Day Trip to Malaga!

I know it's only been 3 days since my last post, but so much has happened in such a small amount of time. To start off with, ISA, my study abroad program, scheduled a day trip to the coastal city of Malaga, last Friday. I know a lot of people were looking forward to enjoying the beach and whatever else Malaga offered, but some much needed rain may have led to a change of plans. Regardless, I really enjoyed my time there and learned some pretty interesting things.

Picasso Museum

Pictures aren't allowed in the Picasso Museum, so hopefully this will serve as proof that I was there.

I really have to say that I have a new found respect for the artistic style of Picasso. I've never really been a fan, merely on the opinion that his artwork seems like something anybody could do, but a nice tour of this place really gave me a new outlook on the originality and revolutionary ways of Picasso.

La Manguita

We also visited "la Manguita" or the one armed lady. It's called this because one of its two towers was never completed. The reason the second tower was never completed is also due to the United States. Spain used the money that would have been used to construct the second tower to help the US reach its independence. The U.S. also tried to pay the money back, but the nickname and uniqueness of "La Manguita" has become such a staple of the Malaga community that they refused to build the second tower.

The plaque thanking Malaga from the U.S.

You can also check out a lot more pictures here: More Pictures!

Time Flies When Your Having Fun

I'd just like to let everyone know that I'm probably the worst blogger ever, but will be more dedicated in keeping this updated. This post will serve to catch everyone up on what I've been up to the last two weeks, and I'll update again sometime Sunday. I promise or I'll name my first born child Jed I. Knight. (He'll be the coolest kid in school...)

In all seriousness, I've had a pretty eventful last two weeks. I started classes on September 12th and they've actually been pretty interesting. Aside from taking a Spanish writing class, my classes are all taught in Spanish and range from subjects like Spanish civilization, politics, and intercultural communication. Altogether, I have a full workload and am just another student at Pablo de Olavide.

I know my buddy, Phil, thinks I'm just on an extended field trip, but I promise I'll be learning something while I'm here. 

This is Phil. Enough said. 

I'm just poking fun at him. In reality, he's one of the best friends a guy could ask for.

Anyways, school is great but I'm sure people are wondering what else I've been up to.

I figured that the best way to show everything would be with a few pictures:

Plaza de Espana

Real Alcázar de Sevilla

Religious Procession (I'm not exactly sure what this was called, but they carried this float around the city)

Corrida de Toros (Bull fight)

Champions For Africa UNICEF Charity Game

What a week...

I'm not exactly sure how to fully explain the first week I've spent in Spain. Partially because I'm deciding whether to write this in Spanish or English, but really because this has been one of the most fascinating weeks of my life.

My flight into Spain wasn't bad at all. My first flight to Dallas from OKC was delayed by about two hours due to plane issues, but that really didn't derail my travel plans as I had a 5 hour lay over in Dallas. The flight from Dallas to Spain was a little over 9 hours, and actually wasn't too bad. They played Mirror, Mirror (weird) and Money Ball (can anyone really take Jonah Hill seriously?) on the flight so the time passed by pretty quickly. 

I arrived in Madrid, Spain around 10 a.m. the next day and ended up taking a cab to the hotel where I would be staying for the next two days. I also met my room mate, a pretty chill guy from the University of Denver, and had lunch at the "Puerta del Sol." 

Puerta del Sol

Aside, from the usual tourist stuff, i.e. sightseeing, I went out a few times and enjoyed the local food and night scene.

My third night was spent in Toledo, where my study abroad program planned a one day stay. On a side note, I found out Toledo is a world renowned sword making city. I thought about purchasing one as a gift, but decided against it when I considered how hard it would be to get pass airport security.

A view of Toledo

I finally arrived in Sevilla on Saturday and met the family I would be spending the next four months with. I'm staying with an extremely nice and welcoming lady named Manoli. She actually reminds me a lot of my grandmother, and she used to own her own restaurant so she's an amazing cook! My home is also perfectly situated right next to "Calle Betis," a great place for going out, and from many local shops. I also have my own room with access to the roof of our building and WiFi (They pronounce it Wee-Fee here, I laughed when I found out.)

I'm still trying to familiarize with everything in Spain. It reminds me a lot of the few times I've visited Mexico, but is still vastly different. There's stuff like "tiempo de siesta" which translates to nap time and is the time between 2-5 pm where most stores shut down and people take naps. The stores reopen later on, but having an almost mandatory nap time is definitely something to look forward too.