Church in Spain

Iglesia.

This Saturday night Angela, Andrea and I went back to the church we went to the week before. Saturday night is the service for the youth, so we were able to meet a lot of young people around our age. The service was amazing and I was so proud of myself that I understood almost every single thing the preacher said. Really understood it. I love that feeling! Afterward we all went out for pizza and ice cream. Everyone there was so nice and it was such a fun night. I met so many awesome people and got to practice a lot of Spanish! I think this week we’re going to help them out with some cleaning around the church to prepare for some classes they have this weekend.

God in another country.

Even though I’ve only been to the church here a couple times, it has been such a blessing to me already. I love experiencing Jesus in places other than America. I think it's really something you have to experience for yourself to understand. When there are so many things that divide two cultures, there is always one thing that unites all, and that's Jesus. Meeting so many Christians here has made me feel even more united with other believers around the world, and it has strengthened my faith so much. Even though we're so different we know the same God; the same spirit lives in each of us. It’s easy to think about this and know this is true when I’m at home in Ohio, but being here in Spain makes that true to me in a different way. But it’s just so apparent by the way my friends at church talk, think, and live their lives that we truly are all friends with, and have been changed by, the same God.

Buenos amigos.

Attending this church and meeting all these people makes me so sad to think that my time here has just begun, but in reality it’s a quarter of the way completed! I wish I could stay here longer to perfect my Spanish even more, and to get to know the people even more. Getting to know people, and being involved in more organizations that are actually a part of Granada, makes this place seem even more like a home. I’m so thankful for all the opportunities I’ve had and for all the wonderful people God has placed in my life while I’ve been here!

To read more updates, check out the blog below that I just posted yesterday, too!

caca de perros and so on.

If I wasn’t before, I am now so much in love with Granada, that I wish I could stay here forever! Well, maybe not forever, but at least a year. Already, one month is over and I only have 3 left to go! So much has happened, but I'll spare you from every detail. Here are a few highlights/thoughts about my time here this past week:

Intercambios or speed dating?

Last Tuesday we finally got to meet with our intercambios (language partners)! The point was to meet some Spaniards who we could regularly meet with and practice speaking Spanish and English with each other throughout the week. The entire ISA group (about 36 students) met together on Tuesday night at Plaza Nueva in Granada. As we waited to meet with the group of Spaniards, rumors circulated that this meeting would be more like speed-dating than anything, us moving from table to table and making small talk until we found the right match; and this appeared to be true, as more and more Spanish chicos showed up! Apparently we were all to go to a local tea shop and mix and mingle with everyone there. Eventually, our large group of nervous students wandered to the tea place and filled every seat in the basement. I was happy that I ended up seated in between two girls, which is exactly what I wanted. I was more interested in making friends than trying to hook up with a random Spanish guy (some of which are un poco creepy--as in just wanting to hang out with the american girls)! The evening went well, and it turned out not to be anything like speed dating (to my relief), and I ended up making a wonderful new friend, who I’m meeting again tomorrow for lunch! J

Caca de perros.

On a side note, one thing that I don’t like about Granada is the caca de perros (dog poop) lining every street! I guess owners don’t clean up after their dogs here. It’s interesting that dogs are so well-behaved here. I’ve seen many waiting for their owners outside grocery stores, never tied up. I’ve only seen a few dogs on leashes here, and many wander around on their own without much guidance from their owners. It’s interesting. They're more like people than pets, and it seems like they have their own interesting lives that doesn’t actually revolve around their owners!

Also, everyone here smokes. I feel like I should, too, to be a true Spaniard. In fact, some girls from another program did start smoking so they could fit in a little more with the culture. haha. I don't think I would go that far to be Spanish! I think I'll just settle for the second-hand smoke that drifts into my room every night when I sleep.

Gazpacho and paella.

I finally tried gazpacho a few days ago, and I’m not so sure what I think about it. I had never tried it in the states, so I have nothing to compare it to. It was homemade by my señora, the amazing cook. It was a cold, thick vegetable drink, very rich in flavor. I mostly tasted the tomatoes, but there were many types of vegetables in it. I could only drink a little bit because I feel like my taste-buds aren’t accustomed to that type of flavor. Andrea commented that it would be really good salad dressing. J

Also, my señora finally made the paella that she had been talking about since the first day we arrived. I was dying to try it! And it did not disappoint. It’s an amazing rice and seafood dish typical of Spain and I think I could eat it every day. Check out the picture.

Trips to come.
I only have a few more days left in the intensive month class--thank goodness! It is pretty boring, although I really am learning a lot. I take a final exam Friday morning and then leave late that night for a 10-day trips to various cities in Europe (!) with Andrea and Angela, and 1 or 2 other girls from our program. Our travels will take us first to Paris, then Geneva and Interlaken in Switzerland, and then Rome and Venice in Italy. It's a lot of cities, but we have all 10 days roughly planned out to make the most of our time in each city. When we return we have one free day to recoup, the first two days of semester classes, and then I leave again for a trip to Morocco with other ISA students! I'm unbelievably excited for this trip--especially our journey to the desert on camels where we will spend two nights in tents! I really cannot believe I get to do all these things while I'm here. I just hope I can make the most of every opportunity, and every day I have in Spain and elsewhere.


I know this update is so long, but at the same time it is so short! I feel like I could go on forever about my trip and all we've done, but I'll stop here. Until next time...

interesting weekend

This weekend was very unexpectedly fun. I had nothing planned, but plans made themselves.

Friday night I went with some friends to a big music festival held in Granada anually. What an event! Upon first entering the festival, it appeared more like a fair than a music concert. There was cotton candy, churros and chocolate, and bumper cars. It seemed almost like I was at a fair in the U.S. but much smaller. In another section, accross a parking lot, was the music stage with a huge crowed of people gathered around it. It was crazy! Apparently this isn't the kind of festival you go to sober. This became apparent as I walked to the stage, through a parking lot full of small groups of people getting so drunk and high they didn't know what was going on. Needless to say, it was an interesting experience. I pushed through the crowd to get somewhat close to the stage, but feared getting beer spilled on me if I went too far into the crowed. Angela and I only stayed there for about 10 minutes and decided maybe we should come back when we're drunk (which means never). In spite of this, I'm really glad I got to experience the biggest music festival in Granada. The music sounded awesome, so I wish I would have been able to enjoy it more.

The next day we slept in late and then made random plans with some Spaniards Andrea had met at a kareoke (sp?) bar a few nights before. Angela, Andrea and I got coffee with them so we could practice spanish with them and help them with their english. They invited us to play soccer in the Sierra Nevadas afterward so we couldn't pass this up! We were the only girls, and all of us were horrible at soccer but it was a fun adventure! The mountains were beautiful and we stayed up there until sunset. It was a fun day and a great opportunity to practice Spanish and learn more colloquial language. My name that day was 'Karla,' because 'Kyla' is too hard for Spaniards to pronounce!

That night ee planned on going to a bar to watch the OSU football game at 2 am, but after everything we were too tired! So I still don't know who won...

This morning the 3 of us went to an evangelical church close to our house. We had no idea what it would be like, but we had happened to see it the first week we came and decided to check it out. I'm glad we did because we had an amazing time there! Everyone was so nice and so welcoming. It was a very small and intimate atmosphere, with a congregation of about 150 people. Worship was lively and fun, and we sang some familiar songs from church at home (which were fun to hear in Spanish), and some that I had never heard of. After worship all the guests had to stand up and introduce themselves to the whole congregation! It wasn't too intimidating since there were about 10 other new people. We met a few students from the U.S. and some other Spaniards our age who go there. After today, I already feel like this church is a home to me. It was so easy to talk to the people and we hung out with them for a while after the service. Every Sunday a lot of the youth have lunch together, so I'm looking forward to getting to know people better through that. I feel so blessed to make my home there and I'm praying that all three of us will be able to become active and contributing members of the church while we're here.

This is all I have time to write not, but I could really go on forever. My time here has been amazing so far and I'm looking forward to everything that is to come.

day to day life

Well, now I've been away from home for a little over two weeks. It feels like so much longer! Homesickness comes and goes, but overall I'm enjoying my time here. I suppose the first few weeks are the hardest as we're getting accustomed to the way of life here. It's similar in a lot of ways, but obviously very different. My uncle e-mailed me a couple days ago and asked if it's difficult to be immersed in another culture, and I answered yes, without any hesitation, it is very difficult! Sometimes I think about the fact that I still have 4 more months ahead of me, and I can't imagine being away from home that much longer! It's mostly simple things that I miss. For instance, convinience stores, driving a car, and a shower bigger than a 2x2 box and with almost unlimited supplies of hot water. Also, living 5 minutes away from campus (it's a 30 minute walk to school every day here!) It's also very frustrating not being able to express all that I want to say in Spanish. I can't wait until it comes easily and I don't have to think so hard about everything I'm saying. But every day it gets easier and that gives me hope that finally at the end of my trip this will pay off!



Most of all, I miss my friends and family. Yesterday's lunchtime became a little emotional when our madre, Torcua, started talking to us about the heart of a mother, and how wonderful our mothers are to us. We couldn't help but get teary-eyed, thinking of our own mothers at home, and us here without them. I miss you, mom! Torcua is so wonderful and understanding and wants to make sure we feel as comfortable as possible while we're here and away from our family. She insists that, while she can't replace our mothers at home, she is our mother while we are here. She's told us several times that if we're sick, she'll bring us food in bed, and if we need a shoulder to cry on, her's is available. She says every time students leave she cries and cries because she becomes so attached to them as if they were her own children! Honestly, I don't think we could have been placed with a better family, and I'm so thankful for the blessing they are to us, especially while we're away from the comfort of our own homes.



Despite the fact that I just explained all the reasons this trip is hard, I really am enjoying it! There are so many things I'm looking forward to in the next month. After the intensive month ends I'm travelling with some friends to Paris, Geneva, Rome and Venice. Then we come back we start our semester classes and two days later I leave for Morocco for 5 more days! After that, who knows? The possibilities are endless...



Right now I'm just getting used to day-to-day life in Spain. Wake up, go to class, go home, eat lunch, siesta time, free afternoon of anything, eat dinner, and then sleep. It's pretty normal life. Sometimes so normal that I foget I'm living in Spain! Anyway, I miss all of you at home and can't wait to see you again!
I miss you and love you mom, dad, and kate!

Hasta luego.

New Pictures here

New Pictures!

Pictures!

I posted some pictures on flickr.com. I've never used this before, but this was the only way I could get them to work. So, I hope you can see them! Check them out here:
http://flickr.com/photos/30162835@N02/sets/
I also have the link under my picture on in the sidebar on the right.

Life in Granada

After being in Granada for a few more days, we're beginning to grow accustomed to the way of life here. Classes have begun, and everyday we rise early to walk 30 minutes to the school for our four-hour Spanish class. September is called the "intensive month" of class because we have the same class everyday from 9 am to 1 pm, which focuses on grammar and speaking and writing Spanish. Four hours! ¡Qué Lastima! (that's for you, Lauren)



Class just ended for me today and soon I'll be going home to eat some of the wonderful home-cooking of our Señora, Torcua. The food here is amazing! But, it's really hard for me to get used to the eating schedule. Breakfasts are coffee and a pastry early in the morning and lunch isn't until 2:30! Lunch is followed by a siesta, which involves a short nap. This, of course, is my favorite part of the day. :-) Dinner is at 9 pm or later, and everyone stays up until at least midnight. No wonder the siesta is so important! Why don't we do them in the U.S.?



The way of life is a lot different but I love it. Everyone is so relaxed, and there isn't the same type of hurried busyness here as in the U.S. Schools even give less homework here. Mid-day siestas and no homework...I can get used to this.



Since we've been in Granada we've been on a couple tours of the city, and just like every city I've seen in Spain so far, there is so much history. I love that. It seems like there's a story behind every building, and just walking around the city is a daily reminder of it's history. A couple nights ago the ISA group walked througha traditional barrio in Granada and learned about how the people live there. We walked far and high, and stopped at a beautiful and lively spot where all the Gypsies gather to relax, play music and sell items to the tourists who come through. Items can include hand-made necklaces, "lucky" branches, or drugs. And apparently coins are bad luck, as Angela found out when she was offered a good luck branch and the lady demanded she pay with a bill. Coincidentally the smallest bill is 5 euros (about 7 dollars)... Needless to say this was an interesting stop, and it also provided a beautful view of the Alhambra. I'm really trying to post pictures but the internet is so slow. I promise they will be up soon!



After that we walked up to another mystical place, and in my opinion, this is the most interesting and excited thing we've done so far. At this stop we all gathered into a cave-like building to watch the beautiful flamenco dancers. This was amazing! We were in awe of these dancers as we sat side by side in the cave listening to the beats of the music, the guitar, the clapping and dancing. I wish I could justly describe this, but it's something you have to see.

I'm running out of time now, so I'll have to update more later. It's almost time for our lunch and then siesta!

¡Adiós!

Hola! from Granada

Hello everyone! I´ve been in Spain for almost a week now and this is the first time I´ve had access to a computer! So, sorry I haven´t posted anything yet...I have so much to tell, I don´t even know where to begin!

The first few days in Spain I travelled around a lot before finally settling in with my host family yeterday. I´m here through a program called ISA (International Studies Abroad) and we all travelled together, first staying a few days in Madrid and then a few more in Toledo. While we were in these cities we went on many tours and learned so much about the history of the cities and spain as a whole. We went to El Museo del Prado (an art museum) and then El Palacio Real (the Royal Palace) in Madrid, where tour guides explained the significance of what we were looking at. (And, yes, it was all in Spanish!) Then, in Toledo we saw historical churches and sinagogues and learned so much about the history of the city and the religions it was founded upon. What a beautiful and historic city Toledo is! I loved the narrow streets and the beautiful buildings. I have lots of pictures but I can´t post them now since I´m not on my own computer. I will post them in the next few days. On Sunday we finally arrived in Granada, where we´re staying with our host families! All the touring around was fun, but I´m glad to finally be settled in a home.

I´ve hardly seen Granada so far, but I feel like I am going to fall in love with the city. My host family is so much better than I ever could have imagined and I feel completely at home with them! Angela, Andrea and I are sharing a room in the apartment, and we even have our own bathroom for the 3 of us to use! Surprisingly, we have more than enough space. We weren´t sure what to expect, moving in with a family with 4 kids! The mother, Torcua is so wonderful and she insists on treating us as if we were her own children. She constantly is kissing us and telling us how wonderful and beautiful we are. The father, Manuel is very kind and he walked us to the school today so we would know how to get there. I felt bad when he picked us up with all our luggage in Granada, because it hardly fit in his car! There is a 22-year-old daughter who is so nice and I hope she can show us all the best places to go in Granada. There is also a 17-year-old boy who we don´t really see much of. He´s probably overwhelmed by all the girls in his house. Finally, there are the two younger 11-year-old twin girls who are so great! We played lots of games with them last night and they are so fun! They love having other girls there and they call us hermanas (sisters).

There has hardly been time to relax since I´ve been here. Even this morning, after our first night in Granada, we woke up early to take placement tests at the university. I was so nervous about the test, because if I didn´t test into a certain level my classes would count for nothing! But I am so releived now that they´re over and I know that I´m at the level I need to be. Our month of intensive classes starts tomorrow! I can´t wait to start classes and get into a routine. I still can´t beleive I´m here! The reality hasn´t sunk in yet that I´m just at the beginning of my trip and I still have 4 months to go. I´m going to post pictures, and hopefully a little video of the city and my family in the next few day, so keep checking the blog!

I miss you all so much!