Mudejar Mixin'

So, in order to find out who all my true friends are I secretly put a hit counter here to count the number of times each of you revisited waiting for me to finally stinking update. Those of you who did not check the minimum number of times will never be talked to again.

Just kidding.

But finally I have found somewhere deep within me the motivation to write in here again. Somehow I just haven't been inspired to jot down my thoughts as I was inspired in Brazil. Maybe it's because this feels more like a normal life back in the states, with school and all. Who knows.
A lot has transpired since last time (well, obviously, it's been over a month), so buckle up, grab some trail mix, and say goodbye to family and friends, 'cause this could be a long one.

I last left off right before school started, no? Classes aren't too bad. I wanted four originally but got five. We study at Universidad Pablo de Olavide (UPO), which is a really hideous looking thing. For you Pitt people, let's just say that Posvar or Hillman might win beauty queen contests for their architecture. I might cry for joy when I see the Cathedral of Learning again. The place is set up in what could be a good format, perhaps. A central, two story, covered pathway leads down the middle with buildings hanging off the sides like ugly pastel ribs. The downstairs is open to the air and is obviously used for walking to classes, whereas the upper floor features many tables and air conditioning, for studying and eating purposes (although the WiFi up there gets pretty dodgy).

Anyway, my classes aren't too bad. They should be pretty easy, all things considered. Mondays/Wednesdays are the long ones, with four classes.

Things get started with international marketing. This class is taught by a Spaniard who prefers to be called Nano, and a lot of the class involves him rambling off on strange tangents tinged by his slightly off-kilter views of the world we live in. Women, you won't have babies until you're older than forty. People my age now will live to 130. Milk kills you (but his diet of beer doesn't). Soon, 80% of the US population will fall into the dependent category (as in non income earners), saving money and planning for the future is dumb. So is being in a relationship. Basically, I think that he is secretly a bit disappointed with how his life has turned out and sneaks those bizarre "recommendations" into his rants. This makes it hard to take anything he says seriously, and I've gone through many grains of salt listening to him talk.
Next up is Español de Negocios. This class isn't too bad and seems like it may be somewhat useful. Besides learning the common business lingo in Spanish, we also talk about other subjects such as CVs, the structure of Spanish companies, etc. The professor, Jaime, is a nice guy, too, without Nano's chip off his shoulder.
Then comes the European Union with Jonathan Pass, my first British prof. I find it quite enjoyable hearing the different idioms, sayings and whatnot that he uses, along with hearing tiny bits of their humor and opinions on the world thrown in. It's kind of surprising how many students in the class secretly complain and snicker about his accent, as well as display an inability to understand the random British English word or two thrown in his sentences. I mean, you need to be pretty sheltered from life if you don't know what a "john" or a "bloke" are. Geez. Sadly, this class is the fifth class, the one tacked on, and it won't eliminate a requirement back at Pitt, just give me credits. Although Español de Negocios is the same situation.
Next in my schedule comes lunch, at three in the afternoon. I head to the aforementioned upstairs hallway to meet some friends and partake of my bocadillo (basically, sandwich). Some people get these nice little sandwiches with lettuce, cheese, meat, and perhaps even a little bit of sauce of some sort. I get a loaf as long as my elbow to fingertips, with some olive oil and one of either meat or cheese. A good day includes both. Along with that I also get an apple and orange, typically. But it is what it is.
Then comes my final class of the day, the Global Economy, again with Jonathan. The class itself isn't bad, but coming at 4pm right after I ingest an alligator-size sandwich means it can be hard to focus.
Tuesdays/Thursdays see only one class grace my schedule, La Historia del Arte de España, with Rafa, the grad-student aged prof who likes throat beards. And statues/paintings about sexo and rape (Ganymede and Zeus, anyone?). Despite his strange choices for favorite works of art, the architecture parts of the class have been interesting so far, and I have learned a few things about the design or reason behind certain styles of painting or construction. We'll see how the whole project thing goes though. And his Spanish is much tougher to follow than Jaime; Rafa's a mutterer.

So that's about all my involvement with UPO.

Lemme also try to summarize up the various trips I've done, if I can remember them all.
There have been various little excursions around the south of Spain, mainly to see a lot of the Muslim/Mudejar (Christian built, borrowing Muslim elements) architecture around here. The cathedral in Sevilla and the mosque in Córdoba are two good examples (especially the mosque) of the mixing and reuse of architecture and purpose. In both cases, the building was a mosque before its conversion into a cathedral. In Córdoba's case, the mosque was built on a Visigoth church. In turn, when Córdoba was conquered, a cathedral was built smack dab in the middle. The mosque is filled with hundreds of arches and columns, all recycled from older buildings that were in the city prior to construction. So you're walking along with these relatively low ceilings, and then BOOM! You're suddenly in a cathedral. In Sevilla, the cathedral gives you a taste of architecture changes over time, varying from Gothic to Baroque, depending when parts were constructed. We also went to Granada to see La Alhambra, typically considered the must-see architectural piece in Spain, as well as the best example of Islamic and later mudejar construction. It is quite a stunning place, with very detailed interior work and exterior features (ceilings, walls, lettering, patterns, gardens, and much more).
We also went to Lagos for a weekend, to see the nice grottos and cliff beaches. Other than that it's really a tourist town. Plus the Portuguese there sounds awful compared to what I learned in São Paulo, although Old Worlders will say otherwise...

I'm sure there are things I've forgotten, and it's only my fault since I neglected to update for so long. I'll try a little better in the future. And perhaps someday I'll get pictures up to Picassa or Flickr, so non Facebookers and everyone can see them in their full glory. Who knows.

Until next time, and sooner than last........