After 11 hours of sleep (jet leg is a real thing), I was ready to seize the day. My host mom made my roommates (Kimberly & Kelly- the sweetest girls. I’m sure you’ll be seeing more photos of them) & I toast and cafe con leche for breakfast. It definitely wasn’t as much as I’m used to eating, but it was still tasty. My host mom, as well as others around the city, talk very fast – so I have found myself saying sí, nodding my head, and softy giggling in order to look like I understand.
Around 11am I had orientation for my program, and soon after I had my first class at the Spanish Institute of International Education (SAIIE). What’s awesome about this class is that it intails trips to various cities – and everyday we visit different artistic sites & styles. Here’s a picture of my classmates from left to right: Katie, Sarah, Amanda, Kelly, me, Kim, Demetri, Katie, & Joey.
One major site we visited today was The Cathedral- this church provides the best introduction to the city in an artistic guide such as this one, for the history of its construction, the characteristics of its architecture and the extraordinary richness of its furnishings make up a compendium of the city’s art and thus its very history. On a side note, my professors name is Reda El Kachtoul.
Once class was finished, I went to a “free welcome luncheon” with the other 8 participants in this program, where we ate tapas (snacks, canapés, or finger food that originated in Spain), and I tried Squid for the first time as well as Sangria. When we were finished eating, the waiter brought us a platter of choose. At first I was a bit confused, but then was told that cheese is known to be a desert here in Spain. Something I specifically noticed right away was that there isn’t any tax here, and if ordering food with others- they don’t split the check.
Soon after eating, my roommates and I roamed around the city & attempted to find an exchange booth for me to turn my US dollars to Euros. We finally found a visitor booth after what seemed like forever. As I attempted to ask the gentlemen where I could find an exchange booth, he politely told me that I should work on my Spanish if I plan to speak it (talk about a wake up call- suddenly my confidence was hindered). Once I exchanged my money, we met up with the others for the Flamenco Show in “Casa de la Guitarra” in Barrio de Santa Cruz. It was an enjoyable, entertaining evening to say the least.
I should also mention that all throughout the city I was surprised to see so many chain restaurants such as: Taco Bell, Dominos, Dunken Donuts, Starbucks, and McDonalds.
After walking 25,000+ steps (one of my roommates had a fit bit), my feet were very sore & I was ready to go to bed. Unlike in the US, dinner is served at 9pm. So after the show my roommates & I ate supper (pizza to be exact), gossiped about life, got ready for bed (we have our own cute little bathroom), and are writing about our day as I type this now.Stay tuned for more! Hasta Luego 😊
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