Chocolate y canciones

I warned you I would be pretty bad about this, didn't I? Even worse, I haven't been keeping up with my journal. Every time I start to think about an entry, the sheer amount of things that I experience every day seems daunting. But, really, if I don't start now I'll never remember half of it! So here goes.

Very quickly, the major highlights from the last three (!) weeks: a day-long hike at Cabo de Gata, full of sand and wind and beautiful views; orientation week, with language classes and walking tours of the city; finding a church the very first free Sunday; IES classes starting, and a two-day trip to Ronda and Sevilla after our first week of classes. Our second week just finished, and University of Granada (UGR) classes start next week. With any luck, I'm taking a class in History of Musical Styles, which should be interesting. And there's a choir! I finally found out where and when it is. I can't wait to start singing again.


Probably my favorite picture from Cabo de Gata



My homestay is about a 25-minute walk away from the IES center, which really isn't bad. I've learned to gauge how far I am, and I'm really used to walking everywhere. It'll be an odd feeling to take the bus to UGR for my night class. Well, technically, it's an afternoon class, because la tarde goes until 9 PM. The Spanish concept of time is so different. I remember learning in elementary school that mediodía was noon. Here, mediodía is the middle of the day, la hora de la comida, which is more like 2 PM. And the siesta really is an institution here. Almost everything is closed (except for the Chinese stores - but that's another story) from 2 or 2:30 until 5 or 6.

In orientation, they told us that the Spanish divide their day up into three parts. 8 hours are for sleeping, 8 are for working, and 8 are for enjoying yourself. They really believe this, too. I'm already happily taken with the siesta, and I'm working on the rest. :) If you know me at all, you know how much of a workaholic I can be, so this is certainly a change for me. But I'm getting there, little by little.

The trip to Ronda and Sevilla was lovely, especially since I'd been before with Co-choir. It let me take fewer pictures and just be there. It let me feel more comfortable. It also let me listen to our tour guide, who was absolutely wonderful and had so much to say about the history and the architecture, especially in Sevilla. I love the Reales Alcazares palace. It makes me feel like I'm in a fantasy story in another world.



Visiting the Sevilla cathedral brought back so many choir tour memories. This time, though, we got to go up the Giralda, the bell tower. The views from there were wonderful.





Oh! And I can't forget the flamenco show we saw the first evening in Sevilla. It was absolutely spectacular. I saw a flamenco show in Granada on tour last time, but this blew it completely out of the water. These were artists, doing what they are passionate about. The communication between the guitarrista, the cantaor, and the bailaores was really incredible. (It reminded me a bit of jazz.) And the dancing! I still can't find the right words to describe it. Passionate, emotional, strong yet expressive...

One last quick word before I leave for now. Any city that has free outdoor concerts, free tapas with drinks, and a chocolate festival is the perfect place for me.

Mishaps and marvels

First of all, I'd like to make it clear that I am likely to be a highly sporadic updater. Already there's so much to tell, even though I've only been out of the country for three days (not counting flights), and I'll hardly be able to do it justice here. That being said, here goes!

Flights = not fun. Fortunately there were no major mishaps, but planes and I don't mix too well when sleep is involved. Apart from the 36-hour period without sleep, though, things went well, and I landed in Málaga with luggage completely intact! There were actually quite a few people from the IES program on the flight from Madrid to Málaga, and we all grouped together. That afternoon, we went to the beach for a while, then had a short meeting before taking a walking tour of the city. The highlight for me was an outdoor Roman theater in the midst of all these beautiful buildings. This is why I came back to Europe.

The next day, we had orientation meetings, mostly informational as well as a few get-to-know-you sessions. And the food! I'd forgotten what hotel breakfasts were like. It reminded me of choir tour last May, the cold cuts and the pastries and fruit, and then the lunch was a buffet. All delicious. Always delicious. I'm going to be waxing poetic about the food constantly. I absolutely love it. We boarded buses for Granada in the afternoon, and after a 2-hour ride were met by our señoras. Mine is named Marí Cármen, and she's wonderful. She's been doing this for years, and she's kept in touch with many of her past host students. She made me feel comfortable right away, and she's a wonderful cook. She's already given me so much advice about where to go to shop for clothes, or food, and where the best place for churros is. It's going to take me a while to get settled, certainly, but I already feel safe in my room.

Today was interesting, to say the least. Travel, jet lag, exhaustion, and the heat, among other things, caught up with me this morning in class, and I had to leave. After resting all day, though, I felt much better, and joined back up with the group to walk through the Albaicín. I haven't taken nearly as many pictures as before, but I will, I think. I'd just rather experience it than be so preoccupied with recording it every step of the way. That being said, some things were just too gorgeous to pass up.





Tonight was my first time in a tapas bar, and my first time finding my way home. I'm realizing just how much I'll need to break out of my shell. I'm good at smiling at people, but not at asking for directions or starting up conversations. Here, smiles aren't a habit so much as a particular indication, and people aren't as outgoing. Plus I need to not be on my own quite so much. But I think I'll get there; just give me time.

Making a list, checking it twice

I leave tomorrow. My flight out of Charlotte leaves at 12:30, so I get to wake up bright and early in order to leave the house at 7:30 A.M. I'll be in Málaga for my orientation at 1 P.M. (local time) on Thursday, September 3. And I'm staring at my half-packed suitcases, wondering how on earth this is happening. I have everything. I think I don't have too much, although we'll see about that. And despite the wonderful, lovely nature of packing lists, I keep thinking there's something I'm forgetting, or will forget. I know I should be excited, but at the moment I'm erring more on the side of fretting nervousness.

In the back of my head, though, I know I'm excited. I'm going to Spain! I get to spend a day in Málaga, where I haven't been before, and then I'm living in Granada. For a semester. Mountains and cobblestone streets and narrow, winding alleys past whitewashed buildings with iron railings for balconies. History: the Alhambra, palace to the Moorish kings; the Albaicín, historic district; the catedrál which houses Ferdinand and Isabella. Fresh-baked bread and olive oil and paella and gelato. And music. Flamenco, Spanish guitar, and a beautiful heritage of Renaissance choral music. It's slightly familiar, thanks to choir tour, and yet so different. I'm thrilled.

I'm also terrified.

I'm going, though. I've dreamed about this for years. I'm afraid of the unknown, of all the uncertainties, but I have to trust that everything will fall into place. Who knows how I'll grow?

See you across the Atlantic!