Hello everyone, sorry for the delays in updating- things have gotten busier here and I am still trying to figure out how to structure my time. (Note the new pics in the post below!)

Well, my vacation is Spain is officially over- the real classes, ie. Not just “getting to know the city” orientation classes have started. But, before I get into all of that- last weekend we went on a great trip to Ronda, and Seville.

Trip to Ronda and Seville

Ronda is this beautiful town about two hours from Granada. It’s situated on top of this huge cannon- one side is the old part of the city, and the other is the new. From the minute we got off the bus, I really felt like I was in Spain. They had beautiful white-washed houses with great iron balconies, winding roads, beautiful flowers and just gorgeous views of all the olive trees surrounding the area. We took a tour around the city, took some pictures, visited the Arab bathes and then went to the Plaza del torsos (bull ring). I really enjoyed visiting the baths, it’s just amazing that to this day they are still standing. It’s really interesting to also hear about their social functions, and the unique separation between private and public places. In my mind, a bath is about as private as it gets, but they functioned as a real social hub- the men congregated to talk politics, and the women would meet their friends, find daughter-in-laws etc… or at least that was the picture our tour guide painted. Also, since the Arabs, Jews and Christians were all living there, they had certain days reserved for each group and then divided the hours by sexes as well. Anyway, though there aren’t any waters left (not like the Roman baths in Bath, England etc) it was still really cool.

The Plaza del torros was also interesting, especially since I saw a bullfight last time in Spain so it was cool to see what it was like behind all the closed doors. We literally went behind the doors, and saw the small rooms they keep the bulls and this system of pulleys and doors they use to get the bull out without getting anyone hurt. The role of bullfighting is very interesting in Spain, a lot of Spanish people (like our director) do not agree with the violent treatment of the bulls, but do respect the tradition and it’s role in Spanish history. The correos del torros are not in the sports section of the newspaper, but rather the culture/theatre pages. He suggested that everyone go to see a bullfight w/ an open mind, and I have to agree that though I was really not looking forward to it when I went there was a lot more respect for the bull than I had imagined. I think a lot of people in my group still had a lot of trouble accepting the tradition-

After Ronda we boarded the bus and drove another two and a half hours to Seville- I remember being very impressed w/ Seville the first time I visited, and this time was no different. It’s beautiful- very quintessential Spain- gorgeous homes, palm trees, great plazas, a beautiful river (that has water!) and some of the best architecture.

The first night we got there we walked around for a bit and then when to a fancy restaurant where we had a really good meal- they kept bringing out different small courses, some typical, like paella, but also some interesting shiskabobs (sp?) with this curry sauce that I just loved. I still like mom’s gazpacho better though- a lot of the gazpachos I’ve had here are really bland. We also had these great desserts and some really nice Spanish wine. Afterwards we walked around the city and went to a club across the bridge- I ended up leaving with some people to go explore Plaza Alfalfa, where my friend heard a lot of the young students hang out. Well it ended up not being as great as we hoped, but the funniest thing happened- I was walking down the street and all the sudden heard “Katica” and I ran into Tara Simpson, a girl I had girlscouts with, have known since like 1^st grade and haven’t seen since high school graduation. Anyway, it was pretty funny, small world that it is and it turns out she’s studying there for the semester.

The next day we visted the Alcazar- the Palace/fortress built in Mudéjar style in 884 (Mudéjar refers to the Arabs that were in Spain who did not convert to Christianity during Christian rule). I really enjoyed visiting the palace, because it’s amazing that a Christian king, Santo Ray Fernando III, purposefully built the place with Arabic style art/architecture, but you can see Christian elements in that there are representations of the lions and people that you never find in Arabic art.

After the place and it’s beautiful gardens, we took a break to wander around and I went with the Spanish girls and a few people to find Plaza de España, which has huge fountains and is a large monument to the Spanish cities. We finally found it, but by had to return quickly to go to the Cathedral and climbed the Giralda. I love going to Cathedrals, and this one is really huge- very ornate and lots of gilded gold details. The whole place just glowed. Javier showed us some interesting statues, such as a statue that the people of Seville claim holds Christopher Colon’s remains and is being carried by the last Catholic Kings (Los Reyes Catholicos). In the statue one of the Kings is stepping on a pomegranate, meant to represent the recent conquest of Granada from Islamic rule (Granada means pomegranate). The Gilbralda, originally a minaret, is a converted bell tower that has ramps instead of stairs so that the horses could easily climb to the top. Once you get to the top you can see a great view of Seville, and when we were up there one of the bells started ringing and I practically fell over because the reverberations were so loud.

After our day of being tourists, we went back to the hotel, showered and went out to grab tapas before going to the Flamenco show. I was with some friends at a tapa bar on the side of the river when this Catholic parade came down the street- complete with candles, incense, full band, and float. It turned out it was the city’s Saint Day and we could hear them walking threw the streets as we walked back across the river.

That night we went to a private Flamenco show that was absolutely incredible. I had seen a Flamenco show last time I was in Spain, but this time I was literally front row and saw every detail- The singer and guitarist (my personal favorite) dressed in black and with long hair started out the show and did a few songs with just the two of them. Then the female flamenco dancer came out and she was so talented, I have no idea how she moved her feet so fast, and she had so much passion and concentration- Later the male flamenco dancer came out and danced as well. It was also fun watching everyone’s faces during the show- some people were grinning, others were just staring in amazement. The ambiance was beautiful, in this inner country yard with ivy walls and flickering candles and it was mesmerizing. Afterwards everyone was in the mood to go dancing, so we went to a club called Cathedral that had these huge bed/lounge things and stayed there for a while. I eventually went with some people to get churros (a late night craving staple- fried dough dipped in chocolate yumm) and headed back to the hotel.

The next day some people had gotten tickets to the Seville fútbol game but the tickets had been pretty expensive and I had forgotten to sign up. The twenty or so people that weren’t going to a game went to a national park for about two hours and got back to Granada around 6 pm.

Overall the weekend was great, but it in many ways confirmed my choice to study in Granada and not in Seville. I would say Seville is “prettier” in terms of architecture and offerings, it is also much more non-Spanish- there are starbucks, McDonalds (Granada only has one Burger King), Pizza huts, and overall is a lot more touristy- I heard English everywhere.

The only other problem we had is that American college guys can act stupidly in any context, and this weekend they did that in full glory. I’m still not sure of the whole story, but basically a bunch of the guys were really drunk and ran around the hotel being a disturbance, broke into the janitor’s closet to steal the pool key and scaled the pool wall to go swimming. Basically, the next morning Javier had a big talk with everyone, and look furious- Viky told me later she had never seen him so upset and had wanted to go back to Granada the next day until Natalia convinced him otherwise. It really upset me that some of the people in our program acted so irresponsibly and are immature- it confirms every stereotype and is really unfortunate. Anyway, other than that, I returned to Granada happier than ever that I was in Spain.

(Ronda and Seville trip over)

Allright, well since the trip explanation is over back to daily life in Granada. Classes started this week and I have to say they are going to be harder than I thought. Granted taking classes in another language are going to pose a challenge, but I think I will be all right, it’s just going to take work. Right now I’m signed up for an Islamic History class, my language class (which I’m not really happy with but I’m going to talk to the teacher), Islamic Art/Architecture class, Anthropology class “Spanish experience of the other” and a García Lorca literature class.

I’m in a bit of a dilemma because I need to drop one to take a university class, but all of them I’ve enjoyed and I’m still not sure. I think I might drop the Islamic Art/Architecture class and ask if I can audit it and still go on the visitas. Vamos a ver. It’s funny how school shopping can make you home sick- they only have graph paper in notebooks, not lined, and apparently a big tote bag is a foreign concept. That’s another thing I don’t understand, all of the school children carry the smallest bags here, I remember being in middle school and practically falling over w/ all of my notebooks. I think Spaniards have a Marry Poppins quality- they eat bread, cheese and meat but don’t gain a pound and have one of the best school systems in Europe and don’t have books? I’m going to investigate.

I’ve also started volunteering this week, I will be an English tutor for sixteen year old twins, Gabriella and Stefania, immigrants from Ecuador. I go to their apartment twice a week for 1 ½ hours each time to help them with English. They are both really sweet, and though have not done well with English in the past, I hope I can help them. I’ve never taught English before and not sure how to approach it. It’s also been a strange experience because I’ve been switching between English and Spanish so my head hurts a bit afterwards haha. The program I’m working is called “Coge” and helps immigrant families for a year, with legal, financial and academic assistance. The mom is very sweet and they also have a five year old brother named Andrés.

The girls are very interested in my life, and love to ask questions after our lessons. They asked me about my friends, my classes, if I am dating anyone, when I came to spain- all of that. Apparently they’ve been in Spain for five years, but I think they will both be an interesting resource in anth class when I need to do a research project on immigration in Spain. They are both smart, and told me that they are amazed that I’ve come to another country to learn Spanish. It’s interesting that they mentioned that because even though they are young, they recognize initiative which makes me hopeful that they can see that quality in themselves as well.

I’m also going to be working at the IES center for a little extra pocket money- I’ve gone to a couple of the facultads to find their “guías” or guide books and will start working more next week. I also hope to start doing some yoga or art classes soon, but don’t want to pack too much in.

The big news this week is that some travel plans are being finalized. On October 18 or 19^th I’m leaving with our program for a trip to Morroco, and then come back on October 23^rd. That same day my Mom and Bri (who’s studying in beautiful Florence) will visit me for a few days. On Wednesday my Mom leaves for Madrid, while I leave for Málaga and then to Lisboa, Portugal the next day! I will be in Portugal with four other friends until Sunday, Nov. 4^th and am really excited. We booked a beautiful hostel right in the center of the city and I’ve heard wonderful things about Portugal.

Overall, things are still going well, but I’m starting to feel the effects of cultural adaptation. I’ve heard from other friends and psychologists that people often feel really tired, and I’ve been exhausted recently. It’s just a lot of stimulation, planning, sounds etc. and I’ve feel like I’m alert all the time and concentrating to understand what’s going on around me. A lot of kids have gotten sick, and one of my friends is on antibiotics because she has some bizarre throat infection.

My friend called her linguistics professor the other day and he also said that learning Spanish in Andalusia is particularly difficult because of their strong accents, and that they drop “linguistic information” ie- they don’t say the end of their words, and mumble them into one word. Porfavor becomes “porfa” and instead of “Granada” they say “Grana.”

I’ve of course noticed their strong accents, but I’ve find that looking at their mouths really helps. Either way, her professor said that since we are learning here, it means that in the future it will be a lot easier to understand other accents because we will be used to interpreting meaning from little “linguistic information.” So basically, I’m going to be confused for a lot longer but in the end better equipped.

As happy as I am here, I still can’t get that “go” mentality out of my head- I want to travel, explore, and get antsy that I have little time here and a lot of goals I want to achieve. I know I just need to calm down, get out there and let all of this happen naturally-

Today I took advantage of no classes and slept in, and relaxed in the apartment. I’m listening to the new Manu Chau cd and the rain is pouring outside. I was planning on running in the morning, but I might read the book I borrowed from Lilia instead- a nice rainy day in Spain.

All of my love!

Ronda and Seville Pictures

Ronda













Ronda- one side of the Canyon














Puente connecting the two sides in the background.


Arab baths





















Plaza del torros














Fancy dinner































Alcazar













Arabic art w/Christian elements (Lion). You can't see it here, but the icon for the Spanish royal family is two columns wraped together w/ a banner- you can also see it on the American dollar because right after the war for independence the US used Spanish pesos for currency.



Beautiful Alcazar gardens

Plaza de España (with Vicky one of the Spanish students)

Manu Chao poster in Seville

















Cathedral in Seville

Below are a few photos of the Alhambra and surrounding garden patios that I took on a walk yesterday with my program. I’m sorry there aren’t more, but when 40 Americans invade it gets a bit crowded to get some really good shots.

We walked around the Alhambra a bit before sunset and it was so beautiful- it’s actually a lot closer to the center of the city than I had imagined. The Alhambra just seems like the elusive palace on top of the hill, but it’s really quite close and accessible. You just walk through la calle de los tristes (named the road of the sad/mourners bc of a nearby cemetery), take a right onto this dirt path and walk uphill for about 20 minutes. It’s pretty incredible that in less than an hour you can walk away from the bustle of mopeds and tourists, to such a historic and famous place. the incredible thing about Europe, there is just so much history that it becomes part of the everyday- The Cathedral is practically next to the Corte De Ingles, a really huge department store right in the middle and somehow it doesn’t match, yet seems natural.

The Alhambra also offers great views of the city, including the Albacín which is where I was the other day in wrote about my other post. At one look out point, you can see horizontally across to the St. Christopher Cathedral were a few days ago I was looking at the Alhambra. After our walk we went back to center of the city and four of us split from the larger group to grab some drinks and tapas.

It’s actually sort of funny, but apparently a lot of Granadians think that most of the American students who come to study don’t speak a word of Spanish. We were sitting outside at our table and talking in English (sometimes we try to speak in Spanish, but it can be frustrating so we had switched back to English) and a guy in the next table said something to his friend thinking that we wouldn’t understand it. He said something to the effect of how ridiculous it is that all of these Americans come to study in Spain and just speak in English the whole time.

Granted he had a good point, but it was pretty funny when we all turned around and told him that we understood what he had just said. He was pretty embarrassed, but the conversation recovered and they asked us what we were studying, recommended some nearby towns to visit, talked about Nadal etc. Even though the encounter was initiated through sort of embarrassing circumstances, it was actually one of the longest conversations we’ve had with some locals. It’s really true that it’s only through small groups that these sort of things happen, and I hope that as we all become more adjusted and develop closer friendships these smaller- less touristy groups will develop. They are a lot more manageable.

I’ve started to notice what are some characteristics that distinguishes Americans/extranjeros from the locals, and it’s interesting to see it reflected within myself. This morning I was walking across the bridge to school and I saw a group of girls in front of me. I saw that they were walking with quite a bit of distance between them, and was thinking to myself that they must be American, because Spaniards have a closer sense of personal space. As I walked past them, my suspicions were confirmed because I heard them speaking in English about their classes. I was sort of proud of myself for being able to distinguish them, because from dress they could have been Spaniards- no running shoes or anything.

However, as much as I can recognize it in others, it’s very strange to recognize these behaviors within yourself, mid-action. A psychologist came to our orientation class and I was the first person in the class so I was making small talk with her. I asked her where she was from, and she said she was Mayorca (an island of the coast of Spain) and I told her about this book I read where the woman was from there etc.. Well mid-conversation she asked me what I name was and I told her, and out of instinct reached out to shake her hand. Right as I had extended it, I realized my error because to shake someone’s hand is a very very formal thing and not appropriate in that context. She sort of smiled at me as we were shaking heads (as I was thinking damn! In my head) and smiled at my very American error.

I had to laugh afterwards because it was a funny feeling to know I had made an error and sort of naturally did it anyway. I wasn’t really upset or embarrassed, but it’s the sort of thing you have to have a sense of humor about. I’ve been getting better about saying “Pardón” instead of “lo siento” (I’m sorry) because you only use lo siento if you are apologizing for some larger, personal offense- not just bumping into someone in the street. Actually, they normally don’t even say anything at all. I never realized how often we say “I’m sorry” on an everyday basis, that is until people look at you funny when it’s your response to bumping their elbow.

A similar thing happened later when I went home and my hermana’s friend came over for a play date. We were sitting at the table and this cute 11 year old walked in, and instantly went up to me to kiss both of my cheeks as a greeting. I though it was funny because even though I’m older, she was the one taking charge in the meeting and knew exactly what to do.

It’s these initial reactionary greetings that I have to get used to. It’s not that I’m feel like it’s an invasion of personal space, but when you meet a friend’s friend for the first time because you bumped into her on the street, and they interrupt the conversation just to kiss your cheeks you are sort of taken aback- When I told my Mom about this story earlier we had a laugh because even though Kiss is my last name, I have to get used to doing it to complete strangers.

It was nice to talk to some people on the phone today to catch up, but I think it’s time to do some more exploring. We have a lot of free time since classes don’t start ‘till Monday so I will try to round up some people for dinner. ¡Hasta lluego!

Hello All-

I finally got around to setting up my blog, sorry for the delay.

Granada is absolutely beautiful, I am really happy that I picked this city to study in, it’s wonderful mix of people, great history and the perfect size to navigate.

I’m living with a Venezuelan woman, Lília, and her 11 year old daughter, Valéntina. Lília is an architect who received her masters in the University of Granada. She is really sweet, very creative and has been very welcoming. Lília affectionately calls her daughter “gordita,” little fat one, but she is anything but that. She’s really cute, very sweet, likes to draw and thought was a bit timid around me, we’ve started to talk more and she showed me her books and some of her pictures. They have a very loving relationship, and I’m already starting to feel like the older sister. Her school doesn’t start until the 17^th so she’s been home a lot and had a friend over for a play-date.

The apartment is small, but very cute. There’s art all over the walls, and Lília and I have already talked about some of our favorite artists, and she has great prints of Gustav Klimt and Andy Warhol. They both loved my gifts, and put my photo that I took of Long Valley on the walls. They also loved the Maple Syrup and blueberry Jam, and Lília made pancakes this morning to try them out. I’ve been getting to know them better during our meals, or while watching the news, etc.

It’s interesting to have two Spanish influences, a South American homestay while in a Spanish city. Lília told me that she really appreciates the Spanish way of life, and that the Spaniards really know how to relax and enjoy life. It’s true, everyone stops for their siesta, return home and eat with their families.

Yesterday we traveled to Cabo de Gato, right on the coast about two hours from Granada, right at the tip of the Iberian peninsula. We took a beautiful (and long!) hike through the rocks and beeches. The tour guide was really great and told us all about the unusual plants, and how the rocks formed, the issues with immigration from Northern Africa etc. We hiked 16 km and my legs are killing this morning. We also stopped at a few beaches along the way, many of them were very isolated and private. It’s a bit embarrassing to travel around with 71 Americans, we are stampede, and I felt bad that we were interrupting so many people’s quiet day at the beach. We walked to a small coastal town, San Jose, that looked like Greece with white walls and flowers, and right on the coast of the Mediterranean. We ate at a pizzeria and didn’t get back to Granada until 12:30 am. However, for here that’s nothing- when I was walking to where the bus was meeting at 7 am in the morning, there were a lot of people just getting back from their nights of partying. Life is definitely later here, it’s not uncommon to walk through La Plaza nueva or through Gran Via and see families with small children at the bars well past 11 pm.

My program has been very organized and has definitely helped in making a smooth transition. Javier, the program director is great, and actually lived in Hungary for a few months. There are also two students from the University of have been helping out, who are both really sweet and friendly. One of them, Rocío, and I share a lot of similar interests and I hope that we can develop a friendship. I know that it’s going to be difficult to develop friendships with Spaniards, but I’m starting to get more comfortable w/ my language skills. Rocío’s sister, who is also sweet and studying Medicine in the university, told me that I speak well and with a good accent, and my Señora has said the same. I really hope that I can become near fluent, but I know a lot of that depends on getting over my hesitancy to speak and not be afraid to make mistakes. It was very nice of them to say so, but it’s still really frustrating to not be able to communicate my exact thoughts- Humor and wit is a lot harder in Spanish!

I’ve been trying to explore the city, and it’s beautiful. Each part has its own flavor and character. In the Albacín, the old Arabic part of the city, there are great small streets with white walls, small churches and boast great views of the Alhambra. As you walk down the central part of the city, there are certain streets with Moroccan and Turkish stores and restaurants, and others with great Tapas Bars and small shops. The center, Gran Via and plaza nueva is definitely more touristy, but has beautiful fountains and some of the best ice cream shops in the city.

As I start to write, I could talk for hours, but I have to go for now. I’m sitting in the family/dinning room watching “Step Mom” in Spanish while my hermanita is playing Nintendo. I’ve been also meeting more of the IES students, and have found some people who I think will be good friends, and are also interested in exploring the city. I went this morning on a paseo (walk) with a friend and will meet some people later to most likely go to a Tapas bar or café. I hope all is well with everyone, I will try to update often. I’ll add some earlier entries that I wrote in a notebook on my time in Málaga and first impressions. All my love!

The river with little water- I walk along the river everyday to go to classes, about a 1/2 hr walk each way.

El Albacín

Plaza Ana (right next to the IES school)































Cabo de Gato



Shepherd on the way to San Jose

















Cabo de Gato

Cabo de Gato