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Published: October 3rd 2010
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A month into it and I have yet to write about my travels? This is proof of how crazy life has been in Granada.
It is a beautiful city, with beautiful people, beautiful landscapes and a beautiful castle. I began living in an apartment in what we like to call the "ghetto" of Granada where there is graffiti on the buildings and bars over windows. My roommate Lindsay and I insisted on moving out of our Camino de Rhonda apartment after we found 3 cockroaches, had no internet, stove stopped working, the water stopped working and ever day walking to school we would be whistled at by construction workers working outside our window.
We are now living in a residencia, and at first it seemed like heaven...There are about 7 senoras and one senor who do our laundry, clean our rooms, and cook for us. But this place is hardly heaven. The very first night of being in the residencia we got in trouble for having people in our room past 10:pm--It was a FRIDAY night! We've gotten back on the better side of the workers, and now they greet us and hug us as if they are parents.
But they are indeed very strict parents. The food is served restaurant style, and my this I mean we sit down at tables covered in table cloths, with a basket of stale bread, pitcher of day old water, and our senoras/senor come deliver us food. FRIED food. Only friend food. For some people this wouldn't be an issue, but my stomach has grown to know and love only healthy foods so it has not adjusted well to all of this fried food. Did I mention the lack of vegetables? ZERO vegetables are eaten in Spain, really. I don't quite understand how the people are so skinny here, because they eat fried foods with no nutrients! I guess all the walking they do daily makes up for the lack of nutritional meals
Our room is small and cramped, and if there was to be a fire in the suite's hallway, Lindsay and I would have no form of escaping as there are steel bars on our window. New Spanish students have moved into our suite, and they seem nice...but we really need to make a conscious effort to get to know them since it is so difficult communicating every time.
They don't speak any English, so it is really up to our Spanish skills to carry the conversation.
This past month has been full of traveling to beautiful places, making new friends and becoming accustomed to the Spanish style of living.
Here's what I have learned thus far:
-When you think you're ordering coffee, you're really ordering an expresso.
-Sanitation is not their #1 priority in Spain
-The nightlife at clubs in Spain does not even BEGIN until 2 or 3AM. You return home around 6 or 7am and hope that you can sleep the next day.
-Spaniards do not especially enjoy working long days...Work from 10am-2pm Take a siesta from 2pm-5:30pm, then work a little more (if you're in the mood) from 5:30-8pm
-Siesta time means the entire town is closed. Maybe a few restaurants are open
-Sunday literally the only places open in Granada are restaurants. Sundays are days to walk around the city., There are more people out and about on Sundays than any other day, which doesn't seem to make THAT much sense considering the town is closed. They just walk. Enjoy the scenery.
-The Spanish lisp
is heavily used in Spain. They won't understand you if you pronounce words as they appear. EX: "Zapatos"...For a Spanish person to understand you, pronounce the Z like a "th" and do not even bother pronouncing the s at the end of the word. You now have "Thapato" and perhaps a Spaniard will understand you
-Tapas are always free in Granada. An old standing Spanish tradition that is only still in Granada, tapas are small plates of food. Want a beer? Receive a free tapa. Want a Coke? Receive a free tapa.
-Tapas vary. A LOT. You might have a slice of Tortilla Espanola, a delicious mini-meal of chicken curry, or a tin plate of potato chips and ham
But we do respect some of their traditions. Such as tapas. FREE tapas. Whenever you order a drink, you receive a free place of tapas--ALWAYS--in Granada. Tapas can range from a pile of potato chips and a small porkchop, to a delicious mini meal of curried chicken and rice.
We have found a few great tapas places, and have eaten at our fair share
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