My first week living with my host family has felt both long and short. I am now getting the hang of my routine and settling in. One of the hardest things to adjust to was the eating schedule at first. In the mornings, it is similar to the US because we have breakfast at about the same time. However, lunch time is a bit different. Here, the lunch is around 2 or 3 pm and is called “Comida.” It is the biggest and most important meal of the day and is very filling! Most days, I have beans, rice, and some sort of filling to put in my tortillas. My host mom makes amazing food so it is always delicious. Usually we don’t eat again until around 8, and it’s usually just a snack, like a sandwich or some fruit. At first it was hard to get my body to adjust to the different eating habits, but now I am getting to used to it and I enjoy every meal!

Sopa Azteca

So far, my favorite trip has been to Pena de Bernal. Bernal is one of the tallest monoliths in the world. While we didn’t get to climb to the very top because it requires real rock climbing equipment, we still made it as far as we could go! The view was absolutely stunning from the top.   

Another things that I love so far about Queretaro is the night life. There are lots of places to go, people to see, and things to eat. My friends and I have gone shopping, eaten food, and explored many of the streets that are filled with life during the night.

The first went by so fast.  I spent Sunday night and Monday morning homesick.  I was nervous and unsure of what to do with out my friends.  It always takes me a while to adjust somewhere new when I’m by myself.  The food here is a lot richer than in the states, but I brought some pro-biotics and that has helped my stomach adjust and not get as sick.  The new language has been a challenge because I can’t always say exactly what I want, but I’m learning quickly how to rephrase what I want to say with the words I know.  If I need a different word, I am always willing to look it up.  The older feel of the city is amazing, the architecture is seems like something from Europe, not Mexico.  I want to learn more about the public transport system, as I’ll be using it a lot more in the upcoming weeks.  I also want to learn more about the history of the city because it seems like a beautiful city with a long history.  I want to keep  the learning about aqueducts that run through a part of the city.  In the few days I was here before classes started, I learned they built the aqueducts because a nunnery needed fresh water because the river had become polluted.  Much of the architecture in the downtown part of the city came from outside influence and was built much like a European city.  Using the public transports has helped me see the city in a new way and see it’s  beauty in a new way.

This is my second week here in Rosario and I find myself saddened by the thought that in three weeks I will have to go back home. I am very much enjoying my experience here. I am learning a lot about Argentinian culture, history, food, and its people.

Both the soccer and human rights classes I am taking are teaching me a lot of Argentinian history and culture. It is interesting to see how everything relates. From soccer to human rights to politics, its all connected. And it all helps me understand why politics are so important to people here. It seems that here everyone has a political opinion, unlike the US. Politics and soccer can be seen everywhere, the graffiti, the advertisements, and the passion with which the locals speak of them.

This past week I have learned more of the Argentinian dictatorship that governed during 1976-1983 and of the human rights violations they committed. During the dictatorship the military would “disappear” those people who thought differently. Disappearances are estimated to be 30,000. I visited el Museo de la Memoria. This museum talks about the political violence and injustices committed during the dictatorship as well as the punishments that military officials received after their trials. It was very sad to learn that even pregnant mothers were abducted and tortured. And even more sad to learn that their children were either killed, given up for adoption, kept by military officials, sometimes returned to their grandparents. It is 2014 and they are still reuniting children with their biological families, and las abuelas de plaza de mayo still march in squares demanding justice. This Thursday I hope to attend one of these displays.

Now to a happier topic, soccer!

Yesterday was insanely incredible. After Argentina defeated Belgium and advanced in the World Cup a group of us went to el Monumento de la Bandera where the locals celebrate their wins. I cannot find the words to describe the beautiful chaotic display of national pride. We had been watching the game at a bar close by, so we were there before the crowds started to come in. People, young and old came from all directions. In cars, walking, and in trucks. All waving the Argentinian colors and chanting and dancing. It was an amazing experience and I truly hope Argentina brings the cup home.

I have also visited la casa de tango, el museo experimental de ciencias, and the museo de ciencias naturalez. My visit to la Casa de Tango was a very sweet. There were a lot of older people who sang their favorite tangos. They were all very nice to us and welcoming.

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On 4th of July, Friday, we had a get together with all of the students from the program but Asturian style. They have long tables with small plates of food that each person picks from. Also served is red wine, sparkling water to go in the wine and water. There is a good variety of little snacks available for everyone and everything is delicious. Among everything is their famous cheeses and huge barrels of sidra. They played typical Asturian music (with bagpipe form of instrument) and had authentic dancing. It was a very fun experience and I got to meet some new people!

On Tuesday we got take a tour of Oviedo and get to know the town a little bit better, Afterwards we went to the city council and into one of the government buildings. On entering a man directed me to a chair in the center next to two others that obviously meant power. Being shy I suggested that someone else take the place but he insisted so I went up there. In a representation of how the government works here we had to reenact everything and I was the mayor.

My job was to hypothetically invite an artist (Beyonce) for the town festival coming up soon. However, in order to afford her entertainment, I had to decide what to tax the city on. This was kind of a peculiar situation for me because just that morning my host had been telling me that everyone was struggling just to make it day to day and that she was not happy with how things were being run… SO, having this information prior to being put in charge of increasing taxes was interesting. Although we had fun learning how decisions are made here for the city and having the opportunity to be in such a beautiful building.

The local drink here is sidra which translates to cider. The sidra is made of fermented apples but the end product has less alcohol content than wine. Because people consume so much sidra here all of the time the Asturians not only harvest their own local apples but have to import apples from Poland.However, there is a particular method of serving the sidra as it needs be broken into a glass and exposed to oxygen. The waiters come and pour the sidra from above their heads into a glass that they are holding away as far as possible. Then you have to drink the sidra like a shot immediately or it tastes bad. 

Coming to Spain I was a little apprehensive that I would have trouble finding food to eat here because I am vegetarian but that has not been the case at all! My family has been super accommodating and made the most delicious food for me. I do not feel like I have been missing out at all although I do hear that the meat here is prepared differently than in the states and is very tasty which I am glad to hear people are enjoying. At the same time, I was pleased to learn that they prepare different vegetarian dishes here than in the states which is awesome because I also get to experience a difference in culture!

Our first official day of class was on Wednesday. Due to problems testing in to a Spanish level before I left I just went into Spanish Intermediate 2B which is roughly equivalent to Spanish 303 at WOU (my university) which is what I just took Spring Term. We were reviewing the verbs ser and estar and learning vocabulary relevant to physical description. It was different learning about these topics in Spain rather than in a classroom back home but I wasn’t sure that I felt challenged. On the plus side I was able to work with my classmates and help clear things up if there were any confusions. However, on Friday my professor approached me and asked me to move up to the advanced level 1. For the last hour of class I went to the advanced level and although I miss my friends from the intermediate level, I feel like I’ll get more from this class.

Our schedule is grammar/vocabulary class from 9:30-11:30 and then we have a half hour break until 12. We return to the same classroom for an hour to work on various topics. For the last hour of school we go to our module classes which are like electives, and for me my module is conversation to help improve my  conversation skills and to help gain confidence speaking Spanish on an everyday basis.

I really enjoy school and I feel very lucky to live where I do because I am right across the street from the campus!

While trying to learn where everything is at in this city we went to visit the Cathedral which is a main historical component of Oviedo. The architecture was breathtaking and most of it was built in the 9th century (although a lot of it has been refurbished). The rich history of this little town is incredible.

Starting with the with my first day of travel I knew that this would be an amazing experience. After about 3 hours of sleep I got up early Saturday morning and headed off to PDX with my family. I met up with my Spanish buddy Arielle and we went through security together. That was the first time I had my hair patted down as my bun was apparently the ideal place to store potentially threatening objects. Finally we got on the plane to Philadelphia and had a pretty smooth flight. The Philly airport was an experience in itself because neither of us had been there. It’s kinda cute because they have rocking chairs you can sit in or they have stationary bikes you can use to help with jet-lag. However the more “international” section was kinda separate which made it a little confusing and we passed a lot of confused Spaniards who, like us, had no idea where to go. But, we made it and got onto this humongous glorious plane… I was in awe because I had never been on a plane this big. The flight attendants were very nice and we were served dinner which consisted of Mac n’ Cheese with broccoli, a dinner roll, a small salad, and a mocha brownie. Arielle and I were impressed. Additionally they had a good selection of movies that we could watch to pass the time. Overall it was the most comfortable flight that I have been on despite the inevitable long period of sitting and therefore lack of sleep. Needless to say once we arrived at the Barajas airport in Madrid we were a little low on energy but feeling good with excitement. We waited about 2 hours to make our connecting flight to Asturias. This flight was only a little over an hour. We arrived, got our suitcases and hopped in a taxi. All the taxis here are white and drive fast and spontaneous.

When we got to the AHA meeting place we were introduced to the coordinators/supervisors and given information packets. I turned around and my family was already there waiting for me. It was all a blur it happened so quickly. I met Maria Jose and her husband Jose whom I would be staying with until my Pepita (Maria Jose’s mom) came back and I would staying with her for the rest of the time. I also was matched up with another girl from the program, Lexi, because our hosts are friends. We all drove up to a monument, El Cristo,  which is a huge Christ that over looks the town of Oviedo…. It won’t let me post pictures right side up… :p We had our first Sidra sampling after our excursion to the Cristo.Afterwards we finally got to go home and shower. And, as Spanish culture demands, I had my first dinner in Spain at midnight 🙂