Day 14, Monday

Today, we went back to school after a very fun weekend in Granada! First, in grammar class with José, we learned about even more ways to use the subjunctive mood. Then in grammar practice, we finished watching “Frozen” in Spanish, which we all loved. In culture class with Beatriz, we first played a game in teams where we asked the opposing team questions about the Spanish culture we have learned about so far. Then, we learned about some important Spanish festivals, for example “La Tomatina” and “San Fermín”. “La Tomatina” occurs on the last Wednesday of August in Buñol, Spain, where thousands of people gather to throw tomatoes at each other! “San Fermín” is a week-long festival in July in Pamplona, Spain, which includes many different activities and events. One of the most well-known, however, is the “encierro”, in which bulls are released in a sectioned-off part of the city and men run with the bulls through the streets. After school, we all went back to our houses to eat lunch and rest. Iker came to pick us up around 4:30 to take us to our Flamenco dance class! At first we were all a little shy, but after awhile, our teacher, Verónica, brought us out of our shells. She taught us a simple four-count rhythm, and by the end of the class we had had a dance battle and were learning choreography for a routine to a song. Our dance teacher found ways to relate the dance to a bullfight: you must stand tall, and with confidence, and dance in a way that shows you are sure of yourself. She also told us that this would be the perfect way to try and grab the attention of a Spanish girl or boy if we were in a discoteca! Overall, today was incredibly fun and interesting, a perfect Monday after our exciting weekend!

Pacey and Olivia