Sevilla

Hello Friends. Please forgive me for not updating my blog for quite some time. Time has been flying, that is for sure. But there comes a time when one must slow down and reflect. And now is that time. I will try not to bore you with too many facts, but much has happened in the past few weeks that must be shared!

I will begin with recent adventures to nearby - and quite distant - lands...

On June 13th, I went on a school trip to Sevilla, which is located about three hours away from Granada in the province of Andulucia. Sevilla is the city where relations with America first began. Here is located the Plaza de España, the center of communication with America. It is formed in the shape of arms, facing toward America, as if it is wrapping itself around the newly claimed land.



We then visited the Cathedral de Seville. It was first built as a Mosque in 1181 but then was consecrated as a Chatedral in 1248. The construction of this cathedral occurred in various stages and has a multitude of influences, including Islamic, Gothic, Renaissance influence and baroque structures. While we were there, we climbed the tower (34 ramps!), saw the tomb of Christopher Columbus, and walked through the Orange tree courtyard. Everything was breathtaking and gigantic...a girl from London told me this cathedral topped all cathedrals she had ever seen in her home city!







Our last destination were the Ruinas Romanas (Roman Ruins), bath and gardens. This was a very tranquil place, the gardens well kept and the detailed architecture also breathtaking. There is much detail that I unfortunately cannot remember, and I was also slightly confused as to why they are called the Roman Ruins when much of the architecture had Islamic influence...these are details I must still sort out! Here is a foto of one of the courtyards. Many have similarly shaped entry ways with a fountain or small water bath running through the center.



This concluded our day trip to Sevilla, complete with a high of 44 degrees centigrade (over 100 degrees fahrenheit!) and several stops to the air conditioned Starbucks (yes, starbucks) near the center.

I will leave you with what caught my eye the most: the horse carriages lined up outside of the cathedral. There was a constant ringing of bells and clopping of horses hooves down cobblestone streets...I stopped once to take a video, but unfortunately cannot upload it on my blog. Check facebook...I will put it up there so you can close your eyes and pretend like you're in Sevilla :)

Horses, horses, horses...

A Beautiful Sunday Morning...

"In that day there will be inscribed on the bells of the horses, "Holy to the Lord."
Zechariah 14:20

Fotos Interesantes...de Granada

Aquí son unas fotos que he tomado de partes diferentes de Granada...
Here are some phots I have taken of the different parts of Granada...

Estos son de un bar de Granada que mis compañeros y yo nos gustamos...




Y estos son unas flores de las ruinas romanas en Sevilla...son un poco extraños, no?
And these are some flowers in the Roman Ruins of Sevilla...a little different, eh?




Y, finalmente, estos son del Parque de Ciencas en Granada...el primero es una tortuga en el agua....y el segundo es de una escultura en un exhibito de perspectivos.

And finally, these are from the Parque de Ciencias in Granada, the first is of a turtle in the water...and the second is a sculpture from the perspectives exhibit.

Isaiah 12

Songs of Praise

In that day you will say:
"I will praise you, O LORD.
Although you were angry with me,
your anger has turned away
and you have comforted me.
Surely God is my salvation;
I will trust and not be afraid.
The LORD, the LORD, is my strength and my song;
he has become my salvation."

With joy you will draw water
from the wells of salvation.

In that day you will say:
"Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name;
make known among the nations what he has done,
and proclaim that his name is exalted.

Sing to the LORD, for he has done glorious things;
let this be known to all the world.

Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion,
for great is the Holy One of Israel among you."


Canciones de alabanza

En aquel día tú dirás:
«Señor, yo te alabaré
aunque te hayas enojado conmigo.
Tu ira se ha calmado,
y me has dado consuelo.
¡Dios es mi *salvación!
Confiaré en él y no temeré.
El Señor es mi fuerza,
el Señor es mi canción;
¡él es mi salvación!»
Con alegría sacarán ustedes agua
de las fuentes de la salvación.
En aquel día se dirá:
«Alaben al Señor, invoquen su *nombre;
den a conocer entre los pueblos sus obras;
proclamen la grandeza de su nombre.
Canten salmos al Señor,
porque ha hecho maravillas;
que esto se dé a conocer
en toda la tierra.
¡Canta y grita de alegría,
habitante de *Sión;
realmente es grande, en medio de ti,
el *Santo de Israel!»

Birthday Party, Day Trip to Almuñecar, and The Best Adventure Yet!

Time is flying by, I know, but at the same time, time is slowing down...not quite sure how that is possible, but I am amazed by the concept of truly experiencing a moment and having time to reflect on that experience...

Friday night, June 5th, Sarah, Joanna and I were invited to Sarah's - one of Rafael and Mama Ché's daughter's - birthday party. The party started at around 9:30 pm and friends and family came to celebrate. Rafael and Mama Ché were working hard all day to get ready. The day before two carloads of groceries needed to be unloaded at the front gate...we helped them carry everything into the kitchen. I met Sarah's marido Fernando as well as all of Sarah's friends and extended family members. What a whirlwind! There is nothing like a place filled with happy Spanish speakers!! I talked for a while with Rafael, who shared the history of this home. He was actually born and grew up in the same house, and he was explaining how he knows exactly where everything is and how everything works. What a story! He also shared how he met Mama Ché...they were friends as jovenes (young adults) and they always used to dance Flamenco together. During one dance, he took her hand and there was a moment that changed their lives forever, a moment only the heart can understand!

Mama Ché and myself in front of the fountain and flowers Rafael was setting up and watering earlier...




The atmosphere...



The food was amazing as well...



The next morning all of the Winona students took the bus to Almuñecar, a city on the Mediterranean Sea. The bus ride was absolutely beautiful...as we pulled out of downtown Granada, we passed through the mountainous terrain of the Sierra Nevadas. We also passed by a city called Sobreña, a white village on a hill surrounding an old fortress. I sat next to a lady who was from this city. She explained that the houses are white from the time of the musulmanes (Arabic influence). She also noted that white houses are very beautiful and are wise to have because of the intense heat!

This is a poor quality picture, but you can see the white houses and the fortress at the top of the hill.




Soon after my friend got off the bus, we arrived in Almuñecar.



We stayed a while on the beach. While most slept, Hannah and I threw down our belongings and ran to the water. This was Hannah's first time every seeing the sea or anything resembling an ocean...she was ecstatic!! I couldn't help but walk along the shore, allowing the surging, rhythmic waves to chase me back to shore. The water was quite chilly and there was only rocks - no sand, but we still walked the entire coast. Instead of shell hunting, we found beautifully colored rocks. We also tried to see Morocco on the other side of the sea, but had no such luck. It was still an amazing adventure none the less!





We then walked the city searching for the Roman aqueducts. On our search, we passed through El Parque de Manuel, a botanical garden next to El Parque de Loros (Parrots). There was Ferria Gastronómica going on the weekend we came, so we could not help but pass through and look at all the wonderful food being served, including free samples and delicious legs of meat...





We found one aqueduct, which was missing it's upper arches. It was still beautiful. It was also interesting, as this part of an aqueduct was marked off and surrounded by apartment buildings and more modern architecture. It would be so neat to say you woke up every morning to see a Roman aqueduct outside your window...as well as the Mediterranean Sea!





We later went back to the beach where I made rock sculptures, made a new friend, and journaled...





Hiked to the top of el Peñon del Santo to see the view next to the cross...





And then we made the trek to the top of Almuñecar where the Castillo de San Miguel (Siglo XI - XV) is located. We toured the castle for a while; it felt like child's play, peering through old windows and adventuring down staircases to rooms beneath. The architecture was breathtaking, including Islamic murallas (walls) and Roman tombs...even bones of some Arabs, surprisingly still intact!








The ceiling inside one of the torres (tower)


A window...through which you can see the sea!




On our bus ride back home, I could not help but be overwhelmed with thankfulness for God's beautiful creation. He created this world, he created every human being, every talent, every ounce of history. It is sometimes difficult to be here knowing that so many lives are changing back home. But being removed has steered me in new directions...

...I am learning of the importance of solitude, of prayer, of sitting in the Lord's presence. Slowing down to the point of allowing myself to soak it up. I am also understanding the beauty of being still, especially during moments of trial and tension, and to recognize the stillness in moments of tranquility. I've felt pressured to start running, to start getting caught up in the plans, like what to do, where to go...there is this pressure sometimes in that I am only here for 2 months and that I have to make the most of it. BUT worrying itself is a waste of time! It's this frenzied state of mind that I am trying to get rid of...running to class, running home, eating fast, going back to class...ugh!! Where is time to think? To prepare? To breathe? I've been removed from hecticness for some time now and this has been an extremely comforting and healing time for me. There are moments where worry and unhealthy stress tries to creep in, but it no longer overpowers me. I am free, only because of God's strength.

...I am learning to love Spanish history and literature. My classes are extremely interesting, especially my professor for Grammar and conversation. She has a style of her own but she is also brilliant and creative with her teaching methods. She inspires me to work harder, to stay focused, and to truly learn in the context of real life; that is, no longer learning to prove myself or to simply do well, but to APPLY, to investigate, to question. It's a whole new world, and I am so thankful for it.

...I am experiencing the beauty of exploring, of random adventures, of being unique, of portraying who I really am amidst a world that is quite different than the norm. I'm not sure of the balance between being influential and being influenced, but I am sure one cannot happen without the other. One adventure this past sunday took me to a wonderful church called La Iglesia Evangelica Bautista! It's a small church across the street from a beautiful park...3 of my friends from Winona and I went. We actually went an hour earlier than the start of the service...it was an adult Bible study, which we stayed for and then also stayed for the service. The youth group - there we are considered "jovenes" or younger than adults - is very active. We met a few of the people who are extremely genuine and welcoming. They not only have a Bible study sunday mornings but also meet at various points during the week to go get lunch, go salsa dancing, and eat tapas (appetizers). WOW! The church is very international..people from all over the world. I even met a woman from Finland who was extremely caring (she sat behind us during the service and tapped on my shoulder to say hello). I'm excited to see where this takes me... It's definitely an answer to prayer and a wonderful place to get to know people and to get to know the city from an insider's perspective.


This week in Granada is the celebration of Corpus Cristi - a multi-faceted festival. I am still not quite sure of its origin, but I do know there will be many festivities, including a carnival, dance and music performances, running of the bulls, and an influx of people from surrounding areas! We don't have school Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday...we are supposed to enjoy the festivities :)

I hope all is well with all reading this. Please write a comment and fill me in on everything or anything going on at home, in Winona, or in Mexico, or wherever! It's always encouraging to know how others are doing.

Besos!

As I stand here in your presence,
Of your beauty I will always stand in awe,
I reach my hands out to the heavens, yeah,
And I lift my voice to you alone, To you alone,
As I bow my head before you,
I lay my burdens down at your nail pierced feet,
Every ounce of you radiates your glory,
With you I know that I’m complete
And I sing Hallelujah,
You are my God, Maker of the heavens,
Hallelujah, You are my LORD,
I bow before your presence,
As I stand here in your presence,
Of your beauty I will always stand in awe,
I reach my hands out to the heavens, yeah,
And I lift my voice to you alone,
And I sing Hallelujah,
You are my God, Maker of the heavens,
Hallelujah, You the LORD of all, Maker of all the heavens,
I can only kneel before your presence,
All the nations praise your Holy Name,
You are the great I Am, More than I can reason,
I realize more that I am needing you,
You are worthy, you are worthy LORD,
You are worthy, You are worthy,
You are mighty, You are mighty,
You are mighty, You are holy,
You are mighty, You are holy ....

Food, food...class, and more food!!!

Classes started a few days ago, and they are going well. I am taking the following:

Spanish Literature
Linguistics
Gramática y Conversación

So far I am enjoying the literature class the most. Although it is the most difficult and challenging, I am infatuated with the language and temas de las poemas that we are going to start reading! Gaa! I can't wait!

Here is a group foto of the majority of the Winona students inside the Centro de Lenguas Modernas. It's a beautiful little building...almost like an indoor square plaza with two levels of classrooms.



Wednesday night, after our second day of classes, we had a cooking class at el restaurante que se llama "La Oliva." Franco, the owner, and his French sidekick demonstrated a full course meal, complete with tapas (similar to appetizers - Granada is known for these) and other gourmet cheeses, meats, wines, and desserts. Let me take you on a picture tour of the class...

Franco and the sidekick (I do not remember his name, but he was trilingual: Spanish, French, and English)


They first served us olive oil and bread. This is not just any ordinary olive oil...It comes from Huelva, a west province in Andalucía. Contained in this delicious, semi-sweet oil are aceitunas (olives), manzanilla (a type of small olive), hojiblanca, picudo, picual de campos de Beas y Trigueros (Huelva), and it is made by a pharmaceutical doctor named Nicholas Gomez Macín. It contains five different varieties of olives!! Each bottle of oil goes for 18 euros a piece (that is almost $30.00!)! Franco thinks this oil is the best in the world.



Next was a white wine called Calvente (2008), Salmorejo (chopped tomatoes, salt, and olive oil spread with fresh basil), fried, salted almonds, and jamón. We learned that the ham needs to be salted for a certain amount of days, and this number is equivalent to the ham's weight (if the ham weighed 8 lbs. for instance, it would need to be salted for 8 days). It's important for the ham to be stored in a cool dry place, which is why the mountains is a common place to store such ham. And this ham is not cooked. Interesting, eh?





Following this was an assortment of different types of sausage. The darker of the two is salchichón and the other is chorrizo, whose main ingredient is pimentón (paprika).



Next we tried Gaspacho, a cold, tomato based soup with tomates, cucumbers, garlic, and olive oil (served in a glass with a spoon). At the same time we had pan y queso, which consisted of the same ingredients as the gaspacho minus the water. Served along with this was vino tinto de Granada de un pueblo en las montañas (a darker wine from a mountain town in Granada).





To have along with the wine, Franco entered with a plate full of three different types of cheeses: queso de cabra (goat cheese), de oveja (sheep cheese), y queso de cabra y vaca (a mixture goat and cow cheese).



Our last surprise was a plate of three different types of chocolates (dark chocolate, chocolate and orange, and chocolate de turrón - chocolate with almonds) and a very sweet wine made with raisins.



¡Buen provecho!