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Published: September 27th 2005
ride
This man is cycling to move the ride. In Granada. I’m sitting on my bed writing. It is Sunday afternoon and the apartment is empty and I really just feel like I need to write some before I bury myself in homework for the day.
Thank you, Nora (B’s Sister at MSU- yes, the funniest person I know), for sending me my first and only piece of mail. Nora, I especially enjoyed your large handwriting.
Mercedes said I can walk around barefoot or wearing only socks. It may not sound like a big deal- but really- it is to me. Little by little I am learning that she isn’t as traditional as I hear everyone else’s “senoras” here. Mercedes doesn’t consider herself religious, however, yesterday was her saint’s day. The custom here seems to be that you have kind of a second birthday on the date in which the Catholic Saint who shares your name is celebrated. Her male companion, P., (not her boyfriend, as she has said) gave her a gold band with diamonds on it. She, as if shy, knocked on my door and said “mira” (look) and was very happy to show off her new bling.
I taped Anna (roommate) speaking in Spanish last week.
kicks
My new sweet shoes I figured that it would be fun for her to hear how much she has improved at the very end of her visit.
Flamenco sucked something wicked two lessons ago. Anna, our Flamenco teacher talked pretty much for the entire class about disliking and warning us about “Gitanos” (Gypsies). It just got worse when she tried to further explain her stance once she noticed that not everyone was participating in the racist conversation. But, no, don’t worry… she has a gypsy friend! The following class she apologized.
Ever throw up fish (with some bones, probably), salad, bread, McFlurry with m&m’s, and apple pie? I did last week. It was probably my punishment for supporting McDonalds, especially even after I already had lunch at home.
Bridget and I bought tickets to London for Semana Blanca (Break 6th-16th). We are flying to London and staying in a hostel there and then taking a train to Paris and spending a few days there. My pal from sophomore year of high school, Andrea, attends a University in Paris and huzzah—I get to see her! (it has been over 3 yrs) and we get to stay with her!
My culture teacher,
me
Me, in the mountains with a pretty town in the background (BEFORE B tried to get in the photo ...) J., said that her car gets 100 km to every 1 gallon. Hot dog!
My grammar & conversation teacher, A., doesn’t speak English. He proclaimed to my conversation class the other day that the extent of his knowledge of the English language are the words: ‘fuck’, ‘fucking’, ‘suck’, & ‘suck me.” That was, without doubt, the highlight of my day!
So this past Friday school went south to the Sierra Nevada Mountains, in an area with many little Granada “suburbs” called Alpujarra, for two days and a night. We stayed in a hostal in the town called Pampaniera and hiked up and down mountains in Alpujarra for 6 hours the first day. Just imagine: hiking for six hours along deadly edges, in nasty sun, up loose rocks and then down rocks covered by mud— do you see how I may have feared for a my life? There also was a snake, but it was tiny, and when I went to pet it just kept slithering away.
Not only was the hike sucky but I’m not very happy with a many people in our large school group here. Bridget and I overheard a discussion about us while on
me & b
Me, AFTER Bridget tried to get in my picture our trip this past weekend and it was very disappointing. We thanked one womyn, E., for standing up for us but we just left the rest of it alone.
There is this one man, E., who several times has been an *jerk* to our faces. He is one of those guys who ignorantly thinks Bridget and I are dating for his enjoyment … and actually makes it clear to us. We have talked to him twice already about it—but he magically always seems to forget what he has said. Double whatever.
Rachael, a psych major from U of I who is studying here too has allowed me to co-email a Professor in the Psychology Department of the U of Granada. Rachael is going more into the science-y aspect of psych, studying brains surgery and chemicals and a few other things that are in classes of which I try to avoid. I’m a fan of the more social aspects of psychology. Anyway, so we probably won’t begin attending lectures until after she contacts us again in October.
Also, on Monday (9/25), I’m sending an email to the Gender and Womyn’s Studies Department at the U of Granada. I
Parade 1
The front of the parade have wanted to find the GWS department all summer so I really hope this works out. I’d like to do some sort of combination of attending lecture, participating in some sort of GWS based organization, and meeting GWS Spanish students. Of course, I wouldn’t get credit for attending any sort of lecture at the U of G- but I think it would be fun anyway. Plus, I hope it’ll help with my Spanish.
Art History class is over. It was only a four-week course. And sure, yeah, I could continue, taking three credits instead of one … but it is at a very inconvenient time of the day (Mondays 4:15-6:15pm, Wednesdays 6:15-8:15pm) and I don’t need any of the credits. Plus, then I’ll actually have time to meet Spaniards my age.
I’ve had a lot of men just ‘move me out of there way’ when walking through crowds or just to the bathroom in a bar. It is really annoying. I don’t know if it is because I am just a person in their way, because I am a womyn, or because I am smaller than them—but it happens way too often. I don’t visit bars enough in
Parade 2
See the little girl drumming? the states to know whether or not I would be grabbed at the hips and relocated there, too.
Last week, the same day that I threw up, I was heading to school in the afternoon and while I was passing two men dressed in the same blue collared button-downs one of them yelled “Arabe!” (Arab) and then they proceeded to laugh. And of course it took a few seconds until I realized what happened—and even longer for me to come up with a good response.
I have a very hard time defending myself because of the language barrier without being repetitive and sounding like I’m 2. It is really frustrating. You all know that I am quite snippy in response to anyone who insults me—I just can’t do it in Spanish!
We all went to an already-paid-for-flamenco show last night. I was very anxious to see the dancers—it was definitely worth sitting outside and freezing to stay for the dancing. If you have never seen flamenco performed live I suggest you go. You should come visit me in Spain and you’ll see the best Flamenco in the world!
I’m reading this book from a Spanish series
Parade 3
A view of some of the people walking in the parade called _Manolito Gafotas_. It is kind of like, well, imagine that _Dennis the Menace_ was written by Larry David. Manolito is the name of the main character and “Gafotas” is in the title because “gafas” means glasses- and “Gafotas” kind of means “big glasses.” So, essentially, I’m reading _Big Glasses Manolito_.
Ok, I’m off to find a Renaissance-style door to draw and label for art class. Mercedes just told me that at 6 tonight there is supposed to be a huge parade because it is the feast day of the Patron Saint of Granada. She said that almost all of Granada goes. I better go. I wouldn’t want to be an outsider …
Ok it is Sunday night now. I went to find my Renaissance-style door but never found it. I ended up at the parade though (after being followed across a plaza and hollered at in a crowed by some guy who I think told me to “suck his balls” in Spanish). The parade had no floats. No giant blown-up Garfields. Just lines and lines of people who I think were representing their churches. Also, there were a few marching bands all playing very depressing sounding music—I think the bands were also organized by churches because they were mixed in ages of musicians and each followed a different church banner.
Since next week is the last week before break I have at least to major exams, a presentation, and an art paper due so don’t expect another email until we return from London & Paris.
Am I wearing a “Harass me!” sign? Sure, OK, so maybe it sounds like Spain is sucking a bit. Besides the creepy/jerk-like things I still very much love being here. I wouldn’t take this back and I especially would never leave because of a few insults. Or many insults. As Jenny Toomey sings, “… well, it may not be perfect but it's nearly as exhilarating…”
Hi, my name is Alex and I am addicted to chocolate croissants.
Besos!
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Susan
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Sierra Nevadas
Hey, I should've warned you about the Sierra Nevadas... sorry! =) We called it "Miguel's work out plan" for a good reason. Keep your chin up; you'll know how to respond to angry people soon enough--especially if you sit in on University classes or talk to University students...they're anxious to teach you! =)