¡Hola!
I am so sorry it has been so long since my last blog. I really wish I had kept better care of this blogging responsibility, but hey. I'm only abroad once. You'd probably judge me if I was tethered to a computer blogging every moment. So yeah. There!
Instead of diligently keeping a blog of my daily activities, I have been diligently enjoying Granada and learning Español.
My favorite post so far was probably the one about my impressions and observations of Spain... We have about two weeks worth of those in my journal to catch up on. So let's get started!!
1) The Spanish all gather in the plazas to sit and have ice cream or just chat (especially before and after dinner). I think it's great to do that instead of having "family bonding" in front of a TV.
A shot of people relaxing in one of the many plazas near my apartment. It's about 8:00 PM in this photo and people are just hanging out before dinner. Plazas are the places to be in Granada.
2) People greet each other with a kiss on each cheek (kind of like the French do). You always start to your left. If you don't, it could end up as a really awkward situation where you kiss someone smack on the lips since you met in the center. Whoops... This greeting happens when you meet someone formally for the first time or when friends greet each other. Spaniards who are 50+ use the kiss on the cheek as a greeting a lot more often than younger people. This is also used when girls meet girls or when a guy and girl pair meet. Boys do not use the kiss on the cheek with each other. They shake hands.
3) I crashed two weddings with my señora on the first day with her. People in my program said their señoras did the same thing with them. It must be normal here.
One of the churches where my senora and I crashed a wedding. The other was in the major cathedral in the town center.
4) Just noticed now that my blog settings are in Spanish. I didn't even change it. It just did automatically! Haha.
5) Everyone walks slower in general. I'm so American. I always walk fast and "tengo una prisa" ("am in a hurry")... And for what? Vive la vida, people. Slow down and enjoy.
6) I pick up a lot more of what people say on the streets. I think I am getting used to hearing and seeing Spanish everywhere.
7) Unlike in America, no one walks around with iPod headphones in the ears. They talk with their friends or family. What a novel concept, huh?
8) I ordered gelato/helado (ice cream) at a shop the other day. I truly think the woman had no idea that Spanish wasn't my primary language. She said everything at the same pace as she did with everyone else, and we were able to communicate perfectly. It was such a cool experience.
9) I let myself get a little lost during a walk I took back on Day 5. Looking back on it now, there was no better way to learn this new place than to be forced to find my bearings and get back... sin mapa ("without a map"). (Don't worry, Mom. I had one just in case!) I recently discovered that when I thought I was kilometers away from home, I was literally only two blocks away from my apartment. Oh well. But look what I discovered along the way:
Call it graffiti. Call it vandalism. Call it whatever you want. I think this is art. It's everywhere here, and I think it's gorgeous.
10) People over the age of 70 don't go for a stroll unless they're dressed to the nines. And let me say, they look damn good.
I know it's far away, but I didn't want to look like such a creep for taking a photo of random, sweet old people. Ps. They're holding hands! I love old couples that are in love. :]
11) All the prams/strollers here are so fancy looking. Lucky little babies! I saw one in a store that cost 1083€!!
12) It seems like no matter how much water I drink, I'm still always thirsty. The air is just very dry here in general. At least it's not humid!
Phew! Parte Uno is complete. Take a break, grab a drink, and then come back for Parte Dos comin' atcha in a little while.
In the meantime, here's a little brain snack of Spanish vocabulary. Remember, this is a compilation of words I hear that I don't recognize and I look them up. Together, they seem really odd that these words come up in conversation... So it's probably just easier to not even guess what the context was.
- chanclas- flip flops
- toldo- awning/shade on a balcony
- ponerse la moda- to come into fashion/ be in style
- marido- husband (there is no word "marida." You can't feminize "marido" to indicate wife)
- mujer- wife
- esposa- literally means "wife," but it is used very infrequently as it has somewhat of a condescending connotation. It has kind of a meaning like "being chained." Just to give you an idea, the word for handcuffs that police use is "las esposas." Interesting, huh?
- carretera- highway
- y pico- and a little bit (20 años y pico)
- asqueroso- disgusting/gross
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