As it is probably no surprise by
the pictures I have posted on my Facebook page, I am in Spain! I decided to
finish my undergraduate degree with a bang and finish my Spanish minor half way
across the world. I figured when else will I be able to dedicate seven weeks in
another country without worrying about work and family responsibilities? Also,
since I will be teaching high school Spanish in the East Bay area for the next
two years as a corps member with Teach For America, this trip will definitely
help me feel more confident with my Spanish speaking abilities.
I have
been in Spain for four days now. We are living with host families in the city
of Alcalá de Herenes.
The city is about 20 minutes away from the city of Madrid and is the birthplace
of Miguel de Cervantes, the author of Don Quixote and considered by many as the
father of the modern novel. I live with one other person from our group, Logan,
in what I would consider a condominium.
Our host family includes a mother and her 28 year old son, who happens
to teach at the university (just a different part than where we attend). We also have a Frenchman currently living
with us who is studying Spanish, but he leaves this weekend. The city looks
very old, because much of it is. The buildings in the center part of the city
generally have shops on the bottom and living arrangements on top. Some parts
actually reminds me of walking down Mission Street in San Francisco.
The
city is has so much history in it. There exists part of a wall that surrounded
the city in the Medieval Ages. The Universidad de Alacalá has a beautiful roof that
was created by Muslims who converted to Christianity (called Mudejares in
Spanish). There is a cathedral where supposedly the voyage of Christopher
Columbus was signed. The city is a mixture of so many different cultures and
time periods and to this day is continually changing.
Spain
is obviously a first world country, but there are definitely major differences
in the culture that makes it seem like a whole other world. I am not sure
really how to explain everything I see and experience here, as there is so much
that can be said, so I have decided to just list some things I notice. Some
things are trivial, and others may pertain only to Alcalá (we go on our first
excursion this weekend). Spain is very diverse and has a rich history
pertaining to many different types of people so my perceptions may change as I
spend more time here.
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| Stork's nest just right of steeple |
Storks – You would think there would be more babies in this city
considering how many storks are around. The birds have these huge nests in the
rooftops. I have hardly ever seen them come down though, so they are no where a
nuisance as pigeons.
Bacon/ham flavored chips – I thought it was just an interesting
flavor they have here. I tried it when we were watching the Real Madrid game
with the YSA group at the institute building. Pretty good stuff. You would have
thought that Americans would have thought this one up first. Also, they have a
flavor of Doritos called Tex-Mex which kind of made me laugh a little.
Graffiti – There is graffiti everywhere here. It is sad actually to
see all the vandalism. Unfortunately the country is so poor right now that they
do not have the funds or the energy to constantly clean it up (at least I am
assuming why they have not done something about it). Unemployment here in Spain
is upwards of 23%, so some things are just left undone. Obviously America has
its own graffiti problems as well, but it just surprised me how abundant it is
here.
So much poop – It seems like everyone has a dog here. A little bit
of an overstatement but I have seen so many. They have parks everywhere where
people walk their pets, and usually these parks are land mines for dog doo. It
surprises me how many dogs I have seen considering that no one really has a
yard here. The good news is they are very well behaved and put my family’s dogs
to shame. I think I have only heard one or two dogs bark while I have been
walking.
Bumper cars – All the cars here are compact. I have seen one
pick-up truck in thus far. There are Fords and Japanese brands, but they also
drive many French models that I have never heard of like Cintroen. Many of the
cars have these rubber (or at least I think they are rubber) bumpers on the
front and back. This is so when they parallel park they feel comfortable
bumping into car in front and behind them. Think Despicable Me but not as aggressive.
Not the most friendly – Okay, so this is probably worded wrong
because I am sure the Spaniards are very nice people, but they do not express
it in a way that I am used to. Logan and I will occasionally say hi to people
on the street and just get a glare. I talked with my host family and apparently
the people just do not greet each other on the street unless they know one
another. Apparently they are much friendlier when you are with them on the bus
or in a crowded room, so I will have to report back on that.
Siesta is serious stuff – So I have heard of this siesta (literally
translated nap) before but I thought people exaggerated a bit. But it is the
real deal. Between the hours of 2 and 5 pm all the shops are closed and there
is hardly anyone in the town center. After 5 the city becomes alive. There are
groups of old people and youth alike that hang out outside really doing nothing.
The food – This is usually the question that everyone asks anyone
who goes foreign, so I figure I will try to address it now. I have noticed that
in general the Spaniards (at least my family) eat fairly healthy. This, along
with the fact that many walk everywhere, is probably why I have yet to see
anyone morbidly obese here. I have eaten pasta, a lot of soups, and lentils.
Occasionally beef or sausage as well. Their milk comes in boxes which are only refrigerated
when opened and their eggs can be stored in a cupboard until ready to use. I imagine this is because they fresh and not
covered in chemicals we use to preserve our food. For breakfast we generally do
not eat much - just toast and fruit. Lunch, for most Spaniards, starts at the
beginning of Siesta, around 2:00 pm. This usually consists of two to three
different plates. Dinner is also later than what most Americans are used to. Here,
we typically eat at 9:00 pm. This meal is typically about two plates worth of
food.
Like I said, I could put so much
more here, but I figured I will add more observations with each post. This has
already been such a great experience. It
gives a new perspective to our way of living in the States and is a lot of fun.
Coming up in the next week we will be going to Segovia, León, and Barcelona!
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