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...
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...
