Merida

Brrooke Regier

The hour and a half train ride did not feel like much. The city looked quite similar to Caceres, but soon after arriving, we discovered just how different two cities can be based on their deep roots and vivid history, even when the two cities are just 70 kilometers apart.

            Merida is the home of many bridges, an aqueduct, and many other Roman landmarks. We visited these landmarks and museums. Listening to our professor teach us about the history of Merida gave us a unique and useful opportunity to work on our Spanish skills while learning about Spain and its heritage. The museums showed us a different way of living than the way we live in America, and the way we have experienced in the last week in Spain. This experience also posed a unique opportunity because we were able to learn and practice words that are not common in everyday conversations.

            Our trip to Merida, Spain was very beneficial for us because of the language practice, as well as the cultural experiences we encountered while there. One of the best ways to learn is by experiencing things head on. My classmates and I had the chance to learn so many valuable stories and lessons first-hand while visiting Merida, Spain. 

Merida

Brett Kessler

The first field trip of the program was to a city called Mérida, Spain. This city contained some of the main architecture that drew me in to the program in the first place. We spent a day in Mérida and while I was there I honestly forgot I was in Spain. The ancient Roman architecture is everywhere in the city and it is the closest I have ever felt to real history in my life. The experience is both very fun and educational. You learn about the rich history of the city and all the groups that have influenced its architecture and design today. You get to see many ruins like a portion of an old aqueduct. The second largest Roman bridge in their empire. An old roman theater which we learned has great acoustics when a student from our class sang for a crowd in the ancient stone bleachers. After we experienced the theater we went to see the smaller coliseum that was in Mérida which was personally my favorite site to visit. I have always been interested in the gladiator fights of ancient Rome so it was a wonderful experience to see the area in person. A very interesting fact about Mérida is that they are constantly finding old Roman ruins buried under the earth and modern day houses. It is an amazing thought that an entire gladiator coliseum was once under the earth and was one day found by people that happened to be digging in that specific area. This experience alone was well worth the trip and doesn’t begin the scratch the surface of things I have experienced so far in Spain.

 Por Adam Davis 

CÁCERES, Spain—There is comfort in the fact that I know how to ask someone where the closest coffee shop is. That’s not a luxury that I had my first day in Cáseres, Spain.

Nine months ago I walked into my very first Spanish class. I was blown away when my amazing teacher, Cindy Torres, started speaking in Spanish — and I couldn’t understand a word.

I was given the foundations of speaking in Spanish during those first weeks in class, but I have never been confident using even the most basic phrases from chapter one.

When my caffeine addiction reared its ugly head on my second day in Cáseres, I had to find coffee one way or another. So I asked. In Spanish. I kept trying to communicate and I kept recalling words and phrases.

That is what I have benefitted from the most in the first week spent in Spain. The immersion process has forced me to communicate in Spanish and apply what I have learned over the last two semesters.

Foreign language has been an academic challenge to me. But the study abroad program has turned Spanish from a Communications major requirement into a skill that I can use at home and in my profession.

The study abroad program is academically rigorous and personally enjoyable. I have enjoyed Spanish during these last few days. That is a surprising sentence for someone like me to write.

WOMAD

Hemos mandado unas cartas a nuestros amigos en el mundo contando nuestra experiencia en el WOMAD...

Hola Amigo,

El fin de semana pasado, el festival de WOMAD fue aquí. Yo y mis compañeros fuimos al

festival el viernes y sábado. Había muchas tiendas en el parque. Había joyas, carteras,

zapatos, juguetes, y helados. Yo compré un camisa del WOMAD. Mis compañeros compraron

Hena. Durante el festival, había muchas personas que tuvieron cervezas y vinos en grande galones.

Porque es más barato que en la barra. Había muchos conciertos gratis. La música era folk,

pop, y rock. El domingo, había un desfile para los niños y muchas baterías. ¡Me gusta el

WOMAD mucho!

Adios,

Jessica

Querida amiga:

            El fin de semana pasada fui al WOMAD con mis amigos. WOMAD significa World of Music, Arts, and Dance. Es un festival que celebra la diversidad y otras culturas. El viernes, vi un concierto de un grupo que se llama La Sra. Tomasa. ¡Me gusta mucho! Su estilo es pop y latino. Puedes encontrarlos en Internet.

            El festival fue diferente que en los festivales en los Estados Unidos. ¡Fue más loco pero muy divertido!

Un abrazo

Hannah

Querida amiga,

            Este fin de semana pasado fue el festival de Womad. ¡Fue muy divertido! Hubo muchos conciertos. Hubo tres escenarios para los conciertos. La música del festival fue el rock, el pop, el jazz, y la folclórica. Durante el festival la gente escuchó  música, bailó, y cantó con las canciones. Hubo mucha gente en la plaza mayor. Era difícil moverse alrededor de la plaza. La gente tenía unas botellas muy grandes con vino y cervezas. Fue muy interesante. El festival fue más tranquilo que los festivales en Estados Unidos. También el festival fue gratis pero en Estados Unidos los festivales son doscientos dolores por lo menos. Es muy barato aquí. 

Atentamente,

Nikki 

¡Womad es increíble! Todo la ciudad va al festival para comer, beber, y bailar. La plaza central y la plaza de San Pedro están muy llenas! En las calles había puestos con artesanía, joyería, comida y ropa. La música esta muy buenísima! Un grupo “LSRT” era divertido para escuchar y bailar. Los cuatro días, la gente viene a Cáceres para celebrar arte, música y baile. En el festival está participan cantantes de otros países. También, artistas que presentan en su festival para ver su arte o su actividad. Womad quiere promover la diferencias en cultura y abrazar un mundo multicultural.

Shayna


El asado el fin de semana, yo visité un festival de WOMAD. Fue una experiencia de esas que te cambian la vida. Yo pude ver personas de todos los países del mundo. Mi parte favorita fue bailar con mis amigos y escuchar la música del mundo. Las tiendas pequeñas eran divertidas también.
MIranda

Bienvenido el grupo de 2017

¡Os deseamos una feliz estancia en Cáceres!!!!

GyG