High-five

I'm going on my fifth day in Granada so here are five things that I've enjoyed thus far:

1. I have seen at least 20 Chicago Bulls jerseys. Some are rocking a Jordan jersey while most are reppin' #1: Derrick Rose. I said to my friend Pietro, "Everyone here is a Bulls fan!" He informed me it has nothing to do with loyalty to the team but rather fashion. NBA jerseys are the hip thing for guys to wear. In addition to the Bulls, some guys wear Celtics jerseys, but hardly as many. I sorely regret leaving my Pippen jersey at home. 
2. Tapas are a small dish that accompany a drink and are a culinary tradition all across Spain. The tradition began centuries ago as a slice of bread used to cover a glass of wine in between sips so that flies didn't get to the drink. Now tapas have evolved to include all sorts of ingredients: meats, cheeses, vegetables, etc. In Granada, if you order a drink (beer, wine, or even a soft drink), you get a free tapa. This is not the case across Spain. In most places you pay extra to get a tapa with your drink. I tried this out last night at a restaurant below my apartment. With my first beverage, I got a hamburger (bigger than a slider, smaller than a Whopper) with a handful of french fries. With the second, I had a pancetta (kind of like bacon) sandwich with aioli and more fries. For $5 I had satiated my thirst and my hunger.
3. I have yet to hop in a taxi or on a bus. Granada is a small enough city that I can walk just about anywhere. The center of town is about 15 minutes and the farthest I've had to walk so far was 30 minutes to the Office of Immigration. Thank goodness for Google Maps and smart phones. I just plug in my headphones, turn on a song, and press start to get walking directions to my destination. So simple! Tomorrow I'll take my first bus to get to the school where I work. It is about 30 minutes outside of the city in a small town called Otura. 
4. The diversity in this city is outstanding! Just walking down the street, I have seen so many different kinds of people. It was even more evident at the Office of Immigration this morning. I believe I saw people from every continent with the exception of Antarctica and possibly Australia. I'm not exactly sure what attracts so many people. It's obviously a beautiful city, but the economic situation in Spain is rough. As of July 2013, 56% of people under the age of 25 are unemployed. The rate of unemployment for people ages 25-75 is 24%. I feel very lucky to have a job, even if it is part-time. (http://www.datosmacro.com/paro/espana) 
5. When I was in Colombia, I thought that no country could have nearly as many holidays. I stand corrected. Apparently, Spain has a lot to celebrate. This weekend, the city of Granada celebrated its patron virgin: La Virgen de las Angustias (the Virgin of Anxieties). On Saturday night, I met up with my British friend, Joseph. We walked to a neighborhood called Albayzín where we had a view of the Alhambra (the palace featured in the picture at the top of the page, which I did not take). We walked through windy roads until we came to a plaza where a band was performing. The group was made up of three singers, a guitarist, a flautist, a drummer and a keyboardist and together they made the whole plaza dance. Everyone was smiling and having a good time. Joseph looked at me and said "We live in Spain!!! High-five!" It was pretty cheesy, but we couldn't deny our excitement to have started anew in such a beautiful country. The next day, I went for coffee in the center of town. I wandered until I came to an ice cream shop that had been recommended to me. As I ate my ice cream, I paid no attention to where I was going (Google Maps was turned off for this excursion). When I realized I had gone the wrong way, I turned back only to find out that a procession for the Virgin was about to begin. I went to the end of the street and grabbed a seat next to two older ladies. They explained to me all that was happening and eventually we shared umbrellas when the rain began to fall. Hundreds of people accompanied marching bands with lit candles. They lined the streets and walked from one cathedral to another. I noticed some women were walking barefoot and attributed this to painful high heels. I asked the ladies next to me and was informed that some people (not just women) walk barefoot to show their dedication to the Virgin (at least, that's what I understood through their thick Spanish accents). Several bands passed and the float with the Virgin did not join the parade due to the rain. On the walk home, I tried not to slip on the tile sidewalk, thinking I might be better off barefoot.  

Bonus: I am loving watching TV here. Most of the channels show programs from the US dubbed in Spanish. Yesterday I watched bits and pieces of the following: Clueless, Spongebob Squarepants, The Real World, Catfish and Back to the Future.