I heard some juicy gossip today but I can’t say what it is… What happens in Granada stays in Granada or “Lo que pasa en Granada se queda en Granada.” The server at our nearby restaurant taught us this phrase when he noticed us talking secretively. He said it’s an important phrase to know in Granada and put his hand over his heart: “Un phrase de Granada muy bonito con sentimento.”

This morning Norma led a fascinating workshop called “What’s At Stake?” Her theory is that “What’s At Stake” is the central driving force of a piece of writing.  When something is at stake for the character (either in the personal, social, professional or political sphere) it makes the character more believable, creates intrigue, and gives us a glimpse into the psychology or inner world of the character. We took ten minutes to write about a moment in time (5 seconds) in which something is revealed. We went around the table to read our stories of suspense: two past lovers meeting and being trapped between two glass doors were just a few of our stories.

We went to our yoga spot at 6 p.m. and took some photos before practice for fun.  Yoga was focused on the 3rd chakra, which represents will power and the self, or the ego. We ended with meditation — this time with the Tibetan purification meditation. It involves a lot of visualization and helps clear the mind of all that we are processing at a given time.

In the evening, our visiting teacher and novelist Peter Orner arrived!  We welcomed him with a night out to see Flamenco at El Taller, which is near Place Nueva. The four musicians sat in a straight line facing forward and clapped fiercely, while the man in the middle sang with intense emotion. We waited in anticipation for the women in black lace to dance.  After 20 minutes of build up she finally danced, expressing her pain through movement and her facial expressions.