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.