Just in time

For those of you who read my moms blog you probably already know that I got in a little later than expected.  Long story short I ended up getting home a full day later than planned and my luggage didn'tmake it until a day after that.  At the time I was feeling pretty stressed out but now I'm just happy that I got home in time for Christmas. 

I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas

Oh there's no place like home for the holidays

For no matter how far away you roam

When you long for the sunshine of a friendly gaze

For the holidays you can't beat home, sweet home

Tomorrow morning I will be on my way home for my winter break.  This year I did roam quite far away from home and as much as I really hate to admit it, I am really really really excited to go home.  Of course I might just be excited because it's Christmas time or because I know I'm coming back to Granada in February, but right now I am literally bouncing off the walls, looking for something to do to keep myself entertained until 6:30 tomorrow morning.

Last night, I went by the ISA buses to say goodbye to some friends.  I thought I was only going to stay there for like 15-30 minutes, say goodbye to some of my good friends and be done with it.  No, I was standing outside in the cold for an hour and 30 minutes hugging just about all hundred people getting on the bus (some I swear I've never seen before even though they's been in my study abroad group all semester). 

My roommate, Greta, left this morning to spend Christmas in the Netherlands with her sister (in grad school there). So now it's just me. My bags are packed and I'm ready to go, with the small exception that I'm about a day early. 



Chats with Carmen

The other day, my roommate couldn't make it home for lunch so it was just me and Carmen and it was pretty quite.  After a couple of minutes of lagging conversation Carmen begins the conversation of relationships.  This is generally how that conversation went.

Carmen: Grace, I don't understand why you don't have a boyfriend.  You're pretty, smart, funny, nice.  Why don't you have a boyfriend?

Grace:  I don't know.  I guess I just haven't found anyone I really want to be with.

Carmen:  Well you're young, you have plenty of time.  But girls in America get married so young, like 24 or 25 years old, right?  You only have like 4 more years.

Grace : Yes, but America also has like the highest divorce rate in the world right now.  I think I would rather be closer to 30 year old when I get married and know that I'm marrying the right person, then get married in 4 years and end up getting divorced.

Carmen:  Oh, you are so smart!  You should try to find yourself a Spanish boyfriend.  Spanish boys are very nice and much better looking than American boys.

Grace: Do you know anyone my age?

Carmen:  No, all my siblings and friends children are either 14 years old or 30 years old.  Maybe ISA can find you an intercambio that can be your boyfriend.

Busy Busy Busy

Wow this past week has been crazy.  I got back from Barcelona and immediately thrown into "Finals Week".  I had to write a paper on Pablo Picasso due Tuesday morning, had two tests on Wednesday and two more test on Thursday and then Thursday night, right after my last test, I had an ISA Farewell dinner. Everything went very well this week and I feel really good about my tests, just wish I had had a little more time.  Now that this crazy week is done, there's really not much left until I go home for the holidays.  I have one more test on Tuesday, maybe do a little bit more Christmas shopping and pack my bags and then I will be on my way home.

Barcelona

I just got home from a 6 day trip to Barcelona and man it was crazy.  First of all, you really don't need 6 days to see all of Barcelona so it was kind of a long drawn out week but I had a good time and saw a lot of amazing things.  I got to see three buildings designed by an amazing Spanish arcitect Antoni Gaudi (which are actually going to be on my history of art exam next week) and Park Guell which is also designed by Gaudi.

After that we decided to see how Barcelona does Christmas

Then we went to check out the Olympic Stadium.

I have many many more pictures.  It's really too bad I can't just have a blog with 200 pictures.

A que estoy Escuchando!

Here's another one courtesy of my History of Art professor. He sings this in class, really loud, just about every day.  The other day someone actually had to come in and tell him to be quite.


Hace Calor - Los Rodriguez

Sevilla and Cordoba

Last weekend was the last ISA excursion and we went to Sevilla and Cordoba.  I've been to both cities before and pretty much saw the same stuff than but it was cool to get to see it again.  About half way through the trip I started thinking how much fun it's going to be to compare my pictures from this trip to my pictures from last time I was in Spain when I get home.  We got to Sevilla Friday night and went straight to Plaza de Espana

Look familliar?

You've probabaly seen it in Star Wars...episode 2 I believe.

Saturday we took tours of The Reales Alcazares which are a pair of palaces, one arab and on catholic.

For lunch, my friends and I were sneeky and made sandwiches at the breakfast buffet and then shoved them in my purse so we didn't have to pay for food. But I did stop by one of the 5 Starbucks in Sevilla for a Christmas beverage.  They didn't have the gingerbread latte but the toffee nut latte was a good substitute.  They even wrote my name in Spanish on my cup.

After lunch we went on a tour of the Cathedral.  That was cool be cause we had learned about this cathedral in my History of Art class.  I was pointing out all sorts of artistic features of the building, but I only know how to talk about art in Spanish.  I don't know any of the words in English.  Other cool facts about the cathedral:  It's the 3rd largest in the world, Christopher Columbus is buried there, and Chritopher Columbus's illegitimate son is buried there.

The next day we went to Cordoba to see the Mezquita (Mosque).  It's the largest mosque in Spain and the 3rd largest in the world but it's not really a mosque anymore. It was a Romen temple to some Romen God (I can't remember which one).  Then the Arabs took it over and turned it into a mosque and then the catholics conquered Cordaba and turned it into a cathedral.  But all the Catholics really did was added some altars and some crosses so it still looks pretty much like a mosque.  Last time I was here, my camera had broken so I couldn't take pictures.