"Lo Que No Matas, Engordas"

"What doesn't kill you, makes you fatter"

There is only one person in my class that is not sick of some sort. This truth should give the reader an idea of various parts of our life here in Granada. First, the schedule is so different here, I think it is wreaking havoc on our weak American bodies. We just aren’t used to staying out until 5 in the morning on a weeknight, and somehow, the daily siesta just isn’t cutting it as a supplement. When you add the dangerous concoction of our lowered immune systems due to drinking, dancing, excessive smoke everywhere, and minimal sleeping with the fact that Spaniards are just a bit dirtier than we are (they admit this themselves, honest) it is a perfect recipe for sickness. 
Despite being sick this weekend, I attended a flamenco performance, visited the Alambra, and met up with Roberto for an intercambio. The flamenco was absolutely magnificent. I had heard flamenco on the radio, and seen it in movies, but never experienced anything before that even came close to this live performance. The intimate show was inside a "cueva", or cave, with candlelight and wine. The music and dance are so soulful; it is a beautiful exchange between the male singer and the female dancer, accompanied by very unique rhythms and guitar sounds. The Alhambra is a Moorish palace, that reminded me of the Arabian princess Jasmine’s quarters in the Disney movie, Aladdin. I kept expecting for Rasha, her pet tiger, to come walking around the corner, but unfortunately the palace is no longer in use. It was magical to imagine what this grandiose place would have been like in its day. One of my favorite parts of the palace were its gardens that were built low into the ground in the courtyards inside the palace, so that the fruit of the trees is waist high, making it easily accessible. I also loved a room named the room of secrets. The ceiling was curved such that if I stood at one corner, and my friend at the other, my whispers would be carried clearly across the room and to my friend's ears. The gardens outside the palace and the views were also impressive, and made me really want to return to see the flowers in the spring. I believe the intercambio with Roberto on Sunday was productive. We talked over churros and chocolate about the differences between American and Spanish families. Robert wants to be a flight attendant, so is learning English. I learned that it is definitely not easy to teach the English language… try explaining when to use the word “else” or the different uses for “may” and “maybe”! I am going to need more Spanish AND english knowledge before I can teach English in any sort of professional setting, that is for certain.
I am still trying to grapple with the idea that I am going to be so far away from home for so long. It still feels like a fun and exciting summer camp, it has not set in that I am going to be here for six months, away from the people and things I love. It seems like forever, yet at the same time, two weeks have already flown by. Most likely it will just as hard to leave Spain behind as it was to leave the States, I'm just not in that head space yet.
I am also having a hard time letting myself enjoy spending money. I have been saving for this trip for so long, that I am still in saving mode. In order to switch to spending mode guitlessly I need to learn how to feel like I deserve the things that I worked hard to earn. I could never justify spending 30 dollars for a Flamenco performance in the states, but the very reason I couldnt justify it there was so that I COULD justify it here! I'm working on adjusting my thinking to come to terms with the fact that this is a once in a lifetime opportunity for me to experience all that this other culture has to offer, and some of that experience is going to cost me monetarily.