Italians in Granada and Reunion in Morocco

Bright and early at the Alhambra

After the hype of finals, my Italian friend Giorgio came to visit Granada on my week break before the new semester started. I was so glad to have him here and show someone else my city. I felt like after that week spent as a Granada tour guide I fell so much more in love with this city that I now call home. From the 14th century Alhambra palace to the caves of Sacramonte to the free tapas and the Albayzín, my heart is connected to Spain. This city, my piso, my room, everything I have here now seems like my life, it is my life. My life is here and I can't imagine leaving it in July right now.

California babies

Giorgio left on a sad rainy morning and my best friend Katie and her friend Lucia came the following week from there study location of Viterbo, Italy. My heart couldn't have been happier to see my best friend after saying goodbye to Gió. I was so excited to show her and another great Cali baby, Lucia, my home sweet home and the heart of southern Spain (I just made that up haha. I don't know if people call it the heart of Spain, but to me it is.) We packed so many activities into their 3 day visit including teterías (Moroccan tea houses), lots of shopping in the Albayzín (Moroccan part of town), a graffiti tour through my neighborhood, a visit to the Alhambra, a morning at the Arabic baths, a sunny day at the Mirador de San Nicolas, tea market shopping, a (not planned) hippy jam session in the upper Albayzín equipped with flamenco guitars, cajóns, bucket bass guitars and accordions, dance sessions in da club, a picnic in my favorite park, great conversation and loving on each other. It was again another opportunity for me to see how blessed I am living here, how truly colorful Granada, Spain is and how lovely the people are in my life.

Reunited and it feels so good

I sent them back to Italy only to see Katie two days later in Fes, Morocco. I met Katie in the airport where we proceeded to take a taxi to meet our other best friend Kathryn when we realized English, Spanish, and Italian were completely useless. The 3 of us had not been together for almost a year and thought, "what better place for a reunion than Kathryn's study abroad choice, Morocco?" Katie and I couldn't believe we had set our feet on African soil, the first time for both of us on that continent. Since I am studying the Arab world in my classes right now I was extremely excited to experience it first hand. Being our first time in an Arab country I was a little nervous about....pretty much everything, but was so glad to have Kathryn there to help us through it all.

An overjoyous group hug was the first thing we did before proceeding to be extremely loud, giddy and American :) We had a fabulous dinner, vegetarian cous cous and vegetable tajine at a great price! WOO! The Dirham is so much better than the Euro on my budget :) We met Kathryn's amazing Portland friends also studying there and filled our evening with Moroccan tea, sweets and fabulous conversation.

Street food in Fes

Katie and I checked in to a little hostel in the old medina and decided that it would do for the night. We then realized that our window was permanently open making the 5AM call to prayer extremely startling. I couldn't fall back asleep and Katie had discovered that our sheets smelled like the last guest's body odor. There was a little left over snack in our bed as well :) BUT the price was just right :) Let's just say that Moroccan health standards are a tad different from that of the U.S.

happy hearts <3

The following day we started off our morning with some delicious street food (now I know, not such a good idea) and a visit to their favorite cafe, Cafe Clock. We had amazing fruit juices and smoothies (also not a good idea), and then hit the markets hard. We shopped until we dropped having Kathryn to use her Darija (Arabic dialect spoken in Morocco) skills to bargain for us. Argan oil, henna, and a few pieces of jewelry later we took off to a nearby city called Moulay Yacoub.

The local hammam

We spent a night at this neighboring spa town. Moulay Yacoub is a tiny village with an amazing hammam (a type of Arabic steam bath segregated by gender) scene. We decided to find the loc dog hammam and we were pointed in the direction of this blue building. We entered totally ill equipped when a lady working there yelled something at us and motioned over to us to take the buckets from her and leave our towels with her. After we realized we were the only ones not naked, we stripped and entered only to find the complete contrast of what you see on the streets. This hammam was not only a steam room, but it had a sulfur pool in the middle that the room was centered around. There had to be over one hundred naked women in there of every different shape, size, and age completely comfortable with each other and themselves. It had to be one of the most surprising, amazing, and beautiful sights I have really seen in my life. The camaraderie and openness displayed in the hammam is one you would never know existed when you see the same women completely covered on the streets. Women spend hours in hammams scrubbing each other, soaping each other, and laying in the steam. We were definitely THE ONLY non-Arab women in there and we weren't the only ones who knew it! We tried to follow what everyone else was doing, when a sweet girl came over to help us. After a while a big mamma waved us over and tried to explain to us in Darija that we were using the dirty water. After realizing that we had been pouring the water from the center pool (containing everyones dead skin and hair) they helped us get the clean water from the spicket. We were trying to communicate with her and her daughter, but did a lot of smiling and body language. After scrubbing each other with special scrubbers our new friend decided we were all going swimming in the center pool. She took us by the hand (not taking no for an answer) and as we made our way to the steps, stepping over naked bodies, getting splashed and curious stares, we entered the scalding hot sulfur pool. We were the only ones in it with this mom and daughter until she called her friends to get in with us. We waded to the center all holding hands in a circle when they proceeded to sing an Arabic song. Before we knew it, this mamma had the entire hammam singing this song with her as we were all circling, holding hands in the center of this pool (let us not forget this water is scalding, we are in a steam room, and we are all naked). Everyone was smiling and laughing at us trying to sing along in Arabic. When the song finished everyone broke out in this tribal call that we tried to immitate. We had the entire hammam laughing, not sure if it was with us or at us, but nevertheless it was by far one of the coolest experiences I have had in my life. I could not believe that these women just took us into their private space and treated us like their closest friends. They were so generous, loving, welcoming and without even speaking the same language! It goes to show you that love can be shown through so much more than words.

Ruins in Fes

Shnookums

After getting that amazing taste of the female culture in Morocco I had a new outlook on the lives they lead. It made me so happy to know that they can at least be open and free when it is only women. We went back to Fes and went for a hike to some ruins with Kathryn's Moroccan "sister." After, we went to their house and had the traditional Moroccan tea. The rest of our days were filled with shopping, meeting unexpected new friends, eating way too much delicious food (that I totally paid for with my gnarly stomach issues when I got home), and just enjoying being together. I even got to chat with some Moroccan youth on what they think about the woman's role, politics, and a little bit about their lives.

Being in Morocco made me feel more than blessed to be a woman born in the good 'ol U.S. of A. I have studied women's rights in Arab countries and am in a class right now called La Realidad Social de una Mujer Árabe (The social relaity of an Arab woman), but learning and experiencing it are two different things. Kathryn definitely chose a difficult country to study abroad in, but I know she will come out of this experience with so much knowledge and appreciation for the life we have. I was only there 6 days and felt like I learned more than I have in my class in the past semester. Morocco being one of the more liberal Arab countries in relation to women's rights was still a wake up call to me. It's exhausting getting cat called by EVERY man on the street, being proposed to multiple times in one day, and having to constantly restrain yourself from doing anything that could draw attention to you...yes, that means spontanious dancing when you hear drums in the street too.

Fes suq (open air market place)

It was very obvious to me after my trip that no matter how hard I want to try and understand this culture, I just can't. There is much to be said about the country, religion, and manner in which one is raised. Socialization plays a larger role in our lives than I think we know.

Our trip ended with a "nos vemos pronto" (we will see each other soon) and lots and lots of love. My heart was so full being with my girls and having amazing experiences together. I feel like when I am with those 2 I never fail to have an adventure I will remember forever. I learned so much on this trip and was so content to have the girls I consider my family all together again.

More pictures :)

Giorgio in España

Court of Myrtles at the Alhambra

Beach day at Salobreña

Katie and Lucia in Granada

Besties

Hippy jam session in the Albayzín

Friends are easier made when dancing is involved

 

For the love of music

Adrienne, Katie, me, and Lucia

Carmen de los Martires

International picnic at the Carmen

Adrienne and I's neighborhood

Dancing queens

Fes, Morocco

Kathryn and Katie with Kathryn's adorable Moroccan "niece"

Me, perfecting the art of tea pouring at Kathryn's host home in Fes

The old medina in Fes

Dates anyone?

Henna in Moulay Yacoub

Our new friends

Katie showing the boys pictures of themselves...they loved it haha

Besties

City walls of Fes

There is nothing like meeting your best friends for an adventure on the other side of the world <3

Spain, Italy, Germany and....NORWAY?

Two and half months later and here I am again. I apologize that my blog fell off the face of the planet for a while and will briefly update you on my life for the past couple of months. A few days ago marked the 6 month anniversary of me being in Spain. Six months later and I finally feel comfortable, content and at home in my spanish life. I feel like my piso is my home and that Granada is my city. I am now accustomed to siesta hours (2-6pm) and no longer get extremely (extremely, that is) upset when teachers, bus drivers, store owners, etc. don't show up to do their jobs. I have found a way to be a successful vegetarian amidst the legs of jamón hanging from the ceilings. I have just finished my first semester of spanish university and survived, barely. I understand now that just because the spaniards leave everything for the last minute, does not mean you, who has to translate everything should do the same. I am finally feeling like a Spaniard. I knew I was becoming accustomed to this lifestyle when my Italian friend came to visit and was super annoyed that siestas were 4 hours long and I wasn't phased one bit. Needless to say I am so happy where God has put me and have so many plans for this next semester to look forward to.

Katie and I cooked Mexican food for our new Italian friends

My Italian family and our Christmas feast

Before starting the finals hell I had my Christmas break and traveled for 3 whole weeks. I had one of the most amazing times of my life. I left Granada and flew to Bologna, Italy where I met up with my best friend Katie (studying in Viterbo, Italy) and stayed with some Italian friends I had made the last time I was in Bologna for my friend's graduation. After spending some quality time with fabulous Italians and eating way too much, we took a train to Padova to spend Christmas with my Italian friend Ale and her huge, fabulous family. We visited thermal pools, had an entire day feast with Ale's extended family and danced Christmas night away at Funky Town Club. Try explaining to a table full of Italians (that don't speak english, by the way) that you don't eat meat. They didn't understand and I don't think it was because of the language barrier. Sono vegetariana e non mangio carne were some of the first italian phrases I learned. I was so blessed not to feel extremely homesick, surrounded by my best friend and a loving Italian family. Next stop in Italy was to visit a new friend in Verona. Katie and I hopped on a train and met our friends Paulo and Giorgio for a few days of Paulo's wonderful country home, fabulous family, the most amazing food I have eaten in my life, and sightseeing of Romeo and Juliet's beautiful city.

Paulo's wonderful family & the best pumpkin risotto in the world

My German & I in the beautiful Harz

After a sad goodbye to Katie, Paulo and Giorgio I hopped on a plane to Hannover, Germany where I was greeted by my German roommate (from last year) and her boyfriend, Jan. It felt so good to see Christina in her own country for the first time! They drove me through the gorgeous snow covered Harz mountains to her mom's house in Clausthal-Zellerfeld. At last, I met Christina's sweet, sweet mom and sister that I had heard so much about. I immediately felt like part of the family with my own house slippers and hand-knit socks from Grandma (Oma in German) to wear. We had a wonderful time full of, yet again, delicious food, good conversation, skiing in the Harz and feeling completely a part of this wonderful German family. A few days later, we left for Christina's university town in Gottingen. It was so great to see where Christina lives her daily life. We spent New Years Eve (frohes neues jahr) with her German friends, lit fireworks, and danced the night away. We went back to her hometown to spend a few more days with her mom and sister, spent time with her grandparents and took a day trip to the adorable town of Goslar. I had such an amazing time with Christina's family and Jan and was not ready to leave them.

Chatting in German over tea and cakes at grandma and grandpa's house 

Christina, Giulia & I at the wall in Berlin

The following day Christina and I took a train to Berlin to visit our Italian friend, Giulia who is studying for her masters there. We had two days of laughter, sight-seeing and non-stop talking. I felt so loved and right at home with my girls in the cold, yet incredibly amazing Berlin. I said my goodbyes and arrived at the airport feeling sick to my stomach to leave all of these loving families and friends that I have in Germany and Italy. I was dreading my trip back to Spain and just wanted to stay where I felt the most loved.

My flight was from Berlin to Norway and then I was supposed to catch a connecting flight from Norway all the way back down to Málaga, Spain. Yes, I know that sounds ridiculous, but I bought it like that because it was extremely cheap and that's how ryanair flights work...totally wacky. Now I know better because when I boarded my plane for Norway a hail storm hit and I was trapped on the plane for 2 hours knowing that I would now miss my connection in Norway, but still having to go to the top of Europe anyways. I arrived in Norway, in a snow storm and had missed my flight by over an hour. Thank you hail. I landed in a tiny airport and asked information (thank you God English is widely spoken in Norway) when the next flight was to Málaga. The lady at the desk, Vivian, told me Sunday. It was Thursday and I started school the following Monday. That wasn't going to work so my other option was to take a bus to the bigger airport (this one was about the size of the SB airport) to try and find an earlier flight to Spain. She told me to watch for the bus from the inside, since there was a blizzard outside. I waited for the white bus and saw a blue one pull up to the spot where I was supposed to leave from. I asked Viv if that was the bus and she said no. Then she chatted with her co-workers and said to run out and take that bus since the snow was so bad and the other one probably wouldn't make it to the airport. As she was explaining this to me the bus drove away. NOW I am alone in Norway with the wrong currency, with no internet, with a phone whose battery died, with no flight to Spain and no where to stay for the night except for the plastic cafeteria chairs. I was pretty low (yes, crying) and went back to Vivian asking her to please help me find another flight. She searched and found one for the following morning out of the same airport to Madrid, only a 5 hour bus ride away from Granada. I said, "WOOOO!" and asked her if I could purchase it right then off of her computer. She let me use the desk computer (which they are not supposed to do) and I tried using my credit card several times, but it wouldn't go through. I knew I had enough money in my account, but the website wouldn't take my card. Frustrated, I told her I would wait around (I didn't have anywhere to go hahah) and try it again in a couple of hours. Noon came and went and I passed my time trying different types of black licorice and brushing my teeth multiple times in the only bathroom in the airport. I was praying about how upset and alone I felt and then decided to try the payment again, but the payment didn't go through. Viv (now my bff) called her husband from work to see if he could try it from home. After I gave them all of my information, passport number, credit card number, name, address, e-mail, etc. the payment still didn't go through. Yes, I understand you shouldn't give your identity to strangers, but I was at a loss at this point. Vivian and her husband (still on the phone) told me they would buy my ticket and I could pay them back in Krone (Norway's currency) from the ATM. I was thrilled and converted my money and payed up. Vivian told me her husband would pick her up from work at 10pm and bring my boarding pass then. I waited around all day trying to find an alternative food option to meat in the tiny store until 10'o clock came around. I walked with Vivian to the door as we chatted about her children and life and then her husband pulled up. I waved and waited for my boarding pass when he yelled out from the car that he had forgotten it at home. Hmmmm, forgot it at home? At this point I was a tad freaked out and thought, "Ok Kristen, they have all of your information, your money and now they forgot your boarding pass?" They apologized and assured me they would bring it right back since they only lived 7 minutes away. I said, "Great, thank you and I will wait here for you." Vivian looked at me and said, "Don't be silly, get in the car!" I said in the nicest way possible, "No, no I think it will be easier if I just wait here." They insisted I come with them. I thought about my choices and before I knew it I was throwing my bag in the car. It was pitch black outside as we were driving through the snow, there was silence from the backseat and they were speaking in Norwegian from the front. Two seconds after getting in the car I was thinking about what an idiot I was for doing so. All I could think of was tomorrow's headlines reading, "Dumb California girl murdered by Norwegian couple in Oslo." I was praying and had my pepper spray in sight. Finally 7 minutes later, which seemed like an eternity we arrived at their home. Right when they opened the door they gave me my boarding pass and I was immediately at peace. I was ready to turn around and they asked if I was hungry. I politely told them no, knowing that Norwegians eat a lot of meat, but they insisted I stay for dinner. Vivian and I sat on the couch and talked about all of her travels, California and the differences in northern and southern Europe. Vivian told me her husband was making us his homemade hamburgers. Now, I knew I was going to have to eat meat. I was preparing myself and knew I would probably get pretty sick too, but I was not about to tell this sweet, generous couple that brought me into their home that I was a vegetarian who could not bare to eat the homemade dinner he had prepared. SO, I dug in and ate the entire bacon wrapped burger. Yes, probably the gnarliest thing I could have possibly eaten and I was happy to know that I have not been missing anything these past two years. We chatted until midnight when they gave me the option of staying the night or taking me back to sleep in the airport. I thought about the plastic chairs and then thought about sleeping in a strangers home. I figured if they wanted to kill me, they would have done it before going through the trouble of feeding me dinner, so I gladly accepted the invitation. I went to bed for a few hours thanking God for providing this amazing, heaven-sent Norwegian family to take care of me. They both drove me to the airport in the morning, we said our goodbyes with an invitation back to Norway and one to Cali for them. A 4 hour flight to Madrid and a 6 hour bus ride later I was back in Granada. Smelly, exhausted and wearing the same clothes for two days, I couldn't be happier to be home in Spain.

Sorry, that was not brief at all, but I had a lot to catch up on :) It's a new semester and I have less than 5 months left in this place I now call home. I can't believe how fast my time has flown by here. After living here for 6 months, traveling, and surviving my first semester, I am travel smarter, spanish smarter and have a few phrases of italian and german in my pocket. I am so grateful to be here and know that this next semester holds amazing adventures and more studying than the previous ;) ¡Hasta pronto!

Pictures speak louder than words :)

Leo, Katie, me and Giorgio in Bologna

Giorgio cutting my hair

Ale's aunt teaching me how to properly cut my Christmas dinner

Christmas eve w/ my bestie, Ale and her sis

Packing all of our luggage into Paulo's wittle car

Paulo's beautiful country home

Verona, Verona

The beautiful Sieron women

Oma's hand-knit sox and our house slippers :) 

Storybook town of Goslar

Dancing the night away on New Years Eve

Ski lessons from Jan in the Harz 

Hours and hours of catching up to do :)

The view from Giulia's apartment in Berlin

Saying goodbye to Berlin