Here in Sevilla, lunch is probably the most important meal of the day and hands down, my personal favorite. Every day, like clockwork, I go with my host madre and hermanas across the street to have the most spectacular lunch with the abuela y abuelo and sometimes, a few other members of la familia. There is always gazpacho, an entrée, typically con arroz, and the freshest frutas. Everybody chatters away in Spanish and even though I do not understand the majority of what they are saying, I feel energized and will laugh during points in the conversation. I occasionally am able to interject in very broken Spanish and the family smiles and nods enthusiastically while I attempt to form a simple phrase. It makes me feel like part of the family and sets me at such ease.

Early evenings can be really frustrating for those of us who are hungry all the time and want to have a small meal before dinner, which here is not eaten until at least ten. When headed to a café with my friends craving even the simplest montadito, I fear the dreaded words “el cocino es cerrado” (the kitchen is closed) and I hear them way too often. At this time, I must resign myself to a cold tapa and a glass of tinto de verano, or summer wine. One of the only benefits of bizarre part of the schedule is that has made me time conscientious and more punctual, an area in which I seriously need improvement.

Yellow rice photo courtesy of: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SIhdVVl7DQg/TkP4j4uBEII/AAAAAAAADXo/8ZgmP7C_lmg/s1600/latin-yellow-rice.jpg

Cityscape and New Media Final.Paco Gonzalez.Summer2014