New favorite word!

Guess what a safety pin is called in spanish:

(You'll never guess!)

imperdible

Literally this word means 'unLOSTable' - I love it!

So, are safety pins for things that you don't want to lose?

Or, do we never have a safety pin when we need one and 'imperdible' is a sarcastic name for it?

It's almost as fun as the word for umbrella:

paraguas

Which literally means 'stop water' - I love it too!

Although an umbrella you would use on the beach to block the sun has a different name:

sombrilla

I know 'brilla' is 'shine' but I'm not sure if this one is as cute as the others...anyone?

Major flaw in Avatar

So finally I saw Avatar; I think I was the last person on earth.

Is it a huge flaw in the movie that they don't explain why the main character has an Australian accent?

(In spanish I would have said, "He visto Avatar!")

Stupid strike in France

Of course the French are striking and so my friend Julie, who was supposed to arrive today, DIDN'T. She's stuck in Madrid until tomorrow so we aren't going to get to see opening night of the Jerez Festival now...sucks. I doubt the airline will reimburse her for that!

Horses at Giralda

Another video to Listen to.

It's the clip-clop of the horse-pulled carriages around La Giralda.

Spanish breakfast

As much as I want to love all things spanish, I don't love the spanish breakfast...yet.

It's basically a sliced & toasted baguette which is called a tostada. And you can get it several ways - all of which don't seem like breakfast. You can have tostada with butter or with butter & jelly (that's the closest one to something familiar...but dull), tostada with a few slices of ham & olive oil or butter, or even tostada with pate (which makes your breath stink to high heaven!) All of which are fine but I think of them as more like afternoon snacks...you know?

By the way, did you know in Spanish there is a word for snacks that are specifically in between lunch & dinner - meriendas. It's even a verb - merendar. So I can say 'yo meriendo' which translates to 'I'm in between lunch & dinner snacking. I love this word!

Anyways the spanish breakfast options are more like meriendas to me. They're tasty & I eat them but I'm always wishing for a runny egg, bacon & cheese sandwich on actual slices of bread, or a croissant, & WITH MAYO! They don't use mayonnaise for breakfast at all...and I love mayo : (

Oh well, at least the coffees are super good...although I need like 3 of them to feel satisfied because they're so small!

So, the Spanish breakfast...something I need to get used to.

AP 3033

I bought a spanish P.O. Box today.

Here they're called un AP for 'Apartado de Correos'. Not because I expect you all to send me anything (but you could & and I'd love it!) but I plan on buying stuff on spanish ebay. But since I have it you should all have it too just in case you get the urge to send me a card or, I don't know, A DRAWING FROM MY NEICES!

Justine Grover

AP 3033

41003 Sevilla

Espana

Blowing in the wind

Yesterday was the most beautiful day since I've been here including great amounts of wind, which I love.

It was so strong I had trouble walking - have a listen.

Thunder at the Alcazar

The thunder was insane yesterday.

I caught a little of it while we were at the Alcazar.

The Alcazar is so beautiful!

And you can see La Giralda in the background.

Church bells

Sleeping next to a grandfather clock growing up was good training for church bells...sometimes the nuns go nuts with the bells.

Here's the last few of a nun nut-run of gongs.

There's so much rain here

...and I'm starting to like the sound of it.

There was even an article this morning said this is the most rain Sevilla's had in 60 years.

I'm the Biggest Loser

Inspired by 'The Biggest Loser' (which I'm watching here in Spain thanks to my sister & iTunes) I want to push myself to grow; I want to get out of my physical - as well as mental - comfort zones.

So today I did something Jillian would be proud of me for.

Every day I walk past a little music shop that sells guitars, every day I want to go in & buy one, and everyday I have some lame excuse that always stops me from being brave and going in. But today I went in! And I asked a million questions in spanish. I said things like:

"Hola - no gracias - estoy mirando."

"No tienes los precios en tus guitaras pero quiero saberlos."

"Tienes una guitara con una precio mas bajo - mas barato?"

I know I made mistakes speaking but I got through it. And eventually I think I even found one I'm going to buy - yeah!

So, despite the guy being super nice, I was sweating bullets. I left the store & stood in the street - in the rain - and peeled off layers and layers of my clothes; my scarf, my jacket & my sweater all had to come off. The experience turned out really good & productive but I was crazy nervous and I think I sweated as badly as my buddies on The Biggest Loser' do!!!! HAHAHAHA!!!

I have to keep doing things that are hard for me.

Valentine's Day

Like my Valentine

Small gestures feel like big hugs

Mine, a treat so sweet

I wrote a haiku and I'm not even embarrassed because I had a good day.

I got my valentine a heart-shaped lollipop and he got me a piece of watermelon gum that looked like a tiny watermelon.

A vosotros, feliz Dia de San Valentin!

Photos from California in January

Look at the fun & funny photos you all sent me during my first month here.

I LOVE THEM!

(I especially love them all together)

A Day in the life of Dylan:

Anthone's Birthday!!!

Bj's new branch

NAMM!

"In my honor"

Sylvia's 1st Snowman!

Baby Cassius' 1st photo

Freeway!

SNOW ANGELS!!!!

Mary Poppins with Auntie Verity

And this one!

La lluvia en Sevilla es una maravilla.

It's raining 'gatos y perros' over here - and it's so cold!!!

And my stupid boots are so slippery on wet concrete, tile, metal - basically on everything! I'm so scared that I'm going to slip and fall when I'm out walking in the rain...at least it washes away all the dog poo, which is everywhere and what I'm normally scared of when I'm walking.

Jack & Sawyer

Last thing I'll say about 'Lost en Espanol' but here's a little of the Spanish Jack & Sawyer talking...it premiered here last night.

Flamenco practicing

Here's video of me practicing. Every Sunday I rent studio space and practice all by myself. It's just me going slowly through everything, without music, and it sort of sucks but I don't mind showing it. It's a good 1st video and hopefully I'll progress.

1) This is a portion of a Tarantos that Verity's going to see me perform in June.

2) This is some Seguiriya I'm learning in my technique class (there's more footwork in this one.) Kenji, if you see this, know that I know my marking is wrong in the middle of it. I keep defaulting to bulerias - arg!

Sevilla marathon

There's a marathon here on Valentine's day and I want to do it soooo badly. But I haven't had a run in so long; I think I would die. I'll probably go and run the end or the beginning with them illegally.

I JUST WANT A T-SHIRT!!!

I found me on youtube!

Teresa! Borja! LOOK!

I was looking up videos on youtube of Doctor Explosion to show my friend Joss and I found a video from the show that we went to last year - AND you can totally see me in the background!!! JAJAJAAJA! I put the video below - see if you can see me in it. I'm in the back to the far right, orange tank top and a huge-ass smile! This was my favorite part of the show too; it is the part when they brought their instruments into the audience and played - remember? So fun!

I cried in class today.

I'd secretly been counting the number of people I'd seen cry at my school. I was up to 4.

I didn't even realize how frustrated I was until my teacher told me not to get frustrated.

I'm working really hard and some days are just harder than others.

Today was my turn; I was number 5.

La Giralda

La Giralda is the statue on top of the bell tower at the Sevilla Cathedral.

The Sevilla Cathedral is the largest Gothic Church in the world and it's beautiful.

Everytime I walk by it, or even see it from a far, I take a photo.

After a month of seeing it, here are my photos.

It's really breathtaking.

I even tried to get a photo of Chusman, Teresa, me & Borja together in front of it on my 1st day in Sevilla.

My Losties

Today's the day we all get to start the beginning of the end of our adventure...vicariously speaking of course.

To Verity, BJ, Syna, Aida & Kenji (I hope you're all caught up Mister!),

Happy 'Perdidos' Day!!!

Don't tell me anything after you've watched because I bought a 'Season Pass' on itunes. Each week they will send me the episode every day after it airs - yeah!!!! They are going to be broadcasting it here in Spain too but it's dubbed in spanish and it a week later. So first I will watch it by myself in english and then in spanish with my equally-as-obsessed-as-me roommates.

Long live Sawyer!

It melts my heart...

when I see old people holding hands; I see it a lot here. The old folks are out and about every evening and I often see an old man & woman with each others' hands in the other's.

And I mean older than you & Dad, Mom. I mean old people. But you and Dad are super romantic and cute too...I love you guys.