other Spanish punters. It was against Valencia CF, so a game between 2 of the top 7 teams in Spanish League. Sevilla won 2-1, and the game was fun to watch. The atmosphere was unbelievable, with flags waving and people chanting almost incessantly. The best part was undoubtedly the beginning, when the entire stadium full of Sevilla fans began singing (more like yelling) the team anthem at the top of their lungs in perfect unison. It was phenomenal.
-Still working on planning trips. Travelling is somewhat expensive, so I'm trying to prioritize. Between Paris, Rome, Athens, London, and Dublin, I can probably choose 3 to visit over spring break, and the flights will be very cheap if I book ahead of time.
-My roommate went to Morocco this past weekend and came back with bad food poisoning. He threw up like 20 times. It was BAD. I don't know if I'll go to Morocco or not.
-There are free dance classes during February here, and I actually (surprisingly) enjoyed the first one. Not normally my thing, but we'll see. Watch out, ladies. Just kidding. But not really. Maybe.
-Class takes up too much time and is pretty easy. I'm sort of looking forward to classes in la Universidad de Sevilla. I do miss friends and family, but I'm more adjusted to life here, and things have really been great. Sevilla is a magnificent city.
-Spanish is improving, but some people (like my Senora) are just REALLY FAST TALKERS. I can understand all of my teachers just fine, but there are just some people that have more horsepower in their vocal cords.
So, a brief word to think about. Look over the beginning of John 15. Jesus says he is the vine and we are the branches and tells us to abide in him and he in us. I don't think I really ever got this, and there are probably things we are still missing. When describing the gospel, people always take about Jesus' sacrifice and his sustitution for us by his death, saving us from our Romans 3:23 and giving us eternal life. All well and good, but I want to ask the question: Can there be substitution without union? John 15:6, "If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned." God doesn't look at Christ as a substitution for us unless we ourselves have committed to hurling ourselves into oneness with Christ. Oswald Chambers says, "It is not Christ for me unless I am determined to have Christ formed in Me (Substitution- 10/29). Thus our salvation is not only through Christ's death, but also through his resurrection. Since we are one with him, we share in his perfect life (which should have been us), his death (which should have been our punishment), and his new life (unmerited grace). Praise God!
Gracias por leer y que Dios te bendiga!
-Half marathon training: My week is divided up between running days, stretch & strengthen, cross training, run some more, rest, and run some more. The big runs are once a week when I try to take my distance to the next level. These happen on Sundays. This past Sunday I ran 5 miles. And was about to collapse. It's rough. Today I ran 4, which I will do again on Thursday. Can't wait to see some improvement.
-I went to a Sevilla FC soccer game with some of my friends and tens of thousands of other Spanish punters. It was against Valencia CF, so a game between 2 of the top 7 teams in Spanish League. Sevilla won 2-1, and the game was fun to watch. The atmosphere was unbelievable, with flags waving and people chanting almost incessantly. The best part was undoubtedly the beginning, when the entire stadium full of Sevilla fans began singing (more like yelling) the team anthem at the top of their lungs in perfect unison. It was phenomenal.
-Still working on planning trips. Travelling is somewhat expensive, so I'm trying to prioritize. Between Paris, Rome, Athens, London, and Dublin, I can probably choose 3 to visit over spring break, and the flights will be very cheap if I book ahead of time.
-My roommate went to Morocco this past weekend and came back with bad food poisoning. He threw up like 20 times. It was BAD. I don't know if I'll go to Morocco or not.
-There are free dance classes during February here, and I actually (surprisingly) enjoyed the first one. Not normally my thing, but we'll see. Watch out, ladies. Just kidding. But not really. Maybe.
-Class takes up too much time and is pretty easy. I'm sort of looking forward to classes in la Universidad de Sevilla. I do miss friends and family, but I'm more adjusted to life here, and things have really been great. Sevilla is a magnificent city.
-Spanish is improving, but some people (like my Senora) are just REALLY FAST TALKERS. I can understand all of my teachers just fine, but there are just some people that have more horsepower in their vocal cords.
So, a brief word to think about. Look over the beginning of John 15. Jesus says he is the vine and we are the branches and tells us to abide in him and he in us. I don't think I really ever got this, and there are probably things we are still missing. When describing the gospel, people always take about Jesus' sacrifice and his sustitution for us by his death, saving us from our Romans 3:23 and giving us eternal life. All well and good, but I want to ask the question: Can there be substitution without union? John 15:6, "If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned." God doesn't look at Christ as a substitution for us unless we ourselves have committed to hurling ourselves into oneness with Christ. Oswald Chambers says, "It is not Christ for me unless I am determined to have Christ formed in Me (Substitution- 10/29). Thus our salvation is not only through Christ's death, but also through his resurrection. Since we are one with him, we share in his perfect life (which should have been us), his death (which should have been our punishment), and his new life (unmerited grace). Praise God!
Gracias por leer y que Dios te bendiga!
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