Montar Caballos

Despues de almorzar, tres de nosotras vamos a viajar al campo, la periféria de Sevilla para montar caballos. Deber ser guapísma si todo vaya bien. I hope we don't end up trotting around some dingy, dusty corral. 'Hoping for rivers, creeks, galloping, etc...Vamos a ver.

Otra cosa: el hijo de mi señora, Oscar, es de super-mal humor. I asked my señora where I could catch the bus into the country, she wasn't sure, so she asked Oscar. He snapped at her, as he invariably does, for unknown reasons (though I have a hunch this may have something to do with his being an antisocial douchebag. This may also have something to do with his being named "Oscar.") And now they're exchanging loud, hot words, which I'm sure my esteemed readers can see (notes: that direct adress to the reader I did right there--straight from the preface of/introduction to Don Quixote. Call me Cervantes) puts me in a very comfortable situation. Right.

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Now lunch is over and I'm headed out to the bus station and then to the campo to hang out with Mr. Ed(uardo) and Henry the Horse (who dances the waltz). I haven't ridden a horse since I was a little kid (and friends, I'm SO past that stage now), so this should be pretty exciting.

I saw this thing on my friend Sarah's computer today and asked her to send it to me. I hope nobody is feeling the need for this drug, but in the event that you do, here it is. Not recommended for parents of young children:

A Dream Within a Dream

Take this kiss upon the brow!
And, in parting from you now,
Thus much let me avow-
You are not wrong, who deem
That my days have been a dream;
Yet if hope has flown away
In a night, or in a day,
In a vision, or in none,
Is it therefore the less gone?
All that we see or seem
Is but a dream within a dream.

I stand amid the roar
Of a surf-tormented shore,
And I hold within my hand
Grains of the golden sand-
How few! yet how they creep
Through my fingers to the deep,
While I weep- while I weep!
O God! can I not grasp
Them with a tighter clasp?
O God! can I not save
One from the pitiless wave?
Is all that we see or seem
But a dream within a dream?

--E.A. Poe

Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan is pretty great. I'm becoming smitten. If you haven't yet, 'should listen to some of his tunes. I'm lookin' for a way to link to songs in the blog, and still working on that photo site (or rather, I'm going to start working again...I just bought a new adapter today for my mac. It's European.)

Today I at breakfast at the Center for los mayores (the old people) of Triana. I've found my new hangout! (And yes, I asked if non-old-people are welcome, and they so totally are.) Beer: 45 cents, Wine, more or less the same. Breakfast: Café con leche y tostada entera con aceite, 1.35 euro. Score.

Part of "Subterranean Homesick Blues," by Bob Dylan

You don't need a weather man
To know which way the wind blows


...

Ah get born, keep warm
Short pants, romance, learn to dance
Get dressed, get blessed
Try to be a success
Please her, please him, buy gifts
Don't steal, don't lift
Twenty years of schoolin'
And they put you on the day shift
Look out kid
They keep it all hid
Better jump down a manhole
Light yourself a candle
Don't wear sandals
Try to avoid the scandals
Don't wanna be a bum
You better chew gum
The pump don't work
'Cause the vandals took the handles

Starting your second-ever conversation with the cute bartendergirl you just ran into at her bar with an icebreaker like: "So when do you get off work?" is not as good idea as it might seem...to some, he learned.

Pink Floyd is Timeless!

Mosquitos

Mosquitos suck, but Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer is the man. Things balance out.

Yesterday was one of the most pleasurable days I´ve had in Spain on account of numerous small things (like finally understanding what the hell my Lit de España II prof is saying and then getting really excited about learning and reading. That was good. Sidenote: He, my professor, looks remarkably like Dustin Hoffman and sounds like he began smoking prior to leaving the womb).

Life is good.

Miercoles, 17 de octubre 2007

Within the first couple of weeks of arriving in Sevilla, I became friends with the owners (two brothers, Sergio y Gerardo) of a café bar just down the street from my piso en Triana (Viva la Republica independiente!). The story of how this all came about is actually somewhat amusing in itself, but that´s for another time (I´m working toward a point right now, stay with me). So anyway, it just so happens that these guys are really cool and pretty much my best friends here. I see them a few times a week, have been to their ridiculously nice homes (they´re loaded--this could also end up being a very interesting story...I have my theories on how they got there) and I´ve met a ton of people through them as well. So that´s great. But what´s even better (or, rather, another cool thing) is that Sergio plays guitar, is learning flamenco, and really digs Pink Floyd (the best band in the world, duh). So it was one of those days many weeks back that I told him I was itching to find a second-hand guitar etc...and he said he´d look for one for me. Well, I finally asked him if he´d had any luck (I´m getting pretty antsy not having a guitar and missing out on flamenco lessons [I´ve decided to learn at least the basics of flamenco before I go....it´s an incredible artform...youtube it...I don´t have any artists in mind at the moment, but I´ll look in my journal and find some recommendations]).¨"No" is the short answer (i.e. he didn´t find anything). But the follow up was much better. He is going to give me his classical/flamenco guitar to practice on, and I´m picking it up today after I finish classes (and get back from a little "reunion" in the park) ;)

Other things....

I´ve finally got my class schedule more or less down and in the process learned never to rely on the anthro department advisors for anything like advice pertaining to course selection or the fulfillment of concentration requirements (4 weeks and a $5 phone call later --out of my pocket, fuckers-- I get my two line response--affirmative, you can in fact take this class. Enjoy catching up!) The good news though is that it looks like I might actually be able to well, graduate (eventually).

Classes are cool, the people are HOT, the weather´s becoming a bit more humane, the days are beginning to pass more quickly, buildings and their narrow winding streets have lost that honeymoon novelty but retain their beauty. The fish swim in the river and the people sit by the river and catch them. Sometimes they drink beer. Sometimes I drink beer, and sit by the river. But I haven´t fished yet.