Vivo en Espana!

We know this program is off to a great start when my mind started thinking in Spanish about what I wanted to write here. I have already spoken so much Spanish in the past five days and understood even more, I am anxious to continue improving. Pienso que la lengua es tan facil para hablar y aprender cuando los estudiantes en mi programa queremos hablar y entender espanol tambien. (Had to show the parents I'm being productive--freetranslation.com should help with the previous sentence)

Where to start?! Well, the first two and a half days in Malaga were less than stellar. The city is definitely not the most beautiful destination in Spain, especially when it is raining--every. day. In fairness, I was battling jet lag, multiple emotions regarding the beginning my trip, and the daunting task of moving 3 suitcases around the city (I'm such a master now). Moving forward.

I knew I was going to fall in love while I was staring out the window the entire bus trip from Malaga to Granada. I've said this to a few people, but I truly believe that Andalucia (the southern province of Spain) is the Spain that I have loved in my mind for so long. There is no need for huge cities here; Andaluces love their country, their language, their smaller cities so much that it is impossible not be inspired and interested by those same things. The inspiration has only grown since being in Granada and I cannot wait for it to continue. More on my love for Granada in a bit.

Let's talk about the home life. I live in a beautiful apartment with mi senora, Juana (or Juanie as we are supposed to call her), my wonderful roommate Val, and for right now, Juanie's daughter Nuvia. The apartment is a 20 minute walk from my school and is near a lot of other students in my program. It is incredible how quiet it is considering it is still very much in the city and I am excited that it is already beginning to feel comfortable and welcoming. Juanie is divorced and has two other children, both married and living in Madrid. Her "nuevo amor" (new love) is her grandson Manuel who is 3 years old and the most adorable toddler ever (as seen in pictures). She works in a school/care center for immigrant children, mostly from Morocco. When discussing immigration, Spain's relationship to Morocco is equivalent to the United States' relationship with Mexico. Obviously there are differences, but there are a lot of issues especially in this area regarding immigrants and their ability to lead a productive and beneficial life in Spain. Juanie's school helps to place these children on the right track before they are adopted by providing them with schooling, health services (gotta love public health care), and a place that they are able to feel comfortable in. She is perfect for the job because she cares so much, even for these two American college girls that have just stumbled into her life. She doesn't speak English and speaks extremely fast with a strong accent. I am understanding her more and more and helping Val who is having some difficulty understanding the accent. In general, the Granada accent is the hardest to understand in all of Spain, providing for some interesting interactions on the street and some laughs shared by Spaniards and Americans alike.

Most importantly--Juanie's food. I'm already dreading the States. Just a few hours ago for comida (lunch) we had fresh salmon with potatoes, peppers and onions (seemingly baked), and broccoli with olive oil and garlic. Val and I race home everyday for siesta anticipating the wonderful food that will be waiting. And even more importantly, it is so healthy and we walk so much, none of it can possibly be going to my hips (or so I tell myself). It is an extremely different eating schedule, but slowly but surely I am becoming accustomed to the late hours. More on food and such in another post!

Yesterday we started orientation in Granada which goes until Feb. 8th. Each morning we walk to the IES Center and have Spanish language/culture class from 9am-2pm everyday. It is fun, a little boring, but overall helpful in providing the necessary vocabulary and customs to move easily around the city. Our language classes are our orientation (AIDE) groups so I have gotten close with a few of the members. Ironically, two Brandeis girls are in my group (Alina and Sarah) and thus I have them as a support which is great. There are extremely obvious differences between Spanish and American cultures as well as more subtle differences, but most have already exposed themselves and I have begun to get used to them. I'll save that for another post as well.

Yesterday, we walked into the Albacyin, the oldest neighborhood in Granada. We watched the sun set over the entire city (inculding La Alhambra and Sierra Nevada) at St. Nicolas and San Cristobal (both amazing lookouts) and the idea that I am living HERE in this amazing place truly started my love affair with this city. The streets are constantly buzzing with excitement and the opportunity to spend another day in this city that adores its media manana coffee, a tapas after work, and a dinner that lasts late into the night creates that excitement for me as well. I have not found one thing that I do not love about this city and am itching to explore more.

Speaking of exploring, I did get a tad lost with a few friends last night for approximately 2 hours in the freezing cold. It ended up being a lot of fun even if we can't retrace our steps and we were able to practice our direction asking to find the main street (well, really my friend Andrew got to practice his direction skills). We ended up in a cafeteria for some coffee and eventually (around 11) four of us went to a tapas bar to celebrate a Andrew's 21st birthday and lost track of time in conversation, laughter, and 2 pitchers of sangria. Overall, it was a great first real night in Granada and I am looking forward to so many more.

Today we went up to the Alhambra for a little bit which was incredible, but definitely deserves another more in depth visit throughout my time here. Right now, its 5:40pm and Val and I are getting ready to go for a walk around the neighborhood to get to know it a little better. Later, there is a soccer game with Spanish students where I will be happily sitting on the sidelines doing the least damage possible. Tomorrow morning, we are going to La Alpujarra for a 7 mile walk up into the mountains which is supposed to be incredible, and cold. I'll post pictures from the hike and the lookout points soon, so keep an eye on your email!

With the persuasion of my dad, I am going to close out each post with a brief list/description of the best food I've eaten since the last post. As we know food is incredibly important to me and so I might as well share it all with you! Entonces, here is the list and enjoy. Hasta luego!

Fresh roasted red peppers in a basic vinegar
Patatas bravas (hashbrown-style potatoes smothered in Russian dressing)
Tortilla espanola! (potato quiche-like)
some soup that is made with broccoli and zucchini and cheese
Pasta carbonara (light cream sauce with bacon pieces over spaghetti)