Excursions

Hey Bloggers!

Things have really kicked up. Once again, I apologize for not updating as often as you'd like. They keep me busy here. Last week I went to The Alhambra. It was so beautiful. Anyone who knows me knows that I'm not a big rap fan, nor am I a big Drake fan, but after walking to the Alhambra I vowed to give Granada its own album on my social networks and name the album after the Drake song "started from the bottom now we here." Walking up all of those steps, and climbing those hills were a killer. Every time we got done climbing one set of stairs we found out there was another set! It seemed infinite! But once I got up there it was beautiful! 

It was definitely worth the walk, but I don't think I would ever do it again voluntarily. It was so hot up there and my host mom told me to bring a jacket because its cold on the inside! The only thing that jacket came in handy for was shade! I used it as a hat lol! 

We have two free weekends while here. The other two weekends we go on excursions with the program. Last weekend was one of my free weekends. I went to Almuñecar. It was very fun and beautiful as well.

You know how sand is nothing but worn down rock? Lets just say that beach had very little sand and all rock. They call it a "playa de chicos" beach of small rocks. It hurt so bad to walk on them but I got used to it. It was too cold to get in the water (not sure if I would have anyway). Nevertheless it was very fun. Another cultural difference, they don't classify their beaches as nude beaches but there will be topless women. A LOT OF THEM! I was so shocked because there were babies running around making "rock castles" right behind what I would consider "nude" women. 

It seemed like we were hungry majority of the trip. We found a really good deal on food at a Chinese restaurant. I love Chinese food, and eating Chinese food  in Spain was one of the things I said I would do. It was interesting. For starters, they brought us these rice cakes as appetizers. They looked like Styrofoam and tasted like fish. Needless to say, after having one bite I was done! Here's a pic of them just in case you think I'm exaggerating. 

We were able to order an appetizer, a starch, an entree, and a dessert for 5.50. I ordered chicken and mushroom soup, special fried rice, and beef with vegetables. Here's something interesting for all you Chinese food eaters. You know how we always joke about the food Chinese people are giving us? "that's not real chicken, that's not a real rib, that's not beef etc.!" The beef they give us is actual beef, but it's veal! I noticed on the menu in Spanish it said "ternera con verduras" and on the English side it said "beef with vegetables." Ternera is the Spanish word for veal. Here are pictures of my food it was very tasty. 

Funny how depending on where you are geographically, the fried rice they serve you can come in different colors. 

Okay so for dessert.  First off, I'm not a sweet-eater. I like food, I'll pass on cakes and cookies and ice cream and pies. I do however love the Spanish custard called "Flan." I had my reservations about getting a Spanish pudding from a Chinese restaurant. Just like I don't go to a Chinese Restaurant and order soul food even though they have it. I just don't trust it. So I waited for my colleague Danielle to try hers before I ordered a dessert. It looked good and Danielle told me it was the best that she'd ever had. So I caved and ordered it. It was the only thing I liked on the menu anyway. 

It was neither the best nor the worst that I've ever had. It was alright and overall a great experience.

We left to come back to Granada, Sunday. We had to check out of our hotel at 12:00 so we we decided to be beach bums while passing time. We walked almost the entire beach. Then I got a flash back of my childhood. One of my family traditions is where we bring in the New Year. We go to Brigantine, NJ (right outside of Atlantic City) every year to my grandparent's condo and we bring in the New Year together as one. We usually stay there for a week. Some people would say that my grandfather spoiled me, I would argue that he showered me with unconditional love and attention. Anyway, no matter how early we would leave to go back to Newark, and no matter how cold it was in the month of January, no matter how much his health was declining; every year, the morning before we left to go back to Newark, he would take me and we would walk along the beach and he would let me pick up seashells. When I would miss a good one, he would pick it up for me. For some reason, being there at peace with myself and nature. I started thinking of the Footprints poem. I thought of the part that said "when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you." Here's something special I'm going to share with you. The day I left, I went to visit my grandfathers grave. I spent some time with him there. As I was leaving the house to go to Newark airport, I grabbed my passport (the most crucial item you need when you are going on a journey) and a picture of my grandfather holding my hands at my first birthday party. As I was leaving, I whispered "okay, now I really need you to hold my hand. It's you and me!" I consider my grandfather my God sent angel.  As memories of my childhood flashed, I started looking down while walking. Now remember I said that this was a rock beach. So instead of picking up seashells I picked up rocks. 

They were the most unique!

I go to Seville this weekend. I'll chat with you all when I return. Thanks for your continued support.

Hasta la proxima vez,

Malikah

Cultural Differences

So I was told by many people that I would experience culture shock once I got here, and experience reverse culture shock once I got back into the United States. For those of you that don't know the most simplistic definition of culture shock is  the personal disorientation a person may feel when experiencing an unfamiliar way of life due to immigration or a visit to a new country, or to a move between social environments, also a simple travel to another type of life. Maybe it's too soon to tell but I have yet to experience it. I have seen some interesting things however. 

First things first, Spanish people are EXTREMELY AFFECTIONATE! In the Spanish culture, when you greet someone you give them two kisses, one on each cheek. You are supposed to go right first and left second. Even though it looks like they are kissing, they are really touching cheek to cheek and kissing the air. Every once in a while, you may see people hug (I saw it mostly at the airport). But it's not just women hugging women, and men hugging women, men hug one another as well! They don't do the American hand shake, then "bring it in" type hug. They open their arms and embrace one another. That's SO DIFFERENT! In America PDA (Public Display of Affection) is frowned upon, here it's as common as walking. They walk everywhere here! My walk to school is 25 minutes! We've gone on two excursions and for both we walked to the sites. I think they only drive if the walking distance is more than 50 minutes, THAT IS CRAZY! We also eat at different times, and they are all portioned differently. Breakfast is at whatever time you wake up, and it's usually just toast and coffee. Spanish people are caffeine addicts! Lunch is served from 1pm to 4pm and it is usually your heaviest meal. Dinner is served anywhere from 8:30-10:30, isn't that late? In America we'd be too worried about getting fat.

The Mediterranean diet is interesting. I want to say they eat almost anything. Vegetarians, especially vegan, this may not be the place for you. They serve beef, pork, and fish a lot. They are really big on eating fish, they serve bread with every meal, and wine too! When I first arrived at my homestay my host mom asked my roommate and I did we eat fish. We both responded "Yes." She was so surprised because she said a lot of Americans don't eat fish. I thought that was weird. Later my roommate tells me "Maybe you should tell her you don't eat fish with the head on it." OOOOOOOOH My Lord, I think I may have had a panic attack if that lady would have made me a dish with eyes! I can't imagine having a staring contest with something on my plate. They also serve shrimp with the eyes on it. They serve eggs sunny side up, YUCK! 

Social norms here are very different as well. For instance in the US, when you're walking and you see someone coming, you guys kind of move over to accommodate one another. Here, they actually bump one another and its nothing. They physically knock shoulders, and keep walking. The first time it happened to me, I was thinking "What the Heck?" Where I'm from, that's the initiation of a fight.They also sneeze and cough but don't cover it. I have a teacher who coughs ALL THE TIME and he doesn't cover it and I literally witnessed a woman sneeze on her baby while pushing a stroller. I wouldn't consider myself a "germaphobe" but that's just nasty! Staring here is normal. It's is absolutely fine for someone to stare at you. I've had that happen, I just stare back. It's almost impossible to beat me in a staring contest, haha!

Malikah

The Studying Aspect

People have been asking us "are you studying abroad or are you on vacation?" Well if there was any doubt, we are studying! Yesterday we took a 3 hour placement exam. It was hard! Well not all of it, but the listening activity was picking at my brain and everyone else's. It seemed like every time the answer was approaching the guy sped up, which caused the entire sentence to sound like "caderjsheijhahdikj." Did you get that? Exactly, neither did I. Thank God for the oral examination!

As we waited outside we hummed the jeopardy song, waiting to see who would be the next person to get called into the room. I was so NERVOUS! I was fanning myself and trying to calm down but the only thing I could think about were my credits transferring. One of the staff members of ISA said as long as you get a 4 or 5 you are fine.  We watched the native speakers and the fluent speakers go in and come out, they tested into levels 7/8 which are advanced. So there I was standing outside thinking "these people have been taught in Spanish their entire life, they have Spanish as a first language and English as their second. What am I going to do?"

There were 3 test proctors. One guy and two females, one older and the other middle-aged. Everyone loved the guy. Some said the older lady kind of helped you with her expressions, so you know if you had said something correct or incorrect. The students that had the guy and the older lady came out and they knew their levels. And then there was the middle-aged lady. Everyone came out saying she had a horrible accent, she told some their levels, others she didn't. We waited and waited outside that door for the next victim lol.

...And then there were four, "Malikah Morris," said the middle-aged lady :-{ ... Why me?!?!?! I was standing right behind her. In the most disappointed voice ever, I answered "I'm right here." And so the oral examination began. It wasn't hard at all. I forgot a few words when I was trying to express myself, but she clearly knew that I understood everything she said and I told her that the listening part was the most difficult. We finished pretty quickly and she was quick to tell me how well I had done. BUT SHE DIDN'T TELL ME WHAT LEVEL I WAS IN!!!!!!!!!!!! So I had to wait and be nervous all day. We went to the Alhambra after we ate lunch and once we returned they said "check your emails, your schedule will be there, classes start tomorrow." I placed into Upper Intermediate/Advanced, Gracias a Dios (Thank God)!

Hasta la proxima,

Malikah

No Turning Back!

Is anyone afraid of heights or riding roller coasters? Have you ever got on just to face your fears? Have you ever had second thoughts once the ride attendants came through and secured you? You ever wanted to scream stop as the roller coaster is taking off but you know it's too late because the ride is already in motion?  Well, that's the feeling I felt when the plane took off. People kept asking me was I excited and things of that nature, and my response was always "no, I'm just ready to get there!" After my flight was delayed for an hour and a half we finally departed for Madrid.

The ride was good; there wasn't much turbulence and they fed us. The food was, what I expected but the service and luxuries surprised me. We had free TV, games, movies and so much more the entire ride. I didn't know prior to my flight but I discovered during and shortly after that there were about four other students from my program on my flight. We waited for about 45 minutes and then we were picked up by the ISA Staff and taken straight to the hotel.