Where SoCal meets Dubai

I'll jump right in without taking a breath. Sometimes that's the only option when the clock is ticking. Hectic, happy month, finally getting the chance to reflect on it. Here's what it has involved.

The Holy Week Experience: Malaga
I spent Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday of Holy Week in Malaga, watching the processions, sensing the solemnity, and having fun with Miriam, Johnnie, Julian, and some friends we met at the hostel. High/lowlights:

• Waiting outside on the somewhat nasty beach, waiting for the hostel to open, as the sun came up over Costa del Sol. Despite the cold, and wishes that I had organized arrival time better, it was beautiful. Picture to the right!
• Processions:
• The absolute power and faith expressed in the music, parading, faces.
• The sheer luxury of the floats: Madonna made of porcelain and swallowed by gold candles, Jesus' pearl face. Blurry picture of Madonna float hoisted by 200 men.
• The moment after the parade pause when the men shove their shoulders under the wood planks and hoist the several-ton float into the air, reminding me of a swinging chandelier.
• The occasional laughter, drunk group of adolescent men, or shirtless participant... reminding me we were still in Spain on a Thursday/Friday night!
• Flamenco: "the soul of the Spanish south," says my guidebook. very true. it was passionate and terrifying and fantastic and colorful and overdone. the dancers' lightspeed heels and drummer's knotted fingers.
• Bullfight: too squeamish and poor to see one in person, I watched parts of a bullfight from a mountainside in Malaga. close enough for me!

Soul of Andalucia: Sevilla
From Malaga, we went back to Sevilla, the capital of Andalucia, where we spent three days seeing everything. The Cathedral/Giralda, Plaza de Espana (where the walls are made entirely of individually painted mosaic tiles)...one of my favs was riding a 4-person Flinstone's bike through Parque de Maria Luisa. I saw Mikayla for a couple hours (love that girl), and also ate helado with Mary Beth Kime, who I had always wanted to get to know better.
Met some interesting people:
Rheut (nickname Mu) from Thailand, who I fell in love with almost immediately due to how much I miss Earm (nickname Chutima), my Thai exchange sister. He, like all Thai people I have met, struck me as smiley, open, peaceful, and he has facebook! I love (mostly) all things Thai! And will probably end up there one day...
Danielle from Washington DC, who is spending the semester in Scotland, but vacationing in Spain. We walked through Plaza de Espana together. I burnt her pasta (yeah, i know, how does that happen) and still haven't forgiven myself.
August, the curly-haired 20-year-old magician from Kansas, vacationing in Spain. He had a great time showing me card and rope tricks.

Mezquita Land: Cordoba
From there, Johnnie/Julian headed off to Tarifa (the southernmost point of Spain), while I went to Cordoba, a small but intriguing Moorish city, famous for La Mezquita. Two highlights:
1. La Mezquita, where hundreds of Moorish arches surround a golden capilla (chapel), the epitome of Mudejar (Christian-Islam mix art) architecture. It
blew me away.
2. A night walking around Cordoba with Claudio from Austria, Sebastian from Chile, Suzie the Kiwi and Allison the Aussie.

Where SoCal Meets Dubai: Granada
Having exhausted quaint Cordoba, I took a two-hour bus to Granada, which my guidebook told me was the ONE city everyone has to visit in Spain. I whole-heartedly agree. I had only two days in Granada and ache for more. Highlights:
Albaycin: the neighborhood, a reasonably far walk from all the city action, where I stayed. it's the arabic quarter of the city, full of white walls and cobblestones and olive trees and rainbow-colored flowers, but also of Arabic, wide-eyed children, Catholic churches, tea shops, and hippies.
The "ambiente" (vibe): walking down from my neighborhood, i passed thirty or more shops full of 3 euro scarves, elaborate vases, the smell of herbal tea...all boasting Arabic names and vendors. I remember feeling incredibly excited for Lebanon all of a sudden.

La Alhambra: the most beautiful building in Spain, called the "Taj Mahal of Europe." words don't work here. check out my pictures. the one thing i will say is that every wall was delicately carved with porcelain and pearl Arabic script, which I whole-heartedly gobbled up. I wish I could get married there.
Stay tuned.