Week one in Ronda

I guess the thing about blogs is you have to tell people about them. I have yet to do that. It feels like the opening of a new store- you get it all prepared, swept clean, arranged to your own liking...then you tell your close friends... maybe give them a little preview, and then, when you often don't feel ready for it- the grand opening! I need to have that grand opening part (although I wouldn't say I am finished with the prior and necessary steps). Anywho- David Hall- I am sure if no one else you may relate (Baldwins).

Okay, so I have been in Ronda for almost one week now. There are two photos at left. Beautiful, right? The town is considered a "cliff top town" because it sits on and in between gorges. The main part of the city, lined with tapas bars, cafes and little spanish shops, along with the famous "Plaza de Los Torros," is on top of a cliff which in somehow in between mountains. Miles beyond the main happenings, small communities and farms are set along the landscape. They call this area the campos. It is like, for example, in Lawrence, Clinton lake areas are to Lawrence as campos are to Ronda. More or less. Well it is all just beautiful. These mountains surround the city on every side, which is now and has always been the main military defense of this town. Ronda's history of tension between Islam and Christianity, the new town and the old town (which are now connected by a huge Moorish bridge), the water supply, bull fighting, and so on is quite rich. If you are so interested, more info on that is here: http://www.andalucia.com/ronda/history.htm.

Well, I have found that starting my first blog post in Ronda has also been difficult because I just do not know where to begin. So many things are pulling on my mind as I sit here and wonder what to share. Well, I will just have to start. I LOVE that I can walk anywhere and everywhere. Everything is brick. Sidewalks are petite. Spain in general is not lacking much- gelato, fresh fruits, foods with so much taste, history, markets, stories, old people, young people, coffee, tradition- these things are the ornaments on each day here. It is not uncommon for me to see a woman of at least 85 years walking with her daily sack of groceries. I love that. To describe it all I would use this word: flavor. And speaking of flavor, ah, the food. I will be dedicating many posts solely to this subject as time progresses. :-)

Last thing I want to share in this post (I don't want to exhaust my readers already) are things that meet me quite unexpectedly. Now, most unexpected because I wear American glasses: It is not common for married people here to wear wedding rings. If they do, they wear them on the right hand. Everyone (literally almost everyone) smokes. Everything closes down from 2-5 (siesta). Lunch (the big meal of the day... although they all seem quite large) is at 3 and dinner is sometime between 9 and 11:30. Here, gracias is pronounced gra-thi-is, rather than gra-see-is. And, the best surprise of all, I have class from 9-1 and we get a 45 minute break. Haha. That is how a days worth of studying should be. Oh, one last thing-- I have wondered if people here sleep. Now speaking of sleep, my hope is that this did not just cause you to do so.
More
to come soon on my worship experience with about 15 Christians (maybe, honestly, the only ones or rare few in this town of 50,000) to the Spanish version of "God of This City" by Chris Tomlin. I cried. Also, next post will involve an account of my spiritual conversations with my 3 classmates (one man from Ireland, one from Chek Republic and one chica that is Korean) and my Spanish conversations professor. Explaining that I have a new heart from Jesus in Spanish, when I cannot speak Spanish, has been the highlight of it all. Until then, enjoy the photos I posted! Love you all. Linds