Week #3

Since I missed the trip to Seville, this weekend I made up for it by taking a shorter trip to Plasencia. Only about an hour train ride from Cáceres, I arrived at around 8:20 in the morning. Walking through town most restaurants and little shops were closed until ten. The group used this time to explore the buildings they had surrounding their plaza which included walls, the Cathedral of Plasencia, City Hall, the Arches of San Anton, Marqués de Mirabel Palace, and the House of Two Towers. Each one was really fascinating and beautiful. My favorite was the Cathedral because of all the little details that take up the entire front door of it. As we continued to explore the town we came across a large market which I found very interesting. A bunch of people had set up little stands and were selling fresh fruits and vegetables.  Another attraction I found really interesting is the “Abuelo Mayorga.” He stands next to the bell in the Plaza Mayor and was the first thing I noticed as we walked through. Looking around the Plasencia Plaza reminded me a lot of the Cáceres Plaza Mayor, they are both surrounded by restaurants and shops, then split off into two roads that lead to more restaurants and shops! Although Plasencia did not really have cars driving around there main plaza, there was still a few cars on the side streets that seemed to only be there to deliver to stores. Although it was a very short trip we managed to see a lot of great sites and really experience the atmosphere Plasencia!

Week #2

I did not have the best start to my weekend since I missed my train to Seville, but I was determined to not let that ruin my entire weekend. I set out to discover new parts of Cáceres I had yet to explore. Thursday I looked up possible options, while there was not any sites to see, I managed to find a mall close by. I found a lot of new shops and familiar ones. I experienced my first fast food meal from another country. As someone who is usually one-hundred percent against Burger King, the meal I had was not the worst. It was not as greasy and after eating I did not feel the same sluggish way I usually do. Friday I had to make a trip back to the mall, but it was crazy how fast I got there compared to the first time I went. It really made me realize how quickly I am learning the streets and the possible shortcuts. On the walk back I decided to experience a few more firsts in Spain: pizza and frozen yogurt! The pizza came covered in what I could only assume to be olive oil, but it was just as delicious! The frozen yogurt was less impressive. Saturday was made into a day of exploring! I walked the streets of old Cáceres and looked at the beautiful scenery it had to offer. Even though the streets were like mazes to me, I found it hard to get lost, and at the end of the day made it back to the plaza with relatively no problem. Even though my weekend was not filled with new stunning structures and sites, I was really glad to pick up souvenirs for my family and spend some personal time unwinding.

Week #1

Caceres is very beautiful. My first night I learned many things about the culture. My host mom took me to the music festival in the plaza. Before we even arrived I started to noticed things that were confirmed at the festival. When I first met my host mom she greeted me with two kisses on my cheeks. For me that was new and different. The next thing I noticed was that the cars that were on the street all looked the same and acted very different from drivers in America. Walkers would just walk across the crosswalks and cars would immediately stop for them. Cars would stop at yellow lights as soon as it changes, whereas in America drivers speed through yellow lights. As we walked to the plaza, everyone just bumping and hit each other, it was not uncommon to run into crowds of people or for people to just stop in the middle of walking. At the concert stages there was a lot more kids there than I have ever seen in an American music festival. The parents were a lot less strict and I never once saw a parent yelling at their children. The people were a lot more chill and friendly. I meet a lot of my host mom’s friends and had many conversations with them (as much as I could). Everyone was really understanding of my language barriers and tried their hardest to make sure I could understand them. At the festival I got to see all the beautiful buildings that surround the plaza and really enjoy them in another setting apart from the sunshine!

Week 2

The second week of the program was another eventful week for us. We had the privilege of visiting the authentic city of Sevilla. We visited the extraordinary cathedral, La Giralda. It is the largest gothic cathedral in all of Europe. My friends and I walked all thirty-five ramps and seventeen steps to reach the top and see the extraordinary view of the entire city. It was absolutely breathtaking. Soon after, we visited El Palacio del Rey Don Pedro. Every inch of the palace was covered in fine details, rich colors, and symmetrical designs. One of the best parts of our trip was going to the flamenco museum where we watched spectacular artists in their natural habitats; the musicians and dancers were incredible. I could see and feel how passionate each one of them were about flamenco. That night, we ate a savory meal and stayed in a nearby hotel. The next morning, some students and I went on a relaxing boat tour while the rest of the students went on an electric bike tour. On the boat tour, we saw the Torre del Oro which is where the gold from America was once stored. We also were fortunate enough to cruise underneath some of the oldest and newest bridges of the city. It was such a profound feeling to see where history meets modernism in Seville.

Week 1

As time moves along throughout this trip, my knowledge about the world continues to expand. I had a pretty good foundation of Spanish before flying out here, but everyday I learn a new Spanish word or phrase. In the United States, I learned about Spain's geography. I learned that the capital is Madrid and the "vosotros" form is utilized but I never learned about the culture. Being in Spain has given me the opportunity to be immersed in a new culture with different norms and style of living. Knowing the language is one thing, but fully being able to experience the culture is so much more fulfilling. Some activities that I have experienced so far would include Womad, visiting the local movie theater, trying new foods, taking a trip to Portugal, and visiting an aquarium. This first week in Spain has opened my eyes to the differences in how we live in America versus how Spaniards live out here. First and foremost, people do not have personal bubbles in Spain like they do in the states. People stand closer to one another when having conversations. People tend to be closer emotionally as well. Families and friends spend a lot more time together, talking to each other, and spending time together. I have seen this within my home. The family sits around the table or in front of the TV and talks for hours at a time. I am going to take some of these traditions and norms back to the United States and practice them there. Overall, I absolutely love Spain. It's beautiful out here. I have experienced so much in so little time and cannot wait to see what else this trip has in store for me.

Bienvenido Purdue 2015

Este año damos la bienvenida a 9 estudiantes de la Universidad de Purdue.