Now, we play once a week on Thursdays from 7:00-9:00 p.m. and it is something I look forward to every time. I only played soccer once in the United States, but I did not know then what I was doing; and when I play every week in Granada, the more experienced players teach me specific skills such as passing the ball forward and behind you instead of only playing a game. Playing soccer has been a great way to meet local students in Granada.
A hobby of mine back home is playing Magic: The Gathering with my friends at school. It is a card game similar to Pokémon and is played with 2-6 players. Luckily, I found a game shop near my apartment that has a Magic: The Gathering scene and checked it out in my first week in Granada. Although I know how to play the game well, I was nervous because I would be playing it in Spanish rather than in English. During my first tournament at the shop, the local players were very patient with me because of the language barrier, and they helped me learn the keywords of the game in Spanish. Since I had a lot of fun the first time I went, I decided to make this a weekly thing I do in Granada. I usually go every Friday or Saturday and play for a few hours with my play group that developed after I had gone to the shop a few times. My friends at the shop are around my age, and we teach one another our respective native languages while having fun with a little friendly competition. Playing Magic at a local shop in Granada is one of my favorite activities I do in Granada and I am happy I get to continue my hobby from back home while living here in Granada.
