Student Journals: AIFS in Granada, Spain

Shannon Cherry
Presbyterian College
University of Granada, Spain

September

Shannon CherryFor my first entry, the most important topics are la comida and mi señora. My señora, Rosa, is a really sweet single lady who has a great sense of humor, is not strict, knows some English, and loves to talk! She is a vegetarian who regularly does Yoga, Tai Chi, and swimming. We have a cat named Misha who is “la reina de la casa.” Luckily, we live a bit off the main strip, so I can actually get some rest when I want to at night.

As far as food, Rosa’s main concern is that we are happy and full. From the first day we arrived, Rosa has asked my roommate and me if we like foods specifically. She will not make something with a food we dislike. Once she prepares a dish, if we try it and do not like it, she encourages us to tell her so that she will not make it again. She is so laid back that we don’t mind telling her. Because she is from Argentina, we have not had too many traditional Spanish dishes. Usually for breakfast we have toast, a Spanish pastry, and either coffee or tea. Lunch and dinner vary greatly. My favorite meal so far was yesterday’s grilled chicken and mashed potatoes with a salad of chopped tomatoes and hard boiled eggs in oil and vinegar.

I think I lucked out with Rosa as she is so health conscious, because she is forcing me to eat much healthier than I did in the states. Today at lunch she was talking about beta carotene and antioxidants! I feel like I am eating so much, because I eat until I am full at every lunch and dinner, but I need more food than in the states due to walking around everywhere. We sure get our exercise here in Granada!

I have definitely found some things that I love already about Spain that we do not have in the states. #1 Helado. So many flavors, so little time! I am not usually adventurous, but with helado I am trying more than just the chocolate. #2 Panaderías. I love all the pastries I have tried so far. They are cheap and make a great mid-morning snack. #3 Café con leche. Much better than coffee from the states. I see a trend developing—maybe I ought to just mention Spanish sweets in general.

October

Before starting our new classes, we had a week of vacation time in which we had a few days scheduled with AIFS to Toledo and Madrid and then the remainder of the week free to ourselves, during which time a friend and I traveled to a few cities in Italy. Though I enjoyed all of the vacation time more than I can explain, I am glad to finally be back in good ol’ Granada. I missed the comforts of a familiar place, my señora, three home cooked meals a day, low prices, and even the Spanish language. I might have claimed before that I love Granada, but I really believe it for sure after comparing it to some other places in Spain and Italy. I love my home.

While in Toledo and Madrid, we had a lot of guided tours as well as entrance to museums, churches, and more. It was amazing to finally see the works of El Greco, Velasquez, Goya, Murillo, Picasso, Dalí, Miró, etc. in person after studying them in Spanish classes. We visited the Palacio Real, El Escorial, and Segovia. It was nice to see the capital city, but I definitely like the feel of smaller-scaled Granada better. During our free time in the afternoons, we meandered through the streets, shopped in a little market, and went to Parque El Retiro.

After our vacations, our new set of classes began. These classes, besides the fact that they are taught in Spanish, are more similar to my classes at home than the month-long intensive class. All of my professors seem easy-going and I have no problems understanding their Spanish after the intensive class. The professors seem accustomed to working with extranjeros and they know to speak slower and more clearly, so it is not the same as talking to people on the street.

This past Sunday, a group of my friends and I went to the Granada Club de Fútbol game against Córdoba. I felt like I was at a glorified high school football game as far as the fans. There was the infamous section of the die-hard fans that were decked out in team colors, and also had rolls of toilet paper to throw on the field, flares, and confetti. They were crazy. Anytime anything happened, all the fans yelled expletives and flicked off the other teams’ fans. Granada was winning 1-0 for awhile, but then with only about 15 minutes left, Córdoba scored, so they had to score quickly, which they did & Granada won 2-1!

November

Shannon CherryThis past weekend, a bunch of students traveled to Morocco as a group.  We had wonderful tour guides as we traveled throughout the northern part of the country.  I think that the most important part of my experience was not what I did, but what I saw.  Everything was different in Morocco.  Though it is a Muslim country, the people are not required by law to practice the Muslim religion, so there was some diversity among the generations. I particularly enjoyed the varied architecture, especially because it helped me review for my History of Art class.  A bunch of the girls got henna tattoos on their hands, and anyone who wanted to could ride a camel!

We returned from Morocco right in time for examenes parciales, better known as midterms.  The beginning of this week has been serious study time.  All work and no play.  Once I am done, I look forward to having relaxation time.  With all this traveling, I have to keep reminding myself that I am actually in Spain for school.   

It is hard to believe that we only have a little more than five weeks left here in Granada.  Of course I miss my friends and family in the US, but Granada has become my new home, and my compañeros and my señora have become my new family.  Though the weather has been a bit unpredictable lately, Granada is finally settling into a true autumn and gradually is preparing for Christmas. Luckily AIFS had set up a nice dinner for us with some of the traditional American foods for Thanksgiving because it is not celebrated in Spain.  All these signs remind me that my time in Spain is running short, and I must enjoy it while I can.