La Vida Granadina

Although I knew that Spain worked on an entirely different schedule than the US before I got here, the reality of that fact is still sinking in. And I'm definitely still adjusting. It's not the time difference, I was over the whole jet lag thing by day 4. It would've been sooner, but I was sick. Anyways, here's a typical day in Granada:

8 am- wake up, get dressed, eat breakfast
8:40-leave for IES
9-2- class (the class part of this will change, but for the past week we've had orientation)
11-11:30- coffee break.
2:30-3:15- midday meal with my host family. more on this later
3:15-5 (or 6)- siesta: reading, facebook or tv time, blogging, sleeping.
6-7- take a walk, get ready to go out (for tapas), have a snack
8:30-9- head out to meet friends for tapas (unless you're eating dinner alone at home, which will be around 10)
10:30-11:30- get home, shower, get ready for bed (or earlier for this stuff if you don't go out)
12 (at latest)- bedtime.

see this? yeah, it looks like a nice, empty schedule, but it's not. any skyping of people in the US has to take place after 4 or 5 pm, usually after 9 for my parents. and if you can only go to the store (to get stuff for dinner, for example) after siesta, because everything will be closed from 2-5ish.

So that's how it is. I don't dislike this, and I know that I will have more time during the day once I'm in actual classes, rather than in orientation. It's a little hard to adjust to, though. The strangest part is the time at which you socialize. I've never been a night owl; ask any of my friends and they'll tell you that I'm the one who wants to go out earlier (I even have a theory that everyone should go out earlier so they can get to bed earlier and won't complain about being out so late the next day). Here, though, it's pretty normal to be out until 2 in the morning. Or 3. Some people (although this is not the majority) stay out until 7 or so, and will have breakfast with their friends before going home. What? Sorry, but if it's early enough to order breakfast, you've been out way too long.

So anyway, here's what I've been up to, rather than giving you a long, pointless post.

Monday and Wednesday we had language exams. I'm in the second highest group, which, if I'm honest, I can't say I'm super happy about. Not because I think I'm better than everyone else, but because I was heard that my orientation group was the advanced group, and there are some people on the low end of the Spanish spectrum in that group that I do not want to end up with. I need to be challenged in order to learn (as I learned with French) and I'm hoping that will be the case. I know, however, that if my professor feels I have been put into the wrong class, that I will be put into a more appropriate level.

Tuesday we had a walk through El Bosque de le Alhambra, and an area of Granada called the Realejo. It was an awesome walk, and I got some great pictures. Yesterday (thursday) we had or neighborhood orientation, with UGR students who live in our area. Carmen, a girl who I met in Malaga, is our UGR vecina (neighbor) and the group of 10 of us, all girls, had a great time. Carmen showed us various helpful things, like cafes, supermarkets, and whatnot, as well as el Parque de Federico Garcia Lorca, which had what may be the coolest seesaw ever created. After that, we all went to a cafe to warm up, where I got a milkshake, which was made with vanilla ice cream and chocolate and coconut liquors, and hence tasted like an  Almond Joy, and then we went to a bar for tapas.

Tapas, if you don't know, are plates of food brought to you when you order a drink. In Granada, they're free. Most of the time you don't get to choose, but occasionally you do. Last night was one of those occasions. Because there were so many of us, we ordered tons: popcorn chicken, sandwiches, flautas, calamari, and something else. It was spectacular.

Today was our last day of orientation, and we attended sessions on the language courses, as well as culture shock (apparently I'm in stage 3: interpretation, followed by a reception with free food and wine. I had tinto de verano, which is a mix of red wine and lemon fanta. It is delicious, and significantly lowers the amount of alcohol you're consuming. Which is good, especially when it's not even lunchtime. Tonight I'm heading out with my friend Danielle and maybe a few other girls for tapas, and possibly dancing. Un beso!

View of Granada from Realejo

statue of Isabel la Catolica and Christopher Columbus

Realejo

There's a lot of graffiti in Spain, and some of it (like this) is pretty...someone sprayed over the leaves.

part of the Alhambra

view of el Albaycin from la Alhambra