Mi Viaje : Y ahora nosostros sabemos. (And now we know)

It’s only been four days since I’ve arrived in Spain, and already, I’ve learned so much. From different types of food to Granada’s history to new Spanish vocabulary, the culture in Granada continues to surprise me with new información (information)…..and I’m not going to lie, my head is kind of spinning! To keep the learning experience more fun and less stressful, my roommate and I created a saying that perfectly describes our first week in Espana. “Ahora yo sé.” In English it means, “And now I know.” With moments such as saying horrible instead of delicious and learning from experience that Spaniards don’t follow “To-go" coffee trend, the students from the U.S. have all had our silly moments, and we've certainly made Granada aware of our arrival :).

On late Monday night, I arrived in Granada with a few other students and headed to my house, where I met my new madre Ana. After a couple of quick kisses, she quietly showed me my room and my new roommate Jenelle. Jenelle is actually a classmate and close friend from Boston College. She has also studied Spanish for the past two and a half years, and therefore has officially been appointed Bridget’s Spanish translator, for when Bridget needs mucho (a lot) of explanation pronto (now). I would have to say the the language barrier has been the hardest to adjust to. I took Spanish my freshman year in college, after 6 years of classes in high school and grade school, and my Spanish is muy (very) rusty. I’m told I’ll pick up the language bit by bit, though, and I just pay attention to people as much as possible.

My favorite time to utilize my Spanish is when Jenelle and I are hanging out with the family. In addition to our loving Spanish mom, Jenelle and I live with three children: 16-year old Carlos, 15-year old Anita, and 10-year old Jaime. We love getting to know the children and ask them about anything and everything, from what they like to do to Spanish words we can’t remember. We’ve played games, shared food, and watched their favorite television show: The Simpsons. Jaime, Carlos, and Anita are a huge help with teaching us Spanish slang and with telling us words that are invalid in Granada, both not covered in our previous Spanish books. Jaime especially likes to correct our grammar. He also thinks Jenelle and I are “LOSERS”(insert Spanish accent) for liking Justin Bieber, or what he calls being “BELIEBERS,” but I think that’s just a culture thing :). Including Jaime, the family has welcomed us into their home, and while we're a long way away from ours, Jenelle and I have graciously appreciated it!

Our study program, which is through the Granada Instutute of International Studies, or GRIIS for short, is organized to help students get the most out of their experience in Spain. We’ve already taken two trips around the city, where we’ve learned more about the city’s history, where to buy the best churros, and how to avoid getting hit by a moto (mo-ped). (Hint: it has something to do with avoiding streets.) Today, we went to the city’s center and visited the Cathedral. With beautiful architecture, both inside and out, the cathedral is a large historical artifact in the city. It was extremely interesting to learn about the religion’s influence in the city during the time it was built, as well as it political significance!

Lastly, the students and I have begun to explore the city on our own and have discovered some beautiful sites and really fun bars. (See pictures from our adventures below.)

Overall, the first week has been an intense but exciting learning experience! We have some more time this weekend to relax and enjoy the city’s social life, and we plan to take a trip to the city’s older neighborhood tomorrow.

Until my next post, hasta luego!