Week 1 by Lindsey Balamut

            Upon arriving to Caceres, Spain, I knew there was going to be a language barrier and cultural differences. The first couple of days were definitely the hardest because I had a very hard time understanding and having conversations with the family. Before coming, I was somewhat confident that I would be able to have small conversations with the family and get by with what I have learned in class, but that was not the case at first. Than the second day came and I was able to communicate with the family a lot more and have small talk. As the week went on, I was able to communicate more with the family and understand what they were saying. Having lunch with them and talking to them helped me a lot because they would correct me when I spoke.

           

            Throughout my first week in Caceres, I realized there were many cultural differences. One of the main cultural differences was there food and food schedule. There food here in Spain is a lot different than what I am used to in the United States. Breakfast is whenever you wake up and you usually eat toast with butter or jam. Than you go on with your day and have a snack. At 2:30pm you usually eat lunch with the whole family. Lunch is the most important meal of the day, like dinner is ours. Everybody eats together and it is a big meal consisting of three courses such as a beginner entrée, main dish, and dessert. For dessert we eat fruit such as oranges, pears, bananas, and strawberries with whip cream. Than dinner is not until 9:00pm, in which it is a smaller portion of food and you do not have to eat with the family. They also eat bread with every single meal of the day. Another major difference in the culture is that they have siesta time from 2-5pm, which is down time for everyone. All the stores close down, people get off work to go home and eat with their family, have an alcohol drink with a friend at a bar for social time, or take a nap before returning to work and other activities. This is different from the life we live because we are use to going all day long and rushing. Here you can go and sit to have coffee, but in the United States you make coffee to have on the go.

                 

Week 1 by Gabrielle Bachis

It is easy to lose yourself in the wonder of a new place. It first hits you hard, then it backs off so you can take it all in. This was the first week in Cáceres. There is a whole new country, language, and daily life that completely shift from what I have known. It was a difficult first impact, and although the transition of my wonderful host family made it easier, I had sensory overload. The language barrier is the most difficult, as it hinders deeper bonding with my host family and the locals. Language aside, this town now feels comfortable and very home-like. I could immediately understand their values, such as having job and school schedules shifted so that families could have every meal together. It’s eating around the table together that brings people closer, even with language differences. My host family and I get to be creative in the ways we talk and explain things to each other so that we can each understand. It makes for a fun way to get to know their personalities. 

As a nursing student, I am familiar with how nursing school and the healthcare system are in the Unites States. I, along with another classmate, had the opportunity to present to a group of Spanish nursing students about nursing in the U.S. In turn, they had a presentation for us about healthcare and nursing school in Spain. Sometimes we think that another country is a different planet; they don’t speak the same language, their values are a bit different, their culture and social norms seem opposite… Honestly, yes, some of this is true. It is completely different in many ways. There is a huge connecting factor, though. It’s one that many people tend to forget about. We are all human (cliché to a point, but valid). Each of us has emotions, interests, and things about our personality that make us unique, wonderful, and interesting. The way nursing is in Spain is different in the sense of the way we do things, but why we do them is the same. We are in healthcare because we want to help others and find the human biology fascinating. My class and I had the opportunity of attending a simulation of car accidents at the nursing school here. The firefighters and nurses had set up stations with scenarios of different types of car accidents. At each station they explained what to do in case of an emergency, how to get that person out of the car, and how to care for them until other emergency vehicles could arrive. And you know what? In America we would do the same or similar actions, all which give the car accident victim the best chances to recover. Yes there are crazy cultural shifts, but really… We’re not all that different. 

Week 1 by Juan Almaraz

It was an amazing week at Cáceres. Except for the fact that the first week was nothing but rain and on top of that getting to know the city was a little hectic due to the bad weather. I am a big believer that a positive mind would cause positive outcomes. For this reason, I was very excited to start my day of classes and get to know a little more about my fellow classmates.

We were instructed by professor Gemma to prepare a brief presentation related to the Nursing program that we are currently attending at Purdue Northwest. To have the opportunity to meet some students from the Facultad de Enfermería made me very proud and excited. They were very kind and were interested in learning more about us and us about them. They had a great presentation and were able to explain of what the Nursing education consisted of in España.

We also had the opportunity to show them a little more about our program and the conversation turn out to be very interesting. They made us feel welcome and gave us a little tour of the installations of the Nursing School. It was a good first week at Cáceres. 

Week 1 by Murtada Aljassim

In the first week at the University of Extremadura, I had a great time. It was a good introduction to the study abroad program and for the students to get to know each other. It was also a good introduction to the way things are going to happen. We also learned about a few cultural differences that we should keep in mind while we are in Spain. 

Between all the activities that we had during the first week, my favorite was "Speed dating". I liked it because it's one of the things that I'm looking for in this program. I want to speak Spanish fluently with confidence. I believe that since I speak to others in Spanish with them speaking to me in English and we both have almost the same level of understanding each others languages would improve my confidence. I won't feel that I'm behind. 

I look forward to more activities like that where I'm put in situations that I have to use my Spanish at, so I can increase the amount of use of the words I already know in Spanish and learn new ones from others. Only situations like that will improve my speaking. 

Welcome Purdue 2016

This year we have a big group of students that will have a life-long changing experience.

The final week was the hardest week. During this time I spent most of my time working on my research papers and presentations that went along with them. I would make time every single day for an ice cream break. That Sunday I also saw my very first bull fight. It was a lot different from what I excepted. In my opinion it was not even a fight. In this fight there was one bullfighter and six different bulls. At the beginning they run around until a horse is brought out, which they attack, and are stabbed for. In the next event the bullfighter tries to jab two poles in the bull, three different times. Lastly the bull and bullfighter go around and around until a final sword is shoved through the back of the bull and it dies.  On Tuesday we visited Truijo and saw a bunch of beautiful sites, my favorite was the castle because of the walls they had and how we could walk on them. On Wednesday the entire group got to teach groups of Spanish students about things in the United States. I found this activity very interesting. We got to see were other students were in their journey of learning English and hopefully teach them some things they did not already know. On this day we had our final goodbye dinner with the entire group. We got to eat at a place I had been wanting to try and see our professors outside of the school setting. We ate a lot of food and afterwards explored the city of Cárceres one last time.

It finally came... the day everyone has been dreading. It's time to pack up our clothes and leave our temporary homes!This day has came so fast it's hard to even pin point certain activities  we accomplished because they all seem like yesterday! Our last group trip was to Trujillo which was absolutely beautiful! Reality kicked in when coming home from there because that was the our last group activity and the  we all have different plans after the program! Some of us our staying in Europe and traveling while the others are going back to the states. It wasn't just the places I visited and the sights that I saw that made my trip a once in a life time experience but the group had a great impact as well! Each and every person contributed their own uniqueness to our group and made every moment something to remember! From our own planned trip to Portugal to the nights we spent at the fair in Caceres there was never a dull moment! I came into the program having classmates but I left the program with some more spanish skills... Of course but also amazing friends who got to experience this unforgettable trip! I was also lucky with how awesome my host parents were too they were so understanding with everything and were willing to help me with any problem I had! In all I can't wait to share with students on how they can't pass this learning experience up because not only is it fun but I've never learned more spanish in my life!

Tours, studying, and quality time with friends have filled my last three weeks in Spain! This week the fair was held in Caceres and it was something I have never experienced before! Starting from the rides all the way to the fiestas there was never a dull moment. Music played from every direction, lights illuminating the sky overhead , and smiles across everyone's face! When I first arrived in Caceres as I said in the previous blogs my Spanish was non existent but as I noticed day by day my ear for more phrases and words was expanding! This is because not only was I listening to spanish in the household I was staying in but every step I took I was guaranteed to be immersed in the spanish language. We went three days to the fair and to say at the very least if was amazing! I can not believe that in one day it will be my final week here.  I'm sad for it to end but I'm excited with what each day will bring! 

Approaching my second week in Spain was to say at the very least incredible! I could not believe how fast time could be. Everyday felt like only hours had passed by. During this week we had accomplished so much including taking an overnight trip to Sevilla. When arriving there we hit the ground running with breathtaking views at the top of a bell tower to entering a vacation home for centuries of passed royalty! Before retreating back to our hotel that night we had the privilege of attending a Flamenco show! Even though I've never been so tired before the parts I did see were something I always will remember! The next morning we woke up had a huge breakfast and started another day that will always be reminisced upon. A lot of my friends decided to go on a boat tour but I was not feeling it so me and two others decided to take another route and invest our time in an experience not worth passing up. We took a three hour electric bike tour throughout Sevilla! The views seen that day had to be experienced in person to truly appreciate the beauty! When everyone was done with their tours we all met at the hotel went to eat and headed back to Caceres. For the remainder of the week we explored Caceres and spent more time with our host families. I learned a great deal of knowledge about my family and what they do for a living. From the first week to this week I saw how much vocabulary I had gained. Even though I still am completely petrified when someone talks to me I can pick out words that I understand and respond back with at least some sort of response. So far I am completely in love with España!

  Culture shock was a word that I knew the definition to but never truly had experienced until this summer. When I got off the bus in Caceres immediately I went into panic mode. My friends were finding their families and introducing themselves but the new part to this was it was all in Spanish! Of course I knew it would be this way but I guess reality caught up to me. I felt lost and knew this was going to be the biggest experience I've ever had in my life. When I finally found my family the conversation consisted of me breaking the news to them my Spanish speaking skills are very minimal! Dinner that night was intense but I made it through without breaking down. I just felt so bad that I couldn't say anything to them that had substance! They were very understanding and went out of their way to make sure I was settled in okay. As the days proceed though I feel my Spanish vocabulary is building into a longer list and becoming more complex. This weekend my friends and I took advantage of being so close to Portugal and decided to take a small adventure there. Portugal is beautiful and Spain is just breath taking! So far my week here has made me realize that being immersed in a new culture is the best way to learn a new language! I can't wait to see my improvements by the end of this trip!