After thirteen hours of flying and the usual airport drama, I arrived in Barcelona on February 2nd. For the past few days, I have been staying in university dorms with the other group of exchange students who, over the next few hours, are being dispersed accross Spain by train and plane for the experience of a lifetime. Out of the thirty or more students, only two came from some place other than the United States: a girl from Germany and another from Brazil. One might expect these culturally zealous students to jump right into speaking Spanish, but no. Everyone, including the Brazilian and German, speak english. Being the nerd that I am, I spend half my time talking with the adults in Spanish, most of whom are native Spaniards. From speaking with Jorge, Ismael, José, and the others, I have learned that "pecador" means sinner ( :-) ) and that the word gaudy does not derive from the incredible Spanish architect Gaudí, although his structures are very ornate! One of my favorite architects, I had the wonderful opportunity to see his whimsical cathedral and other monuments in person. On the left is one view of his cathedral, La Sagrada Família, although it hardly does it justice and fails to show the other sides that follow completely different architectural styles. The cathedral was started 125 years ago and is still a work in progress because it lacked funding in its earlier years, until it became a tourist destination. They estimate that it will be completed in the next 20 to 40 years. On the left is a building that he designed for a garden housing complex called Park Güell. The whole garden area reminded me of a combination between Peter Pan, Hansel and Grettle, and the top of Mt. Olympus.
The meals have been ok, consisting so far of more seafood than usual, most notably the unidentifiable squishy thing that turned out to be octopus. We always have fish, sometimes pork, and frequently pasta. The people are very agreeable and the weather is pleasant, although a little chilly. It resembles Sacramento weather closely.
Today I will take a train down to Alicante to meet my host family. I am nervous, but it must be worse for the other students who don't speak as much Spanish as me.
Let me know if there is something about Barcelona, Spain, or exchange students that you'd like to know that I have not already covered!
Besos,
Jocelyn
This is for you, MJ!
ReplyDeleteWoo-hoo!!!
ReplyDeleteO.K. here is what I would like to know:
ReplyDelete1. Do most English speaking Spainards have to "translate" in their head when they speak English?
2. How do they celebrate Christmas?
3. Do many Spaniards watch the Superbowl?
4. If they were going to an "American" restaurant, what would they expect to see on the menu? :)
I am certain I will think of more . . .
Oh, and by the way, I was quite impressed that you had photos up on your blog! They are great photos too! (Remember, I am becoming the expert now that I have had four photography classes! lol ) Did you actually take those??????
ReplyDeleteI did not take the photos. My camera has run out of batteries, so I searched on the internet so that I could have exaples of what I was talking about. I´m glad that you like them!
ReplyDeleteAh! good choice of photos. They are "egg-sa-lent!" So, how was the first days of school?????
ReplyDeleteOk, MJ. Here are the answers to your questions:
ReplyDelete1) Yes, most spaniards must translate in their heads as they speak. You must speak very fluently to be able to think in the language.
2) They celebrate Christmas in the same way as us: a big family dinner, a tree, presents...
3) No, they do not watch the superbowl, because even if they want to, which few do, it is only broadcasted on cable stations, which you have to pay for.
4) If they go to "American" restaurant, they expect hamburgers, hotdogs, steaks, ribs, all sorts of meat, and salads. Mostly they just think of hamburgers!
There ya go!
Hmmm . . . thanks! So we are the hamburger nation, huh? I remember a French exchange student experiencing his first hamburger many years ago. He wasn't quite sure what to make of it! He thought it was quite a strange combination.
ReplyDeleteThe other foreign exchange student I had contact with was from Norway. She spoke five languages and didn’t have to translate four of them in her head! And she was 14. Wow.
So . . what are the students and the new school like? Enjoying that bus ride?? :)
Just letting you know that I was thinking about you! Have a jolly good day!
ReplyDelete"Being the nerd that I am, I spend half my time talking with the adults in Spanish, most of whom are native Spaniards."
ReplyDeletehehe I love this part! Of course you would. Ahhh sounds like you are having fun!
Yep, another question: What is Valentine's Day like in Spain?
ReplyDelete