Locks and Walks

This past week here in Granada has involved lots of hiking, tapas-eating, tea-drinking, and getting up at ungodly hours for class. The cat-in-heat saga continues (she's back in heat and wailing like a furious newborn all over again), while a new saga has begun: that of the lock on the apartment door. The lock often doesn't work so my host madre decided we should just keep the door unlocked. She pasted a note on the door telling us never to lock it, and has also been consistently reminding us not to lock it. She's been oiling up the keys and lock with olive oil (a staple for everything here in Spain) but it hasn't made much of a difference. My roommate finally told her that we're not OK with the door always being unlocked but was promptly assured that no one can get in because the door is so hard to open.  However, yesterday she decided it would be alright if we keep the door locked at night once we're all home. Finally, today, she decided the locksmith could come fix it...unless I misunderstood and he was just some man she was discussing the locks with, which I wouldn't be surprised about, since that's her favorite topic of discussion these days... anyways, sorry to bore you about locks, it's just all I've been hearing about and therefore all I can seem to write about.

Moving on...I unfortunately had makeup classes on Friday, but afterwards my friend, Laura and I went on a hike past the Alhambra and up an extremely steep hill covered in olive trees. I made the mistake of wearing a dress and little flowery shoes, but making it up to the top in that attire made me feel all the more accomplished. Getting down was more of an issue...I think I was on my feet less than half of the time. We rewarded ourselves with the creamiest, most delicious gelato, which made it was all worth it. And I'll admit that I had frozen yogurt that night, which was almost as delicious as the gelato. It's hard to resist all the desserts here because they are everywhere to be seen. You can't walk a block without spotting something scrumptious-looking.

at the top of the steep hill!

Yesterday I hiked part of the Sierra Nevada in Monachil again, this time with new people (Marina and Kelsey), so I got to be the tour guide. From my past Monachil experience I steered us in the right direction (this time we didn't spend a 45 minutes hiking up a hill only to wind up in someone's driveway before finding the right trail!) It was as beautiful as before and much sunnier. When I got back, my roommate and I met up with Javi, a native of Granada, at a teteria where I had Pakastani tea (more like warm milk with sugar) and we learned about what the locals do here in Granada. We went to Granada 10, a discoteca (club) last night, which was more fun than I expected because they mostly played Spanish music,which is unusual, as there is an abundance American pop songs here, and it was in a nice space with interesting lighting. Discotecas don't tend to be my scene, but it was worth the experience.

I think today is the warmest it's ever been  here, so I went for a run in the sun. Now I'm exhausted from head to toe. Best be off...my bed is luring me away.

El fin de semana en Barcelona

At 4am Friday morning, my roommate and I got up and braced the cold sunlessness. We met up with seven of our friends at the bus stop, took the bus to the Granada airport, and a little past 10am, we  landed in Barcelona, where we were greeted by Antoni Gaudí's magnificent architecture, including his works in Park Güell, the famous Sagrada Familia, La Pedrera, and Casa Batlló. As I can't capture Gaudí's unique style in words, here are two pictures (although pictures don't really do much justice either):

 

The next morning, we got up bright and early to embark on an action-packed day. We began at Plaza Catalunya, where about 1,000 pigeons flew right at us, and continued on our Merry Way to La Rambla, a famous street filled with flowers and outdoor markets. Then we headed to the Gothic district and admired 14th century architecture. I had an amazing veggie burger (who would have thought you'd find such a thing in ham-obsessed Spain?!) and then we ran into some parade that consisted of hoards of people in elaborate, paper machete costumes. We proceeded to a history museum where we were face-to-face with ancient underground Roman ruins, and I learned that ancient Romans wore lots of makeup, got their feet washed by slaves while they ate dinner, and peed on their laundry as a means of sanitation. The Picasso Museum was next on the list! I spent two hours in a daze as I looked at work spanning his life. What I especially enjoyed was seeing his crazy takes on Velásquez's "Las Meninas," which I got to see at El Prado in Madrid. These paintings look like hilarious nightmare versions of Velásquez's piece, and each was more bizarre than the last. Dinner consisted of lots of fried fish with heads and tails...I tried to eat without looking at them or thinking about them too much. They tasted good though!
 



Today, we took a peaceful walk along the harbor before returning to Granada. Now I'm in my room, still feeling like I'm on vacation and not able to process that I have to go to class in the morning. Can't wait to go on another trip!

Hola vs. Gracias

Since I last wrote (5 days ago, I believe) not too many events have occurred...but I'll write down what I remember:
-On Saturday, some of my friends and I hiked part of the Sierra Nevada mountains in Monachil, a quaint town 30 minutes from Granada. I was a little nervous when crossing the wobbly bridges strung across tall cliffs and even more so when crawling along the edges of cliffs (which I did at snail's pace), but the stunning views of the dramatically angled mountains made the strenuous parts worth it. Plus we got to see sheep and mountain goats! Returning after nearly four hours, we scarfed down  bocadillos con tortilla (long subs with eggs, potatoes, onions, and tomatoes inside) and then enjoyed the warmth of the bus ride home after the chilly wind.
-That night, I met up with some friends at a bar and watched a Spanish band perform while sipping wine and eating olives. It was a very Spanish experience...aside from the fact that the "Spanish" band unfortunately only performed American songs.
-My roommate and I wanted to go to an archaeology museum on Sunday, but it was closed due to renovation. However, our disappointment didn't last long because we noticed a large crowd of people heading somewhere and followed them. We arrived at a festival for some saint (I never found out who) where there was music, dancing, paella, candy, and policemen on horseback. So that definitely made up for the closed museum. That afternoon I took advantage of the skating rink's last day of the season.
-Classes started on Monday. I'm taking Spanish Theater, Culture and Civilization in Spain, Spanish Renaissance Art, Translation, and the obligatory speaking/writing skills class. Even though I'd been out of classes for almost two months, I wasn't exactly anxious to start again and definitely wasn't missing the work and stress they entail. So I can't really say I'm excited that classes have started, especially when I'm in such a beautiful place and all I want to do is roam around, but all things considered, the classes seem interesting and the professors seem competent. I especially enjoyed my Spanish Theater class this morning when we read an act of a play in Castellano and had to try and figure out what the words mean in Spanish. It's really satisfying to go through and decode--I felt like a detective.
-Monday night, I had the best tapas ever. They were just bread with tomato/pepper/cheese, but the simplicity was the key to their deliciousness. I think the sangria I had with them might have gone to my head because on the way home, after being given a free sample of pipas (sunflower seeds) I said "hola" instead of "gracias" ("hi" instead of "thank you"). I've been taking Spanish since Freshman year of high school and I'm in the advanced classes at the University of Granada so I'm not sure what my problem was...but that is definitely up there as one of my most embarrassing moments.
-Last night, I had more great luck with food (it's easy to have great luck with food here). I had a milkshake at a teteria (tea shop) and one of the ingredients was avocado, which I though would be disgusting, but I was peer pressured into getting it and it ended up being the best beverage I've ever had. That sounds like an overstatement but it's not.
-As of today, I think the cat has stopped being in heat. She still moans every so often but doesn't scream and gurgle in agony anymore, so that's a good sign. I'm looking forward to sleeping through the night.
Time to go sit outside in the sun. Adiosssss.

Some Recent Highlights

-Every time I told anyone I was going to Granada, they'd say, "Oh, you'll get to see the Alhambra!" On Tuesday, I finally got to experience the cause of all the excitement. I was definitely not disappointed. Each painstakingly carved and tiled room of the palace was even more beautiful than the next. I would tell myself to stop taking so many pictures, but as I walked into a new room, I'd start shooting in a frenzy all over again.

-After enduring a grueling placement exam that lasted more than three hours, I placed at the right level to take the courses I want. Now I'm just anxiously awaiting my finalized schedule.
-After enduring a grueling four nights of no sleep due to an extremely loud cat in heat, yesterday I finally bought earplugs and slept through the night. I have no idea why I haven't worn earplugs my whole life-- they are a life-saver.
-My host madre made quinoa yesterday, a completely different species of quinoa than the hard and tasteless gruel posing as quinoa in the Bard cafeteria. Gastronomically, I am quite satisfied here in Spain.
-Yesterday morning it was raining, but I went for a run nonetheless with my friend, Laura. We ran along Rio Genil, which looks like an elongated puddle in some sections, but if you run far enough, it turns into a nice, flowing river. It ended up being super refreshing despite the rain, so I'm about to go for another run now. This time I might even use the exercise equipment along the path because it won't be covered in raindrops. More soon!

First Impressions

I’m currently sitting on my bed in my new home in Granada, Spain, munching on a banana because my stomach can’t hold out for 9pm dinners. In Spain, the norm is a tiny breakfast, a large lunch at 2 or 3pm, and a small dinner at 9 or 10pm. Many Spaniards, including my host madre, Ana María, don’t eat breakfast or dinner, just lunch. I know this for a fact because when my roommate, Ally, and I asked for cereal for breakfast she gave it to us on a plate without milk (but she makes delicious vegetarian lunches and recently published a cookbook, so I’m not complaining). Spaniards also don’t really seem to sleep—they go out until like 6am but wake up bright and early for work the next day. And they don’t seem to need bathrooms because there are none in any stores anywhere. Being someone who eats, sleeps, and pees a lot, I am impressed by this ability to forego  basic needs. Although stores here are always playing American music and many signs are in English, there are a number of things, in addition to meal times, that I have yet to get used to. To name a few:

-Men here wear bonnets and poke their heads through strollers that have fake baby bodies in them meant to look attached to their heads. These man babies wail and gurgle while you walk by, hoping you’ll tip them for their gruesome cuteness. When I saw my first man baby, I was impressed by the creativity, but then I realized there’s a whole species of them, they’re everywhere, and they’re all the same. Now I barely notice their cries as I walk by. Also, the first time you see a shiny goat, a man with glasses but no head, or a man balancing midair from a stick, it’s eye-opening, but then you start to realize one is just like the next; they’re not wacky weirdos but trend-following conformers just like the rest of us.

-Unclothed feet are a sin here. I keep almost walking out of my room only in socks, only to dash back for my slippers before Ana María notices. For whatever reason, showing feet here is as scandalous as wearing no pants.

-It’s customary to press your cheeks against people while kissing the air here, first right and then left. I still don’t have the timing right. I only remember to kiss when the whole thing is over, so I’m left to awkwardly kiss the air after they’ve already moved away.

-Waiters will give you a strange look if you ask for your food to be wrapped up, and there are no to-go cups. The culture here is more relaxed—people don’t feel the need to walk while they eat or drink and actually take time to digest. But I’m going to miss walking around with a warm cup of coffee in my hand.

-Like in America, bread is served before the meal, but unlike in America, you’re generally charged for it. If you ask for water, you get expensive bottled water. They’ll give you tap water if you ask for it, but you can tell it brings them grief to give you a beverage they don’t profit from…I’m assuming that’s why the tap is called the “grifo” (pronounced “griefo”).

These oddities are really nothing to complain about because I can make a list of how Spain is superior to America, and it will be much longer than the above list:

-Tapas, small plates of various types of foods, are served free with drinks. This evening, I had tinto de vino (a summer wine mixed with lemonade), a small tuna sandwich, and chips for 2 euros.

-There are major sales until the end of February. I explored the sales yesterday and am currently wearing a ring I bought for 2.50 euros. Apparently the sales are meant to bolster the failing economy, which isn’t something to be happy about…but still.

-The Alhambra, a picturesque palace on a mountain (which we’ll explore tomorrow) is right there. Like, within half an hour of my apartment. I can’t say they have that in America.

-Every street is made of tiles in intricate patterns, and places for walking are much wider than the roads for cars. In America, there are plain old paved roads for cars, and you’re lucky if there’s a sidewalk. It’s definitely a walker-friendly city, and I love being able to use my body, rather than a gas-guzzling machine, to get places.

-There are quite a few parks around here, all with exercise machines. So you get to work out surrounded by palm trees rather than cold walls, and you don’t have to pay.

-It’s the norm for nuns to sell cookies from their convents. You buzz in and the nun puts your order on a rotating concealed plate so you never see her face. It’s kind of like a drug deal but with a nun. No big deal.

-Classes here don’t start until February 6^th, so I get plenty of time to acclimate myself to this amazing city.

So yeah, even though I can’t get coffee to-go or watch “Desperate Housewives” for four months, I’m unbelievably happy to be here. I feel like I’ve been transported into an alternate reality where people zoom around cobblestone roads on vespas and casually walk their dogs by a magnificent Moorish palace.

Since I’m in list-mode, I’ll add a list of the major places I’ve been so far, just for the record:

1.       Arrived January 23^rd in Madrid- Barajas Airport after sitting next to a girl from Madrid on the plane and listening to her rant about the wonders of the city for nearly the whole trip.

2.       Stayed at the Hotel Moderno in Madrid for three nights. While in Madrid, I was first exposed to the man babies, goats, etc. Like Granada, Madrid is a city that clearly puts much effort into appearance. Went to the Prado Museum and got to see El Greco, Velásquez, and Goya.

3.       Went to El Escorial, a small town an hour north of Madrid. Saw el Monastario de San Lorenzo, a breathtakingly beautiful monastery. It consists of intricately decorated rooms, including an ornate golden room filled with caskets for the bones of dead royalty. The dead royalty are pretty lucky—if my bones had to go anywhere, that’s probably where I’d choose.

4.       On our way to Granada, stopped in Toledo, which is right out of a fairytale, with castles, a moat, and little cottages. We saw the famous “Burial of Count Orgaz” by El Greco and visited a beautiful church and synagogue. Then we made our way to Granada, where Ana María picked Ally and me up at the bus stop and brought us to her apartment, where she is currently spoiling us with her cooking skills.

That pretty much sums it up for now…stay tuned!