Beginning to feel like a Spaniard.

Now that we don't have meetings twice a day, these days are beginning to fly! This week didn't consist of much worth writing about. Each evening from 4-7pm we still have review classes. This morning (Friday) we took a placement test to see which classes I will take.

 I secretly took this picture of one of the two teachers I have had so far. His name is Aralio (Oh-rail-E-O) And he is possibly the worst smelling man I have ever met. BUT he is super funny and very nice :) So he is my favorite so far.

 The classroom is in a "L" shape. This is the side I sit on...

And this is my view from my seat! :)

In my spare time this week I've been walking around checking out places. I went on a run in the park and spent most of the time dodging children, soccer balls, and dogs. Also, there is a duck pond too :) Its funny how your eyes aren't used to seeing open space because as soon as I got to the park I realized how condense the streets and buildings of Granada are. Dad, get ready for some city!

On Wednesday night we went to "Granada 10" which is a nightlife club for college students. Its so pretty! It used to be a theater so it is huge inside and has old architecture. We went there to watch the Madrid vs. Barcelona game. Having zero knowledge in futbol (soccer), it was fun watching the Espanians getting excited and even a friend from my program, Nick from Connecticut, tried explaining to me some of the rules, etc.

Not a very good picture.....because it wasn't even of the big part of the building and it looks like nobody was there. Haha but this is after the game. I will get a better one later. Most people did leave but we stayed and listened to music and danced a little. They dance so much differently than we do.
Besides that, we found a MALL! And it is better than Fort Dodge....barely. Its so hard to walk to school everyday because I walk past 500 shops full of signs that say "REBAJAS" which means sales. So every now and then I stop in and pick something up. For example, I found a leather looking (probably pleather) jacket for 17euros! Which is about $22 usd.

Last night I got together with some friends and we planned out some weekends for potential trips! I will share those when they are set in stone. Also, I will report that the first week and a half here for me was a little bit of a struggle but now I'm starting to feel so much more comfortable and am really liking it. Now that I've been here two week...I can see how the next few months are going to fly.

Now I need to quick pack for MOROCCO, AFRICA!! We leave tonight and take a bus. Tomorrow we will get on a ferry to travel across over to Africa. We will spend time in mountains, on the beaches, in the towns, and then come back Tuesday! Looking forward to sharing pictures and stories then!

Play in the snow for me! Its usually in the 50's everyday here :)
Love,
Ashley

One Week Down...

Mother tells me I'm slacking!! Which is true. During the first two weeks of orientation we are BUSY. So I look forward to this weekend! This week we have have meetings in the mornings and every other day we go on a little excursion. Monday we took a tour around the city and on Wednesday we visited the Albaycin. Basically it is a spa but from hundreds of years ago. It is very well preserved! Then we walked to the top viewing spot of the city. Wow it was gorgeous. Just breathtaking. Usually these tours get done around 1:30pm allowing us enough time to go home and eat lunch (almuerzo) at 2:00pm. Our Seniora makes very different kinds of dishes. Every meal we have no idea what to expect but it hasn't been disappointing yet. Except if I don't get out and run soon I'm going to get fat. They eat a lot at their meals but wait a long time in between and have a very light breakfast. I've been going to review classes from 4-7pm. Somehow I scored higher than I thought I would on my exam so I'm in a challenging class. Afterwards we usually go home and relax before supper at 9:30. Typically we have been going out to pubs afterwards but last night my roommate (cuaderno) and I were so tired we stayed in. AND......I had my first dream (suerno) in Spanish last night. I can't seem to get away from it! Today I ate lunch alone with my host mother, who is very intimidating. But I had a sheet full of questions and words so she helped me. I feel 100 times better after having lunch with her today. That is all for now! Of to escuela :S (school). Miss everyone and am sending love!

A different view!

After a very long 12.5 hours in the air...I've made it to my destination: Granada. The city is by far the most beautiful place I've ever been. We arrived around noon and of course got lost on out way to the hotel. I had to laugh because all the girls were struggling big time with their suitcases but since I'm Central Strong...(of course) lugging my bags up the cobblestone streets was no dificil para me (not difficult for me). My Spanish is very poor but I have enough confidence to try to talk. Most everyone is very friendly and tries to help understand you. We were told to stay awake and go to bed when everyone else does. We grabbed a drink and our first tapas at the Shamrock, which is an English style pub. Funny that we chose there but some friends who have gone to Spain had suggested it previously. By the time it was 10:00pm I realized I had stayed awake for close to 30 hours and called it a night.

Today we explored the city, some people set up their phones, and we checked out some clothing stores. Its hard to remember that the Euro is about 1.35 to our dollar. Also, I'm going to be wearing something like a 45 size shoe. We wanted to sit down and get some tapas (appetizers) but all the stores are closed during the 4-7 hours. My internal clock is pretty messed up but I don't think it will be hard adjusting giving it a few days! Tonight we want to stay up and go out when the city is awake! So time for a siesta! Big day tomorrow as we have our orientation and meet our host family! :)

Cuatro días más hasta que España!

Its hard to believe in four short days I will be getting on a plane and saying good-bye to my family and friends for more than four months. Today I'm setting up the blog and getting it running and ready for this big adventure of mine!