Sevilla: The good, the bad, and the ugly

The good:

1. Siesta: I will never tire of this Spanish tradition. Unlike a lot of places in Spain, Sevilla actually still practices the siesta. Everything for the most part shuts down and its even considered rude to call someone’s house during siesta. It’s nice because you don’t feel guilty or lazy when you take a nap because there really isn’t much else to do between 2 and 5 pm.
2. Tapas: My favorite is called a croqueta. Essentially it’s a little ball of fried dough and ham or chicken. Incredible.
3. Running along the Guadalquivir river: It’s very scenic and cuts right through the middle of the city. It's also great to sit along the grassy park beside the river and relax after classes get out. I will definitely miss the river when I leave Sevilla.
   
4. Futbol:Everyone in this town is obsessed with soccer from elementary school kids to my fifty year old senora. There is a big rivalry between the two teams in Sevilla. Right now Sevilla FC is ranked third in the Spanish Premier League. I hope to go to a game before I leave.
5. Teaching English: I teach classes at a local elementary school here once a week and it has been an incredible experience. The kids are always so excited and I enjoy seeing language learning from another perspective.
   
6. Orange trees: These line the streets here and even in February they’re covered in bright orange fruit.
   

The bad:

1. Oranges from the orange trees: They taste sour and bad. Looks are so deceiving...
2. Short showers: The Spaniards are really conservative with their water here so I really miss a long hot shower to wake me up in the mornings.
3. Lack of central heating: It is so hard to get out of bed in the morning. The ice cold tile floors don’t help either.
4. Weird food: I’ve had enough bean or lentil soup in the last week to last me a lifetime. I’ve found that having a cold/runny nose has given me an advantage because my sense of taste isn’t too keen. A blessing in disguise perhaps? (update: Don't worry, I eventually got used to the food and my house mom has adapted her cooking to fit our taste)
   

The ugly:
Nothing.