Governor's visit and International potluck!

Hey everyone! So the last time I updated I had just gotten back from my interview trip to the US. I got back to my apartment at about 2 PM on Monday and after a much needed nap and shower, I was able to join the land of the living. Monday nights are Rotary nights and though it was daunting to think about getting dressed up and staying out late, it was probably for the better in terms of helping me to stay awake and get over the jet lag. Plus, this wasn't just any Monday night meeting, it was the official District Governor's visit to our club.

As I have probably mentioned before, the District Governor of District 2203 is Pedro Valenzuela. He is from Sevilla and is actually one of the founding members of Rotary of Sevilla-Macarena. However, before founding the new club in the Macarena he was a member of the Rotary Club of Sevilla, so on this visit to our club he was returning to the club where he first became a Rotarian. I don't know what Governor's visits are like at clubs in the US, but here there was an official meeting in which the club updated the District Governor on what they had been doing during that year, and then after the meeting there was a formal dinner. The spouses of the Rotarians came and it was a big event. We had a delicious meal, as usual. It consisted of a first course of salad and paté followed by a salmon dish. Next came a cherry sorbet as a palette cleanser and then the meat course of cochinillo (baby pig). The dessert was a chocolate extravaganza that featured six different types of chocolate (YUM!). It was a ton of food, a bit excessive for a Monday evening, but the camaraderie was great.

The meal.

The whole group!

On Tuesday afternoon Ana and I hung out with a German girl who was a new student at school. She just came to Sevilla for the second semester, so she didn't know anybody yet. While we were walking and talking on Tuesday we came up with a plan to have an international potluck dinner. Each person would bring a dish representative of their country and culture. Last night we had the dinner and attendance was as follows: Alex and Ana represented Spain with a paella. Another girl from school, Ana, who is Portuguese, brought a typical Portuguese bacalao dish. Bacalao is a type of fish and it was baked in a type of casserole with cheese and potatoes. Leonie (the German girl) and one of her friends made a German cheesy pasta dish. I have no idea what it was called, but it was one of the strangest things I have ever seen. It tasted good, but watching them make it was very interesting and unlike anything I have seen before. I, as the American, made turkey burger sliders. They were all a bit confused by the use of turkey instead of meat, but I explained that I prefer turkey burgers and that they are, in fact, far healthier than normal hamburgers :) I turned it into a bit of a "make your own hamburger" bar with cheese, lettuce, tomato, and avocado. I was really pleased with how the whole meal turned out. We had a great time. It was also really nice to hang out with new people and hear about their lives.

On a different note, apparently when I got back from the US the good weather decided to come back too! We have had incredible weather for the past couple of days. Today, for example, there is a high of 75 with not a cloud in the sky. I can't believe it! It makes me want to be outside all the time! I'm looking forward to spending the weekend in Sevilla!