Once upon a time there lived a brown-haired girl. All her life she looked at pictures of the magical lands of far-away places and hoped to see them for herself one day.
Guess what? That little girl in my story was me. I’m living out my life-long dreams living here in Sevilla. I see natural landmarks as well as gorgeous cathedrals and buildings every day.
Cada día yo camino a mis clases en el centro de la ciudad. En mi paseo, cruzo un puente sobre el Guadalquivir río. El río corre por la ciudad de Sevilla y hay árboles de palmeras que lo bordean. Es una marca muy grande y bonito.
Después yo paso el catedral de Sevilla. Este iglesia es la tercera catedral más grande en el mundo. ¡Entonces, es grandísimo! Hay mucha historia en este catedral. La cosa más interesante para mí era una historia que me pareció como un cuento de hadas. Quiero compartir la historia con vosotros.
Once upon a time, a long time ago, there lived the king of Spain. He was getting old, so he eventually needed an heir to the throne and one of his sons needed to become king. Normally, the oldest son would become king, but sadly, the oldest son of the king died. This caused a great problem because no one knew which son should become the king. The sons suddenly began fighting, each one wanting to be the next king of Spain. There was one son in particular that was especially bad. His name was Sachu. He told his dad, the king of Spain, that he disagreed with him in every way and he would make a better king. Because Sachu was so strong-willed, many people, and many regions of Spain supported him and thought he would make a great king.
Another son, Alfonso, wanted to be king as well, but he did not defy his father. Not nearly as many areas supported Alfonso; however, Sevilla always supported him. Alfonso said something that has now become a famous phrase here in Sevilla, “Sevilla nunca me dejó.” He doesn’t mean this seriously, because a city can’t really leave; that would be silly! He meant Sevilla always supported him; the people and city never left him alone. The phrase is represented by the word NODO; and a rope that looks like the number eight rests in the middle of NO and DO. The symbol can be seen all around the city. I like the story very much because it shows that Sevilla is very supportive and filled with kind people!
Gracias para tus preguntas chicos. Me encantaría contestar algunos.
1. Do you like sports?
Yes, I like sports very much! Specifically I like volleyball. I played for 10 years when I was younger. Many people play soccer here and I want to play as well. Also, I love to run!
2. What do you like to eat in Spain?
I have two favorite Spanish foods so far. Something called tortilla de patata. Its different from a Mexican tortilla. It’s more of an omelet with potatoes and onions. My other favorite food is called jamón serrano. It’s very different from the ham in the United States. It’s much thinner and its smoked. The taste is very different, but very good. In fact, I prefer it over the ham in the United States.
3. What kinds of animals do you see over there?
I don’t really see many animals. I see my cat, Luna every day. I also see lots of dogs with their owners on the streets. Most of the time the owners don’t have their dogs on leashes. I thought that was very interesting! They are trained very well!
4. Do you have friends there?
Yes I’m making lots of friends here in Spain. Friends from all over the country and also some friends from other parts of the world, like Spain, Italy, Australia and more.
5. Do you use the same money there as we do in America?
Actually, no. The money they use in Spain is called a Euro. It kind of looks like monopoly money to me! But it works just like the American dollar.
6. Does the cat like you?
I hope so. I think she does because she always walks up to me and meows until I pet her! She’s a very sweet cat!
7. Are you having a good time with your new Spanish family? What are they like?
I’m having a great time with my Spanish family! I have a mom, a dad, and a 17 year old brother here. My mom and dad are very nice and very funny. They both give me and my roommate lots of advice about living here in Sevilla. My brother plays badminton and likes to spend time with his friends.
Sevilla, Spain
Classmates Connecting Cultures
Spring 2012
Hi Breck,
Thanks for sharing this fairy tale with us! We loved reading the Spanish and English parts. Also, the pictures are beautiful. We can’t wait to hear more from you!
Sincerely,
Salón de Samaniego