26-01-08

Last night we went bar hopping to a salsa place and a couple other normal bars. We met two Aussies and hung out with them all night. They were great, so nice and we learned some Australian phrases. My roommate Vanessa comes on Wednesday but I won't be here because I will be in Moruecos. I am so excited to do some traveling! Last night I talked to Jose for the first time on the phone. It's so hard without body language and being there in person to understand Spanish! I had to ask what maybe five times. But I guess I'm learning. I'm studying this weekend and taking it easy. I took these pictures of where I live. This is my street and my building is 154. Not the best to look at but I like living on a main street because it's so convenient and I can walk without cobblestones everywhere.

Last night and amiga's 21st

Last night I went out with the vet I might at the discoteca last Friday. His name is Jose and we get along really well. He is very sweet, smart and very cute~ We went to an Italian place and to a tobacco manufacturing factory that has been converted into a bar/music venue. I had a great time and he is the nicest guy I've met in a long time. I am still a little wary because it's hard to get to know him like I could know an American because of the conversation difficulties. He speaks little English so sometimes it's hard to talk! A bunch of times we wished we could elaborate on what we were talking about. Next time I am bringing a dictionary! We are going to see each other again soon.

The night before, my American friends and I went out for my roommate from Madrid's 21st birthday. We went to a flamenco bar where I learned what flamenco is. I really had no idea. It is a very expressive dance with a very particular type of singing. The singing is not my favorite because it sounds like crying in a way. The dancing is very cool; the dancer stomps a great deal. It reminds me of a fusion of tap and tango. The bar is located in a cave so it was all very festive. 

Then we went to a chupeteria (a shot bar). Shots are only a Euro and they have about 100 kinds. Adrienne (the birthday girl) got a free shot glass that said Feliz Cumpleanos. I guess that makes up for not turning 21 in the states.

I'm happy, next Tuesday is my final for this month's class. I should do ok. I need this weekend to study so I don't think I will be going out! Next Tuesday I am off to Morocco with my friend Kelly. I am excited to see the Straight of Gibraltar.

Trip to the Sierra Nevadas, etc

The restaurant we had lunch at. It had best food since I've been here! I had a burger, fries, guacamole and sangria. 

Yesterday some friends and I went up to see the snow and ski at the Sierra Nevadas. Most of us ended up not skiing and just walking around the town, eating a a great restaurant, eating and drinking sangria. The weather was absolutely fabulous and it was great to get out of the city. The snow was so beautiful but it was actually about 70 degrees F. We took a bus ride up the mountain and for there and back it was under 10 Euros. The ride was about an hour. We could not see Granada from the mountain but the view was amazing. It was cool to see all the snowboarders and skiers. Made me wish I was better at that! I didn't want to go skiing because I'm not very good and the last thing I want to do is break something this early on. Plus it was about 70 Euros and I would rather save my money for something I'm dying to do. A friend and me went on a ride there though which was like a roller coaster in the snow. It went so fast and I learned that "frenar" means to break! haha. We were behind a woman who was crying! It was hilarious! The ride was like little cars on a smooth rail. 

Then last night a bunch of us went to a local pub to watch the Chargers game and then the Giants/Green Bay. The Chargers lost, but I was glad to watch because I felt a little closer to many at home. I  haven't watched television in English for almost a month! I'm dying to rent a movie or something. Lucky for me I can download television shows from the US when I get really bored or lonely. Don't want to lose my English :) !

Discotecas in Granada are nuts!

Last night we went out to the bars and a discoteca. The music wasn't techno or house like many of them. It was two stories and so much fun! I wish I could remember the name because I would like to go again. I met a Spanish veterinarian that caught my fancy! He speaks little English so it was a great practice session. The hard part about bars and clubs though is it is so hard for me to converse because I need to hear every word and try hard to understand Spanish. 

Today, a friend Kelly and I went to a shopping district near the Albycin, which is the Arab district. There are lots of little stores with all sorts of nic knacks. (Is that how you spell that?) I haven't done much else today because I got home after the sunrise this morning! 

Getting better!

The last couple days have been really good. Last night my senora told me I am learning Spanish pretty fast! I guess I am, but it's still a struggle. But that comment made me really happy! Yesterday we went to the Cathedral in Granada. Like many, it is very grand. It's in the middle of Granada and took 180 years to make! Also when I was on the bus yesterday I saw the Sierra Nevadas. They are capped with snow and looked breathtaking. It reminded me that I am in a beautiful place and need to soak it in more. The culture takes some getting used to. What's weird to me is that when people walk on the streets, the DON'T smile, they don't say excuse me or sorry, they just bump into you. Pushing people isn't considered rude here though. You have to make your way, it's every (wo)man for themselves! I guess that is what a big city is like, but I hate feeling like a foreigner if I choose to smile at someone as I walk by! Another thing is animals over here are looked at differently. A lot of people don't walk their dogs on leashes! And no one cleans up their poo poos! Also, MANY older women wear fur coats. Animals aren't as goo'ed and gaa'ed over. I think my foolish love for dogs is looked at as weird. 

I like riding the bus here compared to the US. Everyone either walks or takes public transportation. So it's faster and cleaner. I don't think I've ever waited longer than 7 or 8 minutes for a bus at any time. 

The television here is so much more sexual though! Last night on the news there was a bare chested lady's picture on the screen. I was like WOAH! haha. Things are more sexual on tv here but less sexual in public, besides kissing. 

It's also funny to me that the police wear the same outfit as garbage removal. It's hard to distinguish who is who!

I asked a French boy to watch the Charger's game with me on Sunday. A little of home and little international flavor!

Shopping is the best drug

Yesterday I went shopping! All the sales are great. Things are still expensive, but I knew I was going to do a little while I was here. What a great feeling! I did homework yesterday and hung out with the familia. It is so hard to talk but I´m getting better! Today I went to class and had lunch with my family and then went jogging around the Universidad de Granada´s campus. I really want to play futbol with some locals or international students. I don´t really know much about soccer but it´s such a big deal around here and I love getting excercise. Tonight we are going to a local bar called Poé. Tapas instead of dinner.

This weekend I hope to go to a discoteca. They don´t open until 2am. Also, we want to go skiing in the Sierra Nevadas!

wireless with wine

12-01-08

I am sitting at a bar with wireless right now with a glass of wine. Nothing really to do until tonight. My senora went to Nerja, the beach, today with the senor and her sister. I like the independence. My hermano Alberto is around. But he doesn't eat with me so it's kind of weird. Last night my senora made me pizza but it was huge and she expected me to eat it all and a piece of pork and fruit. It's so much! And she gets made when I waste food because she won't save leftovers, which is really annoying. Anyway, last night we went to a few bars. This one called Tantra is new and I really liked it. The drinks were a little more expensive but the atmosphere was awesome. We went to an Irish pub and it was kinda boring and their idea of tapas were chicken wings with olives. Good but not traditional Spain. Another place we went was a terrible American bar with a bunch of drunk American girls dancing really poorly and they were all loud. I see why Spaniards don't prefir Americans~! Tonight we are hopefully going to a discoteca. They don't open until 2am. I went shopping today but didn't get anything. There is so much to buy. I thought Americans were consumers. I feel like all the people do in Granada is shop, go out to eat and go out at night! The prices here are reasonable for going out and taking cabs late at night so that is good. But it's not scary or weird to be out walking at 2am. All people do here is walk! I feel like I am already losing pounds in my derrière. I still have a few hours before dinner (9pm or so) so I don't know what to do. My hermano just sits around and watches tv (Family Guy in Spanish.) I am starting to feel a little closer to my family. Yesterday I showed my senora pictures of family and friends. 

pix

on the way home from the bars in front of store with sales "rebajas"

class week

9-01-08
I feel like I have no words for the situations that I am in. I want this or that, or feel this way or that way and I am dying to express myself, but I can't learn fast enough. I guess it's foolish, but before coming I figured I would just learn magically. I didn't think I would need to study as much because I have the mentality learning by doing. I spoke to my señora today and I couldn't ask her what I wanted. I barely get by with the present tense. It's all driving me nuts. On top of all this, I wore boots the first day to class and did about 5-6 miles of walking. The balls of each foot are blood blisters that hurt extremely when I walk. I took the bus today which took much longer to get home and I was late to lunch. My señora was by herself at the table all finished when i walked in. Part of me hates having a family because I am expected to be here at a certain time and it's so hard to make friends and do what I want when I have these obligations. So far I don't really like being part of a family because they are not like mine at all. One is enough. Furthermore, I miss my parents so much more than I ever do in the states. Last night I spoke with them for the first time with a webcam and cried at the cafe. I couldn't stop for some reason. I don't want to be a baby but I feel alone and stupid.

10-01-08
Today has been a lot better. Last night we went on a bar crawl to four different places. We ate a lot of tapas, popular appetizers in Spain. Granada is known for free tapas with drinks. They may be small, but they are huge plates. The cheapest drink I had all night was a beer for 1.80 euros (about 3 ish dollars) and the most expensive was 2.20 euros. I love this place! The first place we went was crowded but not packed, the second was packed with Americans and cigarettes. The last place was the best, me and another girl Alicia, talked with two Spanish guys and we talked about cooking and communication. They explained to us the difference in ham here. Spain is huge on their ham! Today I had class again for four hours and it went well. I met a French guy in my class and I think I like him! Haha, time will tell. Tonight we are hitting up the bars and discotecas again! The nightlife is really where it is at. My senora today told me that she doesn't want me to have visitors in the house. Something else to make me feel not at home! Oh well, that is why I love to go out!

alhambra

Granada time

Yesterday I had a really hard time getting used to the situation. My family seems nice, but my senora was sick and couldn't take me around the city. I got really lost at one point and was frustrated. I don't like to pull out a map and look like a tourist. I finally found where I needed to locate, a meeting point for my group the next day. My house is about 35-40 minutes walking distance to my school. It's a whole another mindset over here. Everyone walks everywhere. An hour is longer, not 40 minutes. My classes start at 9am though, so that is not going to be as fun as it could be. Today I went to my school for the first time and I took my placement test. I am in intermediate, which is what I predicted. Tomorrow I start classes. We walked around Granada. I am not having as much fun as I thought I would because I am fairly lonely. It's hard living with adoptive parents and not being able to say what you want. It will really help me become better at Spanish. I can see the positives building but right now it is an uphill battle (literally and figuratively!)
We saw views of the Alhambra today from the Albycin, an Arab neighborhood. The views were fantastic.

toledo january 6th

Today we explored Toledo. We started out in a bus tour to see the city's panoramic view. ¡Que bueno! The city is beautiful and very rich in history. It was built I believe around the 800's and has been conquered and re-conquered. The city is known for the blend of three religions: Christians, Muslims and Jewish. I learned a lot about how they worked together and churches turned to mosques and then temples and vice versa. We went to all three. We walked everywhere. I'm beginning to really see how much Spanish people walk. I like it. The city was very hilly and streets were cobblestone. We saw many plazas, a Greco painting (very popular in Spain) and a church that has converted into a dance club. (The Prime Minister is not very happy about that.) We saw some tall doors that had knockers that were about 7 feet up. They were made for the times where people rode horses and then could reach them without getting off the horse. I tried mazapan (marzipan) which Toledo is famous for. We also went to an Arabic food and I loved it. I love sitting down and a restaurant and ordering a beer and no one questions any of it. I also had an orange chocolate liquor. Tomorrow we go to Granada and meet our families. I am so anxious but really nervous. It's strange to move in with someone and barely speak their language. What am I going to say?!

days before granada

january 5th:

Today we went to Santa Cruz Del Valle de los Caidos near Madrid and went to a large cross perched on a hill of sliced rocks. The basilica below the cross was breathtaking inside and held Franco's tomb. The cross and basilica were in the middle of a forest surrounded by green trees and mountains. Fog hid a lot of the scenery.

The monastery we went to later called El Escorial near Toledo was awe inspiring as well. The architecture was phenomenal and built around 400 year ago. The ceilings had so much detail and color it looked like what I imagine the Sistine Chapel to be like. I decided I want to name my son Luca (if I ever have one:) ) after the artist that painted a lot of the art. Everything was made of cement and granite. Our tour guide Victor was knowledgeable and was very funny. There was a library there where books hundreds of years old could be looked at and the only monastery with a working library. Only church members like monks (monjes) or nuns (monjas) can borrow the books. There at the monastery is where the kings and queens were buried. However, they were not technically buried, they were decomposed for 25 years in a special room and their bones were put into marble coffins for the people to come view. The last interesting room was an acoustic room that was set up as a dome. There were four corners and if someone was in the corner talking the other on the opposite corner could hear them clearly. If you were in the middle of the room you would miss the whole conversation! It was a physical masterpiece! Que bueno. We also saw the grand chapel where the kings and queens of Spain would go to mass. Their bedrooms are next to where the priest would speak, incase they were sick and couldn't get out of bed to hear mass. Spain is more religious than I thought!

Then it started to rain. We had lunch at a nice cafe and had two hours free time. Toledo was a beautiful and quaint town. Me and two other girls went walking in the town and up into the hills where the homes were. We were impressed by the architecture. It rained more.

There was also a life size nativity set up in the square in the town. It was quite extensive going on for blocks. Today is Spain's version of Christmas. It is Dia de los Reyes (Three Kings Day). Spain celebrates Christmas (25 Dec.) but only because of America.

By the time we got back to the bus we were soaking wet (mojada). We took an hour bus ride to our hotel in Toledo. We are on the second floor and have a great view. We are resting for an hour and then going out to check out the city, have some drinks and stroll around. We plan to come back tonight to go to the discoteca at our hotel. We have another day in Toledo and Monday we meet our familias and see our new home, Granada!!

madrid - dia dos

Madrid is AWESOME !!! I´ve learned some Spanish already and am using it more and more. Today we went to the Prado museo and Centro de Arte Reina Sofia, the museum that hold Picasso´s Guernica-it was guay (cool). We saw Salvadore Dali y a Diego Rivera.

I woke up today at 8:30 and got a great breakfast at the hotel. They had a huge spread of all types of cheese. It was interesting. I met a girl that is going to Barcelona but she goes to state and we know some people in common. Small WORLD. My roommate Adrienne is nice, she is from Penn. We went to the Prado, a museum here in madrid and saw all sorts of paintings. our tour guide was really nice and spoke only in spanish. Not bad...

Then we went walking in Madrid and went to the Plaza Royal, where kings and queens lived centuries ago. It was magnificent and so detailed. There was one room i really liked. We just got back to the hotel it was starting to get cold. we have a meeting at 6 and then we are going out to the bars!