Rome around the world

It looks like I won't make it to Rome this semester, so I'm glad I got to see the Roman ruins of Italica just outside of Seville. (That said, Italy still looks like a go to Milan and Venice.) This shot was taken in the arena where animals, gladiators and other men fought to the death. More photos from Italica are here. Meanwhile, here are some other notes from the past week in Spain.

I was watching TV during lunch a few days ago, and I saw a man killed in a bullring and another man lying dead on the street after a motorcycle accident. The report then showed motorcycles weaving in and out of traffic and riding on the white lines between lanes. People think New Jersey drivers are crazy, but some of these motorcycle drivers are out of control. But like I said before, there is much more viewer discretion in the U.S. For me, TV news is too extreme, because I think of the kids and the victim's families watching.

I learned some other Spanish culture tidbits in class. In Spain, it is free to get a sex change and to go to the doctor for whatever reason (coverage comes from social security). And at The Center for Cross-Cultural Studies (where I take my classes here), students and professors used to smoke in class. I'm glad I'm here now.

Myriam's daughter came over for lunch today. Carlos was making hummus and found a half-dead cockroach in the kitchen. Myriam started screaming and went nuts. Carlos sprayed the kitchen and the smell drifted to the living room, where we eat. The smell was too strong, and we had to close the doors to the living room, which I didn't even know existed until now. And I was worried about mosquitoes (which are still eating me alive and are also the name for smaller motorcycles here. Fitting, I think.). In fact, Carlos was running around his room spraying last night after he had unsuccessfully tried to kill a mosquito.

Last semester, I lived in the basement of the Garden Apartments at Ithaca College. After hosting a fair share of creepy crawlers, I figured a house in Spain would be insect-free. So much for that.