To make up for lost time, I am publishing a couple blogs today. I wrote them over the past week and a half, but never put them up. So Surprise! You get three in one day!
Everyone on my program is really nice, and I am enjoying getting to know them. Orientation is always a little awkward, but the longer I spend with everyone, the more I like them. Alicante is known for its beautiful weather, but right now we are in the middle of a huge tormenta! It has been raining every day. I like the rain, but this city is definitely not made for it. Many of the sidewalks here are made of marble or tile, which is extremely slippery when wet. Over the weekend I was at the beach until a storm hit. I had to make a run for it with my compadres. We took shelter in a hotel sauna. We snuck in for about an hour until it was safe to run home!
Here comes the Storm! Very foreboding hovering over the Castillo de Santa Barbara.
Needless to say, we still were soaked! It was like a hurricane!
*interesting fact about Spain. The street names are not on signs like they are at home. They are on little plaques in the corner of buildings. THIS IS VERY CONFUSING. It took me three days before I could get home from the bus without getting lost. I am getting pretty good now, I don't even carry my map around!
Also over the Weekend, we went on a little trip around the Alicante province. We stopped off in the towns of Guadalest and Alcala. Guadalest is a tiny town centered around a huge house. It was a fortress in the 17th century. Alcala is a beachy town with a lot of Stairs! Both were really beautiful.
Before the storms hit, I also took a trip to San Juan. The Mediternanean is so warm! Its wonderful to swim in! Also, the stories are true about europeanean beaches. I have see a LOT of toplessness going on…. I would be afraid to do that. 1 because I would feel naked, and 2, what if I got sunburned nipples or something!?! That would hurt.
My school is simply beautiful. The architecture is very modern, and there are lots of trees and plants and fountains. It is pretty big, bigger than Santa Clara for sure. Over 30,000 students attend Universidad de Alicante. That is about 6 times as big as SC. I tested into the Advanced section of my program with the placement test, but I am debating whether or not to switch into the other program that is more advanced than mine. My Spanish class has been pretty easy so far, I kind of want more of a challenge. I am meeting with my advisor tomorrow, so we'll see how that goes.
Here are some pictures of the campus. Woop Woop!
In Spain drinking is a very social activity. When you go out at night here, you don’t leave your casa until after 11, and stay out as late (or as early) as you please. I have stayed out till 4:45 am, which is considered lame to some Spaniards. I will have to work up to 7am I suppose! I have been enjoying going out with the people on my program. We went to a concert on Saturday, and other nights we hit “el barrio” which is basically the hangout for los jovenes (young people) at nighttime. We go dancing and fiesta-ing all around, mingling with Spaniards and other international students from all over the world. It is a blast. My Spanish parents also let me sleep in as late as I want after a night out! Its ideal. =)
No comments:
Post a Comment