NO8DO

Sevilla!!

I've been here for just over two weeks now, and I could easily stay another two years...The Spanish have this whole life thing sussed, siesta should be made compulsory in all countries, the whole place just goes dead between 2 and 4. Nights out don't really start until 12, most don't eat until 10...and the cafe culture is something I'm already adopting...basically, it's everything Ireland isn't, and for me it's Peru, but western..love it.

The first week was spent getting used to the surroundings and acquainting ourselves with the place, I feel pretty at home already, and given another 10 weeks I'll be a Sevillian to the core. Last Sunday managed to find the Spanish equivalent to a knacker car boot sale, except these gypsies are willing to sell anything from brand new scooters to empty coke cans and puppies...given my history I've had to steer clear of the boxes of cuteness. Considering buying a bike next Sunday, and definitely plan on taking my camera with me no matter how dodgy it is... Sevilla is an extremely beautiful city, very historic with winding roads and old style pubs/cafes with a healthy mix of new vibrant venues. I'm starting to sound like a tourist now...which, given my research topics is something I've being trying to avoid.

Last weekend a few of our group went on a trip to the local town of Carmona. A really beautiful place, but I couldn't help the awkward feeling of being an outsider looking in..that soon went when we found this awesome place with the best olives I have ever tasted and had a few beers while we waited for an illusive monk bake sale...monk cake definitely dominated our agenda toward the end of the trip...but those ninja cake monks escaped the grasp of our hunger...

One thing that is definitely in no shortage is churches around the south...I'm not sure how strong the religion is in the youth in Spain, it generally seems to be the older generations who populate the religious establishments...but they are extremely beautiful places, and I think there is going to be a lot of restoration projects and conversions in the coming 20 years...

I've been extremely lucky to be placed with Kamideas, a relatively young practice with the exact same ethics and ideas that I hold. Amin is the boss-man, and Rowan and I are the two 'interns' he has been given through the programme. Amin has given us the brief for three main projects, the first of which we are working on at the moment and I will discuss in detail in the next post... The second is very cool...We have a photographic project, titled 'the forgotten spaces'...basically about 'forgotten' spaces around sevilla..but we've had a chat, and I think I'm going to do my project on the homeless of Sevilla, their spaces and stories...the forgotten people and their places i suppose you could call it...then near the end of our placement we are having an exhibition of the images..looking forward to that! Finally we have been given a piece of research and writing to do on space and place...a little too perfect given my current enrolment in a MRes Architecture...