Blessings

As my time here in Espana slowly wraps up, I´m filled with so much gratitude for all that I have experienced, received, learned, and had the opportunity to see. For the past few years, I have constantly thought about embarking on a trip to Spain. But every time I thought about pursuing the trip, I made an excuse about work, money, family responsibilities, etc. I knew the trip would be a catalyst to letting go of the stress and heaviness of life. But at the same time, I was afraid that I no longer knew how to be a free spirit or enjoy life like I used to. Was it even in me? This internal battle went on for sometime.

It wasn´t until last year that something inside of me shifted. My cousin, who was like a brother to me, passed away unexpectedly. The loss of my cousin forced me to look deeper and to really understand the true gift of life. I´ve always been able to see the little moments and small things in life. But it occurred to me that most of the time my mind is in the past or the future, but rarely in the present. My cousin was in his early twenties when he passed away. I felt great pain and sadness for all that he will not be able to see and experience. I decided that I would live my life even more to the fullest and carry his spirit with me wherever I go. There is not a day that goes by that I do not think of him. It is through this healing process and promise that I pushed myself to let go of so much to discover something new and unknown. The goal was for me to be, to experience each moment, and to see once again the deeper layers within me that were once buried.

I´m bound to have culture shock when I go home. I mean if nothing else eating early is going to be weird! But there are so many wonderful things to look forward to as I pack my bags and head home this Thursday. I feel more prepared to take on the challenges and joys that await me at home.

Thanks!!!!
First of all I want to thank my love and best friend, Neerav. He has held my hand as I have walked this path. His support, love, patience, and understanding gave me so much strength. I could not have done this without him.

My family rocks! My parents and siblings have always supported me in my endeavors no matter how crazy they are! Thanks for always being there and loving me.

My amigos......where would I be without my wonderful friends. You guys know who you are. You all brighten my days, share my sorrows, listen to my stories, share laughs and so much more with me. You all truly uplift my spirit. I´ve learned so much from you all and carried this with me on my journey.

Couchsurfer Hosts
Roser and Arnau were our hosts for Barcelona. It was a welcomed reprie from staying at the hostals. They opened up their wonderful home to us and showed us around Barcelona. Their bright, sweet, and loving personalities made our visit to Barcelona a great one! We hope to see them in California next year....so we can return the favor!

And finally, thanks to everyone who read this blog and followed me on this journey. I haven´t decided yet if I will continue to blog, only time will tell.

In gratitude, Trushna

Madrid, then Barcelona

Hola amigos!

So mi marido, mi hermano, y mi primo arrived in Granada just fine. Though they did have trouble finding me since my cell phone reception in the apartment was terrible. Sorry guys!

I introduced the family to Granada for two days, then we headed over to Seville for another few days. Seville is a beautiful city with a lot to offer (including tons of one ways streets that would not allow us to drive close to the city center where the hostal resided). Plaza de Espana was beautiful. The Plaza was featured as the planet(Naboo)of Queen Amidala in Star Wars. Someone (Neerav) was very excited about this. We also did several other things in Seville,but I will have to write about it at another time since I still have to pack up for tomorrow. After Seville, we headed down to Tarifa (the southern most tip of Spain). From there we headed to Gibraltar for a day trip. We rounded out the week´s trip in Madrid last night. My brother and cousin flew out this morning. I had a wonderful time hanging out with everyone and it was so great to have family visit. It was like having a piece of home with me. : )

Tomorrow, Neerav and I are headed to Barcelona. We are staying with a Catalan couple via couchsurfing. Barcelona´s annual festival is this weekend so there should be tons of fun stuff to see and partake in. I really hope Barcelona lives up to the hype.

I will return to Madrid on Wed. and then fly out on Thursday. My time has flown by here and I´ve had so many fond memories to take home.

Bittersweet

So today is my last day at the school. I will likely come tomorrow morning to show the family around, but all classes end today. It´s a bittersweet kind of feeling, a part of me is really going to miss the ambiance of the school. Everyone hear shares a similar passion for the arts whether its flamenco dance, the guitar, or the duende (flamenco singing). Almost everyday someone is practicing the guitar in the lobby or someone is clapping the beats, or someone is stomping away in the dance studios. It´s been really magical. Life is good. : )

I hope to post a video soon. Don´t expect too much, I´m a beginner at this! : )

At the same time, I do not want to hold on to these last two months. I´m open and ready to see what other adventures await me. Neerav, Arpan, and Ritesh are arriving later this afternoon in Granada. So while I´m sad school is ending, I´m elated to see my family.

This morning, I had my last compas class and it was amazing. A local singer from Granada sang in our class while my teacher played the guitar. It was a great way to see the flamenco rhythms and beats in action. We all had a great time laughing, asking questions, and just watching the interaction between the guitarist and singer. The singer´s voice was amazing. He had so much control over his voice that he could raise and drop it many times over. In some ways, similar to Indian ghazals. Believe me when I say that it is something completely different to see these singers perform live. It can give you goosebumps! I mean they sing their hearts out. Hands go up in the air sometimes, faces squinting to pull the voice from within, faces turning red, nerves popping from their neck and forehead; it´s a very impressive and passionate art form.

One of the highlights of this week was a trip last night to the Baños Arabes. It is a spa-like place built similar to the old Muslim Hammams. The place has 7 different shaped pools with varying degrees of temperature. One of the pools is cold water. You are supposed to alternate between the cold and warm pools. The place is dimly lit with only candles. There are several beautiful muslim archways, Moroccan lamps, soft music and a sitting area for people to sip Moroccan mint tea. The Baños were not as quiet as I had hoped since so many people were there last night, but nevertheless it was very relaxing. And oh yes, you also get a 15 minute back or foot massage with your visit. My roommate and I felt sooo good after we left. We topped off the night with dinner at a nice pizza restaurant. A big treat for me as I´ve been eating mostly at home. This was a great way to end my last week in Granada. The baños were a wonderful treat especially after two months of dancing, walking around town, and climbing up and down monsterous hills.

Thanks to everyone whose been reading or following along. It´s been fun writing the blog. Entries from here on out may be more sporadic as I´ll be traveling from place to place for the next two weeks.

Life is good!

Last Week in School

Time flies....I´ve already begun my last week here at Carmen de las Cuevas. Dance classes continue to get more difficult as I move up and learn more and more. I find it is a welcome challenge as I do not feel stagnant. I began taking compas classes last week. The classes teach students how to clap out the beats. Basically, the palmeros (clappers)assist in creating the tempo, increasing the speed, and bringing more force to the art form of flamenco. The compas class is difficult this week because we are learning contra beats and rebeca (beats in between the contra beats). It takes a lot of focus and listening. Having no background in music and never having played an instrument, I´m learning how to refine my listening and beat counting skills. Earlier this week, I was a bit disappointed that I couldn´t catch on as fast as I hoped, especially since last week I did so well in class. But I had to quickly remind myself that getting frustrated was taking me further from where I want to be. It was interesting to watch the mind as all of this unfolded in less than 5 minutes. My mind quickly jumped to comparing myself to others, to what people think of me, and how I´m now inferior becasue I can´t get all the clapping beats. My body became tense, I began to feel like I didn´t care about the task at hand anymore, I felt the heat rise up in my face, and soon I was left feeling like I didn´t want to be there anymore. Observing this in me propelled me to go deeper and thus not let the emotion take me over to the extent it has in the past. For a few moments, I just watched my fellow students as they conquered all the claps and beats with grace and perfection. I applauded them,¨Muy bien, Ole!¨. It reinforced the idea that another´s success does not me one own´s failure. That small shift in perspective has made it easier for me to learn at a pace that I´m happy and comfortable with. I do not feel the feeling or anxiety of ¨againstness¨ that I once felt. A feeling that I was not even aware of until the other day. So everything happens for a good reason!

Pues, there is so much more to say...but isn´t there always! I will write again soon. Things have been busy since I´m gearing up to receive the family (Neerav, Arpan, & Ritesh) and also finalize things before I have to leave my apartment.

I hope everyone is doing well and thriving. Abrazos!

Karma Kitchen Part 2

Sorry to leave folks hanging for so long, but I finally have some time to finish the Karma Kitchen story.

A few weeks ago, I had to prepare a final 15 minute presentation in Spanish on a topic of my choice. At first, I didn't find any topic that really excited me. So I decided to lay low and let it come to me. When I woke up on Thursday morning, it hit me, Karma Kitchen!!

As many of you know, it is already difficult enough at times to explain Karma Kitchen and gift enconmy in English, so explaining it in Spanish was a challenge. Nevertheless, it was something I was tremendously excited about and really really wanted to share with my teacher and fellow students.

I quickly discovered that I would have to break down the concept so it's easier to write and speak about, and easier for others to understand. I began the presentation with, "Imagine. You all are in a wonderful restaurant enjoying delicious food prepared with love. After your meal, the waitress brings you the check. The check has a total of $0 with a message about paying it forward. How would you feel? or react?" At this point of the presentation, people were making faces that clearly depicted confusion. I explained the concept in further detail and mentioned Pay-It-Forward again. Slowly throughout the presentation more and more excited faces were asking questions and listening more closely..."Where is this place? When does it take place? I don't have to pay anything?" As the questions poured in I too was getting even more excited. It was difficult to stay focused and answer these questions in Spanish as I was ready to start speaking English so I could blurt out at a million miles per hour just what Karma Kitchen was and all the amazing stories that have come about through this magical place.

My teacher was blown away by the concept. She was sitting very quietly and smiling. I could feel she was very touched by the concept and the presentation. I reinforced in my presentation that Karma Kitchen is so much more than a restaurant. The restaurant is only a means for people to gather, to share, to give, and to receive. The real heart of the concept are the volunteers, the staff, and the guests. I ended the presentation with an anecdote I read about on the CharityFocus blog, "Food Thief".

As I finished my presentation, my teacher said, "Very Good! I have goosebumps from listening to your presentation. This is an amazing concept." I smiled and said, "Gracias". As I walked out the classroom, I smiled to myself and felt blessed. I was thankful for being apart of Karma Kitchen, thankful for being able to share it with everyone in class, and very grateful to all those people who have helped me further open my heart and mind while being apart of this wonderful experiment in generosity.

My roommate came home from class yesterday and said, "The teacher mentioned you in class today. She was talking about your presentation and how it almost made her cry. She was very touched and excited about Karma Kitchen."

On this same note, I spent Sunday afternoon hanging out with my roommate. While we were talking over a nice glass of cool lemonade, Karma Kitchen came up somehow. I spent the next 45 minutes talking all about it and sharing various acts of kindness stories. My roommate is finishing her Masters in social work. She currently works a lot with the youth educating them about culture, diversity, and other things. She would love to start something like Karma Kitchen in Germany she said, but right now she just doesn't have time. She is very excited to share this concept with people back home.

And finally, I really miss Vaishnuji's momos. I've talked about the momos to several people and each time my mouth waters! Give my regards to everyone at Karma Kitchen. I'm always thinking about you all on Sunday afternoon. : )

Karma Kitchen

I forgot to write this post last week. But here it is. I will initially have to keep it brief as I'm out of Internet time.

Last week in my Spanish conversation class, we each had do a 15 minute presentation in Spanish about whatever topic we'd like. After a few days, I still had not figured out my topic. So Thursday morning when I awoke, it came to me....Karma Kitchen! I wrote out the information Thursday afternoon and presented it in class on Friday.

I'll have to leave you in suspense for now.

Must go.

Will write later.

Flamenco

It's almost the end of my 5th week here in Spain. I still can't believe its been over a month already. There is still so much to do and see. I haven't spent much of my time rushing around to monuments or partying all night. I've had a healthly balance of it all and thats just what I wanted.

This week I started flamenco choregraphy classes and they are proving to be very difficult. The main reason this class is much harder is because I'm learning Bulerias. Bulerias is a particular rhythm that is danced in flamenco. The Bulerias is known for its element of surprise and improv. This means we are studying compas (rhythms) and counts to figure out when to start, stop, and improvise dance routines. It's similar to Kathak in many ways, but the counts are a bit different. Also the entire song can be broken up however the singer and guitarist choose so the dancer is left to improvise with the beats. We are all beginners so getting down the general idea and concept of how these songs and rhythms are broken up is the most important part. The dance is build up with the basic foundation movements of flamenco. All of this is slightly made more difficult because all the explanations are done in Spanish. I understand most of it all, but its a matter of translating it into the body's movement. Creating that connection between the mind and the body.

This is also the first week that I'm sore from my classes and all the steep hill climbing to and from school 2-3 times a day. Spain is the 2nd hillest country in Europe behind Swizterland. My school is located up two major steep hills which I go up and down several times a day since I have gaps in my schedule. My roommate and I keep saying that it will all be worth it in the end because we will have very nice firm legs and butts! : ) I really hope she is right!

Nothing else to report from here. I hope everyone back home is doing well and thriving. I want to let you all know that I've thought of you all many a times and I carry you all with me in my heart. I look forward to sharing my journey and hearing about your journeys when I return.

Melon con Rum

Last night, my roommates friend who is visiting from Germany made her very famous Melon con Rum. It was fun watching her create the drink out of a huge melon. I took notes and will definitely be recreating this one possibly when Neerav, Arpan, and Ritesh arrive or in the states. Though, the melon we used is only found in Spain. The meat of the melon is muy delicioso! The good thing is that the melon can be refilled many times in case you have very thirsty guests! : )

Salud, dinero, y amor.....chin chin....cheers!

Cathedral and Capilla Real

Today is the first day in the last few months that is cool and not too hot. Normally the heat gets pretty intense by 12pm. I'm thoroughly enjoying this cloudy cool day as I look to the Alhambra from my school's terrace.

This past weekend, I ventured out to El Centro to visit Granada's Cathedral and Capilla Real. The Cathedral is vast with very high ceilings and several large columns in its interior. The Cathedral was built around 1526 in a mix of Gothic and Renaissance styles. It is quite easy to see both these styles at work within the Cathedral. Massive gold gothic alters reside next to wooden dull color Renaissance alters. It is always so fascinating to see how much history resides in a place so old. Alfonso Cana, an artist and visionary, created a number of wonderful oil paintings around the Cathedral. He also was the visionary around the very large 3 dimensional wooden doors guarding the backside of the Cathedral entrance.

Whenever I visit places of worship, I usually take a second to reflect and wonder what these walls have seen and heard. After hearing so much about the Cathedral, I'm glad I finally had the chance to go see it for myself.

The Capilla Real is another fascinating place located next to the Cathedral. The Capilla Real holds the bodies of Isabel and Fernanado and a few others, which I can't remember right now. I believe it is Felipe and his wife and a small child named Miguel. The coffins are located underground and can be viewed from a glass door. Above ground there are 4 massive marble carvings of the adults. It is said that Isabel started the building to host their bodies upon death. A massive shrine to themselves is more like it. But the Capilla Real took several years and was not complete when Isabel and Fernando passed away. For this reason, the bodies of Isabel and Fernando were temporarily housed in the Alhambra until the Capilla Real was completed. The intricate marble carvings are beyond words. One of the artist who worked on the carvings was a very talented gentleman from Italy.

It was an afternoon of history, followed by a quick walk through the downtown plaza, with a stop on a nice bench overlooking a beautiful fountain surrounded by greenery. All in all a great way to start the weekend.

Writings on the wall

Lately, I've been taking even more time out to write. Below are a few of my random writings. Hope you enjoy them!

Lone Cloud
Painting the blue sky with your fluffy white
Standing alone, bracing the wind
Lone cloud how gently you are tugged into many directions
Slowly dispersing til you no longer are who you were
Fading, blending, growing into the blue background
In a blink, you have become one with the vast blue sky
It is as if you never existed.

Rhythms
Rythms of the spanish guitar fill the crisp air
Hands are being held, laughter can be heard everywhere
The strumming continues as the world dances about
Lovers meeting as if it were for the 1st time
Grandmothers laughing and playing with their grandchildren
The soft whispers of leaves flowing along the cobble stone sidewalk
The river Darro providing continuous harmony to a flamenco guitar being played passionately
The Alhambra sweeping down from above watching over the plaza
The sounds of children frolicking in the fountain
A song is waiting to be created by the guitarist
No night is ever the same just as I will not be after this moment

By Myself
Perched upon a plastic chair out in a wide open plaza, I sit and wait for my beverage and free tapas.
I'm asked by a curious woman, "Are you here with someone?" I confidently respond, " Yes, I'm here with myself."
A boisterous laugh calls to the fresh air. I too, laugh.
Enjoying one's company is a treasure in itself. So much to learn.

Enjoying the view

The view from Sacromonte.

Me Diverti Mucho!

So this week is my fourth week in Granada. At the end of this week, I will have been here for 1 month already. It does not in any way feel like I´ve been here that long. My days are filled with spanish classes, meeting old and new students, hanging out on the terrace at school, flamenco classes, siestas, discovering the city and surrounding towns, having drinks (cava, wine,cerveza, mojitos, sangria) with friends, and enjoying my roommates company in the house.

I found it very interesting that so many people here from around Europe and other parts speak 3-4 languages and in addition are now learning spanish. It´s so impressive! I´m picking up bits and pieces of German, Italian, French, etc. I´m also learning a lot about the ways, traditions, and customs of many European countries.

My Spanish speaking is ok. I´d like to elevate it to a higher level within the next few weeks. It´s been difficult to practice it at home or school because the commom language is English and some folks don´t know enough Spanish yet to hold a conversation. Thus everyone ends up speaking English in our house and at school. In some ways its great because I´ve been able to connect much more eaily with people, but in other ways it is hindering my spanish. I have signed up to do Spanish-English exchange program with a student from the University of Granada. I will meet him sometime this week to practice my spanish. I think this will be good practice not only to speak to but to listen and understand spanish from a native Spaniard.

I have a lot of down time in between school and bedtime. Much of that time has been spent reflecting, reading books, studying, Spanish magazines, and meditating. I´ve had a lot of realizations. At times so much is going on in my head that I can´t process it for days. It all usually comes out in its own way at its own time. I have decided that it is not for me to force or evaluate but just watch it. At times recently, I´ve stressed out about the grand question, ¨What do I do with my life when I return to California? Work?¨ I avoided the question the first few weeks as I was settling in and getting to know a new place. But last week I decided that I need to face the music. In doing so, I´ve come to the conclusion that going deeper within myself is the best practice to move forward in answering this question. And who knows maybe the answer will come to me if I´m open to it.

One of the other students who just left works with refugee kids back home in the states. We had many interesting coversations regarding teaching refugee kids because I volunteered and tutored refugee kids for a few years in high school. This theme of teaching and working with refugee kids has been reoccuring in my life recently. A few months ago, a book came out that spoke candidly about the town and refugee center I volunteered at. I have not yet read the book, but have it sitting on our bookshelf for when I return. I´m looking more deeply into the area of teaching. I really think teaching culture, language, and exposing kids to new people and customs is very important. I´m exploring all these new avenues.

It´s interesting how learning another language has made me evaluate my speech. I think more before I speak both in English and Spanish. I feel more and more each day that words have so much power and likewise silence has its own strength. I have for so long taken speech and communication for granted. I think I forget sometimes just how important words are and how we should choose what we say carefully and with compassion. Vimala Thakker´s book put it best, in our society we always say, ¨You know what I mean.¨ No, people do not always know and they should not have to guess. So say what you mean. I´m working on this myself. It will take time.

Ironic or Coincidence?

A week earlier, I found a poem I had written in my journal in 2006. I wanted to post the poem on my blog but kept forgetting my journal. So I decided to try and find the poem online. No luck, but I did discover that this poet is from Spain. Not only that,but he has special ties to Granada and the Alhambra.

So the other day after moving into my place, I sat down to read, pray, and meditate within this new space that would now be my home for 5 weeks. Then it dawned on me, is this ironic or is it a coincidence that a poem I copied on a whim in a book store in 2006 is from a poet affiliated with Granada? I really do believe in these coincidences. The poem is no regular poem, it is about searching and the identification of the real self. Hence, it has even more of a tie to my current journey in Spain.

Last night, a few of us went up to the Alhambra to view the free gardens. As I walking around I found a quote of Juan Ramon Jimenez on a beautiful blue and white marble tile plastered onto a building. I thought, Wow, this is so amazing!

Here is the poem by Juan Ramon Jimenez. Hope you all like it. It is the first page in my journal which was started in 2006.

I am not I
I am this one
Walking beside me whom I do not see,
Whom at times I manage to visit,
And whom at other times I forget;
The one who remains silent when I talk,
The one who forgives, sweet, when I hate,
The one who will remain standing when I die.

--Juan Ramon Jimenez--

Catch Up

Hola De Espana. Sorry, I haven´t written in a while. I have to pay for internet and sometimes it´s just too crowded at the computer lab. I´ve found a few internet cafes near me so hopefully I´ll be writing more on the blog.

So many things happening here.......

First off, I moved to another apartment closer to the city. The reason being the original apartment was located near too many dark alleys and several girls had been mugged in the vincity. It´s much easier for me to walk to and from school at my new place. Thank god for all the tourists around my area. It makes it a little safer to walk around at night.

Secondly, my flamenco class is going well. I´m learning new things everyday. I´m practicing as much as I can. My teacher is a little shall we say, ¨rude¨. She seems to treat the spanish speakers (natives) differently than the non-spanish speakers. To make things even more difficult she doesn´t speak any English. She gets easily frustrated and yells all the time. After my first week, I just accepted it. Everytime I see her I just smile and say hello. I´ve worked very hard to not let her demeanor affect my performance or progress. I´m definitely more used to the flamenco shoes now. I love practicing on the weekends in the school studios when no one is around. It reminds me of being at home in front of my mirror.

I went to an amazing Flamenco show in the Generalife gardens next to the Alhambra last week. It was truly magical. The outdoor venue was spectacular with the bright moon as the backdrop. As the night went on the moon slowly crept up from behind the trees and over the stage. There were a few duendes that were sung that gave me goose bumps! I remember one was very reminiscent of a muslim prayer, I just closed my eyes and felt the music.

Oh, this is random and yes, so me. I was walking with a schoolmate down the ¨El Realejo¨ district and I happend up a sign that read, ¨India Baazar¨. I walked in to check it out. As I was looking around, I came upon a nook and made the Trushna is excited in the indian store sound/face. I think Neerav knows this best. The two German girls turned around and stared at me. I said, sorry didn´t mean to scare you, I´m just excited!! The store carries all types of dal, rice, curries, curry powders, indian spices, indian soaps, oils, etc. I walked up to the cashier, who was listening to bollywood shows on youtube, and said are you from India? He said yes. I said me too! He jumped back in his seat in shock. We exchanged formalities of where we were from and if I spoke Gujrati. I had an entire conversation with him in Gujarati! It is always wonderful to meet people from India in other countries. But Neerav can testify that I get excited about Indian people no matter where I am!! : ) Anyhow, the truly sweet thing was is that he orders his indian vegetables from Paris. I don´t know why, I didn´t ask. Anyhow, he offered to bring me some if I wanted it from his house. I was thoroughly flattered and grateful. I told him I would discuss the matter with him once I come in to get the dal. I would hate to have him bring the veggies and then not be able to go pick them up. My schedule is very free flow right now.

Reflections

Since my arrival in Spain, I´ve had a lot of time to myself. This is something I was looking forward to. I´ve been able to dive into a ton of books, meditate, and just enjoy my company. I spend a lot of my nights eating dinner on the open terrace overlooking the mountains or just reading and writing. I have found that the terrace is one of my favorite places to be. It´s been a wonderful way for me to take in all the sites, sounds, and fresh air Spain has to offer.

One of the books I´m reading is Vimala Thakker's ¨Blossoms of Friendship¨. A good friend of mine gave me the book prior to my departure. The book is pretty intense and contemplative. I read the first chapter 3 times just to make sure I was grasping the information. Vimala studied and worked with Krishnamurti so her style is very similar to his. I had an AHA moment while practicing flamenco the other day. I was able to connect Vimala´s message about concentration vs. attention vs. awareness. I realized that if I am to be a better dancer I have to work hard to connect the mind and the body while dancing not through concentration but through attention and finally awareness of the whole picture (mind, body, and soul). It´s really hard to put into words what this all means. I´m sure some of you are thinking, ¨What is she talking about?¨

On another note, I went out to a tapas bar, a dance club and a gay club the other night. Yes, all in one night. It was great to be out and about and speak spanish. We were out til 5am!

I´ve had some other realizations but I´ll leave those for another time.

I´m quickly learning that the area we stay in is notiorious for muggings and such especially during the high tourist season. I´ve been a little apprehensive and am taking all measures to be safe. If things on this front do not get better, I may have to reassess my plans. Not sure what I´ll do but I do not want to live in a state of fear. For now it´s not a problem since there are a ton of students here, but once people leave in August, it will be more difficult.

First impressions

Granada is a wonderful city filled with much history and diversity. The centro is similar to any other city; bustling with people, commercial retailers, bars, tapas, and modern architecture. The weather here is hot and very dry which means no one really goes out during siesta time (3-5pm), which is the most scorching part of the day.

My schedule here is very different than back home which I suspected would be the case. I have classes from 9:30-11:30am, then a 2 hour break and then Flamenco from 1:30-3:15pm. I usually head home after this for a little snack, nap, reading, etc. People usually begin leaving the house for dinner, bars, tapas, etc around 9ish and don´t begin eating til 10pm. I realized early on that my days were much longer than what I was used to. The warm nights make it a wonderful time to sit outside and have a drink or people watch.

Granada has a ton of Islamic history. It´s very fasicanating. The area where I stay and where my school is located is the Albayzin. The Albayzin was the area the Muslims lived when they ruled Spain. There are cobble stone roads and small white or colored houses crammed together with tiny alley ways usually enough only for one car at a time. The Albayzine is very reminiscent of India. Additionally, there is a lot of Moroccan influence in the Albayzin and the Sacromonte (area next to the Albayzin). I look forward to learning more about the rich history of this magical land.

I´ve meet a ton of people at my school. Most of these students are only here for a week or two at the most. I´m the only American, everyone else is European. I´ve had a few people make indirect and direct negative comments regarding Americans. I guess it comes with the territory.

Something I´ve realized is that this is the first country I´ve studied in where I can not get by as a native mostly because of my appearance, but also because I do not have the traditional Spain spanish accents. My spanish sounds more like Central or South America.