Category: Spain

The greatest advancement I gained in my language skills in my time in Madrid was an increase in comfort with the language.  My confidence in Spanish was actually very high as I boarded the plane headed to Europe, but plummeted once I landed. I realized that even though I could write a ten page essay on Spanish poetry and film, I had no idea how to respond to the cashier at the grocery store when asked “¿Quieres bolsa?”.  Through accumulating daily interactions with people on subways, asking for directions, complimenting outfits, and speaking in class, I was able to finally accumulate enough off-the-cuff conversation to finally consider myself “colloquial”. I am also surprised at how much peninsular “lingo” I gained during my time in Spain… I am constantly saying phrases only utilized in Spain, such as “tranquila”, “no pasa nada” and “¿Que tal, chica?”.  I am looking forward to learning more subtle differences between regions in Latin America as I pursue my goal of working in American international aid to Latin American countries.

The SLA gave me the gift of independence for the first time.  Though I technically live “by myself” in college, I am still in a strong and structured community of track practice, dorm events, and dining halls.  In Madrid, I was truly by myself for the first time. Knowing that I can not only operate on my own, but do it in a foreign country, gives me a new sense of agency that helps me to hold my head higher today.  

Culturally, I have been made aware for the first time of the extreme depth of variation between cultures, customs, and ways of the world.  Whereas before my experience in the SLA, I thought that culture stopped at religion, politics, and language, I now realize that it extends into how the waiter gives you your check, how to locate a street sign, and whether or not to greet someone on a metro or a street corner.  I am thankful to acknowledge early on that there is so much, in fact, that I do NOT know. As I pursue a career abroad, this humility will ensure that I listen more than I suggest as I aim to be a voice for the underrepresented.

To someone pursuing an SLA program in the summer of 2020, I would suggest to find a program that is well reviewed by students.  My study program in Madrid was definitely unorganized, and that made it difficult for credits to transfer and for my classes to be scheduled accordingly.  I would also suggest staying somewhere where you feel free and safe to travel, since some of the highlights of my summer lay in weekend trips across the country to get to know the region more as a whole instead of just one city.  Be fearless in what you pursue, but do so with awareness and new friends by your side!

Throughout my time in Spain, I became increasingly more interested in their political past from the 1940s to the present.  The reason this patch of history is so interesting is because it contains “la edad del franquismo”, or the dictatorship of Franco.  Though unifying Spain under specific standards and expectations, this was also a period of terror for many Spaniards that were jailed for minute offenses such as wearing skirts above the knee, red lipstick before marriage, being outside of the home at night, or saying anything at all contrary to the dictator’s political agenda.

This period of history was brought to my attention by my professor Maria Luisa, who was named such because she was born during Franquismo, in which it was illegal to name baby girls anything other than “Maria” (for religious reasons).  Her her recollections of the changes that took place in her life after the dictator’s death enthralled me: buying her first swimsuit, seeing the night sky for the first time outside of her house, and the frustration of being only months too young to vote alongside her country for the first time since 1939.

Knowing the history of Spanish liberty and lack thereof through these conversations with Maria Luisa give me a fuller context of understanding the nation that I was living in, especially why many Spanish women dress so formally.  Just as the United States values religious observance and sexual purity before marriage because of our Puritan origins in the colonial era, of COURSE today’s Spanish women would retain the expectations of class, domesticity and formality that were expected of them during the reign of Franco.

Though women were highly discouraged from pursuing careers during the dictatorship since “all women are called to be mothers just as Mary mothered Christ”, certain courtship customs suggest a more independent role in society than American women.  For instance, when I asked profesora Paz why Spanish women don’t change their last name in marriage, she haughtily responded, “I am still my own person after marriage.  I am equal to my husband, not an addition to him”.  Just as living under a patriarchal dictatorship in the 1970s may still hold the residual effects of proper dress and etiquette in Spanish females, it also seems to have formed a hyper-aversion from submission to male authority.

Of course these are not the only elements at play in peninsular female identities, but I am thankful to be able to apply these historical factors to more fully understand the psychology of the men and women I am interacting with every day!

One of my favorite local interactions with the native Spanish community was making a traditional dinner with my friend Anton’s host father from Basque Country.  I was very touched that I was invited to their home since inviting guests into private spaces is not interwoven into Spanish culture like it is in the United States… since most urban citizens live in small apartments above restaurants, it is more common to spend hours on end in public spaces such as bars and cafes, having discussions over as little as one piece of cake over the course of three hours.  This is also the reason why it is considered just as rude for a waiter to bring you your check as it is for a friend hosting a party to push you out the door since both actions suggest that it is “time to leave”.

Once I arrived at the apartment, I was automatically offered a glass of coca cola with a splash of red wine, the most typical drink of the region in Northern Spain where Anton’s host father was from.  He informed us that we were cooking tortilla española and gazpacho, which I would describe as a light egg omelette eaten at all times of the day with a crisp cold tomato soup.  Since my mother ran a bakery out of our home as a child, I have been around/ learned to appreciate quality foods my whole life (at four years old, I caught my hair on fire reaching over a candle for my favorite food, mushrooms stuffed with elk, chili peppers, chives, and parmesan in a white wine sauce).  What I found myself most surprised about through the experience of flipping my own tortilla española and blending the tomatoes was that Spanish cuisine has nothing in common with Mexican cuisine.  Spicy food is nowhere to be found, wheat and corn “tortillas” found in America are nonexistent, and wine is served with nearly every meal.  Instead of mixing flavors and spices, optimal Spanish cuisine is achieved through minimalism and quality.  Whereas I cook at home by blending spices, vegetables, and sauces to create depth and complexity, a Spanish soup such as gazpacho may call for only five ingredients: a three+ day old bocadillo loaf to absorb the tomato juice, a peeled and seeded cucumber, minced garlic, tomatoes, and salt and pepper.  Though the ingredients list is simple, the food remains exquisite because of the freshness of its components.  Fruit is to be bought the same day as the food is intended on being eaten, which is a completely different philosophy from my rural upbringing in which weekly trips to the grocery store supply my entire family until we drive 25 miles to the nearest supplier again.

Though one night of cooking with another family seems like a simple event, I felt very loved throughout the experience since we were all so excited to be performing the task together, both in teaching and learning.  I am ecstatic to bring the recipe back home to “cook up” some new memories!

“family dinner picture”:  https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipOUQxxMRSJ7Srd01hc7wAMG5uGxDyxtxJntrrj4 

How to flip a Spanish tortilla: https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipPVhTvSwQtRveeVh4bFGYhe_IYNpqy0IV8X-jQh

I’m writing this last post as I wait for my flight in the Dublin Airport. Now that my time in Spain has officially ended, I can confidently say that it was the best experience of my life.

Before I arrived in Spain, I had so many worries, all starting with the most infamous pair of words: “what if.” What if I feel lonely living abroad? What if I don’t like the Spanish culture? What if I get homesick? Thankfully, these fears were all for naught. As I’ve alluded to before, I met some of the best people I have ever met. Among them are Issy, Claire, Emily, Daniel, Benjamin and Jaden. Issy is intelligent and selfless; Claire is witty and wise; Emily is quirky and adventurous; Daniel is mature and funny; Benjamin is energetic and entertaining; and Jaden is open-minded and lively. Some of my memorable moments with them include: walking 50 minutes in 95 degree heat to get to the swimming pool; watching the sunset at “the spot”; playing Benjamin in a tennis match featuring our very own ball boys; routinely getting ice cream at 10:30 in the Plaza.

Although being in good company can make any experience better, I would have liked Spain regardless. As I mentioned in a previous post, I love the siesta culture. The best part of the siesta culture, apart from the nap, is that it allows the day to last so long. (Yes, the sun setting around 9:45 might have a role in that as well, but the Plaza is lively long after sunset!). Living in a place where families and friends are out and about at 11:30 pm made me sympathetic to John Donne’s quote: “No man is an island.” Additionally, the rich history of Salamanca, and Europe overall, was something I had never experienced before, and something I will miss when I get to the US.

Lastly, I feel more confident, yet insecure, in my Spanish. My confidence stems from my placement in the highest level of classes, my purely Spanish conversations with friends, and the compliments I received from native speakers on my Spanish. Nevertheless, my insecurity comes from the realization of exactly how difficult it will be to speak Spanish fluently. Yes, I know I can get by in a Spanish-speaking country without much troubles. But speaking Spanish almost as easily as if it were my native language? That will be a huge hurdle to overcome. Hopefully my five months in Chile will significantly help with this, but I now anticipate that I will have to live in a Spanish-speaking country post-graduation if I hope to achieve true fluency.

I have to sign off now since my flight is about to board. There is so much more that I would love to rave over when it comes to my time in Spain and Europe, but it would take too long to type. I’ll save it for when I see my family and friends back home and on campus. Because I fully intend on returning to Spain (I never got to see Barcelona!), I’ll sign off with the popular Spanish phrase: hasta luego!

Given what I’d learned about the Spanish Inquisition in history class, I knew that Spain was a country with strong Catholic roots. However, I didn’t realize how prevalent Catholicism was until I arrived in Salamanca and found out that nearly all of the must-see buildings are either churches or convents. The main tourist attraction of Salamanca is its cathedral, which is actually composed of two separate cathedrals, the Old Cathedral and the New Cathedral. Although I like how the cathedral’s beauty demonstrates the devotion the builders had for God, it unsettles me that the cathedral seems to be a tourist attraction rather than a house of worship; one has to pay 10€ to enter if not attending mass, and tourists can walk around the Church while mass is going on. I understand that many churches around the world (or at least around Europe) require admission fees, and probably use the fees for maintenance, but it seems wrong that people should pay to enter God’s house. Additionally, by making people pay to enter, it makes the cathedral seem like a commercial institution rather than a religious one. As a consequence, I associate the cathedrals with museums and palaces — places that strive to preserve history in an ever-advancing world — and I don’t think the Catholic Church should become a thing of the past, appreciated solely for its elaborate buildings.

Every weekday I attend Spanish classes from 9:00 to 13:15 (when in Spain, keep time as the Spaniards do 😉 ). On my first morning in Salamanca, I took a placement test that determined which level of classes I should be in. The level I tested into suits me well not only because I find the content difficult yet manageable, but also because the class atmosphere is very lively; my classmates participate a lot in class, and they are all more dedicated to becoming fluent in Spanish.

For the first two hours of the day, I attend a grammar class taught by Charo, who is a great professor; she’s willing to joke around with us, but she takes our comprehension of the material seriously. In class, we review Spanish grammar concepts that are particularly difficult. For example, we’ve studied the different uses of the two verbs that mean “to be” — “ser” and “estar” — as well as when to use the subjunctive tense or indicative tense. Although I’m familiar with these concepts and the others that I’m learning in the grammar class, determining when and how to use them has always caused me to second-guess my Spanish writing and speaking. The grammar class alone won’t allow me to reach complete confidence with the material, but it already has significantly improved the comfort I have with the challenging concepts.

During the third and fourth hours of my school day, I take electives. The electives are Spanish History and Spanish Art, which I mentioned in my previous blog post. Pacho, the professor who teaches both courses, loves to relate what we learn about Spanish history and art to current Spanish culture. Since my last post, my history class has studied the 1930s in Spain, which witnessed the Spanish Civil War — I finally know what Franco looks like and what the ideologies of the two opposing sides were! In my art class, we’ve learned about the differences between Romanesque, Gothic, and Renaissance architecture. I love that when I’m learning about these art styles in class, Pacho shows photos of the buildings downtown as examples. Living in such an old city is still surreal at times.

Speaking of the historical aspect of Salamanca, next week our classes are going to be held in the Old City. The Old City was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and it’s my favorite place to be in Salamanca. Hence, I’m looking forward to the move, even though I like the current building my classes are in.

My previous blog post discussed how, due to my living situation, I’ve been learning about numerous European cultures. It should go without saying, however, that the culture I have learned the most about is the Spanish one.

I’ve adopted some parts of the Spanish culture into my daily routine; for example, every morning and evening I drink café con leche with friends at local cafés, and every afternoon I take advantage of the Spanish siesta (which shouldn’t come as a surprise given the title of this post 😉 ). At least once a week I go out for tapas with friends, which involves going to two or three restaurants over a three hour period and trying small plates of food with drinks. Other cultural excursions have been more unique, such as watching the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona—something I will never do again!—and trying pintxos in the Basque Country. Evidently, food is a big part of the Spanish culture, so I’m also taking Spanish cooking classes; today we made paella and arroz con leche, both of which were delicious!

Along with learning about the Spanish culture through experiences, I’ve also learned a lot about it in my classes. The two electives that I take are Spanish History and Spanish Art. In my history class, we talk a lot about the political state of Spain; currently, there are five major political parties and the president is a socialist. I’ve also learned about major issues that Spain is dealing with, such as people moving in throngs from rural areas to big cities and the current generation having too few kids to support the older generation. Through my art class, I’ve learned about the prominent Spanish artists, such as El Greco and Velázquez, and the large amount of cathedrals in Northern Spain due to El Camino. These tidbits about Spanish culture and history are just ones that stick out in my mind—every day I learn at least one new thing about Spain, thanks to my awesome professor, Pacho.

Despite only having been here for two weeks, I already feel much more familiar with the Spanish lifestyle, and I look forward to other ways I’ll learn about and experience it within the next four weeks!

When I registered for Cursos Internacionales through the University of Salamanca, I chose to live with a host family. However, there was a mix-up with scheduling, and I was placed in a single room in a residence hall. When I heard about the change in my accommodations, I was disappointed and nervous; I worried that not living with a host family would significantly hinder my ability to improve my Spanish and that living in a single would make it harder to meet people. Thankfully, my worries were all for naught, and life in the residence hall has been my favorite part about Salamanca. With regard to language acquisition, the majority of my classmates who live with host families say that they spend a lot of time away from their homes, so most of their Spanish improvement occurs in the classroom. In reference to the facility of making friends in a dorm, living in a residence hall has helped, rather than hindered, my social life. There are 12 other students living in my hall, all of them between the ages of 18 and 22. Apart from being a group of adventurous, intelligent, outgoing, and interesting people, my friends in the hall represent a wide range of nationalities: Issy and Dan are English; Steve and Mark are Canadian; Thomas is Belgian; Caroline is Swedish; Gabrielle is French; and Claire, Emily, Lucia, Ellie, James, and I are American. Learning about the cultures of my peers over meals has been one of my favorite things to do here. I’ve learned from Daniel how important football (soccer) truly is in the UK, and I’ve learned from Caroline that flower crowns in Sweden are a Swedish tradition rather than part of the hipster movement. While learning about their cultures is super fun — over dinner tonight I learned all about the education system and culture in England from Issy and Daniel — it’s great to simply be in my friends’ company I’m not one for social media, but I may have to re-activate my Facebook to stay in touch with some of them after we leave.