On Friday I went to the Sierra Nevada Mountains and they were gorgeous! As you can see from the picture here (and there are more at the bottom of the page...check them out!) that the view is incredibly clear. The climb up (by bus) took about an hour and we drove through several layers of clouds. It was neat to see all of the small communities scattered within the range and there was also a large amount of cattle roaming around too. We got a late start so we didn´t rent ski equipment but we hiked up as high as we could to get a better view. As the day went on the lighting changed and I got some great photos. At around 1 or 2 in the afternoon it began to snow; the visibility became so bad that the skiers had to stay off the slopes until it stopped. Luckily it let up before we had to depart and drive back down the mountain!

This weekend I met with Jesús, my intercambio. Luckily he speaks English fairly well so when I am really confused about something he says in Spanish, I can ask him to explain it. He graduated from the University of Granada with a degree in psychology and is currently looking for employment. He lives with his parents and is an only child. Jesús had done the intercambio program before with CEGRI and other study abroad programs so he is really good about speaking slowly and more clearly than the typcial Andalucian. We talked a bit about our studies, politics, family, etc...actually, he did most of the talking and I mainly asked questions because that is what I´m good at now.

On Saturday night I met Natalie´s intercambio, Javier, and some of his friends. The nightlife in Granada (and a lot of Europe) is much different than what I am used to in the States. We were at a bar until 2a, which is about the time I would go home in Madison...but not here! At this time the discotecas are just opening their doors so we made our way to Mae West, an insanely huge and popular discoteca in Granada. It is only five minutes away from my house so it is really convenient at the end of the night. There were several different rooms in the club, including one featuring 80´s music! The entire club is decked out in old Western movie posters and has an American theme. We ended up in the largest room, which featured pop music from the States as well as Spanish reggae and old Spanish flamenco songs that have a hip-hop twist. I won´t post how late (or early) I was out for my mom´s sake but it was definitely the latest I´ve ever been out! Sunday was a day of sleeping and doing homework (what little I have). I also went to the youth mass at 9p and I am starting to pick up some of the words to the prayers.

I have a busy week ahead of me so I´ll fill you in when I have some time to spare. Hasta luego!

After just a week of classes, it has become easier to make my way to and from school. Not only can I fight the urge to stop at every shoe store I pass, I am beginning to feel comfortable crossing European streets. The drivers here are not bashful or timid when they drive...I don´t even think my dad would be comfortable driving here and that´s saying a lot! Besides aggressively driven cars (most of which are manual compact two-door economy cars), there are many other dangers to watch out for, such as mopeds, motorcycles and four-wheelers!

Yesterday I attempted to have my first phone conversation in Spanish...which was very interesting. Through my program at CEGRI, we have the opportunity to work with intercambios, native Spanish speakers who are willing to help us with our Spanish while we help them improve their English skills. My intercambio´s name is Jesús and when I called I was hoping for a voicemail because I was nervous to talk but once he picked up we had a fairly decent coversation (although until he said "suburbia" I had no idea what part of town he lived in!). Anyways, I have merengue and salsa dance lessons tonight but hopefully we will be able to meet tomorrow for coffee after my classes-this way I can stumble through a conversation in person and use hand gestures!

I just purchased my round-trip ticket to Dublin. I am visiting Ireland with Natalie during our first break which is only a few weeks away. I have always wanted to visit and I can´t wait to share the pictures and experiences with you. I have posted more pictures from my apartment but I have to run to class now-hasta luego!

It has been exactly one week since I have moved into my señora´s house and I thought it was time to show you around the apartment. Here is the leg of the pig I was telling you about...it´s a little difficult to see but if you look closely you can make out the hoof. Luckily I have not had to slice meat for a sandwich yet!

My host brother Alfonso has left for a business trip in Valencia and will be back on Thursday. He travels frequently but when he is around we usually talk about music or tapas bars in Granada. He likes to watch MTV (which we get at the apartment) and Spanish music videos. They´re really into techno and electronic music here but at the clubs they play a lot of reggae. Alfonso knows most of the words to the pop songs from America so now I´m trying to pick up the words to songs here! I figure this will be a good way to improve my vocabulary.

The daily routine in Granada is a lot different than the rountine in the United States. At around 1:30 or 2 in the afternoon, every shop in the city (except a few necessity stores) shut down. At this time parents and children come home from work and school to have el almuerzo (lunch) which is their biggest and most important meal of the day. This siesta is a southern tradition because, unlike the north, there are very few industries in this part of the country. There are usually two or three courses to the meal and it is a great time to spend time with family and watch the daily news.

I hope you enjoy the pictures of my apartment-hasta luego!

Hola mis amigos. I am almost done with my first week of classes and the teachers here are really nice and supportive. I have decided to sign up for Oral Spanish instead of Composition to improve my speaking skills. Although this will probably be my most challenging class, I hope to get a lot out of it! Anyways, this week has been full of more new foods, uncomfortable situations with my host family and...shopping!

Today I had a version of spaghetti with some kind of tomato sauce with pork and I thought it was pretty tasty. Yesterday for lunch my señora made a delicious lentil soup with carrots and potatoes-followed by hotdogs! She fried them in a pan and gave me some barbeque sauce to dip them which was awesome. I´m not sure if that is a staple food here in the Andalucía or if she prepared them for me but it was a nice reminder of a meal in the States :)

I´ve been doing a lot of window shopping for shoes and purses. I haven´t found any heels yet that look possible for me to walk in (especially on the stone-paved roads here) but somehow Spanish women make it happen. I guess I´ll have to give them a try sooner or later...I hope my international insurance covers sprained ankles! Anyways, everyone here is super-stylish, but I have seen an abundance of mullets on a lot of the guys here and I hope this is one trend that does not make it across the Atlantic.

As for my living situation, I enjoy talking to my señora when I can understand what she is saying, but her accent is extremely thick. The accent here consists of dropping consonants and speaking with a lisp. In other words, my education in Spanish listening comprehension up to this point is pretty much useless when it comes to conversing with natives. Luckily, I know the key phrases such as "please slow down" and "I don´t understand" which are frequently used in our daily conversations. Today I learned the word for dishwasher which is fun to say (when I can remember it) and she helped me with my Spanish Culture homework. This morning she showed me how to turn on the hot water in the house-unfortunately this demonstration was AFTER I took an ice cold shower!

I have posted some photos (bottom of page) from our trip to the Alhambra last weekend so I hope you have time to check them out-hasta luego.

Host Family & Food

Saturday morning I met Teresa, my señora. She lives with Juana, her mother as well as Alfonso, her son. We took a cab to her house, located on Calle de las Flores, which was a bit uncomfortable because she kept looking out the windown mumbling some Spanish to the cab driver. Things improved a bit when we arrived at her apartment. She gave me the tour of the place and explained where I was sleeping; my room is bigger than I expected but when I walked in there was no bed and I was nervous I would have to sleep on a couch or something. She then proceeded to open these doors that looked as if they belonged to a closet and pulled down my bed! It is definitely small but cozy nonetheless....The bathroom is a nice size too (much bigger than my bathroom back at Madison!) and I had hot water this morning for my shower-yay! One thing that was a bit startling at first was when I walked into the kitchen and saw an entire hind leg of a pig (hoof and all) placed on a metal meat stand on the counter. The meat, called "jamón serrano," is cured and ready to eat...I know because that is what I had for lunch today!

I still am not too comfortable around the house because I don´t know the daily routine very well. My señora took me to a food market so she could prepare "paella," a common rice and seafood dish eaten at lunch. I had some yesterday and it was good, despite the beady little eyes of the shrimp looking at me from my plate. Yep, you guessed it. They cook up the entire thing-antenna and all! That was okay but I steered clear of the whole squid.

After lunch we rested a bit and then went shopping. My señora showed me all the stores with the best discounts for shoes and clothes (Aunt Val, I´m sure you can appreciate this!). It was a pretty long day yesterday and I had to get up early for an excursion so I didn´t check out any tapas bars near my house yet. Today we went to La Alhambra and it was beautiful beyond words. I hope to have pictures posted soon so stick around! Hasta luego.

I´m Finally Here!

So I finally made it to Granada. The eight hour flight from O´Hare to Madrid was exhausting but I´ve almost slept off the jet-lag. I´m staying at La Hostal Atenas for a few days, right in the heart of the city, before moving in with my señora this Sunday. I´ve already seen a lot of the city and it is incredible. There are buildings from the 14th and 15th centuries and I will be studying in a neighborhood that used to be a Jewish settlement before their expulsion in 1492. Actually, there is a law in Granada that does not allow for the original structures of the buildings to be altered so much of the history of the city is retained. I am only a few minutes away from the old Muslim silk markets. They are now filled with shops for tourists but the original features are still present. I can practically touch both sides of the buildings when I am walking down these streets...that is how narrow the alleys are!

The view from Granada is breathtaking. The snow-capped Sierra Nevada Mountains are visible in the distance and there are amazing palace-like houses elevated above the main city that I can see from the streets. There are also several plazas around the entire city that people use to describe their residential locations (instead of street names). For example, our hostel is close to the Plaza Isabel la Católica. This is the place where we are meeting each day for our excursions around the city. The night life in Granada is so energetic...don´t worry mom, I only had a few sangrias so far! I also tried my first taste of fried pulpo-look it up...you know you are jealous. Today we have more orientation and another tour but hopefully I can rest up because tomorrow is my big day. I am finally meeting my host family-adios!

Still in the States

Today is my final day for packing and I can't believe how spacious my luggage looked only a few days ago. Now I'm attempting to cram a wardrobe for winter, spring and summer into only a suitcase and a backpack! Not to mention my books, shoes, toiletries, umbrellas, pictures-I know they tell us to pack lightly, but seriously....

I've seen a lot of old friends and family over break so that has been wonderful. Even though I'm still really nervous and anxious to live in another country for five months and leave all the familiar faces, I am also becoming more and more excited about this coming semester. I don't think everything will actually sink in until I am on my plane tomorrow. Well, better get back to packing. I still don't know where I'm going to fit all my shoes.

Welcome!

Thanks for visiting my blog. I will attempt to keep it updated as much as possible while I am abroad in Granada, Spain and traveling throughout Western Europe. Check it out if you are interested in my adventures this spring...let's keep in touch!