Going Professionally Uneducated

Nothing says “I love you” than a package full of Thin Mints, a pink scarf, glittery earrings, Milanos and lipstick—thank you parents for your hugs in the form of sugar and sparkles!

           

Katherine and I making chocolate chips cookies

            I am one of those persons who just does not like to plan events when school is going on, but luckily, I was paired with an incredible roommate who loved to plan! Katherine conglomerated a group of us to go hiking in an area called Guejar Sierra—gorgeous pueblo in the Sierra Nevada Mountains about 40 minutes from Granada.  We hiked about 11 miles with a panoramic view of mountains sometimes covered in snow, but my favorite moment was when we encountered a herd of mountain goats, not quite sure why, but it made me laugh. Another cool moment was when we saw some trenches from the Civil War (1936), it was so high up and the land was so rough and rocky, I do not want to even try to imagine the fighting situation in that area. About 2 years ago, my parents and I watched There Be Dragons, which is about the Spanish Civil War—highly recommend it, and I will be watching that again once I return.

Guejar Sierra

               

       That night, we went to a free concert at a club called Plantabaja—a little dingy, but the music was incredible! First impression: a guy in a t-shirt with a washboard, another in cowboy boots, beard, plaid shirt either with spoons or a guitar, and another more hipster dude as the singer, all combined to perform a folk/pop country music in Spanish—and they were really good!

               

Halie, Ellen, Grace, Ruby, Katherine and I

        

The next morning was a Sunday, and how I love my tiny evangelical church! Katherine and I were going to perform “Come Thou Fount,” and being that we are marginal singers, we invited our almost-professional friend to cover our lack of melodious voices. We had plans to translate the hymn, but in Spanish it is COMPLETELY different, it talks about the blood of Christ with a concentration on baptism—quite odd to be frank. Turned out to be a really fun time, and the people LOVED it, yet despite our new stardom, I refuse to go professional.

             

Plantabaja band

     

    Katherine and I have the best of connections—our host mom is buddies with the director of Granada’s symphonic orchestra—pause, this is about the fifth time this has happened to me in this post…I am losing my spelling capabilities! I spelled “orchestra” as “orquestra” (Spanish), goodbye Spelling Bee awards, hello English grammar & spelling school again. Anyways, so he and his wife, Barto and Ronnie, came over for lunch. For dessert, Ronnie cut strawberries into rose-like shapes and make a chocolate dipping sauce <3