Cliffs, Coasts and Classes

Palabra del día: Todo el mundo
Translation: The whole world (however, it is commonly used to mean "everyone")
Frase: ¿Todo el mundo va a la discoteca Camborio este jueves?
Translation: Is everyone going to the club Camborio this Thursday?

Comida del día: Croquetas
These are basically the Spanish equivalent of mozzarella sticks.  They are made of mashed potatoes mixed with cheese and either ham or spinach, and then deep fried so they are crispy on the outside and mushy on the inside.  They are commonly found at tapas restaurants, and Sole also makes the spinach variety in her mini frying machine as a side dish for lunch.

Foto del día:

This is just one of the gorgeous views from our 10 mile hike at Cabo de Gata last Saturday. The hike was along the coast up and down cliffs the whole way.  It wasn't easy, either!  At one point I was slightly worried that I was going to fall off the edge... then we hiked all the way down and had to climb over underwater rocks while trying not to slip or cut our feet.  However, we were on the coast the whole time so we got to enjoy the landscapes for the whole time, and we stopped at two secluded beaches for mid-hike swims in the Mediterranean.  It was an excellent day and definitely worth the 2.5 hour bus ride.

I haven't posted in while because things are starting to get busy here.  I'm in my second week of classes and I actually have homework for the first time in months! Not a lot of homework, but enough that I can't get away with going out for tapas every single night anymore.  My courses are very much Granada themed, which I think will make for a fun semester.  Four of them are at the IES center and one is at the University of Granada. My classes include:

-Islamic Art and Architecture: Once a week we go on a field trip somewhere in Granada to look at buildings and structures and to and learn about the history of those places.  I think it will be a good way to learn about the city I'm living in.

-Flamenco: Yes, I'm learning to dance!  It's been a bit hard for me to move my hands and feet at the same time, but I'm improving quickly.  I love the rhythms and the music, plus I got to buy these awesome black heels with metal on the bottom.  They make lots of noise!

-Spanish: All of my classes are in Spanish, but this one has been somewhat useful in improving my grammar and expanding my vocabulary. Nothing too exciting.

-Early music history course at the University of Granada: I had this class for the first time yesterday.  The bus ride was a bit of an adventure: I missed my stop, got off three stops later, crossed the street and took the other bus back until the friendly driver told me to get off.  Good thing I left early!  UGR is a HUGE university, with 80,000 students, (including 10,000 international students.)    I was hoping I would be able to meet some of these students in class, though when I got there everyone seemed to already know each other and didn't seem interested in meeting anyone new.  Hopefully this will improve over time.  The good news is that I could understand most of what the professor was saying, even though she talked VERY quietly.  She said at the beginning of the class that she is old so she can't talk loudly, so I think I'll make a point to sit in the first or second row in the future. I also liked being in a campus environment for the first time since I've been here, though it made me miss WashU! 

-Literature class about Lorca: Lorca is a poet and playwright from Granada and his work is very much centered around Granada.

Quote from my reading today of Lorca discussing Granada: "Las horas allí son más largas y    sabrosas que en ninguna otra cuidad de España."
Translation attempt: "The hours there are longer and more pleasurable than in any other city in Spain."

I think I would have to agree.