Dinero (Money)

Money is a very important factor in this journey because you need money to do anything. Thankfully, my volleyball scholarship paid the expenses of this trip for the whole semester. However, when it comes to making purchases and traveling, I have to use my own funds. For starters, Spain does not accept U.S. dollars. They use euros here along with many other European countries. The exchange rate here is about 36 cents more for each euro, which can vary by the minute; therefore, the dollar is worth a little less here. Luckily, most products here are cheaper so it balances itself out in a way. It took me a while to get used to the money because it looks different, and they have more coins and banknotes than the U.S. Their lowest bill is 5 and the highest is 500. Can you imagine finding a 500 euro bill on the ground? I'm praying for that day to come. One and 2 euros are coins so when I think I have a bunch of change, it can add up to be a good amount of money. I had to train myself not spend my 1 euro and 2 euro coins like they are quarters.

The cost to travel from Spain is pretty cheap. I am looking to fly to Paris at the end of February and round trip flights were as low as 30 euros ($40.81). Instead of hotels, many students stay in hostels which are only 15-20 euros a night. Traveling Europe is not very expensive so I plan to take advantage of it as much as I can. I also plan to visit Rome and possibly London if I have the time. Although flights from Madrid are the cheapest, there are buses from Granada that go to Madrid for 16-20 euros. The bus ride is 5 hours, but I'd rather ride on a bus for 5 hours than pay 200 euros for a plan ticket out of Granada.

I've learned the numbers in spanish faster than I learned anything else because when someone tells me the price of something or gives me my change I need to accurate and quick. One of the first new phrases I learned when I got here was "cuánto cuesta?" (how much?).

Here is shocker for you all. The gas prices here range around 1.26 euros, which is only about $1. 70. Yes, I know what you are thinking. Granada doesn't sound too bad after all.

Comprar (Shopping)

As you all know, I love fashion, and I love to shop. Of course I have scoped out all the stores in my area already. I came during the perfect time of year, "rebajas," which is the term used here for their season of sales. It began the first week of January and lasts until the end of February or March. All the stores have their sale signs in the windows and crowds of people are out shopping every day. Shopping takes place mostly outside since there aren't malls around so its very similar to New York's shopping style. Now I'm not going to ramble through everything I've bought so far since I know my parents will be reading this regularly. (just kidding- i haven't gone crazy) However, some of the stores have very good sales, but you have to go to the right places. Most of the stores are different from the U.S., but there are some that are the same. For example, Levi's, Zara (which is originally from Europe), Mango, and Colors of Benetton are all stores present in the U.S. For all of you who shop at Zara and Mango, their prices are dirt cheap compared to the prices in the U.S. especially with the sales. I try to go to them only once a week. A lot of stores are high end designers, which I was not surprised about since we are in Europe where the fashion industry was created. The majority of the population dress very conservative and upscale.

I know this all sounds great, but as soon as I thought I was in fashion heaven, I bumped into a minor setback. Since most of the Spanish women are around 5'6" and under, they do not sell size 10 and 11 shoes (in european sizes 41, 42, 43). I have been having the hardest time finding shoes, but I guess its a good thing because it puts me on some sort of a restriction for at least one item. The clothes run smaller as well, and the sizes are different. Shirts are either small, medium, and large or sizes 34-48, which are sizes 4-18 in the U.S. Of course with these minor differences I've managed to educate myself in this department pretty quickly.

They have a department store that foreigners claim to be like a Walmart, but when I walked in, it was more like a Nordstrom with a groceries and home goods. It's called El Corte Ingles (photo above). Everyone goes there to buy their basic necessities and clothes. I have never seen such a high end store for the most basic products. So the answer is No, they do not have a Walmart, but they do have El Corte Ingles, which sells the sames things without Walmart prices.

Unfortunately, all this shopping does not go on all day. There is a tradition that they recognize here called "siesta," which begins around 1 p.m. or 2 p.m. and ends at 5 p.m. During this time, all the stores and shops are closed and everyone is eating lunch, taking a nap, or relaxing. We definitely need this in the U.S., but I see why we don't because no one would want to go back to work after. On Sundays, most of the stores are closed for the entire day. So what ever you need to buy get it before Sunday.

La Comida (Food)

For the picky eaters there is a Burger King and Häagen-Dazs

Churros with chocolate

Eating here is absolutely wonderful! I don't know how I am going to survive when I return to the states. The food here is cheap and delicious. Maria cooks a variety of things like fish, paella (rice with seafood), chicken, different kinds of soups, lasagna, etc. I feel like I am eating restaurant food every day. It's not only Maria's cooking but everywhere even the corner stores and carry out places. All the food here seems more fresh than the U.S., and they use olive oil rather than butter to cook with, which gives the food a different but kind of rich taste. This past Friday we went to an Arabic restaurant. I have never eaten Arabic food before, but it was amazing! I ate lamb, cous cous (the picture above), eggplant, hummus, and rice. After the the meal, they gave us hot mint tea and chocolate truffles for dessert. Muy bien.

Also, the seafood here....SPEECHLESS! I am a seafood lover, and it is very cheap to buy here and people eat it all the time. Yes, I am being spoiled.

As for the desserts, their pastries are delicious. They are known for their chocolate croissants and truffles. The ice cream is smooth and rich, and you can buy a cup for 1 euro. They have all kinds of flavors that consist of real fruit, cookies, and more.

The fruit here is very sweet and fresh. Orange and lemon trees are everywhere, and you can pick any one and enjoy a great piece of fruit. Kiwi is my favorite. It wasn't until the second week that I noticed we were drinking tap water everyday with our meals. Well, Maria could have fooled us because it taste just like bottled water. I could not tell the difference. The water is very clean. I haven't bought a bottle of water yet.

My next couple of posts will be more about the Spanish culture and how it is different from the U.S. I will cover money, shopping, night life, and people.

España

Congratulations! Here is my first post to my blog for all of you to read and continue to follow me through these four months in Spain. I have only been here two weeks, and it already feels longer because I am adapting to this new culture very fast. Prior to my arrival, I was very nervous because I had not taken Spanish class for a year, and my level of Spanish was equivalent to a four-year-old girl. Now, already after two weeks, I have learned so much of the language that I have moved up to a six-year-old girl. During my first week, everyone was talking so fast I was completely lost and could not communicate with anyone, especially my host mother, Maria Carrion.

I live in an apartment on Blas Infante with Kayliegh Mitchell, a student from UNH. This may surprise you all, but yes, we are living by ourselves. Maria rents out the apartment to other students who come to study at the Universidad de Granada. She cooks us lunch and dinner and brings us our meals everyday. We chat for a little then she leaves to go cook dinner at her house for her and her husband. She has two older children in their twenties who live on their own in Granada. Thankfully, I can now understand Maria, and all three of us converse during our meals. We get to know one another, learn about Spain, and teach Maria about Estados Unidos (United States) since she has never been. We have grown to be like a family, and Maria has been very kind to us and has treated us like children of her own.