Life in Spain

Que tal! I figured I would just write a brief synopsis of the last few days. On Saturday, I went on a hike with many other students from IES through La Apujerra, which is a part of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The mountains are absolutely breathtaking, and my words really cannot do their beauty justice. It was simple serene. The hike started in a small town Pampaneira. We then hiked to Bubion, and then to Capileira. The hike in total took 3 hours, but we stopped 90 minutes in to eat lunch, which by the way was delicious. Mis padres espanoles had packed me a lunch consisting of a cheese sandwich that just so happened to be made on an entire baguette, and being the Spanish way of course there is more. They also packed me 4 oranges, 1 banana, 2 packaged coffee cake-esque desserts, and an apple juicebox. SO MUCH FOOD. The hike was definitely a workout, but it was a great opportunity to meet others students from IES and some local students!

When we got back from the hike, Liz and I both showered, siesta-ed, and then met some friends for Tapas. We went to a few tapas bars, where we met someone from Belgium, Italy, and Switzerland! It was really cool to meet other international students. Interestingly enough, I found the international students’ Spanish accent much easier to understand than  actual Spaniards’. After tapas, we went to a discoteca called Camboria. Camboria is awesome! It is located up in the mountains that surround and encompass parts of Granada. The coolest part is the actual discoteca is located in the caves where the gypsies used to live! Que guay!

Sunday was a day of rest. It was the first day that I was actually able to sleep in! When Liz and I finally got up, we decided to go for a walk and do a little bit of shopping. Right now every store in Spain is having gigantic sales. For example, you can buy a pair of leather boots for only 15 euros! Sunday the weather was absolutely beautiful. It was 55 degrees without a cloud in the sky. To our surprise though, all of the stores were closed, but venders were opened, so we strolled through an area almost like a flea market. It was a pretty easy going day. We ate lunch with our padres espanoles and then later in the evening like always we went out for tapas!

Monday I went to class, which was pretty cool because we went to an enormous shopping mall to practice using words that are associated with shopping. After class, we had lunch with our padres espanoles and their grandchildren. They have 2 grandsons one is 19 and the other is 15. It was most enjoyable to meet their grandchildren and witness the unconditional love that Rafa and Conchi have for them. However, the language barrier was pretty evident during the lunch. There were plenty of awkward pauses throughout the entirety of the meal. After we ate, the older grandson started to play a game on his phone. I then retrieved my phone and showed the younger grandson how to play Temple Run. He had never played before, but it was a fun bonding moments because I guess you could say that video games are universal throughout the modern world.

On Tuesday, after class and lunch, IES hosted guided walks throughout different areas of the city. A few friends and I chose the walk that went to part of the Alhambra, a palace and fortress complex located in the mountains above of the city. I feel as if I am repeating my self but like everything else in Granada, the Alhambra is gorgeous. The fortress is incredible, and the view of the city from the Alhambra is just breathtaking. It is always so awe-inspiring when you go to places like the Alhambra and you can just feel the history that surrounds you. It is exciting because I will be taking a class on Islamic Art and Architecture this semester, and we will be going to the Alhambra several times for free!  I cannot wait to learn more about the history that surrounds me. After the walk, I joined several other IES students along with some locals in a game of futbol!

         

LIFE IN SPAIN:

SHOWERING:

Showering is pretty rough in Spain as Spain is undergoing desertification, and thus, it is imperative that as much water as possible is conserved. As a result, we take navy showers, meaning we turn the water on get wet, turn it off, shampoo your hair and what not, and then turn the water back on and rinse off. The whole ordeal should take under 5 minutes. It wouldn’t be so terrible, but the homes are pretty cold, so when you turn the water off, you cannot help but shiver. I definitely miss hot showers.

CLEANING DAY:

In Granada, most Spaniards have a cleaning day when they clean their entire home in one day. Monday cleaning day, and so on Monday mis padres espanoles had started cleaning at 7 AM. They were dusting, vacuuming, doing wash, cleaning windows all before the sun was up, and they do this every Monday. They clean every nook and cranny, including my room and my roommates’. Therefore, I am making a grand attempt to keep my room impeccable, so that I do not make them clean around my mess, and I don’t offend them. BONUS: they do my laundry!

DOGS:

It is absolutely unbelievable how well behaved dogs are in Spain. You almost never see a dog on a leash when going for a walk. When a dog is on a leash, it is usually a puppy that is being trained. An owner will tell a dog to stay as he or she goes into a market to buy some groceries or a bar for a drink, and that dog will sit very still with perfect posture until his owner returns. It is really unbelievable

CHILDREN:

Little kids in Spain are adorable. I don’t know what it is whether they are more well-behaved, dress better, or the fact that they speak Spanish that makes them cuter than American children, but they are so much cuter. They really are well-dressed. Most toddlers dress better than I do. They are little fashionistas. 

SPANISH:

I cannot believe how much my Spanish has improved already!!!

Juice box from the lunch mis padres espanoles packed me. 

My roommate Liz and I during the hike.

SO BEAUTIFUL 

Look at the size of the door to enter part of the Alhambra

The architecture is just amazing!

A view from the Alhambra of the city!

Inside part of the Alhambra