I bless the rains down in Africa...

I WENT TO AFRICA!!

Morocco was one of the greatest experiences of my life and I am so glad that I had an opportunity to go. My time in Africa was packed with so many things, but not the usually touristy things that you may be thinking of. So I guess I will just break down my time in Morocco day by day since there is so much to the trip.

So on Friday, March 16th I woke up bright and early in the morning and was all ready, with my backpacked packed, to head to the bus. I was so nervous for what the trip would bring, yet so excited. Once on the bus we headed to the line of Gibraltar where we would be staying in a hotel for the night.  Upon arriving there we ate lunch on the rocks alongside the beach and then headed to Gibraltar. It was the strangest experience just walking across the border into another country which was filled with residents speaking Spanglish. I was confused the whole time which language I should be speaking. Gibraltar was fabulous. For those of you who do not know, Gibraltar is a colony of Britain that is in Spain. While there our group took a guided tour in a van with a man named Pepe. He told us all about the history of Gibraltar. He was quite the jokester, saying that on your left is the American embassy (McDonald's). It was so funny. On the tour we visited some caves and we got to hang around with some monkeys. Later in the day after drinking a delicious smoothie we head up a path leading to the top of the rock of Gibraltar. It was a hot and sweaty walk, but well worth it after seeing the sunset over the ocean. Beautiful. That night we ate at a restaraunt that had fish and chips and all kinds of British cuisine, which was much appreciated after the long hike.

Saturday. Once again we hopped on the bus and headed to Tarifa, an area in Spain where there is a port to cross to Africa. The stretch between Spain in Gibraltar is a very short distance. As a result of the short distance, many Africans try to swim across to Spain in order to have a better life. Many of them die trying.  On the ferry I went to sail across the Straits to Africa (how crazy!). Once finally in Tangier, Morocco after an hour ferry ride we headed to DARNA, which is a women's center where they teach women skills like sewing, reading and writing so that they can get jobs. It was so cool because we were able to talk to some Moroccan students about life in Morocco and about their perceptions of Americans.  After eating lunch with the students we headed to Asilah.  Along the way, to my surprise, we stopped on the side of the road. Our leader had said we were not going to ride camels, but she tricked us. I got to live one of my dreams and ride a camel along the beach. It was so cool!!! I was so excited!! After that little stop, we headed into the city of Asilah. We walked through the street filled with blue and were able to see some really cool artwork. Next we headed on our 3 hour drive to Rabat. After being on the bus for what seemed like forever we made it to Rabat. In Rabat, we met up with our homestay families. My two friends and I headed with our host mother, who spoke only Arabic, and host sister to our home. There were amazed to find that we were going to be staying in a palace like home. The house had three floors and was so spacious. We ate a great meal with our host family and we even got to meet some of the cousins. One of whom, was only 11 and spoke Arabic, French, and English!!

 Tangier

 Asilah

Sunday. We ate an early breakfast with our family and then headed to our van again. Then we went to an NGO in Sale, which was just across the river. There we got to talk again with some Moroccan students, who were so intelligent and knew so much about what was happening all across the world. We also were able to see a shanty town that hold about 50,000 inhabitants. The poor town was so close to the rich homes. The contrast was shocking. On our way back to the NGO, there was a group of men who apparently really excited for a soccer game. They came up to our van and started banging on the windows with their flag sticks and hands. It was a little frightening.  Next we headed to visit the Roman ruins and the Mausoleum of King Mohammed V.  In the ruins there were so many storks flying around.  In the Mausoleum there were some really cool looking guards with funny looking uniforms. Finally after walking around a lot we sat down with our families to eat lunch. Then we met up with some more Moroccan students who took us on a tour of Rabat. We got to see the ocean and the other sights. The boys we walked with were so much like us, yet so different. It was really cool to learn about them and their culture. After this we regrouped and gather all the stuff we needed to go to the Hammam. The Hammam is an arabian bath, a public bath. It was such an enlightening experience. The women in the bath were so comfortable with their bodies. There was no shame. It made me feel good to just let go and be vulnerable. Then after getting really clean in the bath we went to a house and got henna. The woman who did our henna worked really quick, but did an amazing job.

 Guards at the Mausoleum

 Roman ruins

Henna!
Monday. This day we packed up all our stuff and said goodbye to our homestay families. I was really sad after having such a great time with my little host sister Kenza who was turning 5 that day and with our two maid friends who covered us in perfume and took pictures with us. But it was time to head to a village in the Rif mountains. After a long and twisty turny ride we finally made it to the village. We were able to talk to a family with whom we discussed politics, ate couscous, and took a walk to a beautiful overlook. Afterwards we drove to Chefchaouen.  The blue city. There we went shopping, which was basically bargaining. We ate dinner at a place called Casa Alladin. And we slept in a hostal.

 Rif Mountains

Tuesday. We woke up early this morning and went on a hike up to the Spanish mosque. The view from the mosque was breathtaking. You could see the entire city and the mountains beyond. It was well worth waking up early and hiking through the rocks. After the hike we ate a delicious breakfast and then got on the bus once again and headed to Ceuta where the border between the Spanish colongy and Morocco is. Crossing the border in Cueta was another experience. There were so many people trying to cross the border. People were pushing through to get their passports checked. Once we made it through that mess we walked through no man's land and made it into the Spanish colony of Algeciras. In Algeciras we had to grab a taxi. We used our offensive techniques to snag a taxi from all the people who were trying to get one. We drove to the port and got on the ferry and headed back to Spain once again.

 Chefchaouen

There was so much more to this trip that I cannot even describe. I learned so much. Some things that I learned include, but are not limited to...
1. I am horrible at bargaining in Spanish and in English
2. I am selfish. I know nothing about other cultures and news around the world.
3. I love dates, figs, and almonds.
4. I need to learn more languages, and put more effort in trying to speak spanish.
5. I need to step out of my little bubble and try to experience more, because I am so lucky to have all of these opportunities.
6. I know a few words in Arabic now...shukran (thank you), shabet (full), kooli (eat)

Spring has sprung and it is keeping me on my toes

Spring is on its way here in Spain. I am really loving the weather. Sixty degrees and sunny. It is a nice change compared to enduring the cold weather that Michigan brings. I cannot wait for it to get even warmer here. So along with spring, the month of March has brought with it so many cool outings and activities, and unfortunately also projects in tests (I guess I did come to Spain to study, not just lay around the whole time).

This past week I had my first test, in my Lorca and Andalusian Literature class, and I had to turn in several project proposals. Actually doing homework has been to tough to get back into because I had such a long break, but hopefully it will all come back to me how to to homework and study. 

On Wednesday, I had my second and final spanish cooking class. We learned how to make lentil soup and we made this really tasty apple tart. It was so much fun because it was actually my turn to cook. I helped cut up the apples and put them on the tart. It was such a simple recipe. I definately want to make ti when I return home. 

Thursday was an especially awesome day. In the morning I had my orientation for Morocco. We got our packing list and helpful hints on what to expect while we are there. The orientation got me really excited to go. I cannot believe that I will be in Africa this upcoming weekend!! What a life!! Also on Thursday, my art and architecture class got a brief lesson on caligraphy. I learned out to write my name in Arabic during the session. It was sooo cool!!! Also that night I went out with some girls from my neighborhood and we had a game night!! We went for tapas first and then we went to this cool place that had all kinds of games like Tabu, Trivial Pursuit, and Uno. It was such a relaxing and fun evening.

My name in Arabic!!!

On Friday I took a field trip with my class to Malaga. We went to two museums, including the Pablo Picasso museum. Picasso was born in Malaga and live there for some of his life. Antonio Banderas is also another famous person who is from Malaga. In the Picasso museum we got to do a workshop where we scratched a design into a CD and then covered it with ink and the pressed the design into paper. I am so lucky to have an opportunity to do such hands on things. After we finished up the workshop some of us headed to the beach to eat lunch. Although it was freezing, it was still really nice to sit by the sea and relax for a little while.

 My CD design.

Yesterday, Saturday was yet another packed day. Around 5pm I headed to a Granada basketball game with my neighborhood group. It was so fun!! We got free strawberry milk and I got popcorn and we sat and watched the game.  Even though Spain is not the best at basketball and our team lost, it was still a fun outing. Later on after the game I went out with my friends to my first ever discoteca. We danced into all hours of the night. It was such an interesting experience experiencing the Spanish youth culture.

 Basketball Game!

Next week I have two exams and a project proposal due and I leave for Morocco on Thursday!! Another busy week. And soon it will be Semana Santa, for which I have finally finalized my plans. I will be heading to Germany, Amsterdam, and Scotland!! I am so excited for all there is to come!!!

The Beginning of March Madness

The month of March has begun. How did it get to be March already, I have no clue.  To start off I guess I will talk about the end of February....

So the Sunday after my last post I went to my first ever Spanish church service. The church, which is one of the very few evangelical churches within in Spain, is really close to my house. The church does not look like a normal church, but a store front. Upon arriving, we attended a bible study for the youth first. It was a really great study that talked about growing in Christ. At the end of the bible study the teacher came up to me and my friends and said that God has brought us here to Spain for a purpose. It was really encouraging. After the bible study, was the actual church service. It was so cool because even though we sang in Spanish I knew the songs. We sang a lot of songs that I normally sing at Hope and at Radiant. I was so excited to be singing something familiar, even though it was in Spanish. I learned from the service that you can worship in any lenguage and God brings everyone together despite our differences. What a great first experience it was!

On Tuesday we did not have class because it was a Spanish holiday, well an Andalusian holiday. The day where Andalusia gained its independence. It was nice to have a break. I spent the entire day in the sun. Right when the day started I headed to the my favorite park (Parque de Garcia Lorca).  It is absolutely beautiful there. The weather was perfect. It has started to get into the upper 60s here. I decided to try to go for a run in the park, but that didn't happen. I ran for about 10 minutes and then found my self sitting on a park bench watching people around me and basking in the sun.  In the park I just feel a sense of peace flowing through me.

Parque de Federico Garcia Lorca

On Wednesday, I had my first ever Spanish cooking class. It was so fun!! The class got split up into two groups and each group cooked one of our class days. I am cooking next week, but it was still fun to watch other people cook and then I got to eat their food. What a deal!! The class made Spanish tortilla, which consists of eggs and potato. It is made kind of like a quiche or omelette. It tastes really good! And they also made magdalenas, which are a muffin type thing that have lemon in them. They were delicious. I even brought one home to share with my host mom and she insisted that we make them.

On Friday, we had our IES trip to Cordoba. It was a very early morning beginning at 6am, but it was worth it. The first places we stopped at was the Madinat Al-Zahra. This is the so called "lost city" or "lost paradise" of the Umayyad Dynasty (one of the first Muslim rulers in Spain.) The city was built when the one of the Umayyads became a caliphate (leader).  The city represents power and authority. After the Umayyad Dynasty fell, the city was taken apart and then it became covered with dirt since it is built on a hill. An archaeologist discovered the city and from that point on work has been done to uncover it.  It was so cool to see the ruins from this lost city.

The archaeologist have found pieces of the city that they must number and try to fit together.

After seeing the ruins of the city, we headed into the center of Cordoba to see the mezquita (mosque). The mezquita of Cordoba actually belongs to the Church now. The mosque is still standing, but right in the center the Christians built a church.  It is one of the craziest things I have ever seen. When you walk into the mosque you see what a normal mosque would look like with tons of arches.  The mihrab is still even standing. Then you walk to the center of the building and all of a sudden there is a cathedral. I cannot wrap my head around it. It was honestly one the strangest things I have ever seen. It was so cool to see though. It is the only mosque/cathedral in the entire world.

 The Mihrab

This tower contains a minaret (tower for calling prayer) from the original mosque.

On Saturday, I went to two houses in which Federico Garcia Lorca lived. It is so interesting to learn about this author and to see how important he is to Granada.

As I said in the beginning, March is going to be a crazy month. Next weekend I have a trip to Malaga for my watercolor workshop class and I have another trip for my Lorca class. And then the next weekend I am off to Morocco. Then after that comes Semana Santa. Here comes the madness!!

Carnaval Ride & A Trip Without a Plan

Here I am once again trying to write on my blog. The last couple times that I have tried to write, I get distracted and then the next thing I know the whole thing that I started has been deleted. So hopefully the third times a charm and I will finally have a new post. These past couple weeks have been crazy. Yesterday marked the official one month anniversary of my arrival to Spain!! Time is flying by so quickly. Before I know it, these four months will be over and I will be back in the States. But for now I am trying to have as many adventures as possible while I am here. So what I have I been up to, you may be asking. WELL.....

Carnaval in Cadiz. Last weekend I went to Carnaval in Cadiz. It was a very interesting experience. I would like to compare it to a carnival ride. Those ones that looks so fun from the ground and you see so many people getting on them. So you decide ohh lets go on the ride. Then you get on and you get sick from all the spinning and once the ride is over you think to yourself "boy I am never going to do that again." This is how I feel about Carnaval. Definately a one time experience. The day began at 12pm waiting for the buses to take us to Cadiz (4ish hour bus ride). I was dressed in my so called costume, consisting of a tutu and a black hat that had feathers on it. We got onto the bus after waiting a while and the journey began. I should have known from the start that it was not my cup of tea when a man came on the bus tossing condoms at everyone. But there was no getting off the bus now. I had already paid my 20 euro and I was going. So after a long bus ride that consisted of sleeping and then having a bus sick person sit next to me (the poor soul) we finally made it Cadiz. What a beautiful city, right on the beach. First thing right of the bus was to find a bathroom. Second sign that this was not going to be my favorite thing. A man was coming out of the women's bathroom. Much to my surprise. After the bathroom trip we headed to a wall by the beach, where we sat and enjoyed the sun and warmth and then the sunset. It was fun watching all the people dressed up in the most interesting costumes. The funniest of the night were these men dressed up as chicken breasts (aka chicken costumes with boobs). There was a lot of cross dressing happening, ohh the Spanish men. But it was quite amusing. So once the sunset we headed into the crowd and boy was there a crowd. There were people drinking everywhere. Including on the steps of the Cathedral (shouldn't that be a sacred place, apparently not for them). Drinking everywhere. It was crazy. After my friend were groped a couple times by men in the crowd (soooo gross) we headed to a restaraunt to eat. We ate at Foster's (yes I broke down and ate at an American place).

Once we were satisfied by burgers and nachos it was back into the crowd. By this time people were pretty drunk. There were people peeing in the streets (men and women), people puking in the streets, and drunk people stumbling everywhere. What a mess. At one point I had a man stop me in the street and show me a picture of a vagina on his phone (no I am not kidding, this really happened). I repeat ONE TIME EXPERIENCE. We broke through the crowd and stood on the steps of the Cathedral at one point. We met some British guys who were there getting their pilots license. We also met some Finnish girls. It was interesting to see that people came from all over to do this. The night kept dragging on. I was getting tired, but the bus wasn't going to pick us up until 6am. Blahhh. So we just kept walking. At one point while walking through the crowd this big group of Spanish men (obviously drunk) stopped me and started saying "Tu es blanca. Mala. Mala." (Which means "you are white. Bad. Bad.") Upon saying this they proceeded to grab my arm and pull me into their group. Luckily my friend yanked me away. After that point, I was ready to go home. But there was still about 4 hours left. So we walked. Then we finally sat down in a corner and curled into ball, because by this time the temperature had dropped significantly, and waited for the bus. The bus finally came, but to my dismay he couldn't stop on the street, the police kept telling him to go up farther. So we ran along side the bus until we finally were able to get on, but quickly. After what seemed like forever the bus finally left Cadiz. We made it home at 11am on Sunday. ONE TIME EXPERIENCE.

So after this interesting night in Cadiz I come home and must deal with other drama. Ohhh how life hits you in the face sometimes. Despite all of this I think to myself how lucky I am to be here in Granada and to see the beautiful mountain everyday.

Thankfully, once the week of classes started, things were looking up. On Thursday I took a trip to the Albayzin* with my Art and Architecture class. I love my professor. I even got to walk with my host mom to our meeting point because she had a volunteer appointment (Cuentas Cuento). She walked me to class and even talked to my professor like my own mother would. Saying how she wished that they could replicate me and how I was caring. It is so nice to have a mother while I am away from my real mother.

Another fun experience I had was yesterday. I took a day trip to one the Andalucia's provinces called Jaen. It was a random trip, but it turned out to be a lot of fun! We took a bus, which was only an hour ride. When we got there we were searching for a museum. We asked for directions a lot and these gentlemen told us the museum was closed. So we stopped looking for it and were going to go to the cathedral when we walked past the museum we were actually looking for and it was open!!! It ended up being a really cool museum, with a lot of historical artifacts. So after browsing the museum for a while we headed to a palace I had heard about online. We found the spot, but they were doing construction and it was to be closed for a whole entire year (that would never happen in the U.S.) So then we headed to go find the Cathedral once again. We passed by this cool church, which happened to have a historical archive in it, which happened to be having a art showing. Ohh the luck we had. The art collection was a compilation by Joseph Bau who was held in a Nazi camp during the Holocaust, but was saved by Schindler. The paintings were amazing. They had so much sadness and depth to them.  After seeing the art we walked along the sidestreet to the Cathedral. It was so cool because this small street opened up to a plaza with a huge Cathedral. It was beautiful. Once we got our pictures of the Cathedral we headed to a park near the bus station to eat our lunch. Along the way we found a smaller park with a beautiful fountain. What are the chances, only in Spain. We decided to keep walking to the other park and it was even more beautiful and much a larger. We ate our lunch in the beautiful sunshine. It was so great. After that we headed back to the bus and headed home. It was a really great day trip!!!

Today was also another great day. I went and saw 101 Dalmations (in Spainish) with my neighborhood group and then we went out for tapas after. Then I came home and ate so more food. Once sufficiently stuffed, I headed out again to meet with my intercambio (spanish friend set up by IES) for the first time. She was really nice and even brought her friends along too!! It was cool because they are all studying interpretation so we spoke both Spanish and English together.

These days have been so amazing and I am going to try to live up the rest of the time that I have here!!
 Below are some pictures from Cadiz and from my trip to Jaen. And a link to the gallery of the artist that we saw!!
http://www.josephbau.com/

 Sunset in Cadiz

 Beachside in Cadiz

 CARNAVAL

  Cathedral in Jaen
 

Park in Jaen where we at lunch!

Blessed Beyond Belief

Last week was completely crazy. I started classes, took a trip to Ronda and Sevilla, and got my intercambio.  Last Monday I started classes and I have a pretty full load. I am taking a total of five classes, with only one class in English. So far I like my classes. I am in the first advanced level Spanish language class.  I am also taking Lorca and the Andulusian Literature. I love this class. Lorca was a poet, writer, composer, director and so much more. He was born and raised in Granada.  He is a true Granadino and the people of Granada take a lot of pride in his works.  There is even a beautiful park with lots of fun playground equipment (yes I have already played on it!) named after him.  Through reading his poetry and other works I get a glimpse into the real Granada. It is a very culturally and intellectually stimulating class.  I am in a class called Watercolor Workshop: Painting the Landscape of Granada.  We haven't actually started painting yet, but we are working on drawing.  It is very interesting because I am horrible at drawing, but the teacher is really patient. Last week we took a field trip to a museum with lots of art work and had to draw a piece. I picked a wooden sculpture of Jesus Christ on the cross to draw. I definately did not do the work justice, but hey I tried.  I think the class will be a lot of fun because we spend half of the semester in class and half out in museums and other places drawing what we see.

I am also taking a class called Islamic Art and Architecture.  This class is my only class in english and is taught by the same professor that I have for my watercolor workshop. It is funny to hear her talk in spanish in one class and in english in another. This class also has a lot of field trips, which I am excited about.  There is a lot of islamic architecture in Granada and it is absolutely beautiful. I can't wait to learn more about where it all began.  Finally, I am taking a class called women in mediterranean film. This is my least favorite class because the teacher talks really fast in spanish and some of the stuff about film I really don't understand.  But I will stick with the class because who doesn't like to watch a movie every class period.  With all the Spanish I am taking in, the next thing I know I will be dreaming in Spanish. lol.

This past weekend I went with all the students in IES on a trip to Ronda and Sevilla. The trip was so much fun and these cities are absolutely beautiful and have so much history.  On Friday, we got on the bus at 7:45am (sooooo early) and headed for Ronda. I don't know how long the bus ride was to Ronda (I slept most of the way), but we finally arrived and I was so glad to get off the bus.  The first place we went to in Ronda was the Plaza de Torros. This is where they have bullfights!!! In the middle of the plaza there is a statue of a bull. In the plaza there is also a garden, which if you walk through there is a look out with the most incredible view. I was lucky enough to be able to eat my lunch in the sun looking out at this view. In these moments I wonder how I got so blessed to be here, to see so many incredible things.  I am so thankful. Other sites in Ronda that I got to see were the Puente Nuevo, and grand bridge that connects the old party of the city to the newer part and the Arabian bathrooms (baños de arabos).  The bathrooms were used by the muslims to wash themselves before entering a mosque to pray. They created an aqueduct in order to transfer water to the bathrooms. There were 3 areas within the bathroom, which increased in temperature. The whole things was an ingenius idea.

 Puente Nuevo

Banos de Arabos

 After walking around A LOT we headed back to the bus to go to Sevilla. The bus ride to Sevilla reminded me so much of home.  There were many green fields. I fell asleep and and when I woke up thought I was on my way to Holland to go to school, but then I remember ohh yeah I am in Spain. Once we finally arrived to Sevilla we headed straight to the hotel, but there was no time for sitting down. I headed out with a few other people to go on a bike ride through the city. It was quite an experience. Somehow at one point I was riding on a street full of people, not a good plan. After a while my group luckily found the bike path. We rode along the river and the lights shining onto the river was breathtaking.  There was so much to see in Sevilla, but it was getting dark.  So we headed for one last adventure to find the Plaza de España, where they filmed (I think) parts of the first star wars movie (don't quote me on this). We rode around the front of the building and it was older architecture and was beautiful, but nothing in comparison to what was on the other side. The other side was filled with fountains, bridges, and tons of what seemed like hand painted tile. It was amazing. I wish I could have taken a picture, but unfortunately my camera was on the verge of dying. Hopefully, I can go back to Sevilla and get some pictures. After seeing the plaza we headed back to the hotel to eat and then go see a flamenco show.  The flamenco show was really cool. The movements all have a purpose and a story. The show was spectacular. After the show I headed out with a friend from IES to meet with some girls from Hope that are studying in Sevilla. It was so great to see a familiar face.  We didn't stay out long because I was wiped from my long long bike ride.

The next day we went to a sort of Palace. It was beautiful and had a lot of intricate architecture. It was seperated into several building and had a lot of gardens in it.  It was really cool.  After visitng that, we headed to the Cathedral de Sevilla. It is the 3rd largest cathedral in the world. It was breathtaking. There was so much history.  There was a sculpture of Christopher Columbus being carried by four kings.  There was also a huge organ that is still played today. We walked up 34 slants to get to the top of the cathedral where we looked out and saw the entire city. The view was indescribable. The climbing was well worth it. After a long day, we all got on the bus and headed to Granada. It was such a great trip!

 The Cathedral de Sevilla

View from the Cathedral

Other exciting news that I received this past week was the name of my intercambio. Basically an intercambio is a Spanish person who you interact with. My intercambio is a girl and is named Pilar. We have been emailing and chatting, but I hope to meet up with her soon. I need to practice speaking more Spanish!!! Also, I bought a ticket to go to Carnaval in Cadiz. I am not really sure what it is all about, but I shall see this weekend!!

Hasta luego!

La Fiesta de San Cecilio

Today was so much fun!! I went with a few girls to the festival of San Cecilio in the barrio (neighborhood) of Sacromonte.  San Cecilio is one of the patron saints of Granada. Tons of people came to celebrate the saint. The festival consists of tons of food and Flamenco dancing.  Upon arriving to Sacromonte (not that long of a walk from the IES center) we headed to the Museo Cuevas de Sacromonte.  It was really interesting to see how people used to live in caves inside the mountain.  Although I couldn't go inside the caves, it was still really cool to see how people lived a long time ago.  While we were in the area of the museum, there were some cooks getting ready to create a huge gigantous pot of paella. There was much going on around the museum at that point so we headed to the actual festival sight.  The first thing I saw as we walked up the hill was a bouncy thing for the kids (must be a universal thing).  Then I saw the masses of people. Right when we got there we got in a huge line to get free food. The free food came in a bad that said festival of San Cecilio (in spanish of course).  In the bag they put really salty fish, which I did not eat, bread, huge green beans, and a bottle of water.  It was a perfect snack.  They also had other food for sale and of course lots of beer and drinks to buy.  Once we got our bag of food we headed up to the abby at the top of the hill. It was absolutely beautiful.  They had a band playing music and there were a ton of people.  We decided to head back to the museum area to check out the paella, but would come back to the abby later.  When we got back to the museum there were a ton of people there. The flamenco dancers were getting ready to dance.  The Flamenco is such a beautiful dance, with clapping and shoe tapping and flowing movements. 

As time passed the weather went from really warm to really cold in a very short time.  I was mad earlier that I had brought my big jacket, but boy was I sure glad I had it when it began to cool down.  After the dancers were done we just sat around and watched the people. Even though I don't think I look like a Spaniard with my bright pink coat, I was asked twice about things happening in the festival. It was so cool cause I really want to blend in with the culture.  Either I look like I know what I am doing or I just look nice and they think I might know. Either way it is exciting.  After passing some time at the museum we headed back up toward the abby. Someone said that the abby is closed all year, except on the day celebrating San Cecilio.  It was really cool to go inside of it, but a little creepy. I touched this rock, which someone also said, I don't know if this is true, that if you touch it you will get married. Lol. The walk through the small corridors of the abby was super short, but it was worth seeing.  The city has so much history in it. The festival was just the start of my learning experience here. I can't wait to see more and learn more!!

A Whole New World

Here are some pictures from my walk to the Alhambra.  The Alhambra is one of the most famous mosques around and it is a hot tourist spot for people who come to visit Granada.  Granada is one of the most beautiful cities I have ever been to.  There is so much to see.  It is a whole new world to me.  It is so much unlike the United States.  The architecture here is much much much more antique. For me it is way more beautiful than the modern cities in the states.  Here there is a story for every building and the buildings tell their own story through their architecture.  While walking home from the Alhambra, I was able to watch the sun set through the trees.  It was a breathtaking sight. 

There is so much about this new world of Spain and so much to experience that at times it is overwhelming.  I had my first experience with homesickness the other day.  It is hard to be away from home and to not know much about the country you are living in.  To live in a place where people speak a whole different language than you.  The language barrier can be super frustrating at times. Despite all this things, I know that this is an experience that I should not waste being homesick.  I need to make the best of the beauty that God has allowed me to experience while here in Spain.  I will do my best to experience everything, even the simple things like buying food in the market or shopping for shoes during Rebajas. 

I hope to begin to fit into the Spanish color despite my bright jacket.  At least some tourists think I know what I am doing. Just last week a young Asian tourist asked me directions to one of the plaza. I laughed to myself because I had no clue, but I pulled out my map and I helped her with it anyway.  Hopefully, she made it to her destination despite the confusing directions I gave her that I am not even sure were right.  No pasa nada. Can't wait for more adventures in Spain!!