To do

Moonrise from our rooftop terrace

The weather has turned, fall is definitely arriving. The nights are cooler, and although the sun is still shining, the sky is bluer. The flowers on the school terrace are fading. The air smells different. I love it but it also makes me feel nostalgic. The Granada chapter is slowly coming to an end.

We've had interesting episodes in my house, which I share with other students from the school. Let me call it SGA, for an abbreviation of the address. People have come and left again. It's hard to say goodbye when they leave. And exciting, for we are curious about who will move in next. We've had big parties on the rooftop in SGA, quiet dinners in small kitchens, long nights watching the stars with a tinto de verano, early Sunday-morning housebreakers (scary!), lots of guitar players practicing and many types of instant coffees standing in the cupboard. I've been very lucky with my flatmates - they were all girls who stayed for several weeks and were crazy and adorable. Some chicken coop drama was included - but thanks to my many languages I managed to connect to many people. I've even made some happy with my Vietnamese cooking! What more can I ask for.

I'm taking care of my checklist right now. There seem to be too many to-do's on it! One of them includes replying to the many messages I get from all of you on facebook or by e-mail. I thought that keeping a blog would make it easier to stay in touch and keeping everyone updated on what I'm doing. But sometimes it feels like extra work. 

I hope it will be easier by the time I'm in Sevilla and have an internet connection AT HOME! This has been really hard the last two months. In some ways it was good not to have internet. I was getting too addicted. But now I've been reminded of what a precious resource it can be. Hopefully in Sevilla I will have it again.

Still looking for a room in Sevilla for the month of October. Wish me luck!

Masters of rhythm

Time flies again in Granada. I don't know where the last 7 weeks went. I feel like I'm still behind everything, running after time, trying to find my rhythm. And I have to leave in two weeks for Sevilla. How did that happen? 

I absolved my first two weeks of "avanzado" dancing more or less successfully. The wonderful Estefania taught us Soleá por Bulerías. There were only two of us in class - semiprivate lessons!
And guitarist Antonio was so nice to sing for us...

Estefania, master of rhythm, my fellow class mate, Antonio

I've got to hand it to my teachers. They are doing a amazing job. First of all, they are all fantastic dancers. Every one of them has a different style - some more classical, some more gitano, some very sensual and some with incredible feet. Every one of them has something different so teach us. So many students pass through the school year in, year out. And yet here they are, every day, giving us their very best. They push me to my limits every day. I am always a bit dismayed to discover how much more there is to learn about flamenco. The footwork rhythm patterns that Estefania comes up with are mindblowing. It takes all I have to understand them - let alone command my feet to perform the steps. I feel my brain is made of some synthetic plush animal filling sometimes. And suddenly, as if by magic, I get the step. I get the step! And as soon I start thinking about it I mess up again. Ah, feet...!!

Judit, who drilled us in footwork

Then there is all that business of listening to the singing. Without the 'cante', we dancers are nothing. We need something to dance to. Dancing flamenco is all about listening to what the singer is doing and dance accordingly, and there are some strict rules about that. The problem is that very few teachers will tell you the secrets about listening to 'cante'. This is because many of the great dancers have grown up with the music in their blood and know instinctively how to react when the music goes this way or other. That leaves us poor foreigners quite clueless. And it's actually being explained to me in school! Hallelujah!

My teachers work hard outside of school, too - most of them perform several times a week in the tourist tablaos to earn money. One of them works in a tablao SEVEN nights a week. I don't know how he does it. And every day in class, he yells at us until we get the step right! (He doesn't yell at us in a bad way... he is just very strict and cuts us no slack at all. But in a funny way. I have to keep from laughing all the time and then he'll stare at me even harder, but with a twinkle in his eye... so funny!)

Curvy Pilar

So, I'm very happy with the Carmen de las Cuevas as my current dance school.  I'm given just what I need right now. It feels good to be dancing every day. I'm being pushed to my limits every day. I have to look, really look at myself in the mirror every day. I have to confront my fears every day and train my slow brain to coordinate my hands and feet and to memorize complicated patterns. I'm surrounded by very caring teachers who are demanding, but fun. It will be hard to leave... 

Bewölkt

Ein Eintrag auf Deutsch... Pünktlich auf den 1. September ist der Herbst in Granada angekommen. 15 Grade Temperatursturz, ein kühler Wind weht und der Himmel ist voller Wolken.

Die letzte Woche war schön in unserem Haus. Einige kochfreudige Leute waren hier und wir haben schöne Feste gefeiert. Letzten Samstag haben wir auf der Terrase eine "Cena asiática"  - ein asiatisches Dinner - mit grossem Geköch veranstaltet.

Wir sind am Dienstag in die Flamenco-Bar "Le Chien Andalou" gegangen und haben eine stimmungsvolle Show gesehn von Jorge "El Pisao" (Gitarre), David Sorroche (Gesang) und Pilar Fajardo (Tanz). Pilar war die letzten zwei Wochen meine Tanzlehrerin in Choreographie. Es war toll mit ihr.

Gestern abend fand die erste Show des "Festival de las Cuevas" statt. Unsere Tanzlehrer haben eine Riesenshow aufgezogen. In den Tagen davor waren sie wie besessen am üben. Die Mühe hat sich gelohnt, die Aufführung war wunderbar.

Estefanía Martinez

Judit Cabrera

Raimundo Benítez

Pilar Fajardo

Maricarmen Guerrero

Wir waren hin und weg.

Dieses Wochenende werden sich einige Freunde verabschieden. Heute abend ist deshalb Tapas- und Teterías-Runde angesagt. Mir bleiben noch 4 Wochen bis Sevilla... die Zeit fliegt! Morgen kommt eine meiner besten Freundinnen für eine Woche nach Granada. Wir werden zusammen den Compás (Rhythmus)-Kurs besuchen. Zudem darf ich nächste Woche ins Fortgeschrittenen-Niveau aufsteigen. Bin gespannt!