Mishaps and impulse buys - Paris

My original flight to Paris was cancelled. I found out mere hours before I left to take the bus to Madrid. I would have had to take the 0030 bus to arrive in Madrid at 0530, then take about an hour on the metro and find my terminal, check in, go to my gate, and wait there until 0930, when the flight was to take off.

My flight was cancelled and the alternative they offered me left at 0720, which I knew I could never make. The gate would close at 0700, and I would only barely make it if everything went 100% smoothly, including a 5 hour bus ride. I had been an hour late to Madrid before. I simply wouldn't risk it.

I cried. I ate home-made crêpes. I pouted. I got over it. Since Monday and Wednesday were days off, I simply had to find something else to do with myself.

... But considering that I already had a flight back from Paris and I wouldn't be paying for a hostel in Paris (Danielle has a friend there we could stay with), buying a different flight for just over 100€ to Paris ended up being just about the same as any 'cheaper' alternative. So I booked it. My flight was Ryanair, leaving out of Málaga at 1350 on Friday.

Since I didn't know the Málaga airport or how to get there, I decided I'd take the earliest bus, which left at 0700, just to make sure I got there on time. Which would mean leaving my piso at about 0600. But, of course, I got out the door late, and the buses weren't running yet, so I was forced to take a cab. It's only about 4,60€ and it felt worth it. I was there in less than 10 minutes.

But, of course, being a holiday weekend, the 0700 bus was sold out. That left me with two options. Take the 0800 bus, or the 0830 bus. Good thing I left early. But the problem was that the 0800 bus would cost me about 3€ more, since it was 'Supra Economía'. I figured getting there early would be worth the 3€. So I did it.

The bus was nothing short of luxurious. I had my own little window seat, they gave us goodie bags of little pastries, peanuts, a bottle of water, and earbuds. I didn't bring any headphones to Spain, so that in and of itself was worth the 3€. Plus they gave us videos and music. I listened to classical music and only stopped when they were playing clips from Beauty and the Beast. I grinned like an idiot, since Beauty and the Beast made me that much more excited to go to Paris and see Danielle.

Eventually I made it to the airport and had about 2 hours to kill. Of course I wandered around the shops, ate a 'york toasty' from the BK Whopper Bar (basically American ham with cheese on toasted bread... not bad for 2€ in an airport), and used 2 minutes of ,10€/minute (ridiculous) internet. Then I walked into the book shop.

I wasn't planning on buying a book, I mostly went to look at candy. But The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo was staring right at me. I left without it. I went back for it completely on impulse. It was probably overpriced since I was in an airport, but it was in English, and I knew I had a bit of waiting left to do, plus the flight back and bus back (since I was flying into Madrid on the way home), so I figured it would be worth it. I got it on impulse.

So we got on the plane eventually and took the flight to Paris, The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo making very nice company for me. We got over Paris when the flight attendant came on the intercom and told us we were going to hang out for about a half hour for visibility to improve. I paid him no mind. Then he said we'd be going to a different airport. I couldn't really hear what he said, but I thought he said Charles deGaulle, which would be right in the heart of Paris and even better for most of us.

He didn't. He said Charleroi airport. You can imagine my surprise when I got off the plane and saw this sign...
We had landed in Brussels because it was impossible to land in Paris. Not even the right country. Haha.

So we waited for about a half an hour for the buses to line up, another 45 minutes to get everyone on board, then started the 4 hour bus ride to the Beauvais airport, which is about 75 minutes outside of Paris.

If there's one thing Spain has taught me, it's how to be pushy. The airport had just shut down, so there was a MASSIVE line of people waiting to buy shuttle tickets into the city. Of course, the Spaniards hardly noticed the line as they shoved for the window. I shoved even in front of them, taking a side approach instead of a direct frontal attack.

There was one window, but three people could stand there at once, and we were helped one at a time. One Spaniard got helped, and another shoved right behind him and demanded her ticket. I stood at the window and waited, but the man looked at her and said, in English 'She was here first.' He looked at her over his glasses and pointed at me. I almost felt bad, so I said in my best French accent 'Un s'il vous plaît.' He handed me my ticket, I handed him exactly 15€. 'Merci!' I figured he'd feel good about helping a Frecherican rather than a Spamerican...

I had to remind myself not to feel bad. The Spaniards were doing the same and they would have done the same to me. I've definitely been waiting to order ice cream before and been cut off by a demanding Spaniard, especially the women. I took my ticket and joined the mob trying to board the buses.

By some luck or miracle or grace of God or whatever you want to call it, the second bus had filled up, but had room for one person. I happened to be travelling alone. I raised my hand and ran for it.

So, I finally got to Paris around 11 pm or so, when I should have been there around 6:30 pm. But hey, I got to see the Brussels airport.

Seeing Danielle was like no time had passed. We have that kind of friendship. I am so thankful I got to see her... any trip to France without her would seem so empty.

The next day we wandered Paris. We saw Notre Dame, SO much snow (considering it was barely December, anyway),

the river, the outside of the Louvre, and so on and so on. Danielle gave me her hat to borrow. I lost it. I felt awful. I hope whoever grabbed it was either a child or a person who really needed a hat. I dropped it inside the Notre Dame (hats are not permitted... grr...). I hope it enjoyed it.

But then we came to this street... I forget the name, something French that means nothing to me anyway, that was a GIANT Christmas fair. I'm talking HUGE.
It stretched from the backside of the Lourve garden area all the way to the Arc of Triumph. And there I saw my hat. It was the CUTEST wool hat, white, with a little wool bow on the back. All the Frenchies had hats with a similar cut and I had already fallen in love with it, but this was the first one I had seen with a bow. I loved it. 20€ later, it was mine.

Another impulse buy. But it is warm and cute and I love it.

The next day was AMAZING. We spent the entire day at Versailles and wandering the grounds. We saw most of it, I would say. A lot more than people generally see in that kind of weather anyway. We got lost. We found our way.

Hot chocolate was my impulse buy there. Out in the snow, we saw a little cart and bought panninis. It was lunchtime after all. But 2,70€ for a little plastic cup of cocoa seemed a bit much... but seeing the steam off of other people's drinks... I had to get one. I refrained from getting the Marie Antoinette-themed journal... but it was difficult, to say the least. I DEFINITELY would have done it if there were more than like 25 pages.

Then we went back and saw the Eiffel Tower all lit up. Let me tell you, that thing is a LOT bigger than you think it is. And there is SO much steel. I kept looking at it and could only think of my brother. Kevin, if you are reading this, you would LOVE the Eiffel Tower. It's an engineering marvel. Go to Paris.

Then I ate a real authentic Parisian sugar crêpe. In the Christmas market again.

Then we went to sleep. The next day, we saw the Basillica and I was off to the airport around 12:20 in the afternoon. Danielle and I said our goodbyes at the bus stop. They were quick because we know we will see each other again very soon. Both of our winter plans include London at the same time.

My flight was delayed about 6 hours. In the airport, I bought a giant bag of crispy M&Ms and a cup of tea, and a cheese and veggie sandwich (frommage is probably my favorite French word, by the way). During my wait, I became more and more thankful that I had bought The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo in Málaga.
Finally, for a flight that was supposed to leave at 1325, we left at about 2035. I slept on the flight back.

But remember this only got me to Madrid. Which means I had to get on the metro to get to the bus station. I got on the second to last Metro 6 Circular (which I only know because the one going the other direction said it would stop at a certain stop RIGHT before I got on mine... so I figure the next one on my side would have said that as well) and got to the bus station at around midnight.

The next bus left for Granada at 0130. I bought my ticket and waited another hour and a half.

No one had purchased the seat next to me, so I laid out and slept the whole way back. I was in Granada at around 0630. Of course the buses weren't running yet, so I took a cab back.

I haven't been that happy to see my bed in a very long time.


Today, I had an essay due. Rent is also due. After that... Chris will be here, and all will be as it should be. YAY! =D

'We must not be afraid to meet the other' - Morocco

I have so much I want to say about this experience, this experience I had that was unlike any other, that I honestly don't even know where to start.

I suppose the best place to start would be a bit of history and information about Morocco.

Morocco is a coutry on the northwest corner (edge?) of Africa. Historically, this is an extremely important bit of land, as it is on the African side of the Straight of Gibraltar (the shortest distance from Europe to Africa, with Spain on the European side). Many countries have fought over this land, and Morocco only recently got its total independence in 1956 and is now a monarchy of sorts. There is a pseudo-deomcratic government under the monarchy, but the heads of this government are appointed by the king, and therefore the king has ultimate power. The king is seen as a religious figure and it is a crime against the state to say anything bad about him. Morocco is an Islamic country, considered to be a part of the Middle East. It is also a developing country (2nd world, I suppose). The official languages are Arabic and French, although their Arabic dialect is slightly different than classical Arabic, and apparently difficult to understand if you only know classical Arabic, but most Moroccans know both, at least to some extent. Many Moroccans also know either Spanish (especially in the North) or English. Public schools are free, but if you live in a rural area it's difficult to get to school, so most people are either educated up through elementary school or have gone on to college. Since Morocco is a part of the Middle East, it is extremely difficult and expensive for them to travel to the Western world (to travel outside the Arabic world, they need visas, and with an Arabic background, those are hard to come by and extremely expensive), even for educational purposes.

The flag of Morocco is red with a green 5-pointed star in the middle, meant to represent the 5 pillars of Islam. Green is also the color of Islam. Once upon a time, there was a Star of David on the Moroccan flag due to the large Jewish minority, but after the creation of Israel, the population of Jews has greatly decreased and the flag has been remodeled to suit the vast majority.

Way back in the day, Morocco was the first country to recognize the USA as an independant nation. It's not extremely relevant today, but it's something that's interesting to know, I think. In order to be a nation, you simply need international recognition. Morocco helped us out back then.

Now, a bit about Islam and how it's treated in Morocco.

The five pillars of Islam are:
1) There is only one God (Allah), and Mohammad is his prophet
2) Pray 5 times a day
3) Fasting during Ramadan (Fasting lasts from sunup to sundown and usually there is a large feast after sundown. Fasting also is to include all forms of drinking, including water.)
4) Giving alms to the needy
5) Pilgramage to Mecca (if you can afford it and are able bodied)

These pillars are not musts, but they are what a ''good Muslim'' will strive to do in his or her lifetime. I also must note that these are the Sunni pillars, not the Shi'a pillars, which are slightly different.

I put these here for a few reasons. Most importantly, I think it's something people, especially people in the US, should at least be familiar with, especially considering US relations with the Arabic world. Secondly, to simply state what they are, and mention that they aren't a requirement. No one is mad if you don't pray 5 times a day, and most Moroccans don't except those that are retired and have the time to dedicate themselves to it. The call to prayer isn't a Stop, Drop, and Pray drill, it's merely a suggestion. Thirdly, to show these people's dedication to their religion, which I suppose when you don't have very much to begin with, is a good thing for them.

Also, I wanted to pay particular attention to Pillar 4) Giving alms. Even though Morocco is a devloping country with most of it's people living in poverty, the rate of starvation is extremely low. That's because anyone who really needs food or anything like that can simply go and ask a store owner or someone walking by. While giving money is rare, people will almost always share food. Additionally, if you are pregnant and you smell something appetizing, you are obligated to go and ask for some, and they will gladly give some to you, even if it's in someone's house. Therefore, women are generally healthy enough to have the child and the child is usually healthy.

So, now that I've given a basic rundown, I could go over all the amazing things we saw and did, like ride camels, eat DELICIOUS cous cous and chicken and raisins and caramelized onions and carrots and pommegranates and... and... and... so much good food...,
the trip to the Hammam (an Arabic public bath. Cleanliness is also an extremely important part of Islam and Islamic communities. Actually, sometime upon first arriving in Spain, I learned that it wasn't uncommon for police to check hands and feet of people in the Islamic quarters during the Spanish Inquisition to see if they actually converted. Dirty hands and feet and you were OK. Clean hands and feet... you're probably a Muslim.), the cultural exchange that happened in the rural village where we sang Lady Gaga's Bad Romance and they sang us a traditional song about travelling, my first henna tatoo (almost gone now... my hand just looks dirty mostly...),
all of that... But instead I'm going to make this a little deeper.

The Morocco Exchange program is about diplomacy. They believe that improving inter-personal relations will help improve inter-national relations. They are strong supporters of the Peace Corps and the Fullbright Scholars program for this reason. Right now, the world, especially the Western and Arabic worlds, live in fear of each other. What people fail to realize is that we're all just... people.

In Morocco, I witnessed people with next to nothing giving things to people that have even less. Yes, I heard the call to prayer five times a day. I saw some women cover their hair and wear loose clothing because they felt they should be modest. But I also saw women in stilletto heeled boots and structured jackets. I also saw couples holding hands, flirting, sitting on the wall overlooking the ocean. I saw a father chasing after his kids and a string of children playing tag in the narrow streets of Chefchaouen.

And know what else? Most of them are more angry about terrorism than we are.

Think about it. How do you feel about how the KKK has butchered the Christian bible? An extremist minority has become the face of what people think about Muslims, and most Muslims are furious.

After the 2004 Casablanca bombings, a movement started, called ''Don't touch my country''. Their symbol was a traditional hand with an outurned pinky and thumb (you've probably seen it. It's also a Jewish symbol meaning about the same thing)that symbolizes protection, with the Arabic script of ''Don't touch my country,'' and people marched out against them. That is not what they want to be associated with and they, to this day, protest against terrorism.

These are the things we don't see in the news... but we should.

Inter-personal relationships could possibly improve inter-national relationships because it might help eliminate the fear. They fear us. We fear them. It's all foreign, and somewhere in the translation, we forget that we're all just people.

We must not be afraid to meet the other.

Salem. Shallom. Hello.

We're not so different, in the end.

Happy Thanksgiving! And a bit about my trip to Morocco.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!! I'm sorry I haven't been good about keeping in touch with everyone recently, school and life have me totally swamped.

We are having a Thanksgiving meal today at 2. I made cranberry sauce and Lauren and I are making a joint effort on sweet potatoes. She is awesome and hosting our gathering and also doing a full turkey!

I am also getting things together for my presentation due next Wednesday. It wouldn't be that stressful if I wasn't going to Morocco this weekend!

That's right, MOROCCO!

Since I'm pressed for time at the moment, I will post our itinerary for the weekend. Read about it and enjoy! I'm really looking forward to such a unique experience.

I love you all and Happy Thanksgiving!
--------------------------------------------------------------
Time for Reflection
We are aware that our program is very rich. We will be careful to provide time to process experiences rather than to rush from one sight to the next. We have seen on other journeys, that when individuals have time to arrive within themselves there is the space for authentic connections with land, culture and individuals.

Day One ALGECIRAS - TANGIER - RABAT

Morning:

- Meeting at 8am in Algeciras
- Boat journey across the Mediterranean Sea from Algeciras, Spain to Tangier, Morocco
- Drive to Asilah and walk through the Medina (old town) to the Atlantic Ocean
- Lunch in a restaurant outside the old city wall

Afternoon:

- Conversation "Cultural diversity in Morocco" about Arab, Berber and Jewish coexistence in Morocco, with Moroccan students from L’Ecole Superior du Traduction in Tangier (one of the best schools for translators in the Arabic speaking world)
- Drive along the Atlantic Ocean to Rabat (3 hours)

Evening:

- Meeting of the home stay families (Two or three students will stay with one family.)
- Dinner with home stay families
- Walk through the Medina of Rabat in small groups with Moroccan students

Day Two RABAT

Morning:

- Breakfast
- Facilitated discussion “West and Arab worlds - images about each other” with Moroccan students from Rabat University and Professor Zaki
- Visit of the Roman ruins Chellah, the Mausoleum Hassan II and the Main mosque.

Afternoon:

- Lunch with home stay families
- Exploration of Rabat’s Andalusian houses in the Kashba and the street life in the medina market. Individual options: to spend time in the art museum or gallery, at the ocean or in the gardens of the castle. (This afternoon will be spend in small groups to create space for authentic experiences of the place and for personal connections. Two American students will be accompanied by two Moroccan students from Rabat University)
- Break: Mint tea in the Kashba Café at the river

Evening:

- Social time: Conversation in the patio of a family with Peace Corps volunteers about living in Morocco as a foreigner
- Dinner with home stay families

Day Three RABAT - RIF MOUNTAINS - CHEFCHAOUEN

Morning:

- Drive to Akchour, Rif Mountains through rural areas of Morocco (3,5 hours)
- Break on the way
- Short walk through a valley in the Rif mountains

Afternoon:

- Picnic and time to relax at the river
- Conversation with Abdeslam about education, simplicity of life and economic challenges of rural areas in Morocco. Abdeslam himself was the first in his family to receive an education. He finished a degree in literature while his older brothers had no schooling for economic reasons.
- Drive to Chefchaouen (30 minutes)
- Guided walk through the medina of Chefchaouen with background information about it’s Moorish and Jewish inhabitants and it’s historic link to Al Andalus
- Settle in Hotel Andaluz

Evening:

- Time to explore the medina individually (good place to buy some souvenirs)
- Special celebration dinner in the Medina of Chefchaouen
- Social time on the roof terrace: to share images and thoughts from our journey.

Day Four CHEFCHAOUEN - CEUTA - ALGECIRAS

Morning:

- Morning walk through the awaking town to a hill outside the city gate
- Drive through mountains, fields and cities to Ceuta (2 hours)
- Breakfast on the way
- Crossing the Moroccan - Spanish border

Afternoon:

- Boat journey across the Strait of Gibraltar
- Good bye in Algeciras, Spain around 3:30pm

It's Christmas time in Granada!!!

I really mean that. Walking around the city, a nice fresh wintery chill hangs on the air. Everyone is wearing big jackets and scarves. Stores are full of wool sweaters and tall boots. Lights and garlands and music and Christmas spirit can be seen, heard, and felt all over the city. The Sierra Nevadas, the perfect backdrop to such a wonderful city, glisten with the layers of snow against the winter sunlight.

It's beautiful and fresh and frankly, I'm in love with it.


I will miss being home for the holidays... but I'm glad that if I have to be away from home, I can be somewhere where they clearly love La Navidad as much as we do in the US.

So now, here comes the tactless part of this blogpost. For anyone who really feels the need to get me something for Christmas, I NEED MONEY.

I don't need it need it, but I have a 3 week break coming up, and I want to travel! I want to see London, Dublin (both of which are on the pound, so are expensive), Amsterdam, and Rome (among other parts of Italy). I want to see a bit more of Europe while I'm here, and this will be the perfect opportunity to do so.

My dad has a card to my bank account... he could probably help get the money to me, since I can't use USD or American checks here...

I hate asking for anything, especially like this... but when will I ever have this opportunity again?

I'm sorry to ask... but I really feel like I must.

In other news, next week is Thanksgiving. I HATE that I won't be home for Thanksgiving... but I will, of course, be there in thought.

Next weekend is my trip to Morocco! I'm going with the moroccoexchange.org program, so I will be going into the suburbs/rural areas of Morocco and staying in homestays! It's a group trip, so we will all be together and safe. I'm really looking forward to seeing how life is in a non-Western society. Europe in and of itself is so different from California... I can't even imagine how different a place like Morocco will be! I am really looking forward to it.

The weekend after that, I am meeting Danielle in Paris! She has a friend there, so we won't even have to pay for lodging, which is good because it can get pricey in Paris. There will be so much to see! I am so happy that I have such an amazing friend to see it with!

After that, there are only two weeks of school left. Then vacation/(hopefully) EXTREMETRAVEL. After that, 3 more weeks of school, then finals, then, with any luck... more travel.

I just know that my time left here will go so fast. I have so much left to experience, but being on the halfway point of my time abroad and knowing that the majority of my travel will be happening soon... Let's just say, I'm really, really excited to experience it all.

I'll be home before I know it... that feeling is SO bittersweet.

Life... followed by Sevilla!!

Hello world! I know I haven't been online in a while, but here I am again, to remind you all that I'm alive and loving life!

Last weekend, my first weekend home in quite a while, was actually a pretty hard one for me. With the start of November, I really started to realize that I was going to be missing the holidays... mom's cooking, seeing family, bugging my sister... All of those things I usually do at Thanksgiving, I won't get to this year... and I actually felt a little devistated. So, I spent most of the weekend cooped up in my room, writing, listening to music, wishing above all else that my internet would start working (which of course it didn't... I'm in an internet cafe right now to write this actually), and then going to internet cafes and being annoyed that no one was online... I just wanted to not feel alone.

So, then, I spent most of my week out and about. Lots of time with friends, eating at the comedor (it's like a cafeteria, substidized for student use. 3€ will get you two plates, a dessert (usually a fruit), a bread, water, and a cup of wine or beer if you so choose), going to movies, having people over, shopping... Anytime my phone rang, I would hang out with whoever was calling. Which was great for me emotionally, I got out a lot, I saw a lot of people, I had a lot of fun... But it ended up being not so good for my academics. I will spend this week playing catch-up. Nothing I haven't done before.

I also neglected to go pay for my residency card, which means I will have to do it tomorrow morning at 8:30 (ugh) so I can ensure it's done and I can make it to the police station at 9:45 for my apointment. Yes, I'm still not done with this process. It's a little ridiculous. I will get my card in December or January, then leave in March. Part of me is tempted to see if I don't do it if I'll get deported... but it's not worth it, and if I was deported, I would never forgive myself. But it would be kind of ironic to be in illegal American in a Spanish-speaking country (Just me? Okay then...).

And then, the week came to a close and I was headed off to Sevilla, capital of Andalucía (the province which Granada is in). Let me tell you, it is a LABARYNTH. But it was probably one of the most beautiful cities I have ever seen. The cathedral there was GIGANTIC and one of the few gothic cathedrals in Spain, which made it feel really unique. Additionally, the bell tower was open to the public, so I could climb up and be among the bells and get a marvelous panoramic view of the city. It was spectacular.



There were plenty of gardens as well. It was nice to escape from the city. Lots of horse-drawn carriages went through the parks and around the city. I loved the faint scent of horse and the clopping of hooves on cobblestones... I wish it wasn't so expensive to ride in one, or Kirstin and I both would have gone and complained about how we miss our boyfriends, haha.


Above all else, the Plaza de España was the most remarkable thing about Sevilla. It had its own little canal with rowboats in it, big beautiful buildings, two big bridges... It was absolutely beautiful. I'm really glad my camera lasted for two quick pictures. Then the battery died.

Which means I didn't get any rainy pictures, or pictures of the Alcázar. The Alcázar was very remniscent of the Alhambra, because it was so big and full of Arabic influence, since it had at one point been an Arabic palace. The gardens were beautiful. There were peacocks and fish and ducks, which was always fun for me. Although my love for the animals may have been a little annoying for Kirstin, haha. I would wander off following a duck sometimes rather than follow the path... but it was fun.

And it RAINED. It rained a lot. The rain was fun to watch on the train ride back though.

And now, here I am, at an internet cafe, writing to you all... pictureless, once again, since I can't use my own internet. (UPDATED on 9-12-2010 with pictures!)

But overall, life here is wonderful, and I can't wait for the adventures life has waiting for me around the corner!

I miss you all and I can't wait to hear from you!

Home from Cádiz! And oh yea... School...

At the beginning of the week, we booked a hostel for the weekend in Cádiz, knowing that going through/around Central Spain was also over a long weekend and we almost didn't have a place to stay for two nights. So, we booked the hostel, looked at the buses that were less than halfway full, and planned on taking the bus there first thing Saturday morning.

...but, of course, even though our hostels were booked, the buses did, indeed, fill up.

In a panic, we looked for alternative ways to get to Cádiz. Aimee and Sean decided to go from Málaga to Ronda to Cádiz, so Sean wouldn't have to go to Granada and they could have a day to themselves. Jim and I took a bus to Sevilla and, from there, a train to Cádiz. It all worked out.

The train ride was quite nice. So nice, in fact, that I slept for most of it. I later heard about the ocean views and such that I missed... Oh well, what can I say? I was tired.

But then we got to Cádiz. It was so nice. It has such a lovely old charm to it, and it's surrounded on three sides by the Atlantic. There were so many old buildings, a HUGE, old Cathedral, cute coffee shops, beaches... Anything a person could want on vacation.

I only wish I was on my computer instead of a library computer so I could load my pictures and share them with all of you. (UPDATED: 09-12-2010 with pics!) Especially the sunsets over the ocean, and the fun pictures I took on my new camera with 500 million settings. My favorite is definitely the 'Get even closer to your close-up subjects!' setting. I took so many random pictures of flowers with a blurry monument or other blurry flowers in the background. I felt like such the artíst! THANK YOU, KEVIN AND ADRIANA!






But, of course, there was a slight sense of bittersweet at seeing the water, the beach, the romantic sunsets... It reminded me so much of San Diego. The fresh ocean air, the sandy beaches right next to the cliff beaches (although the cliffs in San Diego are MUCH taller)... The undying, cold wind followed us throughout Cádiz, and all I wanted was Chris's arm around me, keeping me warm and shielding me from the wind.


I wanted to walk with Danielle and Aryanna on the beach, listen to the water, talk about life or love or boys or complain about school, then go back to the hostel and cuddle with Chris to a scary movie on Halloween.

Life here is great and wonderful, and I know I'm living the opportunity of a lifetime by being here, but in one way or another, I find myself reminded of home, the people there, the people waiting for me, and the people I can't wait to go home to.

So, even though Cádiz is probably my favorite city I've been to thus far (other than Granada, of course), it really just made me homesick at times.

Maybe that's part of why I like it so much.

Anyway, Monday night at 9, we went to board our bus. This was DEFINITELY our bus. It was an ALSA bus, #21, bound for Granada. But the driver wouldn't let us on. He kept insisting another bus was coming. Eventually, after a few panicked '¿Estás seguro?'s, he went inside to check. Then, reassured that it was our bus, he let us board.

I slept until Sevilla. In Sevilla, an old man got on the bus and sat right behind us. He started puking. Not like carsick puking, like I was seriously scared for this guy's life puking. The person next to him (some relative I assume) asked for the driver eventually, and the ambulance came to get him. By the time they evaluated him and determined he could not stay on the bus, we were put over an hour behind schedule.

Oh, and did I mention, I was puked on. Yes. It was nasty. And then I had to sit with it on me for the entire ride home. Not a lot of puke, just a few drops, but it was REALLY nasty. Luckily Jim had some gum... it got the sour taste out of my mouth that came because I tend to be a little sympathetic... ugh. Not pleasant.

Anyway, then I got home, put on pjs, and went to bed.

This week has been full of writing my first ever Spanish paper! That is, my first paper in Spain. I've had papers in Spanish before. It was about a reparation law that was put into effect after Franco died.

In and of itself, it's a nerve-wracking topic. I mean, most Spaniards now-a-days, especially in a university setting, aren't in support of Franco... but as a foreigner writing to a Spanish audience, it's hard to say ''Your ex-dictator was a bad, bad man and it's great that you put these reparation laws into effect.'' You know what I mean?

But I finished my paper and it has been turned in. 5 pages. Whoopee!

Anyway, this weekend I should be staying home... Maybe a daytrip to the Alpujarras or Santa Fe, but nothing too extraordinary.

Córdoba... and still no internet.

Hello, hello, hello!

I'm back in the library today, but since it's not so crowded and the internet is actually letting me use blogspot today, I figured it was time for some updates!

Jim, Kirstin, and I spent the last weekend in Córdoba! It was pretty cool, especially the historic mezquita/catedral. It was originally a cathedral, then became a GIANT mosque, then was retaken as a cathedral and is currently used as a cathedral for practicing purposes, but called a mesquita for tourism purposes. It was HUGE, and the pillars and arches inside were absolutely amazing. Arabic art is very beautiful to me. Since Muslims cannot put pictures of anything living in their places of worship, they use intricate architecture and carvings of Arabic words and prayers as decorations. It really is quite beautiful. I often look at them and wonder if they were all done by the same person, or at least designed by the same person and executed by many... it seems like one person working would take far too long for it to ever be used because he would die before he was done, but they are all so perfectly similar that it looks like the same set of hands did all of it. That's not just in the mezquita though... In the Alhambra, in all the old cathedrals... it's just remarkable to me.

Another thing. In one of my MMW classes back at UCSD (MMW = Making of the Modern World. It was basically a 6-quarter series of human/world history/anthropology/sociology from the dawn of homo sapien until the present day), one of my professors (Professor Herbst! He was AWESOME!) mentioned that the ideals of certain religions are often reflected in their architecture. In cathedrals, your eyes are constantly drawn up, and on the top of the tall, tall, tall buildings there will be stained glass, paintings, carvings, etc. to remind you that God is up there. If you look up, you find God. Mosques, on the other hand, tend to be more flat, tend to draw your eye forward. That's because they aren't looking for God in their places of worship, they're seeing/putting God in their path/world. Also, Islam is more directional. They pray facing Mecca rather than looking at the sky. Things like that. Anyway, in the mezquita, you can really feel that. You go to a Catholic part of the mezquita and you find yourself looking up, into the domed ceilings and up into the eyes of a painted Jesus or angel, while in the mosque part, you are looking forward, through an arch decorated by some Arabic prayer.

I thought it was interesting. Figured I would share it. I will probably steal some of Kirstin's pictures eventually to help illustrate it.

Anyway, we also saw the Roman bridge. It was really big and very old. There were also a lot of ducks hanging out underneath it. A little white dog went NUTS and almost jumped off the bridge to get them. Luckily, she was wearing a harness and her owners picked her up. Stupid dog.

A common type of street performer in the touristy parts of Spain are people that paint themselves like statues and stand perfectly still. In Córdoba, we saw one that held a painted bullhorn. He would push the noisemaking buttons every so often, and would even do a kind of dance with the noises it made if someone gave him money. Of course, this was a huge hit with little kids crossing the bridge. He even twirled a couple of little girls around after they gave him some coins. It was very sweet and fun to watch.

There was also the Alcazar, which is a sort of castle vacation home thing surrounded by gardens. The castle part was closed that Sunday, but the gardens were lovely. Lots of roses and big, big trees and fountains... It was so lovely to look up the fountains and gardens and see the castle in the background. Some adorable old British people heard us trying to decide which two would get to be in a picture and offered to snap it for us. They asked where we were from, and we said California. Only cute little old British people would respond to that with 'Brilliant!' like they did. It was adorable.

We also ate pastries. It's the norm for Jim and I (when we travelled previously with Lauren and Aimee), and Kirstin was more than happy to join in on the tradition. It's such a nice pick-me-up after a day of walking around.

Our hostel wasn't that nice, but we were only there for one night and we had a warm shower and a bed, so we were fine. I probably wouldn't recommend it to anyone else though.

This Saturday, Jim, Aimee, Sean and I are headed off for Cádiz! I'm very excited to get some beach before it gets too cold... but maybe we are too late.

In Granada, it gets SUPER cold at night and warm during the day... Such is the mountain fall I suppose.

Anyway, the library is closing, so I suppose I should be off.

I miss all of you! Contact me somehow whenever you get the chance! =)

Internet Troubles

Hey everyone!! I'm making this post to let you guys know that my internet is down indefinitely. I promise I'm not ignoring you and I am also definitely alive! But using the internet is very come-and-go and when it comes, it's never enough to post a blog. I'm actually in the computer lab in the library right now to post this.

Anyway, this week has been fairly uneventful, but things are getting busy with school. I have a group project and presentation due in December (which is a ways away, but it's a fairly big project), a short paper due in two weeks, and lots and lots of reading I need to catch up on.

This weekend, some friends and I were talking about heading to Córdoba. Then Cádiz the next weekend since it's a long one. I'm really looking forward to it! I love travelling on the weekends... and there is SO much to see right here in Southern Spain!

Anyway, I just wanted to check in and let you all know that I am alive... but my internet is not. Hopefully it's back when I get back home from the weekend.

¡Ciao!

Central Spain

Since I missed two classes today because I have a bit of a cold and wanted to get some rest, I figured I should fill you all in on my overall wonderful experience touring central Spain.

Wednesday night we decided we should take this "puente" to our advantage and see some more of Spain. There are many cool towns really close to Madrid, so, since Lauren has friends in Madrid and that was the only city with any rooms available over the weekend, we decided we would reserve our room for Thursday night and head to Madrid first thing Thursday morning.

Luckily, Kim was able to put some money into my backup bank account so I had the means to do this traveling. Thank you!

So we were off to Madrid. We got in pretty late, but we managed to walk around and see the main sights, the Puerta del Sol, the Plaza Mayor, the Palácio Real... no museums or anything, but the main historic sights in Madrid and eat some delicious, cheap paella. If you want to see Madrid proper-like, you'd need a few days, and we only had a few hours. We also met up with Lauren's friend and we all had a nice conversation before heading to bed because we had an early morning the next day. He also said he'd let us crash in his living room, since half of his roommates were going to be gone anyway and we couldn't find an open hostel for that night.

Next, we went to Toledo, the main Jewish area in Spain (although there aren't many Jews there, but there is a synagogue, and it may be reopening soon for practice). Toledo also felt really... medieval. I mean of course everything was old, but there it had a different kind of old feel than Granada, or even Madrid. Much smaller, more of a town. We also saw their main cathedral, historic bridges and arches, and ate mazapán (marzipan), a typical dessert of Toledo. We bought little mazapán roll things for Lauren's friend as a thank you. We went into a little place with a sign that said "Se vende mazapán" and were delighted to see two nuns and a younger girl (who we later found out was the niece to one of the nuns) selling their hand-crafted marzipan goodies. I mean, a thank-you dessert bought from nuns? How could anyone resist?

They were very sweet nuns.

And let me tell you, it RAINED in Toledo. I actually bought an umbrella and am very glad I did. I would have been soaked to the bone without it.

Then we went back to Lauren's friend's house in Madrid. We got Thai food, which was actually really good. Then, Lauren and him and a few more of his friends went dancing. Jim and I decided to hang out in his house with his Italian roommate and his 3 friends. I'm really glad I stayed. I'm not too into the dancing thing, and we learned an Italian card game that's kind of like war and hearts put together. It's called "Bríscola". I can't wait to teach Kevin how to play. I know he'd really like it. We went to sleep before Lauren and her friend and his friends got home.

I woke up in the middle of the night with horrible, horrible stomach pains and nausea. It felt like food poisoning, but whatever it was was already out of my stomach by the time I tried to throw it up (sorry for that...). After a couple of hours, I managed to go back to the living room and fall asleep, worried that I would have to hang out there and meet Lauren and Jim in Salamanca or find a way back to Granada or go to a doctor or something in the morning.

...but I woke up and felt much, much better, I'd say about 95%. So I decided to chance it, but watch what I eat the next day. I started with a croissant and tried to stick to bland food all day. I ended up being fine.

Anyway, then we were on a train bound for Segovia.

Segovia was quaint, to say the least. It was very small and VERY green. The palace there was big and beautiful, and the rooms inside were positively regal (it was a palace after all). The most striking thing, though, was easily the Roman aqueduct running through the middle of the town.

This aqueduct needs two tiers of arches because it's so tall, about 5 stories at least I would say. It's made out of dense gray stone that I think is a kind of granite. There is also no mortar in between the stones. Imagine, this thing has been up for thousands of years and has never fallen even without something as simple as mortar? I can't even fathom the technology they already had back in those times to make something last so perfectly for so long...

It was really fun there. We just looked at the aqueduct for at least an hour total. But alas, it had to end.

We also bought a box of Yemas, which they have all over central Spain, but are particularly famous in Segovia.

We went to go buy our bus tickets for Salamanca, where we had already booked two nights. However, the bus we wanted to take was already sold out from Ávila to Salamanca, so we would have to take the bus to Ávila and then buy tickets to Salamanca from there. We were annoyed, but didn't see much of an option, so we bought our tickets and then got a consolation café con leche (Fanta limón for me... didn't want to try coffee and milk for fear of upsetting my stomach again). Jim has a really handy Spain guide book, so we figured we'd look into what there was to do in Ávila. Aparently the oldest, best-preserved medieval city wall was there. We then figured the layover could be worse, and were off.

We all managed to sleep a good portion of that bus ride. We got to Ávila around 7 and our bus for Salamanca didn't leave until about 10, so we went off to see this old wall. It was a really cool town with the city center still completely enclosed by the wall. The Cathedral was beautiful, too. It seemed like a really ritzy kind of town, not as many tourists there we figured. There weren't too many fast food (or inexpensive food) joints except for one Doner Kebab place (schwarmas rule) that after wandering around for about two hours, we decided to go to to eat.

However, while in Ávila, we realized we didn't know the address or name of the hostel we had booked in Salamanca. So we searched for an internet café with, of course, no success. Without hostels and a college, why would you have internet cafés? We went into a hotel and asked if we could stand in the lobby to use the wifi on Lauren's computer. The receptionist looked confused, but didn't mind, so I took the liberty of explaining our situation to her. She was amused and let us actually use her computer. She was very happy to help us, and we made sure she knew "nos salvaste" (you saved us), and Lauren nearly shouted an appreciative "I LOVE NICE PEOPLE!" as we walked out.

Anyway after all that and after eating our Kebabs, we were on our bus to Salamanca.

The hostel there was easily the nicest we have stayed in. Ever. We got a 5-bed room to ourselves, a private bathroom, and the downstairs had a wide selection of muffins. The only thing I could complain about is their one, lonely, crappy computer, but we didn't spend much time on it.

Salamanca has a big, beautiful cathedral, a university, a Roman bridge, a perfectly square Plaza Mayor, and good tapas. But they also have a sense of humor. On the new part of the cathedral, in the artwork around the door, there is a hidden astronaut. He's my new favorite thing. On the artwork over the old University, there is a hidden frog sitting on a skull. He's not as cool in my opinion, but very culturally important I guess. This frog/skull combination is on almost all of the Salamanca souvenirs.

In Salamanca, their typical pastry is actually a meat pastry. It has pork loin, serrano ham, and bacon inside it. We got a small piece to try and it was surprisingly really, really good. We also went to a chocolatería and got some churros con "fancy" chocolate. I got Colómbia, which was coffee and chocolate. Lauren and Jim both got Maya, which was cinnamon and chocolate. It was really, really good... but not worth the price more than once. Next time, I'll keep it to simple chocolate.

The next day, we took a cab to the train station. It was actually about 15€ cheaper to go to Madrid THEN Granada than straight to Granada. So we opted for that route. It also meant we could train to Madrid, and trains are fun.

We allotted an hour and a half to get from the train station to the bus station, and managed to do so in about 50 minutes. We got a quick sandwich to eat on the bus, then ran to make sure we got on in time. By the time our sandwiches were made and we got downstairs and found our bus (the Madrid bus station is HUGE), we had about 5 minutes before we left. Perfect timing!

And now here I am, back in Granada, nursing a cold that I woke up with yesterday. It's a sore throat/cough combo that has been going around... it was only a matter of time before I got it really. But I'm drinking plenty of tea and had soup for lunch, and skipped my morning classes, opting for rest. I should be rarin' to go tomorrow. I hope.

I was also pleasantly greeted with my BofA debit card upon my return. I'm no longer without access to my money! I will pay back the UC Study Center today, and Lauren, since without her, I never would have gotten home from Lisbon.

Jim took plenty of pictures that I hope I get access to soon to share with you guys. I am still patiently waiting for my new camera to arrive here. Thank you so much, Adriana, you're the best sister a girl could ever hope her brother would marry!!!

I believe the storm has passed and there won't be too much more rain, if any at all, but I hope it warms up a bit... it's not even supposed to hit 70 today. And the rain is supposed to return tomorrow. How will I ever get better!?!?

The Spanish Workweek

So we finally had our first undisturbed week of class...

... and we now have a four-day weekend!!! =D

I'll be traveling to Madrid and Salamanca with Lauren, Kirsten, and Jim. I can't wait to tell you about it when I get back!

I wish I had something to blog about, but the week in and of itself has been pretty uneventful. Just full of classes. I decided to drop out of "Spanish Constitutional Rights." It was a very interesting class, but I just couldn't keep up with the Spanish legal lingo. I think I'll keep my remaining 5 classes, but if I do decide to drop another one, it will for sure be "Rural Sociology."

So for now, I bid you adieu, and I will be back in Granada early on Tuesday! Ciao!

Contact me! =)

While I have already sent out an email to family, I figured I should post these things here in case one of you crazy people that follows this wants to get in touch with me!

My mailing address:
C/Acera del Triunfo, 9, 4 IZQ
Granada, España 18001

Please keep it to letters and, if you feel the absolute need, SMALL packages. Remember, I need to repack whatever I have eventually in a way that I can take it back on the plane. Plus, if it gets too big, it could get stuck in Madrid for me to somehow have to go pick up.

My phone number:
+34 633 256 776

It is free for me to receive texts. Yes, even the international kind. I have no idea what that will do to your bill, however, so you might want to keep it minimal. It costs me 0.10€ per text as well, so don't expect to have a full-on conversation over texts please. If you just have a little something you want to tell me or if there's an emergency, though, feel free to use it =).

The most effective/efficient way(s) to contact me are email/facebook messages. If you have facebook, friend me! If you don't, my email is:
ncovate@ucsd.edu

I'm on Skype whenever I am home. Calling is a bit finicky on my internet, but the chat usually works. My Skype name:
natalie.covate

Additionally, you can comment on this blog. I don't really respond, though, so if there's something you need a response to, please email me.

I check facebook and email daily (except when I'm travelling, then it's just when the opportunity presents itself) and I will reply as soon as I receive a message.

I love hearing from home and I like knowing what all is going on and how you guys are doing! Please don't hesitate to contact me for any reason, I can always make a couple of minutes to read and write a quick email.

Hope to hear from you soon! You all now have no excuses... XD

Things I wish I could have taken pictures of:

As anyone who has ever walked any European streets can tell you, if you want to drive a car, you have to not have any particular attachment to your bumper. They are bumped. Frequently. By other bumpers.

Today, I saw a line of cars parked with little more than an inch and a half separating them. I wish I had a camera so I could prove I'm not exaggerating.

As I was walking around town, I walked past an entrance to a church with a bunch of trampled rose petals and rice leading in. The residue of the happy start of a couple's new life together made me smile. I wish I had a picture of it.

Luckily, I do have a webcam on my computer, so I could take a picture of this:

That's me pretending to sleep on my new bed! I love my sheet set (you can see the pattern on the pillow). Cheap too! 15€ for a fitted sheet, a top sheet, and a pillow case. I'm also under my new blanket. It's fleecy and warm, and the pattern I think is homey-looking. It's green, too, which is both my Chris's and my sister's favorite color. And for only 9€... How could I possibly say no?

I love my room. It's big, the bed is comfortable, and it's very... tranquil. Whoever lived here last also left a bunch of pictures that I just so happen to like on the wardrobe, so it even feels personalized.

Next week promises to be a busy one... My full schedule of classes will actually start. And probably quite a bit of note-taking and reading as well.

Once I pick my one or two classes to drop it won't feel so crazy I hope.

Getting the ball rolling

I am completely moved and settled into my new piso! It's pretty nice. Nothing really fancy, but the room is very big and I get internet, so I'm not complaining. I also figured out how to work the hot water, which means I can now shower in comfort. Bread, butter, and jam has also become my snack/breakfast of choice. Mostly because a baguette (barra de pan) only costs 0.45€. Also because it is really tasty and reminds me of our bread and jam breakfast at the Residencia.

Although I'm happy to get real life moving and started, I do miss my life at the Residencia. I miss having a private bathroom (which I know I probably won't have again until I have a house and a master suite... which won't be for a long time...) and I miss going downstairs to a cafeteria full of friends. I do keep in touch with my American friends, maybe even more than I should. But for now, it's comforting to know I have a handful of people I can rely on.

I hope to start making some Spanish friends next week. We'll see how that goes...

I also have (sort of) officially started classes!!!

The reason I say "sort of" is because there was no class on Monday and Wednesday there were strictly-reduced classes due to a general strike. I only have class Monday through Thursday, so... I guess I had like half of a week of class.

But really, I have begun taking classes in Spanish with Spaniards and Spanish professors!

Currently, I have 6 classes. I must remain in at least 4 of them. I have until October 15th to weigh them out and figure out which 4 I want to keep. My classes are as follows (I'll put the titles in English):

Spanish Political System
Spanish Political Process
Spanish Constitutional Rights
Sociology of Religion
Rural Sociology
Advanced Grammar (It's a Spanish grammar class specifically for California students. I figured it would be useful).

Since it was the first week and the week was very interrupted, classes were very basic. The professors introduced themselves, talked about their syllabuses, asked if they had any foreign students and if we understood (they all did that... I haven never had an American professor ask that before. Interesting...), and mentioned if there was a book(s) we needed to (or should) buy.

It was nice to get into a real regimen, or to at least peek at how my real regimen will be when classes really start next week.

In other news, Beverly will be here from Córdoba to hang out with me tonight and tomorrow morning! Which means I should actually buy a blanket for my bed... it's cold in my room.

It will be nice seeing her. I miss my San Diego friends.

I suppose even that is part of the experience.

A mishap and a half...

So as you all are aware, I spent the last week touring Lyon, France and Lisbon, Portugal. Let me tell you, they are both absolutely beautiful cities with a lot of their own charm. Also, it was very different being in two countries where you don't speak their language at all. I thought I would recognize the roots of some words from Spanish in both French and Portuguese, but it was much harder than I thought it would be. And God forbid anyone try to talk to you about anything! I will always be sympathetic to foreigners in the US now. I have a lot of respect for them attempting English or asking if you speak their language, especially in a country where people get annoyed if you don't speak English to them.

I digress.

Perhaps another day I will get into the details of my trip, but for now I want to go into what happened on Saturday, September 25th.

It was Aimee's birthday, so we wanted to go out and do a little something different. In Lisbon, there is a really famous "oceanarium," or as we say in CA, aquarium. Aimee was excited about it, so we asked for directions at the help desk at our hostel. We needed to take the Metro: Green line to the Red line to the end of the Red line. Get out of the Metro and it's right there. The Metro is really cheap and REALLY fast in Portugal, and we wanted to see the fishies, so off we went.

After we got off the Metro, the three of us realized we were actually pretty hungry. Trying to save a bit of cash, especially not knowing the price of the aquarium and anticipating a big, special dinner for Aimee's birthday, we went to the grocery store and got some bread, some brie, some serrano ham (which is also popular in Portugal), and a couple of apples.

We decided it was nice outside so we ate outside. We all lined up on a bench in an ideal spot to people watch, me on the left, Aimee and Lauren on my right, then began our lunch feast.

It was a good place to people watch because it was crowded. We were enjoying ourselves on our bench. I placed my purse on my left, touching my leg, so we could all have easy access to lunch.

We were all chatting and enjoying lunch and I can't even explain how it happened... I felt something move on my left. It took me just one second to realize that my purse had been there. I absentmindedly reached for it. I touched the bench. I looked. It was gone. I looked up and whoever it was... well, they were long gone, too.

My purse was stolen from right underneath my nose with two other people right there with me.

The first thing I felt was annoyed. Did I really let this happen from RIGHT next to me? Hadn't I always been the overly cautious one with my purse on my shoulder or on my lap or in between my feet? People have even asked me, "What, are you going somewhere?" because I didn't want to put my purse down.

Then, I felt a wave of disbelief. How could the two people I was with have not seen anything? Even if I reported the theft, I would have nothing to tell the police. I know nothing about what s/he looks like...

I suppose I had a moment of feeling impressed. I mean, there were three of us and my purse was touching my leg. Touché, theif, touché.

I began a mental checklist of everything in my purse. My wallet has one debit card in it, only one just in case of something like this. I don't have any credit cards. I had about 30€ cash and some change that probably added another 5€ (change is a good thing to have in Europe... they HATE breaking big money here.). My 19€ phone was there, too, with about 17€ on it (it's a prepaid phone). Other than that, petty things... some hair ties, bobby pins, nail clippers, the post cards I bought in Lyon and Portugal (I figured keeping them in my purse would help keep them standing upright and not crumpled like they would be in my backpack), some tampons... nothing too valuable. In a moment of uncertainty, I reached for my wrist. My bracelet was still there. In that moment I was able to maintain my composure, sure nothing drastic had been lost.

"Well, you can take a picture of the bench and always remember that this happened... It's a story at least..." Lauren said to me, lightening the mood, or so she thought.

Then I realized my camera was in my purse.

My camera. My camera with all the pictures from the last day of class through all of my trip.

I lost it. I lost control of myself and bawled.

My pictures!

I'm not upset about the money or the phone or even the camera itself... but the fact that I will never have those pictures... It's very, very upsetting.

My mind raced through what I was missing: our farewell dinner from the Residencia, the chalkboard notes our ILP literature professor wrote, all the pictures from France, including a particularly beautiful picture of Danielle, me "performing" at the Roman ruins, a street cellist, the churches, the museum, the views... Then all the pictures in Portugal, some of the food we ate, the explorer monument, the giant map, the "Golden Gate" bridge, Big Jesus, Jim modeling schnazzy European clothing, all the pictures from Sintra, climbing up to the Cruz Alta, and the kind of silly video I took explaining how we had climbed up to the highest peak, taking about four hours and by the time we got to the top the fog had rolled in...

It was all gone.

I stood in the walkway and cried.

I guess I wanted to write this as a warning. Buy purses with a long strap. Always be more than aware of your surroundings.

Luckily, I had a sizable amount of cash and my passport in my money belt, which was locked in my locker in my hostel.

I also blocked my debit card. A new one should be coming in the mail in 4-16 business days. It seems like quite a span... but it's coming straight to Spain. Hopefully the 50€ I have left will last me until then. If not, I will use my Chase account and deal with the fees.

I'm glad I have a backup account... But I would feel better if I had more money in that account, since this is the second time I'm having issues with my Bank of America account (at no fault to Bank of America... Just waiting for a card to arrive the last time, this time it was stolen).

I digress.

I also heard of at least 2 other robberies that occurred in Lisbon while we were there. One was a woman on the street that needed 12€ just to get home because her house was across the river and the police couldn't take her that far. Then, when I got back to my hostel, the guy asked if my passport was in the bag. I said no, he was relieved because he had just gotten back from the police station because two Italian girls in the hostel were robbed and their passports were in their bags.

Anyway nothing super valuable of mine was taken. I wasn't mugged, there wasn't a struggle, nothing like that. It's just really really unfortunate, albeit slightly impressive.

Just learn from me and be even more cautious than you already are being!

Vacation.

So I've decided my life here is just too rough, especially after finishing finals, last night's flamenco concert, and the rain and thunder, and I just really need a break...

Luckily we have a week off between the end of ILP and the start of Spanish classes... So I guess I'll just go to France and Portugal with some of the coolest people ever or something crazy like that.

Hehehe!!! VACATION!!!

Anyway I just wanted to let you guys know that I'll be out of the country for about a week. Hopefully I get at least one chance to let you know how things are.

Talk to you again soon.

<3 Natalie

My little gentleman

So I finally decided to do some laundry this morning, but there is a puddle of bleach in the dryer (for who knows whatever reason... probably a stupid boy put it there thinking you're supposed to?). There aren't any clotheslines and the closet came with two hangers. Needless to say, I have clothes ALL over my room. Since my bed is inaccessible due to my spread-out, drying underwear, I decided this would be a good opportunity to post an entry about my little gentleman.

As I said last time, I had to go to the police station Tuesday morning. I had been putting it off in an attempt to go at a time where I actually wouldn't miss any class, but it came to a point where I didn't really have much of an option. I was going to miss class. Unfortunately, all of my friends had already done it, so I was left to the adventure myself.

I had a map and directions, so it wasn't too big of a deal. I was a little worried about missing a street sign, though, since they are so few and far between around here. I got to a fork in the road, so I moved to the middle, V-shaped piece of sidewalk to read the street sign across the way.

And that's where I first saw him, a little dog, probably a Dachshund mix of some sort, sniffing at one thing or another on the sidewalk. I smiled at him, a cute little scrappy thing, but kept to my agenda. I pulled out my directions squinting against the dark at the sign across the street. It was the street I needed to take, so I continued moving in that direction.

The sound of paws clicking against the stone walkway was unmistakable. I glanced over my shoulder and saw him walking in my direction about 10 yards back. I smiled again, figuring his home must just be in this direction. I continued on.

I came to an intersection without a street sign (no surprise there). I stopped, pulled out my map, and tried to figure how far I had gone.

The paw-clicking stopped.

Once I figured I still needed to go straight, I glanced over my shoulder again. He stood, about 5 yards back now, just facing forward, panting with a typical doggy smile. I may have chuckled. Either way, I kept going.

So did he.

I heard him get closer and closer and eventually he passed me. I figured at that point, he was done following me. I didn't mind, but it did make me kind of sad. It was nice having a buddy.

He got to an intersection and promptly stopped and looked over his shoulder at me. I could almost see the question in his eyes, "Is this our turn?" I caught up and started to make the turn, but mostly to look for a street sign. He went ahead. But, of course, it was the wrong street, so I turned back around.

Mostly out of curiosity, I gave him a kiss sound while I crossed the street. He looked up, saw my direction, and was promptly following me again.

I got to my turn and he was right next to me. I saw some benches, so I sat down to orientate myself, make sure I knew what street I was looking for. My new friend laid down just a few feet in front of me. That's when I got a quick picture:


Isn't he cute?

I could read the street sign and it was indeed the last street I needed, so I turned and walked towards the police station. I could see about 10 people sitting down, already in line, so I took my place next to them.

My little gentleman walked ahead, looked back at me, walked back, looked at the line, looked back at me, and just stood there for a second. Then he turned back around continued on his merry way.

I will never forget that little dog, even though I know I will probably never see him again. Hopefully he made it home safely.

A few updates...

Firstly, let me apologize for the late entry!! This last week has been rather hectic. I had an adventure to a beautiful Carmen (a sort of private garden) on Tuesday, a seminar about the Alhambra on Thursday (This will have it's own blog entry. Look forward to that soon!), an adventure through the Alhambra on Friday, a full-day beach trip to Marbella on Saturday, and trekking and getting a few things together for school and the policía yesterday.

That's the short version anyway.

I also had to struggle with making a class list, which I will finalize tomorrow at 10:30 am. Even though I will likely end up with 4 classes, it is recommended we sign up for 6 and drop as we need to, just to make sure we don't end up in an unexpectedly difficult class. After picking my 6, I am already so excited to start up real classes. The Intensive Language Program has been a fun experience, but I'm ready to feel fully immersed in the Spanish world and be launched completely out of my comfort zone. Even now, when I go out and have to speak Spanish to someone, I usually have at least one other American with me and about 75% of the time we end up speaking in English anyway. It is nice and relaxing, but I really want to feel that same comfort in Spanish. Sadly, that doesn't just happen. So begins my adventure in languages.

I think I'm the only person in my program who hasn't gone to the policía yet. I was so set on going on a Monday morning, when class starts at 10, so as not to miss class or a Friday orientation session, but after I failed at filling out the form without help from the program coordinator over the weekend, I didn't have much of a choice but to fill it out today to go tomorrow morning. I'm a little sad I have to make the walk alone, but it will be relieving to have it over with.

Marbella was beautiful and the water was fantastic. Kirsten and I spent at least 4 hours just hanging out in the water and talking, making games out of swimming farther and farther out and trying to touch the bottom, which got surprisingly difficult. Kirsten was much better at it than I was. Lauren and I had a lunch of bread, nutella, peanut butter, and bananas. I also brought a can of tuna, an apple, and a peach. It was fun to have a sweet, beach-side picnic under the sun. There were palm trees on the beach, too, so there were plenty of sandy shady spots as well.

Yesterday, my monitor brought us up and around Sacramonte, which is on the outskirts of the town. Like he said, "La mayoridad de estudiantes extranjeros en Granada se quedan en el centro y viajan por todo el resto de Europa sin conocer el resto de Granada," which means, "Most foreign students that study in Granada see the center of town and the rest of Europe without seeing the rest of Granada." I could definitely see that happening. People get so caught up with their immediate lives in the centro that they never see the outskirts, which are totally different from the centro. It was quite a walk, but it was quite the experience as well.

In other news, during our 10-day break between the end of ILP and the start of real class, I will be traveling to Lyon, France for a much-needed reunion with one of my best friends at UCSD, then to Portugal to enjoy some time with my Americanas from Granada.

It has been quite an eventful week and there are still so many adventures to be had!

La Catedral de Isabel la Católica

So, as I stated a few posts ago, we went to La Catedral de Isabel la Católica a few days ago. It was one of the most amazing, beautiful, breathtaking things I have ever experienced, and my first time going into a 16th Century cathedral (considering there are about... none... in the USA). It is very well-kept and preserved and majestic in its own way.

Firstly, I should go into a little bit about Spanish history. Spain was a Muslim country for hundreds of years, after the Moors from North Africa took control of Spain from the Visigoths (who were Catholic). Then, in the 15th century, during what is known as the "Reconquista," Catholics began retaking land back in Spain. For a long time, however, Granada remained a Muslim city, should the Sultan pay a heavy tax to the Catholic rulers. Eventually, in 1492 to be precise, they invaded anyway and took back Granada.

In other parts of Spain, the Spanish Inquisition had already begun. So, naturally, it was brought to Granada through the Reconquista. Many mosques remained standing, just converted into churches/cathedrals by throwing a cross on top of it (usually over the three-ball symbol of Islam, meant to symbolize the Earth, the Universe, and the Seven Heavens of Islam), sometimes even disconnecting their prayer tower from the building of worship and converting it into a bell-tower, because the Queen Isabel held a great appreciation for Islamic architecture. However, the main mosque in the center of town was completely destroyed. La Catedral de Isabel la Católica was then erected in its place, as a symbol of the triumph of Catholicism over Islam.


This is the altar. It is easily the most impressive thing inside that building. Could you imagine going to a place like THIS to worship? I can imagine it would be so hard to be a Spaniard and not be a Catholic, since all they hear growing up is how awesome it is and see buildings like this to prove it. Anyway, I think it's absolutely beautiful.

This is the dome over the altar. Again, it's just beautiful. It's remarkable how intricate the designs are in the marble, gold, and paint. I look at this wondering if artists, carpenters, or architects were the ones responsible, and think it would have been an awesome job to have worked on this back in the day and know it's still standing in nearly perfect condition.

It was too big and too dark inside to get a picture that does this thing justice, but it was a massive gold-plated statue glorifying the Reconquista. Inside the church. It's an important part of Spanish history to the Catholics.


At the time that the cathedral was constructed, most people that came in to worship were not literate. Therefore, there were statues and paintings all over the place to educate people on the happenings of the bible. Most of the scenes in this particular cathedral were of the life of the Virgin Mary. I don't remember what these were specifically, but I'm pretty sure they were related to that.

This is 16th century organ sheet music. I thought that was awesome.

That would be the organ. I thought it was even more awesome. Notice the pipes take up two towers. That thing was MASSive (get it?).

That's what keeps this place standing! Also, I loved the detailing in the ceilings. Remember, this is all 16th century marble, so it's all hand carved. I was thoroughly impressed.

That little speck of a person is me. That's just how big it was in there. It was so beautiful.

If you were here listening to the sermon, this is what you would see. From the back, anyway. People were congregating towards the front for choir practice.

We also happened to be inside during choir practice. I managed to take 20 seconds of video before my memory card filled up and I had to start frantically deleting old pictures. You can see the conductor right in the middle. The choir was unable to be seen from where we sat, but it was HEAVENLY to listen to (I'm so punny today!).

This place was truly amazing and full of Spanish pride. I only wish the pictures did it justice.