I had a conversation with my host mom today about Sevilla, its culture and what she thinks about the States. I did not get any specific answer because she loves everything and is just really optimistic about everything.
My host mom was born in Osuna, a small town in the province of Sevilla. She said her childhood was fantastic because she did not have to do a lot, did not have to worry a lot. Everyday she played with her friends and helped out on the farm of her parents. She did not tell me much but I could see the happiness on her face when she was thinking about it. Her whole life has been in Sevilla and she loves it. When I asked her what the best thing about the culture of Sevilla is, she thought for a while then told me that everything good about Sevilla is the culture. It is not just a normal culture; it is deep, rich and is everything you can imagine about Spain. Bullfights, flamenco dances, Catholic churches, the biggest cathedral in the world, the sun, the narrow streets, the old houses, Sevilla has them all. One of the traditions that my host mom, her family and her son’s family enjoy doing is going to “Feria de Abril.” It is a week-long party of Sevilla, taken place in April and is where all the best and the most beautiful of the culture of Sevilla meet. People dress nicely to go there and listen to flamenco music, dancing and watching bullfights.
a part of the Sevilla Cathedral
Plaza de toros - the bullfighting ring in Sevilla
Plaza de Espana - Sevilla
When asked about what she thinks about the States, she said the majority of people here think about the States as everything. Everyone thinks that it is a beautiful country where everything is beautiful and they have everything one would need. She would love to go to the States but the closest she has been to is Venezuela. Her son, nieces and nephews have been in the States, to study and sometimes just to visit and they all love it. My host mom does not know a lot about politics in the States but she does follow the news. She knows about the government, the two parties and the president. Her favorite politician is J.F. Kennedy!
My host mom loves food. She enjoys eating and loves to cook and she thinks it is an important part of the culture. My host mom cooks from fresh vegetable and raw meat everyday. She told me people here do not eat to live; they eat to enjoy! I find that a meal here is a lot more formal than a meal in the States. Each dish is served on a different plate, and when you eat, you eat one after each other. Usually people sit down and take time to eat and enjoy their food. As I mentioned in an article earlier, Spanish people need about two hours for “siesta”. Food here is also a mean of communication. People here go out a lot at night but when they go out, it does not necessarily mean they go out to drink. Sometimes they go out to a “tapas” place. “Tapas” is not a dish but rather a way of eating here when a few people would share a dish, have a drink and talk.
The time and eating habit here is the one thing I have not been able to adapt. People here do not eat a lot for breakfast but a huge lunch, and a tiny dinner. The first lunch here, I had a big bowl of soup with some bread and I was pretty full after that. Then when I was done, my host mom brought me a dish of chicken stew, the salad and fruits for dessert! The other day when my host mom was gone and left me eating whatever I wanted for lunch, I had only a little bit and was really hungry by dinner. All my host mom made for dinner that day was a salad!
Vegetable soup - usual starter for lunch
Chicken stew - cooked with the recipe from her town Osuna