September 15-17

Hola!

Well, I have now started classes!! I am very excited, I was ready to get back into the swing of things and start learning again. Haha I know kind of nerdy but oh well. All of my classes are really interesting! I have one grammar class (surprisingly good!), a class over the Islamic Civilization (the Prof is great!! my favorite one), Islamic art and architecture (might be kind of hard..she bombarded us with info on the first day!! haha crazy but I think it will be really interesting and we have tons of out trips around the city!!), a literature class over the poetry of Lorca (he lived in Granada and is really famous. I thought this class would be really hard but I think it’s going to be okay. I just read his stuff for the first time tonight and it’s great! Very descriptive and deep. And the Prof is really great in this one too), and lastly my only class in English is the Arab World in the West (strangely this is my least favorite haha I think we are going to focus slightly more on the politics side. I'm not a big politics person, I was hoping to learn more about the culture and the people :) that’s what fascinates me. But it sounds like my other classes will cover all that stuff). So anyways, things are great! It has been busy the last few days trying to figure out all the new stuff and buying books and school supplies! haha I was quite confused, even the school supplies are so different here haha. The nice thing is that we only have four days of classes here!! So every weekend is a three day weekend!! haha I already know that I'm going to LOVE that. We are starting to plan out all the places we want to go. I'm soo excited and I think I'm going to get to go several more places than I had expected!!

So, to recap what we did these last few days...again we had classes and then we have siestas and then we always meet up at night for a picnic in the same plaza :) we always have so much fun. We get some funny looks from the locals haha we bring all our food and share and talk...but it works and it is cheap!! :) But..last night we decided to celebrate the start of classes (really just an excuse to go out haha). One of my friends Elizabeth (Liz) loves to look up stuff in her Spain guide book. We all have one, but she is the master :) So, she had looked up several restaurants that it recommended. We went to our first one last night. It was amazing!! It was in a back part of the city really secluded and hard to find. But it had an amazing view of the Alhambra at night, with tons of patios, and great atmosphere! Everyone else in the restaurant were couples haha but we still enjoyed it. We had fondue of meats and cheeses and some wine. It was so great to sit down and have a meal and laugh and spend time with friends. So, if anyone ever comes to Granada at one point in their lives...you have to eat at this restaurant!! :) Besides that nothing really special has happened. I still love to walk through the streets and watch people. There are so many cultural differences and I love to try and figure them out, as well as the similarities. Oh! Today I went for a run! haha not really that exciting but it felt great to get some real exercise. We walk everywhere but it’s not the same. So, I found a bike path right next to my house and I followed it for a while till I came to a small park that had a path around it. And in the middle it was like a work out room only outside :) haha kind of strange but you could do pull ups, sit ups, and lots of other stuff. I ran around that several times, I have no idea how far I went but it was a good 40 min. run. I am going to try and set my routine now and run at the same time every day. Well, I think that is all the updates I have for you as of right now :) I am going to post tons more pictures from this past weekend! I took so many haha. But I figured out a new way to post them but the website I have to use doesn't always work :( but I hope you guys enjoy them!!

And here are a few cultural observations I have made in my first two and a half weeks :

1) The streets are a lot cleaner. There are city workers everywhere picking up trash, sweeping, and scraping gum off the sidewalks. They also spray down the sidewalk every morning with water. This makes for an interesting walk if your shoes don't have good traction :) haha I have seen some people almost loose it pretty bad!

2) Staring and cat calling. Everyone stares at each other when they walk by! It’s not like in the states where you avoid eye contact. Nope you stare directly at them until you pass. Very strange and hard to get used to haha. And cat calling. I expected this but interesting, it doesn't happen in the day. It's only ever at night and in populated areas. I have never been alone in a less populated area and passed a guy who cat called me. Which is good!! haha

3) Free newspapers. Every morning, in the same spot, same guy, same time, he hands out free newspapers. Don't know if this is just in Granada or if it is a cultural thing like they are more interested in what’s going on in their city...but it’s still interesting!

4) Dogs. The dogs roam freely here, but it’s not like in Mexico. These actually belong to someone and usually you will see them following about one block behind. The dogs run ahead and then come back or roam behind. They whistle, and the dog comes running! Very well trained and not many people feel the need to use leashes. I think it might be because there is a large gypsy population here. Another strange thing, the dogs poop in the middle of the sidewalk and the owners don't pick it up! haha Almost everyday I see a Granadino walking their dog, stop watch it poop in the middle of the cement plaza, and then continue walking! You have to watch your step very closely around here. Maybe that’s why they wash the streets so much?? hmm never thought of that. haha

5) Mopeds. Everywhere!! But everyone wears helmets, I'm not sure if it’s a law or not but I have noticed that almost everyone wears them. But here is my favorite thing about this....they drive around on the moped with their huge helmets and whistle!! haha So many times a man speeds by in a business suit is sitting really straight on his tiny moped...and whistling very loudly :) haha I always think of Mr. Beans and it makes me smile every time haha.

6) And lastly my personal favorite...peeing in the streets. haha Yes! Our first day in Malaga, so our first day in the country, we turned a corner and there was a man zipping up his pants. Just the other night, I was walking to the plaza for the picnic and there was the celebration for one of the saints. So, there were tons of people on the sidewalk and then I see a whole family stop by a tree, extended relatives and all. Mom pulls down the little girl's pants, and she pees on the tree. Everyone just walked by as if it was completely normal. Granted she was probably six...but still. Don't think I have ever seen anyone pee openly on a tree in the busiest street in the states! haha I thought that one was super funny :)

Mucho amor y hasta pronto!!
Erika