Almost A Month: Oh My, How the Time Flies

A WET AND WACKY WEEK
This week was somewhat unusual for a number of reasons. First, I was feeling a bit under the weather with my stomach until about Thursday. But everything is much better now and I am excited to go out for some tapas on Saturday night with some friends from the church. Besides being under the weather, the weather itself changed quite a bit this week. It rained a few days and we have had some clouds over our lovely city. I will not complain, though, because the oppressive afternoon heat has given way to cooler days and a light breeze. Hooray for a change in seasons!

A TRIP TO THE MOVIES AND ALADDIN’S PANTS
I watched “Miran Quién Baila” (the Spanish version of “Dancing With the Stars”) and “La Anatomía de Gray” (Gray’s Anatomy) with Carmen earlier in the week and got a kick out of both programs. I will say, though, that I am rooting for the torero (bullfighter) to win. ¡Qué suave! On Wednesday evening, I went with some of the UD gals to see “Vicky, Christina, Barcelona” at the movie theater in the Neptuno Mall around the corner. It is a Woody Allen film with Penelope Cruz and Scarlett Johansen (and probably someone else who is already famous), set in Barcelona. The movie itself wasn’t incredible and it would never make it into my list of favorites, but it was really neat to see a park, street, building or museum I had been to during my three days in Barcelona. Also, it was a lot of fun trying to comprehend everything that was going on. I am really getting the hang of it!

After the movie, we walked around the mall a bit and went into one clothing store. I must first explain that fashions here in Spain can be unusual at times. The newest look: Aladdin pants. I am not kidding when I say that the pants Aladdin wore in the Disney cartoon do in fact appear daily on the streets of Granada. Apparently it’s the “hippy” look and very popular in Spain to wear baggy pants, where the fabric of the legs is joined somewhere at mid-calf. We all found this very amusing, and decided, “why not get a pair?” I was super shrewd and found a pair that had been sewn inside out. I bargained with the cashier and got a 20% discount on my pair of ridiculous hippy Aladdin pants. I was quite satisfied with myself for finally getting the opportunity to negotiate in a Spanish store. On Saturday morning, I am planning to go to the market with some friends. Hopefully there will be more bargaining there!

WHAT DO YOU MEAN SANTA CLAUS AND THE EASTER BUNNY AREN’T REAL?
Set the scene: A cloudy Thursday morning, ten students sitting eagerly in their seats, awaiting the day’s lesson in Spanish grammar. I was excited that we would be learning something besides verbs (especially those in the subjunctive) for the first time, and I whipped out my pretty green pen and notebook, ready to go. The lesson: PRONOUNS. I love pronouns! I loved them when I learned them in English in second grade and I loved them when I first learned them in Spanish as a high school freshman. It was going to be a piece of cake—or flan—or some other sweet treat.

What transpired in the next 90 minutes, however, was a mind-boggling-life-altering encounter with Spanish grammar. Sure, to you it sounds overly dramatic, but for me, it was traumatic. I discovered that throughout my entire Spanish-speaking career, I have been misguided, lied to, mind you, by every Spanish professor who has ever taught me. That’s right—the pronoun rules I learned years ago to refer to people in Spanish are INCORRECT. Surely my AP Spanish teacher knew what she was doing? And my professors at UD? No. It was as though we all learned that there was no Santa Claus or Easter Bunny for the first time, and we had been betrayed by those teachers we believed in most. I realized I can trust no one, except Monolo, my crazy, middle-aged professor here in Spain, to tell me when my Spanish grammar is wrong.

POLITICS AND CAULIFLOWER
After Monolo dropped the bomb in grammar class on Thursday morning, I knew it was going to be somewhat of a tumultuous day. Later that day during lunch, Carmen and I watched the news as we always do, listening closely in between bites and clarifying whatever I don’t understand. Starting at 14:30h, the first half hour is always the equivalent of an “Access Hollywood” or “Entertainment Tonight.” At 15:00h, the national and world news began. Of course, those of you who follow what is happening at home know about McCain suspending his election to return to Congress during the economic crisis. Personally (and we can agree to disagree if you do not stand in accordance), I think spending billions of dollars on an election and traveling from city to city promoting oneself is a waste of time and money. Voting and debating, on the other hand, to either allow or prevent government intervention in the economy seems like a more productive use of energy. Well, Carmen did not like what I had to say at all. When she suddenly started talking more quickly with her hands, I knew I was in for it. Carmen is very opinionated, and the fact that my Spanish is not quite at her level did not make the playing field any more even. What aggravated me most was that she kept telling me to “talk to my father” who could explain it better, because she understood what the news said and I probably missed something the newscaster said. Well, I HAD spoken with my father that morning and I was QUITE capable of understanding my own country’s politics, lest I be a Political Science major or something crazy like that. After we “discussed” our opinions back and forth in Spanish, I finally understood a common misconception that people outside the U.S. possess. Because of the War in Iraq and Spain’s involvement, Carmen hates President Bush with a passion, and believes that as the American president, he is all powerful. Why else would the world be in this war? She didn’t understand that Bush is also limited in a lot of ways by what Congress dictates, and thus McCain and Obama could in fact have some effect on what decisions are made concerning the economy if they returned to the Senate to discuss the issue. Finally she listened to me, only after I explained American checks and balances, but I was “un poco enfada” from talking politics.

Fortunately, the political news came on the TV after I finished my sweet desert of melon. I was still a bit on the defensive after our casual political chat, and I helped her clear the table after lunch. She then pointed to a bowl of cauliflower sitting on the kitchen counter and said asked if this was okay for dinner. I will admit my stomach was still not feeling quite fabulous, so I told her it might not be the best food for me. In response, she told me to take pills for my stomach and I would be fine. Otherwise, cauliflower is very expensive and I should have told her sooner that I didn’t eat it. I calmly told her I would eat it and it should be fine, but only to appease her. Lesson of the week: never talk politics with someone who can talk faster than you. It just makes for an uncomfortable stomach.

SALSA LESSONS PAID OFF
Well, I must say that the Ballroom Dane class I took last spring definitely is working to my benefit. Last night I went salsa dancing with people from the church and had a marvelous time! Just as the ladies struggle in the U.S with a death of male dancers, the problem also exists here in Spain. Thus, I “led” and taught several of the girls how to follow some basic salsa steps. Someone in the club was also teaching some salsa and merengue steps, so I picked up some of the latter. Hopefully I will have more chances to learn some more over the next few weeks!

SOMEONE KEEPS SINGING (QUITE POORLY INDEED)
There is a saying here in Spain that it rains after someone sings very badly. Over the last three weeks, it has rained several times, not too much, but more than is typical for the region. According to my one Spanish professor, the joke is on one of the UD girls. Apparently the night before every rainy day, one of the ladies croons in a bar or out on the street. Oh well. At least it doesn’t rain as much as it does in Delaware!

GRANADA: MY FIRST WEEKEND HOME
I am looking forward to my first weekend here in Granada without buses, hotels or traveling of any sort. I plan to go shopping, eat tapas and relax with friends. And I might have to do some studying somewhere in between all of that. I hope you all have a marvelous weekend and that everyone is well. I should be online somewhere around YOUR noon until about 2:00PM on Saturday if your want to drop by and chat.

All the best,
Diane