A week de interesantes

This week was kind of a blur.  It was a lot of tourist things, a whirl of meeting my family, and the beginning of feelings of culture shock.


Things that have happened to me this week

1. Visited the Alhambra.  It is beyond words.  It's hard when I look back at pictures because none of them capture the beautify.  It's also HUGE

2. Visited the Albaczyn, the old moorish neighborhoods of Granada.  They have an islamic flair to them which I find very authentic (because it is, i guess).  Me gusta mucho.  Except, later in the week Kelly, Audrey, Danielle, Caroline and I were looking for a place to drink and wandered there late at night.  A group of Caucasian "Inglaterras"swarmed us with questions and it wasn't a comfortable situation.  Total fake accentos.  Total fake personas.

3. Saw the most beautiful views of Granada.

        

4. Got a badass Nokia phone. T9 and all.



5. Got a Spanish fam.  Begoña y Paco.  They're married....Paco cooks all the meals and they're REALLY good!  HOWEVER, there's some problems with communications though.... more on that later



6. Had my first few days of SCHOOL.  I LOVE CEGRÍ.  The professors are SO nice, and I feel so comfortable speaking in class, for once.  I hate that Illinois didn't prepare me at ALL for speaking.  Dammit.



7. Got my first dosage of CULTURE SHOCK.  Nothing big, just noticing extreme differences in our cultures.  I'm not concerned.




Thing's I've learned this week.

1. Spaniards think that Americans are un poco locos.  My family thinks that i'm the strangest person in the world.  They don't like the way that I eat and say that I have to change so that I can get a job and marry one day.  Old world style.  Also, when i asked if i had enought time to take a shower before dinner, my señora gave me the weirdest look and answered "CLARO!"



2. I'm easy to live with, but sometimes that's not enough when you're in a diferent culture.  They told me i have bad manners......I don't know why.....



3. I have a 10:00 curfew in my house.......gotta figure that out soon EEK.  I honestly may have to change families.  They aren't very flexible here and are acting as my parents.  They correct my customs, not my spanish, which has been a problem.  Estoy triste :(



4. I have the best friends in the world.  And wonderful new friends :) SHOUT OUT



5.  There's no place like home.  I LOVE SPAIN, but I miss my family, Champaign, Chi O, and Adam, more than anything.  I know now more than ever how good my life is :)