Granada, Day 22.

We're leaving here on the 29th, and that really didn't occur to me until last night.
(This entry is going to bounce around a lot, so please try to keep up.)

On Monday we were talking about going to a Salsa club just me and her so that I can learn how to dance better and so that we can just have a girls night. She told me not to tell Ashley because she's become a "Robahombre" -- man stealer. She said we should go this weekend, but I told her I've been planning on going to Barcelona. When she though about next weekend we both sort of moped a little... I'm not going to be here next weekend...

Last night I was sitting with our host mom at the dinner table watching England v. Ukraine. We were rooting for England, because Ukraine sucks and we really want Spain to play them. I told our host mom that I've been trying to get a group together to go to Barcelona because one of my BFF's is going to be there with a friend. However, I didn't realize that over here if you want to go somewhere on a Saturday, you have to buy your ticket three weeks before on a Tuesday... (not literately, but pretty much). So since tickets are few and far between and hella expensive, I told her I'd probably just stay here.
Her face, I kid you not, lit up like the fourth of July. She quickly busted out saying we should go to this salsa club, not only because it's awesome, but because it's a "Noche Erotica" ... yeah, google it. What I gathered from her speedy description of what's to come:

Her best male friend is a stripper, a good one. We have to buy a 'grown up' gift and take it to this party to swap or something, and we get to drink a lot, and dance the night away followed by a strip show of some sort with lots of erotic things?

Sounds fun right? :)

Yesterday I was talking with some girls in my class about going to Barca this weekend too, and they told me about a festival happening in Apujarra, remember that place I wrote about with the freezing cold pool?
Well, they have a huge water fight in the streets. I'm talking, people standing on their balconies throwing buckets of water on people walking through the streets, people in the streets dumping water bottles on you, and the occasional 'bomberro' -- fire fighter, coming through with a hose and just soaking EVERYONE.

Sounds fun right? :)

We also talked about how it's the festival of San Juan -- Festival of Fire and Water.
If you go to the beach on this night, before midnight you'll find an 'amante' lover. You jump in the water to wash away evil spirits. After midnight you wash your face and hands three times in the ocean to guarantee three wishes. You let the waves hit your feet six times to ensure a pregnancy within the year. You jump over a bonfire three times to cleanse and purify yourself, and to burn all of your problems away.

There are a few other rituals I'm sure but that's all I can find right now.

It's also the shortest night of the year, because it's the Summer Solstice... so it just seems like it's full of magic. Our host mom calls it the night of magic actually. Here it's said that Solsitces are noches de los hombres, which are nights where spirits from the 'other side' can come to Earth, like God's, Saints, spirits, errthang.

in case you want the Spanish version:

http://arquehistoria.com/historiasla-noche-de-san-juan-leyendas-fuego-y-magia-460

Sounds fun right?  :)

Our professor was even talking to us about it, except more on the educational side. She said that there's a whole other side of Día de San Juan, and it's about celebrating the Spanish Language. It's called "El Dia E" There have been a bunch of videos on youtube and on the website "Eldiae.es" about peoples favorite words in Spanish. I chose "perdóname" (excuse me) just because I like the sound, but I also like "Sueño" (dream) and "Amor" (love).
 Also pretty cool.


The Spaniards are really into this magic thing and I really like it. They have little "Brujas" (witches) everywhere. I found some that are supposed to bring you love, a good job, hope for the future, a family, all kinds of things. They're really awesome.
They also believe heavily in angels and spirits and such.
It's like a mix of Catholicism and Paganism.

Honestly, it sounds like my cup-o-tea.


Reasons again why I'm falling in love with Spain.


If you want to know something specific, like school, weather, food,  junk I'm not writing about, let me know. I'd be happy to oblige.


Buenas Tardes
<3