Week 4 and 5 have been my favorite weeks in Spain thus far! I've had the opportunity to travel, participate in cultural activities, and explore more of Sevilla. Here’s what happened during the past 2 weeks:
Week 4: Now that we have advanced further into the semester I have begun completing various assignments, taking quizzes & progressing on various projects. I would say that the structure of classes isn't much different from those at the University of Hawaii, but the classes are much smaller in terms of the number of students. I have enjoyed each of my classes because they feel very collaborative in the sense that we usually engage in conversation about the topics we are learning. At the end of the week, I had the amazing opportunity of exploring the cities of Lisbon and Sintra in Portugal! A handful of students in my program and I joined other students studying in Sevilla on a 3-day trip in which we visited important historical places, tried local cuisine, and made new friends. It was really fun to explore a new place with a different cultural atmosphere, and something surprising I noticed was that a lot of people from Lisbon could speak English, more than I have noticed in Sevilla. Week 5: Week 5 was jam-packed with fun things. For the month of March, about half of the students in our program are taking flamenco dance lessons twice a week. Dance is one of my favorite hobbies so I have been looking forward to taking the flamenco lessons since before I even arrived in Spain. In addition to the dance lessons, we will also be attending two cooking classes where we will learn how to prepare paella and tortilla de patatas, two dishes that Spain is known for. We had our first class for paella this week and were taught the specific steps and ingredients necessary to make paella. I love that our study abroad program allows us to get hands-on learning experiences in important cultural aspects of Spain and I am so excited to take all of these classes in March. At the end of the week, our entire program went on an overnight trip to Granada, an important city in Spanish history as it was the last city to be reconquered from Muslim rule in 1492. We visited the Alhambra, the Monasterio de la Cartuja, and the Royal Chapel of Granada, the burial place of Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand. Granada is a city rich in history and I felt very lucky to have the chance to visit these places and learn about their significance in history. Since one night felt too short of a time to appreciate Granada, a group of us decided to stay an extra day and go to a ski resort in the Sierra Nevada mountains. I had never been snowboarding or skiing before and didn't know what to expect, but I am so glad that I went because I had one of the most incredible experiences. My friends and I spent all of Sunday hitting the slopes before returning to Sevilla in the evening. The semester is almost halfway through and I’m already sad thinking about it being over, but I am so grateful to be studying in Spain and already want to plan the next time I’ll be back!
0 Comments
It has been a couple of weeks now since I have arrived in Spain and I have already done and seen some really exciting things in such a short period of time. One of my favorite parts about studying abroad is that since the program takes place over a few months you get to know the area you are staying in, and have the opportunity to travel to nearby cities and countries. Here’s what happened during my 2nd and 3rd week in Spain:
Week 2: I spent my second week in Sevilla getting more adjusted to my schedule and getting familiar with the area. In my classes, we started to dive more into the course material and even got started on group projects. After our school week, we took a trip to Itálica, which is an ancient Roman city just outside of Sevilla. As a Game of Thrones fan, it was exciting to recognize their Amphitheater because it was used in a couple of scenes as the “dragon pit”. The next day we took a trip to the city of Córdoba. We toured their famous Mosque-Cathedral, which has both Moorish and Catholic architecture since it was built over a period during which both Muslims and Christians ruled over the city at points in time. We also toured their Alcazar which had the most beautiful gardens. Afterward, we had free time to explore the city before returning to Sevilla later in the day. Week 3: Unfortunately, I caught strep throat this week and did not do much exploring around Sevilla, but was able to learn a little more about the culture through this experience. I am very lucky to be so supported by UHM/ICS as I felt prepared to handle this unfortunate event. Included in our program is health insurance coverage where we are allowed to go to private hospitals and have our visits financially covered. I was also lucky enough that one of our advisors came with me to the hospital to help with some of the translations. As we were waiting to be seen she explained to me healthcare in the EU. One major difference from the US is that they have a universal health care plan, but EU residents do pay slightly higher taxes. It was interesting to hear how a different country handles their healthcare policies. After the visit, my advisor helped me get the correct medicine at a nearby pharmacy and I was feeling healthy within a couple of days. Even though I had gotten sick, one positive thing I took away from this week was a noticeable difference in my Spanish comprehension. Conversations with my host mom were easier to understand, as well as the material in my Spanish classes. This was exciting for me because one of my goals during my study abroad experience is to improve my Spanish language fluency. Even after a short couple of weeks, Sevilla is starting to feel like another home and I can’t wait to keep growing and learning in this beautiful city! |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |