Autumn in Granada

Here we are in fall, Huercal-Overa-style! That means it’s getting super cold but the leaves aren’t changing. Consequently, my health has been on a roller coaster ride because my little immune system doesn’t know what to do with the cold cold nights and fairly hot days. I’m looking forward to when the temperatures level out. Nevertheless, oncoming cold weather somehow never fails to stir up a desire to be outdoors following a path toward somewhere in a hobbitesque manner. I’ve had outlets for such desires with the senderismo club on an excursion a couple of weeks ago, and with the natural science classes from Cura Valera on a field trip last Thursday.

Cura Valera, the school where I teach, has the advantage of a bilingual program where the kids learn all of their subjects in both English and Spanish. I get to work with the Primero Bachillerato class (16- and 17-year-olds), in their economics, physical education, natural science, and English classes. You’re probably saying to yourself “I bet those kids really know English!” Don’t be fooled. Some just get by without ever really learning very well, and on the other hand, some do want to learn and can speak and work very well in English. So there is one similarity between the American and Spanish school structure. I won’t bore you with a list, but these are some of the most curious differences I’ve observed. They don’t have school sports and therefore no mascots, but plentiful club sports make up for that. They don’t have a lunch hour because they eat lunch after school at 3 O’clock and it is disgracefully common for them to talk over the teacher without receiving discipline. Well, I take what I get. They are truly neat kids and I have enjoyed getting to know and teach them.

This weekend I made another escape, this time to Granada where it is really fall. Since the beginning of my Spanish language education, I read about the ingenious and beautiful Moorish structure in Southern Spain called the Alhambra. It was built over a period of about 400 years and was the last Moorish hold in Spain conquered by the Catholics. It is where King Ferdinand and Queen Isabel (Los Reyes Catolicos) lived. Having learned all of this (and more that I’m sure I’ve forgotten) over a period of 8 years, I felt this trip should be the peak of my Spanish experience. On Saturday the 20^th of November I made the visit with Luana and Margaret. We spent all day inside the magnificent Alhambra and afterward descended the street back into the city, making our way to one of the many Arabic-style teterías where we enjoyed a cozy cup of tea with Mediterranean style food. Granada is interesting for the evident Arabic influence that remains and the university presence which always inexplicably provides an artistic atmosphere. You don’t have to go to the university to know it. You just have to walk around and see all the young people, dressed either like metropolitan starving artists with ragged scarves and high-top tennis shoes or mountain people in their ski coats and hiking boots. Boy, I fell in love with the place. Hay que regresar!

Intercambio de tradiciones: Cumpleaños and Halloween

Out for a tour one fine Sunday afternoon, my friend Edu and I zipped down the highway on his moto through the hills and dessert surrounding Huercal-Overa. I started to tell him how lucky I felt to live here. He slowed down the motorcycle to ask “Why?” Typical Huercalense. “Because,” I said, “look at this nature! The mountains, desert, beach. For one thing, it is beautiful, and for another, you never run out of things to do.” This has become evident in the last couple of weeks. As Tiffany and I are preparing for the half-marathon in Barcelona on February 14, we’ve been discovering different paths and routes around the town. The dry river bed (called the rambla) is one of our favorites. During one run, we came across the Huercal spelunking/hiking (senderismo) club who were putting climbing holds into the wall of an old railroad bridge. As the name implies, this club goes hiking some weekends in the nearby mountains and occasionally descends into a cave or two. So we’ll be hanging with those guys in the future. Aside from senderismo, the athletic community in general is impressive with groups specifically for cycling, club teams of various sports for all ages, and a handful of people who run the big races regularly. Not bored yet, thank you very much.

To an American, Spanish birthday traditions may seem backwards at first glance. For example, in the United States when you go out with a group of friends on your birthday, everyone expects to bring you presents and buy you drinks and food and whatnot. But in Spain, the celebrated one is expected to buy drinks for invitees. No problem, though. Look at it this way: This is to symbolize, and in essence to re-enact, that on this particular day many years ago, you were a gift to the world. Ah, beautiful right? That is to say, my birthday in Spain was wonderfully spent first at work, then at home, and lastly with friends for whom I did buy some drinks, as would the Spanish woman I hope to become one day. While at dinner with my co-workers the following night, they generously provided me with a cake, poster, and flamenco accessories.

Alicante,Valencia, widely claimed to be feo feo (ugly) by its residents, is in fact a fantastic fun place and apparently the place to celebrate Halloween in Spain. In light of this Tiffany (who studied in Alicante in 2008), Margaret, and I made a journey North this weekend to the grand yet quaint Valencian city. Friday we enjoyed the nightlife, Saturday hiked the Moorish castle, Sunday soaked up the beach, and then it was back to home sweet home Huercal-Overa for Halloween night. This American tradition has by no means penetrated the boundaries of Spain, but has seeped in a little bit. Knowing this and eager to share this tidbit of my culture, I construed a costume at the last minute on Sunday night and went out to show it off. I endured a few stares until some Spaniards with actually scary costumes arrived and showed me up. It’s wonderful to be here!