My Dutch is Worse than my French

September 25th-26th

[My trip to Amsterdam, or 16 total hours on the bus for 17 hours of the most spontaneous, stupid, ridiculous, bad experience that I've ever had in which nothing clicked but which I survived and discovered a new level of independence and self reliability].

Back when we were in the residencia in Granada discussing where we would all be going for our week long vacation, the majority of students had decided to go to Brussels for a few days and spend the remainder of the week in Amsterdam.  It had sounded cool, but I knew that I wanted to go to Paris before visiting anywhere else.  Although I had never made any set plans, I thought that if I could find cheap transportation and was able to work it into my schedule, I would travel from Paris to Amsterdam and meet up with the majority of the kids from my program.  I had been having an amazing time in Paris but still thought it would be cool to go.  Ryan, my friend from Granada who I'd been touring some of the sites in Paris, had found a round trip bus for less than 50 euros that would be leaving the morning of the 25th.  Although I debated with myself whether or not I should go, in the end I committed to the trip and bought my ticket.  I had a grand vision of repeating a Tomatina-esque trip in which I would meet up with my friends, party all night, tour the city in the morning and then come back on the bus the next afternoon.  This didn't seem so farfetched as I had been out all night the night before in Paris and I figured that if it was that social in Paris it would be even more in Amsterdam.

Ryan and I woke up at 8:00 and took the metro to the bus station to catch our bus by 9:30.  The reality of 8 hours set in when I realized that after sleeping for 4 or more I still had a large amount of time.  We drove through France, stopped in Brussels, and passed through little towns in Holland.  The country side looked beautiful.  We pulled into Amstel Station in Amsterdam at 5:30pm.

I got off the bus and was greeted with the reality of not knowing the language, not having directions to my friends hostel, and not having a plan.  The metro and information desk were attached to the bus station so Ryan and I went inside and gave a general description of where we were trying to go.  Our friends' hostel was called the "Heart of Amsterdam" and was right in the center of the red light district.  The information desk gave us a map and pointed to a part in the center called "the DAM."  We took the metro 5 stops to Centraal Station and then chose a direction and started walking.

Amsterdam was an old city with a matrix of canals winding through the heart of the city.  Designated bike paths were on all of the roads.  The canals and bikes were the only things I really liked.

We passed a plaza with a large monument in the center.  It was the oldest monument in Holland.  We were trying to find the red light district but had gone too far past it.  I asked for directions from three sketchy looking guys who looked like they would know where it was.  They told us that it was farther back the way we had come. 

We knew were heading in the right direction when we started seeing the many signs advertising something to do with sex or cannabis.  Turning down a street, we saw their hostel that was right in the center of the red light district.  Blake and Alan were sitting on the hand rail waiting for us.

They gave us a tour of their hostel which was pretty sketchy.  There was a lobby, a short hallway that led to the bathrooms and showers.  Their room was in the basement and they had 2 out of the 10 or so beds.  As Alan made sure to point out as he gagged and plugged his nostrils, was the putrid stench that had permeated throughout the entire room.  I guess the night before had brought a new roommate who smelled so foul that you wanted to throw up just entering the room.  Adding to the sleaziness of the hostel was the "Sin City" theme.  Everything was painted black and even though the sun was still out, it was pitch black inside the hostel.

We then went for a walk "around the neighborhood."  Even in the day, I could see that the Red Light District lived up to its name.  Every corner had a theater for live sex shows.  There were open air bathrooms along the side walk.  Walking a little further, I saw the infamous booths where prostitutes tried to lure people in.  

We ate dinner at a good falafel place and then headed back to the hostel to try and meet up with the other groups.  None of us had minutes on our cell phones as using them outside of Spain costs significantly more.  We skyped the other group of students who told us to come over to their hostel.  There was only the smelly man in the room while we were skyping and when Blake had finished using his computer, he put it in his locked backpack and shoved it under his bed.

The other group's hostel was a few blocks away.  We weren't sure what room they were in so we climbed the flights of stairs trying to listen for their voices.  Lucky enough, the door opened on the fifth floor and the group of girls came into the hall.  They took us down stairs to where the other group was staying.  

It was fun to see everyone but I could tell something was a little off as no one seemed excited to go out.  They didn't seem to have been having that great of a time in Amsterdam.  They also told me that everything closed around 1:00am and that I should probably find a hostel.  Despite the pessimistic mood, I was still excited and we decided to go out to some bars.

The bars were fun, but nothing particularly special as it was more expensive and not as social as Granada. They had been right, as all of the bars began to close at 1:00am.  While we were at one of the bars one of the girls realized that her wallet had been stolen and so she and a few of the other kids went to go look for it.  Meanwhile, we discussed what we were going to do about our sleeping situation as I really did not want to pay for a hostel.  I went to a few hostels but they kept raising the price (The 14 euros advertised was changed to 40 or more due to the last minute request).  I refused to pay that price for one night in a crappy hostel and decided to try and keep looking for other options.  

The girls decided to go back to their hostel and the rest of the group seemed to be getting tired.  Blake, Alan, Ryan and I wanted to find a dance club but we couldn't find one.  We decided to head back to their hostel.  I asked about getting a room in their hostel but everything was supposedly full.  Alan told the front desk about the stench in their room and came downstairs with a can of air freshener that he proceeded to unload completely all throughout the room.  It helped mask the smell a little.  

When we went downstairs, Blake discovered that his backpack, laptop, and iPod had all been stolen.  The smelly guy was no longer there and neither was his stuff.  Luckily Blake's passport had not been in the bag.  

I asked Blake if I could share his bed as I couldn't find a hostel.  I slept smashed against the wall in my jeans and sweater.  Ryan slept underneath the bed on the floor hiding behind a suitcase.  I fell asleep for a few hours but it was the worst night I've had as the smell was suffocating and I was extremely cramped.

The next morning we ate the free breakfast from the hostel and then went to meet up with the other group.  I had to do something real and educational to counteract such a stupid experience and we planned on going to the Van Gogh museum.  We met up with the girls and I helped Maggie file a police report for her stolen wallet.

The Van Gogh museum was really nice as it was three stories and had many of his most famous works, although "Starry Night" was on loan.  The museum also had great descriptions of the  historical context in both the general history and in Van Gogh's life for all of the paintings.  I was surprised to learn that he didn't even start painting until he was 26, deciding to pursue art after his minister career fell through.

My bus back to Paris was at 3:00 and I made sure to leave by 2:00.  We walked briskly back to the metro and I made it by 2:40.  

The bus ride back took an extra 2 hours as there was a ton of traffic.  We did get to spend about an hour in Brussels and I had some great hot chocolate.  I sat next to a kid from Mexico City so I was able to practice my Spanish with another "Norteamericano."  I made it back to Paris around 12:00 and caught the last metro back to Rochelle's apartment.  I was so happy to be back in Paris.

So in the end, the trip was not worth it.  I felt that Amsterdam was extremely overhyped.  I didn't think the trip through at all and was able to see my foolishness.  I overestimated my friends and the idea to try and do a trip like this without having a plan.  I would have liked Amsterdam more had I planned to stay in a hostel booked in advanced, taken a train/plane, and gone with people who wanted to explore the city.  Amsterdam is much less social than Granada or Paris.  Granted there are good museums but they were pricey.  Despite my overall disappointment, I was thankful that I didn't have anything really bad happen to me.  I came back tired and smelly but nothing I couldn't recover from in a day.  Although I didn't do it that well, I can cross Brussels and Amsterdam off my list of places to see.

Napoleon's Tomb, Invalides, and Sciences Po Party

September 24th

Last night on my way to meet Ella, I had tried to withdraw money from an ATM.  The transaction hadn't gone through and the ATM had said that such a withdrawal was not authorized by my bank.  I was afraid that my bank had temporarily closed my account for security and I was correct in my hypothesis as I had a list of emails from my bank saying that my security had been breached and also from my mom saying that she had been on the phone with the bank all night trying to get through to someone who could open my account.  Thankfully, my mom had found the direct number and I also still had money on my skype account so I was able to fix everything with the bank in about an hour.  I wouldn't be wandering the streets of Paris broke and not knowing the language.

I walked back up to the Sacre Coure and toured the inside of the cathedral.  It was very nice, with the domes painted with heavenly scenes.  Since Napoleon's tomb had been closed when I had tried to visit, I decided to go back.  As I walked up the entrance of the Invalides, there was a ceremony being conducted.  It looked like the swearing in of a new class of recruits for the French military.  I made my way to the back of the building and bought my ticket.  Napoleon's tomb was underneath the gigantic dome that had once been a church built for Louis XIV.  It had been converted into a military hospital and now a mausoleum for the famous generals.  Inside, I looked at the tombs of the generals and then peered down at Napoleon's tomb.  The audio-guided tour was very informative and it explained the history of the tomb and how it had taken until 1840 for Napoleon's remains to be placed here in the Invalides.  Napoleon's tomb was supposed to be made out of porphyry (like the tombs of the ancient Roman emperors) but when the architect could not find a piece of porphyry big enough, he used a giant block of quartz that was the same dark red-purple color.

I went downstairs for a better look and saw that the tomb was surrounded by 12 statues of the goddess victory, commemorating Napoleon's 12 victorious campaigns.  On the opposite side of the wall, were marble scenes depicting Napoleon as Emperor and acting out parts of his life and accomplishments.

From Napoleon's tomb I went upstairs to the start of the WWI and WWII Museum.  It was one of the best war museums I've ever been to as it had thousands of great artifacts.  I liked reading about the two World Wars from the perspective of the French and learning more about the French Resistance during the Nazi occupation during World War II.

That night we went to the club in down town Paris that had been rented out by Sciences Po.  We took the last metro there at 12:30 and the first one back in the morning at 6:00.  We had a great time.

Versailles

September 23rd

Today we were going to visit the palace and gardens at Versailles, a small town about 30km away from Paris.  We took the metro to the train station where we bought our tickets for the train and also Versailles as to avoid the lines once we arrived.  The metro in Paris connects to 4 separate train stations that allow direct access to the rest of the country and Europe.

We asked a Parisian about which train we should take to Versailles and he pointed us in the right direction.  I found the stereotype of the French being rude untrue, as everyone I asked helped me the best they could.  We moved out of the city center and passed the sister Statue of Liberty.  We weren't sure what stop to get off on, but I heard Spanish from the seat behind us and I asked the group of middle-age couples what stop we should use.  They too were very helpful and told us the right stop.  I had been really excited to hear Spanish as I could finally talk to someone without miming out my questions.  Its funny when a second language becomes the only way to communicate.

Walking 5 minutes from the train station, we arrived at the Chateau de Versailles.  I could immediately tell that this was the epitome of royalty.  Since we had bought our tickets at the train station we didn't have to wait in the 2 hour line for tickets and met up with our friends from Granada.  We decided to tour the gardens, the Grand Trianon, and Marie Antoinette's palace before touring the main palace of Versailles.

The gardens were absolutely amazing with spanning paths and canals.  We went to the Grand Trianon, the converted hunting lodge of Louis XIV, and then to Marie Antoinette's private residence.  Both places were stunning and examples of tremendous power of the past.  We then wandered the gardens back to take a tour of the main palace.

The palace of Versailles was incredible, with ornate furnishings and thousands of paintings covering every inch of the walls.  The weird thing though was the modern art exhibit that was throughout the grounds and rooms.  Jeff Koons, a contemporary artist, had somehow managed to have all of his work placed throughout the palace.  I didn't like it and thought it was obnoxious and completely out of place.  The two most striking rooms were the Hall of Mirrors and the room dedicated to Napoleon.

I cooked another dinner with Rochelle and Emily and then went out to meet up with Ella and the other UC Paris kids.  

Louvre and Walking Tour of Paris

September 22nd

Rochelle and Emily had class at 9:00, so I got up when they did and organized what I would need for the day.  This morning we were going to the Louvre and I wanted to arrive early.  Ashley, Ryan, and I bought fresh baguettes from the bakery on our way to the metro.

The metro stop for the Louvre museum opened into a mall below the large glass pyramid.  I wanted to go straight to the Mona Lisa.  We walked past the first sculptures to the top of the stairs where we were greeted by an amazing statue from the pre-Greek era.  It was headless with giant wings.  Walking through the hallway of Renaissance art, we turned into the room with the mona Lisa.  I was able to stand relatively close, as it was in a thick glass case and blocked from the crowd by ropes that created a distance of 15 or so feet.  It was amazing to see and I spent a long time looking at it.  From there, we toured a few levels and rooms.  My favorite artist of the day was David.  In addition to the Mona Lisa, I was excited to see other famous paintings like "Liberty Leading the People," and "Napoleon Crowning himself Emperor" as well.  We wandered the rooms filled with sculptures and tapestries and "finished" in the furniture collection of the Louvre.  Everything was amazing and the Louvre itself was ridiculously huge.  Apparently, only 1% of the entire collection is on display.

After 4 hours in the Louvre, we went to a cafe and then met Rochelle and Emily at the Sciences Po campus.  Sciences Po is the premier political university in France.  All of the French diplomats and Presidents have gone there.  Its nearly impossible to get it as a French student, but there is a large international exchange program.  The program Rochelle and Emily are doing is also UC EAP like mine in Granada, but it requires a higher GPA and the classes are offered in English, not French.  Their school was throwing a party on Wednesday night and had rented out a club.  We were invited to come by Rochelle and Emily and we bought our tickets to the party.

We spent the rest of the afternoon wandering through the city.  We tried going to the catacombs but they were closed on Mondays.  We went to one of the large graveyards in the city and saw the grave of Sartre and other famous writers and poets.  Walking past the Bastille, we headed toward the Invalides, home of Napoleon's tomb, but found it closed when we arrived.  It was nearly 8:00pm and the sun was about to set.  We walked back along the banks of the Seine toward the Louvre, passing amazing buildings and watching the sun set.

We stopped at a market and picked up ingredients for dinner.  Back at the apartment, we had a wonderful evening as we cooked, listened to music, and enjoyed the effervescent atmosphere of Paris.

After dinner, we went to a pub with some of Rochelle and Emily's international friends.  Although I was really enjoying Paris, I appreciated living in Granada even more as everything here was very expensive.  Also, the French are not like the Spanish in regards to social life during the week, as everyone left the pub at 12:30 to catch the last metro.  In Granada, things would just be getting started.

First Day in Paris: Notre-Dame, Champs-Elysees, Sacre Coure, and The Eiffel Tower at Night

September 21st

There's always a catch.  RyanAir's cheap tickets are partially based on their policy of flying to airports that are not the main airport of a destination but relatively close to the intended city.  Our flight to Paris-Beauvais was a good example of this, as our plane had flown into the little airport of Beauvais, France which was about an hour north of Paris.  Once we landed, we had to take a charter bus that dropped us off in a somewhat central location in the city.  I actually enjoyed taking the bus, as I got to see the French country side before entering the Paris city limits.

I had arrived in Paris with 8 of my friends from my program in Granada.  They all had their own plans and we separated at the bus stop but agreed to try and meet up later that afternoon.  Here in Paris, I would be staying with my friend Rochelle Emert who I had met freshman year on our Birthright Israel trip and had become close friends with over the past year and a half.

Walking over to the metro station by the bus stop, I called Rochelle.  After having a difficult time understanding the pronunciation of the metro stops in French, I was able to write down where I had to go on the metro.  I bought a ticket and then followed the signs to the Abbesses stop slightly outside of the center of the city.  I transfered find and made it to the right stop in less than half an hour.

Rochelle met me at the metro stop and we walked the block back to her apartment.  We climbed a spiral staircase to the second floor.  Her apartment is very small (slightly bigger than my room in Granada) with one bedroom, tiny kitchen, and living room.  She is living with one other girl, Emily, who was also from UCSD.  Emily's bed was in the living room.  I dropped off my bag and we went back out to buy a baguette for breakfast.  There was a little bakery right by her apartment and we bought a freshly baked baguette.

Back at her apartment, Emily and Rochelle made breakfast while we discussed what we wanted to do that day.  I had a few things that I really wanted to see, the Eiffel Tower, the Champs-Elysees, but I really didn't have any set preference nor itinerary.  They decided that we should visit the Cathedral of Notre Dame and then work from there.

We took the metro and got off at a stop right by the Seine.  We walked along the bridges and pathways along the river bank until we came to the towering Notre-Dame Cathedral, guarded by statues of Saints and gargoyles.  We went inside and I was astounded by the beauty and grandeur of the scale and the light streaming through the stained glass.  Mass was going on, so we tried to be quiet, but I really enjoyed hearing the chanting while wandering the corridors of the Cathedral. 

From Notre-Dame, we walked to the gardens of the Louvre and then walked all the way down the Champs de Elysees.  We stopped for ice cream along the way.  Paris is beautiful, with an ambiance that grabs you and won't let go.

We stopped at the Arc de Triomphe and I was impressed how large it was.  There was the memorial to the soldiers who had died for France and a large French and EU flag draped over the top.

We went back to Rochelle's apartment and decided to have a picnic later that evening.  I called my other friend from UCSD, Ella, who was also studying abroad for semester in Paris through a different UC program.  I met up with her back at the Louvre gardens.  Even the few short hours that I had been in Paris, I was starting to get a hang of the metro and the city.

After saying goodbye to Ella, I received a text message from Rochelle giving me directions to the Sacre Coure.  I took the metro and followed the streets until I met up with the girls at the very top of the hill with the Sacre Coure cathedral overlooking all of Paris.  They had set up a picnic on the grassy hill and we watched the city of Paris spread out below light up as the sun set.  Some of their friends from their university in Paris, Sciences Po, also came to the picnic.  Two of my friends from Granada, Ashley and Ryan, also came and I introduced them to Rochelle and Emily.  They had had plans to try and find a hostel but hadn't had any luck.  Rochelle and Emily invited them to stay at their apartment as well.

From our picnic on the hill, we took the metro to the base of the Eiffel Tower.  It was sublime as it was covered in little blue lights with giant yellow stars forming the circle of the EU.  It became even more amazing as on the hour there was a fantastic light show causing the entire tower to sparkle against the night sky.

We had crammed a lot in the first day and I was excited for the many adventures to come!

Vacation to Paris!

September 20th

I woke up at 12:00am and pulled up the blinds to the let the sun stream into my room.  My final roommate to move-in, Alberto, was moving his bags from the elevator to his room.  He is 18 and will be starting his first year of college.  He is from Motril, a small city further south of Granada, and he speaks with a thick Andalucían accent.  He's an athletic guy and had spent the summer lifeguarding at the beach.

I spent a couple hours organizing my room and then went over to the tourist center where my monitore, Monica, works on the weekends.  She gave me some cool Granada posters to decorate my room and more maps and information about the city.

Because I would be flying Ryanair, a UK based airline company that has extremely cheap flights if you book early enough, there are a lot of restrictions on how much baggage each passenger is allowed.  Anything weighing over 10 kilograms would be required to pay 10 euros for each remaining kilogram.  I was planning on taking everything carryon and in the end I decided to take my small book bag, packed to the max with boxers, socks, thermals, and a sweater.  I took 1 pair of jeans, a small jacket, and a dress shirt that I would wear on the plane.  Topping it off with my ipod, journal, and camera, I was set.  Besides having my reservations for the plane and a place to stay in Paris, I had no set plans for what I would be doing during the week.

I walked over to my friend Elliot's piso in the Plaza Del Toros where we met up with the other group of friends we would be traveling with.  We walked the 20 minutes to the bus station and didn't have to wait long for our bus to Madrid.

The 4 and 1/2 hour bus ride went well and I was able to sleep for about half of it.  Once we arrived in Madrid, I took charge and remembered how to get to the airport from the metro as I had done it the previous month with my dad.

We had three hours to spend in the airport in Madrid.  It was 2:00am and our flight didn't board until 5:ooam.  When the RyanAir desk opened up, everyone scrambled to get in line.  RyanAir is a pretty sketchy airline as there were no assigned seats.  As we entered the plane, a thumping techno score got us pumped up to fly.  As I was buckling my seatbelt in the extremely cramped, no leg-room seat, my friend, who had flown RyanAir before, told me to expect a bumpy landing.  She was right.  When we arrived in the airport in Beauvais, the pilot didn't even slow down until we hit the runway, causing us to bounce and careen down the tarmac.  We survived and I pumped my fist in approval.

I realized we had left sun-kissed Granada when I was struck by the harsh cold exiting the aircraft.  I'm glad I packed warm clothes.

An Amazing Vacation and the Beginning of my University of Granada classes.

September 28th.

This is a quick post to keep you updated with what I've been doing.  I'll officially update my blog in the next few days when I have time.

I just returned from a week long visit to Paris.  I stayed with my friend from UCSD and spent the week touring the city, museums, and historical monuments.  I loved Paris and definitely want to return.  I also made a quick visit to Brussels and then Amsterdam as I met up with the majority of students from my program here in Granada.  I felt that Amsterdam was overrated and not worth the effort I put in for one day.  The Van Gogh museum was excellent though.

Tomorrow I start my classes for the University of Granada.  I'm excited to finally begin the real academic year.

Many more day-by-day posts and pictures to come.

End of ILP Dinner

September 19th

I had slept over at la residencia and got up at 9:00 for the last "free" breakfast.  We had our last orientation at 10:00 to answer last minute questions about registering for classes and what we were supposed to do next week once classes began.  I turned in my class sheet and if I get the schedule that I want, I will have class all day on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, but I'll have Wednesdays and Fridays off.  Wednesdays for homework, Fridays for travel.

After lunch, I officially moved out of the residencia and turned in my key.  Rather than head straight to my piso, I climbed farther up the hill of La Cartuja and explored the area that I had neglected to go to the last three weeks.  There were some cool buildings in the philosophy college and also a beautiful observatory at the top of the hill.

The rest of the afternoon at my piso was lowkey.  I hung out with my roommates and helped clean up our apartment.  I had an introduction to German lesson from Heiko as we went over the pronunciation of the alphabet and basic words and phrases.  

At 9:00 I headed up the street to Puerta Elvira for the final ELP dinner.  It was in fancy hotel and rather than have a sit down dinner we were served hundreds of tapas of all different varieties along with copious amounts of soda, wine, and beer.  All of the professors and directors were there as well.  I think the professors imbibed more than the students as a group of guys and I spent the evening talking to our Grammar professor who was giving us the low down of the many types of wine that Spain had to offer.  Everyone had a great time.

Those students who had to catch early morning flights went back to their pisos while the rest of us went out to the botellón.  I didn't want to go to another discotheque so after stopping by to see my friend's piso, I went home at the early hour of 4am.

Tomorrow at 7:00pm I leave for Madrid and then a flight to Paris.  I'll be in Paris for three days staying with a friend from UCSD.  I'm spending three days in Paris for sure but I may decide to continue on to Brussels and Amsterdam to meet up with friends from my program.    

Finals and the Beginning of the Real Year

September 18th

The final exams were much easier than I expected and I had prepared more than was necessary.  Grammar and Comprehension were combined and the test itself was the same exact one that we had taken the first day.  They'll look to see how much we improved from the first day of the program.  

In Literature Discussion we turned in our outside essays.  In History we wrote an in class essay, and in Spanish Literature we had an open note test about famous literary works, history, and authors.  I was definitely ready and if the grade is based mostly on the finals than I should be fine.  The only thing I'm worried about are a few grammar quizzes that we took at the beginning that I didn't do so well on.  I'll find out my grade in a couple of weeks.

I finished packing up my room in the residencia and took a large load of clothes and books over to my piso.  I organized my room and it started to feel like home. 

 Heiko had to put up some flyers around the city (he is looking for another Erasmus student to practice Spanish with) and I went out with him to buy sheets for my bed.  We found a mattress store on La Ronda and looked inside.  Everything was very expensive and I was about to leave when the clerk showed me the discount rack.  I ended up getting 100 euro sheets for 30.  

At 7:00 I went back to the residencia for the flamenco presentation.  It was really fun as there was a singer, guitarist, and two dancers.  After their performance, they had everyone get into lines and proceeded with a half hour flamenco dancing lesson.  I wasn't very good, but it was a lot of fun.

Since we had no obligations for one week, we went to Granada 10 discotheque and stayed out until 5:00am.

Last Day of ILP

September 17th

Today was the last day of ILP.  My final three classes were comprehension, literature, and history.  In my comprehension class, we had debates over polemic issues like gay marriage, abortion and, more Spain specific, "la botellón," or drinking in public.  After our discussions, the professor gave us a list of dirty words in Spanish that we should not say.  I found it pretty funny and joked that if they didn't want us to use any of these words why would they give us the handout.

Literature was fantastic as the professor gave a strong critique of Federico García Lorca and literature in general.  I would definitely like to take a class with this professor although I plan on sticking only with political science.  We finished our history class with a discussion of Franco and Spain's present day situation.  I find it difficult to believe that it is only a little over 30 years since the death of Franco and reformation of Spanish society.

After lunch, I went back up to my room to finish my two essays for my literature class.  The topics were broad, as one dealt with any Spanish literary work, while the other simply asked for our opinion about literature.

At 7:00, I went to a "papelería" (office supply store) with some other students to print out our essays and laminate our new University of Granada student ID cards.  I've been reading about the financial situation in the US and am worried that the exchange rate will get worse, so I went to an ATM and withdrew some money at the current 1.4 exchange rate.  

Back at the residencia I reviewed my notes and studied until 12:00am.

The Early Bird Does Get the Worm

September 16th

We did it!

Waking up at 5:00 had paid off as we made it to the police station by 5:30 and were numbers 6-9 in line.  The police station didn't open until 9:00, but we put our names on the unofficial list and did homework under the glow of the streetlights.  The waiting actually went pretty fast and when the doors opened at 8:30 to start the official number distribution, I helped get everyone into a line.  

The unofficial list that we had, was started by the first person who arrived in the morning.  We had made sure that everyone had put their name on the list so that we were all committed to it.  Once the police came out to distribute numbers, everyone had sprinted to try and cut and receive an earlier number.  My friend and I grabbed the list and while telling everyone to calm down, we started to read out the names on the list.  I delegated this list reading responsibility to an older woman that no one had the heart to mess with.  Our system actual worked, and we assembled ourselves into a somewhat civil line.  

Once I was actually in the police station at about 9:15, the whole process took less than 20 minutes.  We went straight to the information desk to receive our processed papers.  We were then told to go to a bank and pay for the form and come back to do the subsequent steps.  We were given a number to come straight back inside.  We ran over to the bank and no one was in line.  We paid and were heading back to the police station in less than 5 minutes.  In the final line, we were fingerprinted, given our receipt and told to come back in one month.  Thankfully, we won't have to wait in the outside line for our third visit, just come straight in.  

I was really excited and relieved that we were able to finish so quickly.  Granted we had waited a total of four hours, but the fact that the paperwork process took no time at all was well worth it.  The day before, we had talked to people who had spent 8 hours to complete this second step.  We even made it back to our 10:00 class on time.

I had learned something from the bureaucratic visa hell that I had endured from March to June earlier this year.  Think positive, be patient, and go with the flow.

After class, I caught back up on my sleep with a siesta and then met up with my monitore group to go to a great tetería (tea bar) in the Albaycín that had a panoramic view of the Alhambra.

One Month In Spain!

September 15th

I had slept at my piso and the walked back to la Cartuja to start my last week of ILP.

In grammar class, I was little annoyed as I had spent a lot of time on the homework and we just ended up doing it together in class.  I had learned a lot though, which was the important thing.  The rest of the classes were good and the final exams should be manageable.

In the afternoon we had presentation by Inma about registering for classes.  It was really helpful and if my schedule works out how I want it to, I should have Friday's off.  I will only be taking political science classes as I am almost done with my major and the department here is really good.  The only problem that I might run into is the converting of the sometimes year-long classes to the quarter system.  I may receive a lot of units but only have it count for one trimester class.  I'll worry about that next year.

After dinner I bought my bus tickets for the bus ride to Madrid and then walked with three of my friends down to my piso.  Tomorrow we would be going back to the police station for the second part of the three part process.  The three other students also had to go tomorrow, so I had invited them to sleep over at my piso as I only live one block away from the police station.  I wanted to get up at 5:00 in order to be the first people in line.  I have an open first from 9-10, and if possible, I wanted to avoid missing any class by going early.

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Today marked my first complete month in Spain.  My initial impression is that it went really well, better than I had expected it would before I had left.  I am excited and happy that I made the choice that I did.  The first month went by so fast and I still feel like I haven't even scratched the surface of what this year abroad has to offer.

More Pictures from the Road Trip: Córdoba, Alpujarra, Almería

Road Trip Day 2: La Alpujarra and Almería

September 14th

We got up at 9:00 and piled back in the cars.  Today we were going to Antonio's vacation home in the mountains of Alpujarra and later to the coast in Almería.

It was about an hour and a half drive up to the mountains.  Our tiny Fiat had some problems getting up the hills, and Heiko had to seriously rev the engine in order to have enough power.

Antonnio's home was part of a small but gorgeous mountain community; quintissential white washed apartments set against the backdrop of the mountains.  Inside was perfectly decorated with a country theme.  The two balconies on the first and second floor looked out onto the olive groves and valley below.  We explored the little community and I met Antonio's grandparents who live in another house in the community.

We drove the 2 kilometers down to the river.  I felt like I had stepped into "Wild Strawberries" by Ingmar Bergman as we sped along the backroads filled with fruit trees and trickling streams.  I hung my head out the window and breathed the clean air as the sun splashed my face.

Down at the bottom, we explored the little river and surrounding woods.  Even though I had been in similar natural environments as this place, it felt different, as if even the natural geography became part of the different culture and country.

Back at the house, we started to prepare and cook for lunch.  I watched Antonio make fresh french fries in olive oil and helped Heiko clean the chicken which we put in a pot with olive oil, onions, spices, and a mix of vegetables.  We also had soup and fresh bread that we had picked up from a local bakery.  It was a lot of fun cooking with my new roommates and despite being helpless at home in California in regards to my culinary prowess,  I had indirectly picked up some of the cooking skills from my parents and younger brother and was able to help out a lot.

After lunch, Antonio helped me with some of my grammar homework that I had brought along.  It was really helpful hearing the explanations of grammar rules from an actual Spaniard.

We still wanted to go to Almería, so we got back in the car and drove the hour to the coast.  I fell asleep and woke up at the beach.  It was a nice beach with more small pebbles than actual sand.  We swam in the Mediterranean, it wasn't too cold, and then explored some rock formations farther down the beach.  We soaked up the last rays of the sun and then headed back to Granada. 

We had tapas on Gran Capitan and then I went back to my piso to finish my homework.  Overall, it was a fantastic day and I feel really lucky to live with such cool people.

All said and done, the divided total price for our two day road trip, including cars, gas, and shared food was 25 euros.   

Road Trip Day 1: Córdoba

September 13th

I slept over at my piso and got up early to meet up with the other Erasmus students to rent our cars from the hotel down the street.  We rented a small Fiat and a slightly larger Volkswagon.  There were 10 of us total, 6 germans, 1 Italian, 1 Spaniard, 1 Austrian, and me.  We had decided to equally split the cost of the cars, gas, and shared food.

Speeding along the olive grove lined freeway, I spoke in Spanish with Antonio and another German student.  The ride was only about an hour and a half as we made it to Córdoba by 11:00am.  We decided to go to the center and then famous mosque.

Córdoba is a beautiful, small, quaint city.  I thought certain parts were more beautiful than Granada although I think living there for the whole year would be difficult as it felt isolated and limited in regards to the social life and new events.

The centro was nice, but the courtyard of the mosque was amazing.  We paid 8 euros to enter and once inside, the admission was well worth the price.

Looking just like the pictures I remembered from my Spanish and History textbooks, the interior of the mosque was sublime as hundreds of red and white, double-stacked arches on columns supported the lofted ceilings.  It was so beautiful and big that it was difficult to absorb the entire picture.  The building had initially started as a cathedral, then became a mosque, and then another cathedral as the power shifted between Christian and Muslim.  Today the building is a mosque/cathedral as there are additional Baroque editions at the far ends of the halls. 

Outside, I met my friend from highschool, Jolene Tanner, who I had not seen or really talked to in 4 years.  On facebook I had seen that she was studying abroad in Córdoba for the semester and had sent her a last minute message seeing if she would be free to meet up.  It was really fun meeting up with her in Spain and she joined our group for lunch and our tour of the city.

We went to the Jewish Quarter and turned the synagogue (one of three left in Spain).  It was much smaller than the mosque but with beautiful architecture.  Outside on the wall there was a sign from the Spanish government apologizing for the Inquisition and celebrating the "Jewish genius."  ¡Viva España!

Wandering through the narrow cobble streets of the Jewish Quarter, we made our way to the Museum of Bellas Artes.  I was supposed to pay admission as I was a non-EU citizen, but I avoided the "American tax" as I blended in with the German students in our group.

Rather than spend the night in Córdoba, we decided to drive back to Granada to sleep at our own piso and decide what we were going to do over dinner.  We made our own tapas back at our apartment.  After a few calls to his parents and friends, Antonio told us that we were all invited to his vacation home in La Alpujarra, a mountainous region south of Granada.  Tomorrow we would go to his home and then the beach in Almería.

A Visit to the House of Federico García Lorca

September 12th

We boarded the bus at 9:30.  Driving out of Granada on the tour bus for less than 3 minutes outside of the city limits put us right in the agricultural center of olive groves, corn fields, and pastures with flocks of sheep.

We went to a little town where Federico was born.  After seeing the outside of the house, we drove to Valerrubio, the actual home and area where he grew up.  The house was a traditional Andalucían home and it was fun to explore the floors of the house and back yard.

Although touring the home was interesting, my favorite part of the morning was reading poems and parts of plays that he had written in the converted farm house to theater in the back yard.  I read "Gacela X: De la huida," in front of our class.

Back at the residencia, I finished my class schedule and if everything works out it should be a great mix of times and classes.

That night, I went to a music festival in Zaidin, an area in the outskirts of Granada.  There was a carnival and a large stage where local bands played Spanish rock songs.  Initially, I wasn't very impressed with the music, but when the headliner came on I was blown away.  There name was "Muchachito" and they were a mix of flamenco, rock, jazz, and skaw.  It was one of the best shows I'd seen in a long time as they were extremely talented and had great stage presence.  The coolest thing though, was that they had a painter on stage painting a full size portrait of a guitarist.  It took him most of the set to finish the whole thing.  We left at 4:30 am and the concert and headliner were still going.

9/11, Visit to Cathedral, Housewarming party

September 11th,

I slept over at my piso and got up early to go over to Inma's office to ask questions about registering for classes.

As it turned out, I had been registering for my classes correctly and was ahead of schedule.  She told me not to worry as she would be giving a presentation about classes the following week.

Class was good, as we kept up our fast pace in covering all of the material.  I volunteered to read a poem at tomorrow's visit to Federico García Lorca's house.

I met up with our EAP group to tour the Cathedral of Granada.  Our guide was a grad student who was very knowledgeable.

From the outside the Cathedral of Granada looks big, but nothing spectacular as the gargoyles and seals of the empire are decaying.  We received our tickets and went into the "waiting room" before being allowed to venture inside.  

Looks can be deceiving, as inside as I was stunned by the size, beauty, and color of the towering columns and 80 foot high ceilings.  We were first greeted by a gruesome statue of Santo Matamoros, the Saint of the reconquest, trampling a moorish soldier.  According to the legend, Matamors saw a vision of the Virgin Mary in a cave.  She told him to begin the Christian reconquest and showed him the image of a white horse crushing a Moorish Soldier.  They're not opposed to depicting violence in art.

Everything inside had been painted white with a special paint to protect against a plague during the XVI century.  The gleaming ivory columns were decorated in gold leaf.  In the center of the room was the largest pipe organ I have ever seen, with hundreds of pipes spanning out in all directions.  They were covered in gold and at the tops sat golden statues of angels with trumpets.  The organ is played twice a year, Christmas and the first day of Semana Santa.

The main display of statues, paintings, and lots of gold was stunning, although filled with irony and manipulation, as Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand were pictured in humble robes as Joseph and Mary.  The pictured saints and other nobles in the paintings had bought their way into history and religious power.

That evening, I invited people over to my new piso and we had a housewarming party.  This year will be a lot of fun as we all want to have dinner parties and social gatherings at eachother's apartments.

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Today was the 7th anniversary of 9/11.  I thought about how that day has changed the United States and the world.  I remembered how at 13 I had biked to school and sat quietly in the classroom listening to the radio about events that I could not comprehend nor understand.