Ah, 21 in Spain! I can't believe it! It is surreal to be ringing in my birthday in a foreign country, but it has been fun so far. I got to sleep in late which was a total blessing because I was so tired (jet lag and non-stop walking/class will do that to you). Then when Claudine and I woke up and got dressed, our señora had a delicious comida for us. We had beef stew that had chopped up potatoes and little pieces of beef that were extremely tender. She also had the same cheese and sweet dried sausage spread that we had the other night..incredible. Also, I forgot to mention that they served fresh sliced bread (like the Italian kind) with every meal and it was perfect to soak up the broth from the stew or make a tiny sandwhich with the meat and cheese. There was also a "salad" of roasted red pepper, onion, tuna and boiled eggs...since I don't eat eggs, I just had a taste of the other ingredients. Then, instead of our customary fruit, nuestra señora brought out a little cake for me that had a 21 candle on it! She and the other foreign exchange student Kazuna (from Japan) said Happy Birthday to me in Spanish! It was SO sweet of her and she also got me a beautiful pink scarf for the spring. The cake was so different than it is in the U.S. because it was like an ice cream cake, meringue, cream brulee, s'mores, and yellow cake rolled into one. I think it is similar to a baked Alaska (Mary, help me out here lol). It was a layer of yellow cake, then a layer of hard chocolate, then cream, then chocolate ice cream, then a lemony meringue which was also broiled on top like a creme brulee. So delicious!
Claudine also got me a gift and my mom sent on in my luggage too, so I was able to open them both and it felt like I was home with friends. Of course, I miss all my friends and family and wish they could have been here to celebrate with me too, but my Spanish friends and family are making me feel right at home :D (But I still want to have a celebration when I get home, ahem friends)
So Claudine and I are now going to find a place to see a flamenco show tonight with everyone and then go to a tapas bar where you can get a drink and they give you a small plate of tapas (appetizer) for free! Apparently, it is a special Granada thing because in other cities in Spain, you have to pay for tapas. But the people here are keeping with old traditions (which is AWESOME) Besides being traditional, the people in Granada are so friendly! Even when Claudine and I ask for directions on the street or ask our host family questions about words, they are more than willing to help us understand. Vamos a caminar con nuestros compañeros antes del flamenco y tapas (We are going to walk around with our friends before the show) so hasta luego!
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