Mira! Las Talcones Altisimas!

My first full day in Granada was this Saturday, and oh what a day it was. We woke up very early to start our language classes, and by early I mean we left our casa at 8:30am for class at 9. Our senora walked us there, and of course we should have been paying mucho mucho attention to where we were going, but of course we were so worried about trying not to screw up our Spanish that we could hardly think about anything else (a point, which sadly, we would only remember later).

Our profesora is Imma, short for Immaculada, but snce she is only 27 she does not think her name is very cool, or en espanol, chulo. She is very funny, young, and tiny, and brings a lot of enthusiasm to our class discussions, which now consist most of an intensive crash course in Spanish vocabulary and verbs. For most of us, myself included, the problem is not that we cannot speak Spanish, because we all certainly can speak it. The problem is more that we don't know how to say what we want to say, and by the time, at least for me, that I figure out how to say that thing in my head to contribute to the conversation, the group has moved on to another topic. I am hoping that this will improve with time, as I'm sure it will for my fellow classmates as well, but for now I am so bombarded with information that I'm very unsure of how much is actually sticking.
Around noon, Javier, our program director, came to take us on a very short tour of the IES staff and building which is 4 stories, one of stairs and an exit, two of classes, offices, and a library, and one with a terrace, computers, mailboxes, and a student hang out center. We received our IES student ID's and also our schedules. For now I am only signed up for one class this semester, but I am hoping this will change very soon. Mostly in Spain, nobody really worries about whether or not they will get something done, and this is a totally new experience for me. I have to say it is rubbing off on me a little, but mostly because there is nothing that I can do to change it, and being in panic mode for a week straight would require far more energy than I have to offer at present.

After classes finished we left for lunch and the siesta, which always happens from 2-5. After sleeping, but not enough, and eating, but too much, we met back at 7 for a tour of the city and la Alhambra with our small class -- of about 20 students -- and our teacher Imma. The walk, or paseo, was supposed to last for almost two hours, and it did, but it was most certainly worth it. We walked slowly but far, into the hills surrounding the city to a beautiful, BEAUTIFUL view of the sun setting behind the Alhambra and the Generalif, two grand Arabic palaces from ancient times, famous in all of Spain and the world. Granada is probably most well known throughout the world for the Alhambra palace. After that we walked back down through the more than picturesque quaint Spanish cobblestone streets, gates covered in ivy, stone walls partially broken halfway through, tiny streets with tiny cars, and people everywhere, walking talking sitting drinking laughing. We walked along the river in front of la Alhambra, which there seems more like a mote and prepared to return to IES. However, Imma had more in store for us. We claro (of course) had to walk through the mercado and the plaza, where the people of the town gather every Saturday night to dance, mostly older people, to a small band. Also, claro, we had to dance, awkwardly and in big groups with American tennis shoes and t-shirts. I am sure no one thought anything of it.

After this we returned to the casa to change for the noche. Of course we were in such a hurry to go out with Mariesa's new Spanish amiga Maria, who helps out with IES and attends the local universidad, that we didn't even consider stopping for tapas. No instead we hurried back to change and called Mariesa's very best friend (and with very good reason) Clare and her new housemate Michi. Despite the fact that I was more than grumpy, starving, suffering from jet lag, and feet already hurting, my roommate, who is perhaps one of the coolest people on this trip, and also one of the most excited to be here, decided we should go all out that night, to which of course I merrily agreed. How many times are you is Spain? When we finally left together, note in 4inch heels, black tiny dresses and big curly hair, it was almost 11pm, and our Spanish amigas had already had tapas and were headed to the bars.

After walking in on one of the 100's of bachelor parties happening this weekend in Granada at at tapas bar called San Miguel, and being yelled at by loud drunk Spanish bachelors for a whopping 10 seconds, we decided to try somewhere else. Still being annoyingly grumpy from the no food-sleep-rest thing I had going on, I insisted we eat at the restaurant next door. Not only was the food terrible at this delightful selection of mine, in the rest of Granada when one orders a drink, of whatever type, one also receives a free tapas. At this place, of course, we did not, and had to pay for both our food and drinks. Great. Great job Kaitlyn.

However, the night was soon to improve. After eating here we went to meet up with Mariesa's friend Maria and also, probably a combination of 15 American student from our trip at a bar nearby. Here I met Cristina, a stunningly beautiful really nice 22 year old, recently graduated from la universidad, and a very good friend of Maria's. After Michi ordered margaritas for me, Mariesa, Clare, Madeline and herself, and after trying to talk (although I am not sure the extent of my success) with Cristina and Maria for maybe a half hour, most of our American friends and our Spanish friends -- maybe ten of them also, including Jose, que nos llama Jose joven, even though he is not that much younger than Jose viejo, maybe 5 years, or so, who also helps us out at IES.

After this, que noche buena!!! We went to another bar named after the type of art that was inside, that was also blue lighted. Here we went with only our group of 5, Maria, and her friends Alba and Juan. Juan, another universidad student and sadly the only guy, taught me how to tango! A little, and I do it very poorly, but at least now I can take something home with me from Spain besides my poor attempts also at the language. After that, went to a tantra bar where we got a free shot, really big shot, of rum and lemon something delicious, where we danced with our Spanish and American friends, and with Andy, who is very fun, and loves to dance, which is very entertaining for all the ladies. After this bar, because it was almost 2, we decided to go to the discoteca, Granada 10. Apparently 2 is a very early time to arrive at the discoteca, because our large group of Americans and maybe 10 other Spanaird were the only people there until 3:30am. But oh what fun we had! We danced the night away in a big circle, switching between American and Spanish songs every 2 or 3 minutes, singing and laughing and failing to speak coherently in any particular language. Around 3:30, my talcones were hurting me so bad that I could hardly feel my feet, and Mariesa had been sitting on a couch nearby for about 15 minutes, heels halfway off. When we decided to leave, Cristina and Maria were very concerned, wondering why we were going home so early! Although I couldn't believe it, apparently any night that ends before 5:30 or 6am, was an early, and probably boring and or bad night.

The walk home was so painful, that once we got past the main road, Mariesa and I took off our shoes and walked barefoot, an act of disgusting behavior and social suicide. But we couldn't help it, and honestly I'm not sure it was much better without them, my feet hurt so bad by then. However, after this, we arrived at home, washed our then blackened feet bottoms, and swore up and down we would never tell our madre that we walked home without shoes in the streets.
Sunday we passed with lots of sleep, until 12, lots of reading on the bench at the pool in our apartment building, and lots of eating. Sunday night we went out for tapas with Clare, Michi, Smiley, Abby, and two more girls whose names, among probably 60 others, I still cannot remember but were very nice. After tapas, we tried a great Italian helado place, which was only great at the time, and for Mariesa and I was not so great when we returned. After that we called it an early night, although it was still 1am before we went to bed. We prepared ourselves for a busy, fun and exhausting day in Cabo de Gatas Monday. Or so we thought. But again, I have written myself into the early hours of the night, and again, have to wake up in the wee hours of the morning. And so, until soon.

Yours.