Too shy to sing…

¡Hola a todos! Yesterday was a fun day but not terribly exciting I suppose, shall we see what you think? We had class at 9:30am once again, but Amalia released us to Teresa at 11:30am for some real world Spanish practice. Each with a different task in hand, we set out to the streets with the idea in mind that we had to return to Teresa at 1:00am. Pam’s and my task was to go to the Tourism Office and inquire about information about the Poniente Granadino (the Wester part of Granada). There were several things that we needed to inquire about and a lot of information that we were to get. Teresa told us that we had to be actors and not lot them realize that we were doing something for a class- which kind of made it fun!

After we had finished our task and learned a lot of good information about all of the fun things that we can do in Granada, we returned home for lunch and to work on a paper that Amalia had assigned us. It was on our experience and what we had learned about the Cathedral, and it completely kicked my butt. It was particularly annoying because I really had learned a lot about the Cathedral and probably could have written several pages in English, but writing in Spanish is a completely different story. I finished that by 8:00pm and then skyped with mom and dad a little bit, and mom got to meet my host mother, Ana! It was pretty cool. After I finished talking to mom, Pamela came back home from her meeting with her “Intercambio,” Melén. She is a 21 year-old granadiña who Pam will be meeting with just about once every week so that Pam can practice Spanish and so that Melén can practice English. Hopefully, Teresa will set me up with an Intercambio soon too!

Next we ate dinner with the family- tuna and tomato empandillas and potato chips. Oh yum. Haha, they’re really into potato chips over here. Actually they’re really into potatoes. They eat at least one type of potato at least once a day (sounds like heaven, doesn’t it Crowley girls?). Then we went to Hanigans for Karaoke night! I haven’t seen so many Americans in one place at one time in a long time, but it was still fun. Anyone who knows us, however, knows that Pam and I were too shy to sing…

This morning, I awoke early so that I could go for a little run through the streets. After breakfast, we made on our way to the opposite end of the city where we were to meet Amalia at 10:30am. On the way there I discovered that if he wants to, Uncle Kevin Hawes can come visit. They have a Dunkin Coffee here. After the whole group had met up, we walked to the Museo CajaGranada Memoria de Andalucía. In Spain they have two different types of banks: a “banco” which is just like what we would think about as a bank in the United States, and a “caja.” A “caja” functions in exactly the same way that a bank does, but it has a special initiative to do something good for the community. CajaGranada runs a museum in honor and to share knowledge of the province of Andalucía. It is the coolest museum that I have ever been in! Everything was hands on and they had these cool video things where you would stand in front of the screen on a little circle that would recognize that you were there and then you would point your arm at the screen to select which video you wanted to watch. It was almost like a Wii without the Wiimote! Awesome.

Pam and I ran home so that we wouldn’t be late for lunch and made it just in time for this delicious dish that consisted of watered down pasta sauce, tiny macaroni, and various shellfish and other seafood. After lunch Pam and I retired to our room for our siesta and here I am now! Tomorrow we leave early in the morning on a bus heading for Spain’s Southern coast. We will be visiting the castles and the beaches of Almuñecar and Nerjá. On that note, the next post might not come until Monday. Don’t miss me too much.

PS Love you!

Título interesante.

¡Bienvenidos a mi blog! Not that I do not enjoy our intensive class, but today when Amalia changed things up a little bit, I was quite pleased. We were expected at the university at 9:30am for more lessons on grammar and speech, but today’s classroom lesson only lasted 11:00am. After that, Amalia brought the whole class to the Capilla Real y La Catedral de Granada. I have wanted to visit the Cathedral since we arrived in Granada. Allow me to rephrase: I have wanted to tour and learn about the Cathedral ever since we arrived in Granada (pushes up glasses while snorting). It was very interesting to compare the architecture with that of the cathedrals of France. I can never remember the names for various types of architecture, but whatever style the cathedral of Granada was built in it is not as overpoweringly ornate as some of the cathedrals in France, like Notre Dame, can be. Also, although it does not have as many windows as many of the cathedrals in France, it is a very bright cathedral because the walls are completely white on the inside. Speaking of different styles of architecture, it was fascinating to note the different styles of the various devotional areas around the cathedral. It took over two-hundred years to complete the sanctuary; therefore, each devotional area was built, sculpted, or painted in a different decade.

We also toured the Capilla Real which is where Queen Isabel and King Ferdinand (the ones who kicked the Muslims out of Spain and paid for Columbus to go West to India) along with their two grandchildren (and their grandchild) have been laid to rest. I was rather engrossed with the art of the tomb as there is quite an interesting mix of political and religious symbols.

After our tours of these historic places, we were released for our siesta. As we did not have a cultural activity in the afternoon, we planned to meet Liz to go shopping after we had completed our homework. So, at 5:30pm we met Liz and went shopping! We finished the outing with Tapas at an open-air restaurant close to our house. When we returned home, I watched T.V. with the kids, and now, ¡estoy aquí! Sorry that the blog wasn’t as long today- or are you breathing a sigh of relief? In any case, until we return to this unilateral conversation, ¡hasta luego!

PS Love you!

Dreams of the Alhambra

¿Qué pasa? I’m sorry that I didn’t get to write yesterday! We began our classes for the intensive Spanish course and the homework load has been a little heavier. So, to all of you who think that I’m just running around the city to different discotechas and spas all the time- you’re only half right. Yesterday, we had class at 9:30am at the Centro de Lenguas Modnernas (Center for Modern Languages). It was very intense. Quite obviously, a course named “Curso Intensivo” is going to be intense, but it kind of took me by surprise just how intense it was. Let’s use the word “intense” one more time, shall we? However, I am pleased to find just how intense this course is, because I think that it will be an appropriate preparation for my other classes which are all in Spanish and begin in October.

After class, we all went to the same little store (that I think I spoke about previously) that literally has everything you could ever want- including those little golden, waving cats that are at every Chinese buffet. Afterwards, Pam and I returned to our house for lunch and then we began our many homework assignments. After many grueling hours of work (and breaks for Facebook) we completed our homework just in time for our daily cultural meeting with Teresa. Our activity for the afternoon was to visit a Tetería in a neighborhood close to Albaicín.

I’m not sure if you know this, but I am an avid tea drinker. The idea that there are many Teterías in this city where you can enter, find a type of tea that you have never even dreamed of and order a crepe to go with it is very exciting for me. These eateries are very much within the Arabic tradition from the décor to the hookah pipes that are available for indulgence (I might sit that part of the cultural experience out). I ordered a honey crepe and a tea called, “Dreams of the Alhambra.” It was very good, but I would like to return to taste different teas and to find one that I prefer. While we were sipping our tea and nibbling on our snacks, Teresa informed us that one of the Irish Pubs (that’s right, there are multiple Irish pups in Spain) would be having a “Pub Quiz” tonight. We all decided that it might be a fun experience to go and would probably be a bit refreshing as they speak English there.

With an hour and fifteen minutes to spare until we had to arrive at Hannigan’s II, Pam and I raced home so that I could shower and so that we could both scarf down a quick dinner. As we had to fend for ourselves, dinner was cereal. By 9:00pm we were ready to go so we ran across the street to the Bar to meet our friends. I would like to pause the story for just a moment to explain that the bar is across the street from the school and that both are literally about two minutes from our house, door to door. Greeted at the pub by the Englishman who would be the host for the quiz, we began organizing our teams. About eight of us from the program showed up to play the game and we had to split into two groups. I was in a group with Amy, Paul, and Jayson. We lost miserably. However, it was quite fun and it is so good to get to know the students just a little better. Pam, John, Molly, and Mark were also a team and they actually ended up winning the game. When you are the losing team and you have lost miserably to your friends, it is difficult to live down.

Today, we had class at 9:30am once again and we had- once again- a very intense class. After class ended around 12:30pm, we returned to our house to do homework. Lunch at 3:00pm gave us a nice break from homework and- as usual- was delicious. We ate Paella, which is a popular Spanish dish that literally has just about every piece of seafood in it. After lunch we completed our homework just in time for our outing with Teresa. It was quite obvious that everyone was very tired and not very interested in what we were doing. However, Teresa showed us where the campus for the University of Granada is and here is a public park right outside of it where the individual can exercise or play sports. Pam, Liz (one of the other students) and I took the time, after we were finished with our lesson from Teresa, to go on a run in the park. It was good to exercise again, and I am glad that I have other people to do it with. By the way, if you know Pam you must know that she is a beast at running (this is a good thing). After our run, we returned to our house and here I am. ¡Buenas noches amigos!

PS Love you mum, dad, PJ, all my beautiful aunties, Ashley, Pam’s family, and whoever else may be reading this! May your days be bright and shiny, and may you find Irish Pubs wherever you may go.

¡Me siento vivo!

Hola a todos. I don’t think that I am going to have a problem with anyone telling me that it looks like I’ve gained weight, because I am exercising like I have never exercised before. Last night, Teresa took us on a walking tour of Albaicín, the oldest and most historical Arabic neighborhood in Granada. I am completely aware of the fact of how ridiculous the next phrase is, but I have to admit that I was expecting Aladdin to pop out of nowhere. The neighborhood is up in one of the mountains and most of the walk was uphill (hence the exercise), and when we finally reached the mountaintop the view was breathtaking. You could see all of the Alhambra and a good portion of the city. I think that Teresa has realized that if anyone will do any of the crazy things that she asks us to do… I will. While we were looking out over a via point on top of the mountain, she had me stand on top of a pole to take a picture of the group and of the Alhambra. Love you Peter!


The streets in Granada are like those in Boston in the respect that they have not necessarily been constructed with any plan in mind- they just added more when and where they needed them. There are streets that cars and mopeds (which are literally everywhere and will run over anything or anyone) cannot fit down and are only for walking. Also, there are streets that one would think are not made for cars and mopeds, but they go down them anyway! It’s almost humorous watching these people try to maneuver cars down roads that are difficult to even walk down.

I love my baby brother! Our day today was completely full of exercise as well. We met the group at 8:15am and began our hike up a different mountain. When I say hike, I mean hike. It wasn’t long before my heart was beating incredibly fast. There is a sort of nature sanctuary on top of this particular mountain and there are not many people that live there. In another example of Teresa volunteering me to do things, we walked past a fig bush and Teresa explained a little about the fruit and then said, “Here Lacie, try it!” So I did. I’ve never had wild figs before; in fact, I think that I’ve only ever eaten fig in Fig Newtons. The hike was long, difficult, but completely worth it. At one point we had to walk down this trail that had a very steep incline and was quite treacherous, but all that I could say when I had finished was, “¡Me siento vivo!” which roughly means, “I feel alive!” Not only was the view spectacular and the feeling that I had accomplished something very satisfying, but we went to Los Baños Arabes (The Arabic Baths) afterwards.

The Arabic Baths are a reconstruction of the ancient spas that the Arabic Granadiños would go to to relax. When you enter the building, the woman at the desk offers you a smile, a number, and a towel. Next you are directed into a changing room where you are to put on a bathing suit and take a quick rinsing shower. Then, you proceed into the next room where there is hot, mint tea to drink. Upon finishing your beverage, you move on to the next room which is quite damp, smells of mint, has dimmed lights, and has a small pool of very cold water. Pam joked that she felt like she was at home swimming in the water of New Hampshire. Quickly deciding that the water is not quite warm enough, the individual moves on to the next room where there is another pool that is very hot. It feels fantastically like a hot tub. Once you realize that the hot water is making your blood pressure rise a little too much, you move onto the next room where there is a pool of a nice, comfortable medium temperature. If you so desire, you may also enter into the sauna that is in the same room. They pump this nice minty smell into the sauna room too, so it really makes your lungs feel fantastic. Eventually, the masseuse calls your number and you proceed into a back room where they give you back and leg massage. Oh man. I was so relaxed afterwards; it was difficult to walk home.

During our walk home, we saw Ana walking ahead of us so we called out to her. She was on her way to the recycling bin (there are recycling bins set up all over the city) and then to pick up a rotisserie chicken and French fries at a local restaurant for lunch. Walking with her as she went about her activities was very nice because we got to talk to her one on one without three happy, screaming children. After lunch, Pam and I worked on our homework and then we went to mass at 8:00 pm in the small sanctuary of the cathedral with Anita and her friend Maria. I don’t know if you, oh devoted reader of mine (mom), have ever been to mass in a cathedral, but I think that it is difficult to understand what the priest is saying in English. In Spanish, it was impossible. Hopefully, after this semester, I will get used to it!
Dinner was purchased by Anita and Maria with money given to her by her mother. Barely any restaurants are open in Granada on a Sunday night, so we went to Burger King. That’s right. Burger King. However, Ana still put the food on nice plates and managed to make it look pretty. After dinner, we had a dance party with the kids and I discovered that I can moonwalk (it’s probably because I was wearing shoes that I bought here). Love ya bro!

We also discussed the word that Pam and I learned at the airport in Madrid. Remember the “paja” or “straw” story? Apparently, the Spanish don’t use the word “paja” for straw, but “pajita” (so don’t believe everything your Spanish-English dictionary tells you!). The word “paja” is used to describe something to do with horses- I’m not completely sure what- which means that when Pam thought that she was asking for a straw, she wasn’t. Oops.

PS Love you mommy, daddy, and PJ! And you, yes you in your pajamas, and you in your business suit, and even you- in your birthday suit!

PPS Mom- You don't have to send me an eyeliner sharpener- I found mine!

Waca, waca, hey, hey!

Hola amigos, ¿que tál? I’m sorry that I couldn’t write yesterday, but it ended up being a very long day! Arriving at the university at 10:00, we were a little nervous to take our first exam. It was only a placement exam, but whenever you hear the word, “exam” it’s guaranteed to start those butterflies in your stomach. After we finished the exam, Amalia and Teresa each spoke with us separately about the program itself and what was expected of us. By 1:30, it was time to go home for our siesta (I love how they break up the day it Spain, it makes it a lot more easier).

At home, we played more games with our hermanitos, Go Fish which translates to “Pesca.” Lunch consisted of salmon, vegetables (including potatoes, yay!), and a salad. After we ate, it was time to play again (what else is new?)! We played a board game called “Hotel,” which is very similar to “Monopoly.” I lost very quickly. For me, it is very difficult to understand how to play any games- even in English; therefore, I have a very difficult time understanding the directions to all of the games that we play with the kids until we are almost done, but by that point I have already lost!

At 6:00, we had to meet up with Teresa and the rest of the group. Teresa showed us yet another section of the city where there is a lot of good shopping. Mom, you would LOVE Granada! She also took us to a little open air restaurant where they sell Churros con Chocolate. Mmmmmmm! The churros are not the same as those at home as there do have cinnamon or sugar on them, but they do give you a hot cup of melted chocolate that you dip the churro into. Is it really necessary for me to explain just how delicious this is?

We returned to our house around 9:00, ate dinner with the family around 9:30 (turkey burgers!), and at 10:30 we began to get ready to go out for the night. Granada is a city with a lot of night life, but it is not only restricted to the night time. Many people stay out until 8:00am! It was good to hang out with the other students in our program and get to know them all a little better. We went to la discotecha, and all I have to say about it is that my legs hurt today from all of the dancing!

I really am enjoying this city. My family is great, I feel safe when I walk down the streets, the food is terrific, the other students in my program are great, and I think that I’m actually learning something!

Miss you all, please write me!

PS Mum and Dad, love ya!

Tell someone they look like they’ve gained weight.

<<¿Quieres jugar?>> I think that this is Jaime’s favorite phrase. He literally uses it 300 times a day, give or take a few (it means, “You want to play?”). Sadly, we didn’t get to play with him this morning, but we did get to meet the other students in the program (there are about 10 of us). They were all very nice and it was good to see that most of us are basically on the same level with our Spanish comprehension. We also met Teresa for the first time. She is a hilarious little ball of fire! She is about my height, blonde, tiny, and one of the funniest people that I have ever met.

After everyone arrived at the fountain that we were meeting at, we walked to the university where our classes will be held (it is closer to Pam and my home than the fountain is). We introduced ourselves and Teresa and Amalia explained a little about the program. By 1:15pm, we were finished for the morning so Pam, John, Amy (two of the other students), and I walked to an electronics store and a “dollar store” that Ana had showed Pam and I earlier. If you are careful, you can buy things very cheaply in Granada.

Slight side note: I find myself starting to think- or sometimes even write!- in Spanish. I literally wrote the first couple of sentences in Spanish before I realized what I was doing. Perhaps this is a good thing?

When we returned to our house, Jaime was ready to play once again (¡por supuesto!) so we played video games again. About a half an hour later, we joined the rest of the family in the dining/living room for lunch. We ate chicken (yes, I AM eating meat), vegetables, a salad each, and afterwards we had a dessert of melon and bananas. I hope I don’t offend anyone by saying this but for me, Spanish food does not look like it’s going to taste good, but when you eat it- it’s fantastic! After lunch we played more games, and then by 7:30pm we had to return to the fountain to meet our group again.

Amalia and Teresa took us for a little walking tour of the main part of Granada, pointing out both practical and historical things. Granada is such a diverse city meaning that in ten minutes time, you can walk from a historically Spanish part of the city to a very modern area to a very historically Arabic part of the city! I got to see the Alhambra for the first time today. It is very impressive from a distance, but I really want to see it up close because I feel as though its greatest treasures are hidden within! I suppose we shall see…

After our tour was finished and Amalia had gone home, Teresa brought us to a bar where we tried Tinto Verano. This is a Spanish drink that is a mix of red wine and fanta (Mom, could you revive dad and tell him that I’m sorry?). In Granada, most bars are “Tapas bars.” This means that when you buy a drink (usually for only about 2 or 3 euros) you get a ton of food for free with it! While we were enjoying our drinks and the food, Teresa gave us a pop-quiz about Spanish culture. She gave us a series of questions that we needed to say whether it is appropriate to do these things or not. I was very surprised to learn many of the things that are not accepted in Spanish culture and those that are. For example, it is completely normal to tell someone that they look like they’ve gained weight. In fact it is almost encouraged!

I love the Spanish culture… but I don’t think that I am going to tell people that they’re getting fat, and I don’t think that I would respond very nicely if someone said this to me!

¡Tenga las dulces sueños!

PS LOVE YOU MOM AND POP.

¡Tengo un A!

¡Hola todos! Pam and I are now in the home of our host family… and I couldn’t be happier! This morning we awoke at 11:45 which was not according to the plan at all. Knowing that we were to meet Amalia (the director of our program) at 1:30, we wanted to get up a little earlier so that we could shower, pack, and make all other preparations for the day. When we did finally get up, I jumped in the shower. When I returned from my shower, Pam met me at the door with a very worried look on her face, “the cleaning woman came to the door and said that we were supposed to be out by 12:00 and that we had to leave right away!” Could two people honestly be kicked out of more places in two days? I’m beginning to think that that’s a no.

Anyway, we packed our things as quickly as we could and made it down the stairs where we handed our bags over to the woman at the desk who put them in a closet for safekeeping. The next task was to find brunch. We found ourselves walking into the supermarket across the street where we each bought a yogurt drink and a peach. It surprised us to discover that they sell fruits and vegetables the same way that they sell meat in the United States, almost like a deli set up.

After our brunch we walked back to the hostel where we met Amalia who called a cab that took us to our family’s home. Meeting us at the door of one of the most fantastically historical homes that I have ever seen, Ana stood with a smile. We finished unpacking just in time for lunch (3:00 pm) before which we gave Ana (the mother), Carlos (14), Anita (12), and Jaime (9) their gifts to show our gratitude. Unsure of whether the kids were big or little and not wanting to offend, I gave each of the kids a large t-shirt. Watching Jaime put on his t-shirt was probably one of the funniest things that I have ever seen. The situation was silly enough, but these kids are even funnier!

Lunch, the largest meal of the day, was eaten while seated around the table and consisted of a salad and what I can only describe as some sort of hamburger helper! I don’t say that to be mean or to imply that it wasn’t tasty because, amigos, ¡estaba deliciosa! Video games with Jaime followed lunch which was then followed by a slight walking and shopping tour with Ana. During this tour, she bought us each un helado. Ice cream two days in a row, my daddy would be proud.

We returned to their home to find the kids ready, once again, for more games. We played with their Wii, and then when 9:30 pm rolled around it was time for dinner. This was eaten while seated around the coffee table, and at first I was fearful that it would take place with the T.V. on (thank goodness, I was wrong!). Dinner was almost the same consistency as a pastry but was made with eggs and potatoes. On the side, we ate random slices of meat and potato chips. Dinner is not a large meal for the Spanish.

After dinner, we quickly moved on to the next game (I’m beginning to think that the games will never end, but I’m alright with that). Anita attempted to teach us a card game while Pam, Jaime, and I ate our dessert: Milk with added sugar and little cookies. I have never had so much fun completely failing at understanding a game! Despite my lack of understanding the game, I am certain that my Spanish is destined to improve. These kids are so patient and willing to help us learn. In fact, my favorite part of the evening was that whenever Pam and I would make an atrocious grammar mistake, Jaime would immediately correct us while making a silly face. It did not take long before we were laughing and having a great time with these kids- I love it! Also, they have a very nice family atmosphere. Although the kids occasionally fight, they really seem to love each other and are always playing together.

I will leave you with a hilarious story: one important part of this seemingly invented card game is for a player to get an Ace or “un A.” During her first turn, Pam yelled out excitedly- yet painfully slowly- “¡Tengo un A!” (“I have an A!”). This was too much for Anita and Jaime. They both burst into one of the most ferocious eruptions of giggles that I have ever heard! This became a joke that we used for the rest of the game, and I’m sure that we will use for the remainder of our stay in Granada. I’m having a ball here, but mom and dad- ¡Les amo mucho!