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!
