La Sierra Nevada

Carnaval--a masquerade festival that occurs before Lent--was completely nuts. A bunch of IES kids and I bought a round-trip bus ticket to Cádiz for 20 euro.  Cádiz is one of the most popular Spanish cities to celebrate Carnaval, and is located on the southern coast of Spain (not far too from Portugal).  We left Granada around 1pm on Saturday and arrived 4 hours later in Cádiz.  Of course, the first thing we did was hit the beach.  It was perfect weather, and the ocean and shoreline were beautiful.  After nightfall, the ridiculous costumes emerged.  Themed groups were very popular.  Paige and I stayed near the cathedral most of the night, among massive swarms of people.  It was very difficult to move through the crowds at certain points, but we still had so much fun meeting different groups of people.  We tried to take a picture with every group that we met (we bought a disposable camera for this event, just in case).  There wasn't much music or dancing so it seemed like more of a social gathering than anything else.  Maybe there were more cultural events (i.e. a parade) that I was not aware of though.  By the end of the night, the weather had gotten much colder and the city was absolutely trashed.  We left around 7am and everyone passed out until we got back to Granada (around 11am).  Many of the students did not have as good a time as I did, because they thought it was too crazy or too cold and long.  Also, one of my friends got sick and another got pick-pocketed.  Still, I think it was one of those things that is good to experience at least once in your life.

Accordingly, Sunday was recovery day.  Once Aja and I walked home, I sorted out my priorities:

1. Shower
2. Eat
3. Sleep

After I woke up, I bummed around for a bit before meeting Paige and Clarissa to finalize Semana Santa plans.  We are going to fly into southern France, and then make our way through Spain until finally reaching Granada!  Afterwards, Paige and I went to el Teatro Municipal Isabel la Católica to watch the movie, Pulp Fiction (in English with Spanish subtitles), which is part of the film festival, Retroback, that is showing classic movies all week.  It was amazing to see Pulp Fiction on the big screen.  It was also interesting to see the translations since a lot of slang is used in the movie.  And the venue was incredible; very vintage.  It was exactly what I needed to start off the week.

Monday was somewhat uneventful, but Tuesday began with a class visit to the mosque (mezquita). It was incredible. Our guide has had the most amazing life. I'll write what I remember, but I know it's only scratching the surface. She lived in California with a very stable job when she decided to take a year off to see the world. She traveled all throughout Europe and ended up dropping everything in the states to live in the Alpujarras. When her husband converted to Islam, she decided to convert as well. Born and raised Catholic, her family disowned her, and her friends in the Alpujarras violently persecuted her and her husband. I'm fascinated by the Christian-Muslim history. Inside the mosque (a rare opportunity for non-muslims), she told us about her pilgrimage to Meca and other stories from her past. Currently, she is divorced with four children. Still, she is very content with her religious life now. She's also very opinionated about the Islamic faith in other Arab countries. She invited us to join one of the weekly social meals at the mosque that occur every Friday after worship. I am very excited to go because I have so many questions for her--I feel like I could talk to her for days. She is such a strong and radical woman that, I believe, has much more to tell.

The mosque itself was quite interesting too. If I remember correctly, it was the first mosque that was built by Spaniards. It's also the only current mosque in Granada, since prior mosques have since been converted into churches. Thus, it was quite a challenge to build. Located in el Albaicín, it has a fantastic view of la Alhambra and la Sierra Nevada. The inside is very beautiful as well, and much smaller than a cathedral. It is required to remove your shoes and for women to wear a headscarf (hijab) before entering. A large red carpet that is sectioned with lines covered the main area--this is where the men pray. The women pray in the balcony above or in a golden cage behind the men. Mixed feelings about this, but still so fascinating; I cannot wait to learn more. After the mosque visit, I went to the Arab World and the West class, where my Islamic education continued. I also had Islamic Art and Architecture, where we got our first essays back. I was quite surprised to see my first A! We had one of my favorite foods at comida--couscous--before I headed off to my watercolor class, where we drew a masterpiece by our favorite artist. I drew a painting by Monet--he is not my favorite artist, but I do like his style. After class, I walked to the bus station with Paige, Clarissa, and the Matts to buy bus tickets for Semana Santa. It was quite a hike (45 minutes) but it was nice to explore a new part of the city. We also walked through a protest in the street on the way there. Apparently they were protesting about the brutal police treatment that had occurred in Valencia. Once we finally got back to IES, we bought our plane tickets--such a relief! Here's the itinerary: Paige, Clarissa, and I are taking a bus from Granada to Madrid, and then flying into Nice, France. We will spend the weekend there and hopefully take a bus trip to Monaco. Then we will fly to Barcelona for a few days where we will meet Matt, and then fly to Madrid. That weekend, we will take a bus back to Granada so that we can see the last two days of the religious processions. All that's left to do now is book hostels and research places that we want to see!

I slept in Wednesday and went for a run.  As usual, I ended up in el Albaicín, but instead of San Miguel, I found myself at San Nicolas, which has an equally beautiful view of the city and la Alhambra.  I had some downtime before comida, and then went to my Islamic art class, where we visited el Albaicín and learned more about its history.  When I came home, Delia was sad because she was fighting with José and wasn't content with her current painting.  It broke my heart, so Aja and I agreed to get her flowers this week to cheer her up.  I went to flamenco class before meeting up with Paige.  In her University of Granada course, she met a group of Erasmus (EU student exchange program) students from Italy.  We went to their apartment and had a great time.  I found it very refreshing to spend time with non-IES students.  Spanish was the common language, but we taught them a little English and they taught us some Italian words.  It's crazy how similar Spanish and Italian are.  If I ever get a chance, I would love to learn Italian, now having such a strong base in Spanish.

I left the United States exactly one month prior to Thursday.  It was so hard for me to wrap my mind around this; also sad to see how fast the time is going.  A representative from the IES Chicago headquarters joined us during el consejo that morning.  She was curious to see how things were going and what things need to be improved.  She is traveling to a few other IES programs in Europe after she leaves Granada, apparently doing this every couple years.  After the meeting, I worked on a few sketches for my watercolor class before spending the rest of the morning in class.  Many students (including Aja) are traveling this weekend since we don't have class on Tuesday, but I'm kind of excited to spend the long weekend in Granda.  During watercolor class, we were instructed to create our own version of the artwork that we selected to replicate in the previous class.  Instead of returning home for comida, a few IES students and I were invited to Café Botánico to have lunch with the IES Chicago director.  Running on only three hours of sleep, I took a longer nap than usual after lunch.  When I woke up, my friend, Matt, and I planned a day trip to la Sierra Nevada.  We found it difficult to plan, but researched as much as possible and hoped everything would work itself out the next day.  Afterwards, I went to a wine tasting class that was organized by IES.  It was a lot of fun, but I went home shortly after it was done to get some rest before hitting the slopes the next morning!


Matt and I met at a bus stop at 6:30am on Friday, which took us to the Estación de Autobuses de Granada.  We bought our bus tickets to la Sierra Nevada for only nine euro.  The bus left at 8 and we arrived about 45 minutes later.  As much as I wanted to sleep, I wouldn't let myself because the bus ride was so beautiful as we climbed higher and higher in the mountains towards the morning sun.  When we arrived, Matt and I walked though the small village to purchase lift tickets and rent skis.  It was a bit pricy all together, but I knew it would be worth it.  Then we took the gondola to the main ski area around 930.  I was completely blown away by the beauty of the area.  And the higher up we went, the scenery and mountain views somehow became more and more incredible.  I found it interesting that the mountains contained many boulders that were not covered in snow, and also by the lack of any trees.  Matt and I guessed that we were at too high an altitude to allow them to grow.  I was also initially surprised by the lift ticket because you keep it inside your pocket and the sensors catch it before you get on each ski lift.  Matt and I started skiing in the main green (easy) area.  It was extremely cold and windy in the morning, but it gradually warmed up throughout the day.  And it helped that the sun and blue skies never left.

We eventually worked our way up the mountain to harder areas (blue=intermediate, red=difficult, black=very difficult).  I felt like I decently mastered the blue level, but the red slopes were a bit tricky for me.  I did my best not to snow plow my way down them.  It was still tempting to try as many of them as I could because they had the best views and snow (more powder, less grooming).  The ski resort seemed huge, and I loved the fact that there wasn't even enough time to hit all of the slopes and that you could get on a lift or keep skiing down to a different lift.  My favorite slopes were the long trails that winded around the borders of the ski resort.  One of these started off along a steep ledge that looked over the main ski area, and later led to a tunnel.  A bit different than Seven Springs, right?  At one point, Matt and I decided to take a "t-bar" to a higher part of the mountain.  It was quite possibly one of the scariest things that I've ever done.  Not only was it tricky (and embarrassing) to get on, but it pulled us up very steep parts of the mountain.  I just kept trying not to think about what would happen if I somehow lost my grip and let go.  The view at the top made it all worth it though.

Matt and I split up for a while after that so that he could try some more difficult slopes.  I knew that I ended up on a different side of the mountain when I spotted the observatory from the back.  It was so surreal.  I also came across a crazy terrain park and half pipe.  The only really difficult part was trying to decipher what some of the signs meant--the arrows weren't always clear.  And I did need to pull my map out to plan a route to get back to the main side of the mountain and meet up with Matt.  Along the way, I rode on a lift that turned a corner (a bit frightening) and met a few Spaniards on two different lifts.  One of them was from Alicante and the other from Madrid.   Both of them complimented my Spanish and were surprised to learn that I was from the United States (YES!).  When I met up with Matt, he told me that he took a lift to the very top of the mountain, which had a spectacular 360 degree view.  And he could see the Mediterranean Sea from there.  I was so jealous, but told myself to gather up the courage for next time--I'm dying to go again!  We only skied a little while longer because the lifts closed around 5pm.  I found this odd, and I am still not sure if they opened again later on or not.  No pasa nada though--Matt and I skied our way down to the village, and returned our skis.  We walked around for a bit and had a few beers before catching the bus at 6:30.  I was so glad that we decided to leave at 6:30 instead of 4.  Initially I thought that 6:30 would be too late, but we never got tired or bored--even after taking only a few short breaks.  Nevertheless, I knew my muscles would be sore tomorrow after such a long day of intense skiing.  The bus ride back to Granada was equally as beautiful, seeing as it was perfect timing to watch the sunset.  But of course, Matt slept through it.  When we got back to Granada, we caught a city bus home around 7:30, and I showered and fell asleep.  I had planned on waking up later to go out, but I was too exhausted!

Poco a Poco

This was a pretty solid week.  Sunday was near perfect.  I slept in and took my time getting ready to go running.  I started running along the river, which is when I head the Albaicín calling my name.  So I turned around and made my way through the steep, winding streets (which is when my run turned into a brisk walk).  I was delighted that I was able to find my favorite, secret spot in Granada--San Miguel.  I made my way to the top, where I gazed at the incredible view of the city.  Listening to my favorite songs, I seized this perfect opportunity to clear my head.  It was a bit chilly, but I still basked in the sun.  Eventually, I tore myself away and found my way out of the Albaicín.  It turned out that I had been gone for over two hours.  When I came back, I showered (back to cold, navy showers) before comida.  Afterwards, I met a few friends at Café Fútbol, where we tried to plan trips for this semester.  We're trying to see Coldplay perform in Portugal in May.  Then I went to a play with Javier's theatre class, entitled Augusto.  It was a comedic performance that conveyed a universal message since the actors spoke in gibberish.  I thought it was alright, but I did appreciate the acting.  Javier also told me that he saw me running this morning--he's so adorable!  After the play, I had some downtime to skype with my family, which is when I introduced them to Delia and Ki Ke.  Ki Ke told my family that I was living with my Spanish boyfriend!  I actually found it difficult to translate and pick which language to speak  to which people, but I still really enjoyed the conversation.  Afterwards, I had a chance to update my pictures and blog before heading to bed.  Gotta love Sundays.

Monday began with 2 hours of Spanish class at 8:30am.  Enough said?  That was followed by a break in the IES lounge where I had time to relax and work on some homework.  Then I went to Flamenco before returning home for siesta.  Afterwards, I met up with friends at IES to plan trips for this semester.  It's very frustrating, but I'm trying not to stress about it.  It turns out that Coldplay tickets are sold out, so we put Portugal on hold and focused on Semana Santa (Holy Week)--we have a 10 day break where we have to leave our home stays.  Paige and I were literally all over the map of Europe, so I think we need to narrow down our options and look for the best deals because neither of us are dying to go to a certain place.  I'm also praying for the weather to get warmer.  There isn't any snow, but it's still a lot colder than it has been in the past.  Europe would experience an ice age the year that I study abroad.

Tuesday morning was one class after another so I was dragging by the end.  On the bright side, we visited el Museo de la Alhambra during Islamic Art and Architecture, and I was able to keep up much better than our last visit.  It wasn't until I came home for siesta that I remembered it was Valentine's Day (el Día de San Valentín) because Delia made it the theme of la comida--so adorable!  After siesta, I went to my watercolor class (such a stress reliever), before meeting my intercambio--I help her learn English and she helps me learn Spanish.  Her name is María, but she goes by Trini (her middle name).    We went to one of her favorite cafés, el Bohemia Jazz Café.  It's possibly my new favorite too.  It had a fun menu and a great atmosphere; walls covered in picture frames, grand piano in the corner, dim lighting.  And Trini is awesome!  Her English isn't very good so we talked mostly in Spanish.  After we got to know each other a bit, she told me her favorite places to go in Granada and places that she wants to take me.  I'm excited to spend more time with her and her friends.  What an excellent opportunity to meet Spaniards.

Wednesdays are the best.  I don't have class until after siesta, so I slept in and then went for a morning run (to San Miguel, of course).  After I cam back and showered, I did some homework and got caught up with the current season of one of my favorite TV shows, Grey's Anatomy.  It was exactly what I needed.  After comida, I went to Islamic Art and Architecture, which was followed by costume shopping for Carnaval this weekend.  Looks like I'm going to be a hula dancer with neon green hair! After Flamenco, my classmates and I went to IES open mic night at a nearby pub.  There were a few Spaniards there so it was nice to have an opportunity to mingle with them.  I had already met two of them, Alicia and David, in the Alpujarras, and I was happy to see them again--they're a ton of fun!

Thursday was a busy morning.  I had my first "Consejo" meeting, which is similar to a student council organization.  Five other IES students volunteered to participate too.  Every week we meet with Javier,  Natalia, Alba, and Jeff (the IES leaders) to discuss student events and how we can improve them.  I'm really excited to be part of this group in order to become more involved.  The only problem is that we meet at 8:15am every Thursday since that's the only time that fits all of our schedules.  I'm sure that it will be worth it though.  After the meeting, a few students and I took a coffee break before returning to class.  I had Spanish, The Arab World and the West, and Watercolor Workshop (another drawing class in el Museo de la Alhambra) before heading home to shower, eat, and nap!  I had some downtime before I met Paige at a cool hippie café to work on our travel plans during Semana Santa.  I'm also trying to see one of my favorite bands, Dispatch, perform in Paris next month.  And at some point, I hope to see Portugal and visit my friend in southern England.  So many trips to plan, so little time!  Then Paige and I met up with our Spanish friend David for tapas hopping.  Later, we checked out a club called Blondie.  It was a pretty chill Spanish place.  On a side note, I was glad to hear that my Spanish birthday card successfully made it's way to my dad in Pittsburgh.


I woke up around noon on Friday, leaving me just enough time to spend some time shopping before the stores closed for siesta.  I was happy to find just about everything that I wanted before rebajas (sales) ended this month.  I noticed two things when I was out: first, the weather seems to finally be warming up a bit--thank gosh.  I also saw many kids dressed up in costume for Carnaval.  It seems that its similar to our Halloween.  During comida, Aja and I continued helping Delia and Laura learn English.  It's so cute to watch them slowly form sentences and struggle with the pronunciation of words. They're getting good at it, but Delia often becomes frustrated because she gets so nervous when she tries to answer us or think of what to say.  I just tell her "poco a poco" (little by little).  She's currently working on a painting of Madrid for a customer.  I think it's absolutely beautiful, but she hates it.  Sign of a true artist I guess.  I asked her if I could give her work before I left Spain.  Now I just have to figure out what I want her to paint.  After comida, I prepared my costume for carnaval and then met Paige, where we decided to wander around and see how the afternoon unfolded.  We window shopped for a while and then ran into an IES friend, Judy, and her intercambio, Angela.  The four of us went out for tapas and then I headed home to get as much sleep as I could before Carnaval...

Ronda y Sevilla

We left Granada at 8am and arrived in Ronda about 2.5 hours later.  I journaled for a little and then slept for most of the bus ride.  Ronda is a small but beautiful city.  The weather was also much warmer than in Granada.  We split into groups and took 2.5 walking tours of the city.  Led by Javier, our group started at an overlook of a gorgeous view of the land.  The terrain was mountainous, with cliffs, a river, and a variety of plants.

We also saw the ancient cascade (el casco antiguo), remains of the Arabic baths (los baños árabes), and an old mine that descended to a stagnant river with bright turquoise water.

After our tour we had free time to eat sandwiches (bocadillos) that our madres packed us.  We left at 5pm and arrived in Sevilla about 2 hours later.  Paige and I checked into our room at el Hotel Bécquer and then met up with the rest of the group to explore the city.  Javier and a few other IES professors led a tour along the river.  The people seemed pretty laid back, but I noticed a fair amount of road rage and rude people--one of the differences that I picked up on between Sevilla and Granada.  I also noticed that many people in Sevilla dress preppy (even the children), whereas Granada dwellers are more hippie.  Still, I really enjoyed our walk and the warmer weather.


We eventually made our way to la Plaza de España in el Parque de María Luisa.  The beautiful landmark was built to hold the world's fair in 1929.  The building was enormous (too large to fit in one picture), as it surrounded a gondola river and large fountain area.  The architecture and details were spectacular.  Along the outside of the building were small, but picturesque areas dedicated to various Spanish cites.

We stayed there for a while before heading to our first real Flamenco show en la Casa de la Memoria.  It was a private showing for the IES students, and the venue resembled a quaint courtyard.  The performance was amazing!  There was a male guitarist, a male singer, and both a male and female dancer, who each performed separately before dancing together at the end.  The emotion and passion that the performers displayed was, in a word, incredible.  Everyone was feeling pretty tired after the show, but it was our only night in Sevilla so we lived it up.  Everyone had fun, but missed getting free tapas with our drinks!


After getting just a few hours of sleep, the only thing that got me out of bed was knowing that a long, hot shower awaited me.  It was glorious.  At least 30 minutes.  Even better, there was a heat lamp in the bathroom.  Once Paige and I got ready, we checked out of our room and took full advantage of the free buffet at the hotel.  There was so much food there, but we definitely made a dent.  Plus, we made sandwiches for later!

After breakfast, Javier led our group on a tour of los Reales Alcázares.  From the gardens to the Muslim palace, the scenery was gorgeous!  And the history was extremely interesting.  For example, I learned that, unlike Christian structures, Muslim palaces are built to resemble a labyrinth, eventually leading to a large, open space.  This symbolized their path to find God.  On the other hand, Christian cathedrals typically have high ceilings and an enormous open space, as if to represent God in heaven--or at least this is what I was able to gather from the tour (conducted in Spanish). This Muslim characteristic was mirrored in the garden's hedge maze.  However, we were all too tall to get lost in it--apparently they were a bit shorter back then.

Afterwards, we walked through el Barrio de Santa Cruz, which is a neighborhood close by, and el Catedral de Sevilla.  The Cathedral was HUGE.  As I already said, the inside was one large room with a very high ceiling that still managed to be sectioned into smaller areas and chapels.  It was incredible and gave me the chills.  I felt like it would have taken days to look at everything.

Javier led us to one area which contained the tomb of Christopher Columbus--a possible but most likely location of his remains (it's controversial).  More chills.  Javier also explained the interesting history of the monument.  The body is carried by the 4 kings of Aragón, Castille, León, and Navarra.  One of the kings is spearing a pomegranate (Granada).







Then we walked through the large courtyard (el Patio de los Naranjos) and climbed the bell tower entitled Giralda.  It was built on top of a minaret when the Christians reclaimed the city and converted the mosque into a cathedral.  The minaret survived the earthquake of 1356, whereas much of the original mosque collapsed.











The climb to the top of the bell tower consisted or 34 short ramps, which ascended to a breathtaking view of Sevilla.  The panaromic view encompassed the colorful buildings, narrow streets, rooftop pools and cafés, and the famous bullring, Plaza de los Toros.

After the tours, we had free time to eat.  A group of us meandered through the city and found a recommended restaurant, Cervecería 100 Montaditos (little sandwiches).  Clarissa and I also found an amazing frozen yogurt shop.  We left from Sevilla at 5pm and I attempted to sleep the whole ride back to Granada.  We arrived back in Granada at 8:30.  Everyone immediately noticed the cooler air, but it was nice to be "home".  Aja and I walked back to our apartment where we met Aja's ex-husband, Roberto.  It was uncanny how different he is from José.  Roberto seems very sophisticated and romantic, whereas José is a complete jokester.  Delia told us that she went to the beach earlier that day with José, Laura, and Ki Ke.  I was glad to hear that they had a nice weekend too.  I unpacked a little, skyped with friends, and then passed out.  An amazing yet exhausting two days!

Las Clases de Español

I finally found the motivation on Saturday morning to go running.  I followed the river, weaving my way through the parks and plazas.  It was exactly what I needed.  After siesta, I went shopping and got my first pair of Spanish shoes--love at first sight.  I also discovered that "la granada" means pomegranate in Spanish.  Apparently I was the last person to figure this out.  Go figure.  Shopping was followed by tapas, la chupitería, and the discoteca.

Sunday consisted of la Fiesta de San Cecilio in el Sacromonte (close to el Albaicín).  I went with Lauren and the Matts ("los Mateos").  People of all ages attended the outdoor festival.  Everyone sat on the ground to eat--hippie vibes were definitely present.  I also saw my first flamenco performance.  We didn't stay too long because Lauren showed us her favorite spot in Granada (she's a full year student). We made our way higher and higher in Sacromente until we finally reached an overlook of the entire city.  It was by far the most beautiful and breath-taking view that I have ever seen in my life.  Between the Sierra Nevada, the Alhambra, the historic and modern parts of the city, and the pueblos on the outskirts, it would be impossible to capture the entire panoramic view in one picture.  Even though there were a few other people there, it was still an incredibly unspoiled spot.  For that reason, I am not eager to share it with every IES student, even if I could find my way there again.  I think that such a treat needs to be earned; if I want it enough and it's meant to be, I will make it there again.  I eventually made it back home, where I showed the pictures that I just took to Delia and José.  I think that Delia told me that she got married at the old building where we had just been.  Then Delia and José showed me pictures from their trip to Berlin in October.  I absolutely loved it!  They're so much fun to be around, and I am able to understand José much better because he purposely talks slower for me.  I learned today how important listening is.  It's one thing to half-heartedly listen, but now that I have to listen to foreign words everyday, I am realizing how much effort and focus it takes to truly listen and comprehend.  It can be quite exhausting!  After spending time with the family, I went to a pub to watch the Super Bowl.  I was pretty tired by that point and knew that classes started the following morning, but I waned to go for a little bit because how many people can say they've watched the Super Bowl in Spain?  By game time, the pub was packed (with mostly Americans), and the bartender hung a big American flag over the bar.

Monday was an exhausting day.  Since I'm still on the wait list for Flamenco, I had to go to five classes.  Here's the run down:

• Spanish grammar class: awesome.  Love the people in my class, love my teacher.  I think that I was placed in the perfect level.
• Contemporary theatre: very cool.  Not a class that I originally would have picked, but we get to see many plays for free and Javier is teaching it (+10 points).  However, if I do get into Flamenco, I will most likely drop this course.
• Flamenco: love it!  We learned the basic theory first and then had the actual dance class at night, but I'm sure it'll get more difficult as the course progresses.  Still crossing my fingers that someone decides to drop it.
• Spain and the European Union: There's a reason why I'm a science major and not an economics major.  The teacher was very sweet and easy to understand, but it doesn't matter when you're not interested in the subject.  I feel like it would be a good class because I could learn about the current crisis, but I already feel so behind because I know next to nothing about economics, whereas all of the other students are business majors.  However, I have to take one social science for Pitt Pharmacy so I may sit it on an Anthropology class tomorrow to see if I like it better and am able to switch.

I can't wait to have all of this class craziness behind me and finally have a definite schedule--especially because I'm going to more classes than I will end up taking.  But I know that it'll all work out like it's supposed to.  Eventually.  Other than a full day of class, all else that I had time for was to siesta and run a few errands (i.e., book store).  I also made a list for Delia of all of the foods that I like and don't like so that we're on the page. 

Apparently there was Spanish homework due on Tuesday that I was not aware of... AND I came to class late, so my teacher was not very happy with me.  No pasa nada.  I still love her.  After Spanish, I sat in on an anthropology class to see if I liked it better than the economics class yesterday.  It was more interesting, but much harder.  So I met with Javier to discuss my options and, after a brief meltdown, I decided to drop Spain and the European Union and add a political science class, The Arab World and the West.  I don't know any more about political science than I do about economics (maybe less actually), but the class is in English, so how bad can it be?  Still on the wait list for Flamenco, which means that I'm still going to more classes than I should.  Why do I do this to myself?  Always gotta try all the wrong choices until I find the right one.  After my meeting I had Islamic Art and Architecture.  I was very excited about the content and visits in this class, but I do not think that I was in the right mindset during class--I felt way too overwhelmed and flustered that I had a hard time following what my teacher was saying.  It also doesn't help that I know nothing about Islamic history.  I was so relieved when siesta time rolled around, and Delia made me my favorite food for comida: spaghetti.  Before I knew it, it was class time again.  But I was actually excited about this one--Watercolor Workshop.  I wasn't disappointed; small class, nice teacher, laid-back curriculum.  After the teacher explained the syllabus, she had us draw still life.  Pretty basic, but our next class is in a museum.  However, I still had a difficult time understanding things like the assignment for our next class.  Thank god I was not alone; Paige was struggling too.  After class, we bought art supplies and hit the bars.  It was such a relief to have someone who was feeling how I felt.  This trip has been such a roller coaster--one minute you feel like you're on top of the world, and the next you feel incompetent and alone.  For example, the first two weeks of orientation were great.  Aside from a few minor setbacks, I had a pretty good handle on things and was having the time of my life.  But this week has been so exhausting already.  I though that I was ready for my classes, but I apparently overestimated my ability to adapt to new situations.  My transition to college life was so smooth that I expected the same smooth transition here.  In retrospect, this is a completely different situation.  Paige and I agreed to take it easy on ourselves and give ourselves credit for what we've accomplished thus far.  It's ridiculous to think that every aspect of this semester would be a breeze.  One step at a time.  Poco a poco.

Wednesday ran more smoothly than the day before.  In Theatre class, Javier told us that we'd be going to see a contemporary ballet on Thursday.  As much as I want to take Flamenco, I would be sad not to be in this class anymore.  During comida, Delia told Aja and I that we've used all of the hot water now that there's more people living in the house, which explains why my showers have been ice cold for the past two days.  Frustrations to challenges, right?  After siesta, I made some drawings for my watercolor class before visiting various parts of the city with my Islamic Art and Architecture class.  We started in the plaza that I live in (La Plaza Bib-Rambla) and made our way through La Alcaicería and El Corral del Carbón.  Unfortunately, I had a difficult time following the teacher again.  I decided that it was because I didn't know a lot of the vocabulary/terms and history.  Still, it was cool learning about the history of structures that I walk past everyday, rather than in a textbook.  And luckily, I recruited a few friends to go to a cafe after class and go over what we learned.  It was super helpful and I think we're going to make it a regular session.  Part of me wishes I could take the class in English, but I think that it'll get easier as the class progresses.  When I got back home, I got a call from Javier, who told me that someone dropped Flamenco!  Thank gosh.  It was a little bittersweet though, because that meant that I would have to drop Javier's theatre class.  Still, Javier told me that I could come to the ballet on Thursday and the theatre performance on Sunday.  What a gem!  So I went to Flamenco class that night, which was so much fun.  Some of the steps were tricky, but I love it.  Luckily Aja and I wear the same size shoe so we're going to share Flamenco shoes since we're in different sessions.  After Flamenco, I took a quick nap before heading out to the discotecas Granada 10 and Vogue.

My alarm went off all too soon Thursday morning, but I somehow dragged myself out of bed and into the cold shower.  I had a full day of class--Spanish, The Arab World and the West, and Watercolor Workshop.  I think that The Arab World and the West is going to be a good class for me.  Slightly boring, but I think that it'll give me a solid foundation of knowledge about the area in which I live.  And even though it's my first political science class, it's much more manageable because it's taught in English.  However, the professor does have an extremely foreign and thick accent, which took a solid 20 minutes to adjust to.  Watercolor Workshop was awesome.  Class was held in el Museo del Instituto Gómez-Moreno, where we were instructed to select a painting or sculpture to draw.  I drew a painting of St. Francis.  We also did an activity where we looked at a simple statue for two minutes and then had one minute to draw it from memory.  This is definitely the laid-back class that I was looking for.  I was starving by the time I came home from class, which was thankfully right in time for comida and siesta.  After I woke up, I worked on some homework and packed for our weekend trip to Ronda and Sevilla.  Then I went to the show "Nya" (Contemporary Ballet Company of Argelia/Abou Lagraa) with Javier's theatre class.   It was very interesting.  I believe that the male performers were all from Algeria.  In a few words: contemporary, interpretive, artistic.  I don't know enough about professional dance to give it a legit critique, but I liked it for what it was.  After it was over, I packed my duffel and went to bed to rest up for our early start to Ronda!

Los Churros con Chocolate

Phew!  Finally starting to get the hang of dedicating time to both this travel blog and my personal journal.

After orientation and class on Monday, I finally went shopping!  I tried to pace myself though, and only bought a few things.  It's difficult though because all of the stores are having major post-Christmas sales right now, (rebajas), which will end in February.  Thus, I would still like to find a few more heavy sweaters for the cold nights.  I really liked the tapas bar that Christie and I went to that night.  It had a great selection of tapas, a bohemian-like atmosphere, sweet music, and awesome employees.

Tuesday I met with Javier to finalize my classes, which start next Monday.  It turned out that I am on the wait list for the Flamenco dance class, but Javier told me that he would do everything that he could to get me in.  Crossing my fingers!  My other classes include a mandatory Spanish grammar course, Islamic Art and Architecture, a watercolor workshop, and an economics course called Spain and the European Union.  I'm taking all of these courses through IES rather than at the University of Granada because I think that taking five classes in Spanish is going to be enough of a challenge!  Plus, I'd rather spend my time on things outside of class.  As José told me, just "enjoy living".  During siesta, Delia, Laura, Ki Ke, Aja and I had an adult, but entertaining, conversation about marijuana.  Once Laura and Ki Ke left, Delia explained to Aja and I how she is divorced to Roberto (Laura and Eva's father) and is now dating José.  I didn't want to pry into her personal life, but she was very open and comfortable talking about it.  Sitting there, listening to this beautiful Spanish woman talk about love was one of those moments in life that you hope you never forget.  I still can't believe she is 50 years old--she doesn't look a day over 40!  I'm starting to learn that she enjoys the simple things in life like painting, going to the movies, and taking walks, rather than things like going to bars or skiing.  She also doesn't like to watch the television to prevent herself from getting sucked in.  After holding a meeting about how to get involved with volunteering, IES led a tour of el Bosque de la Alhambra.  It was great to see a new part of the city, and the "honeymoon" feeling quickly returned when I saw the view of el Albaicín.  I can't wait to go inside of la Alhambra.  After a while, Paige and I fell behind and lost the group so we went to Café Futból for "los churros con chocolate".  There are no words to describe how delicious this treat was.  Then we went to the IES soccer game where we met up with most of the group again.  I think we both felt that feeling of an afternoon well-spent.

Wednesday was an important day for two reasons: the first day of February and the one week marker of my life in Granada.  Only one week?  It seems like I have been here for a month!  In class today, we learned about the schooling system in Spain in comparison to the U.S.  I decided that the education system is one of the few things that I favor in the U.S. because American students have the ability to be more independent as well as study many things that interest them.  Siesta was entertaining again because José joined us and the four of us went around in a circle saying all of the bad words ("palabrotas") that we knew in Spanish.  Naturally, I lost.  I asked Delia and José why they want to learn English and they told me for the purpose to travel to places like England, Canada, and the U.S.  José went on and on about how he wants to see New York City, the Statue of Liberty, walk in Central Park, and rent row boats.  It was so cute!  Still, I find it strange that Spaniards want to travel to the U.S. when they live in such a beautiful place already.  I'm completely sold on Spanish culture.  Antonio insists that Spanish culture isn't better, just different.  Maybe it's a "grass is greener on the other side" kind of thing.  After taking my oral placement exam, I ran into my friend Liz who was talking to a middle-aged Spanish man.  It turned out that she had to leave so I was left to talk with him alone.  I was initially excited to converse with him, and I told myself that it wasn't a creepy occurrence in their culture, but he was a bit too old and a bit too forward for my liking.  So after a short walk, I kindly said goodbye and we parted ways.  Then I went to the huge department store Corte Inglés (6 or 7 floors) for a few groceries--going out every night for tapas is getting pricey and a little old.  My friends agreed that they were craving "real food" for dinner, which is why we went to Kabaab King where I had my first "shawarma" (an Arab plate).

Thursday was our last day of orientation class.  Even though it was starting to get boring from being with the same 15 people everyday for 5 hours, it was sad to say goodbye to Antonio.  I hope he wants to hang out with us this semester!  After siesta, I had some down time before Aja and I met up with a University of Granada student that lives near us (set up through IES).  His name is Álvaro and he's super chill.  We met him and a few other IES students at a tapas bar and Álvaro told us about some different things to do in our free time while we're here.  We invited him to go out with us after, but the University students are taking their final exams now.  So I met up with a few friends afterwards to celebrate our friend David's birthday, and I am pleased to say that my first encounter with Indian food was successful.  Then we went to a shot (chupito) bar before heading to the discoteca El Camborio, which is near el Albaicín.  Supposedly the weekends are more fun, but it was still a good time.  The club had a cave-like atmosphere with multiple floors and different types of music in each room.  In general, there were definitely a lot of Americans and foreigners.  We left around 4, which believe it or not is early for Spaniards--most discotecas don't close until 6 or 7.

Even though we got to sleep in on Friday, I was still falling asleep at the two IES presentations held at the Hotel Corona.  I think the first was about language and classes, and the second was about culture shock.  I was torn because part of me really did want to listen, but it's so hard to pay attention when you're that tired.  Afterwards, we had a cocktail reception (apparently alcohol at 1 in the afternoon is completely normal), where we mingled with all of the IES students and staff.  I'm still working on meeting everyone, but i think 85 people is a solid-sized group. For comida, Delia and her aunt made paella. I was very excited to try it until I saw the shrimp (with eyes), muscles, and calamari.  I really did want to try it because I'm sure it was delicious and healthy, and I knew Delia worked hard to make it, but I just couldn't find it in me.  I think that I freaked myself out because I felt like they were looking at me or moving.  So I just stuck to the rice and chicken parts of the paella.  It's difficult because I don't eat seafood and Aja is Muslim and can't eat pork, but Delia insists that this makes it easier for her because she can just make simple things.  Still, I'm hoping that I wake up one day and miraculously like seafood.  After comida, I slept for a few hours before heading out to meet friends for tapas.  It was a little touch and go for a while seeing as I got lost on the way to Plaza Einstein, but I made it there eventually and, as a result, have become very good at asking people for directions in Spanish.  After tapas, the four of us checked out a reggae concert.  Very cool experience.