Three cultures

This weekend we finally got to see more of Spain outside of Granada. I've noticed all three of these cities (Granada, Sevilla, and Córdoba) have something in common; they are all influenced by three cultures in some way. 

Out first stop was Córdoba. I thought Córdoba was beautiful, but it was small. The first thing we saw was the former Mosque that is now a cathedral. Out of the whole trip, I found this tour to be the most interesting. After the Spanish conquest they decided to keep most of the structure of the mosque but alter it to make it a cathedral. So inside you see the arquitecture of many cultures. 

The Arab style

The extension by the spainards 

And something that was really cool for me was that there was roman arquitecture too because the Arabs recycled the ruins. The columns they used had different colors and sizes because they were recycled. This is one of the few buildings in which you can see so many cultures. 

Also in Córdoba we saw a the Jewish neighborhood, which shows another culture intertwined in the mix.  What surprised me is for how long they've been famous for there flowers and how until this day the flowers are kept in great condition. 

The other city we visited was Sevilla. This was my favorite city I have been to in Spain yet. The coolest thing for me was seeing the cathedral. The cathedral in Sevilla is the largest cathedral in Spain, largest gothic cathedral in the world, and is the 3rd largest in general. The best part of it is Christopher Columbus is buried there. 

Christopher Columbus 

We also visited the beautiful Alcazares  One thing I found very interesting was that the arquitecture and influence of the Alhambra is present in this place. 

Alcazares (they also filmed a scene in game of thrones here!) 

The third thing I saw in Sevilla was plaza de Espana. This had the prettiest scenery and view in my opinion. I thought it was really cool how all fifty provinces were displayed and had their own bench and how each bench was different to the areas history. 

That was my weekend adventure

Until next week

Mi Fantástico Familia

When I first received news about my host family through email, I was elated and nervous. This single email outlined the family that I was going to be living with for the next six weeks- and there was not even a picture. All I knew was that I would be living with a couple with a baby son in their apartment on “Calle Musico Jose Ayala.”

            Coming to Granada, I remember getting off the bus, and seeing a huge crowd of waiting host families. I went around saying hello to everyone and gave them kisses on the cheek, and eventually met my host dad, Ivan. I remember talking to Ivan (in my broken Spanglish) as we went back to the apartment to meet his wife and baby. Eventually, I met Vanessa and baby Manuel- and surprisingly- an adorable dog named Copi!

Perfecta Familia!

            My apartment is very different to my house back in the United States. In Granada, it seems that saving space is ideal in such a crowded city. My apartment is cozy, and no room goes to waste. Our dining room doubles as the TV room, and the kitchen is a step away from the laundry room. My room has a nice bed, desk for studying, and closet for all my clothes. Although it is smaller than my room in the US, it feels just as comfortable. However, since I am naturally the type that likes to do homework in wide open spaces, I rarely study in my room unless I have to. Usually I go out to the living room, or go to the park for even more space.  

Building Entrance

Apartment Entrance

My messy room in the midst of unpacking

So, back to describing my family. At the beginning of my host stay, I felt awkward at times. My Spanish was so simplistic, and I felt that my breadth of vocabulary could not discuss topics other than the weather and food. Fortunately as time went on my Spanish improved, and I was able to learn more about my family, and connect with them in so many ways.

Let me start with Ivan, my father. Ivan is a jolly man who always has red cheeks that matches his red glasses. He is a diehard soccer fan (Granada CP all the way!) and can always be seen sporting a red and white t-shirt that shows his support. During the week, he works alongside an architect to plan out future buildings of the city. He is not a picky eater, and he absolutely adores olives. Although he does not speak English, we find a good medium to discuss topics like sports and the culture of Granada.

My mother, Vanessa, is a fantastic woman with a brown bob haircut and a lovely smile. Like Ivan, she loves Granada CP as well, and even works for the team. She works at the ticket office of the soccer stadium, and occasionally helps sell merchandise for the team. An interesting fact about her is that she studied abroad in Ireland for 3 months, and learned English there! We sometimes hold “intercambios” where we practice my Spanish and her English, and we manage to talk in depth about various topics.

Manuel, my baby brother, can always brighten my day. He just reached 5 months last week, and he is happy and healthy. He has wispy brown hair and large eyes that make people automatically say “Awww!” He loves it when people sing to him, and when I hold him up high in the air. Currently, I am trying to make one of his first words “Anna,” but I am sure that it will either be “Papa” or “Mama.” He is a wonderful baby, being raised by wonderful parents.

Que Guapo!

Lastly, Copi is the mischievous dog of the family. He is nine years old, but has the energy of a puppy. He enjoys long walks along the river, and most of all- FOOD. Everytime we have bread or any type of fruit, Copi will go bonkers. He begins climbing on everyone at the table and scours the floor for dropped pieces of food. He can be sneaky sometimes and steal a piece of food- but Copi is normally a gentleman so that rarely happens.

The aspect that stands out the most about my family, is that Ivan and Vanessa are truly an ideal couple. They honestly have the best balance between them- they both take care of Manuel, clean the houses, cook, and do everything else equally. I have always learned that a perfect relationship needs both people to pull their share, but I have not actually witnessed such a power balance until now. I am so grateful to be living with Ivan, Vanessa, Manuel and Copi- and I cannot wait to bond with them more with my remaining weeks! 

Mi Casa en Granada

Living in Granada is much different then in the United States. In Europe houses are very uncommon, the normal living situation is living in an apartment. This is one of the biggest differences studying abroad; my home here is an apartment but in the United States I live in a house. Back home, in the states, my house is in a isolated area so my back and front yard is huge and has a lot of open space. In Granada, since I live in an apartment there's no backyard and it's obviously not bi-level. The apartment itself is pretty spacious and is designed with space in mind because everything is perfectly located. 

My house in Granada:

This is the portal 

In EEUU I do not have a entrance gate or stores nearby because I leave in the outskirts of town.

In Granada I live on the second floor so I usually take the stairs as opposed to the elevator. 

Inside the building: 

Inside the apartment we have the kitchen and living room space, bathroom, and three bedrooms. The living room space is where my family normally spends time eating or watching tv. In EEUU my family spends a lot of time in the basement which is basically our living room. 

  

Living room and table where we eat

 

The kitchen is toward the left and is just a small room 

Windows in the living room

My room 

In comparison to my room back home it's a lot smaller, however the other bedrooms in the apartment are a lot larger. 

Mi Familia: 

Mi madre: Fanny

I have solo un madre en Mi Casa. She doesn't work because she is more of an abuela now then a mom. She enjoys cooking and hosting study abroad students all the time. My relationship with her is very chill. She's not one to talk about sports or politics. What defines her is music and the arts and that's what a lot of our relationship centers on. She's taken me to Spanish concerts, she sings in a choir, she plays guitar and during the nights we always watch the voz. We also watch The Principe when it comes on nights. She's a very modern mom and loves to have fun and In her words "todos Los Dias fiesta fiesta fiesta" 

Mi perro: Coco

Coco is the dog in the house, he's seen many years (he's 15 years old). He's very chill dog, he never barks or makes noise. He has a couch in the apartment that's his, and no one else ever sits there. Since he's so emotionless, I don't really know if he likes me. 

Mi hermano: Christian 

My brother doesn't live with us but he eats lunch with us every day and occasionally makes visits for dinner. He's 30 and a Barbor and owns his own peluquirria. He is a work out buff and also knows how to play the guitar (very musical family). He lives with his girlfriend in a apartment near our apartment. Our relationship is very sibling like, he tells me where all the best places to go are, talk about sports, and watch tv together. 

 

And that's mi Casa :)

Cordoba y Seville a beautiful mosaic of Morrish, Judaic, and Catholic influence

This past fin de semana ( weekend) was increíble! Both Cordoba and Seville presented a beautiful mezcla de culturas ( mix of cultures) and a deep history of different communities living together. First, after an early morning wake up on Saturday, we boarded the buses and made our way to the unique, old city of Cordoba ( one of the oldest cities in all of Spain). Allí ( there) we were lead on a tour through La Mezquita ( the mosque) which was recycled from an original Roman building that was there when the Moorish people migrated to Spain. As time developed and the Cordoba population grew, more and more columns and expansions were added to the mezquita. However, during the reconquest of Spain done by the Catholics, the mezquita was transformed into a gothic cathedral. The fourth largest cathedral in the world.

These series of pictures presents only a sliver of the depth of architecture and beauty that La Cathedral de Cordoba and La Mezquita de Cordoba offers. Este momumento (monument) is a beautiful reminder of the mix of cultures that lived peacefully in Cordoba for so long. The Morrish, Jewish, and Catholic communities that walked these cobblestone streets left the world with a beautiful, grand, display of culture in one edificio (building).

The next morning, we awoke in beautiful Seville, a more industrial city three times the size of Granada. We visited the Plaza de Espana, a young plaza built in the 1920's for the World Fair, however, an immaculate plaza that has held famous settings for movies such as Star Wars and The Dictator. Each province of Spain is represented by a beautiful reading bench decorated with a grand mosaic.

Plaza de España

Seville is a wonderful city, housing some of the best Flamenco in España, famous for its rabo de toro ( tail of the bull) and its refreshing gazpacho-like dish salmorejo and offers, in my opinion, a great but more relaxed night life as there is much more open space in Seville than Granada. We had the chance to visit La Cathedral de Seville, the biggest gothic cathedral en todo el mundo ( all of the world).

Remains of Christopher Columbus 

Buried in La Cathedral de Seville are both the remains of Christopher Columbus and he son. However, there are only 200 grams of Christopher Columbus' remains as he was moved from Santa Domingo to Cuba and from Cuba to Seville. Unlike Granada, a city set on a slant, views of the city of Seville require a little more work... 34 flights of La Cathedral, however, the view at the top revealed the total expansion of the beautiful, filled city that Seville is. 

All in all Granada still holds un lugar especial en mi corazón ( a special place in my heart). Pero Seville is also, so far, one of my favorite destinations in España. 

Gracias para tu atención! Hasta proximo domingo!

Grettie 

Nothing is Coincidence - Iza Zant

No creo en las coincidencias 

When I was a little girl, my great grandfather created art from stained glass. Reflecting back on my childhood, I remember being at my great grandparents house often, and each time I visited I found my Opa in the basement. I always thought that the basement was creepy because there was a giant book shelf of tinker toys in the "play" room. The toys were old and rusty, and they reminded me of horror films. I recall being told to go look for certain things downstairs, or to go play there a few times, and I was always afraid. Just beyond that room was my great grandfather's workshop. What I remember most is the smell. I think I always remember smells more than I remember the visuals of memories. I believe that each time I bring up a memory in my brain, it's some how altered, but I think it's harder to forget or change the idea of a smell. 

The smell was a mix of fire, old man's cologne, dust, and incense. There was always something so mystical  about it. I don't have an artistic bone in my body, but my great grandfather was a man of many trades. Quiet and serious for most of his life, he was, I believe, a jack of all trades. His interests ranged from gardening, to cooking, to art, history, war.... He knew something about everything, I swear. Then again, most wise old men seem to know something about everything or at least pretend that they do. 

As my grandfather got older, I made specific attempts to get to know him. In my younger years, I had lost two of my other great grandparents, and I always wished I could have truly known them as people and not just as my elderly family members. 

Around the start of high school I realized how much I enjoyed the company of my great grandfather. As I said in an earlier post, I'm not a huge fan of small talk, and he wasn't either, at least not with me. He'd always cut to the chase, and he'd be up front. He loved that I loved school too. He was the only other family member on my mother's side who had gone to a university. Toward the later years of his life, my grandmother, his daughter in law, told me that he said he saw himself inside of me. I've heard many times that we have similar qualities. I think however souls are made, his and mine were made the same. 

Losing him was the first death in my family that I felt I was granted the opportunity to understand death. I was old enough to comprehend the consequences, to see the changes, and to let those changes change me. It's been almost two years now, and I think about him from time to time. Mostly I want to make him proud. He was the most honorable man I'd ever met. I see him in my grandfather today, his son, and I think that's how he continues to live and thrive in my family. 

When I decided to come to Granada, or apply to this program, I did it solely on the basis that I wanted, needed adventure. I felt that my life had become a series of monotonous days and due to personal circumstances, I'd learned that life is under no obligation to be easy. I applied online. I was accepted. I signed a contract, and I was in. 

As I've lived here for about two or so weeks, I've discovered many unusual coincidences about this city. I'm sure I'll post specifics in the future, but I've had this gut feeling that this trip was something I was meant to do at this time in this specific place. I actually do not believe in coincidences because I'm a cold hard believer in fate, but however you want to think about it, the stars seemed to align for me in Granada. 

This idea was confirmed today at the Cathedral. 

I am not usually a religious person. I've had my fair share of religious training. I was born, baptized, had my first communion, and confirmed. I've attended almost only catholic weddings and catholic funerals. I've never been to another church or mass that is not Catholic. I grew up in a Catholic family, and I went to church almost every Sunday with  my mother and grandparents (unless I could convince my mom that sleep was more important). After Church, we'd always go to my Opa and Oma's house for brunch. This was the only reason I ever truly enjoyed mass. In truth, I tell people it's because I love the Indonesian food my grandmother makes, but I also loved family gatherings. I loved sharing a meal or conversation, and just simply being together. It never needed to be an extravagant event. I was just lucky to know my family the way that I did. I loved that growing up. For this reason, my Great grandfather and church were always somehow tied in my head. 



Before coming to Granada, I hadn't gone to church since Easter, and before that since Christmas. I was a "holiday catholic" more or less. I live and die for Christmas mass however, and I enjoy other catholic holidays because those are the only times I can feel passion for my faith or religion while in a physical church. Usually I feel closest to God in other places. I told a very faith-filled friend before I left about my absence in church, you could say she was highly disappointed in me (she's always been a guiding light in my life). I jokingly told her that "maybe I'll find some religious inspiration in Spain." Maybe I was right...

I've been thinking about my Opa recently, for whatever reason. I often think about him during periods of change because I like to wonder about who he thought I was going to be. Then I like to try to be that girl, more or less. So when I walked into the Cathedral today, and I noticed the stained glass, it immediately caught my attention. 


 The cathedral is filled with gold, paintings, tapestries, high ceilings, elaborate carvings, and magnificent statues. Even so, I couldn't stop thinking about the stained glass. At one point in the tour, I felt a little overwhelmed, perhaps I was just lost in my own thoughts. I got the chills all over my body, and I felt like my Opa Hein was with me, like he was watching me through the stained glass. For a second I swore it smelt like men's cologne, incense, dust, and fire.

I'm a highly faithful, and occasionally superstitious, person. I continue to say that I'm catholic out of respect for my family and the way I was raised. My grandparents are two of the most devout catholics I know, and I have so much adoration for their faith and the way they've contributed to my own religious upbringing. My religious spectrum and my faith spectrum have always been two separate entities and they are always in fluctuation. I truly enjoy it this way because I'm always thinking about what to believe. I think today has caused a few shifts in my thoughts about faith, religion, God, hope, life, death.... 

One of the things I love about Granada is that there's a bit of everything. There's both an acceptance and appreciation for all types of religions. It's so rich in history from Muslim culture, Catholic culture, and Jewish  culture.  This is an idea I've struggled with about life in the United States. As I've strayed away from Catholicism in my college years, I've come to understand other religions as well as the people who believe them. I've also learned to appreciate those who don't have a specific faith or any faith at all, which is often difficult for Catholics to comprehend. However, during my more conservative years, I grew to know more about church, practice, and history, and I developed my own beliefs about the ideologies of the church. Granada is some sort of a melting pot of these things. However, it is important to note that the diversity is not just tolerated here, but religions seem to be adored and celebrated by all people. This kind of atmosphere makes me feel at home because at this time my entire life is in a mode of continuous change. 

I don't know what the future holds for me, or how I feel about being a catholic, or to what level I want to "be catholic" in the future. I do know that the Cathedral inspired me with its beauty and devotion to catholicism itself. I had pride for it's creation because of my religious teachings. As cheesy as it sounds I felt closer to heaven in that Cathedral than I have in awhile, and for this reason I'm grateful. It gave me a sense of wholeness, like I was doing something right- that being here, in Granada, was a right place, right time, kind of event. I think my Great Grandfather had something to do with that luck. 

Fotos de mi blog

Es una inglesia en mi barrio

Es un calle en mi barrio

Es un ejemplo de la influencia de los árabes. 

Es un bar con tapas en mi barrio. 

Mi casa, mi barrio, mi España.

Mi barrio

My house is a small apartment tucked in the middle between two stores. A cute and colorful Arabic store on one side and Spain's version of fast food on the other. Don't pay attention and you'll pass right by it without noticing. Most of the houses in my neighborhood are similar in this fashion.

I live in the Albacín area, which is the oldest part of Granada. The Arabic influence is much stronger here than other parts of the city. Both features are inherently obvious without knowing the history of this part. Take a walk through my neighborhood and you'll see that the buildings are much closer, the streets narrower. Take one look at a map and see that the roads wind and dip in the style typical of old neighborhoods. My neighborhood is known for bars, restaurants, and little tourist stores, many of which still hold on to Arabic customs and fashions.

Hang out long enough and you might get to see Flamenco dancing in Plaza Nueva. If you're not as lucky as me, you can at least get a great view of some beautiful buildings and a really cool fountain. 

Walk down Reyes Catolicos, one of the more major streets in Granada and it turns into Carrera Del Darro and then Paseo De Los Tristes. You'll have to walk by dozens of people who want to sell you something, and be careful not to get hit by one of the taxi drivers because there's probably about two feet on each side of a car to walk. But keep going long enough and you'll get to an amazing view of the Rio Darro and la Alhambra.

The cathedral is pretty close, and you have to go take a look if you haven't yet. It's the most amazing church I've ever seen, and I haven't even been inside yet!

Because my neighborhood is so close to the Alhambra, we get a relatively large portion of the tourists sticking around after their visit. The majority of the people I walk by are still Spanish and Arabic, but there are times I've caught a couple of words in English. We're also pretty close to the caves where the hippies sleep and they like to hang out around here too.

My neighborhood is probably most crowded around dinner time because we have so many restaurants, but trust me. It's always busy. Anyone who tries to tell you different obviously hasn't tried to open their window at four am.