Tour de tapas!

¡Hola! From Chloe, Eva, and Mary. It has been a wonderful day in Spain, filled with laughs, adventures, and countless memorable comments from Mary Maddux!

In the morning we (Chloe, Eva, and Mary) were woken up by a warm ¡Buenos dias chicas! From our madre. We started off the day with meeting at the same bakery for the past two days. We spent a few minutes conversing and telling stories about what had happened with our families the previous night. We made our way to the school and had our first class, which was fun and engaging. During the break Ms. Hellman helped explain to Mary and I (Eva) with the work that he had just done in class. The class was a good prep for the beginning of freshman year for us because that will be our very first lesson. The second class of the day we practiced grammar and talked about the different foods of the students’ countries. By then everyone was hungry and ready for lunch. Haha! We came home for lunch and enjoyed some pasta with tuna covered in orange sauce. Which of course Eva dropped right onto her white shorts! We had planned to catch up on sleep with a two-hour siesta, but couldn’t hold back the urge to go shopping!

We started off at a store called Mango, where Sarah, Alexis, and Ms. Hellman met up with us. And then we visited a bunch of other stores and looked around and shared our thoughts on the trip. We were going to go to a jewelry store, but it was closed for 30 minutes so we went to go eat churros and chocolate instead. We ate them all and then drank the chocolate afterwards! We then left the chocolate store and went back to the jewelry store. While we were out shopping, the guys were going on a stroll around town and found the place that our group was very interested in visiting, the Garden of Love. We all eventually met up at the jewelry store and went to the garden. The girls got rings, necklaces, and bracelets from the store. We took a bunch of pictures and just hung out and laughed a lot! After walking through the garden, we all got to go to an art lesson at the school about the history of art in Spain. There were many beautiful paintings and pictures. We learned a lot about the topic and many famous artists.

After our lesson on the art of Spain, we went home to get ready for Tapas! Tapas are a tradition in Spain where you receive various appetizers that equal to the amount of a full meal. It was delicious. We went to four very different restaurants to get these tapas. The first item of tapas we received was a bread and meat dish that was beautifully put together and very delicious. The tables at the restaurant were about three feet high, so the chairs were just as small. Blake was hilarious when he attempted to sit in tiny chair. The second restaurant served us a similar meal with shrimp and bread. Though this dish was very good, some of us *cough* Mary *cough* voiced our opinions on seafood. At the same restaurant, we had another dish with beef and veggies kebabs on bread. The third restaurant we went to gave us some chicken empanadas and pizza. The last restaurant was just as amazing. We were served chicken with sweet onions on bread. We ate a lot of bread today. Then of course, we finished it with some helad (ice cream)!! Today was a great day.. the trip keeps getting better!

Eva, Chloe, and Mary

In the garden

Eating tapas in the Plaza Mayor

6/3/13

6/3/13

Hola, this is Blake, Drew and Kyle. We had our first day of school today.

Today we learned how to salsa like a pro… kinda. This was the first of the two days that we learn how to do the salsa. It was a bit confusing at times but I thought that it was very fun. I thought that one of the best parts of the class is when we split into groups and watched each other dance. I really liked this part because everybody was having fun and joking around at the same time. The class was so much more fun than I thought that it would be. It may not seem like it, but I don’t mind doing the boogie every once in a while. I cannot wait until we have our next salsa class!

The food in Spain is different but it is great!

Since we have arrived in Spain, we have tried lots of different food. In Spain, people usually eat a light breakfast, eat their largest meal (lunch) at about 2:00 and eat dinner at 9:00. At first, having such a different schedule was hard to adjust to, and by the beginning of our first dinner in Spain we were all very hungry (especially Sarah). For breakfast, we usually have a light one with a lot of bread products, especially from a panadería. For lunch, the biggest meal of the day, we had rice with a red sauce over it, eggs, bacon, and ham. It was all really good! Usually in between lunch and dinner, we have gotten gelato from a heladería (ice cream shop) because it is really good here in Spain. For dinner we had a lighter meal with la sopa (soup) and a type of lasagna. We all really like the food here in Spain!

Even with the salsa dancing and delectable food nothing tops our first Spanish classes today.

It started off as a difficult transition for all of us. But nobody ever said it would be easy. The teachers in Spain have a unique method of teaching: they like to to talk about Spanish in Spanish. Confusing. In a normal classroom we would learn vocabulary, grammar, and other concepts with a teacher for the most part explaining in good old English. But when most of the teachers at the school don’t speak a word of English it makes most of us a little uncomfortable. Almost everybody had to drop down a level after the first session because most of us were a little too confused. For now, most of us process Spanish speaking and listening slowly and it requires all of our efforts. We usually only pick up a few words here and there. However, with time our heads will adjust the fog should clear. We just need to keep our heads screwed on and practice more and more as the days pass. By the end of the week, it wouldn’t be a surprise if we could all speak casually and with rhythm.

Vive España

¡Hola! Es Sarah y Alexis! Nosotros llegamos con seguridad en España. Tomamos un autobús de Madrid a Salamanca. La viaje está bien y muy divertido! Tenemos muchas fotas y videos. Ojala que gustan de nuestro blog.

Hello! This is Sarah and Alexis! We arrived safely in Spain. We took a bus from Madrid to Salamanca. The trip is great and very fun! We have a lot of photos and videos. We hope you enjoy reading our blog.

The upcoming weeks to the trip were filled with excitement. We started off the trip well, going through the wrong security line numerous times, but don’t worry we made it to Atlanta, haha! Even running into a few St. George’s faces, aka Mr. Tom Densford (if your reading this, Hope you having a great trip! ). Next we followed our fearless leader, Drew, onto the plane to Madrid. They made the regular announcements about safety. However, the normal “ buckle your seatbelt” was different…… “Abrocharse el cinturón.” This was our first taste of our new language. All we needed to do was, BREATHE! It takes times, but we soon started to pick up what they were saying. Thank goodness for the English translations! As soon as we arrived in Madrid we walked through customs. We had to stay for a couple of hours, waiting for the other student’s flights. These next couples of hours were a great bonding experience! We read magazines, people watched, shared stories, ate at the café, and got to know each other better. We even exchanged cell phone numbers on our Nokia go phones! Next, we boarded the bus from Madrid to Salamanca. Everyone was tired, and fell asleep. Except for Kyle, who decided to stay awake for 38 hours? Haha! After a full day of traveling, we arrived in Salamanca.  As soon as we got here we were all overwhelmed with excitement as we looked at the amazing city. The beautiful city is full of students, and historic places.  His or her new host families greeted everyone. The language barrier was a little tricky, but we learned quickly that they love it when we try the best we can. The host families are so hospitable. Our host is Lola; she has an apartment in the city, and it a great central location. We met her cat Luna, and dog Yogi. “ Que Bonita!” We learned to laugh and nod, and attempt to respond as quickly as we can. She was so welcoming, and made us feel right at home. We soon discovered that another student from Belgium was staying with her as well. Thank goodness! We now had a “translator” that could help us understand! They both encourage us to speak as much Spanish possible. Our sentences have become better with time. Hand motions and pointing or saying adjectives and infinitives. Our room is nice and clean. The apartment has a balcony, and a view of the city! Beautiful! We definitely can all agree that our rooms at home are different than here. However, the differences make our experience even more exciting, because we get to live the life of an average Spaniard. Being open minded to everything helps the experience. Trying all the food she makes, speaking as much as possible, and listening. Lola showed us where to put our things, and fed us lunch. We met up as soon as everyone unpacked and walked around the city. The cobble stone paths were exquisite, rather than driving down Houston Levee. Our location is so close we can walk to almost anything! School is five minutes, the Plaza is 8 minutes, and the monuments are everywhere! Everything revolves around the Plaza Mayor. The archways led to small streets, and are filled with stores and bakeries. Mrs. Hellman was a great guide. We briefly saw most of the monuments and the central locations. All of our host families live off of the main street. It is great to walk home at night, and we feel safe! The city is so much more beautiful at night! Everything is lit up, and is clearly visible. We sat in the Plaza and played games with Mrs. Hellman. People watching was a favorite activity for most! Next, we walked to the T & E orientation dinner at Don Mauro. Our group sat at a table enjoying the cuisine, and sometimes wondering what we were eating. Everyone had a smile on there face, but still was a little tired. They brought multiple appetizers, meats, fried cheese and ham (croquettas), bread, family style salad. No one was forced to try anything, but it was fun to see everyone’s reactions. We all tried most of the appetizers! Next came the main course, the pork shoulder and las papas fritas (French fries). As Mrs. Hellman said, “just like barbeque and fries without the sauce”. Haha! We all laughed at that one! Next we ate dessert, a very sweet cake and ice cream. After dinner we all walked the streets to our houses. It was a little chilly, but we made it. We have all started a group text on Viber, and are communicating frequently. Also we are using the Nokia go phones they gave us for calling. We decided to meet at the school at 10: 45.  Lola, our host, gave us cereal for breakfast.  We told Lola thank you, but only ate a little bit. Here in Spain they do not eat a big breakfast, so we decided to go to the local panaderia (bakery) and enjoy a croissant. Not many people speak English, but it is easy to ask for something or point to it. The more you try, the better the speaking skills get.  We walked to the school and saw everyone’s smiling faces! At the school, we met Lourdes, our coordinator/guide, she showed us the school. It is very nice, and is in the heart of the city! Next, Lourdes told us the history of most of the buildings and we walked across the city. Next, we went back to our families houses and enjoyed lunch. Lola made us paella, a traditional Spanish dish. It was wonderful! The food is different, but we are tasting everything! We walked around the city, and saw the stores. We (Sarah and Alexis) enjoyed the parks, and ventured through the streets. We met the group back at the Plaza and talked about our trip. So far everyone is having a great time. It is tough to get used to the change, but once you become open-minded it gets better! We enjoyed gelato as a group, and visited gift shops! After, we all went home to enjoy a dinner with our family. Lola made us ham and cheese grilled sandwiches with French fries. We talked to her about our day and told her all of the great activities. She laughed when we tried to explain, but eventually we found the right Spanish words to explain our day. We went walking in the city and found dessert. Tomorrow will be our first day of classes, and everyone is nervous, but excited! Hopefully you enjoyed reading our blog, and we will keep posting! We are having a wonderful time, and cant wait to make more memories! Please scroll to see pictures of our trip!

¡Adios Amigos! Hasta Luego!

Sarah y Alexis