It all hit me last night that I am going to be living here for 8 more months.
I won't be home for Christmas, my birthday, Easter, Thanksgiving---I'm on my own! Which is all very exciting, and a little bit scary. I'm expecting a lot of ups and downs this upcoming year, needless to say. I'm up for the challenge.
But I'm meeting so many people, mostly Americans. Everybody is very friendly and interesting. At night, we meet up in the plaza and break off and go in smaller groups to the various bars and clubs. It's easy to notice the American students since we 1) speak English and 2) don't look European.
I'll be very sad, I imagine, when most of them leave in December to go back to the states.
For now, though--I'm feeling VERY OVERWHELMED by all the trips I want to take around Europe and by all the new people that I'm meeting. I want to do it all! I just need to take a step back, take a few deep breaths, and take it one day at a time.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Vale vale vale (ok ok ok)
Classes have started and I am finally starting to get to know my way around Salamanca. All my classes are in the same building, close to La Plaza Mayor, and it's about a 15 minute walk from my apartment. I love waking up every morning and walking through the streets to get to class. It's fun to weave my way around all the children in their uniforms and their mothers, looking sophisticated and very European in high heels and nice dresses. And wherever I go, no matter what time of day, there's old men in sweaters and khaki pants, leaning on their canes or sitting on benches, watching the world go by. And they do this every day!
The way people live here is so much more laid back and family oriented than what I'm used to (which, obviously, is to be expected!). Case and point: it's typical for children to live with their parents until they're, ya know, 30; everybody goes home around 2pm for lunch everyday to have a big meal prepared by the mother; it's common for families to wander the streets of Salamanca in the evening, with nowhere to go except to be out of their small homes. One of the biggest surprises for me: it's not common to have friends over to your home. In fact, it's frowned upon. An ISA American student made the mistake of having a friend up to apartment yesterday for lunch, and both got chewed out by their host mothers; whoops!
Salamanca is everything I thought it would be! Everything is walkable, so I won't need to pay for public transportation. It's also a very safe city, so I won't need to worry too much about my stuff getting stolen or being targeted because I'm an American (this is different, I think, than students who are studying in cities like Madrid and Barcelona). And because it's a huge university town, restaurants and stores are much, much cheaper and more affordable than Madrid. All the Americans I've met (there's a lot of us!) are all friendly and like to have a good time. I think I will like it here.
Time for dinner, then I'm off to Karaoke night! Hasta noche!
On a side note: This weekend I'm going to take pictures of the city; will post them ASAP! For now, a pictures of the small kitchen in my apartment:
The way people live here is so much more laid back and family oriented than what I'm used to (which, obviously, is to be expected!). Case and point: it's typical for children to live with their parents until they're, ya know, 30; everybody goes home around 2pm for lunch everyday to have a big meal prepared by the mother; it's common for families to wander the streets of Salamanca in the evening, with nowhere to go except to be out of their small homes. One of the biggest surprises for me: it's not common to have friends over to your home. In fact, it's frowned upon. An ISA American student made the mistake of having a friend up to apartment yesterday for lunch, and both got chewed out by their host mothers; whoops!
Salamanca is everything I thought it would be! Everything is walkable, so I won't need to pay for public transportation. It's also a very safe city, so I won't need to worry too much about my stuff getting stolen or being targeted because I'm an American (this is different, I think, than students who are studying in cities like Madrid and Barcelona). And because it's a huge university town, restaurants and stores are much, much cheaper and more affordable than Madrid. All the Americans I've met (there's a lot of us!) are all friendly and like to have a good time. I think I will like it here.
Time for dinner, then I'm off to Karaoke night! Hasta noche!
On a side note: This weekend I'm going to take pictures of the city; will post them ASAP! For now, a pictures of the small kitchen in my apartment:
(notice the little dog, Rita, the family's pet!)
Monday, September 26, 2011
First Impressions: New family & new home
Thoughts on my new home: it's small and clean! The apartment is a 15 minutes walk from the center of Salamanca, or La Plaza Mayor. When my host dad and I pulled up on the curb my first day, I was surprised to see how fancy the outside of the building was. Surrounded by a pastry store and a clothing store, and across the street from a small park, it appeared to be an upscale apartment complex. To get into the building, we had to unlock a great big wooden and metal double door push it in. This led us to an entryway, leading to a long hallway with white, shiny marble floors, lined with mailboxes. Nobody lives on the first floor, which is normal.
After lugging my 3 suitcases inside, Felix, my host dad, helped me shove all my suitcases into a tiny elevator (which I made the mistake of trying to get into to ride up), then we walked up the stairs and met my suitcases at the top. I was greeted by my host mom, Montse, who kissed me on both cheeks, teased me for bringing so many clothes, and while I unpacked, rattled off house rules and expectations in Spanish. I think I got most of it, but it was very overwhelming! Her family has hosted over 20 students the past decade, so I'm definitely one of many. Her daughter, who has a bedroom next to mines, lives at her high school during the week, so I won't see her very much.
I'm sharing my room with another DU student, Gail, who has been here for a month doing an intensive language program. We'll be sharing this tiny, yellow bedroom for the next 3 months! Between the two of us, we have one bookshelf, a shoe cubby, and a chest to hang our clothes with drawers underneath. I'm not sure how I managed to cram all my clothes into my half of the closet and my single drawer, but I did it! (All my winter clothes stayed in my suitcase.) We're also sharing a small bathroom, where I have a little bit of space underneath the sink to stuff my makeup bag and facewash.
This, I think, will be my biggest challenge for the next year; small living spaces. I can't just throw my clothes on a the floor or on my bed or cram them into a drawer; we're expected to keep a clean room, and plus there's just not room! My host mom is very efficient and tidy. No space in this apartment is wasted, and nobody in her family has more than they need. It's quite opposite the American culture, where most families have garages, attics, or storage units dedicated to their extra stuff. I know my room back in Vermont is crammed with clothes, old binders, books---you name it, it's there! Perhaps this is will teach me to only own what I really need!
After lugging my 3 suitcases inside, Felix, my host dad, helped me shove all my suitcases into a tiny elevator (which I made the mistake of trying to get into to ride up), then we walked up the stairs and met my suitcases at the top. I was greeted by my host mom, Montse, who kissed me on both cheeks, teased me for bringing so many clothes, and while I unpacked, rattled off house rules and expectations in Spanish. I think I got most of it, but it was very overwhelming! Her family has hosted over 20 students the past decade, so I'm definitely one of many. Her daughter, who has a bedroom next to mines, lives at her high school during the week, so I won't see her very much.
I'm sharing my room with another DU student, Gail, who has been here for a month doing an intensive language program. We'll be sharing this tiny, yellow bedroom for the next 3 months! Between the two of us, we have one bookshelf, a shoe cubby, and a chest to hang our clothes with drawers underneath. I'm not sure how I managed to cram all my clothes into my half of the closet and my single drawer, but I did it! (All my winter clothes stayed in my suitcase.) We're also sharing a small bathroom, where I have a little bit of space underneath the sink to stuff my makeup bag and facewash.
This, I think, will be my biggest challenge for the next year; small living spaces. I can't just throw my clothes on a the floor or on my bed or cram them into a drawer; we're expected to keep a clean room, and plus there's just not room! My host mom is very efficient and tidy. No space in this apartment is wasted, and nobody in her family has more than they need. It's quite opposite the American culture, where most families have garages, attics, or storage units dedicated to their extra stuff. I know my room back in Vermont is crammed with clothes, old binders, books---you name it, it's there! Perhaps this is will teach me to only own what I really need!
New room! (notice the portrait of Jesus on the cross above our beds; a good indicator of the Catholic influence here):
Bit of wall deco, to feel more at home:
¿Donde está Salamanca?
So for those of you who might be wondering, Salamanca is a large university town in the north-west of Spain, located near Portugal and north of Madrid. Home to 30,000+ students, it is one of the oldest universities in Europe, officially founded in 1255...like back when the Mongols had a powerful empire in Asia, and when Marco Polo was traveling the world.
Wow.
Wow.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Salamanca: Home Sweet Home
I have finally arrived in Salamanca, my hometown for the next 8 months!
After the group left Toledo this morning, we went to another old town called El Escorial. Most people weren't too excited to be going on another guided tour, but it actually ended up being pretty interesting. The town revolves around an old church, or monastery, which monks still study at today. From what I understood, it's now a place where really, really old books are kept, and certain students can still come to study the original texts.
Anyway, the town was pretty interesting because it reminded the Colorado kids of Boulder, since it is a small city built on a foothill. It was very dry and then suddenly mountainous landscape as we left the city of Madrid. Aside from the Spanish billboards, and occasional castle ruins, I could have been driving out to Steamboat!
After getting lunch, we headed off to Salamanca, another 2 hours away. And man, were we all nervous! Our guide, Carmen, kept assuring us that our families were definitely more nervous than we were; they were the ones who were going to have to put up with us for at least 3 months. But once we pulled up and saw all the señoras waiting on the sidewalk, it definitely hit all of us that this was actually happening. I was one of the last students to be picked up, and not by my host mother, but by my host dad. He was nice, but I got really shy and nervous and couldn't remember any of my Spanish during the 5 minute ride back to the apartmento. Yikes!
I'll be living on the 2nd (which, in Spain, is really 3rd) floor of an apartment complex, in a 3 bedroom apartment. It's a small but tidy apartment with yellow stone floors, tight hallways, a tiny long and narrow kitchen, and 3 mini bedrooms, by American standards. Everything is clean, and there is absolutely no excess junk lying around anywhere. Very typical for Spain, I imagine.
As for the food? I'm VERY excited to have a host mom who will cook most of my meals for me, because I certainly will not be missing meals like this one that we ordered at a restaurant:
After the group left Toledo this morning, we went to another old town called El Escorial. Most people weren't too excited to be going on another guided tour, but it actually ended up being pretty interesting. The town revolves around an old church, or monastery, which monks still study at today. From what I understood, it's now a place where really, really old books are kept, and certain students can still come to study the original texts.
Me standing in front of the monastery:
Inside the whole square:
Anyway, the town was pretty interesting because it reminded the Colorado kids of Boulder, since it is a small city built on a foothill. It was very dry and then suddenly mountainous landscape as we left the city of Madrid. Aside from the Spanish billboards, and occasional castle ruins, I could have been driving out to Steamboat!
Are those the Flatirons I see?! (haha jk)
After getting lunch, we headed off to Salamanca, another 2 hours away. And man, were we all nervous! Our guide, Carmen, kept assuring us that our families were definitely more nervous than we were; they were the ones who were going to have to put up with us for at least 3 months. But once we pulled up and saw all the señoras waiting on the sidewalk, it definitely hit all of us that this was actually happening. I was one of the last students to be picked up, and not by my host mother, but by my host dad. He was nice, but I got really shy and nervous and couldn't remember any of my Spanish during the 5 minute ride back to the apartmento. Yikes!
I'll be living on the 2nd (which, in Spain, is really 3rd) floor of an apartment complex, in a 3 bedroom apartment. It's a small but tidy apartment with yellow stone floors, tight hallways, a tiny long and narrow kitchen, and 3 mini bedrooms, by American standards. Everything is clean, and there is absolutely no excess junk lying around anywhere. Very typical for Spain, I imagine.
As for the food? I'm VERY excited to have a host mom who will cook most of my meals for me, because I certainly will not be missing meals like this one that we ordered at a restaurant:
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Bienvenida a Madrid! And Toledo
So far, so good! I have really enjoyed my first few days in Spain. Felt awful the first 24 hours, since I was jetlagged and stayed up to tour around Madrid, but now I'm all caught up! I'm with 30 other kids who will also be on the ISA program in Salamanca, 9 of which are other DU students, the rest from various American universities.
My first day in Madrid was a blur! We all took a bus tour of the city, then I spent my free time walking through a park close to the hotel and watching young Spanish boys play futbol.
In front of the hotel in Madrid:
Friday, it seemed that I never stopped walking. I probably logged 10 miles walking around Madrid! In the morning the group took a guided tour of the Mueso del Prado, which was awesome, but overwhelming in a big group. We had a Spanish guide who told us about the artwork in Spanglish, so it was a good opportunity to practice listening to Spanish. At the Prado there was so much Christian-inspired artwork; a lot of Jesus's nailed on a cross, and a lot of old Spanish kings and queens. All very beautiful and old. Later on we met up at the Royal Palace, across the city, and had another tour. Very similar to Versailles, in Paris, in terms of old art and over-the-top decoration. With over 2,500 rooms it's incredible to think that it was once a functioning "government" center!
Went out for drinks Friday night, and seeing the city come alive at night was amazing. The city felt so different without the big tour groups, schoolchildren with their mothers, and all the formal businessmen. At night, most of the shops were closed, but that's when the bars and clubs opened up. The day-timers were replaced with younger, handsome Spanish men and well-dressed Spanish women. It wasn't until at least 1am that bars and clubs started to get busy; I just can't believe these people stay up partying until 5 am, but some people in our group did, so I guess it'll just be sometime to get used to! I'm excited to get to Salamanca, though, where it won't be quite so big and expensive (and dangerous!).
Wandering the streets of Madrid at sunset:
Today, Saturday, we woke up early and said goodbye to Madrid. Very much regretted having to lug around my 2 suitcases and big backpack 2 blocks from the hotel to the bus; next time I'm packing lighter! 45 minutes later we arrived in Toledo, the old capital city, which sits on the top of a hill. It was built 200 years before the birth of Christ, by the Romans, so needless to say, it's a very, very old city, with a lot of history. The group toured a couple churches and an old synagogue. Again, I felt like an ugly American being in a huge tour group as we overtook whatever place we went to and snapped photos and spoke in English; plus we all stick out with our American clothes! It felt less weird in Toledo, though, since it's such a touristy city. However, I can't wait until I feel more like a European!
The ISA group in Toledo (me in the red...looking very American. Whoops!) :
A view of Toledo:
All in all, it's been fun getting to know other students who will be in Salamaca with me, but I plan on breaking off and doing my own thing once in Salamcana. I came here to learn the language and meet the people, and I'm afraid that if I stick with Americans, my Spanish won't improve. While traveling Madrid, especially, I definitely felt like an ugly American being in a giant group, speaking in English, and sticking out like a sore thumb. It wasn't a bad way to ease into the next 8 months, however, and I do feel as though I have a much better understanding of Spanish history. Very excited to meet my host family tomorrow afternoon!
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Pre-Departure
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| One thing I'll definitely miss this upcoming year: powder days in the Colorado Rockies! |
So legally and technically speaking, I'm ready to go. My plane ticket was purchased in March, my home-stay has been arranged, and I will be given a cell phone when I arrive in Madrid, if all goes according to plan.
That doesn't mean I'm not nervous in anticipation of the upcoming weeks to come. Everything will be new and exciting and overwhelming. I'm anticipating a lot of ups and downs as I get used to my new home, new friends, and especially the new language. We'll see how it goes. I suppose it's simply about keeping a positive attitude and open mind as I meet new people and try new things.
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