After Toleda, we got back on the bus to finish the day with a three hour trip to Salamanca (wih a stop outside of Ávila, to see the city walls). Our host mom picked Shannon and I up (we're roommates here) and took us home. As soon as we walked in, we met the rest of the family. Here's the run down:
The mom- Marta. There is no name for it, but as far as we can tell she works as what we would consider a nurse's aid. She works very different hours- usually 6-8, mid-morning-1/1:30, mid-afternoon-8:30/9, usually (most women work 4 hours in the morning, and then maybe a few in the afternoon). She is very nice and always concerned about pleasing us, and wanting us to go out and experience the Spanish night life.
The daughter- also Marta. She is 22. She isn't around much. I believe it is because she works in a bar, so she's gone at night and then is asleep when we leave, then well until last week, had classes in the afternoon and evenings. We enjoy watching telenovelas with her, even though we don't always understand what's going on (it's had enough to pick one up in English).
The son- José. He is seventeen and is still in high school, and a typical teenager. He blasts his American music in his room, where he spends almost all of his time at home. He can get an attitude with his mom, but for the most part is great. He is a super picky eater and does not like fruits or vegetables. Actually the only ones I've ever seen him eat is apricots and strawberries (covered in whip cream though).
Here's a typical day for me:
7:00 wake up and get ready for the day
7:45 eat breakfast (which Marta leaves out for us before she goes to work at 6)
8:10 walk to school
8:30-9:25 culture class
9:30-11:10 grammar class
11:20-1 conversation class
2:30 lunch at home
3-4:30 siesta (although I rarely have time to actually nap)
5-7 either one or two one-hour classes about literature, history, art, ect. or dance class (salsa or Sevillana)
9:30/10:00 dinner at home
somewhere in there I manage to fit in the studying, writing, reading, tours of the city, errands, shopping, cleaning, showering, and going out on occasion (to pretend I'm Spanish) on any night of the week. It doesn't matter. There are always people out. I now understand why it's the land of siesta y fiesta.
It's a beautiful city thought. It is easy to navigate since almost all of the main roads lead to the center of the city, Plaza Mayor. I could probably walk from one end of town to the other in 45 minutes, which I have nearly done probable four or five times.
For the most part, I do enjoy the food, even though it is really different. Our house doesn't eat super traditional food, like some of the other houses do. Some of the combinations are different, but it's fun to try. There aren't nearly as many fruits or vegetables as I'd like, but I'll deal. At least, I'm walking everywhere to burn off some of the carbs. Every morning for breakfast we have the options of coffee, apple juice, cereal, something between a cookie and a cracker, and a croissant or other pastry type bread. Lunch is the biggest meal of the day and usually includes a meat of some sort (almost always ham or beef), a side like egg-potato salad or a vegetable/meat mixture, a little bit of a vegetable, and fruit for dessert. Dinner is smaller and may be grilled ham and cheese or pizza, etc. We don't really eat out, except when traveling, and even then we'll get sack lunches and snacks from our mom to save us money on a couple of meals. But then there's helado. In the plaza, which is right by the school, is a cheap, homemade ice cream store with the best flavors.
Our room is a great size. We don't spend much time in it- sleeping and studying sometimes. We have a bunk bed, and I'm on the bottom for now. We share an armoire which can hold all of our stuff. Then we have a small table for studying and still have space in the middle to move around so we don't feel claustrophobic. The flat overall is big for Spain. We pretty much have our own bathroom because José uses his mom's in the mornings since we all get ready at the same time. We're on the third floor of the building and it's only 15 minutes from the plaza and 20 from school. we really lucked out because some families cram 6 or 7 students into their homes because they get paid to be a host for each. So some people from our group have students from several countries all crammed into two or three rooms.
We didn't know this until we got here, but we don't study in the actual University buildings. It's not as bad because they are spread out all in the city, unlike a cluster in the US. We have our own building with all of the study abroad students, which has its perks because they already know we aren't fluent, and if necessary, many of them speak English. In my classes, I have four kids from China and one girl from Missouri. I'm not a huge fan of the program just because it seems fairly unorganized and the system they have isn't the most efficient, but I am learning and improving, so I guess that's all I wanted from the trip.
The weather is nice for the most part. It has rained a few times, but it never lasts long. The middle of the day gets a little hot and on occasion nights get chilly, but for the most part it's perfect.
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