Reflections

I felt these were more than necessary seeing as in only 2 days I'll be leaving the 'comfort' of my new European Continent for another.. AFRICA! We'll all have to essentially start over again as we submerse ourselves in another culture with languages none of us speak. After doing it once (upon arrival here in Spain) we all feel like we're ready for anything.

The most important realization (of the week):
What we've been doing here for the past 2 weeks is not real life. Friday we will complete our final week of orientation with the official level exam and after that day life will change drastically for us. 4 days in another city of Spain traveling to Morocco until Tuesday.. then we are free to travel wherever we want because we don't start semester classes yet. Once we do finally start classes and have our approved schedules for classes we won't all be heading together to classes, or seeing one another as frequently. We won't be having all of the professors we have become accustomed to and know that we are second language Americans and take the time to get to know us and make sure that we understand.
Classes will be spread throughout the week ranging anywhere from the early morning to late nights with lots of time to spare in between.
I think that the walks will begin to feel much longer as we have to up the number of times we walk to and from home and school. We also will be beginning tutorial classes in 'Granada Seminar' and Phonetics. So not only will our class schedules feel crazy hectic for a while, we're adding 2 different possible locations!
So there will be more possibility to get lost, to lose track of time, possibly a larger workload, and the chance that I won't see the friends that I've connected with, as frequently as I am now.
On the other hand, I'm hoping that all of this change brings greater probability to meet Spaniard students and make Spanish friends. That's one of my top goals. That and speaking Spanish all of the time. There are students in the program that insist on/don't really try speaking the language when we have every opportunity to do so. I honestly start to feel a little bad when I am speaking English and everyone around me speaking the language that I came here to speak with fluidity.

Reflections on my Morocco Exchange and what's to come:
A brand new host family for our time there! We get to pair up 3 to a room which is great and may even get to choose our roommates. This makes me VERY happy :)
-As aforementioned, exposure into a completely brand new culture and way of life in a different area of the world, a continent that is classified as third world. That's exciting enough because not many people have any desire to see what life in the South is really like. They have no care if that gap exists and to see what the discrepancies really entail. I do. *FOOD is going to be cool to make comparisons with. Although every family and the way their kitchens operate in comparison even to their own neighbors and culture, my next blog will attempt to portray the difference in Spanish and African (Moroccan) cuisine. I'm excited!
-Communicating with the people there? The official language is Arabic but they also speak French and another language. I hear that the students that we will be meeting with etc will speak English and will be easy to communicate with. It's just equally amazing to me the fact that I can be exposed to additional languages in such a quick trip. (Of course there are foreigners that I can hear, French, German, etc. walking through the streets of Granada.)
-CAMEL RIDES! It's supposed to be a surprise event but they always do it for the Exchange program, to my knowledge at least and I must say I would be kind of disappointed if we didn't get that part of the experience ha.
-Pretty much all of our time there is on a set schedule because this isn't simply a vacation for us but an educational experience. This explains exactly what we'll be up to! http://www.moroccoexchange.org/ and I'm sure all of our excursions, meetings with the Morocco Exchange program are going to be in English. (It was founded by an Irishman, I believe.)
Here's a fun fact for you. 40 euros = 444.55 Morocco Dirham. That was the recommended amount that we bring with us!

After Morocco Exchange
We have time to travel but I HAVE NO IDEA WHERE TO YET! The Czech Republic, Italy, France? I don't know!

I must start getting ready for class and such now though but I wanted to make sure to get this in. Despite all of the quick change and fast pace speed we're moving at, I'm excited and ready for more!

Although it's Sunday I wrote this post for yesterday. Enjoy the view:)

We’re about to spend our first full weekend here in Granada. After only 7 days staying with our host families I can definitely say that we’ve seen a lot, done a lot, and trust me, so much has happened!

To recap, we are at the school for class and program meetings at least twice a day for typically a total of 4.5+ hours, not including the extra time that we spend there to use the computers and free access to internet at the CLM center.  Monday we did group excursions to explore the city center and see historical landmarks in Granada. Namely “The Cathedral” and everything having to do with Los reyes catolicos, Isabel y Ferdinand. I wish I was more knowledgeable to share as many facts as 

I learned but to give you a little taste, here are some pictures: and all of the pictures have been posted to Facebook!

Before we began our little hike up to the top of what is also called, Albayzin, Aurelio created a love story. Albayzin el novio and Alhambra la novia. He told us there were three different parts to their love affair. It was a little similar to the love story between Romeo and Juliet, simply Spaniard style. Eventually they would have to (and have the chance to) embrace their love, but only could at the top where they could clearly see (and be with) one another. Literally. The only part that he spoke in English was “Sexy Sexy Boom”. That’s how he described the story in essentially different chapters. We would climb to the top, reaching each of these chapters along the way before we finally reached the climactic ending. To reach the top of Albayzin we were walking on an incline for a trip that he said would only take about 10 minutes. We made it in a lot more because we were stopping every two seconds to take pictures! He didn’t mind too much (I don’t think) and would simply wait for the lot of us.

When we reached the first sexy and the second sexy, you can only imagine our amazement. Each managed to somehow be more marvelous than the first. The second, especially astonishing, made us all eagerly anticipating the view at the very top of the Albayzin. (This picture is from the BOOM! -- the VERY TOP).

We made it to the BOOM and felt like we were on top of the world! It was fascinating not only to see the panoramic view of Granada with the Alhambra in shining in front of us, but also all of the people resting there, painting there, enjoying one another’s company, and playing and listening to music. How often do we get a chance to see literally everything at once?

Now this is living.

I plan to go back, hopefully multiple times! Everything’s always only a walk away. I haven’t been in a car since coming to my new home and the taxi that I took from the GRX airport. I want to come back especially to photograph the sunset from the top. A friend and I, Liasor, talked about coming here to run too. Because of the incline it would be challenging and fun! Atonio (my host father) recommended the same too and suggested a route up similar to what we took on the tour and then coming down on another side that is much steeper but has a view unlike any other.

Wednesday was the Barca-Real Madrid game! We went to a local bar called Fusion Pasion because we were already late for the 10 o’clock start and stayed until the final moments to see if Barca’s second goal would win the game.

Thursday we had our first Intercambios exchange. In my intercambio group I have Courtney, Griffin, Roberto. Our Spanish student’s name is Helena and she’s great! So nice right from the start, easy to get along with, and easy to talk to. After exchanging information, Veronica, our program director took all of us, probably four or five small groups with their Intercambio student, for tapas. So we had a few drinks and experimented with some tapas in the company of our new friend. We will have to plan various meetings throughout the semester together to get to know one another, hang out, and it’s also required. The events include things like tapas, which we completed this week, hiking, and el cine (the movies). It’s going to be nice to have an established core group that I know I’ll have to see during the semester.
Friday was more meetings and our first Friday night in Granada;) We hopped around different Spanish bars and talked with a few foreigners! It was our first LATE night and it was worth the wait. It’s cold at night, which is only a minor inconvenience.

Tonight is our first Saturday night! It’s almost 11pm and I’m almost ready to go. I still need to decide what to wear but I wanted to get this post in! Hasta luego!

Results

Now THIS is living!

...Or that´s what I would say that at least if with the first prueba tests I had tested into the level I need for my major requirements. The other girls from Bradley University and I tested very similar, into the lenguas y culturas program (levels 5 and 6 on this first exam), when we need to be/were aiming for Estudios Hispanicos.

Right now  you're asking, 5? 6? What does that mean? In order to finish my second major, Spanish, I need to specifically successfully enroll and complete in three courses here in Granada for the semester. Unfortunately, these courses are only offered in the Estudios Hispanicos program (levels 7 8 9 on this first exam). Nobody placed higher than a 7 although some students did fall into the 6+ category, although it didn't exist prior to now.

How do I know how the other students placed? It´s standard for Spanish professors to read out aloud all grades of every student on assignments and exams like this. A lot of the people that placed in the 6 6+ and 7 categories are ones that I feel (we feel) we converse with easily, similarly, more advanced at times. It´s a little discouraging and leads us to speculate...maybe we haven´t been learning like these other students.. But not to worry, again, this is not the official exam AND even our program director says no os procupeis because the official exam we are going to take at the end of our 2 week orientation. We have the opportunities to advance with this final placement as well as make changes to our schedules based on necessity. I need Estudios Hispanicos. I need this challenge. For the next two weeks we will be placed in our designated programs with professors that will be evaluating our skill level as well to determine if changes should be made as well... which makes me happy to hear. I know my grammar´s not perfect and my speech not flawless, but I want this so bad! (Obviously not just for my major, this is for me! I want to successfully become fluent in this language so I can move onto other ones! French first.. and then Creole, which I have a varying working knowledge in already.)


Now THIS is living!
 
Or maybe I would say that if I didn´t get lost for over an hour trying to make my way back home... On Monday I didn´t go home on the route that my señora gave me so I have not had a chance yet to figure it out! Although it was a beautiful day out, bright and warm, it was not fun trying to manuveur myself around the bending and crossing streets to no avail. Eventually I found some fellow CCA girls who always travel in packs but I was already late for my lunch time with Antonio. We found our way to an area that I knew well and from there I went to have lunch and calm myself. I had some soup for lunch and then upon leaving my apartment for another trip to the CLM, encountered a beautiful specimen in the elevator!

But hey, it happened/happens/and is bound to happen again!

But I'll say it again.. Now THIS is living! -->The view from my apartment in the morning:

Breathtaking. (Ignore the construction) and imagine it at night!

Lo hice! (sin fotos)

My first trip to school:

Este manana, tuvo que caminar a escuela (CLM) solamente yo y mi plano (mi mapo). Estuve un poco confuso una vez o dos, pero lo hice! Llegue a CLM a tiempo y segura, aunque hacia frio y estaban lloviendo.

This morning, (Monday) I had to walk to school (at el Centro de Lenguas Modernas), only me and my map. I was a little confused once or twice, but I did it! I arrived at the CLM on time and saf, although it was cold and raining.

Monday morning began our first official week of orientation, which entails frequent meetings and excursions during the day time and a period of designated class time from 4-7 in the evening. This means frequent trips back and forth from the CLM and our meeting point, cerca de las figuras de reyes católicos en calle reyes católico. Honestly, I was a little nervous because in my previous experience navigating the streets of Madrid I found myself lost very frequently. On my runs through the streets in Granada, thus far, I have been familiarized myself with the twists and turns much better and already feel tenfold more comfortable. Nonetheless, I faltered on my first trip alone to our very first meeting on the 20+ minute walk, and as a result, found myself a little more than anxious.

And when I was most unsure of myself I found comfort in the growing sound of the beats of a familiar song...and the sound of Rihanna´s voice. I passed by one clothing shop and around 10 in the morning, she was finding love in a hopeless place. I passed by another, and Rihanna was already singing a different song to me. I took a deep breath, and carried on.

Orientation:

Cada manana, mi día va a mirar como eso: por dos semanas. Despierto antes de las 9 o algo a si y desayuno sola porque mis padres tienen trabajo y mi hermanita tiene escuela.

Every morning, my day will look like this for 2 weeks. I wake up before 9 or something or something like that and eat breakfast by myself because my parents have work and my little sister has school.

On my first day attending the CLM, I had a rules and compliance meeting with my fellow CCAers, an excursion with Group 1, and then later on, at 4, had to return for the first official-unoffical level test "quiz".

Group 1´s excursion was to the explore the city center, so essentially we were walking from 11:30-2 and then Megan and Brielle and I continued to walk around the city until we had to return for the exam period at 4pm. In between this span of time we consumed churros con chocolates (my first of this trip, finally!) y tambien Brielle compro un teléfono.

Mi familia:

My señoras name is Marisa and my father, Antonio. They are one of the younger couples out of the Granadinas that participate in this foreign exchange program thrrough CCA, so I am very lucky for that alone! My sister´s name is Paloma, and she is 9. Marisa is una profesora for students that have mental disabilities and problems learning and my father is a doctor! Although they are not married, they live together and have had nurmerous CCA study abroad students before me and we all live together. I also have a new pet, named Garfil. Yes, a cat. Basically, what´s mine is his. I´m told he loves las chicas entonces, he comes on my bed and hangs out and sleeps frequently. My half eaten chocolate peanut butter protein bar that I had set on my bed while I was unpacking my suitcases, became his as well. By the time I realized he was licking it...it was already too late. At nighttime for my first night in my brand new room, while I was trying to get under the covers, he had already taken the liberty to make himself more than comfortable so I tried to slip under the half he wasn´t on so as not to disturb him. Sometimes I forget he´s there because I´m not accustomed to having animals in the house:)

The food we´ve been having is very great! A lot of fresh vegetables, always fruit (even ones I had never heard of), and meat so far! And Paloma really likes sweets, which I need to try to stay away from. Unknowingly, I had brought mi familia various types of candy commonly found in the United States along with postcards of Chicago, and I think she really liked that.

When I want to shower I am limited to 5 minutes, which is definitely not something we Americans ever hear. The program requires that we as students are all given 15 minutes tops (a recommended 10 minutes) to do what we need to do. The reason being is that water, along with light (and electricity) can be very costly in Spain so we all have to make sure to be very cautious with usage in our respective homes.

My family seems to be very nice! And again, I will repeat, tengo mucho suerte! Mi familia es joven y, espero (y ya pienso), divertida! Obviously I don´t want to disappoint them in any way or break any of their rules, so... I want to get to know them well as soon as possible. Mi familia no habla ningun ingles! Except for Paloma who is currently taking a few classes. I need to ask her a little more about it though, as well as learn a lot from her.

I have my own bedroom and bathroom! My new home is beautiful and since I am up high on the 7th floor in an apartment it reminds me of a NY/Chitown high-end spot.

To conclude, I am blessed.

I wanted to include pictures in this one but unfortunately have not had the chance to! I haven´t been on my own personal laptop since I arrived on Sunday. I am using the computer center at the CLM before class. Check back for pictures in this post/the next is sure to have some (and is almost ready to be submitted).

All things go!

These past 9-10 hours of flying have definitely been an adventure. I've essentially been traveling non-stop since I left the airport around 11:30 am Friday afternoon. With a 2:30pm flight scheduled and the first snow of the SEASON upon us (in the Chicagoland area), I had to give myself adequate time to make my flight. Unfortunately for me, when I booked my flight I was not getting advised by a booking agent or anything of the sort so I chose what seemed like the best option for me -- the cheapest.

This meant that I would fly from Chicago to NY. From NY to Madrid, followed by a quick flight from Madrid to Granada. It sounds simple but I made it a little more complicated than I would have liked (had I known better), and there were also some other matters along the way to make things a little more frustrating. In New York I was required to switch airports. I located a CHEAP shuttle very easily but had to personally transport all my suitcases (a LARGE red duffle, two ME-size roll suitcases, and my carry-on "purse"), from one airport to the next. I thought that would be the worst of my problems. In Chicago I had to pay the AA baggage fees for two suit cases, in addition to my second being over weight. When I got to the Iberia terminal they tried to tell me that the receipt of payment for my luggage at AA was insufficient and that I would have to pay the exact same fee over again! After speaking with a supervisor, numerous Iberia employees at the counter, as well as a mysterious Iberia employee on the phone, they "waived" all of the fees for me except for the overweight baggage fee which I still had to pay. Seeing as this issue all arose because of this mistake made by the AA employee in the lack of producing an adequate receipt..I (should be) will get my money back. It still makes no sense to me how two airlines partnering with one another do not have a better system than this, especially when by their request, passengers literally have to re-check in their bags. I felt the entire situation was ridiculous and frankly, I was a little overwhelmed trying to explain my situation to them.

I will never travel like that again.

Despite this inconvenience and having to go through security another time, I did meet one of the students also studying in my Central College program which brought some relief. I had a traveling partner before the long haul from NY to Madrid. The flight was tranquil, just like the first. This second flight I was able to enjoy from my number one preference, the aisle seat. Although, I must say I have developed a new-found respect for the window seat. Watching the entire cityscape of NY at nighttime with all of the beautiful lights, bridges, buildings, cars, and boats, was breathtaking. (I was just in NY, as of the 4th of January, so I'll say it was good to be back[:). 

When checking in for my flights online, on impulse I selected the low calorie options. So at 10pm CT or so when our meals for dinner came, in the luxurious comfort of my aisle seat I received fresh fruit, rice cakes, vegetables, chicken, and rice. I already had dinner at the airport two hours prior so I didn't have much other than the fruits and vegetables. At 1:35am CT we were receiving our breakfast. This time I received a tomato and cucumber sandwich on wheat bread with more fresh fruit and low calorie jelly. I ate the fruit and jellied a piece of bread. I was content. I made myself sleep as much as I could, which I appreciate now. The only thing I would have changed about my experience on this specific trip abroad is traveled with a water bottle! I do it in the states; I never forget my water bottle. It saves time/$ so I do not have to purchased one at the airport and refilling is so simple. So forgetting it now makes no sense to me while for 6+ hours I forget a bottle and have to keep asking for refills in my tiny plastic cup. Minute detail! and honest mistake.

 When Fatima and I arrived at Madrid Barajas airport I found that it was easy to navigate myself around the huge airport because it was all very familiar to me from traveling there in June of 2011. It was a long walk (and pretty quick air tran ride) to our final destination, our final gate. After the stamping of our passports and our final pass through security, we found ourselves greeted by 15 or so of our fellow study abroad companions. 

So I bought myself a water, finally using euro! Anna Marie, a Bradley companion, took a taxi to our hotel where we will be staying for the evening. Carrying our 4 large suitcases up 2 1/2 flights of stairs wasn't exactly enjoyable but it can't touch our excitement. Although it's only 8:20 AM I feel energized, rejuvenated, excited, and a whirlwind of other emotions now that I am finally HERE. Words cannot express the excitement, pride, and enjoyment, and BLESSINGS..etc. 

The weather is beautiful and as always, so are the people. We're waiting for Tesla to join us in our room here. Our plans for the day consist of a run around the city before we re-freshen up from all of our travels, and EXPLORE! So we can look into telephones, adapters, and any other necessities that we need (including getting to know our new home!). Later on we will meet up with the students in our program to get to know one another and have some fun before Orientation tomorrow.

Orientation is at a nearby hotel for a period of time unknown to me at this moment in time, but I will find out soon! After orientation I will finally be given the names and address of mi nueva familia! Then another adventure begins... I will have to transport all of my luggage to another location to find my way home.

Now that I'm safely abroad, I'd love to hear from you! Please comment and say hello:)

My #EatPrayLove holiday experience in NYC has come to an end and I am back to reality: a 1-week countdown until my departure to Spain. It’s exciting but still brings anxiety at the same time!

Just wanted to give you a little update with a quick post on what I’m up to for final preparations. It may all sound pretty basic, but trust me, I'm putting a lot of time and effort to make sure I get everything in and done:)

I’ve been home since Wednesday and so far I have:

Gone to the tailor for my business clothing – a pair of gray slacks tailored for cheap! Taken care of some business with the bank. Reintroduced myself to the gym instead of just the sidewalks and stop lights. Prescription medicines, found out that not only have I had a cold for almost a month but I have a sinus infection. Continued to pack all of my little necessities. Studying Spanish! Adequate research on traveling abroad/in Spain. Starting to say goodbyes. X-rays (after not having any substantial care after 12 years) on my back.

To look forward to:

Reunions and goodbyes with friends! X-Ray results. Eye appointment. Dental appointment. Hair appointment. Packing everything into suitcases! Making a travel budget. Making necessary arrangements for travel. Studying Spanish and more research!

New year’s resolutions?

Be more patient with my family (soon to be families!) and myself as well, because living in a foreign language will be a challenging task. Be more proactive (life after graduation?) = stay busy and productive, and take advantage of every opportunity! Do my best to help strengthen family ties (since we're all so spread out!).