18 DAYS!!

Fun fact: I'll be back home in a little over two weeks!!!!  As you can tell I'm pretty excited about that fact :) Just so give an update of whats been going on here, I stayed here in Granada last weekend and have been working on all of my final papers and projects for school--after all this is "study" abroad.  Last Thursday was a holiday "dia de la cruz" which means day of the cross.  Its celebrated with everyone dressing up in flamenco dresses and suits and displaying crosses made of flowers all over the city.  There was a stage in the municipality plaza where professionals to little girls all danced Sevillana which looks a lot like flamenco but a little less angry and intense looking.  Julie and I went out with everyone in the family including the little girl and we were forced to wear a carnation in our hair because they said if we didn't it meant that men were allowed to kiss us, so we generously obliged to wearing red carnations in our hair for an evening. :)

On another day this weekend there was a very big soccer game in Granada which I was unaware of until Filo and Pepe brought me out to "experience the atmosphere".  There were people everywhere! Every bar that had a TV was packed with people and even the bars without them everyone was asking about the score every five minutes and talking about the players and the season.  It was Granada vs. Real Madrid, so really we didn't stand a chance, but the opportunity to make a stand against such a famous team was very exciting for every "Granadino".   We walked to the stadium after tapas and stood around the outside with the crowds of people watching from the gates and Filo was the only one with a radio so we made lots of friends.  Sadly within the last minute Granada lost because Madrid scored two goals.  It was to be expected but nevertheless everyone was rather disappointed.

As for things that are going on now, tonight is our coordinators birthday so we are going to a Mexican restaurant for dinner to celebrate (because hes Mexican) him and cinco de mayo which was last weekend as well.   Also it seems to be the season for poplar trees because they are shedding these fluffy white puffs that look like dandelions and it is snowing from the skies.  Its rather odd and very inconvenient, pretty sure I've swallowed a few and so many girls from our group have headache from the allergies.  Luckily I'm not one of them and my allergies or whatever I had seems to be going away.
In upcoming news, Casey and I are leaving for Dublin on Thursday and staying there until Monday morning so that should definitely be a fun adventure.  I am desperately longing to see anything green and I know I won't be disappointed.  Other than that, I still have a lot of work to do for finals and a lot of presentations coming up next week that I need to prepare for.   :)  18 DAYS TIL HOME!!!

Red Carnation 

Cross in the Municipal Building

Flamenco Dresses