Another week has passed here in Granada. Here are a few recent observations:
-I've never associated hard, bitter cranberries with soft, sweet blueberries, but they share a word in Spanish (arándano), which makes no sense to me because they are completely different! But maybe if in English, blueberries and cranberries were both called "cranberries," and the emphasis on the blueness of blueberries was lifted off, they might be more linked in my mind. Strange how language can create or prevent associations between concepts.
-"Rum" is "ron" in Spanish. Thus, to Spaniards, "Ron Weasley" must sound like "Rum Weasley."
-"Manquito"means "one-armed" or "one-handed." "Tuerto" means "one-eyed." Are there more one-armed/one-handed/one-eyed people in Spanish-speaking countries than English-speaking countries, so that the existence of such words becomes necessary? The specificity of some Spanish words really impresses me. Spanish words tend to have more syllables than English words, and thus sentences tend to take longer to express, so I guess it makes sense and saves time to turn whole ideas into single words that can be uttered rapidly.
-When I listen to Spanish speakers and am overwhelmed by all the strange phrases they know, I start to realize that English also has its fair share of strange phrases. I tend to say them without second thought, but when I do put a second thought in, it occurs to me how confusing they must be to non-native speakers. For instance, how is it possible that "I'd be down for that" and "I'd be up for that" mean exactly the same thing? And why do we need to turn our alarm clocks off when they go off?
-Aside from language nuances, another aspect of Spain that never ceases to amaze me is the lack of pressure to hurry. I never realized how hurried Americans are until I came here. Every time my American friend and I hang out with our Spanish friends, we end up at the end of a block when they're still at the beginning of one. It's nearly impossible for us to remember to move as slowly as they do. For them, walking from one bar to the next is just as much part of the experience as being at the bars themselves. But we're Americans, so for us, it's always about what's next on the list. That said, I really do prefer walking quickly--I honestly find it easier.
-On the subject of the relaxed culture, Starbucks the one "American" café I've gone to here, was the only one that offered take-out coffee. And the small coffees at Starbucks are larger than the large coffees at all other cafés. At no other cafés would they understand the need to drink coffee on the go, rather than sitting and enjoying it, or the need for more than teacup's worth of caffeine to get through a day. I guess siestas here might be the alternative to caffeine.
-The weather is one thing that generally does seem to stress Spaniards more than Americans. On countless occasions, when the apartment has been perfectly well-heated, my host mother has insisted I'll get sick because I'm not wearing a sweater. And I get strange looks from everyone when I run in shorts and a T-shirt since it's April, rather than bundling up only to sweat all over my clothes. According to one of my professors, no one gets out their designated summer clothes until the end of May. All skin, regardless of the amount of heat, stays covered until then.
-Speaking of strange looks, here in Spain, everyone stares at everyone on the street. Apparently it's not considered rude, because everyone does it. No one, however smiles. In America, if you look at someone, you have to smile. If you aren't in the mood to smile, you look away and pretend not to see them. But in the majority of cases, you do want to look at people, because humans are interesting, but you don't want to always smile, because who wants to bare their teeth all day? So, my theory holds that Americans are generally less at ease with each other than Spaniards. Spaniards just stare and don't care. Nonetheless, I still smile because the necessity to do so is ingrained in me...and it would be nice if I received a smile in return every now and then.
Onto recent updates...since I last wrote, I visited the beach in Nerja again, where my special friend the adorable dog, who I bonded with last time, came running to me, amidst all the beach go-ers! It was a wonderful reunion and a wonderful day, warm enough to get in the water, but not warm enough to stay in for more than a split second. I'm surprised I was able to move my muscles enough to get myself out of the water because they went numb instantly.
On Tuesday, my friend Althea, the one I stayed with in Florence, and her mom, Shelley, spent a night in Granada. We saw a magnificent flamenco show that came with dinner and went to the Arab baths the next day, which weren't any less shabby than those in Córdoba. Again, I felt like a puffball afterwards. It was sad to say goodbye, but I'm going to Switzerland with her at the end of this month, so I can't complain too much.
Yesterday, I went to Sevilla with my roommate, Ally. Altogether we spent over six hours on the bus there and back, but it was well worth it between the sites we saw and the food we ate. First we saw the absolutely stunning cathedral and views of Sevilla from the Giralda Tower. Then we had lunch at Osteria L'Oca Giuliva, an Italian restaurant that I want to go back to every day for the rest of my time here (too bad it's three hours away). If any of you readers happen to go there, get the pasta with pears and Gorgonzola and/or the pizza with shrimp...scrumptious! We then went to the Alcázar, originally a Moorish fort, with upper levels that are to this day, residence of the royal family. The architecture is comparable to the Alhambra in terms of beauty, not to mention the lush gardens, home to a family of peacocks.
I just got back from a Spanish dubbed version of "The Vow" ("Todos los dias de mi vida") which was a decent chick flick, and I was glad I pretty much understood what was being said. Almost all the movies shown here are dubbed American movies. It's quite interesting seeing Channing Tatum and Rachel McAdams speak in Spanish. I was planning to see the Titanic in 3D here in Spain, but I don't think I could handle strangeness of watching a Spanish Jack and Rose. It smells like dinner is on it's way. I'd best be off!
-I've never associated hard, bitter cranberries with soft, sweet blueberries, but they share a word in Spanish (arándano), which makes no sense to me because they are completely different! But maybe if in English, blueberries and cranberries were both called "cranberries," and the emphasis on the blueness of blueberries was lifted off, they might be more linked in my mind. Strange how language can create or prevent associations between concepts.
-"Rum" is "ron" in Spanish. Thus, to Spaniards, "Ron Weasley" must sound like "Rum Weasley."
-"Manquito"means "one-armed" or "one-handed." "Tuerto" means "one-eyed." Are there more one-armed/one-handed/one-eyed people in Spanish-speaking countries than English-speaking countries, so that the existence of such words becomes necessary? The specificity of some Spanish words really impresses me. Spanish words tend to have more syllables than English words, and thus sentences tend to take longer to express, so I guess it makes sense and saves time to turn whole ideas into single words that can be uttered rapidly.
-When I listen to Spanish speakers and am overwhelmed by all the strange phrases they know, I start to realize that English also has its fair share of strange phrases. I tend to say them without second thought, but when I do put a second thought in, it occurs to me how confusing they must be to non-native speakers. For instance, how is it possible that "I'd be down for that" and "I'd be up for that" mean exactly the same thing? And why do we need to turn our alarm clocks off when they go off?
-Aside from language nuances, another aspect of Spain that never ceases to amaze me is the lack of pressure to hurry. I never realized how hurried Americans are until I came here. Every time my American friend and I hang out with our Spanish friends, we end up at the end of a block when they're still at the beginning of one. It's nearly impossible for us to remember to move as slowly as they do. For them, walking from one bar to the next is just as much part of the experience as being at the bars themselves. But we're Americans, so for us, it's always about what's next on the list. That said, I really do prefer walking quickly--I honestly find it easier.
-On the subject of the relaxed culture, Starbucks the one "American" café I've gone to here, was the only one that offered take-out coffee. And the small coffees at Starbucks are larger than the large coffees at all other cafés. At no other cafés would they understand the need to drink coffee on the go, rather than sitting and enjoying it, or the need for more than teacup's worth of caffeine to get through a day. I guess siestas here might be the alternative to caffeine.
-The weather is one thing that generally does seem to stress Spaniards more than Americans. On countless occasions, when the apartment has been perfectly well-heated, my host mother has insisted I'll get sick because I'm not wearing a sweater. And I get strange looks from everyone when I run in shorts and a T-shirt since it's April, rather than bundling up only to sweat all over my clothes. According to one of my professors, no one gets out their designated summer clothes until the end of May. All skin, regardless of the amount of heat, stays covered until then.
-Speaking of strange looks, here in Spain, everyone stares at everyone on the street. Apparently it's not considered rude, because everyone does it. No one, however smiles. In America, if you look at someone, you have to smile. If you aren't in the mood to smile, you look away and pretend not to see them. But in the majority of cases, you do want to look at people, because humans are interesting, but you don't want to always smile, because who wants to bare their teeth all day? So, my theory holds that Americans are generally less at ease with each other than Spaniards. Spaniards just stare and don't care. Nonetheless, I still smile because the necessity to do so is ingrained in me...and it would be nice if I received a smile in return every now and then.
Onto recent updates...since I last wrote, I visited the beach in Nerja again, where my special friend the adorable dog, who I bonded with last time, came running to me, amidst all the beach go-ers! It was a wonderful reunion and a wonderful day, warm enough to get in the water, but not warm enough to stay in for more than a split second. I'm surprised I was able to move my muscles enough to get myself out of the water because they went numb instantly.
On Tuesday, my friend Althea, the one I stayed with in Florence, and her mom, Shelley, spent a night in Granada. We saw a magnificent flamenco show that came with dinner and went to the Arab baths the next day, which weren't any less shabby than those in Córdoba. Again, I felt like a puffball afterwards. It was sad to say goodbye, but I'm going to Switzerland with her at the end of this month, so I can't complain too much.
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| The gardens of the Alcázar |
Yesterday, I went to Sevilla with my roommate, Ally. Altogether we spent over six hours on the bus there and back, but it was well worth it between the sites we saw and the food we ate. First we saw the absolutely stunning cathedral and views of Sevilla from the Giralda Tower. Then we had lunch at Osteria L'Oca Giuliva, an Italian restaurant that I want to go back to every day for the rest of my time here (too bad it's three hours away). If any of you readers happen to go there, get the pasta with pears and Gorgonzola and/or the pizza with shrimp...scrumptious! We then went to the Alcázar, originally a Moorish fort, with upper levels that are to this day, residence of the royal family. The architecture is comparable to the Alhambra in terms of beauty, not to mention the lush gardens, home to a family of peacocks.
I just got back from a Spanish dubbed version of "The Vow" ("Todos los dias de mi vida") which was a decent chick flick, and I was glad I pretty much understood what was being said. Almost all the movies shown here are dubbed American movies. It's quite interesting seeing Channing Tatum and Rachel McAdams speak in Spanish. I was planning to see the Titanic in 3D here in Spain, but I don't think I could handle strangeness of watching a Spanish Jack and Rose. It smells like dinner is on it's way. I'd best be off!
