Hola a todos!

I remember from a Spanish class I took in high school that Spain speaks the fastest Spanish in the world. I have read that Sevilla speaks the fastest Spanish in Spain. And during our orientation, the group leader asked who was staying with Incarnita…us… and proceeded to inform us that Incarnita speaks the fastest Spanish of anyone she knows in Sevilla. Excellent. I am currently living with/ trying to communicate with the fastest Spanish speaker in the world.

Incarnita is definitely a character. The first day I met her and her husband Carlos, I laughed so hard that I cried, even though I could only grasp about every tenth word. She uses hand motions constantly, she loves to shrivel up her face, and she can sound like any animal she chooses. Last night, we had story time for over an hour and she proceeded to tell us a story about a lady with boobs of silicon (we caught on when she started grabbing her own), and then there was a story about a baby in a trash can (or it may have been a dog, I couldn’t tell if she was barking or crying). It is kind of like an ongoing game of charades. I am anxious to get to the point when I can actually follow the stories because they seem extremely interesting. Also, for any of you who have seen the movie “Mean Girls”, Incarnita looks a lot like Regina George’s mother. She is a “cool mom”.

Every day for lunch we get soup, salad, and whatever kind of fried ball she decides to make for the day. We usually get potato chips or French fries tambien. She must have a deep fryer in the kitchen because for dinner we have fried balls again (filled with some sort of ham/tuna/ potatoes/cheese) and fries. I haven’t really decided yet what Spanish food is going to do to my body, but I am a little worried. I walk a lot every day, but just in case: please don’t make fun of me when I get home. I’m just trying to be polite.

The times here are very different as well. Every day there is a siesta from 2-5! Most of the stores are closed and everyone takes 3 hours to rest/ have fun. I think this would be an excellent idea to instill in the United States to reduce stress levels. It is absolutely amazing. The one drawback is that I love to sight see at these times, which is perfect, except that everything is closed.

Every day on my way to class, I have to walk through the Parque de Maria Luisa. It is the most gorgeous place I have ever been. Yesterday, we went to hang out there and look at a lot of the glorietas in the park. I decided it would be fun to feed the birds but before I had even taken out my money to buy the seed, I had at least 8 birds all over my body! It was so much fun, except for the fact that my favorite tan coat is now tinted a little bit green. I guess the food goes through them pretty fast.

Anyways, I am in the hotel we stayed at the first night, stealing their free Wi-Fi like your typical hobo, so I should leave before they shoo us out with a broom.