I want to try eating 12 grapes with each stroke of midnight on New Years Eve like the Spanish...

Hola otra vez!

Today has been a very weird day. It seemed to drag, and now I am completely exhausted. I was planning on going for tapas but now I am not because I am too tired. Sorry Peter and Chase.

I tried my first Spanish Christmas goodies today, thanks to our Granada Seminar professor, Jose. The first is called Alfajor de Almendra, and it reminded me of a soft almond crescent, with a hint of lemon. I liked it the best out of the two.

The second is called Rosco de Vino, and its shaped like a donut, and tasted remotely of black licorice. No thanks.

Today we also had our very last meeting with Veronica (except for the full group meeting next week, and the “bye-bye dinner” [as she calls it]), and it was very bitter sweet. We talked about going home and all that, and she gave us this form to use to organize our thoughts, and I think I will share it with you:

1. When I think of leaving, I feel…conflicted. I really want to be home with my friends and family, but it almost seems too soon to be leaving. I still feel like we just got here, but yet it feels like I’ve been here forever.
2. My experience here has been…absolutely wonderful. I have learned a lot about myself, and have gained a greater appreciation for the little things I took for granted at home.
3. For me, Spain has been…a learning experience. I have broadened my food horizon a ton, learned that I am a lot tougher than I thought, and have learned a ton about Spanish culture and the language.
4. The things that I will miss are…being able to relax a lot more and not worry about things so much. Siestas. Traveling. Tapas. The friends I have made. My host family. Too many things…
5. The things that I will be happy to leave behind me are…the creepy, leering Spanish men. How no one knows how to walk on their side of the sidewalk. Dog poop everywhere on the sidewalks. All the second-hand smoke. The freezing house at night.
6. When I talk to other students about leaving…we cannot believe it is time to leave! It is even harder than when I had to come to grips with leaving for the semester!
7. When leaving a place, I usually…try to fit in too many things, see too many people. I keep to myself and get very reflective at times too. Many times, I cry, even though it is embarrassing.
8. The easiest point of leaving for me will be…returning to my family and friends that I’ve missed, and the food I have been craving that they do not have in Spain.
9. Before I leave, I really want to…visit the arab baths. Parque de las Ciencias. The Cartuja. Explore more. Get tapas again. Visit Federico García Lorca’s house…too much.
10. The ways I think I have changed are…I learned I am a lot more independent than I realized. I am a lot more open to change, and have become more patient and grateful for what I have.
11. The most stressful part of leaving will be…getting to the airport for my 7am flight! And saying my goodbyes…
12. When I think of returning to my country I feel…excited but overwhelmed. I have A LOT to go back to and throw myself back into! I am happy to see my family and friends again, though, but it will be a tough adjustment.
13. The ways I think my friends have changed are…I have no idea. Life goes on even while I am not there. They’ve probably matured and changed in their own ways. I will only notice when I get there.
14. I will be going back to…lots of family. Christmas. Kappa Delta. Bradley. Internship applications. Books. Classes. Real lilfe.
15. I think my family will expect me to…tell them everything, show them all of my pictures, and be really upbeat all the time. Be an entirely new person, which I am, but I am not.
16. I expect that my friends at home will…be excited I am home, but also have to adjust to my return themselves. They will have changed too.
17. I think the hardest part of going back for me will be…adjusting to the life I missed the semester before with the people who lived it without me. Food times. The scenery!
18. I think the easiest thing for me to handle will be…the food! I can’t wait. Being with my family because they are always there no matter what.
19. I am really looking forward to…Christmas with my family. The 3rd Annual Bradley Family Dinner. Ana’s visit. Home food. Baked goods. Working out (who knew?!). Having no language barrier. My own room. My doggies. My comfy bed. Soft laundry. Being in Kappa Delta again. The Banambra!

And that concludes that. Now to go over some more Islam slides…

Algo poco raro...

Hola hola! I have returned from the marvelous city of Barcelona. Let me just tell you—it was probably the best city I have been to in Spain so far. Madrid was fun, Ronda was, well, BORING, Malaga was fine but nothing too extraordinary, Almunecar was the beach (so obviously beautiful, but not like Barcelona), Algeciras was creeptastic, and I have yet to visit Sevilla or Cordoba (that’s next weekend!) so they cannot be counted. Cataluña definitely is its own separate entity from the rest of Spain. Not only do they speak their own dialect of Spanish (Catalan), which is not even CLOSE to the Castellano Spanish that I have been learning since 8th grade, but their lifestyle is far different from the relaxed, warm lifestyle in Andalucia. No matter, the trip was wonderful, and I would’ve loved to spend more time there, but alas!

As always, I am going to remind you that I also have put up pictures from this trip, so go check them out! I know, I know, there are an obscene amount (more than usual, actually), BUT you should all be excited because there are some photos with actual PEOPLE in them (being me, Anne and Sara, mostly)!! This is a remarkable event for me, I know. But never fear, my usual scenery shots are there too. I hope you like them.

The trip itself was filled with one wonderful experience after another, all the while throwing in the usual snoring suspects (I cannot travel anywhere without them!!). We took a free walking tour of the Gothic Quarter on Friday morning with a girl named Claudia from Australia who was actually a guide in training because our real guide ditched and didn't show up. We got to see many cool places, including where Picasso's father taught, and learned that the Gothic Quarter didn't have electricity or running water until 1992 when they had to gear up for the Olympics! how crazy!

We also got to see many of Gaudi's beautiful creations, like the Sagrada Familia, Casa Batllo, Park Guell, and his own house. We even took a cooking class to learn houw to make Sangria and Paella! So if you ever want me to cook for you...let me know! :)

I really wish I had more time to spend there because the weekend just didn't seem like enough. Now that I am back, I am glad to be back, as always, but you know how it goes...Next weekend is my last weekend of travel. My program is going to Sevilla and Cordoba, and I am very excited even though I have heard mixed reviews of Cordoba. It's weird to think that tomorrow I have exactly one month left before I head back to the States. I am ready, but at the same time, I and definitely not ready!! I do not want to go through culture shock again once I get home.

Not to mention is will be ungodly cold in Illinois. It's already snowing, I'm told. Yuck. I would much rather stay here in the 60 degree weather. With warm sun.

BUT! The "algo poco raro" (something kind of weird that happened today was that the television in my host family's house isn't working. Now, that doesn't seem like the biggest of deals to most, but let me tell you...everything, everything is centered around that television. We watch it during lunch and dinner, and then my host family watches all afternoon, and all night until they go to sleep. My host father was absolutely furious, and I found it remarkable how mad it made him. He almost was to the point of pouting, and I just found it very interesting. We ate lunch in complete silence, and it was so uncomfortable.

Here's to hoping that it gets fixed. Keep your fingers crossed, otherwise tonight's dinner could be just ass bad, or worse. Eep!

I got a letter from Lexie today, too, which was amazing. Included was one for Peter as well, and it made me very happy. So thank you (in the event that you read this!!)

But yes, I should head back for dinner time. Besitos a todos!

Ridiculousness...

Okay, so I meant to write about this before I left for Paris, but that's life. Our Tutorial (and Granada Seminar, and Phonetics) professor, Jose, told us about this lovely singer called "La Terremoto de Alcorcon" (con accento sobre la o). I am just putting up one of the fabulous examples he gave us...but please, feel free to watch as much of her stuff on YouTube as you can handle (which, trust me, won't be much).

So without further ado:

More photos and a lot of Morocco

Hello! I just returned from my trip to Morocco. And let me tell you, it was probably one of the most incredible experiences of my entire life. I don't even know if I can put it to words, and even though I didn't go into the trip expecting anything in particular, it was completely different than I could have imagined it to be.

The people of Morocco are so welcoming and warm, and I couldn't help but want to stay there when it came time for us to leave, despite my yearning to return to Granada, where things are familiar. I made some good friends both in other programs in Granada, Sevilla, and Madrid, as well as some Moroccans, who honestly said that if I ever return to Morocco, I will have a place to stay. And the most incredible part--they truly mean every word.

The most memorable part of the trip, except for, uh, everything, would be when a group of us walked around with two girls and this one guy started bashing Americans, and Bush, and the two Moroccan girls completely went off on him. They told him that just because Bush is the president of the US, doesn't mean that all American's love him, or support him, or are all the same. They completely stood up for us, even though we had only known them for maybe ten minutes. If not less. They truly and deeply cared for us just upon meeting us, which I think most Americans could not even fathom. Their lifestyle is just so much different from ours back home.

I have added more photos. So check-check it out! Included are: my journey on the back of a camel, the homestay family's home, and lots of beautiful scenery. Get excited!

I need to get moving to class. I love you all!

M.