Sunday, September 13, 2009

I would have killed for Tapa Tapa...


Tapas!

Tapas is an incredible invention. You buy a drink (alcoholic in nature) and you receive a reasonable sized snack. The Spaniards know what's up.

After an unbelievably impersonal and frustrating process obtaining my visa, I left for Spain on the drop of a hat, but the fun didn't end there:

-Tuesday received a call saying my visa had arrived in Toronto. Partied with London peeps.

-Wednesday had a wisdom tooth pulled.

-Thursday received an e-mail from my university saying I could still make the Spanish Language course preceding the regular year if I got to Granada by Sunday night. Went to Toronto that night.

-Friday made the 10am-2:30pm window at the Spanish consulate to pick up the visa, was told I needed to hand in a flight itinerary to get my visa, was also told that the Consular General needed to sign the visa in order to make it valid (in which case how could I book a flight leaving that weekend if I wasn't sure I could get my visa Friday). Due to some questionable procedures on my and my older brother's part I got my visa at 2:00, booked a flight for 6:00.

-Saturday arrived in Frankfurt, Germany (the worst airport in the world). Flew to Madrid. Was verbally abused by an angry Spanish man in the train station for 10 minutes straight. Arrived in Granada at 9:45 (here). Took a cab to a hotel. Slept for the first time in almost 24hrs of straight traveling.

-Sunday the whole city was closed so I found my school then walked around with a Texan I met on the train. Watched a flamenco show in the Albayzin neighbourhood - the birthplace of flamenco.

-Monday went to class. Bought random stuff like apower adapter, got a cell phone.

-Tuesday went to class. Looked for an apartment.

-Wednesday went to class. Looked for an apartment.

-Thursday went to class. Looked for an apartment. Miraculously met a guy, Pedro Alvarez, while looking at my last apartment viewing of the night, who had an amazing apartment on the edge of Albayzin. I went to see it and loved it. It's a 5 minute walk to school, on the edge of both central Granada and old Granada, looks like an old Arab Cave/Palace. It has an incedible view of the Alhambrah and the city in general. Pedro is a great guy from outside Madrid who speaks very little engligh which is perfect. We're great friends. I slept on a couch that night.

-Friday I officially moved into my place, went out to a concert.

-Saturday I cleand the apt. with Pedro, spent time with his visiting parents who speak so fast I understand nothing unless they're talking to me directly.

-Sunday slept in. Wrote a blog.