Flemenco

Granada

This past weekend was again spent traveling: this time a two-night trip to Granada.  It was a trip promoted through the university by a program called ESN (Erasmus Student Network); international students from all countries were invited.  We left early Friday morning to catch a charter bus that took us on a four-hour ride through the beautiful snow-covered Sierra Nevada mountain range.  Our accommodations at the hostel were more than anyone could have asked for! I stayed in a two-bed room with a friend, and we had our own bathroom.   There was even complimentary breakfast in the mornings. 

The first organized activity was a trek up the side of a mountain to view Granada’s largest tourist attraction: la Alhambra.  La Alhambra is a Muslim fortress that changed hands several times throughout Spain’s arduous history of wars and competing powers.  The next morning we got to experience it up close with a personal tour guide.  It was amazing!  Tired from walking a few of us Americans debated what to do next.  We ended up biting the bullet and climbing the mountain once again to catch a Flamenco show.  It was free with the purchase of dinner.  We decided to share the classic southern Spanish dish of Paella.  It was to die for: a mix of rice and assorted seafood (prawns, mussels, squid, and shrimp).   The next morning we had the chance to explore another part of town where we were able to enjoy leisurely tapas—for free! In Andalucía, the tapas are free with the purchase of a drink; it’s a pretty affordable way to eat out.  It was altogether a lovely trip, and traveling in a group was definitely a big money-saver; I can’t wait to do it again!

 See pictures here: http://www.facebook.com/#!/album.php?fbid=1578448906757&id=1401660433&aid=2068744

Ocupada

I know it has been a while since my last post; this week has been a pretty busy one! I successfully made it through the first week of classes.  I am taking five classes total, and in each of them there are other international students so I don’t feel too alone.  From what I have heard from the students that have been here for a semester, it gets easier in about a month.  Some of my professors are definitely easier to understand than others.  My favorite course is “Political History of Latin America”.  The professor is so relaxed, and there are less than 20 students.  Basically, we just pick topics that we want to discuss that relate to Latin American politics.  My toughest course will probably be “Hispanic American Literature”.  The professor is so formal and old-fashioned: he threw someone out of the class for being late and yelled at another that took a sip of water from her water bottle.  He said the first day of class, “Don’t raise your hand if you don’t have something important to say.”  It’s a little intimidating, but I’m sure it will just take some getting used to. 

Needless to say, the weekend has been a welcome break from the excitement of school starting.  Last night, my roommates and I went to a concert.  The concert was supposed to start at 10:30pm which is late to begin with, but ended up not starting until 12:30am.  This is so typically Spanish: no one is ever on time or in a hurry.  Not even classes start on time! The professor walks in 10, 20, or 30 minutes after the scheduled start time.  It’s a bit of a culture shock for me because at my school if the professor isn’t there after 20 minutes, everyone gets up and walks out.  Likewise, I took my phone to the phone store to get it fixed, and they were like, “Oh, just leave it here and come back for it in two days.”  They didn’t even take my name or e-mail or anything.  I come back two days later, and they were like, “Oh, come back this afternoon.”  Long story short, I went to that darn store five times.  They weren’t even apologetic; it was like this was a completely normal situation.  I just need to learn how to chill out and be as relaxed as the natives. 

Primer día

Okay, the first week (maybe month) of classes is going to be tough.  I went to three classes today: History of the Spanish Language at nine, Political History of Latin America at ten, and Syntax and Semantics at noon.  I believe I am also going to add another class that would be for two hours at six in the evening.  The classes here are not on a Monday/Wednesday/Friday or Tuesday/Thursday schedule; they are scattered throughout the week at different times.  For example, I have my History of the Spanish Language class for an hour on Monday morning, an hour on Tuesday morning, and for two hours on Friday afternoon.  It is a scheduling nightmare! It works for the students here because they do not usually take classes from different majors, but it presents a problem for the Americans because we are taking classes from different disciplines and years.  I am hoping that the classes provide the submersion that I need.  In my political history class, I am the only American so I hope I will be forced to speak Spanish there. 

Yesterday, I discovered my favorite Spanish tradition that I have yet to witness.  My roommates and I walked what's called "el Paseo" which is a walking path lined with benches and parks that follows the river through town.  On Sunday, Spanish families go to "el paseo" to walk aimlessly and socialize.  There are children playing everywhere, and people let their dogs run free.  Some people sit to read the paper, others sip coffee from a thermos.  At the end of the walk, there was a tiny tapas bar wtih people pouring out all of the doors.  Apparently, it is only open on Sunday.  I tried some local dishes such as ensaladilla rusa, empanadas, and croquetas.  They were delicious!

Cartagena

It is so beautiful!!! Today it was in the sixties and absolutely sunny: a perfect day for a day trip to Cartagena.  In the language class, the teacher mentioned Cartagena being full of history and sites to see; so, I looked up the bus schedule and sent out an invite to my friends on Facebook: over 13 people showed up!  Only 45 minutes away by bus, it was the best way to spend a Saturday in Spain.  The day began with a trip to the tourist center where the woman there mapped out a tour for us.  This was a trick we picked up in Lorca: the people that work at these places are good resources.  You tell them, “We’re students, and we don’t want to spend a lot of money.” Then, they tell you where you can get discounted rates and free entry!  The first attraction was a castle on top of a hill where there were great panoramic views of the Mar Menor and marina below.  An added bonus was that there was an elevator so we didn’t even have to climb the hill!  After that, we walked down closer to the water where there was a museum of shipwrecks and artifacts that had been found nearby.  It was really educational, and it had English translations so we weren’t completely lost.  By that time, we were hungry for lunch.  This tends to happen early because of the amount of walking required when you do not have a car!  We sat at a table that overlooked the harbor while a street performer played the Spanish guitar.  We sipped cafe con leche and had bocadillos (sandwiches) with tortilla.  Tortilla in Spain means something different than in the US.  It is a dish with mashed potatoes and eggs: kind of a potato omelet.  The lunch reenergized us so we headed to the main attraction: the Roman Theater.  The entry was steep at 4 Euros, but it was worth it! The views were breathtaking, and it was mindboggling to think how hold the structure that we were standing in was.   Afterward, we were able to catch a 4:00 catamaran ride out to the sea.  This was absolutely the best part of the day.  The views of the mountains and crystal blue waters were awe-inspiring.  We got back to shore just in time to take the 5:30 bus back to Murcia.  I am so glad that these weekend trips have been such great successes!  It is encouraging us to venture out more.  School starts Monday so it was good to have such a fun beginning to the weekend.

See my pictures from Cartagena here:  http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/album.php?fbid=1560205010671&id=1401660433&aid=2067338

Hace sol

It is beautiful during the day here! Today, it was in the upper 60’s and perfectly sunny.  I hope this means things are warming up for good!  (It’s a little chilly at night, and heat is not a common entity.)  It was a perfect day to go shopping.  My roommate and I went down Calle Gran Via which is Murcia's equivalent to 5th Avenue.  I am sad to say that I have replaced my pink monogrammed L.L. Bean backpack with a more European alternative.  I felt like when I wore it I had the word “American” on my forehead.  Now, I have a brown shoulder bag that I can use to carry my books.  Today, I also went to the local bull fighting museum with a tour group of international students.  I am not sure if I can stomach the real thing: the process is a little drawn-out, but it is a part of Spanish culture nonetheless. 



Traditional Iberian ham hanging in a restaurant! Yum!



The adventures in the kitchen continue.  I made some spaghetti yesterday.  (So Spanish, right?)  It turned out okay.  You cannot buy gallons of tomato sauce here like you can in the states, but I managed to find a little jar of it which was enough.  I considered using gazpacho because there is plenty of that.  Also, pure beef is actually expensive; the most common meat is ham.  So, I bought a mix of pork and beef.  Tomorrow, I am going to try a traditional Murcian recipe that we received in language class with onions, tomatoes, boiled eggs, vinegar, olive oil, and tuna.  I’ll let you know how it is!

The people here have a funny obsession with American music: new, old…it doesn’t matter.  At the discotecas, they play electronic versions of American pop music.  I heard a club version of Taylor Swift the other day!  This morning I was walking to class, and a cab driver was blasting Fergie’s “Big Girls Don’t Cry”.  I think I hear more Spanish music in the US by downloading “Canción de la Semana” each week from iTunes!