Time in Sevilla

The schedule

Things don’t really get going before 9 am here.  Lunch isn’t until 2:30 or so, and it’s followed by siesta time.  I thought that the siesta wasn’t really a big deal- WRONG.  Most places shut down after lunch.  But I never complain about mandatory nap time; plus, lunch is the heaviest meal of the day, so I need time to recover.  Things pick back up around 5 or 6, depending on the weather.  The summers here are unbearably hot.  During my first few weeks in Sevilla the average high was around 104 F.  (which is the reason for the siesta- no one goes out in that kind of heat).  In the summer, the siestas are longer.  An early dinner is served at 9:30 pm, and it’s very normal to be out until at least midnight.  On the weekends, there are kids out at the bars with their parents well after midnight.  For the youngfolk, coming home between 2 and 4 is expected.  At home, I would eat dinner between 5 and 6:30, which seems like a joke now.  Literally, the Spanish laugh when they hear this.  By now, I’m pretty adjusted to the schedule, so I will probably continue practicing the siesta when I get home.  

Taking time

The pace of life is much, much slower in southern Spain. Sevillanos really take their time- it’s a very social culture.  They spend hours at the bar or cafe, talking with their friends or whoever else comes by.  Everyone’s a regular at some bar or cafe.  And during the day, people sit on their doorsteps or on benches, just watching and visiting.  They also walk slower here.  Which is fine, except when they block the whole sidewalk or take a stroll in the middle of the bike lane when I’m on my way to class (and they KNOW I’m right behind them).  It’s very different from life in an American city, where walking down the street at times feels like I’m interrupting a marathon.  Sevillanos “live in the streets” because apartments in the city are very compact, and they enjoy their time.  This is something I’m learning to take advantage of while I’m here (which you probably can tell, as I’ve been taking my time updating the ole blog).

And to help you imagine life here, a partial list of popular things in Sevilla:

Dogs.  Mullets.  The lottery.  Dressing up.  Cafes.  Ham.  Bars.  Bread.  Motorcycles and vespas.  Bad driving.  Double parking.  Parking on sidewalks.  Running red lights.  Gunning down pedestrians.  Olive Oil.  Rollerblading.  Biking.  Ham.  Cruzcampo (THE beer of Sevilla).  Smoking.  No air-conditioning.  Ham.  Shoe stores.  Gypsies.  Ice cream stores.  Corte Ingles (the store Wal-Mart wishes it could be).  Olive Oil.  Churros.  Tinto.  Flamenco.  Ham.  Chino stores (Spanish equivalent of a dollar store, except a million times better).  Military time.  And more ham.  

Hasta luego

Marion