Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Granada -- Agustín Lara

Granada, tierra soñada por mí
Mi cantar se vuelve gitano cuando es para tí
Mi cantar hecho de fantasía
Mi cantar flor de melancolía
Que yo te vengo a dar.
Granada,
Tierra ensangrentada
En tardes de toros.
Mujer que conserva el embrujo
De los ojos moros;
Te sueño rebelde y gitana
Cubierta de flores
Y beso tu boca de grana
Jugosa manzana
Que me habla de amores.
Granada,
Manola cantada en coplas preciosas
No tengo otra cosa que darte
Que un ramo de rosas,
De rosas de suave fragancia
Que le dieran marco a la virgen morena.
Granada,
Tu tierra está llena
De lindas mujeres
De sangre y de sol.

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Photo Recap: California Christmas -- Spanish Summer

Ok here are some photos. The way blogger uploads them is totally confusing so try to think of them as reverse chronological order every 5 photos. Sorry but I hope you enjoy!

Christmas dinner with the family: The one picture I have of Taft. My sister took the rest and didn't give them to me:
Family New Year's Eve:
Visiting Matt and Laurel:
New Year's at Sarah Stafford's house with Sari:

With Uncle Mark: Christmas morning!:
Mattie should have gotten coal in her stocking this year but Santa was nice and brought her a giant bone:
Christmas day with our new Tous jewelry from Alicia and Victor:
Sister, mom, grandma, great-grandma and me:

Christmas Eve with the cousins: Spanish treats for everyone:
Family portraits:

Uncle Mark brought us these Russian hats from China:

Adrian dancing with Violeta before his Salsa dancing show I went to: Adrian and his group getting ready to perform:
On a walk with Emilio, Pepa and their friend, Paco (I think):
Inside Carmen de los Mártires, finally:
Rosa, Raquel, Zore and me:

A trip to Guejar Sierra with Emily:
We went out with my roommates and their friends. From right to left, Dani, ??, Maribel, Rosa, Zore, her mom, Raquel, ??, Emily and myself in front. Raquel and Maribel are the 2 sisters I didn't like at all:
Zore and her mom, who were actually both very nice:
Marina being adorable in her favortie place to play. Pepa's kitchen with syran wrap and foil:

Emily and me at a school dinner: Michelle and I who always seem to get preggers ar social dinners:
On a walk with Emilio. I was glad someone else was getting the phone in the face 3 hour tour instead of me:
Exploring Realejo:
My feet on Cuesta de los Chinos:


The big mess at the end of the night: A bigger mess at the end of the night:
Heff and Rachel:
Free Chenoa concert:
My Valentine's roses from Victor:


Hugh Heffener and his Playboy bunnies getting ready for a wild night of Carnaval in Cádiz: Samar and I:
Michelle and me with our 15 year old student who somehow tricked his parents into letting him come on the trip. He couldn't hold his alcohol either as the bus had to stop for him to puke on the way back. Hopefully he learned his lesson:
The bunnies with a guy giving out free mamograms. All you had to do was put your boobies in the box on his head. Thankfully ours were balloons:
Jenny and Juan as Superwoman and Superman:
A weekend in Malaga with Victor:


On the beach photo shoot:

The lights for carnaval:
Eating lunch with Michelle at El Mirador de San Nicolas:


More penetentes: I think its more points with God if you walk barefoot. Keep in mind its cold and takes almost all day:
It takes a lot of people to lift up the heavy christs and virgins:
A little kid in the band:
Me on the bridge going to my house at night:

The Christ for this procession: These guys were dressed up like kings or soemthing for this procession:
Little girls in teh procession:
The Virgin:
Penetent people, not the KKK:


Monsul beach, the famous one where Rambo, Indiana Jones and Goonies was supposedly shot: Raul's house in Mojácar, specifically his cactus garden:
Me standing next to the Indalo, the good luck symbol of Almería:
A lady dressed up and walking in the Semana Santa processions:
Priest incense guys in the procession:
Also in the town of Mojácar:



Driving on our road trip:
Sitting on the beach:
The beach in Mojácar:
More of Raul's house:


These are really out of order but ohe well. The birthday spread of food. The Spainards realized that its cooler to have a party with a lot of food, rather than just alcohol:
The city of Mojácar where Victor and I went for Spring Break:
A picture of us in La Parrilla a weekend that we went to the beach:
My friends from this year, on Brad's last night in June. Jenna, Samar, Brad, Michelle and me:


Jenny crowning me the birthday queen: Nachete, Marina and Pepa coming to inspect the birthday preparations:
Jenna, Juan and Jenny:
Happy surpise birthday party!:
Joker, Dani, Diego, Rafa and Charif:

I loved my visit with Katie: But I think the Spainards loved it even more:
WWE in the bullfighting ring:
Iñaki, me and Michelle:
A whole fried octopus:


My 2 and 3 year old students. Warning: They only look sweet and innocent: Michelle and me and our older students:
Rafa and me:
My students paying attention:
Sacramento, Carmina, Blanca and me:


At the Mexican party at the feria with Michelle, myself, Brad and Kristen: Jenna, Brad and Michelle at La Herradura:
The Alpujarras with Nick, Kristen and Brad:
The mountain pueblos of La Alpujarra:
Victor and me in front of the main cross: Brad and the cake I baked him for his birthday:
Michelle and me at Isla Mágica field trip:
Alicia and Toni when they came and visited me in Granada:
The body of Christ carrier for the feria:

Marina dressed up in traditional Spanish dress. The main reason I want to have Spanish kids is to dress them up like this ;) : Alicia, Marina and Nachete at Victor's house:
Brad and Kristen at brunch at Michelle's house for Las Cruces celebration:
Spanish horse and people:
A cross:

From the rooftop of random dude's high rise appartment in Madrid Night visit to La Alhambra:
Dani and Wali playing and singing flamenco:
People climbing all over the fountain when Spain won a game:
The celebration in Malaga when Spain won the championships with Victor and Brenda:


Blanca driving us to Segovia: The aqueduct of Segovia:
Touching the magical rocks of the church that supposedly gave us power:
Michelle and I on a rowboat in the Retiro park in Madrid:
Dude we traded English lessons for a boat ride and dinner in Madrid:


Guanche and Magdalena: Las Palmas de Gran Canaria:
Volcanic sand:
Sergio, me Mada and Koki:
Some dude, Koki, Mada, Jose, some other dude, and me dressed like peasants:


Baleric lizzard: Me swimming in the blue cave:
Alicia, Rosa and me:
The accident:
Giant paella in Canarias for Mada's birthday:


Tim, Jolene and me: In Father Junipero Serra's hometown:
Pamboli, breakfast of champions:
Toni:
The beaches of Mallorca:


My trip to Guadix and the cave houses there: Mini ice cream cones with Jolene:
Tim and I in Athens in front of the Acropolis:
A pelican and Tim in Mykonos, Greece:
Red Beach in Santorini, Greece:
Try not and throw up in your mouth at this mullet:

Michelle and I all dressed up with somewhere to go:
Enchiladas!!!!:
Probably the best picture I have taken of La Alhambra:
The sunset in Granada from El Mirador de San Miguel:

Welcome flowers:

My sister in her stalker outfit:
Beached dock:
Overpriced buy yummy fish dinner:
The cave houses on my walk with Bea and Antonio: