Finally Settled in

Yesterday I really felt like I got my feet on the ground here in Granada. I wasn't able to sleep very well the night before on account of the heat/jetlag but I was excited to start my first full day in Granada! Like all great days it began with a two placement hour test.... Ok, that part kinda sucked but it went by relatively fast and I got into the Spanish Class level that I wanted. The school that I will be studying at is called the Centro de Lenguas Modernas (CLM). Its an old palace (a really small palace) that has been converted into a school for all the international students that are attending the University of Granada. At the moment there are only foreign students but when Spanish Universities start in October there will be Spanish students as well. I will get some photos of the CLM up soon but I'm a little concerned that I left my Camera's USB connector in the states.
While at the CLM I met up with a friend of mine from UCSD, Sera Akkas! It was nice to see a familiar face and I'm sure we will hang out once we've all got settled in.

After the CLM Jaime took me to a cell phone store to get a phone and then to a department store called El Corte Ingles to buy some basic toiletries and stuff. We then headed back towards my apartment and stopped to eat in this great Italian restaurant. I had my first salad since coming to Granada (not really a salad fan but this was suprisingly refreshing) and a fantastic pizza con prosciutto. After all this walking and speaking nothing but Spanish I was exhausted so it was time for a siesta. I spent the rest of the afternoon in my room sleeping and finally catching up with friends and family through Skype.

In the evening we had dinner with Elba y Miguel and afterwards, despite me whining about how tired i was my housemates managed to drag me out to a film festival in a nearby plaza. The festival was, small to say the least. The screen was basically a piece of white linen draped on the side of a truck and there were maybe 30 people watching. But nevermind, we met up w/ our German amigo Benedict and all his friends and headed out for tapas and drinks. This is where Granada thrives! The beer is cheap and cool (I do not think beer can taste any better than it does after the extreme heat of the days here) the tapas are free, the people are friendly and it is the only time of day that being outside does not immediately induce sweating. We went to four or five different tapas bars, just sampling the various foods and beers on offer and then called it a night. If this is what most nights in Granada are like, I do not think it is going to be easy to leave.

Before I leave I want to share a really funny quote I got from Benedict today. Apparently it is a common German saying and I wanted to put it in writing so that i do not forget it. "If you drink six beers it is the same as eating a meal, but then you haven't drank anything so you must drink a couple more" (hope that made sense)
Hasta Luego