Granada

“Vale”

That is what everyone in Granada, and probably other parts of Spain, says for a filler in sentences very similar to the use of OK. I feel like I’ve said, “vale vale vale” almost 100 times since arriving on Sunday, but I think my Spanish is getting better.
I arrived in Granada on Sunday, January 31 to my street, which is called “la Calle de Alhamar”. Anyway, Granada is a pretty cool city with tons and tons of history. The Muslim Arabs came in 711 AD and conquered the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal), and made it their home for the next several hundred years. Although Cordoba was their capital, Granada was a very important city because it was the last stronghold when, in 1492 – along with every other important event in Spanish history – King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella reconquered the city finally unifying Spain under Christian rule. Now, Ferdinand and Isabella are referred to as “los Reyes Católicos”.

Enough about history.

(this picture is of my host family's apartment. It's the fifth story in American terms, but it's considered the fourth here in Spain. In Spain, they refer to the first floor as the "ground floor" or "plantabajo"; so the numbers don't start until our "second" floor)

Let’s go through the family (hopefully, I’ll get pictures of them when I can…
Mi Señora se llama Carmen, and she is awesome. She is, as far as I can tell, in her mid forties or early fifties. She talks a ton, and really fast; but, she has taken on the role of teacher. Whenever I speak, she corrects me and keeps telling me not to worry, and her smile reminds me of the Cheshire Cat.
Mi Señor se llama Fernando. He is a short, balding, quite man who is always giving Sherman, my American roommate, and me the inside scoop on why our food is called what it is or the history of anything that happens on tv and stuff like that.
Mi hermanita (little sister) se llama Elena. She is 14 years old (the same age as Olivia – my real hermanita), but she acts much younger and looks it too. I assume it must be a cultural thing because they were really surprised to hear that at the ages of 24, Elliot and Lauren have already been married for two years. Anyway, Elena is a really sweet girl. She is really easy to talk to, and during and after meals, Sherman and I usually just tease her (in Spanish, of course); she’s pretty fun.
After that, there are 3 host brothers ages 23,21, and 19. Their names are Fernando, Pablo, and Alvaro. Fernando and Alvaro are both in Seminary, and Pablo is basically studying the equivalent of Environmental Science (there is hope!).
Sherman, my roommate, is a vocal performance and Spanish double major from THE Ohio State University, and he’s taken it upon his shoulders to show me around the city, which I greatly appreciate, and help me whenever I need it in the home with speaking or whatever. (He’s been in Granada since last September… he’s studying here for the whole year). However, I don’t think you understand the gravity of his showing me around the city so that I don’t get lost. The old part of the city, the “albaicín”, is the old Muslim part of town, and it is set on a very steep hill with streets that are about ten feet wide (buildings that close). It was actually designed to be hard to navigate so that soldiers in attacking armies would have to split up to defeat Granada. Another purpose that the close houses serve is to make shade in the streets. In the summers, Granada can get up to 110 degrees Fahrenheit, and shade is a necessity to function.
Well then, since arriving I’ve had lots to do.

On Monday, I took a placement exam at the University of Granada’s Center for Modern Languages, where I’ll be taking my classes this semester. I have to admit, the test pretty much destroyed me, but I got into the level that I needed so that I could have classes taught in Spanish.

Tuesday, my friends and I just explored the city for a while and tried to get a decent view of the Alhambra and the Sierra Nevadas. What we ended up stumbling upon was a sweet botanical garden complete with ducks, an aqueduct, and a small castle on an island in the middle of a pond with a bridge that was broken – there was a gate across the front that basically was the universal symbol for “KEEP OUT”. Naturally, being the adventurous, curious, stupendous college students that we are, we nimbly jumped the gate, skipped across the bridge, and laid siege upon the tower. We won, expectedly, and were at the top of the tower in no time. After that, we went to the Palacio de la Alhambra, a restaurant with a deck overlooking the city, and we had 3 euro cups of coffee to purchase our view. Altogether, it was a really nice evening of exploration and victory.


(very close view of the cathedral in Granada)


Today, we went with some ISA students on another trip to the Albaicín, and we went to the top where there is an overlook that is basically to die for. You can see some of those pictures below.

Random Fact for the Day: girls study abroad much more often than guys. Therefore, there are not many guys on our trip… that may clarify things if you see more pictures of me and I’m always with girls or something. Just thought I’d let y’all know.


(Calle de San Anton - I will walk to class this way)











(Did I not say the view was spectacular?)