The Beginning of the End

This past week I took my final exams for my CIEE classes. I think they went well although one of them was cumulative and entirely essay form. Which resulted in many hand cramps during and after the test. Although I am done with these classes and exams, I still have my direct enrollment (DE) course and exam to take on June 1st. I received a wonderful card from my grandparents in the mail a few weeks ago saying they hadn't heard much about my classes so I wanted to take a bit of a reflection on my semester (class wise) to keep you all up to speed. I believe I wrote this in an earlier post that I was enrolled in 3 classes through my program. The first class I had was Spanish Popular Culture class on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. Throughout the semester I learned some useful and some crazy facts about my new home. For example, for the most part, Spaniards don't like to rent things, such as apartments (they call them houses). They like to own their homes so even though it is an apartment complex, they somehow have "bought" their own apartment. Also, unlike the States, Spaniards don't get off work until 8 or 9 at night because they have a siesta in the afternoon and then re-open their stores at 5. An example of a crazy fact is that the reason Spaniards do not have "to-go" coffee (or anything for that matter) is because they see drinking coffee or eating as a social ritual and if you don't have time for it, you don't do it. This has obviously made me analyze our fast pace lifestyle in the states but I have come to the conclusion that I like walking/driving with my 20 ounce caramel latte. Sorry Spain, you are losing this battle. We also watched about 5 movies during the semester; some were good, other's just cheesy but I did learn a lot about the culture and lifestyle during Franco (the dictator) and also the role of women in society. We learned colloquial phrases which were helpful in order to blend in with the Spanish culture and especially the youth, and we learned how to order different types of drinks. Like I said, a very useful class :)

The next class was a Women's Literature class and this was the most challenging for me, partly because of the content but partly because we had a lot of work. My professor, Debora, was a cute little lady with brown, wavy hair and glasses and extremely nice and personable. Her teaching style on the other hand, I would have liked to tweak. Sometimes it felt like she wasn't prepared for class or we would spend 2 hours discussing life, incorporated into the readings of the day. Discussion was good and a helpful part of class but sometimes I needed more clear-cut, this is what she wants us to know lecture so I could focus my studying on that. This class did help me with my Spanish writing skills as I wrote close to 10 papers throughout the semester. I also enjoyed our final project which was to choose a book, or a short story, read it and then write a 10 page analysis. When it was nice outside, she would let us sit in the grass and hold class or sometimes we would go get coffee and discuss readings, which would never happen in the States but I really liked this. I liked her laid-back style but sometimes she was too laid back, in my opinion. My third and final class was Public Health and probably the one I am the most critical. Originally, I choose the Alicante program because it offered this course and the description said that we would have guest speakers, such as doctors and nurses, and we would be visiting a local hospital or clinic. Neither of which happened, to my disappointment. I did, however, broaden not only my general Spanish vocabulary but my medical Spanish vocabulary and the book I purchased I am bringing home for future reference. What I found most intriguing about the class was the similarities and differences between Spanish healthcare and the States. Especially for someone like me who wants to pursue a career in this area, I think it is helpful to have a good understanding of different systems. We would also read articles about the latest medical topics or new vaccines which I found interesting as well.

In general, my classes were different from what I am used to in the States. I was shocked when my professors would continually be late to class or when someone didn't have their paper done and wanted to turn it in later they were okay with it. That is how the Spanish system operates. I did enjoy how personable the professors were and since my classes were small, they all knew my name and how I contributed to the class. I can not believe I am done with my program! To celebrate, they rented a catamaran for this coming Tuesday for all of us to go out on for the afternoon, professors included! There is an option of snorkeling but I think you all know that I will NOT be participating. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone one last time before we all head our separate ways. I still can't believe I arrived in January and now it's May and my time is winding down. Luckily, I still have about a month and a half left, a lot more time than most people. My classes taught me a lot about the Spanish style of teaching, education system and culture in general but I have always thought and still believe that I have learned more outside the classroom. Interacting with my family and asking their opinions on what I have learned in class has broaden my horizons and made me appreciate the Spanish lifestyle, even if I don't agree with everything. Spain, and the people, have also taught me a lot about myself. I don't know how to elaborate except that it is something internal. And thinking back to the first few months I was here, I have seen growth and progress with myself. Whenever I go abroad, I am always happy, probably the happiest I have ever been but Spain was different. I struggled the first month (to speak the language, to find friends, to find happiness) but now I feel like I did that first week in Costa Rica and my first (and entire) month in Ecuador. Spain has opened my eyes to so many wonderful things about my life and taught me that everything will be okay. I just have to learn to dance through the storm.