My house is like a fridge....

Good day my lovely readers!

(F.Y.I- I wrote this on Sunday)

Today is a beautiful day! Except for the fact that my house is freezing! I am currently sitting in my room wrapped up in a blanket because that is how cold it is inside. People warned us about it getting cold indoors in the winter but I did not think it would be this true! You see, since it gets so hot here in the summer the homes are built to keep the inside of the homes cool- kind of like a fridge. The only problem is that in the winter it gets really cold indoors even if the outdoor temperature is just cool.

Well- aside from my not being able to feel my fingers as I type… life in Seville continues to be going well. Classes are kind of dull but I have a couple tests this week, which should make them a little more exciting. :P

Serving at the old folk’s home is ok. I continue to feel like more of a burden than help. The nuns are sweet ladies and they like having volunteers there but since we only go once a week it is hard for them to keep us straight and they always forget we have been there before. This is frustrating because I want to have a relationship with them but all we have time for is small talk in between pushing carts and the folks we serve are only interested in us handing them their food, clearing the dishes and giving them more food. They all appreciate us being there but well but we really cannot build relationships with any of them when we are only there for an hour a week serving a fast paced meal.

On a happier note- I woke up early yesterday and went to the Mercadillo, which is a big swap meet type thing where vendors come together and compete for the lowest prices. It sounded like a good place to get the Christmas/Birthday/souvenirs I needed for family and friends! I went with a friend named Yesi, who had gone the previous week and said it was a must because the prices were amazing. :)

Getting there was an adventure. We somehow ended up being stuck inside a very large gate without an exit. After an old man on the bus told us what stop to get off on because the mean driver was of no help, a security guard walked out of a building to tell us we were going the wrong way because we were headed towards a dead end. He also told us we had to walk a really long ways to get to the Mercadillo. Instead of listening to his advice we went the opposite direction he had said in search of an easier way out of the enclosed area. We then encountered a very friendly old man (who was also lost) and he told us there were two ways of getting to the Mercadillo: 1. same way the Security guard had previously said. 2. The way Yesi was sure would be shorter.




So, we walked the way the old man told us but instead of turning like he said we should we kept walking straight. This of course was the WRONG thing to do because there was only one exit that way and it was chained closed. We saw a woman walking on the other side of the gate so we asked if she knew a way for us to get out and she just laughed and said she had no idea. Yesi then flagged/ raised her hand when a security officer drove past us and she asked for some professional guidance. They sent us the direction the old man had suggested and we then found a very small opening that took us to a parking lot which lead to the outside. We were free once again! : )

haha Once there, I was reminded of the times my family and I went go to swap meets in California on Saturday mornings. The Mercadillo was an interesting experience and I got some cheap items, which was also awesome. When I got home however, Salud told me she does not like going there because it is all stuff the gypsies have stolen… I don’t want to believe that I bought stolen items from Gypsies after all that work.

Also yesterday- John came over for lunch because Salud wanted him to have a good meal while in Spain (she is under the impression that his Senora does not feed him enough). Salud made a big pan of Paella and some very delicious ribs! She also gave me Coca-Cola, John beer and Sarah a soda called “Aquarius” (I am not sure what exactly it is). The fact that she gave us all special drinks meant that this was a special occasion because we usually only get special drinks on Sundays.




I am sure that by now you all know that I love my host mom’s cooking but yesterdays was especially delicious! I ate a whole lot but I have grown accustomed to the large portions she serves. Poor John however, was served about twice as much as me! Salud just piled the Paella on his plate and expected him to eat it all because in her opinion, “You are getting taller instead of fatter here!” I think after that meal we were all feeling a whole lot fatter!




Peace and Love to you all,

Karla <3