Procession

I was meeting with some people for a group project and this very long procession past by us. I'm not positive what it was for exactly. I asked more than one person and they didn't know. I finally asked my program director and she said "they love Jesus, and sometime they just want to take him for a walk. There is not always a specail day tied to it's reason." 

 

Granada soccer game!

My program took us to a Granada soccer game! I was very into this! My inter soccer-nish really came out. 

Ps I have become a big FC Barcelona fan. :) 

Dar alguna cosa

Every day since my first day here in Granada I walk past a homeless man ad his dog. They sit next to a mall up against the wall. The man holds the dog in his lap  and pets him. He has no sign for begging, he has no specific cup or bowel to put money. He just sits there with the little that he owns and watches the world around him pass by him. 

Their is always a dog food bowel, sometimes filled sometime empty. I personally think that he feeds his dog before he feeds himself.

Homeless people have always pulled on my heart strings, but this one pulled more than the rest. The dog food thing is what put my heart in a swore. 

Last night on my way to a meeting I had a bag lunch with me from my host mom bc I would not be back in time for dinner. I walked past the man, like always, but this time I stopped and turned looked at my sack lunch and then at the man. At that moment I switch my direcetion of pattern. I apporched the man andd handed him my sack lunch, consisting of a sandwich and an apple. I had remembered times when i was a kid with my family in downtown chicago, my dad bought a man a meal from McDonalds. That was a moment in my life that will never be forgotten. 

When i handed the man the lunch the glow and light in his eyes was something so amazinng. He was so greatful. 

I then carried on to class and as i walked i had little tears of happiness. 

"Everyday is a gift and not a given right" So make the most of it and do good, "leave no stone unturned" 

"nickleback"   

Living in the moment

Hey ya'll I know i havent updated in a long time. I have been living in the moment. I am trying to take adventage of every moment here, and sometimes it comes to taking a walk to the Alhambra or typing on my blog.... sorry but i pick the Alhambra. 

I am going to try and update some more stuff this week. 

PS classes have been picking up and midterms are next week, so yeah.... 

you are kidding right?

The school that i attened here in Granada is filled with americans from all over the world. Well today while i wass walking home for lunch I was behind a small group of students: two girls and a boy. I over  heard their converstaion, and could not help but have a reaction to what i heard... 

Girl 1: My sister is driving to Chicago this weekend 

Boy: oh cool!! 

Girl 1: She texted me when they were in Ohio... I dont understand why she went so far out of her way to get to chicago....

Boy: well Ohio is very close to Illinois. 

Girl 1: wait what I thought it was really down south... 

Girl 2: umm Oklahoma is down south... 

Girl 1: hmm I really could use a geography lesson. 

I honestly could not help but smile and laugh a little inside. Are you kidding me? This is the reason people around the world think ameriancas are not very smart... That maybe they need a better educational system... Well after hearing that I am embarassed that cases like this set the whole sterotype for americans and their intelligence level.    

#badspeller

Well I have now reached to the point of having trouble remembering english words and how to spell the ones i do know....  

Birthday abroad...

On Thursday October 9th I turned 21... Finally, Right? lol 

Thank you to all of you who sent birthday wishes!! Regardless of if it was through facebook, an email, a card (sent here or home), a text message, a phone call or in person, nothing went unnoticed! I am very greatful to have all of you in my life. 

So a couple of days before my birthday I facetimed with my parents and they showed me present through facetime. 

                                                     They re-did my room!!! 

 

 

 

 

This is a huge thing because I have had the same room since as long as i can remember. Over the Summer I had asked if I could paint all my white cabinets brown, becuasae i was sick of the white. The outcome of that was no, becuase it wouldnt have worked... but i did get to pick a new comforter. :)  

Well now my room looks like this! Brown shelving... well more changed than just that... :) I absolutely love it! 

 

The Alhambra

A little background about the Alhambra... It is a very old castle that is in Granada. I was built by the Arabs. The king and his family lived there, along with a military and slaves. After some time it was taken over and renovated (not much but a little)  but the spanish Catholics. The details inside this place are amazing. It is by far the most beautiful thing I have seen so far. Everything is carved and there is not one mistake.

My program group at a lookout point in the Albaycin with the Alhambra in the background

The Passage way. Fatima´s hand is above the door, and there is a virgin Mary above the passage way too. 

view from on top of the Alahmbra of the city of Granada

Believe it or this maze type looking thing, is actually a set of rooms were the royal miltary stayed. 

The FLAGS!!! 

I was feeling artsy with this photo

This picture does not give the gardens of the Alahmbra and justice at all. 

The amazing detail i referanced ealier.... all the walls are covered like this

in between those two doors would sit the king and common people would come to speak with him, and in the windows above the prince and princess would "spy" on them... 

More amazing detail 

More gardens 

Albaycin

The Albaycin! It was beautiful! for this post I decided I will tell you about it through pictures with comments below.

This is the river that runs along the road of sadness/tears. The road is called this because at the end of it there is the Granada Cemetery.  

The river is known as the river of gold, because when the water would flow from the mountain the river would pick up small pieces of gold and it would glimmer beautifully in the sunlight. 

This is a building that is right across from the river of gold. It is a building that is known for playing tricks on your eyes. The details on this building are all painted but they portray the idea of depth to the architecture. 

This is what is left of a bridge that once connected to the Alhambra. 

Water bathing spa type thing... this was built and used by the Arabs. 

Bath House also 

This is an important building to the city, it was the first building to start the brick trend. 

This is a church that used to be a Mosque. When the Catholics came in they made it into a catholic church for the neighborhood. 

This is one of the beautiful streets

a view of the Alhambra from the top of the Albaycin

I just really liked this picture. It reminded me of a poster. 

The Albaycin is one of the wealthier locations in Granada,  

 

What a beautiful view! 

This picture is not the greatest of what I am about to explain... 

Ok so in the Albaycin the houses were built inside a wall/fence type thing. These walls had no windows, it was a way of privacy. Inside the walls it would be normal to have a pool, a beautiful garden and of course a beautiful house. Well when the Catholics came, they demanded that the Arabs put windows in their "fence walls" so that they could make sure they were practicing the catholic religion.