Granada vs. Costa Rica

After spending sometime in Granada I decided I would reflect on the differences between Granada and Costa Rica. I visited Costa Rica in May 2011 for a month living with a host family learning Spanish. Although, I know there will be many differences there are some similarities. And it is interesting because if King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella did not fund Christopher Columbus trip to the Americas, Costa Rica would have probably been found by another country and speak another language rather Spanish.

Differences

• In Costa Rica, people say 'halo' to say hello, 'con mucho gusto' to say thank you, 'chao' to say goodbye, and 'pura vida' to say good. In Granada, I hear more 'hola' which means hello, 'que tal?' which is similar to wassup, and vale! which means okay.

• In Costa Rica, my host mother stayed at home cleaning the house. In Granada, my host mother wakes up earlier than I do to go to work.

• In Costa Rica, the streets are bigger. Some streets have 2 plus lanes while in Granada the streets are very small and a 2 lane street. But the traffic is heavily dense in both cities.

• In Costa Rica, dinner is the most important meal. The father gets off work and comes home to a meal with the family. In Granada, lunch is the most important meal. Families come home from work and stores close around 2 so they can make it home to eat lunch with the family during siesta.

• The sense of style is different. In Costa Rica, it seemed like their style was 10 years behind the rest. They wore clothes I used to wear a long time ago. While in Spain it is more important to dress up. They are not behind in style but it is different from the US. For example, the men here wear capris and short shorts.

• In Costa Rica security was a huge issue. My host parents lived in a gated house with two locks. Almost all the houses in Costa Rica are gated. While in Granada, living in a house is expensive so many of them live in apartments. I live on the fourth floor of an apartment.

• When I went to Costa Rica it was during the middle of winter which means 80 degree weather with a lot of rain! It rained very often while I was there but it was too hot to put on heavy rain gear. In Granada, the weather is very similar to Los Angeles where I am from. It is hot almost 90 degrees, dry air, and during the night it gets cold.

• In Costa Rica, my host family spoke very fast that often times I would tune out at dinner. In Granada, they speak with a lisp.

• In Costa Rica, the people look very latino/hispanic. Some resembled Europeans but you could tell that they some of them were descendants of indigenous. In Granada, the people look white. I guess its because they are in Europe.

• In Costa Rica, there were many stray dogs laying on the street. In Granada, I have not seen much stray animals but the pets I have seen are very obedient. They are not on a leash and follow their owner. They don't bark at other dogs like my dog Spanky would.

• In Costa Rica, there was no street names. When I would take the taxi home I would tell him my house is in Curridabat next to the church and the park and the driver would know where to go. But in Granada, there are street names (thank God) and a lot of plazas.

• In Costa Rica, I never drank water from the faucet. I spent a lot of money buying water bottles. In Granada, the faucet water is fresh from the mountain springs so I often times fill up my water bottle from the sink.

Similarities

• In both Costa Rica and Granada it is a custom to wear shoes everywhere in the house. Walking around the house barefoot or even to go use the bathroom is strange to them. Often times I would break this rule because I would forget to put on shoes. Then I would be stuck with this awkward feeling of should I walk back barefoot and get my shoes or should I just stay here and next time remember to wear my shoes.

• There sense of space is very tiny in both countries. People will stand close to you and they will not think nothing of it. The elevator in my apartment is a little smaller than the size of my closet and about 3-6 people will try to fit in their (btw my closet is very small). There are so many times I would bump shoulders with someone walking pass me and I would turn around and say excuse me but the other person will just keep on walking. It doesn't matter to them.

• These countries both have beautiful beaches! Costa Rica has a warmer beach.

• They both have tiny beds. At my house in LA, I could still share a twin size bed with my sister but the beds I have slept in abroad are very tiny and only room for one person.

• These are both very expensive countries! Gas costs about $7-8 dollars for a gallon. But in these countries they pay by the liter.

• Everywhere I went in these countries people could tell I was American and will speak to me in English. I really need to work on blending in.

• These countries are both very sensitive about water. I have to take a 5-10 min shower and if it's longer than I would get yelled at by my host parents. Right now, Spain is going through a drought.

It's The Climb

I would never EVER usually quote Miley Cyrus but these past two days I went on two different hikes were I could relate to the song. Both beautiful in their own way and experience unlike any other. Both were challenging and when we got to the top it made the experience worth more. But it wasn't something being a camper for 6 years at Camp Stevens hadn't prepare me for!

First, we went on an excursion to Albayzin which is on the mountains at the top of the city. I had no clue what direction we were headed but I could see the Islamic influence on the city. As we walked on the cobblestone ground through the city and I saw cool stores and food places I have to explore later on while I am here. Also, we saw las cuevas which are caves built into the side of the mountain. Mainly hippies come and go and live there and sometimes they host parties in them as well. We refilled our water bottles from a pipe in the back of the church. Since Granada is located at the bottom of the Sierra Nevada mountains the water from the faucet is fresh and drinkable. When we finally got to the top we could see all of Granada and it was gorgeous! We see the Alhambra which is the main landmark in Granada. It is a moorish castle at the top of the hill and the city is built around it. We tried to go walk around the Alhambra but it was close. We also saw the last remaining part of the wall that was originally build around the city of Granada but as the city expanded the walls were integrated into the city. Our journey came to an end after the 3 hour hike but I took plenty of mental pictures and pictures on my camera to remember the sight.

The Alhambra and the city of Granada

The last remaining wall of the gate Granada used to be in.

The Alhambra in the background.

The next day we went on a all day excursion to Cabo de Gata (google it) in Almeria, Andalucia, Spain. It's a national park 2 hours away from Granada on the coast of South Spain next to the Mediterranean sea. We left at 7:45 in the morning and it was a almost an 8 hour hike and we stopped at two different beaches. They suggested you bring 2 liters of water so I brought a huge water bottle and a small one. To get to the beaches you had to walk over the mountains. The set up of the park was mountain, beach, mountain, beach, mountain, beach. (I forgot to mention these were nudest beaches). So during the climb we complained, sweated, huffed and puffed, practically rocked climbed the mountain without a harness, walked through the water, on the rocky road, and through sand to get to the beaches. The only way to get to the beach was by hiking the mountain. Although I complained the whole climb when we got to the beach my mouth dropped. The water was so blue and clear. It was even clearer then the beaches in the national park I went to in Costa Rica. I couldn't wait to get in. The water was cold but not as cold as the pacific. It was such a hot day that the cold water felt great. The water was so clear! I cannot express this enough. I can see my whole body when the water was up to my neck. After swimming, we began another hour hike to the next beach. This beach was a little more isolated because the only way to get there is if you hike 3 mountains. This beach was nicer, the water was very clear, and not many people were there. Since it was a nudist beach a group of us decided to take our tops off. Since I have God given floatation devices I had no trouble floating. (No one saw us). Then we jumped off rocks into the water.

After the second beach, we began our 1-2 hour hike to the nearest town were we would be eating dinner. Once again, we climbed up and down hills, walked through sand and water, and when I finally saw the nearest town I asked myself would I ever do this all day 9 hour hike again in my life? I debated the pros and cons of the trip. Even though this was the hardest hike I had in my life, my legs were killing me, and I was out of water, I was fortunate to be able to do such a hike and would probably do it again. When we arrived at the town I was hungry, dehydrated, and pissed off to learn that dinner would take place on the other side of the city. So we had to walk through the city and eat dinner. We did not return home to 12:40 at night. Some of peers still wanted to go out since it was Saturday and our first weekend in the city and usually I would go but I choose to stay in. I guess I am either getting old or I am maturing to know that I will spend four months here and this will not be the only time I can go out at night. I think I am getting old..

Look at how clear the water is!

Freedom!

You see that pathway? I hiked it.

I hiked that hill too.

Love for the ocean, how beautiful if nothing more.

Mermaid Status!
Underwater cameras are fun!
Leap for fun!

My First Week

We started “Curso de Lengua” on Wednesday and the class is 5 hours long from 9am-2pm! They separated us into groups based off our grade from the online Spanish exam and I was placed into “Generales”. The class is pretty much a course on Spanish customs, finding where you are in Granada, and other introductory knowledge we should know in Granada. I experienced my first “siesta” on Wednesday. A siesta is pretty much lunch/nap that occurs late in the afternoon around 2ish/3ish and last until around 5 or 6. In Spain, lunch is the most important time to eat food. So people leave work and come home to eat as a family. My american stomach could not handle the late lunch especially cause they eat such a small breakfast. My stomach was growling loudly and I was getting very grumpy and upset. I kept complaining to everyone how hungry I was. And finally at 3:30 we had lunch. I literally ate the lasagna in a matter of minutes and I was so hungry I got seconds. That night my roommate and I decided to go out and explore the town. We went to a tapas bar and I was still very hungry so I order a dish which cost me 30 euros! We drank Sangria and went club/bar hoping. We started off at Granada Dias because it was ladies night and we got in free. It was fun but there was a lot of girls. Next, we went to a local bar and I meet some natives. They were extremely nice. They spoke Spanish and English but when they spoke English they had a British accent because they studied a few years in London.

Las Chicas in front of the club

Thursday, we had another 5 hour curse on customs and life in Granada. -__-. Afterwards, I learned that I was assigned an internship with at the University in the architect office. I am International Relations major... I guess when I was writing my cover letter and I asked for an internship that was fun, creative, allows me to speak Spanish, and explore the city they assumed being in architect firm was the perfect fit. I am going to see if I can change it to find something I can use for my senior thesis. Once again, we had lunch at 3:30 during the siesta. But this time I could not wait. So I brought a Kabob and ate it while walking home. I can not explain how many weird looks I got especially because it was almost siesta time. I felt like a starving kid who found a leftover chicken bone in the trash can. That night I didn't go out because I fell asleep at 11. I am having issues adjusting to the time zone. I wake up around 4am or 5am every morning and can't go back to sleep. I think it's because of my room. My roommate does not sleeping with the window open because of the noise from outside and we sleep with the door closed. So our room gets pretty toasty. Sometimes I wake up sweating at night.

Day 2

I could not sleep the night before because of jetlag. So I have been awake since 3am. Orientation began at 8 am. We brought our luggage down stairs, ate breakfast, and separated into groups based on last name. It pretty much was all day seminars on Granada, safety, drug and alcohol abuse, Spanish customs, and other stuff. In Spain they eat lunch much later in the US around 3pm. By that time I was very hungry and ate like 4 plates of food. I continued to meet other people and introduce myself. The program ended at 4 and it was time to take the bus to Granada to meet our host parents. I was anxious to meet my roommate. Her name is Elisabeth Chappell. Before the bus ride I had never meet her and when I asked people if they meet an Elisabeth they always said no. I looked her name up on facebook as well but I still couldn't find her. I was a little worried that my roommate was an introvert because nobody I knew or talked to has meet her. When we arrived in Granada, I meet my roommate and it turns out she is not an introvert but goes by a different name Lissie, Lis, etc. She is one of the 35 students here from Tulane University. Then we meet our host mother Carla. She is tall with jet black hair and her husband Alejandro is very nice and knows English. I was very tired from the bus ride so I didn't say much in the car on the way to Carla's house but my roommate did. She is a Spanish major and very good at speaking the language. I was happy to learn that Lis had two pieces of luggage too instead of just one like many of the other people. Carla, her husband, and two sons live in an apartment on the fourth floor. We took these very tiny elevators to her apt. Sometimes I feel very claustrophobic in the elevators but as we learned Spaniards sense of space is completely different than that of an American. They will stand an inch away from you and not feel uncomfortable. At her house I met her two sons Alejandro, 15 and Mauricio, 13. She showed us to our room and Lissie and I share a room (I hope this doesn't turn bad cause I have certain ways I need to sleep). We unpacked our stuff and talked about ourselves. She came to Granada with her three other best friends. Afterwards we ate grilled cheese sandwich which is something i normally don't eat since I am not a big fan of cheese. But I ate it because I was hungry. Then Clara showed us how to walk to school because she couldn't do it in the morning. She told us her life story and how she and her husband are from Mexico and moved to Spain. When she took on the job as a host parent she didn't have a job but now she does working with something in economics. She leaves early in the morning before we have to wake up for school. Afterwards, we returned to our rooms and I skyped my parents until I fell asleep on them.

The Flight & The First Night

I left for Granada, Spain September 4th. My first flight was at 8 am from Los Angeles to Chicago. As soon as I got to the airport I remembered that I left the keys to the lock on my luggage at home. So my dad had to rush home to get it. It was a bittersweet moment to say goodbye to my family. As a college student, I already see my family like 3 times a year but I guess the fact that I am going to another country instead of going back to Spelman gave me this bittersweet feeling. I thought I was for sure going to cry but I just teared up. On the flight to Chicago, I saw this movie called Something Borrow. I love this movie. The book turned movie makes you fall in love with a relationship that shouldn't be and is wrong. The best friend of the bride to be is sleeping with the groom. Usually when stuff likes this happens you will probably see it on the Maury show and boo the best friend and the groom when they walk on stage but for some reason I liked the relationship between the best friend and the groom better than the bride to be.

My next flight was from Chicago to Madrid, Spain. As I was waiting at the gate I could tell who was a native Spaniard and who were the students studying abroad. All the people who were studying abroad looked like college students, with huge carry ons, and looking around anxiously seeing if you were in the same program or if you were in the same city. Like those around me I was curious to know who was going to be studying in Granada. So I talked to a few around me and many of them were going to Seville, Toledo, or Madrid. One of the girls I was talking to turned out to be the person I would be sitting next to on the plane ride. Her name was Grace and she was a senior at the University of Oregon. She was studying abroad in Seville. She was very nice. When it was time for dinner I learned she was allergic to glutton. She could not eat bread and other stuff they served. I ended up eating her food since she couldn't eat it. I felt bad that I could not give her something to eat in return. It was an 8 hour flight and the poor girl could only eat the cheese and get drinks. On the flight we watched Midnight in Paris and I did not like this movie! I guess its because it did not have the happy ending I was looking for. I could not sleep on the flight for some reason so I played on my handy dandy iPhone editing and taking photos (attached below).

Planes!

Grace and I

Guidance

Grace looking out the window. I like how you don't know what she's looking at.

We arrived in Madrid at 8 in the morning the next day. I had an 8 hour delay in Madrid so I decided to take time to explore the city. As I was leaving the baggage claim I noticed a girl holding a sign saying IES Abroad which is the program I am studying abroad with. So I went up to her and introduced myself and asked her for advice and places to go if I wanted to explore Madrid for a couple of hours. She suggest I take this bus that stops near a train station and it has a lot of museums and shops nearby. I put my carry ons in the lockers provided at the airport and the lady directed me to the bus. I got off at Atocha Train Station. This train station is where the bombings in Spain occurred. I walked around and ended up in a park. Walked through the park and saw locals play futbal and exercise. Walked by the Museo del Prado which has many Picasso paintings. Then went to a Botanical Garden. It was only 1 euro. I spent majority of my time thinking, reflecting, and resting. I took a lot of photos the of the flowers, bees, squirrels, and butterflies. There was a lot of PDA (public display of affection) happening around me in Spain but apparently what I saw wasn't the worst yet.

The entrance to the Botanical Garden

Atocha Train Station

After I was done touring I got on the bus and made it back in time for my last flight from Madrid to Malaga. Once again I could spot out students studying abroad and this time I met students who were in the same program going to Granada. The flight was short, about an hour. At the airport in Malaga, our stuff did not come out at baggage claim and I thought they lost my bags but it turned out to be at the international claim. I was about to go crazy if they lost my luggage but I am glad they didn't. I took the cab with the people I met in the same program. I was the only person with two pieces of luggage. Everyone else had 1 piece of luggage. I was surprised. Once we arrived at the hotel I got my orientation package and since I was the odd number in the group I got my own hotel room to my self. I was feeling kind of lonely since I was by myself on the first night. Once I was settled in they invited all the students on a tour of Malaga and thats when I discovered that I was one of two or three black students on the program. I guess for some reason I never thought that there would be so little African Americans studying abroad. I understand better why programs like IIPP exist to help minorities study abroad. There are 127 students total in the program and only 3 students including me are black. Like Rica (IIPP Fellow) I am the only one that goes to an HBCU. Most of the students in the program come from Tulane University, Amherst, Lakeforest, Occidental, and various other PWIs. I felt even lonelier when I discovered how few African Americans there was. But I did not let it get me down for long. I socialized with others as we walked the streets of Malaga. It was beautiful and I could tell I would like the nightlife in Spain. Some of the people I met and I decided to eat at Pimppi's. I had a potato omelete! It actually tasted good and filled you up. I also had Spain's famous drink Sangria for the first time! Sangria is a mixture of wine and punch/juice. It tasted so good, I loved the drink. Despues, we went back to our hotel rooms to rest. Too bad I had terrible jetlag and woke up at 3 in the morning and could not go back to sleep. I attached some pictures of the tour of Malaga below. Interesting fact: Picasso is from Malaga, Spain. :)

Edited picture of a Moorish Castle in Malaga which cities like Granada is known for.

Other students and I infront of the castle.

Picasso Street.

An unfinished cathedral in Spain is not uncommon.

The walking streets of Malaga

New Goodies

Before I left for Granada, I brought a few items I thought I would use. I brought a new camera. It is a Nikon digital camera but it resembles a DSLR. It takes great photos! I have always been an amateur photographer. I think I take great photos especially considering that my friends make the pictures I take of them their profile pictures on facebook. My boyfriend has 11 default pictures on facebook that I took. So I plan on taking a lot of pictures and uploading them for all to see. Granada is a beautiful city and not many people know about its Islamic culture and influence.

Secondly, I brought an iPhone! I love my new phone. I have about 25 apps. I have an app to text and call my parents using wifi, I have another app where I can take a picture and they will send it in a postcard anywhere in the world for 99 cents, Huffington Post app, a Yoga Stretch app, and apps for video and camera editing. My two favorite are Instagram and Film Director. Instagram allows you to edit a photo and make it look vintage and Fil Director allows you to record a vintage looking movie. They are both very fun and capture hilarious moments. The following are pictures I took and edited using Instagram app. The first one is my sister and I, the second is a corny picture of me overlooking the ocean, and the last one is my high school teacher.

With my new iPhone I took a picture of some old family photos so I will have something to look at when I am homesick. They are hilarious and bring back good memories.

My cousin Semaje, my sister Kyrra, my brother Kofi, and I.

My litte princess sister.

Swag with my fanny pack on!

Los tres

My parents, my grandma, my oldest brother PD, my cousin Semaje, and my siblings again.

My life before I left for Spain

Hello all! My name is Aliya White. I am a junior at Spelman College, an IIPP Fellow (Cohort 17), and I am studying abroad in Granada, Spain for the semester. I may do a year in Spain or I might study abroad in another country second semester like Argentina or Turkey. A month before I left for Spain I decided to get my molars removed because I was having pain. If I would have known it would take three weeks to heal and a black eye I probably would have reconsidered the surgery. My teeth are two big for my mouth and removing my molars was extremely difficult especially since my second molars are not even grown in completely yet. My face blew up! I was practically swollen all over. I was self-conscious and would not skype anyone. For three weeks I was house ridden. While sitting in the house I took on a job tutoring my 6 year old nephew how to read. Once again, if I would have known my nephew would make fun of my swollen face and be extremely difficult I would have reconsider the position. But everything happens for a reason and it was a learning experience. I learned kids love stickers. :)

So I attached a picture of my "lovely" nephew Daniel who I had the privilege of tutoring getting his hair cut and also I attached a picture of my swollen face a few days after getting my molars removed. I normally would never publicly display complete embarrassing pictures of me but I want my readers to understand how I was feeling and what I went through. I am healed now tho.