Morocco

January 28th

I got up around 10:30 and after a good breakfast I went on my computer receiving an email from "Morocco Exchange," the program that I have been researching that takes Western students to Morocco for a long weekend.  It has been highly recommended to me by my program and other students.  There was one space left for a February 5th trip.  I decided to take it.  Went then proceeded throughout the rest of the day was a lot of back and forth emails in which I secured my spot, paid for my trip and emailed my parents, both of whom are very excited for me to go.  I'm a little nervous to go "during finals," but in reality I don't want to let a 9 day break go to waste.  I'll still have 5 days to study before Análisis de Políticas and a week before Teoría del Estado.

Before lunch, I stopped at the post office to mail my reimbursement form to the insurance but the line was too long.  I stopped by a "Super Tiendas" store and bought my own clothes drying rack as its ridiculous to share one rack with 5 people.  Dryers are not common in Spain.  

For lunch I cooked chicken and rice and ate it "Mexican Style" as Antonio called it.  I'm becoming a better cook, or at least have more confidence.

After lunch I mailed the letter and then worked on my essay about the "Grapes of Wrath."

To be honest, I wasn't as productive as I could have been as at 7:00pm I went to pick up my tickets fro the two films I'd see.  "El Precio de un Hombre" +"Viaje Romántico a Granada" and "Wait Until Dark," with Audrey Hepburn.  After picking up my tickets and buying tickets for Antonio for "Wait Until Dark" and "Breakfast at Tiffany's," now showing a second screening on Sunday as the one of Thursday was sold out, I went into the old theater.  I would first see  the two films in Spanish by the director Eugenio Martín, a director from Granada and the founder of the "Cine Club University of Granada." 

In the theater, I saw the attendant who I had talked to before "Roman Holiday."  I introduced myself, saying I was film student from California.  I asked if there would be more film festivals in Granada and if I could help out.  I gave him my contact information.  

The first film was a western in the style of Sergio Leone and the second, a photo montage, was about the history of Granada.  Eugenio Martín, the writer and director, introduced both films.  Once these films were done, I ran back home to get Antonio for the second film.  At home, I had a package from my Grandma waiting for me.  Fresh cookies!

I ate a quick meal in the kitchen while talking to Nathalie before heading back to the theater with Antonio.  Heiko came home after 10 days in Germany as we were leaving.  We bombarded him in Spanish and then went to screening.  With our tickets in hand, we walked straight in and found seats in the back.  The film, in English with Spanish subtitles, was really good.

Walking back to our apartment in the center of city, we agreed that we had it pretty good here in Granada.