The start of classes

Hola!  Classes have started, love all of them.  My first class was International Management.  The professor is American, which I was slightly disappointed about, but after sitting through his introduction lecture I think it will be a really good class.  He has many resources that, if I take advantage of, will help me with my major (Human Resource Management).  I'm really excited about my photography class!  I got a nice camera for my birthday and cannot wait to learn how to use it to its full potential!  Spanish will be challenging, but I suppose that is the point, ha!  The entire class is taught in Spanish, when you ask what a word means she describes what it is in Spanish.  The class should be good for me.  My last class is International Business.  Again, the professor is not a Spaniard rather he is Scottish, which is really neat.  From what I can tell this class is going to be a huge discussion class.  I think he is going to take our traveling experiences and use them as examples to learn about International Business... if that makes any sense at all. 

I've already noticed quite a bit of difference in the culture here.  Sevillan's believe in destiny.  They don't feel they have control as to what happens in their future.  For example, if they are interviewed for a job and don't get it they see it as "Well, God has a better plan for me" while Americans focus more on the fact that "Someone was more qualified than me and got the job instead of myself."  Because of this outlook on life, Sevillan's tend to be much more laid back and lack motivation (hence the daily siestas!)  Speaking of siestas, the timing for everything is so different.  Lunch is at 3 and Dinner is at 9 and stores close in the middle of the day for siesta.  On the weekends with my normal sleep schedule by the time I wake up everything is closing down for siesta, which leaves me with nothing to do. Such is life, maybe one day before I leave I'll get used to the different lifestyle.  

The end of one journey and the start of another!

Hola Todos!  I’m so sorry for taking so long to post!  Internet has been scare lately and when I do get a chance to get on I barely have enough time to answer all of my e-mails, facebook posts and chat with people online.

 First, I want to finish up Ireland.  Amy took me to Derry which is one of the two big cities in Northern Ireland.  We went to a museum that took us through the entire history of Derry.  Talk about a history lesson!  I believe I now know more about Northern Ireland history then I do U.S. History.  I will only tell you a few facts I found interesting so I don’t bore you with a history lesson.  If you look at maps of Northern Ireland this city is labeled Londonderry/Derry.  This is because when England decided to try to take over Ireland and spread Protestant Religions this is where they first landed.  Nine (I believe) men were sent over by the king at the time, Charles I, to do this.  They decided to add London in front of Derry, obviously after London, England.  When James I became king he tried to pull out of Ireland because he was Catholic, unlike the rest of his family. (I’m still interested as to how this happened.  Amy’s and my best guess was that his wife was Catholic and converted him, but would the family approve a marriage like this in those days?  I’m not sure, but I am very curious as to how he was the only Catholic in his family).  James I fled from his throne when he became too overwhelmed with the conflict.  This was all happening in the 1600s.  Not much else happened until the World Wars came about.  I was very confused with all of this, which I hate to say is from my lack of knowledge about the two World Wars, but from what I gathered the IRA and IDA (and groups of the such) developed around this time.  If you’re interested it’s best to google/Wikipedia all of this.  I skipped quite a bit (partially because I’m having trouble remembering everything and I don’t want to post false facts) but, it’s very interesting.  Basically, Northern Ireland has problems for two reasons, 1. They’ve mixed Religion with Politics and 2. They haven’t learned from their mistakes!  I joked with Amy telling her the school systems should improve their history classes because obviously no one is learning anything!  I have definitely learned the importance of history.  After the museum we went to look at the walls of Derry.  We went to the Catholic section and saw a lot of paintings on the sides of apartment buildings.  Each building remembers specific events from the past dealing with the problems Northern Ireland has gone through.  If I had posted earlier I would remember a lot more about what each wall is from, but unfortunately this is not the case!  Here is an example of one of the walls.  This is a mural of the first child killed when the troubles started.  She now represents the innocence of children in Northern Ireland.  Oddly enough she also wast he 100th person to be killed.

Over all Ireland was a blast!  I loved catching up with Amy and Helena.  We got to talk about a lot of things.  Being older we are much more aware of what is going on around us and it was very interesting comparing culture differences.  For instance, getting married in your early 20’s over there would be highly unusual.  But, at the same time more and more young adults are have children then get married.  Both cultures have ups and downs, though it is partially opinion based (if not entirely).  I was sad to leave, but excited to get to Spain!

Here is one last picture from Ireland.  I took this on the beach, I thought the waterfall was really pretty!  (I realize the color isn't very good... hopefully I'll learn more about my camera in my photography class this semester! But, it was a dreary day)

Sevilla is absolutely amazing!  The whole orientation process was not very exciting, but it has been ten times better upon arriving at our homes!  The family I’m living with is perfect.  La Señora is so sweet and an amazing cook!  I haven’t talked to el Señor at all.  He isn’t home much, I assume working.  They have a son who is 15 who speaks some English and a little girl who is 5 years old.  The little girl is adorable!  She is very outgoing always coming into mine and my roommates’ room to see what she can find to play with.  Aside from the son no one speaks English in the family, which I love.  My house mom has been hosting students for a long time now and knows how to help us learn the language.  She speaks slowly and corrects us when we’re speaking.  I have only been here three days and can already tell a difference in my level of Spanish, it’s incredible!  The first two days I mainly listened, but yesterday I forced myself to start speaking (along with my house mom ha!)  She really wants to help us learn Spanish which is great!  Along with me and Lauren, my roommate, she is hosting two other students at the moment,  Alex who is from Brazil and Roxy who is from Australia.  They are both really nice!  They took Lauren and I out the first night, which was great, no guessing games on where to go in the city!  When we went out with them we met their friends from their program.  Quite a few were from Switzerland and Australia and one boy from Germany.  Talk about an international group!

The city of Sevilla is gorgeous, if I could stay past the four months I would!  I walk everywhere I go (besides the University I will be attending which requires the metro).  Yesterday we had a digital photo scavenger hunt.  My group worked on it from 4-9pm and had to finish up today.  They have sent us all over the city looking for different things and teaching us little facts about the history of the city and the city in general.  Though my feet are just about dead, it was really fun getting lost in the city!   Here is one picture from the hunt, we had to take a picture holding one of these big hams!  This is one of my new friends Megan!

We start classes tomorrow which oddly enough I’m excited about.  Can’t wait to get into a schedule and start planning trips!  I’ve met a lot of people, my program mainly consists of people from the northeast and Midwest with a few scattered around other places.  I am the only one from Tennessee as far as I know.  The people in Sevilla are very friendly!  I haven’t come across one bitter soul yet.  (I’ve heard Barcelona is the exact opposite).  I suppose that’s all for now.  I will try and to be better about posting in the future!

 

After saving this photo about 4 millions times I finally was able to get it flipped correctly!  This is a picture from Giant Causeway.  The scenery was amazing! 

So we watched the movie last night.  If anyone were to watch it without knowing the story before hand you wouldn't have a clue what was going on in that movie.  There was virtually no dialogue throughout the entire movie.  Didn't really give me much more information past what I've already mentioned in my previous blog.  The only thing I learned from the movie is that before the hunger strike they had a "dirty protest" where they refused to clean themselves and smeared their feces all over the cell walls.  Also, they sorted the hunger strike out so that one person would start every two weeks (rather than everyone starting at once).  And when someone died another would start.  They had 75 IRA inmates to participate in this.  Morgan Thatcher (the Prime Minister at the time) changed the rules once the tenth man died.  In all reality this hunger strike did nothing as Northern Ireland is still divided to this day.

On a lighter note, there are a lot of differences here in Ireland!  Thought I'd mention a few.  

The roads here are much more efficient compared to home!  Instead of lights at every intersection they have roundabouts.  Talk about saving quite a bit of time!  If only people in America knew how to efficiently use roundabouts.  Gas here is ridiculously expensive.  It's about 1.30 pound for a liter (keep in mind there are 5 liters to a gallon).  To get a license here is a very long and expensive process.  I still haven't been able to pick up everything you must do to get a license.  I do know the tests are a lot harder and you have to pay to go to classes on your own time... no drivers ed during school!  While we have restrictions on the times you can drive, Ireland has restrictions on the speed limit you can go. 

Doors are always closed here!  Maybe it's just the household I grew up in, but every door in the house stays shut unless someone is walking through.

The tests students have to take over here to get into college are much more intense than the ACT or SAT.  From what I've gathered, you have to decide what you're going to major in at the age of 13/14.  You choose ten areas to study and two years later you take two exams in each subject.  From there you pick four subjects to study even farther.  During the next 2 years you take 6 exams on these four subjects which determine where you get into college.  If you change your mind about what you want to study in college you more or less have to start back from the start.  (we didn't get too much into the exceptions, this was all confusing enough for me, ha!)  I can not imagine having a clue what I wanted to do at that age... I'm now 22 and have just made a decision that may or may not be what I do for the rest of my life, ha! 

This is a picture of Helena (left), Amy (right) and myself at Giant Causeway.  The two girls who stayed with me during the Ulster Project who I've been visiting here in Ireland.

Hokay, that's all for now.  More to come!

Ireland

Hello everyone!  I'm so sorry I'm just now posting for the first time.  I haven't been able to get online very much during my stay and when I have I've been talking to people online.  Anyway, I arrived in Ireland safely Friday morning after traveling for 15 hours from Tri-cities.  I did not get much sleep.  I should have slept on the plane, but still being slightly immature I couldn't resist the temptation of the movies!  Exchanging money was not fun.  I exchanged $160 and got about 87 pound in return.... horrible rate!!  The euro is supposed to be slightly better.  

Amy and Helena have taken me around to quite a few places.  I've gotten some really pretty pictures!  I'll post some once I figure out how to do that on here, ha!  I've posted all of them on facebook though.  My favorite place so far has been this place called Giant Causeway.  I got some really pretty pictures there!  The rocks are in the shape of pentagons, they looked really cool!  The weather isn't so bad over here, it's just super windy!

Though I've known about the troubles here in Northern Ireland I'm getting a much better picture of what it's like.  We went to a tombstone today of a man named Kevin Lynch.  He was part of the IRA.  Him along with 11 (I believe) other Catholics were arrested for "terrorist activities" (bombing and such).  In prison they were treated as terrorists which they were not okay with.  The officers in charge of them were protestant and were beating them up.  They all decided to go on a hunger strike because they felt they should be treated as prisoners of war rather than terrorists.  Many of them died including Kevin Lynch.  It wasn't until his death that the woman in charge of them decided to change the rules.  I'm watching a movie tonight about it which will hopefully tell me the full story of this.  I thought the troubles were well past, but Amy and Helena told me today that many people think the troubles are coming back.  The IRA are starting the bombings again.  Apparently there was a bombing in Derry this morning.  Obviously no one knows who it is yet, but I'm told it's most likely the IRA.  The schools here are separated, one for Catholics, one for protestants.  They are literally right beside each other with huge gates surrounding them.  I plan on taking a picture of them, so hopefully I can get that posted soon.

Well, that's about all for now.  I could go on for so much longer, but I'll try not to bore anyone too much!  Ireland has been so much fun!  I've seen a lot more and learned a lot more than I did last time I came to visit.  I'm sure my parents will appreciate this comment, but it's amazing how much you can learn when you actually want to learn!  History isn't half bad over here in Europe!