Sent through Celeste Dilauro in the curriculum for the autumn 201 semester five in Granada, Spain …
I never expected to be so influenced by a culture in just two weeks. I live with a circle of host relatives in Granada, Spain, for the autumn semester. My circle of relatives hosts was welcoming and made my roommate and I feel comfortable at home. During my first 3 weeks in Granada, I am taking an extensive Spanish course and my other courses start in October. The course combines a formal conference with visits to monuments of the city. I like that we have been given the opportunity to train outside the classroom, especially friends because Granada has a very rich history.
Last week we visited the Alhambra. The Alhambra used to be a castle and a palace. The Arabs had strength in Granada from 711 to 1492, until the Christians conquered the city. There are large apple palaces in the Alhambra, some of which have an Architecture with Arab influence and others that are evidently Christian architecture. Buildings with wonderful Arab influence have incredible important things and tend to be built with undeniable fabrics like plaster. Christians tended to create more ostentatious and decorative palaces. Throughout the Alhambra, there is running water and many fountains. The dominant presence of water allowed Granada to return its strength to foreigners.
We also visited the cathedral and the royal chapel in the center of Granada. In the royal chapel are the tombs of Queen Elizabeth and King Ferdinand, as well as her daughter Joan and son-in-law Philip. Queen Isabel enjoyed Granada and sought to be buried here, in connection with the Escorial, a place of royal burial on the outskirts of Madrid. I was born to understand why Isabel enjoyed Granada so much. It’s an overwhelming and lovable city!
Since my arrival, I have not noticed a wonderful variety of cultural differences. For example, in Spain, other Americans regularly have a light breakfast, a hearty lunch at 3 p.m. and a light dinner at 10 p.m. It’s been hard to stick to this schedule, but I think it’s generally a healthier way to eat. In class, we distrusted some of the cultural norms we had observed. Another main cultural difference is that Spaniards tend to be very avant-garde and fair. For example, if you’ve gained or lost weight, your foster parent will most likely shape you. I haven’t experienced this yet, but I haven’t realized that my adoptive parents are very fair and encourage an open conversation.