Hola!
I can't believe I've only been here for three weeks! It definitely feels like way longer (in a good way!).
So over the last three weeks, I've learned some very valuable Spanish lessons:
1. Spaniards to not believe in heat
Electricity is really expensive here, so they try to use as little of it as possible. I don't mind keeping the lights off during the day or unplugging my laptop when I am not using it, but not turning the heat on is VERY rough. I did not bring enough sweatshirts with me to deal with the climate inside our apartment! Instead of using central heat, my host mom has a table in the living room covered by several thick tablecloths/blankets. Under the table is a space heater! The exciting invention, called a "mesa camilla," keeps you very warm when in the living room, so we spend a lot of time watching TV with Ana.
2. Game shows are all the rage
My host mom LOVES watching game shows. They are on every night before the news, and we often watch them while sitting under the mesa camilla. Our favorites are "Ya caigo!" and "Atrapa un millon." Both are pretty standard trivia shows where the contestants win money by answering questions. My host mom LOVES these shows and she always knows the answers! Dana (my roommate) and I are learning a lot of new words and facts from our evening routine of game show watching.
3. Sundays are for NOT doing anything
Everything shuts down here on Sundays. Dana and I went to the mall one Sunday and the only things open were a few cafes and the movie theater. It was almost surreal to walk through an entire mall almost completely closed! Sunday is also the only day where it's acceptable to lie around all day in your pajamas, which I have most definitely been taking advantage of here!
4. "Thank you" is never used lightly
Ana told Dana and me a few days into our journey here that Americans say thank you way too often. Apparently here in Spain, you do not say thank you every time someone hands you a paper or gives you a piece of fruit. I never realized how often I say thank you until I started trying NOT to say it!
5. Everything is air-dried
Most people do not have dryers in their houses, so clothing, linens, and all other laundry is hung to dry out on the balcony (everyone has balconies here). I am no stranger to air-drying some of my laundry, but here's something I learned--when my jeans do not go through a dryer, they are way looser. It is sort of annoying, but at least it makes me feel skinnier!
So now, if you ever come to Spain (perhaps to visit me!), you'll be prepared with some Spanish tips!
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
First excursion!
This weekend, we had our first excursion out of Granada--to Ronda!
We took a day-trip on Saturday to Ronda, an small Andalusian city about 2.5 hours from Granada. Needless to say, to get a full-day's worth of adventures in, we had to leave pretty early. It was pretty weird walking through Granada on an early Saturday morning--no one was around!
After a pretty sleepy bus ride through the mountains around Granada, we arrived in Ronda! Ronda is in the providence of Malaga, which is known for its sunny, warm climate, and Ronda was no exception! The sun was shining, and we all took off our jackets as we toured the beautiful city. Ronda is on a hill surrounded by mountains, so the view was gorgeous. We spent a long time just staring out at the Spanish countryside, then toured their bullring and learned about bullfighting in Spain. Afterwards, we had a giant lunch at a local restaurant, then walked over the the bridge that connects the old and new parts of Ronda. They bridge is needed because right in the middle of the city there is a huge crack in the earth. It was a pretty incredible sight.
We all got some free time in Ronda after visiting the bridge, so I explored the older part of the city and spent some time in some cute plazas. When the sun started to set, we all boarded the bus and traveled back to Granada, getting home just in time for dinner.
It was really exciting to leave Granada for the day and see another part of Spain! It really got me ready to start traveling more, but we all want to wait until at least February so that we have a chance to really get to know Granada.
This week is the last week of the intense Spanish course. On Monday we will be taking out placement test and our semester-long classes will start the following week! I'm definitely looking forward to getting into a routine here in Spain. Hopefully then it will feel more like home!
We took a day-trip on Saturday to Ronda, an small Andalusian city about 2.5 hours from Granada. Needless to say, to get a full-day's worth of adventures in, we had to leave pretty early. It was pretty weird walking through Granada on an early Saturday morning--no one was around!
After a pretty sleepy bus ride through the mountains around Granada, we arrived in Ronda! Ronda is in the providence of Malaga, which is known for its sunny, warm climate, and Ronda was no exception! The sun was shining, and we all took off our jackets as we toured the beautiful city. Ronda is on a hill surrounded by mountains, so the view was gorgeous. We spent a long time just staring out at the Spanish countryside, then toured their bullring and learned about bullfighting in Spain. Afterwards, we had a giant lunch at a local restaurant, then walked over the the bridge that connects the old and new parts of Ronda. They bridge is needed because right in the middle of the city there is a huge crack in the earth. It was a pretty incredible sight.
We all got some free time in Ronda after visiting the bridge, so I explored the older part of the city and spent some time in some cute plazas. When the sun started to set, we all boarded the bus and traveled back to Granada, getting home just in time for dinner.
It was really exciting to leave Granada for the day and see another part of Spain! It really got me ready to start traveling more, but we all want to wait until at least February so that we have a chance to really get to know Granada.
This week is the last week of the intense Spanish course. On Monday we will be taking out placement test and our semester-long classes will start the following week! I'm definitely looking forward to getting into a routine here in Spain. Hopefully then it will feel more like home!
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| Spain Countryside |
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| Bullring! |
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| Giant crack in the earth! |
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| Bridge |
Friday, January 20, 2012
Third Time's a Charm!
Yesterday I visited the most popular monument in all of Spain--the Alhambra. Now this is a very cool, very big deal! It's not every day that one gets to visit a former Arabian palace/fortress, right? More like a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Well, not for me!
Wednesday was my third time visiting the Alhambra. I went for the first time with my family during our trip to Spain in 2002 and again with my high school Spanish program in 2008. Interestingly enough (and luckily!), the Alhambra seems to get better with age (mine), so going again was pretty awesome! It was also awesome that I could walk to the Alhambra! No one else seems to understand that it is clearly hugely incredible that I woke up yesterday morning and walked on over to the most important monument in Spain! Big deal.
The Alhambra was built when the Muslims ruled Spain between 711 and 1492. I'm not sure exactly when it was built during those 700 years, but it was sometime then. It was used by many Arab kings throughout the centuries and then, after Isabel and Fernando died and their grandson, Carlos V, became ruler, it was used by the Christians. Now, however, it is simply a monument to attest to the great mixture of cultures one sees here in the south of Spain.
There are three parts of the Alhambra and we got to see them all! The three parts are:
In addition, there are gorgeous gardens that unfortunately were not as gorgeous as they could be since it is winter and all. Despite that, though, the trip was a huge success! We had a very lovely day--it was even warm in the sun! Still very cold in the shade, though, and inside the marble walls of the Alhambra. A few flowers were still growing in the gardens, which gave me hope that Spring will come eventually and I will not be shivering in my own house anymore! What a great thought :-)
I had my first exam in Spain today! Hopefully soon I will start feeling more like I am living here and less like I am visiting. I am looking forward to the real semester starting in a few weeks. With any luck getting into a routine will help solidify everything and then I can try to turn into a Spaniard!
We are going to Ronda on Saturday! As much as I love Granada (and I really do!), I am looking forward to taking an excursion somewhere new for the day. I've never been to Ronda!
Here are some additional pictures from the Alhambra that I couldn't resist sharing:
Wednesday was my third time visiting the Alhambra. I went for the first time with my family during our trip to Spain in 2002 and again with my high school Spanish program in 2008. Interestingly enough (and luckily!), the Alhambra seems to get better with age (mine), so going again was pretty awesome! It was also awesome that I could walk to the Alhambra! No one else seems to understand that it is clearly hugely incredible that I woke up yesterday morning and walked on over to the most important monument in Spain! Big deal.
The Alhambra was built when the Muslims ruled Spain between 711 and 1492. I'm not sure exactly when it was built during those 700 years, but it was sometime then. It was used by many Arab kings throughout the centuries and then, after Isabel and Fernando died and their grandson, Carlos V, became ruler, it was used by the Christians. Now, however, it is simply a monument to attest to the great mixture of cultures one sees here in the south of Spain.
There are three parts of the Alhambra and we got to see them all! The three parts are:
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| La alcazaba (The fortress) |
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| Los Palacios (The Palaces) |
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| El Generalife (The Royal Summer Home) |
I had my first exam in Spain today! Hopefully soon I will start feeling more like I am living here and less like I am visiting. I am looking forward to the real semester starting in a few weeks. With any luck getting into a routine will help solidify everything and then I can try to turn into a Spaniard!
We are going to Ronda on Saturday! As much as I love Granada (and I really do!), I am looking forward to taking an excursion somewhere new for the day. I've never been to Ronda!
Here are some additional pictures from the Alhambra that I couldn't resist sharing:
Monday, January 16, 2012
The rain in Spain...
...does NOT fall mainly on the plain. Granada is in a very mountainous area and let me tell you, the rain is definitely falling.
I've been in Spain for a whole week! Okay well technically a week ago I was still flying here, but that practically counts. It has been a crazy first week for sure.
The week was full of walking tours or "paseos" all around the city. Over the week, went to a ton of plazas, saw the Universidad de Granada, went to the old part of the city, toured el Catedral and la Castilla Real, climbed up a mountain and got a great view of the city and the Alhambra... it was quite a week! We also visited the Museum of the Memory of Andalusia, which is in a very modern part of the city. There we learned all about the history of Andalusia, which was good because now we know the context behind all of the historic buildings we've been visiting.
We also started our intensive class this week. I'm taking "Spain in the 21st Century: Building Bridges." We're going to learn a lot about the history of Spain (mostly in Andalusia) and see how it is still applied to life today, all while preparing for our placement test at the end of the month. The class seems really interesting, but more work than I think any of us were expecting! I've already written two papers for the class! (They were short, but they still count!) The class is only about three weeks long, so I guess everything has to be crushed into the small time period. It's a little hard to admit that we are here to study and learn, and not just tour and have fun.
During the first week here I also got to check out some tapas bars with some other students from the group. Tapas bars are fantastic because when you order a drink, you get a free tapa (sort of like an appetizer portion of awesome food)! My favorite tapa is still tortilla española, which I discovered the first time I was in Spain (and I've probably had about five times since landing). The sangria in Granada so far has also been very good!
I've been spending a lot of time with my host mom, Ana, whenever I've been in our apartment. She is really fantastic--so flexible about our meal schedule and loves chatting! Unfortunately the conversations are still mostly one-sided, as Dana and I are much better and understanding Spanish than speaking it, but I'm sure that will change soon. Ana has been teaching us new words, as well as Spanish customs such as not saying "gracias" after every thing she does for us. Ana lives alone, but her two grown daughters come and stay with her sometimes, and I'm really looking forward to getting to know them, too!
Tomorrow we start a full week of class, which may be a little weird after all the excursions and activities. Wednesday, though, we are visiting the Alhambra, and Saturday we have a day-trip to nearby Ronda, so it will definitely not be a boring week!
I've been in Spain for a whole week! Okay well technically a week ago I was still flying here, but that practically counts. It has been a crazy first week for sure.
The week was full of walking tours or "paseos" all around the city. Over the week, went to a ton of plazas, saw the Universidad de Granada, went to the old part of the city, toured el Catedral and la Castilla Real, climbed up a mountain and got a great view of the city and the Alhambra... it was quite a week! We also visited the Museum of the Memory of Andalusia, which is in a very modern part of the city. There we learned all about the history of Andalusia, which was good because now we know the context behind all of the historic buildings we've been visiting.
We also started our intensive class this week. I'm taking "Spain in the 21st Century: Building Bridges." We're going to learn a lot about the history of Spain (mostly in Andalusia) and see how it is still applied to life today, all while preparing for our placement test at the end of the month. The class seems really interesting, but more work than I think any of us were expecting! I've already written two papers for the class! (They were short, but they still count!) The class is only about three weeks long, so I guess everything has to be crushed into the small time period. It's a little hard to admit that we are here to study and learn, and not just tour and have fun.
During the first week here I also got to check out some tapas bars with some other students from the group. Tapas bars are fantastic because when you order a drink, you get a free tapa (sort of like an appetizer portion of awesome food)! My favorite tapa is still tortilla española, which I discovered the first time I was in Spain (and I've probably had about five times since landing). The sangria in Granada so far has also been very good!
I've been spending a lot of time with my host mom, Ana, whenever I've been in our apartment. She is really fantastic--so flexible about our meal schedule and loves chatting! Unfortunately the conversations are still mostly one-sided, as Dana and I are much better and understanding Spanish than speaking it, but I'm sure that will change soon. Ana has been teaching us new words, as well as Spanish customs such as not saying "gracias" after every thing she does for us. Ana lives alone, but her two grown daughters come and stay with her sometimes, and I'm really looking forward to getting to know them, too!
Tomorrow we start a full week of class, which may be a little weird after all the excursions and activities. Wednesday, though, we are visiting the Alhambra, and Saturday we have a day-trip to nearby Ronda, so it will definitely not be a boring week!
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| First sangria! |
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| First tortilla! |
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| My room |
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| View from the window |
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| The Sierra Nevada |
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| Iglesia de Santa Ana |
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| Capilla Real |
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| Catherdal |
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| Awesome view of the Alhambra |
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Winter in Granada
Hola from Granada!
Yes, it's true! I'm in Spain and already starting what will prove to be a very exciting (and overwhelming) semester abroad. We landed yesterday afternoon after almost 18 hours of traveling (we had quite a layover in Madrid). I met my host mother, Ana, and settled in to my new room for the next five months! Even though I'm staying with another University of Delaware student, I have my own room! It's pretty small and VERY cold, (I do not think they believe in heat in this country) but has everything I could need and a window that looks out onto the street and a little plaza. Unfortunately, it is not in the historic, beautiful part of the city, but I'll take what I can get when I'm living in Spain!
So after getting to the apartment, my roommate and I ate lunch with Ana, unpacked, hung out in the living room and chatted with Ana, and ate dinner. Then we went to sleep! It was a VERY long two days with very little sleep on the plane.
Today, though, was way more interesting. Ana walked Dana and I to "La fuente de las batallas," where we met the rest of the group. Our two directors, Amalia and Teresa, then took us to the Centro de Lenguas Modernas, where we'll be having all our classes this semester. We had an orientation session where we learned about our intensive language/culture class during January, as well as some planned excursions. Later, Dana and I returned for lunch, took a small break, then met the group again for a walking tour of some of Granada. We went through and learned about several different plazas and a cathedral. It was getting dark, so it got VERY cold. I do not think I packed enough warm clothing!!
I'll post pictures next time I update!
Yes, it's true! I'm in Spain and already starting what will prove to be a very exciting (and overwhelming) semester abroad. We landed yesterday afternoon after almost 18 hours of traveling (we had quite a layover in Madrid). I met my host mother, Ana, and settled in to my new room for the next five months! Even though I'm staying with another University of Delaware student, I have my own room! It's pretty small and VERY cold, (I do not think they believe in heat in this country) but has everything I could need and a window that looks out onto the street and a little plaza. Unfortunately, it is not in the historic, beautiful part of the city, but I'll take what I can get when I'm living in Spain!
So after getting to the apartment, my roommate and I ate lunch with Ana, unpacked, hung out in the living room and chatted with Ana, and ate dinner. Then we went to sleep! It was a VERY long two days with very little sleep on the plane.
Today, though, was way more interesting. Ana walked Dana and I to "La fuente de las batallas," where we met the rest of the group. Our two directors, Amalia and Teresa, then took us to the Centro de Lenguas Modernas, where we'll be having all our classes this semester. We had an orientation session where we learned about our intensive language/culture class during January, as well as some planned excursions. Later, Dana and I returned for lunch, took a small break, then met the group again for a walking tour of some of Granada. We went through and learned about several different plazas and a cathedral. It was getting dark, so it got VERY cold. I do not think I packed enough warm clothing!!
I'll post pictures next time I update!
Saturday, January 7, 2012
One Day More!
Welcome to my Spain blog!
I'm going abroad again--for a semester this time! For those of you who read my Chile blog, this should be a little different and WAY more exciting. I'll be living and taking classes in Granada, Spain and traveling all around Europe! I hope you enjoy following my adventures. I'll definitely love writing about them!
So let me give you a little introduction:
Tomorrow I am leaving from JFK airport and going to SPAIN! I'll be living with a host family with a roommate also from UD in an apartment in the city about a 20 minute walk from the Center for Modern Languages (CLM), where my classes will be. For the first month, the whole group from UD will be taking a class together and doing a lot of site-seeing around Granada. After we take a placement test at the end of January, we'll start the regular semester and take four classes. Those will supposedly be with other international students! I'm hoping to travel to a bunch of other cities and countries during my 4.5 months in Europe. So far, I have no plans, but hopefully that will change soon!
I'll be updating the blog with info and pictures regularly, so be sure to check back!
Jess
I'm going abroad again--for a semester this time! For those of you who read my Chile blog, this should be a little different and WAY more exciting. I'll be living and taking classes in Granada, Spain and traveling all around Europe! I hope you enjoy following my adventures. I'll definitely love writing about them!
So let me give you a little introduction:
Tomorrow I am leaving from JFK airport and going to SPAIN! I'll be living with a host family with a roommate also from UD in an apartment in the city about a 20 minute walk from the Center for Modern Languages (CLM), where my classes will be. For the first month, the whole group from UD will be taking a class together and doing a lot of site-seeing around Granada. After we take a placement test at the end of January, we'll start the regular semester and take four classes. Those will supposedly be with other international students! I'm hoping to travel to a bunch of other cities and countries during my 4.5 months in Europe. So far, I have no plans, but hopefully that will change soon!
I'll be updating the blog with info and pictures regularly, so be sure to check back!
Jess
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