I live in a house with six other people, including Mai, the Japanese girl who gave me the idea of living here or studying in Lebrija with Concha in the first place. When people are not siesta-ing they are often found on the couch in the living room watching TV. At times just about everyone is there. Curro doesn't think much of TV and is usually on his computer but brings it to sit with everyone else near mealtime. He is here less often than the rest, as he is a young guy with stuff to do. Frasci is Concha's sister in law, whose husband has passed away, so Frasci lives here with them. She is my age. Concha is 55.

Curro, who must be anywhere from 23 to 26, is a flamenco guitarist already sharing stages with the greats. I live in Carmen's room. Carmen is 20 and sings flamenco. She is away on holidays in Almeria during August, and that is the reason Concha said yes, when I asked to come and live here. The oldest son, who is 29, has a rock band and sings in English; the black sheep of the family! Not really; they don't seem unpleased with what he does. He lives in Sevilla, and has changed his name from Quintin (“keenteen”) to Quentin, and his surname shortened to “Gas”.

The entire family travelled to Japan together last year to perform together. Rafael, Concha's husband, sings flamenco as well, though not professionally.

Yesterday as we were starting our lesson, at quarter to 8, Pepa (concha's sister) and her husband arrived, with Esperanza Fernandez, Pepa's daughter! Esperanza is a flamenco star; rather famous. I had no clue about the connection before that.

After siesta I came down and sat on the couch with Concha, Rafael and Frasci, while Mai practiced in the patio. Concha has been carrying around some cookbooks, discussing how she was thinking of making baked eggplant. I picked one up to take a look and inside the front cover were some typed pages – her biography. I've known for a while that she is renowned and of a certain greatness, but don't remember reading about her specific accomplishments or connections. Way to intimidate yourself – go live in someone's house and then read about them in detail: she is about as connected and accomplished as it gets. Grew up in a cradle of flamenco, with all the great names visiting her house as a child, started performing at a young age, I believe was self taught. Got grabbed up by Mario Maya (all the greatest dancers in Spain now once studied and performed with him), and performed with El Guito in Madrid. She has danced for Indira Ghandi and for the Pope. There really are very few people who dance with the same combination of gravity, flavour, intensity, gusto as she. She is a person that is not afraid to be honest about what she believes she is good at. She never talks about her dancing accomplishments or connections, but about her teaching; and for good reason – she's seen too many frustrated students like me, who have been taking lessons for years but still can't “dance”. Despite being a very strong personality, she seems to love people and is a good listener, not just to your words but to what else is there.

There are crickets humming continually outside my window, and it is way cooler than Sevilla. I had to put jeans and a jacket on sitting on the patio in the evening. We are on the very edge of town. There are fields nearby, but it is pretty flat here. I wouldn't call it pretty. The neighborhood looks like the outskirts of any small town on the edge of fields. Stark modern rowhouses, streetlights, and vacant lots with grass, a brick skeleton of a building without the outer whitewash on it yet.