home sweet home and unpacking my life

After a long day of traveling, about 12 hours in flight, I've finally arrived back home in California. I've been home since Saturday and just been busy and tired since I've been back. I've finally found some downtime to write this last entry, its been three days since I landed in California. I am happy to be back, to see family and friends, sleep in my bed, and be in the comfort of my home. I've already started on my list of things to do, such as eating bagels, Mexican food, sushi and in-and-out which I have gone without for three months! So I've been enjoying eating the food that I have missed these past months. I have a bad sense of time here, because in Salamanca it doesn't get dark until around 10pm to almost 11. Here at home it still gets dark pretty early around 7 or 8 in the evening. I just drove today for the first time which felt very awkward at first. It's slowly coming back to me.

Apart from being happy to be home, as the days go on, I am getting quite nostalgic of my time in Spain. As I am unpacking my things I can't help but compare it to waking up from a dream. It is a surreal feeling that three exciting and eventful months of my life have passed already. It seems like there was so much time and talk building up to the moment I left for Spain, and now it seems to have ended so quickly. I am glad I have this blog to help me remember all the moments I have had while living in Europe. I have made valuable friends that will always have the same shared experience as me, living together in Salamanca. Our farewell dinner and last nights in Spain did feel reminiscent of a graduation: everyone is saying there goodbyes, celebrating a milestone, and at the end people begin to part in their own ways. I can't help but to feel an overwhelming feeling of mixed emotions, feeling bittersweet. In the end, I am thankful for the experiences I have learned from living abroad in Spain and I have made friends I will never forget. Writing here has really helped me to reflect on these valuable experiences. Hopefully this blog has been of interest to someone and you have enjoyed reading! Ciao!

-Christina

four days left in Spain

Que Triste.. How sad, the last days here in Salamanca. After a wonderful last weekend with my family in Sevilla and Toledo, I realize how short my time is here. I am counting down until this Saturday, four days left here in Spain. I feel like I still have a lot to take advantage of here. Even though I would like to spend more time living here in Salamanca, I am excited to go home. I think my stay here was just right. My family arrived last Wednesday in Madrid where I met them. It was a strange feeling going to see my parents whom I hadn't seen in 3 months, it was a new experience to me. Since they have been visiting and I have been taking them around I realize just how fast time has passed since I've been here. But I have been staying so busy here and experiencing so much in such a short time that it feels like I have been away for a long time. As I traveled with my family this weekend to Sevilla and Toledo, I realized just how much I have learned from living in Spain. They looked to me to explain to them why the Spanish do things the way they do. I was able to tell them what food to eat, buying practices, explain some Spanish history and explain the practice of siesta. I also realized just how much Spanish I am now able to speak since I could help them get around. I felt that I was more a part of the culture here.



I realize that this trip has changed me, and that when I go home I will not be the same person I was. I now appreciate things at home that I took for granted before. Especially things like having a car and being able to drive which I rely on at home so much. Here in Salamanca I had to get used to walking everywhere, taking more time to get to school. I realized how difficult it is to carry everything you need for the day when you are out on foot. I realize how much time driving saves. Driving is a convenience too often taken for granted. Clean public restrooms are also another thing I have come to appreciate. In most of Europe, public facilities are lower than U.S. standards. You are lucky to even have toilet paper in those bathrooms. Customer service in the states is better than in Spain and most of Europe. Here many people do not get paid adequate wages so they are less motivated to provide quality service. I think when I return home I will have a greater appreciation of people's efforts to provide good service.

My perception of the world has changed. I realize just how small and interrelated the world is. It seems that too often, us Americans get absorbed in our own bubble. We often do not hear about what is going on around the world and act as if it does not affect us at all. Here in Europe, people know about international news, and I feel that sometimes there are Europeans that know more about current events in the U.S. than many Americans know of. In Spanish news there is always international stories featured and they often discuss how it affects them. Another difference is that in Europe people know several different languages and they make an effort to speak other languages when they travel. Here in Europe I feel almost disabled because I am not fluent in another language. For many Americans, knowing a language other than English is a challenge. It is true that in Europe there is more variety of languages and more variety in cultures, but by learning several languages this shows that Europeans are aware of other cultures surrounding them. I know have a greater sense that the American way is not the only way in the world. Traveling to Morocco really broadened my global perspective to realize a whole other way of living that exists.

Finally I feel this experience living abroad has really built my confidence. I realize just what I am capable of since I have adjusted to living comfortably in a foreign country, in a different culture, away from the familiarities, comforts, and conveniences of home. I feel now that I am able to live almost anywhere and adjust. Now I know how to live with other roommates. After all, I managed to live with 5 other girls who I had never met before, in one apartment, in a new country. I will be moving to San Diego to attend UCSD this fall and I feel that I can easily adjust to living there after living abroad. It has not always been an easy adjustment living here, but that’s why I feel accomplished. I feel confident that I can take care of myself now when I am living away from home. From all the good times I have had to the mishaps of traveling, I have grown from my experience here. I am happy with how I have fulfilled my time here. I can't believe it all happened so fast and shortly I will be home!


Eating ice cream in the plaza.

back from Marruecos-Morocco

This weekend, a group of us students and my professor from my program went to Morocco. Before coming out to Spain I just learned about how close it was to Spain. I've been interested in traveling there because it is so close to have a different cultural experience. Morocco is only about an hour across the strait of Gibraltar from southern Spain. I was interested in experiencing a Muslim-Arab culture. I did expect to be culture shocked, and I did want that experience. I know some people were afraid to travel to Morocco and at one point I was advised to not go. We were lucky to gather a group of 12 students to go to Morocco on a group excursion. We took a weekend tour program of Morocco that was recommended to us. It turned out to be well worth it. It included our travel ferry to Morocco and bus in between cities, all meals, stay in a hotel, and tours. We went to places we would have never seen if we traveled on our own. Included in the program was a visit to the cities Tangier, Tétouan, and Chefchaouen. Even though the official language in Morocco is Arabic, and second French, this region of Morocco speaks a lot of Spanish because it is so close to Spain. The first day we walked the medina, city center, of Tétouan.





In this medina there was a large authentic Moroccan market squeezed into tiny walkways with mostly produce and meats. It was very different for us, because to our standards the market was dirty and unsanitary. The smells were not familiar and a bit foul. We saw live chickens in cages inside the tiny stands, right next to poultry products for sale. While passing by you would also see them killing the live chickens. I was curious to look but I would turn my head as it happened so I would not loose my appetite! People were staring at us as we crowded the alleys of the market, it is quite a crowded place to walk through. Our guide explained that we have to be careful as sometimes animals will pass through to deliver items to the market. We stopped to view the inside of a mosque but according to custom we are not allowed to enter. I think that if it were not for us being with a local, we would not have seen this place. Our guide explained to us that many people do not like it when photos are taken in the market. It seemed to be a very local-friendly place where outsiders are treated as strangers. Later in the day we had free time for shopping in Tangier where we experienced how the buying system works. It took a few times to get used to negotiating prices, but after getting good deals, it was exciting. I felt vulnerable not knowing the buying system, it is very different for me not knowing what things were worth. Using the money, Dirhams, was confusing because their numbers are so big. For example 10 dirhams is about 1 euro, and I was surprised to learn that the Dirham had a better exchange rate than the USD.
The next day we went to Chefchaouen, a small quaint Moroccan town situated in the mountains. This was my favorite town for the scenery. All the buildings in Chefchouen are painted white and blue, for religious significance. The town gets its water fresh from the mountainside where a waterfall runs through the side of town. In town there are community baths for the town residents. Many people do not have showers in their homes, so the community baths are reserved half the day for women to use, and half the day for men to use. Throughout the town there are fresh water fountains built into the town walls.
The meals included in our excursion were hearty and delicious. We got a taste of authentic Moroccan cuisine for breakfast lunch and dinner. I was quite impressed with the full meals and the quality of the food. I thought it was great the meals were included because we would not have known what to try. I feel this excursion really gave us an authentic experience for such a short time. It was not very touristy (except for riding camels!). Our guides literally referred to us as family, always making us feel welcome and a part of the culture. All in all it was totally worth the tremendous amount of time traveling, more than 12 hours one way between overnight bus from Salamanca and a ferry! I feel very fortunate to have had this experience and would recommend anyone looking for a fresh, authentic experience like this to try this excursion. I have definitely learned a lot from my experience traveling in Morocco. I can now say that I have traveled to Africa and I hope to return once again!

Trip to Avila and Segovia

This weekend I spent more time relaxing in Salamanca. But other than that, we had a group excursion to Avila and Segovia. Segovia is known for its castle and its most popular monument is its old aqueduct. It is a quite an interesting and astonishing architectural site for the time in which it was built. Avila was is an interesting town where we got to walk the long, old city wall. This wall once enclosed the entire city. When leaving the town it is a neat site to see the giant wall wrapping around the old town. I think my favorite out of the two was Segovia, we got a tour that was interesting and the Alcazar, or the castle was a neat site.

Tomorrow I will depart for Morocco! I am very excited to travel again after staying in Salamanca for the past two weeks. I am ready for a new, and different cultural experience. While in Salamanca I have been scrambling to make use of the little time I have left here. I have kept busy going out on weekends, meeting friends, going to the Sunday rastro, eating ice cream in the plaza. I have been trying to meet with Spanish students for English-Spanish intercambio to improve my Spanish. All while still keeping my grades up and going to school. I manage to always stay busy in Salamanca. This week the weather has been beautiful, getting a little too hot even almost 80F. Finally warm weather. Locals say that in Salamanca there are only two seasons, winter and summer. It could be true! Well two weeks until my final day in Salamanca. I hope to make the most of it!

3 semanas mas!

Wow.. only three more weeks. I am realizing how short my time is here. There is so much I want to do, so much I have to do, and I'm trying to do it all. It is exhausting. I've recently started intercambio with a Spanish student who I met. I wish I did it sooner so I could practice my Spanish more. I think my Spanish would be better if I had spent more time talking to and meeting locals. I am also torn between where to travel and how much time I have to travel. I've also been wanting to do salsa classes here but I haven't really had the time. I am always busy. I am looking forward to traveling to Morocco next weekend. It should be one of the highlights of my experience here. Soon my family will be visiting me before I leave in May and before I know it this program is over and I will be returning home. There is already so much to look back on.

bull fighting and Salamanca's rastro

Over the past week we had the opportunity to visit the bull fighting ring in Salamanca where we met a real professional matador. He explained his life long profession, the art of bull fighting, and gave us demonstrations on how the muleta (the cloth used by the matador) is used. He told us that he had killed over 500 bulls in his career! It was very interesting to learn about bull fighting because I think for most of us, it changed our perspective on it. Many people would just say its a its a killers sport that can't be respected, but after learning about bull fighting, I see just how much it takes, and how well they care for the bull before the matches. The matador explained that bull fighting is really seen as a form of art, on how well and elegantly they can control the bull. The fight is judged by the relationship between the matador and the bull, like how well the matador was able to control and predict the bull's movements. Many of us are now interested and open to seeing a real bull right before leaving Spain.

This past weekend my friends and I were able to enjoy a sunny day at Salamanca's rastro, like a major flea market. What a blast, especially for us girls who love shopping for clothes at great bargains. It is a very large market where they sell all types of items. I find the flea market here to be nicer than ones I have been to at home. It is very cheap for clothes. It is also a great place to get cheap food especially the pollo asado or paella.. yumm my favorite! At the end of our day we enjoed a big plate of Paella for only 4 euros! That is about 5 dollars for a giant plate of Paella – Spanish rice with mixed seafood, chicken and peas. I think that we may adopt the rastro as a weekly outing.

Semana Santa y Pascua en Salamanca

When I returned to Salamanca on holy Thursday I noticed hundreds of tourists came to town for holy week. All week it was more crowded than I was used to in Salamanca. Holy week, Semana Santa in Spain, is the week leading up to Easter. In Spain, a widely Catholic country, the celebrations here for holy week are spectacular. Throughout Spain, holy week is celebrated with processions, holy parades where floats are carried down the streets. Holy week processions include a lot of planning as many people take part in it. In Salamanca there are different church groups represented in the holy week processions. I counted 17 religious fraternities, also referred to as “brotherhoods,” represented by flags hanging in the Plaza Mayor of Salamanca. Every evening during holy week, and some mornings, major processions were held where floats of saints are carried by costaleros accompanied by marching bands. These costaleros are well respected for being responsible to bear the floats throughout the processions. It is not an easy task as the processions are very slow and the floats are quite heavy. The floats must be carried with caution and grace as some of these are very old and fragile. For most Americans it is an interesting experience to see Nazareños as they resemble the Ku Klux Klan with the clothes they wear. These Nazareños are meant to depict people from Nazareth. In the church dressing like this is a humbling symbol as everyone is shown wearing the same clothes, symbolic of equality. The dress of the cone shaped hats and draping clothing was actually original of the Nazareños and was later taken by the Ku Klux Klan. It is a shame that this clothing symbolic of religion was was stolen by a racist group for a totally opposite idea. Even after learning the background of this, it was still a culture shock to see hundreds of Nazareños marching the streets bringing images of the KKK to mind. But the vibe and energy during the processions is very different, it is a very serious moment. In our class we learned that some people even cry during the processions. I found myself in the Plaza at 3am where the processions were still occurring, hundreds of people were awake including children and elderly to watch the processions. I found it spectacular that it is such a major celebration, the floats are beautiful, people walk with candles at night, and the smell of incense in the air is strong. On Easter, Pascua in Spain, a celebration was held in the Plaza Mayor. All the religious fraternities marched to the Plaza at noon where the major floats were carried, bands played music, followed by singing, and finished with a public reading. On Pascua the feeling in the crowd was more lively and entertaining. This was one of the most spectacular Easter celebrations I have yet to experience!



Nazareños during semana santa processions





Easter day celebrations in the Plaza Mayor

I survived spring break in Italia!

Bongiorno, buenos dias! I've returned to Salamanca from backpacking through Italy for Spring break. My friend and I traveled between Milan, Venice and Florence for 5 days. It was the most eventful, and most exhausting 5 days I have ever experienced. Our first day was spent camping out at the airport for almost 5 hours waiting for our 6am flight into Milan. Being unfamiliar with budget airlines, we did not realize the airport we flew into was an hour outside the city. Eventually we managed to make it into Milan and find our hostel. It was a long day. We spent the next day in beautiful Venizia (Venice). It was my favorite city on this trip and unlike any other place I have ever seen. We spent the day grabbing yummy pizza and gelato while checking out the major city sites. Every bakery you pass on the street is hard to resist and shops full of beautifully crafted venetian masks lure you in. We were easily distracted with all the shops and scenery of the city. I truly believe it is impossible to not get lost in Venice. The streets are not always clearly marked, and on a map there are many tiny streets which are often confused with the canals running throughout town. Venice seems like a small place, but when you get lost it can take hours to get around. We managed to find a place recommended to us where they fill a plastic 1 liter bottle full of your choice of wine for 1-2 euro! We spent an evening in San Marco square with our new friend drinking our bottled wine.

In Venizia with my travel buddy Jon from Salamanca

Florence was my second favorite of the three cities. Florence has many historical, artistic, and scenic attractions. The city view of Florence is beautiful with the large golden dome of the main cathedral standing out and the river with its bridges surrounding the city. What I enjoyed most about Florence was spending time with the new friends we met. The girl we met in Venice ended up coming to the same hostel in Florence where we made two other friends. We spent our last day in Florence with a half day trip to Pisa to see the leaning tower and the rest of the day at the Uffizi gallery.

Jon and I with new friends we met from Florence.


City view of Florence

During this trip we found that the train Italy was not as easy to use as expected. We tried countless times to buy train tickets online which never worked, waited in line to use confusing ticket machines, and my friend was fined for not having a validated ticket. It is a rather hectic system. One man at our hostel told us that you are supposed to have a validated ticket, but no one pays the fine. He told us that people refuse to pay it all the time. I guess anything goes for the rules of Italy's train system? It was not as reliable as the system is at home but we managed. We also found that some of Italy's museums such as Uffizi are not student-friendly if you are from outside the European Union. Student discounts are only offered to those with E.U. student ID's. By the time we reached Florence we realized that in general Italy seemed more expensive, especially to dine out. The cheaper we ate the better the food was. I think for many Americans when they see a meal for 15 euro they are expecting a pretty good meal. I think the least favorite meal we had in Italy was the most expensive.

Security in the Italian airport was quite a mess. If you think that American airport security is hectic, wait till you see the airports in Europe. It wasn't that security was better, but that security was hectic from being so unorganized. It took almost an hour to go through the crowd referred to as the security line. A lot of people were even cutting to get past security. If they were to try that in America people would have a fit.

12 hours later from the time we departed Milan (between buses, planes, metro and another bus), I arrived back in Salamanca. It was relieving to feel like I was home. After this experience Salamanca really feels like a home away from home. I never thought that 5 days in Italy could feel so long. We were so productive because from the time we landed in Milan to the time we left, we were always busy sight seeing, traveling and meeting people. Compared to the friends we met from our hostels, our stay was very short. After this spring break I do not think I could backpack as long as our friends did. I realize just how exhausting it is and how much planning is necessary. All the friends we made traveled on their own. I don't think I would enjoy doing this trip alone because it is a bit stressful. Aside from my friend getting fined for the train, I would say we had fortunate luck during our trip. Every moment was something to remember. It was definitely an experience I won't forget and I have learned a lot about traveling.

Futbol y Las Fallas.. a busy week!

Wow a lot has happened within the past week alone! Last Sunday we had the privilege of going to a futbol (soccer) game to watch the famous Real Madrid play local Spanish team Valladoid. The game was no match for Real Madrid who won 4-1. Real Madrid and F.C. Barcelona are Spain's two best teams, and Real Madrid may still be recognized as one of the world's best futbol teams. We were so lucky to have front row seats at the game, an unbelievable experience. futbol is essential to Spanish culture. Just as American football dominates all other sports in the U.S. Spanish futbol is very much part of Spanish culture. We were told that if ever walking the streets of town and there are no people out, especially if there is an absence of men, that you can find everyone in the bars watching the latest match. One night I went out to meet friends to watch a Real Madrid match and every bar I passed had the same thing on T.V. Being so close to the field at the game was unbelievable and experiencing the atmosphere of hyped fans was incomparable to any American sports events I have attended.


the view of the stadium from where we were sitting

This past weekend some friends and I went to Valencia Spain for the Las Fallas festival. It is one of the biggest festivals in Spain and it is celebrated a week long minimum in March. The festival is in praise of Saint Joseph and is celebrated with highly decorative and intricate floats some that are merely 8 feet tall and some towering more than 30 feet. All week long celebrations are held with fireworks in the streets, both brilliant fire works shows and crazy party goers throwing their own firecrackers in the streets. It seems like there is a never ending supply of fireworks, even parents let their three year old play and throw firecrackers! I've never heard a city so loud at all hours of day and night. At 8 in the morning I could hear the city booming with fireworks from the apartment we rented a good 25minute drive from the center of the city. We were even lucky to find anywhere to stay in Valencia as there were no available hostels. People plan to go to Valencia for Las Fallas far in advance. A friend I met in Barcelona told me that millions of people come to the city to experience the celebrations. I cannot imagine anything like Las Fallas being possible in the U.S. They sell huge fireworks to almost anyone which would be illegal at home. The entire city seems like it is exploding in fireworks, people are all over the streets. Friday must have been a nightmare for police and firemen because almost all the floats in the city are burned to the ground. People lined up for a good hour to crowd in the streets to see the biggest and best floats burn. We were lucky to be close to one of the best floats when it exploded in fireworks and burst into flames merely 25 feet from where we were in the crowd. The crowds are comparable to new years in time square, and the city is full of such high energy. I believe some of the best floats are saved but there are floats scattered all throughout the city of Valencia during Las Fallas. After all the celebration we were sure to try the paella of Valencia as it is known as the land of paella. Some friends we met told us about a paella buffet and we were able to try several kinds of delicious paella. We also spent a day visiting the distinct modern architecture of Valencia including La' Oceanographic aquarium, and the Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències. These buildings appear to be something inspired from star wars.

Below are some pictures from the las fallas festival





It has been difficult to keep up with everything. There is so much to share and I am also busy preparing plans for spring break which I will spend in Italy. I look forward to sharing my travels. Hasta pronto.. Ciao!

Visit to Valle de Los Caidos

snowing and freezing cold when we went to Valle de Los Caidos

This past week we have been learning about the history of Spain and its politics, especially as they relate to the Spanish Civil War and Spain under the dictatorship of Franco. On Friday we got to visit Valle de Los Caidos (Valley of the Fallen) a monument intended to commemorate all who died on both sides of the Spanish Civil War. It was also made Franco's grave when he died. It is a very interesting place as it symbolizes many different things to the Spanish. Our Spanish teacher told us a little about Valley of the Fallen in class when we mentioned we would be visiting the site. I was surprised when she told us that she has never been there and has no desire to ever go. She said she was about nine years old when Franco died and she remembered how huge the news was all over the country. Valle de Los Caidos is a controversial place bearing significance to those on both sides of the Spanish Civil War. Some really view it as a place respecting the dead, others view it as a painful reminder of the days of Franco and some see it as a place of death where prisoners of war died building a grave for Franco. Even today there are sometimes demonstrations here from all over the political spectrum. Regardless of your views, it is a serious place to respect when you are visiting. The civil war in Spain was a difficult time that tore apart many friends, families, and communities and among most Spaniards it is rarely spoken of. Our Spanish teacher explained to us too that it is a bitter subject and is typically not brought up. It is interesting to think of how much Spain must have changed since Franco's death in 1975 which is still very recent history. For Americans I think it is hard for us to grasp the concept that for some nations civil wars have just ended in the past 6 decades. This also makes me realize that we often forget some nations are still to this day experiencing civil wars. Learning about the history of this place has been a mind opening experience when comparing Spanish history to that of the U.S. I will be back later this week to share more about the Real Madrid game and even more to follow with the weekend of Las Fallas in Valencia. Ciao!