GRANADA!!!

Two days ago we had orientation, so we basically played silly icebreakers in Spanish, talked about cultural differences, safety, health, and maintaining a good relationship with your host family. There are 85 students on the same program as me and there are a total of 19 guys…

Overall, I enjoyed orientation and the IES staff is very personable. After orientation we ate lunch at the hotel’s buffet. Spaniards eat lunch around 3:00 PM, and it is the largest meal of the day, so by the time lunch came around I was very hungry. Right now, everything kind of reminds me of freshmen year because people are trying to make good first impressions, make friends, and are unsure of themselves, but I am enjoying meeting people from all over the US.

After lunch, all 85 of us and the IES staff boarded buses to take us from Malaga to Granada, which is about a 90 minute ride with traffic. The ride from Malaga to Granada was absolutely beautiful. The mountains are just striking and the region is much more tropical looking than I had anticipated. Many of the mountains are covered with trees with little white flowers, which I later learned from my host padre Rafa that those trees are almond trees, and that their blooming is the first sign of primavera (spring). 

When we arrive in Granada, the bus took us to a hotel where we met our host families. I am one of the fortunate students this semester to have a roommate! Liz is from Iowa and is super nice. When Liz and I get off the bus, Conchi (my host madre) recognizes us from our pictures, and we finally get to meet Conchi and Rafa who we will be living with for the next 4 months. Liz takes a taxi to our apartment with Conchi, and I ride back with Rafa (my host padre). The ride from the hotel to the apartment is very awkward. I had a very difficult time understanding Rafa especially because he speaks very quickly. I know that I did not understand at least ¾th of the things that he told me about the city and his family.

Rafa and Conchi live on the 4^th floor in an apartment near the center of the city and the University of Granada. The door to their apartment reminded me of a hobbit’s home as the doorknob is directly in the center of the door. The apartment itself is quaint, but spacious. Liz and I each have our own room. My room is perfect. It is painted a sky blue, and the bed spread is yellow which is my favorite color, and the curtains have sunflowers on them. It really is a cozy room, and it feels like a room that belongs to me.

After we unpacked, we ate dinner with Rafa and Conchi. We had some sort of chicken soup, which I am sure was delicious if you like soup, but soup happens to be one of my least favorite foods. Conchi filled my large bowl to the very brim. I did eat it all as I did not want to offend Conchi, but I definitely struggled. The portion was enormous, and I do not usually eat that much food even if it is one of my favorite foods. For dessert, we had tortilla Espanola, which is a dish made with eggs and potatoes. We also had cheese, bread, and fruit with dessert. Mis padres insist that you eat everything and take more. It is really, really difficult to eat so much food. The tortilla Espanola was not my favorite either, but the cheese was delicious. I knew that the food part of studying abroad would be tricky for me, but hopefully I’ll grow a little and broaden my horizons to appreciate more food. I just hope the portion sizes get smaller.

Rafa and Conchi are wonderful hosts. They are so warm and welcoming. Despite the language barrier, I can tell that they are genuinely happy to have us in their home. They are an older couple, and their children are in their 40s with children of their own. I really do not think I could ask for a better family to stay with. Rafa reminds me of my Uncle Lando. There is something about his mannerisms and spirit that remind me of him, and at times he walks around the house singing a little tune or whistling. Conchi is a very warm, kind-hearted person who truly cares about the wellbeing of the students staying with her. They are an older couple with 2 children in their 40s. I am very lucky that they are my host padres.

Yesterday our language preparation classes started. There are 11 of us in my section. My professor reminds me of Bravo’s Millionaire Matchmaker in both looks and mannerisms. The class is long but most enjoyable. We focus on conversational Spanish in this class. For example, we practice asking for directions or ordering food both in the classroom and throughout the city. I’m glad that the class is conversational as my Spanish classes at home spend more time focusing on literature and analysis in Spanish, so I am finding this class very helpful in filling in the gaps of my vocabulary.

After class, my roommate and I ventured out into to the city to buy soap and a hair-dryer amongst other things that we did not bring with us from the US. The city of Granada is simply breathtaking. The buildings are very ornate, and even the sidewalks are composed of gorgeous tiles and stones. Liz and I really only got a glimpse of the city, and I cannot wait to discover what the city has to offer. After we purchased a few necessities, we dropped off our things in the apartment and then went out for tapas. Tapas are small dishes that accompany any drink in Granada whether it is a coca-cola, a bottle of water, or sangria. Basically, you pay 2 euros for a drink and you also get a dish the size of an appetizer. Because we most get dinner on our own, I know I am going to spend a lot of time tapa-hopping as it is a cheap way to eat.

Today I had class in the morning and then in the afternoon, our professor took us on a tour of the city. Everything is simply gorgeous and immaculate, and there are so many stores I want to visit and places that I want to explore! Already, I feel as if my Spanish has improved by leaps and bounds, which is really exciting! 

The Beginning

I am finally in Spain! It is surreal being here. It really hasn’t hit me yet that I’m going to be spending the next few months in this beautiful place!!! To recount, yesterday Mom dropped me off at the Philadelphia airport and there was no turning back. It was definitely difficult leaving the comfort of home and my family for the unknown, but I know it’s going to be worth it.

I checked my large suitcase that thankfully weighed less than 50 lbs. A few minutes later Lucia arrived at the airport, a girl from Haverford who is going on the same program as me. We found the terminal and to our delight the flight was running on time. We were worried because it was awfully fogging and raining in Philly. The flight from Philly to Zurich, Switzerland was really empty. Every passenger could have a row of seats to him or herself, and there were still empty rows. The flight went pretty quick. I watched Crazy, Stupid Love a movie and read The Help. I finally was falling asleep when the lights came on, and the flight attendants started serving breakfast because it was 6:45 in Switzerland, and we were going to land in an hour. So much for sleep I suppose. The flight itself was pretty cool as we flew over Paris and once we got closer to Zurich the land was sprinkled with snow. The view was just breathtaking between the majestic Swiss mountains and evergreen trees and the rising sun. We had a quick a layover in Zurich. I wish I could have explored instead of staying in the airport, but at least I got my passport stamped! Then it was off to Malaga, Spain! This flight was crowded but quick. I dozed in and out throughout most of the flight. Overall, the flight ran very smoothly. Lucia and I picked up out luggage and then grabbed a taxi to the hotel where we checked in with IES and will spend the night before leaving for Granada.

Once we checked in with IES,  we purchased cheap cell phones and headed up to our room. Check in was definitely a little awkward because they all spoke Spanish to us and my Spanish was definitely very shaky. Hopefully that will get better soon. Fortunately, Lucia and I are placed in the same room in the hotel. After putting out suitcases in our room, we headed back down to the lobby for a guided walking tour of Malaga with Jeff (a former IES student who now works for IES Granada) and 5 other IES students. It was absolutely beautiful outside. It was 65 degrees and sunny; there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. We walked along the harbor, which is filled with gorgeous sailboats and yachts. The water is a sparkling aquamarine color and there are palm trees everywhere. We finally eat a lunch composed of different appetizers at a little café on the harbor. Afterwards, we returned to the hotel. At 6 everyone on the IES program met in the lobby to go for a walk and get some dinner. I definitely met a lot of different people on the walk, but we ended up just wandering and seeing the city. I am really proud that we were able to easily navigate our way back to the hotel.

I am definitely exhausted after barely sleeping on the plane, so I’m about to go to bed so I’ll be more awake for tomorrow’s orientations and for meeting my host family!