The Barber of Seville

October 11th

I had slept on the couch after coming back from a party at Blake's piso, as Nathalie's parents were visiting and had been unable to reserve a hotel.  I didn't mind sleeping on the couch as I felt I should know how comfortable it was so I can recommend it without reservations when people come and visit.  Nathalie's parents had been extremely gracious and had already invited me to come and stay with them in Germany.

Antonio's bustling around the kitchen woke me up from my decent sleep around 7:30.  I ate a quick breakfast and grabbed my pre-packed bag.  We met in front of the hotel down the street from my piso.  There were 9 people traveling.  Heiko, his girlfriend from Germany who was visiting, 3 other Germans, 1 Austrian, Antonio, Blake and Me.

The drive went well and I slept part of the way.  it had been threatening to rain in Granada, but it started to pour as we got closer to Seville.  Entering the city, we drove through the narrow cobblestone streets looking for our hostel.  Antonio had to get out a couple of times and ask for directions but we eventually found our hostel and a place to park the cars.

The hostel was nice and it was really cool that were 8 of us who would be sleeping there as we had an entire room to ourselves.  I say 8 in the hostel as Antonio didn't wan to pay the 15 euros for the night and had decided to sleep in the car.

Rather than wait to get our keys, we left our bags in the hostel and started our walking tour of the city, heading in the direction of the Cathedral, Alcazar, and centro.

It was pouring as we walked, but we didn't let it stop us form enjoying the city, filled with fountains and palm trees.  Seville (Sevilla in Spanish) is the capitol of Andalucía and the largest city in southern Spain.  Like other cities in Andalucía, it has a diverse history of Christian, Jewish, and Muslim influence.  This is most saliently illustrated by the famous Cathedral, the largest in the world, that was built around the dome of the old mosque.

We first went to the Alcazar, the famous 13th and 14th century Muslim fort.  We got in for free with our student ID's.  There were many wedding photos being taken in the beautiful hallways, plazas, and gardens of the Alcazar.  Too bad it was raining.  Like the Alhambra, the Alcazar had amazing architecture and exquisite craftsmanship.  After spending a couple hours wandering around the main section, we went upstairs for a modern exhibit on global climate change.

The reality of not being in Granada's free culture of tapas set in quickly when we went to a bar and had to pay for a drink and a tapa.  The food was ok, but it made me appreciate Granada.  Still hungry, we stumbled across my favorite restaurant from Madrid, 100 Monteditos, where we ordered a couple small bocadillos and were very satisfied.

We tried to visit the Cathedral but it was closed.  Instead we began what turned into a six hour walking tour along the river and narrow streets of the different barrios.  We saw the "Torre del Oro," Tower of Gold, an ancient Moorish watch tower and also the famous Plaza del Torros bull ring where we saw advertisements for a bull fight the next day.

That night we went to another tapas bar and then walked around the different plazas.  We thought about going to a club but we hadn't brought that nice of clothes and didn't want to be useless the next day.  We returned to the hostel around 4:00am and I gave the keys to the car to Antonio who slept in the back seat.

Life as a Granadino

October 10th

Today I didn't have class but I got up at 9:30 to go with Nathalie for the traditional Spanish breakfast of Churros and Chocolate.  They were decadent and I definitely couldn't eat them everyday.

I had read over the brochures from the Center for Activities and Sports and decided to do something I wouldn't do in the US and sign up for a Salsa Dancing Class.  I think it should be a lot of fun as I hope to meet some Spaniards and if nothing else, try something new and improve on my "dance skills" for the weekend clubbing.  My 6th grade cotillion has run its limit.

I made a "bocadillo," an open faced sandwhich, and then took a siesta.

The rest of the afternoon, I spent visiting the famous destinations in Granada that I had not yet seen.  I went to the La Capilla Real, adjacent to the Cathedral, where I saw the crypt of the Catholic Kings, Ferdinand and Isabella, and their actual lead tombs underneath the mausoleum.  There were a lot of amazing relics and paintings.  The gothic architecture was really impressive.

Wandering around the Centro and Plaza Bim-Rambla area, I ended up across the street at the Corral de Carbon where I received information on upcoming shows for the Orchestra of Granada.  I stopped in the beautiful church at the beginning of my street to see what was inside and then went back to my piso.

Heiko had dinner waiting for me when I came back to my piso.  We ate quickly and then went to pick up the cars for our roadtrip to Seville the next day.

Nathalie's parents came over around 8:00pm.  They would be staying in my room as I have a huge bed.  They had been unable to find a hostel or hotel as something had happened with their reservations, so I told Nathalie for them to use my room for the one night and that I would sleep on the couch as I would be getting up early anyway for the roadtrip.  They were very gracious and have already invited me to Germany to stay with them.

The Importance of History

October 9th

Outside was cold and the dark sky threatened of rain.  I didn't have class until the afternoon so I spent the morning doing homework and researching what clubs, activities, and organizations are available to University of Granada students.  At UCSD I had become so involved with the university through a number of different organizations that its a little weird here in Spain to not have non-academic commitments to the university.  Although I've met a lot of Erasmus and Spanish students through my roommates, I've found it a little difficult to meet Spanish students on my own accord.

I walked to the campus of Fuente Nueva and found the Center for Activities and Sports.  Most of my questions were answered by a very helpful worker, who went through three brochures about all of the activities, intramural sports, and clubs available through the UGR.  There are weekly hiking excursions for 15 euros (or the whole season for 50 euros) and once the weather gets cold enough, there are a lot of classes and trips for skiing and snowboarding.  The recreational classes offered range from yoga to kickboxing.  There are also intramural sports but I was still a little confused on how to join them.  I didn't sign up for anything as I wanted to read over the brochures.

On my way back to my piso, I stopped by one of the shops by the the cathedral and purchased an Andalucían flag that is now hanging in my room.  Its green and white with a drawing of Hercules petting two lions.  On it is the slogan "Andalucía por si, por España, y la humanidad," translating to "Andalusia for ourselves, for Spain, and for the world."

I made lunch and had plans of taking a siesta before my class at 5:30.  Instead, I spent a long time talking to Nathalie about "history," specifically how the history of the 20th century is taught in Germany.  I asked her how both World Wars, the Holocaust, the division of Germany during the Cold War and its subsequent reunification are taught in German schools.  We had a great discussion as I shared what I had learned about the same period of history from my American perspective.  Nathalie, who has lived in the US for one year when she was 12 and has been exposed to both perspectives, said that the view of the recent history in Germany was very critical of their recent past.  As it turned out, her family was actually from East Germany on the Soviet side of the Iron Curtain.  She told me how one of her aunts had escaped to West Germany, and how there was still discrimination of former East Germans by West Germans in the present day.  She also had a grandmother who survived the fire bombing of Dresden.

Alberto joined in the conversation and I asked him how the Franco regime is taught in Spanish schools.  I found it very interesting to learn about the "same" history through three distinct and different perspectives.  Although my generation did not commit any of the atrocities on both sides in the past, I feel that we are still linked to them and they are part of our heritage.  Its our job to remember history as to not repeat the mistakes of the past.

Talking to Alberto, it turned out we have the same exact majors and career goals.  He is also a poli sci and film major.  I asked him where he was taking film classes at the Universidad de Granada as I had had been unable to find any film program.  He told me that the UGR didn't offer film classes and instead was going to a second private university in Granada specifically for film.  I spent a half an hour showing him the videos I had made.

My classes went well and I was glad to be done with the week.  I have a lot to read and study but I'm improving each day.

Back at my apartment we had a pre-road trip meeting at 8:30.  After a lot of debating and back and forth discussion, we ended up renting two cars and reserving a hostel.  We'll go to Seville for sure on Saturday to Sunday and perhaps go somewhere else on Monday as we have the cars for the whole weekend.

That night we went to two great tapas bars and I met a lot of American kids from all over the United States.  They're all doing a collective program that is significantly less intense.  They're staying with home stay families, and despite the cool experience of living with a family, they were all jealous of my living situation.  They're all leaving at the semester and have been trying to travel to a new country every weekend.  In the end they'll go to more places than I will, but I don't know how great of an experience they're receiving as they are rushing through so many places.

Class, Road Trip Planning, Google Street

October 8th

I walked to my Relaciones Internacionales class with Nathalie.  I'm enjoying this class a lot although I haven't yet been able to coordinate with the professor to meet up with her during her office hours.  I've been trying to meet all of my professors as I can ask them questions about what books I need to read and also introduce myself and let them know that I'm a foreign student.  So far its gone very well with my one on one meetings with the professors.

I stopped by the UC study center and signed up for one of the dinners with the UC EAP director Ramon Piñon.  He and his family are hosting dinners every week to better know the students in the program.  I signed up with another girl and we will be the first ones to attend.

My professor for "Teoría del Estado" had recommend a book that I could check out from the library.  The political science library is small but nice with study rooms and computers.  I had problems using my student ID card as technically I'm a student of "Filosofía y Letras" facultad and not political science.  I have to wait until November to get it changed.  After an explanation of how my program had registered all of us, I was able to check out the book.

I ran into Heiko and some of our other Erasmus friends on the way back to the piso.  We stopped for tapas at a great place near Plaza del Triunfo. 

Back at my apartment, I watched the presidential debates until I had my second set of classes at 4:30.  I like all of my classes and right now the work load is fairly minimal.  If I could pull off five it would be great.  I have until November 1st to decide.

That evening, Antonio, Heiko and I planned our road trip for the weekend.  We'll be going to Seville and then possibly Huelva and other towns along the coast.

I had needed to check Google for something and had become distracted by Google Street.  I showed Heiko and Antonio my street and house.  They thought it was very nice and Heiko said that it "reminded him of Germany because it was well organized."

Blog Update Soon

October 16th

A quick post to let you know that I'll have the blog updated tomorrow with the events from this past week.  I apologize for the seemingly weekly updates as I am extremely busy.

  

My second week of class went well.  This weekend I went on a road trip with my roommates and friends to Seville, Spain.  Two days in Seville gave me a glimpse of what the amazing city had to offer.  We took advantage of the national holiday on Monday to travel to Guadix, a smaller city in the Granada province famous for its centuries-old, man-made caves.  We then drove to a lake where we soaked in natural hot springs.  Week three started out fast.  On Wednesday, I had dinner with the UC EAP Director, Ramon Piñon, at his apartment with this family.  He and his family are having dinners every week to better know the students in the program.  Two other students and I were the first ones to attend the dinners.

Many more updates and photos to come.   

Second Week of Class

October 7th

I was up at 9:00 even though I didn't have class until 4:30 as I did not want to waste my whole day sleeping.  I spent the morning and afternoon rereading the packet that I had been assigned for my class "Estructura Social Contemporanea" (Contemporary Societal Structure).  We didn't have to turn anything in, but we would discuss the packet in class and I wanted to be well versed in the material.

Since I'm living with two Germans and have been hanging out with all of their friends, I thought it would be fun and beneficial to try and learn some German.  Heiko spent 1 hour going over the basic tenses, sentence structure, numbers, and basic vocab.  I don't plan on becoming fluent in German but it was fun to begin studying the language and learn something new.

For lunch I tried to expand my cooking ability my cooking the fresh ravioli I had bought from the store with my self-made pasta sauce.  It was pretty good.  I'll keep practicing.

My first class ended up being canceled but I did meet a group of French students in my class.  I took the extra time to read the syllabi and look up the words that I didn't know.

My next class at 5:30 was "Teoría del Estado."  I really enjoy the material and I like the professor.  At first I wasn't able to answer any of the questions as I was having a hard time following the material, but as the class went on I was able to become actively engaged with the discussion.  The professor asked me to read all of the names of the English and American authors and book titles that he was referring to outloud to the class as he was not pronouncing the english words correctly.

After class I walked with the professor to his office for office hours.  He asked me how I was coming along with the language and also thought that I spoke very well for having not been in Spain for that long of a time.  He gave me advice on what to do to better understand the class and language and recommended a book from the library that would help me better visualize the class material.  He was very excited to have me in his class as I was the first American student he had ever had.  He told me to be prepared for questions about the political system in my country and I replied that I was ready and would answer any and all questions as best I could.  I had watched the presidential debates earlier that afternoon, so even though I'm abroad, I'm still up to date on the issues.

I walked back home, stopping by a "papelería," office supply store, to purchase another journal as I have already filled the one that I brought from home.

Back home (my apartment really does feel like "home") I made a frozen pizza in our tiny oven and watched the Spanish version of the daily show.  I never watch TV back in California but here in Spain its great practice for my Spanish.

Antonio, Heiko, and I started to brainstorm where we would like to go and what we like to do this weekend as we have another four day weekend.  We're thinking another road trip to Seville.

I've been partying it up on the weekends so I make sure to focus and study hard during the week. 

A Great Day

October 6th

I had no food in my apartment so after waking up from sleeping in, I went to two different grocery stores and my favorite fruit stand to buy food for the week (more like a few days as I snack a lot).

At 2:00 was my scheduled time for the Arab Baths.  Blake and Kevin came over to my apartment and together we walked over to the baths where we met up with our other friend Jenna.  Opening the door to the Arab Baths, we were greeted with a dimly lit room with low tables and chairs.  A pleasant aroma wafted through the air.  We received our towels and massage token from the receptionist and then went into the locker room where we changed into our swim suits.

Beyond the large wooden door were 7 pools ranging from cold to hot.  Steamy and dark with candle lit walls and the slight scent of spices, the baths were an immediate relaxation haven.  We had a total of 2 hours in the baths, and had the whole bath house to ourselves.  We rotated from pool to pool and drank some amazingly delicious tea that was hot to the touch but the perfect temperature to drink.

After about an hour we were called for our fifteen minute massage.  We were led to another room where we were greeted by the masseuses who instructed us to lay down on the massage table.  They asked us if we wanted the massage on our backs or legs.  

We spent the last amount of our time in one of the warmer baths.  Overall it was a extremely relaxing and cool experience. I had heard a lot about it and definitely wanted to try it so that I would know how much it cost (22 euros) and so that I can bring my family and friends who come and visit.

The rest of the afternoon was low key as I read for my classes (my Spanish-English dictionary in my lap) and helped Heiko make dinner.

At 9:30 Nathalie, Heiko, and I met up with a Norwegian girl, Helene, and Blake and Jenna from California to go to a flamenco show at "The Upsetter" flamenco bar at the start of the Albayzín.  I had heard mixed things about this bar but was excited to go as I had not yet been to a "real" flamenco show (I had only seen the flamenco show that was at the residencia).

We got in for 8 euros with our student discount.  No one was there when we arrived, so we chose seats right next to the stage.  The Upsetter was a local haunt that had the main area for flamenco underground.  It was a small venue and I could tell that it would easily fill up once people started to come.

The show started promptly at 10:30.  There were three members of the band, an old man, a young guitar player, and a third man with long, dark hair.  They started off with a bang and I was immediately impressed.  The old man had a tremendously powerful voice.  Fingers flying across the strings, the guitarist was tapping, strumming, and finger picking the notes of the song.  The third man turned out to be the dancer.  He was amazing as his hand claps sounded like drums.  The stage was very small with worn wooden floors.  Our seats were so close I thought that I was going to be kicked when the old man broke into dance and the dancer spun wildly.  They were all amazingly talented and had great group chemistry and cohesion.  They each took turns being the lead man as they switched the solo act from song, to guitar, to dance.

I was most impressed by the dancer as he spun and tapped loudly across the dance floor.  He finished his routine with an amazing shimmy, shake, leg tap, feet tap concoction that had the whole bar cheering.  he was pulsating and keeping such a fast rhythm that I was exhausted just form watching.  It was a loud and energetic show all around.  The dancer brought up a couple girls from the audience who he showed some basic flamenco steps.  I forgot to mention that there was also a woman "storyteller" who was in traditional Gypsy dress who would introduce the song and tell stories in between the sets.

After the flamenco show we were able to talk to the group.  There are flamenco shows every night and I would definitely like to see another group.  A DJ began to set up after the band had left and we learned that there were free reggae rock nights every night from 12-3 after flamenco.  Good to know, we'll have to come back.

Lazy Sunday in Granada

October 5th

The morning was warm and sunny as I walked to the tourism office one block up from my apartment. I needed a new map of Granada as my other one had been shredded in the piso search of the first month.  My monitore, Monica, was working at the tourism office and she gave me a new map and a bus schedule.  

I then walked to the Arab baths and put down the deposit (the purchasing of my ticket) for our group visit on Monday.  Leaving the baths, I wandered and explored the centro area.  I found a great street with a ton of restaurants right by my apartment called "Calle Navas." I stopped for a juice and a tapa and then kept wandering, finding the "Corral de Carbon" a 13th century Arab building with a beautiful arch.  Its a block from my piso.

Back at my apartment, Nathalie, Heiko, and Antonio were getting ready to leave to find a place to sun tan.  I changed out of my jeans and put on sunscreen and sandals as the temperature had rose quite a bit.  We ended up walking back up to the Alhambra and Carmen de los Mártires.  It was really nice and I'm in love with the woods of the Alhambra.  Entering the grounds of the Alhambra is like stepping into another world.  Emerald green pine and cypress trees spread on for acres and acres.  Its amazing that its right next to my piso.  We ran into some of Antonio's friends who were playing the guitar on one of the benches in the forest.  They would be putting on a flamenco show the following week. 

Our walk in the woods ended us up at the Palacio de Carlos V, the only palace of the great Spanish king built right in the center of the Alhambra.  Its the ultimate symbol of the Reconquest and the importance of Granada in the history of Spain.  We spent some time sitting on the Palace steps reading and watching the crowds of people pass through the Alhambra.  We walked back to our apartment as the sun was setting.

Antonio and I made dinner when we returned.  His mother had sent some great homemade Spanish food and we had that along with our fresh salad and fruit.

We had a movie night with our Californian and Erasmus friends.  I wanted to watch the French film "Amelie" as I hadn't seen it, but I was outvoted by the Erasmus kids who elected to watch the American film "Almost Famous."  The movie night was fun, but it reminded me so much of the freshman dorms that I don't think I'll have another one.  I'm here in Spain to have new adventures and experiences.  I can watch all of the movies I want next year.

Exploring Granada

October 4th

To continue our  seemingly endless plethora of parties, today the city of Granada was hosting a welcome event for all of the foreign exchange students.  It had started at 11:30am but Nathalie didn't leave our apartment to go try and find it until 1:30pm.  I had thought it was in Plaza Nueva, the large central plaza between the Alhambra, Albayzín, and Ayuntamiento (town hall), but when Nathalie and I walked through the plaza we found nothing going on.  We assumed that we were too late, but as it turned out we had gone to the wrong the plaza.  Nathalie and I decided to walk toward the Alhambra.  She hadn't seen the gardens of "Carmen de los Mártires" so we took the path to the right after passing through the ancient arch.  

As I've written about them before, I really love the gardens of "Carmen de los Mártires."  Sculptures and fountains are everywhere while wild peacocks roam the grounds.  Nathalie and I walked along the many paths and then headed back down the hill toward the center of the city. 

Down in the center, I met up with my friend Jolene who I had visited in Córdoba.  She was here in Granada with her UC program and had the afternoon free.  I showed her my apartment and she stayed for lunch.

That afternoon I kept exploring and ended up in the Plaza de Toros area where I hung out with some of the students from my program.  Plaza de Toros has a large coliseum where bull fights and other sporting events are held.  The majority of students from my program live in that area which is a mile or two east of the city center.  The best tapas restaurant that I have yet found is in the Plaza de Toros.  "El Nido de Buho," serves large, delicious tapas and olives with every drink.  Its the best food for a middle price (tapas generally range between 1 and 2 euros).

While having tapas at El Nido,  I spoke with the other Californians who I was with and we decided to make reservations for the Arab Baths.  We called and made reservations for Monday (we had a four day weekend due to a school holiday).

That night we had a party at our piso, as Antonio's best friends from Almería had come to visit him for the day.  I had a lot of opportunities to practice my Spanish as the majority of those people invited were Spaniards.

More Erasmus Festivities

October 3rd

Even though I didn't have class today, I was still productive as I went to my college and picked up all of the packets and texts that were currently available for my classes.  My goal this weekend was to explore Granada.  I planned to walk around and find the spots that were off the beaten path.

On my way back from the college, I ran into some other ILP students who I hadn't seen for a couple of weeks.  I caught up with them as we wandered the long and primarily student-populated street of "Ronda."  On my way back to my piso, I stopped at a fresh produce stand that I had discovered and bought some locally grown fruits and vegetables.

That afternoon, Heiko, Nathalie, and I walked to the other side of Granada to buy things at the Wal-Mart equivalent store, Al Campo.  I bought school supplies and found a great map of Europe that I put up in my room.  Heiko and I almost bought a portable grill, as we have been wanting to have a bbq, but we resisted the temptation and decided to wait and think about it as to avoid it being a purely impulse buy.  We took the bus back as we had a lot of stuff.  After a quick dinner, I took a two hour siesta so as not to be tired for the large Erasmus party that would be happening later tonight.  

Some Erasmus organization had rented out the dance club called the "Camborio" up in the Albayzín.  It supposedly had a fantastic view of the Alhambra.  The party was technically just for Erasmus students so I practiced my British accent just in case they would be checking.

We met up with our other Erasmus and California friends and then made our way up the tiny, winding cobblestone streets of the Albayzín.  The club itself was really cool as it was built into the side of the mountain and had multiple levels with outside patios and dance floors.  I guess I wasn't the only American who had crashed the Erasmus party as the majority of students I talked to were all from different states in the US.  There was a large group of students from Pennsylvania and Mississippi.  Everyone had a great time and we were back at our apartment by the very late/early time of 5:30am.

Out on the Town

October 2nd

I woke up at 12:00pm and my eyes hurt as the sun came into my room as I pulled up the blinds.  I was glad I didn't have class until 5:30 in the afternoon.  

After a quick work out, spanish vocab exercises, and emails, Heiko and I combined what ingredients we had left from our food supply and cooked a great meal of fresh vegetable, rice, and chicken.  Its been a lot of fun cooking in my apartment and I'm slowly approving.

My classes went went well and each day I feel more and more confident.  Since my first class on Monday, I had improved in my overall comprehension of the language.  I had officially survived my first week of class and will have to think of keeping 4 or 5 as I enjoy all of the classes and I still have Friday's off.

There was another Erasmus party that night and I had plans to go with Nathalie and Heiko.  I was pretty tired when I got home from class at 8:00pm and told them I would try and meet up with them later after I settled in.

It was just Alberto, my other Spanish roommate, and me in our apartment.  Out of all of the my roommates, I had talked and hung out with him the least as he is never in the apartment.  He had fractured a small bone in his arm the night before skateboarding and was taking it easy on the couch.  I asked him what he was doing tonight and he said that he was going to try and meet up with some of his friends.

The night turned out to be pretty cool as I ended up hanging out with Alberto the whole time as his friends flaked and he tagged along with me as I met up with the other California students.  We walked around Granada, stopping by the Cathedral, the unofficial public hang out spot, and then making our way to the botellón.  We ended up not going to the Erasmus party as Heiko and Nathalie called and said that it wasn't very good.  I was glad to spend time with Alberto as he was a funny kid and got a long well with everyone.  He is from Motril, a small beach town in southern Spain and speaks with a very thick Andalucían accent which is good practice for me to hear.  This is his first year at the university and will be here for four years.  We came back to the apartment at around 4:00am after a fun, low key, night of exploring the city where we'll be living the entire year.

America Looking In

October 1st

I had my "Relaciones Internacionales" class at 9:00 and left my apartment 15 minutes before to leave plenty of time to walk to class.  The class is interesting and I like the professor.  She speaks rapidly and many times finishes her sentences with a question and I miss it as I'm about 2 or three words behind.  I was still able to participate in class; disagreeing with a student who thought that all countries believed in human rights and asking some questions.  As I came to notice throughout the course of this class and the other classes throughout the day, is that the United States truly influences the rest of the world.  I've always known and read about America's vast influence in the world, but I never imagined a level quite this prevalent.  Neither good nor bad, the United States appeared in every one of the discussions during the day as a benign force, an outside variable that seems to have a hand in some part of every country and region.  Seeing this kind of presence and power, I understand how important it is for my country to act responsibly in the world.  The most salient issue at the moment is of course the economic crisis that has the potential (and already is) to affect the rest of the world.  Many of the other students and professors have never met an American and I'm doing my best to a good ambassador for my country.

The rest of my classes went well.  After class, I picked up syllabi from the "fotocopiadora" and then went back to my apartment to cook lunch. 

We hung out the rest of the afternoon until that evening at around 10:00 when we went out for tapas before the Erasmus party that would be starting later that night.  "Erasmus" constitutes any student from an EU member state that is studying abroad in another EU country.  I'm not an Erasmus student, but I get invited to their myriad of social events as my two apartment mates are German Erasmus students.  Tonight was a "Mexico" theme party at the one Mexican food resident in the city.  We cruised a few tapas restaurant with our international crowd of Spaniards, Erasmus students, and Californians.  The Erasmus party was fun and I talked with a lot of different kids from all over Europe.  I didn't have class until 5:30pm the next day so I wasn't worried about going out on a school night.  The weekend here in Granada starts more or less on Tuesday night and goes straight through until Sunday afternoon.  Monday is a slow day but there is always something going on.

First Week of Class and Adjustment to the Spanish University System

September 30th

I didn't have class until the late afternoon at 5:30pm as my other class during the day had been canceled.  I went back to the UC study center to turn in my new schedule of classes.  Hopefully they are correct.

I had a class called Teoría del Estado, dealing with the idea and physical construction of a state.  The professor was really good and was interested in hearing my perspective about the United States as we will all have to give a presentation describing part of the structure of the government in our country.

Here in Spain, the professors don't hand out syllabi or the description of the class.  All of the information about the class is in the "fotocopiadora" or print center where the students must pay a minimal fee to receive the class materials.  It seems like a tedious system but I assume that it saves paper.

At the end of the day, I had been to all of my classes.  I'm debating sticking with 5 or taking the minimum of 4.  Spanish is going to make any class difficult, and one part of me thinks that the more exposure I have to the language, the more I will improve overall.  Even with 5 classes I still have one day off and ample breaks in my schedule so although I would be taking more hours of class than at UCSD, my schedule itself is much better.  At the same time, I don't want to kill myself with class and want to enjoy the entire experience of being abroad.  All of my classes should transfer (I hope) so I won't have to worry about scrambling to graduate the following year (If anything, I'll be a little ahead).  I don't have to make a decision right away as I can drop my classes up until December.  I'll stick with five for the first few weeks and then decide from there.

That night, Antonio made a fantastic meal for our apartment.  We want to trade off cooking dinner when we have a chance.  I definitely need to improve on my cooking as all of my roommates are amazing chefs.  Hopefully I learned something through osmosis as everyone in my family is an excellent cook.  I can make some pretty good pasta.  After dinner we played card games and then went to bed.  I have a great apartment and am living with cool people.

First Day of Class

September 29th

I woke up at 7:45 to allow plenty of time before my 9:00 class.  Heiko, my apartment mate, had the same class as me so together we walked the 15 minutes to the political science college.  Our first class was "Relaciones Internacionales" a third year course taught by a young and motivated professor.  Her accent was very Andalucían and a little difficult to follow, but I felt that I kept up with the class and was even able to participate by answering a few of her questions.  She made it clear that she would not treat the foreign students any different from the Spanish students and rather encouraged us to become engaged with the material so as to improve our language comprehension.  

I went to try and find my second class and discovered that my schedule that I had registered with through the University of California was completely different from the one that was on display in the facultad.  The majority of my classes were in different rooms at different times.  I found my next class on the official schedule and ran back up stairs so I wouldn't be late.  This class was a "primer curso" or first year class, so all of the students were brand new to college.  

I supposedly had a break according to my incorrect schedule, so I went straight to the UC study center that is thankfully on the same street as the poli sci college.  There had been a mishap with the list of classes and those students who had registered in poli sci had used a schedule of classes from the previous semester.   I had to reregister for all of my classes but luckily I was able to still receive many of the ones I wanted.  Also, I was still able to secure Fridays off, something I weighed as important as I want an extra day for homework and travel.

My classes in the afternoon were also good.  Its interesting to see how large of an influence the United States and the English language have on all of the classes that I am taking.  The United States truly is a superpower and even on the first day, I was intrigued by how we are perceived by the rest of the world.  I've read, heard, and been exposed to a little of the "love-hate" relationship between Europe and the US, but this first day really opened my eyes to how much influence the United States has and how our actions and policies directly affect the rest of the world.

L'shana Tovah.  Tonight was Rosh Hashanah and I went over to my friend Elliot's house for a potluck dinner.  The other Jewish kids from my program came over and we ate a lot of apples and honey.

Home to Granada

September 28th

I woke up at 12:30 feeling much better from the day before.  Although I had wanted to try and cram some more visits to famous sites, I had a low key rest of the day before my bus to Beauvais at 3:00.  I helped Emily and Rochelle make breakfast/lunch and quickly packed my one book bag.  They were meeting with other students from their university that evening, but I went with them to the metro and said goodbye at the transfer station.  

The bus from Paris to Beauvais was relatively fast and I arrived at the Beauvais airport with plenty of time before my flight.  RyanAir didn't even allow check in until 2 hours before the flight, so I decided to walk around the surrounding area.  

Beauvais itself was a beautiful, quaint town with small country houses and flower beds lining the streets.  I walked once through the town and then returned to a park where I sat on a bench enjoying the day and writing about my experiences of the week in my journal.

I took my time walking back to the airport and ran into the other Granada kids.  It was good to see them and we exchanged stories about our week in Paris.

We arrived in Madrid at 9:00pm but our bus for Granada didn't leave until 1:30am.  We tried to get on an earlier bus at 11:30 but it was full.  Waiting for two extra hours wasn't that bad concerning the amount of time I had spent waiting and in transit the past week.

There was a lot of rain as we traveled south to Granada.  I slept most of the way and woke up when we arrived in Granada at 6:30 in the morning.  It was a nice night/day and I didn't want to pay for a taxi, so I walked the 45 minutes back to my apartment in the center of the city.  I took a shower and slept until 12:00pm.

The rest of the day  I organized what I would need for my first day of classes tomorrow.  It had been an amazing vacation and the first trip that I had ever planned and implemented myself.  I was glad to be back in Granada and found it funny that I considered Granada my home.  I realize that I have many "homes" and that "home" is the physical place for the idea of safety and tranquility from the outside world.

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!