Easter Sunday/Pascua de Resurrección:I was still a bit jet-lagged, so I enjoyed sleeping in. When I finally woke up, I made breakfast and got myself ready before meeting Paige, Clarissa, and Bethine in Plaza Bib-Rambla. There were even more people than usual in the streets, and everyone was happy and cheerful. Many children were ringing bells and all of the tourist shops were open, despite the fact that it was Sunday.
The four of us went to noon mass at the cathedral, which was beautifully decorated with flowers. However, I was slightly disappointed that there was no singing and that Delia did not come. Still, I enjoyed teaching the other girls, who are not Catholic, about the different parts of the mass. And as were leaving the cathedral, the Bishop greeted everyone on his way inside; he seemed so joyful!
Afterwards, the girls and I went to a nearby pastry shop to try the special Semana Santa treats. I tried la torrija, which was very rich and delicious. Living in the center of the city, it was quite easy to come across a procession by accident. On more than one occasion, I turned a corner to find one of the magnificent floats at the other end of the street. I met up with Trini to [intentionally] watch the procession on Calle Mesones. It was much more joyous than the one that we saw the day before, and the weather was hot and sunny.
I returned home to find an email from home with pictures of our dyed Easter eggs! My family made one for me, Aja, Delia, and Granada. I showed Delia the picture of hers and explained the tradition; I don't know why I was surprised to find that Easter is less commercialized in Spain. Delia and I ate la comida together--chicken fillet, mashed potatoes, and a wonderful tomato and avocado salad. Then José came over.
I blogged for a bit until Laura came home. I was glad to hear that she had a good time in Sevilla and that Ki Ke found a job! I heard a procession going on outside, so I left the house to check it out. There were two floats in the procession, which passed directly through the cathedral! Also, the women wore white veils instead of their usual black ones. Afterwards, I returned to the house to skype my family and get ready for school.
The weather was beautiful on Monday. My day started with two hours of Spanish, grocery shopping, and Flamenco. Many people were missing from class because they had yet to return from Semana Santa travels. I came home for comida with Delia and Laura, and practiced English with Delia. Then I blogged, made dinner, and went to Flamenco practice--Oh boy was I rusty! When I returned home, I talked with Delia and José, and worked on some homework before calling it a night.
After a full morning of class on Tuesday, I started feeling stressed. Islamic Art and Architecture is certainly my hardest class. However, my day turned around when I went to los Correos to pick up a package from my family! It was filled with Easter candy for myself, Aja, and Delia and Laura, as well as Easter and Congratulations cards. Everyone was blown away with my mom's precious chocolate, and impressed that it made the journey in mint condition; I was so proud of her! I was also really excited to see Aja, and hear about her trip to Italy. We enjoyed delicious comida and, for dessert, dug into the Easter chocolate and biscuits that Aja bought in Florence. Then I went to Watercolor, where I had my midterm revision. Afterwards, I worked on a group Spanish project at IES before returning home to make dinner and upload pictures. Aja and I were both on a chocolate high all day. I wondered how long my stash would last me...
I didn't sleep in as late as I usually do on Wednesday due to various noises and distractions, so I took a walk through my current favorite park, Carmen de los Mártires. It was exactly what I needed; the sun was out, the flowers were blooming, and I discovered new paths with great views of the city. I also got a better feel for where things are located in the city. After I returned home, I showered and blogged before comida. Then I went to my Islamic Art visit to el Generalife, the summer house of the historic rulers of the Alhambra. It was another beautiful and interesting visit; plus, we had great weather. Afterwards, I came home to finish my Semana Santa blog and make dinner before Flamenco. Before bed, I treated myself in watching the newest episode of Grey's Anatomy!
Thursday morning was a struggle; it seemed as though post-Morocco and Semana Santa tiredness had finally caught up with me. I dragged myself out of bed to IES for the Consejo meeting; no shower, Pitt sweatshirt, glasses. After Consejo, I went upstairs to the lounge where I perused the Granada Hoy newspaper before taking a nap on the too-comfortable couch. Then I somehow managed to make it through Spanish and Arab World. My day picked up a little when we went to Casas del Chápiz for Watercolor. It is a pretty park with great views; definitely a place where I plan to return! I sketched el Generalife and the surrounding houses while jamming out to some of my favorite songs on my iPod. After class, I returned home for comida. I was planning to take a walk afterwards, but the weather was cold and rainy, so I took a much-needed nap instead. I woke up feeling refreshed, then showered, blogged, and went out for pizza and dessert with Paige, Matt, and our Spanish friends, David, Pablo and Alicia.
Friday was cold and rainy again, but I still went for a walk along la Cuesta de los Chinos. I hopped in the shower when I got home and then met up with Paige. After visiting the mosque with our class earlier in the semester, Munira, who gave us the tour, invited us to come back to have lunch sometime and ask questions. Paige and I took her up on the offer and went to the mosque around 3:30pm. Unfortunately, Munira couldn't make it, but she set us up with another woman from the mosque, Rahima. After the prayer service let out, we found Rahima and she led us to where the lunch was held. The room was set up with various tablecloths on the ground, around which a group of women gathered; the men ate downstairs. A communal plate of delicious couscous with vegetables and meat was served to each group (along with an according number of spoons). Cooked by volunteers, the meal was delicious and took me back to Morocco. While we ate, Paige and I talked with some of the women. Afterwards, we joined five women from the mosque to have coffee in the Albaycín. There we talked about the history of Spain, the Islamic faith, and the religious views of Paige and I. One of the questions that they posed to us was: Do you find it strange that Western women freely convert to Islam? The conversation was both interesting and intense. Afterwards, Paige and I bought a couple of beers and sat in a plaza beneath the Alhambra to mull things over (the weather had cleared up a bit). We processed our afternoon with the muslim women and talked about life. We eventually left and I returned home to eat the dinner that Delia had saved me from lunch that day. Then I perused the open market set up in Plaza Bib-Rambla. It consisted of a delicious barbecue area, along with stands selling meats, cheeses, spices, sweets, bread, jewelry, leather, artwork, and owls! According to Laura, the stands were a bit pricey, so I simply enjoyed window-shopping. After some time, I made my way upstairs and fell asleep watching Twilight.
Saturday was another cold and rainy day. After sleeping in and eating breakfast, I decided that a walk was not going to happen with the weather, so I showered and got ready. The house was bustling with people (José, Ki Ke, and Eva). I helped Eva translate an article from Spanish to English before walking to the bank. Unfortunately, it was closed on both Saturdays and Sundays, so I returned home to catch up with a few things. After siesta, I worked on some homework and skyped Katie Brown before meeting up with Paige. We went to Boogaclub to watch a Reggae performance and then met up with a few friends at Granada 10.
Sunday was the last day of rain--thank goodness! I lounged around in the morning and worked on homework. I also ate the last chocolate pretzel in my Easter stash that I had been savoring. Following an entertaining comida, I continued my homework and then met up with Christie at the mall. There we saw Titanic in 3D! The theatre was packed for a good reason; it was incredible to see it on the big screen 100 years later. I also liked the dubbed Spanish voices. Naturally, I bawled like a baby at the end of the movie. Afterwards, I returned home to skype my family, eat dinner, and finish the last of my essays.
