Photo link
June 18-Travel
Maybe things went too smoothly early on, because once we got Newark things went downhill.
Our flight was delayed and then canceled due to a door issue. We didn’t find out it was canceled until about 4.5 hours later. It is currently 1:30 AM and we are in a really long line to try to get hotel accommodations for the night.
I definitely would love to be in the air, but not on a plane with a door issue. The kids are troopers and they will also have a story to tell!
Our flight was delayed and then canceled due to a door issue. We didn’t find out it was canceled until about 4.5 hours later. It is currently 1:30 AM and we are in a really long line to try to get hotel accommodations for the night.
I definitely would love to be in the air, but not on a plane with a door issue. The kids are troopers and they will also have a story to tell!
June 19-Travel continues....
We stayed in some fancy rooms at a Motel 6 (at 4 am) and really got to know the Newark Airport with its beautiful view of the Empire State Building!
They tried telling us they didn’t have seats for us, but finally we are on the plane!
They tried telling us they didn’t have seats for us, but finally we are on the plane!
June 20-Madrid Landmarks
Daily update by Megan
We finally got to Madrid around 8 or 9 in the morning, but no one got a lot of sleep and we were all exhausted. We made our way to the hotel to shower and change. Then we went on a bus tour where we could hop on a bus and go to whatever stop we wanted to go to. We went really cool places, like the Botánico garden where one lady tried to ride her bike next to us but didn’t have enough room so she slowly tipped into the bushes as we all just stared at her and watched some other lady help her up. She was totally fine but she made a hole in the bushes she landed in. We also went to the palace where the royal Spanish family stays. We got to put our feet in the little pool they have in the front while some random people kept waking around and yelling “AGUA AGUA, FRIO AGUA” at us trying to convince us to buy their water. We also went to la plaza de España, which had a really pretty fountain and a really good ice cream truck. We also stopped at Templo de Debod, which has temples from Egypt that got moved to Madrid. Once we were done with the bus tour, our tour guide Jesus took us around the shopping place in the middle of Madrid but everyone was so tired and was over with all the walking. After all the touring and walking around for hours we finally got to eat. We went to a tapas restaurant where we had a lot of different appetizers that we shared with the table. It was really fun trying all the different Spanish food, and most of it was pretty good. After dinner we went back to the hotel and everyone passed out right away when we got there. Our first real touring day was really fun but also really exhausting, we’re all just glad to finally be in Spain.
Words of the Day
Seguros-insurance
Fuente-fountain
Patito-duckling
Idioma-language
Gigas-Gigabyte
Rebajas-sale
Vale-okay
Tapear-to have tapas
We finally got to Madrid around 8 or 9 in the morning, but no one got a lot of sleep and we were all exhausted. We made our way to the hotel to shower and change. Then we went on a bus tour where we could hop on a bus and go to whatever stop we wanted to go to. We went really cool places, like the Botánico garden where one lady tried to ride her bike next to us but didn’t have enough room so she slowly tipped into the bushes as we all just stared at her and watched some other lady help her up. She was totally fine but she made a hole in the bushes she landed in. We also went to the palace where the royal Spanish family stays. We got to put our feet in the little pool they have in the front while some random people kept waking around and yelling “AGUA AGUA, FRIO AGUA” at us trying to convince us to buy their water. We also went to la plaza de España, which had a really pretty fountain and a really good ice cream truck. We also stopped at Templo de Debod, which has temples from Egypt that got moved to Madrid. Once we were done with the bus tour, our tour guide Jesus took us around the shopping place in the middle of Madrid but everyone was so tired and was over with all the walking. After all the touring and walking around for hours we finally got to eat. We went to a tapas restaurant where we had a lot of different appetizers that we shared with the table. It was really fun trying all the different Spanish food, and most of it was pretty good. After dinner we went back to the hotel and everyone passed out right away when we got there. Our first real touring day was really fun but also really exhausting, we’re all just glad to finally be in Spain.
Words of the Day
Seguros-insurance
Fuente-fountain
Patito-duckling
Idioma-language
Gigas-Gigabyte
Rebajas-sale
Vale-okay
Tapear-to have tapas
June 21-Madrid-Seville
Daily update by Jenna
The goal today was to travel to Sevilla. It was a five hour bus ride from Madrid. We made a few stops on the way, which helped. Our first stop was in a small village, called Puerta Lápice. It had a cute little shop where we bought souvenirs ;) The next major stop was in Córdoba. This city was the home of la mezquita, or the mosque, we visited. The mosque contained thoughtful architecture and interesting history. Did you know that the mosque in Córdoba was expanded three times? We learned a lot about the history of this mosque and could tell which part of it was older because of the materials used. Beautiful arches covered the inside, along with displays of artifacts and tombs, yes, I said tombs. We later, walked through tiny streets that surrounded the mosque. The streets had many intriguing stores. After the tour, we were allowed one hour to look around and shop. Our group ate gelato and bought even more souvenirs! Then, we hopped on a bus and drove the last leg of the day trip, which was two hours. We all enjoyed every part of today.
Words of the Day
Contrasena-password
Caoba-mahogany
Teteria-Tea Shop
Empujar-to push
Siglo-century
Talla-size
La Torre-tower
Trigo-wheat
The goal today was to travel to Sevilla. It was a five hour bus ride from Madrid. We made a few stops on the way, which helped. Our first stop was in a small village, called Puerta Lápice. It had a cute little shop where we bought souvenirs ;) The next major stop was in Córdoba. This city was the home of la mezquita, or the mosque, we visited. The mosque contained thoughtful architecture and interesting history. Did you know that the mosque in Córdoba was expanded three times? We learned a lot about the history of this mosque and could tell which part of it was older because of the materials used. Beautiful arches covered the inside, along with displays of artifacts and tombs, yes, I said tombs. We later, walked through tiny streets that surrounded the mosque. The streets had many intriguing stores. After the tour, we were allowed one hour to look around and shop. Our group ate gelato and bought even more souvenirs! Then, we hopped on a bus and drove the last leg of the day trip, which was two hours. We all enjoyed every part of today.
Words of the Day
Contrasena-password
Caoba-mahogany
Teteria-Tea Shop
Empujar-to push
Siglo-century
Talla-size
La Torre-tower
Trigo-wheat
June 22-Seville Landmarks
Daily update by Taylor
We spent all of Thursday in Seville. Our group did a guided tour around the city for the first part of the day. We started the walking tour by visiting La Plaza de España which was basically a huge courtyard covered in beautiful mosaics. After exploring the plaza we saw the Spanish royal palace for Sevilla. It was also painted with highly detailed mosaics. My favorite part of the tour was when we were guided through the mesmerizing garden, I can’t imagine how much time it takes to keep it looking so beautiful. Next we saw the largest gothic cathedral in the world. I found it very interesting to learn about the history of this very old city and it’s main attractions. We were then given time to eat lunch in which we chose to try paella and eat more tortilla de España. With everyone in a better mood after eating, we decided to go on a relaxing boat tour where we learned about the buildings and bridges surrounding the river. The group was then given some time to explore the city on our own. We chose to go shopping which ended in most of us spending way too much money on souvenirs. The last event on our schedule was the flamenco show 💃. The whole show was very captivating, I was surprised that there was actually a storyline that continued throughout the show. Over all our day was very busy one, but I think it was probably one of my favorites because of all the different activities that we participated in.
Words of the Day
Azulejos: tiles
Vado: entrance
Maxibolsa: big bag
Valle: valley
Escochas: shells
Libretas: little notebooks
La sombra: shade or shadow
Araña: spider
We spent all of Thursday in Seville. Our group did a guided tour around the city for the first part of the day. We started the walking tour by visiting La Plaza de España which was basically a huge courtyard covered in beautiful mosaics. After exploring the plaza we saw the Spanish royal palace for Sevilla. It was also painted with highly detailed mosaics. My favorite part of the tour was when we were guided through the mesmerizing garden, I can’t imagine how much time it takes to keep it looking so beautiful. Next we saw the largest gothic cathedral in the world. I found it very interesting to learn about the history of this very old city and it’s main attractions. We were then given time to eat lunch in which we chose to try paella and eat more tortilla de España. With everyone in a better mood after eating, we decided to go on a relaxing boat tour where we learned about the buildings and bridges surrounding the river. The group was then given some time to explore the city on our own. We chose to go shopping which ended in most of us spending way too much money on souvenirs. The last event on our schedule was the flamenco show 💃. The whole show was very captivating, I was surprised that there was actually a storyline that continued throughout the show. Over all our day was very busy one, but I think it was probably one of my favorites because of all the different activities that we participated in.
Words of the Day
Azulejos: tiles
Vado: entrance
Maxibolsa: big bag
Valle: valley
Escochas: shells
Libretas: little notebooks
La sombra: shade or shadow
Araña: spider
June 23-Seville‐‐Granada
Daily update by Grace
Hoy, visitamos La Alhambra en Granada. Hacía mucho MUCHO calor, pero también muy bonita. Vimos flores, vejo casas de ejército, y una vista del todo la ciudad. En la noche, exploramos el centro por muchas horas. Hay muchas tiendas lindas y restaurantes con comida típica de la ciudad. Alicia, Anita, Señorita Olson, Señora Smith, y yo recibimos tatuajes de henna (son muy lindas). También bailamos en una plaza y recibimos muchos miradas raras. Hoy fue muy divertido.
Today we visited the Alhambra in Granada, the Alhambra is an old military fortress with a whole city inside its walls. It was really really hot, but also very pretty. We saw flowers, old military houses, and a view of the whole city. Tonight we explored downtown for a long time. There were many cute shops and restaurants with local foods. Megan, Anna, Ms. Olson, Mrs. Smith and I got henna tattoos that are super cute! We also line danced in the square to a slow song and got lots of weird looks. Today was very fun.
Words of the Day
Hoy, visitamos La Alhambra en Granada. Hacía mucho MUCHO calor, pero también muy bonita. Vimos flores, vejo casas de ejército, y una vista del todo la ciudad. En la noche, exploramos el centro por muchas horas. Hay muchas tiendas lindas y restaurantes con comida típica de la ciudad. Alicia, Anita, Señorita Olson, Señora Smith, y yo recibimos tatuajes de henna (son muy lindas). También bailamos en una plaza y recibimos muchos miradas raras. Hoy fue muy divertido.
Today we visited the Alhambra in Granada, the Alhambra is an old military fortress with a whole city inside its walls. It was really really hot, but also very pretty. We saw flowers, old military houses, and a view of the whole city. Tonight we explored downtown for a long time. There were many cute shops and restaurants with local foods. Megan, Anna, Ms. Olson, Mrs. Smith and I got henna tattoos that are super cute! We also line danced in the square to a slow song and got lots of weird looks. Today was very fun.
Words of the Day
June 24-Granada‐‐Costa del Sol
Daily update by Anna
Today made out to be a pretty awesome day. We got to sleep in yet again, but breakfast was not that great. There was not even a manzana for me to steal from the breakfast buffet to eat later. I have not been caught yet, but apparently taking comida from a buffet to eat for later is frowned upon in Europe :( After breakfast, we loaded the autobús to make our way to Malaga. Most of us got our nap on the way. We stopped at a little gas station/restaurante where, we had our usual lunch of chocolate, café, chips, and dulces. We then got back on the autobús and saw some amazing montaña views. When we got to the hotel, our rooms were not quite ready so we took advantage of the piscina while the adults watched our stuff. We stayed at the piscina a little too long, as all of us ended up a little burnt, especially Grace. After, we decided to cool off in our hotel rooms. I think most of us ended up taking a nap again:) After a refreshing slumber, we all had dinner in the hotel. It was buffet style and the best part was, there was ice cream for dessert. We then hit the town. We stopped at a farmacia first so Grace could get some aloe. We then found a cute little market where we all found something to bring home. We even got mini crepes with nutella drizzled over them. We took a walk along Puerto Bañus, or the boardwalk where all of the rich people park their yachts. We all had fun pretending like we were rich for a night and enjoyed seeing the night life. I can't wait for another day in this amazing country!🇪🇸
Words of the Day
Atrapasueños: dreamcatcher
El yate: yacht
Quemadura de sol: sunburn
Soulvenirs: souvenirs
El filtro solar/protección: sunscreen
Bolsa: bag
Today made out to be a pretty awesome day. We got to sleep in yet again, but breakfast was not that great. There was not even a manzana for me to steal from the breakfast buffet to eat later. I have not been caught yet, but apparently taking comida from a buffet to eat for later is frowned upon in Europe :( After breakfast, we loaded the autobús to make our way to Malaga. Most of us got our nap on the way. We stopped at a little gas station/restaurante where, we had our usual lunch of chocolate, café, chips, and dulces. We then got back on the autobús and saw some amazing montaña views. When we got to the hotel, our rooms were not quite ready so we took advantage of the piscina while the adults watched our stuff. We stayed at the piscina a little too long, as all of us ended up a little burnt, especially Grace. After, we decided to cool off in our hotel rooms. I think most of us ended up taking a nap again:) After a refreshing slumber, we all had dinner in the hotel. It was buffet style and the best part was, there was ice cream for dessert. We then hit the town. We stopped at a farmacia first so Grace could get some aloe. We then found a cute little market where we all found something to bring home. We even got mini crepes with nutella drizzled over them. We took a walk along Puerto Bañus, or the boardwalk where all of the rich people park their yachts. We all had fun pretending like we were rich for a night and enjoyed seeing the night life. I can't wait for another day in this amazing country!🇪🇸
Words of the Day
Atrapasueños: dreamcatcher
El yate: yacht
Quemadura de sol: sunburn
Soulvenirs: souvenirs
El filtro solar/protección: sunscreen
Bolsa: bag
June 25-Costa del Sol Beach time
Daily update by Trevor
Today was, in my opinion, one of the best days. All week we’ve been begging to go to the beach and Ms. Olson and Mrs. Smith finally took us. We took an hour long bus ride from our hotel in Estepona, and after we finally got to Malaga we walked through the town and ate on our way to the beach. The beach was a European beach, which was new for all of us, but it didn’t really affect us because all we did was either swim or laid on the sand. Some of us bought blankets to lay on in the sand and the rest of us stayed in the water the whole time. Although the beach was really fun, we had to leave by 5:00 to get back on the bus to go to Estepona. The whole day was a nice relaxing day that we all needed right before meeting our homestay families.
Words of the Day
Andén: platform
Mar: the sea
La ola: wave
Tentempié: snack
Arena: sand
No fijar carteles: don't hang signs
Today was, in my opinion, one of the best days. All week we’ve been begging to go to the beach and Ms. Olson and Mrs. Smith finally took us. We took an hour long bus ride from our hotel in Estepona, and after we finally got to Malaga we walked through the town and ate on our way to the beach. The beach was a European beach, which was new for all of us, but it didn’t really affect us because all we did was either swim or laid on the sand. Some of us bought blankets to lay on in the sand and the rest of us stayed in the water the whole time. Although the beach was really fun, we had to leave by 5:00 to get back on the bus to go to Estepona. The whole day was a nice relaxing day that we all needed right before meeting our homestay families.
Words of the Day
Andén: platform
Mar: the sea
La ola: wave
Tentempié: snack
Arena: sand
No fijar carteles: don't hang signs
June 26-July 2-Home Stay
We assigned the kids homework! Each day they are supposed to provide us with a highlight, an observation, a new word, and a picture!
June 26th-Homestay Arrival Day #1
Trevor: We got back to the flat rather late, so I was introduced to the family and then Pablo and I had a relaxing day at the pool. We ate dinner really late and there was a lot of gazpacho. One thing I’ve noticed is that people eat a lot more than I do, so I felt bad when my host mom brought out a big bowl of gazpacho and I was only able to eat half of it. Anyway a word that I learned today was compacto, which literally means compact, but I couldn’t find a way to explain differences in houses in America to Spain.
Anna: I got to have another relaxing day at the pool. My family and I also went out for pizza with some of their friends and it was fun to listen to their conversations. Apparently everyone here is named Jesus. I have meet 3 Jesuses. Our tour guide, the dad of my host family, and his close friend. My new word es roncar which means to snore.
Jenna: The weather today was very hot, so we went to the pool with Lydia’s friend. The pool was very cold and even colder when it started to rain. We then, went to Lydia’s friend’s house and played monopoly. My family took me out for dinner. We went to a small restaurant and shared a tiny plate of potatoes and cuttlefish. Then went to another restaurant and ate calamari. One thing I observed is that my family eats snacks throughout the afternoon to later eat a small dinner. My word today is claro, which was a vocabulary word this year in Spanish II that means bright, but I learned today that it also means obviously.
Taylor: After being picked up by my host family we walked down town and they showed me a lot of the historical buildings. We stopped at a popular restaurant to eat a late lunch. One thing that I observed to day is that the locals, not just taxi drivers, don’t really follow the road signs. My word for today is cinturón de seguridad which means seatbelt.
Megan: The first day with my family was super fun. Me and my 2 sisters went walking around the stores and universities around their house and watched some really funny Spanish game shows. After that we came home and made dinner for our parents. My new word is ejército which means army. We saw people from the army in the city and Claudia tried to explain this word to me by saluting, which I didn’t understand at all.
Grace: The first day we went to the pool and I met lots of Lola’s friends, the we went to a little restaurant to have a snack before dinner. The mom made fajitas that were really good and we all talked during dinner. The word I learned was cargador, which means charger because my phone died while we were at the pool.
Meredith: It was fun meeting my family and some of their extended family. Their niece is visiting with her friend from London (they both are from Spain) and we all have had a lot of fun talking. I even heard a mini concert (Gonzalo on the piano and Victoria on the violin). Something I observed is they turn their WiFi and hot water heater off at night and when it is not in use, presumably to save energy. I learned my word over dinner: masa madre, which means sourdough. It was quite entertaining to try to figure what type of bread I was eating.
Katie: I am so excited to be back in Valladolid! I enjoyed walking around the city and seeing the sights. It was a nice walk down memory lane. I also enjoyed getting to know the family of our host family coordinator, as I am staying with them tonight. Something I observed was the hot/cold signs on the bathroom sink. They were labeled C/F. I'm used to C meaning cold, but in Spanish it means caliente! And F is for frío (cold). Clave is another word for contraseña!
Trevor: We got back to the flat rather late, so I was introduced to the family and then Pablo and I had a relaxing day at the pool. We ate dinner really late and there was a lot of gazpacho. One thing I’ve noticed is that people eat a lot more than I do, so I felt bad when my host mom brought out a big bowl of gazpacho and I was only able to eat half of it. Anyway a word that I learned today was compacto, which literally means compact, but I couldn’t find a way to explain differences in houses in America to Spain.
Anna: I got to have another relaxing day at the pool. My family and I also went out for pizza with some of their friends and it was fun to listen to their conversations. Apparently everyone here is named Jesus. I have meet 3 Jesuses. Our tour guide, the dad of my host family, and his close friend. My new word es roncar which means to snore.
Jenna: The weather today was very hot, so we went to the pool with Lydia’s friend. The pool was very cold and even colder when it started to rain. We then, went to Lydia’s friend’s house and played monopoly. My family took me out for dinner. We went to a small restaurant and shared a tiny plate of potatoes and cuttlefish. Then went to another restaurant and ate calamari. One thing I observed is that my family eats snacks throughout the afternoon to later eat a small dinner. My word today is claro, which was a vocabulary word this year in Spanish II that means bright, but I learned today that it also means obviously.
Taylor: After being picked up by my host family we walked down town and they showed me a lot of the historical buildings. We stopped at a popular restaurant to eat a late lunch. One thing that I observed to day is that the locals, not just taxi drivers, don’t really follow the road signs. My word for today is cinturón de seguridad which means seatbelt.
Megan: The first day with my family was super fun. Me and my 2 sisters went walking around the stores and universities around their house and watched some really funny Spanish game shows. After that we came home and made dinner for our parents. My new word is ejército which means army. We saw people from the army in the city and Claudia tried to explain this word to me by saluting, which I didn’t understand at all.
Grace: The first day we went to the pool and I met lots of Lola’s friends, the we went to a little restaurant to have a snack before dinner. The mom made fajitas that were really good and we all talked during dinner. The word I learned was cargador, which means charger because my phone died while we were at the pool.
Meredith: It was fun meeting my family and some of their extended family. Their niece is visiting with her friend from London (they both are from Spain) and we all have had a lot of fun talking. I even heard a mini concert (Gonzalo on the piano and Victoria on the violin). Something I observed is they turn their WiFi and hot water heater off at night and when it is not in use, presumably to save energy. I learned my word over dinner: masa madre, which means sourdough. It was quite entertaining to try to figure what type of bread I was eating.
Katie: I am so excited to be back in Valladolid! I enjoyed walking around the city and seeing the sights. It was a nice walk down memory lane. I also enjoyed getting to know the family of our host family coordinator, as I am staying with them tonight. Something I observed was the hot/cold signs on the bathroom sink. They were labeled C/F. I'm used to C meaning cold, but in Spanish it means caliente! And F is for frío (cold). Clave is another word for contraseña!
June 27th-Homestay Day #2
Trevor: Today was actually a lot of fun, but I didn’t expect otherwise. I woke up around 9 and it was nice to finally sleep in after a week of constantly being on the run. We walked around Valladolid and saw all of the cathedrals and the town center. There is a square in the middle of Valladolid where it is full of trees and even free roaming peacocks! It was weird to see so many peacocks roaming free when in America the only times I would see a peacock would be at a zoo. After we got back from walking I took a small nap/siesta, and I understand why Spaniards do it. After that we went out for dinner at the pizzeria underneath the apartment. One thing that I found interesting is that when pizza is served at a restaurant, there aren’t any plates served with it. It’s just a small thing but it totally threw me off that we would eat from the plate it was cooked in. My word for today is ‘la rotunda’ because that means roundabout. In spanish class we learned that roundabout is ‘una glorieta’ but apparently that is the proper term for it, and ‘la rotunda’ is more along the lines of ‘roundabout.’
Anna: today I went to Segovia. It was super pretty. My host family does not use nasar nascar for swimming or caminar for walking and it really screws with my brain. My new word is el postre which is dessert.
Jenna: Today I went to Salamanca and explored the city. It was beautiful and the cathedral topped off everything. I tried the fresh jamón(ham) on some bread and it was really good. I ate it during my normal supper time so I assumed it was dinner. However, it was not. Instead, we ate much later, closer to 11:00 pm, and ate tortilla de patata. I definitely started to understand the language a bit more, but still have a long way to go. One thing I noticed was that families in Spain(Lydia’s and her friend’s families) buy large bottles of water to pour into a glass if needed. Unlike our filtered water from the fridge. Movies are named differently in Spain. Moana is called Viana. I also learned the word, pisar, which means to step on. In Salamanca, there was a sign that said “no pisar” in the grass. I asked what it was and Lydia told me it meant to not step on the grass.
Taylor: Today I spent most of the day with Celia and her friends. We had a late breakfast before going to the pool. We played a bunch of card games and I enjoyed practicing English with come of Celia’s friends. They asked me lots of questions about my school and if it was anything like High School Musical, they were all disappointed when I explained that they were nothing alike. Celia lives in a suburb of Valladolid, whole she was showing me around I observed how late everyone stays up. There were people on walks with their very small kids at 11:30 and teenagers playing fútbol in the town square. My word for today is probar which means to try.
Megan: my highlight for today was definitely shopping with Claudia. I love walking around the city, it’s so beautiful. When her parents came home we went on another walk and went to the Rio Pisuerga. One thing I noticed about my family is that they go on a ton of walks all together. I really like walking with them, it’s a great way to get to know where I’m staying and have fun with everyone. My word for today is cuidado which means watch out. I learned this today when I almost walked out in front of a car(they drive really crazy here).
Grace: My highlight of today was having dinner with the family because we talked a lot and I was able to practice a lot of Spanish. One thing that I observed that was very interesting to me is that whenever the family parks the car they put the emergency brake on, even if we are on flat ground. When I woke up (which wasn’t till noon) me and Lola took a bus to a daycare center to pick up some kids that she watches, and we went to their house to feed them and wait for their father to come home. It was interesting to see how well behaved the kids were, they set the table and did all the dishes themselves. After that we went back to our house and had dinner, the I took a little siesta and we went to the pool. At 8 Lola had training for an athletic competition, so I stayed at the pool with her mom for a little bit and thenn we went to watch Lola run. After that we went home and the family prepared dinner, which was tuna and a salad, and now I am going to bed! The word that I learned today is cambiar, which means to change.
Meredith: I woke up pretty late (around 9 AM) and had some coffee, banana, yogurt, and granola. I then went with Maria and Laura to walk around Valladolid and we talked the entire time about England, Spain, and America. We stopped at a little cafe and I had a “mosto”, which is a traditional drink from this area. It was very refreshing and tasted a lot like grape juice. I am interested in seeing the inside of the cathedral, which is not completed. It looks very different from the other cathedrals I have seen in Europe. I noticed that at dinner they have different dishes and you don’t typically have all of them. For instance the first night there was a cream of vegetable soup and broccoli. The family members chose one. Last night there was pasta and broccoli and Ana (my host mom) gave her husband the broccoli, because he had already had pasta for lunch. My word of the day is granada, which is the plant for a pomegranate. We were looking in the family garden and they have a pomegranate plant growing.
Katie: I have TWO highlights today. With María and her daughter, I walked around Valladolid. We did some shopping and visited Campo Grande. My second highlight is meeting my host family. The mom was in Belgium when we arrived, so tonight is my first night with them. We walked around town (Laguna de Duero) and got to know each other. They loved my gifts! My word and observation are related. My word is chalet adosada. It refers to what are basically townhouses. They are a row of houses and each house has a small yard or garden. I'm in a suburb, not the city center, and it looks like this style of housing is more common, which I didn't know or see before. I also have to laugh at stereotypes that you encounter while traveling. I ordered a coffee today and the waitress asked if I was English. When I told her I was from the US, her face lit up and asked if there were any cowboys in Wisconsin! I had to laugh.
Trevor: Today was actually a lot of fun, but I didn’t expect otherwise. I woke up around 9 and it was nice to finally sleep in after a week of constantly being on the run. We walked around Valladolid and saw all of the cathedrals and the town center. There is a square in the middle of Valladolid where it is full of trees and even free roaming peacocks! It was weird to see so many peacocks roaming free when in America the only times I would see a peacock would be at a zoo. After we got back from walking I took a small nap/siesta, and I understand why Spaniards do it. After that we went out for dinner at the pizzeria underneath the apartment. One thing that I found interesting is that when pizza is served at a restaurant, there aren’t any plates served with it. It’s just a small thing but it totally threw me off that we would eat from the plate it was cooked in. My word for today is ‘la rotunda’ because that means roundabout. In spanish class we learned that roundabout is ‘una glorieta’ but apparently that is the proper term for it, and ‘la rotunda’ is more along the lines of ‘roundabout.’
Anna: today I went to Segovia. It was super pretty. My host family does not use nasar nascar for swimming or caminar for walking and it really screws with my brain. My new word is el postre which is dessert.
Jenna: Today I went to Salamanca and explored the city. It was beautiful and the cathedral topped off everything. I tried the fresh jamón(ham) on some bread and it was really good. I ate it during my normal supper time so I assumed it was dinner. However, it was not. Instead, we ate much later, closer to 11:00 pm, and ate tortilla de patata. I definitely started to understand the language a bit more, but still have a long way to go. One thing I noticed was that families in Spain(Lydia’s and her friend’s families) buy large bottles of water to pour into a glass if needed. Unlike our filtered water from the fridge. Movies are named differently in Spain. Moana is called Viana. I also learned the word, pisar, which means to step on. In Salamanca, there was a sign that said “no pisar” in the grass. I asked what it was and Lydia told me it meant to not step on the grass.
Taylor: Today I spent most of the day with Celia and her friends. We had a late breakfast before going to the pool. We played a bunch of card games and I enjoyed practicing English with come of Celia’s friends. They asked me lots of questions about my school and if it was anything like High School Musical, they were all disappointed when I explained that they were nothing alike. Celia lives in a suburb of Valladolid, whole she was showing me around I observed how late everyone stays up. There were people on walks with their very small kids at 11:30 and teenagers playing fútbol in the town square. My word for today is probar which means to try.
Megan: my highlight for today was definitely shopping with Claudia. I love walking around the city, it’s so beautiful. When her parents came home we went on another walk and went to the Rio Pisuerga. One thing I noticed about my family is that they go on a ton of walks all together. I really like walking with them, it’s a great way to get to know where I’m staying and have fun with everyone. My word for today is cuidado which means watch out. I learned this today when I almost walked out in front of a car(they drive really crazy here).
Grace: My highlight of today was having dinner with the family because we talked a lot and I was able to practice a lot of Spanish. One thing that I observed that was very interesting to me is that whenever the family parks the car they put the emergency brake on, even if we are on flat ground. When I woke up (which wasn’t till noon) me and Lola took a bus to a daycare center to pick up some kids that she watches, and we went to their house to feed them and wait for their father to come home. It was interesting to see how well behaved the kids were, they set the table and did all the dishes themselves. After that we went back to our house and had dinner, the I took a little siesta and we went to the pool. At 8 Lola had training for an athletic competition, so I stayed at the pool with her mom for a little bit and thenn we went to watch Lola run. After that we went home and the family prepared dinner, which was tuna and a salad, and now I am going to bed! The word that I learned today is cambiar, which means to change.
Meredith: I woke up pretty late (around 9 AM) and had some coffee, banana, yogurt, and granola. I then went with Maria and Laura to walk around Valladolid and we talked the entire time about England, Spain, and America. We stopped at a little cafe and I had a “mosto”, which is a traditional drink from this area. It was very refreshing and tasted a lot like grape juice. I am interested in seeing the inside of the cathedral, which is not completed. It looks very different from the other cathedrals I have seen in Europe. I noticed that at dinner they have different dishes and you don’t typically have all of them. For instance the first night there was a cream of vegetable soup and broccoli. The family members chose one. Last night there was pasta and broccoli and Ana (my host mom) gave her husband the broccoli, because he had already had pasta for lunch. My word of the day is granada, which is the plant for a pomegranate. We were looking in the family garden and they have a pomegranate plant growing.
Katie: I have TWO highlights today. With María and her daughter, I walked around Valladolid. We did some shopping and visited Campo Grande. My second highlight is meeting my host family. The mom was in Belgium when we arrived, so tonight is my first night with them. We walked around town (Laguna de Duero) and got to know each other. They loved my gifts! My word and observation are related. My word is chalet adosada. It refers to what are basically townhouses. They are a row of houses and each house has a small yard or garden. I'm in a suburb, not the city center, and it looks like this style of housing is more common, which I didn't know or see before. I also have to laugh at stereotypes that you encounter while traveling. I ordered a coffee today and the waitress asked if I was English. When I told her I was from the US, her face lit up and asked if there were any cowboys in Wisconsin! I had to laugh.
June 28th-Homestay Day #3
Trevor: Today was a pretty relaxing day, at the beginning. We went on a walk with one of Pablo’s friends around Valladolid and then we went to the science museum. I thought it was a little small compared to the ones in Madison but it was still a lot of fun. After we got back we had lunch and then I took another siesta; those things are amazing. I woke up just in time for dinner and then we went clubbing! At the beginning it wasn’t amazing because we went fairly early so not many people were there, but then we went to a different club and it was so much fun. Obviously I didn’t drink, but I think almost everyone else there did. Anyways it was fun to dance and listen to good music again. One thing that I thought was interesting was how many teens were out with their friends. I know it may not be that different in America, but it seemed like everywhere I looked on the bus, on the walk from club to club, everywhere were just teens and no adults. A word that I learned today was entrecruzar which means to interweave.
Anna: I went to Salamanca today, and I found the frog ok on the building! But it was only because some lady next to the building who was selling toy frogs had a picture of it. I met a girl from Virginia today. She said we was staying for three weeks. It was nice to speak to someone in English. There was a little carnival thing in Valladolid today, and you didn't need tickets to do anything or pay for anything. It was awesome! My new word is la servilleta which means napkin.
Jenna: Today, Lydia went to the states to stay in Iowa for a month. Lydia’s sister and I met up with Mrs. Smith for ice cream and explore the mall/grocery store. I had to pay an extra five cents for a plastic bag to put the things I bought at the grocery store. We later went to Segovia and saw the aqueduct and castle that were there. They were beautiful!! One thing I noticed, was that my family eats bread with every meal. I definitely fill my intake of carbs each day. I learned a few words today; oruga and Moreno. Oruga means caterpillar. Andrea and I were playing Guess Who? and I had to guess that bug to win the game. The other means tan. My host family keeps saying that I am very tan. I’m very confused because I am not tan at all. I am a ginger… oh well :) Today was fun!
Taylor: Today Celia and I had to get up early to catch a bus into Valladolid. Here we met up with a few of Celia’s friends. They gave me an in-depth tour of the city. I liked hearing their personal stories about many of the locations around town. My favorite part was being able to see Campo Grande even though the peacocks were very loud and kind of scary, I was assured that they were not dangerous. After walking around for a while we ate dinner at Burger King. One thing that I observed today in line for my food is that personal space doesn’t really exist here. In the U.S we stand a few feet away from people when ordering or waiting in line but here it’s more like a few inches. After eating we returned to Celia’s house, ate dinner and watched a movie. My word for today is montadito which means small sandwich.
Megan: Today me and Claudia went to the beach on the river and she taught me how to play some Spanish card games. I also got to meet some of her friends when we went to lunch, and they were all super nice even though I could barely understand any of them because they would all talk so fast at the same time. I also went clubbing with them for a little bit at night, and Claudia said that everyone goes out a lot, even older people not just kids. My new word is cerezas, which means cherries. I learned this when we went to the local farmers market and got some cherries for a little picnic in the beach.
Grace: Today me and Lola went downtown and explored a couple shops, the took a walk through Campo Grande and I got to see peacocks! Then after a very long siesta, we went to Lola’s friends house and I got to learn some Spanish card games. Lola, her friends, and I all went to the local grocery store to buy some snacks and I noticed that their shopping baskets have wheels and a handle, so that instead of carrying it you just pull it along the ground with you. Later this night, after dinner me and Lola’s brother Diego met up with Trevor and his host brother to go dancing and it was so interesting to see everyone singing along to the songs (that I didn’t know) and just having a great time. The word I learned today was piel de gallina, which means chicken skin but is the equivalent of goosebumps.
Meredith: Today I woke up and helped the kids with their breakfast and helped them get ready for the day. I french braided Victoria's hair and me and Gonzalo worked on a science experiment. Their grandparents picked them up and then I went to explore Valsur (a shopping area). I met up with Jenna and Andrea (her younger host sister) and we had ice-cream and then went to the mall. I always find foreign grocery stores very interesting. Carrefour is potentially the Spanish version of a Super Walmart or Target. After I came home I had lunch with Ana (the mom) and then when the kids got home we took them to their music lesson before heading to Campo Grande, where they had a great time running around. When we came home we ate dinner and then the kids went to bed around 10:45, which seems very late to me, but I guess they don't get up until 8:30 and in America our students are already at school....time shift. I noticed that my family is not wasteful at all, even with space. They fill a pitcher of water for meals and when they are done with the meal they put the pitcher of water in the cabinet and they drink that water before refilling it. They also have a small garage under their house and it is like parking tetris to get both of their cars into the garage. My word of the day is paraguayo, which is a delicious fruit that looks like a flat peach.
Katie: Today was a very special day for me. I met up with my friend Larry, who I studied abroad with 6 years ago. He now lives in Segovia (the town with the aqueducts) and is a teacher there. It was fun to walk around and catch up. I also really enjoyed reading some Eric Carle books with my host sister tonight as she practiced her English! I had a weird observation today. While waiting for my bus at the bus station, the men's bathroom was closed for cleaning. When I walked into the women's bathroom, there were several men in there. This caught me off guard, as this is definitely not socially acceptable in the US. While talking about my mom's work and when she's taking vacation, I also learned that it's common for some companies or businesses to shut down during part of August in order to save money on energy (such as air conditioning). This is usually when employees take their vacation. My word is lavajillas which is their word for dishwasher. I've only ever heard of lavaplatos, which is used more in Latin America. My host mom in college didn't have a dishwasher so I didn't know there was a different word until today!
Trevor: Today was a pretty relaxing day, at the beginning. We went on a walk with one of Pablo’s friends around Valladolid and then we went to the science museum. I thought it was a little small compared to the ones in Madison but it was still a lot of fun. After we got back we had lunch and then I took another siesta; those things are amazing. I woke up just in time for dinner and then we went clubbing! At the beginning it wasn’t amazing because we went fairly early so not many people were there, but then we went to a different club and it was so much fun. Obviously I didn’t drink, but I think almost everyone else there did. Anyways it was fun to dance and listen to good music again. One thing that I thought was interesting was how many teens were out with their friends. I know it may not be that different in America, but it seemed like everywhere I looked on the bus, on the walk from club to club, everywhere were just teens and no adults. A word that I learned today was entrecruzar which means to interweave.
Anna: I went to Salamanca today, and I found the frog ok on the building! But it was only because some lady next to the building who was selling toy frogs had a picture of it. I met a girl from Virginia today. She said we was staying for three weeks. It was nice to speak to someone in English. There was a little carnival thing in Valladolid today, and you didn't need tickets to do anything or pay for anything. It was awesome! My new word is la servilleta which means napkin.
Jenna: Today, Lydia went to the states to stay in Iowa for a month. Lydia’s sister and I met up with Mrs. Smith for ice cream and explore the mall/grocery store. I had to pay an extra five cents for a plastic bag to put the things I bought at the grocery store. We later went to Segovia and saw the aqueduct and castle that were there. They were beautiful!! One thing I noticed, was that my family eats bread with every meal. I definitely fill my intake of carbs each day. I learned a few words today; oruga and Moreno. Oruga means caterpillar. Andrea and I were playing Guess Who? and I had to guess that bug to win the game. The other means tan. My host family keeps saying that I am very tan. I’m very confused because I am not tan at all. I am a ginger… oh well :) Today was fun!
Taylor: Today Celia and I had to get up early to catch a bus into Valladolid. Here we met up with a few of Celia’s friends. They gave me an in-depth tour of the city. I liked hearing their personal stories about many of the locations around town. My favorite part was being able to see Campo Grande even though the peacocks were very loud and kind of scary, I was assured that they were not dangerous. After walking around for a while we ate dinner at Burger King. One thing that I observed today in line for my food is that personal space doesn’t really exist here. In the U.S we stand a few feet away from people when ordering or waiting in line but here it’s more like a few inches. After eating we returned to Celia’s house, ate dinner and watched a movie. My word for today is montadito which means small sandwich.
Megan: Today me and Claudia went to the beach on the river and she taught me how to play some Spanish card games. I also got to meet some of her friends when we went to lunch, and they were all super nice even though I could barely understand any of them because they would all talk so fast at the same time. I also went clubbing with them for a little bit at night, and Claudia said that everyone goes out a lot, even older people not just kids. My new word is cerezas, which means cherries. I learned this when we went to the local farmers market and got some cherries for a little picnic in the beach.
Grace: Today me and Lola went downtown and explored a couple shops, the took a walk through Campo Grande and I got to see peacocks! Then after a very long siesta, we went to Lola’s friends house and I got to learn some Spanish card games. Lola, her friends, and I all went to the local grocery store to buy some snacks and I noticed that their shopping baskets have wheels and a handle, so that instead of carrying it you just pull it along the ground with you. Later this night, after dinner me and Lola’s brother Diego met up with Trevor and his host brother to go dancing and it was so interesting to see everyone singing along to the songs (that I didn’t know) and just having a great time. The word I learned today was piel de gallina, which means chicken skin but is the equivalent of goosebumps.
Meredith: Today I woke up and helped the kids with their breakfast and helped them get ready for the day. I french braided Victoria's hair and me and Gonzalo worked on a science experiment. Their grandparents picked them up and then I went to explore Valsur (a shopping area). I met up with Jenna and Andrea (her younger host sister) and we had ice-cream and then went to the mall. I always find foreign grocery stores very interesting. Carrefour is potentially the Spanish version of a Super Walmart or Target. After I came home I had lunch with Ana (the mom) and then when the kids got home we took them to their music lesson before heading to Campo Grande, where they had a great time running around. When we came home we ate dinner and then the kids went to bed around 10:45, which seems very late to me, but I guess they don't get up until 8:30 and in America our students are already at school....time shift. I noticed that my family is not wasteful at all, even with space. They fill a pitcher of water for meals and when they are done with the meal they put the pitcher of water in the cabinet and they drink that water before refilling it. They also have a small garage under their house and it is like parking tetris to get both of their cars into the garage. My word of the day is paraguayo, which is a delicious fruit that looks like a flat peach.
Katie: Today was a very special day for me. I met up with my friend Larry, who I studied abroad with 6 years ago. He now lives in Segovia (the town with the aqueducts) and is a teacher there. It was fun to walk around and catch up. I also really enjoyed reading some Eric Carle books with my host sister tonight as she practiced her English! I had a weird observation today. While waiting for my bus at the bus station, the men's bathroom was closed for cleaning. When I walked into the women's bathroom, there were several men in there. This caught me off guard, as this is definitely not socially acceptable in the US. While talking about my mom's work and when she's taking vacation, I also learned that it's common for some companies or businesses to shut down during part of August in order to save money on energy (such as air conditioning). This is usually when employees take their vacation. My word is lavajillas which is their word for dishwasher. I've only ever heard of lavaplatos, which is used more in Latin America. My host mom in college didn't have a dishwasher so I didn't know there was a different word until today!
June 29th-Homestay Day #4
Trevor: Today was a very relaxing day for us. Since yesterday we were out for a while, we all slept until noon. After breakfast we went to a sporting goods store to run some errands, but after that we went to the pool and relaxed in the sun. It was a nice relaxing day.
Anna: I went shopping with Meredith and Grace today it was a lot of fun. I also met my host family dad's girlfriend and her son. Decathlon is a store much like Dicks Sporting Goods. My new word is caja which means cash register.
Jenna: I got to explore the city of Valladolid today. We went to Campo Grande, which is a very large park (hence the name), that has a lot of animals, mostly birds, and plants. The bird that I saw the most of was the peacock. There was one everywhere. They would just walk around through the trees or on the sidewalks, along with screeching their loud voices… all the time. They are beautiful creatures, but it kinda scared me haha. It was also totally okay for people to feed the animals. I later went to the pool with some of Lydia’s friends, who are super nice, funny, and friendly. The thing I noticed today was that when you meet a group of people, you have to kiss everyone on the cheek. My family and I went to a restaurant to meet up with friends. I had to kiss everyone on the cheek and there were a lot of people. It was very different from our culture. I also got to see one of Lydia’s friend’s new puppy <3 she was so cute. My word for the day is suave, which means smooth or soft. My host Mom was describing the dog’s hair and said it was suave. This explains the shampoo brand ;)
Taylor: Today I had a very relaxing day. We spent most of it lounging around the house. It kind of surprised me how many American tv shows have been dubbed over in Spanish and are very popular here for example, the Simpsons and Friends. After lunch I took my first real siesta. Post nap, we decided to go to the Rio Grande shopping center. It was really busy because of all of the sales. Almost all of the stores resembled Forever 21 to me. I also noticed that most of the t-shirts had English phrases written on them, many of which did not make a whole lot of sense. It got to the point where I wasn’t even shopping I was only reading the shirts. Once we were done shopping we ate dinner in the food court and I had my first crepe. I still have yet to have a “traditional” Spanish dinner. My word for today is gentewhich means people.
Megan: Today me and Claudia went to the science museum where we learned about astronomy, the brain and nutrition. After that we went to the mall and bought a lot of clothes. For dinner we went to a tapas restaurant and had many different that were all really good. My word for today is edificio, which means buildings.
Grace: Today I went shopping with Anna and Mrs. Smith and had so much fun! I got lots of souvenirs for my family, and a couple things for me too. One thing I noticed while we were out is that so many shops close during siesta. When I got back to the house I took a long nap and then talked on the phone with my mom for a long time. Later that night I went out to a little restaurant/bar with Lola and we met up with one of her friends. I had a fun time telling them about my life back in America and some of my family history. After that, me and Lola met up with her brother and two of his friends at another bar and we all talked for a while until we went home at around 12. My word of the day is sueño, which when used with tener means are you sleepy.
Meredith: I went downtown shopping with Grace and Anna and I was able to find some nice local gifts for my friends and family. After a short siesta the family took me to the castle in Izcar for a jazz concert. There were beautiful views and the music was great. Some music was in spanish and some in English. So far my favorite activity! I have always noticed that in Europe when you pay for food they take your money off of a small tray and they put your change on the tray. Today on the bus I tried giving my fare (exact change) directly to the bus driver and he sternly looked at me and pointed to the tray where I was to put my money, which he then immediately picked up….strange! My word of the day is gradas, which are bleachers. They had these set-up at the concert for people who didn’t have chairs.
Katie: I spent time with the kids, Raquel and Julio, today while Belén, the mom, was at work. Raquel is really eager to show me her English program from school online, and we read several books this morning. The three of us spoke in English for about an hour today and I'm so impressed by their skills at such a young age! I wish the US followed suit with starting language programs in elementary school. We also played the Game of Life. My word/phrase is te toca because when we were playing, Raquel would say that to tell me it's my turn. A highlight of my day was a comment made at lunch. Belén said that last night, Raquel was talking in her sleep, but she was speaking in English! We read books together last night before bed and the words must have still been in her mind. We all laughed about it, but I loved hearing about it. It makes me very happy to know that I'm helping and teaching them just as they are helping and teaching me! :) Another word I learned is aliñar. I learned while helping make dinner. I don't think there is a translation, but it means to add salt, olive oil, and vinegar to a salad.
Trevor: Today was a very relaxing day for us. Since yesterday we were out for a while, we all slept until noon. After breakfast we went to a sporting goods store to run some errands, but after that we went to the pool and relaxed in the sun. It was a nice relaxing day.
Anna: I went shopping with Meredith and Grace today it was a lot of fun. I also met my host family dad's girlfriend and her son. Decathlon is a store much like Dicks Sporting Goods. My new word is caja which means cash register.
Jenna: I got to explore the city of Valladolid today. We went to Campo Grande, which is a very large park (hence the name), that has a lot of animals, mostly birds, and plants. The bird that I saw the most of was the peacock. There was one everywhere. They would just walk around through the trees or on the sidewalks, along with screeching their loud voices… all the time. They are beautiful creatures, but it kinda scared me haha. It was also totally okay for people to feed the animals. I later went to the pool with some of Lydia’s friends, who are super nice, funny, and friendly. The thing I noticed today was that when you meet a group of people, you have to kiss everyone on the cheek. My family and I went to a restaurant to meet up with friends. I had to kiss everyone on the cheek and there were a lot of people. It was very different from our culture. I also got to see one of Lydia’s friend’s new puppy <3 she was so cute. My word for the day is suave, which means smooth or soft. My host Mom was describing the dog’s hair and said it was suave. This explains the shampoo brand ;)
Taylor: Today I had a very relaxing day. We spent most of it lounging around the house. It kind of surprised me how many American tv shows have been dubbed over in Spanish and are very popular here for example, the Simpsons and Friends. After lunch I took my first real siesta. Post nap, we decided to go to the Rio Grande shopping center. It was really busy because of all of the sales. Almost all of the stores resembled Forever 21 to me. I also noticed that most of the t-shirts had English phrases written on them, many of which did not make a whole lot of sense. It got to the point where I wasn’t even shopping I was only reading the shirts. Once we were done shopping we ate dinner in the food court and I had my first crepe. I still have yet to have a “traditional” Spanish dinner. My word for today is gentewhich means people.
Megan: Today me and Claudia went to the science museum where we learned about astronomy, the brain and nutrition. After that we went to the mall and bought a lot of clothes. For dinner we went to a tapas restaurant and had many different that were all really good. My word for today is edificio, which means buildings.
Grace: Today I went shopping with Anna and Mrs. Smith and had so much fun! I got lots of souvenirs for my family, and a couple things for me too. One thing I noticed while we were out is that so many shops close during siesta. When I got back to the house I took a long nap and then talked on the phone with my mom for a long time. Later that night I went out to a little restaurant/bar with Lola and we met up with one of her friends. I had a fun time telling them about my life back in America and some of my family history. After that, me and Lola met up with her brother and two of his friends at another bar and we all talked for a while until we went home at around 12. My word of the day is sueño, which when used with tener means are you sleepy.
Meredith: I went downtown shopping with Grace and Anna and I was able to find some nice local gifts for my friends and family. After a short siesta the family took me to the castle in Izcar for a jazz concert. There were beautiful views and the music was great. Some music was in spanish and some in English. So far my favorite activity! I have always noticed that in Europe when you pay for food they take your money off of a small tray and they put your change on the tray. Today on the bus I tried giving my fare (exact change) directly to the bus driver and he sternly looked at me and pointed to the tray where I was to put my money, which he then immediately picked up….strange! My word of the day is gradas, which are bleachers. They had these set-up at the concert for people who didn’t have chairs.
Katie: I spent time with the kids, Raquel and Julio, today while Belén, the mom, was at work. Raquel is really eager to show me her English program from school online, and we read several books this morning. The three of us spoke in English for about an hour today and I'm so impressed by their skills at such a young age! I wish the US followed suit with starting language programs in elementary school. We also played the Game of Life. My word/phrase is te toca because when we were playing, Raquel would say that to tell me it's my turn. A highlight of my day was a comment made at lunch. Belén said that last night, Raquel was talking in her sleep, but she was speaking in English! We read books together last night before bed and the words must have still been in her mind. We all laughed about it, but I loved hearing about it. It makes me very happy to know that I'm helping and teaching them just as they are helping and teaching me! :) Another word I learned is aliñar. I learned while helping make dinner. I don't think there is a translation, but it means to add salt, olive oil, and vinegar to a salad.
June 30th-Homestay Day #5
Trevor: chirp, chirp
Anna: Yesterday night we took a walk around Valladolid with my host family dad and his girlfriend and her son. Everything was lit up and it was super pretty. I had a beef pincho for dinner and it was delicious! A lot of stores close during siesta time and its it's super weird. My new word is tramposo which means cheater. As in while playing a game.
Jenna: Today we dropped Andrea off at her horse riding class. I got a picture with her horse :) Then, we went to the grocery store. It was very different from home. We also went into el centro, the center of Valladolid, and shopped for souvenirs. It started to rain, so we went into a church. Later, we went to Lydia and Andrea’s cousins house and we played FIFA on the play station. I was really bad. One thing I noticed was that many houses have Spain flags hanging outside on their porch. A new word I learned was botido, which is a milkshake. I was asked if I wanted one and I said “sure,” but it came in a juice box. I was very confused when I drank it. I didn’t like it very much.
Taylor: Today my host family took me to Santander which is about 2 hours from Valladolid. When we got to the beach it was really hot but very beautiful. We hung out there for about an hour and a half before it started getting really cloudy and began to rain. Despite the rain we walked to a little shop off the beach and ate some helado. My host family showed me all of the historical monuments and a summer college for exchange students, there was even a mini zoo! On the way back to Valladolid we stopped in a cute little town to see a church, named San Martín, that was built in the 11th century. The architecture was absolutely beautiful. We ate dinner in a little restaurant while watching one of the World Cup soccer games. One thing that I observed today was that at the beach the lifeguards put up different flags for if it is safe to swim or not, green for good, yellow for caution, and red for no swimming. My word for today is gaviota which means seagull.
Megan: Today me and my family left for their village a little ways out of the city. They showed me around and I learned that my host Dad has his own windmill that he fixed up from the 17th century. They also took me to their grandparents farm where I got to pet really cute goats. I also saw the really old church and houses in their town. I also got to meet more of Claudia’s friends. They’re all really nice and sometimes a bit crazy. At night we went to a concert in a nearby village with her sister and some friends. My word for today is piel de gallina, which means goosebumps.
Grace: Today Lola was gone for a track competition so I just hung out with Isabel Diego and Martin. In the morning we went shopping so I could get some more souvenirs for my family, thenn we walked around town and Isabel shared some of its history with me. After a delicious lunch (chicken paella) I took a long siesta. One thing I noticed is that my family always has a salad for lunch and dinner, and they all eat it out of the same bowl. Later that night we went over to Cigales to visit some of their extended family and have dinner. After dinner me and Diego went to Plaza Mayor to meet up with Trevor and Pablo to head out to a discoteca but since it was a Saturday night there were lots of people and hardly any room to dance! My word of today is competición, which means competition.
Meredith: Today the neighbors came over for lunch, but not after we thought we were going to their house. We were all ready to walk out the door with the lasagna and they showed up with soup. The family went with it and we set a table for 10. My observation for today was that they put napkins out for every meal, but they never put them on their laps like we do in the U.S. My words for today are zurdo and diestro, which mean left and right handed respectively. This came up in conversation, because I am left handed.
Katie: My highlight today was going to the town of Portillo for a festival. The festival was for garlic and pottery. The Portillanos have a way of braiding garlic, which is a way to store garlic. It's also very beautiful! We also looked at pottery, which all had similar styles, and the glaze was a dark brown. I wish I could bring some home, as I LOVE pottery, but I don't want to risk breaking it while traveling. There were many vendors there selling things like cheeses, olive oil and, jewelry, and more. We also explored the castle a little bit too. My word of the day is manzana. It doesn't just mean apple; it's also a word for a city block! There was a sign on a building that said “Manzana 19” and I was fused, as there were no apples around. ;) My observation today has to do with the ease of their healthcare system. My host sister has some bad bug bites/rash/bruises on her leg, so we took her to urgent care before going to the festival. We waited in line for less than 5 minutes (I didn't even have time to braid her hair), she saw a doctor, and we left. No questions about insurance, no bill, nothing. I'm sure this isn't always the experience with seeking medical attention, but it was interesting to observe nonetheless.
Trevor: chirp, chirp
Anna: Yesterday night we took a walk around Valladolid with my host family dad and his girlfriend and her son. Everything was lit up and it was super pretty. I had a beef pincho for dinner and it was delicious! A lot of stores close during siesta time and its it's super weird. My new word is tramposo which means cheater. As in while playing a game.
Jenna: Today we dropped Andrea off at her horse riding class. I got a picture with her horse :) Then, we went to the grocery store. It was very different from home. We also went into el centro, the center of Valladolid, and shopped for souvenirs. It started to rain, so we went into a church. Later, we went to Lydia and Andrea’s cousins house and we played FIFA on the play station. I was really bad. One thing I noticed was that many houses have Spain flags hanging outside on their porch. A new word I learned was botido, which is a milkshake. I was asked if I wanted one and I said “sure,” but it came in a juice box. I was very confused when I drank it. I didn’t like it very much.
Taylor: Today my host family took me to Santander which is about 2 hours from Valladolid. When we got to the beach it was really hot but very beautiful. We hung out there for about an hour and a half before it started getting really cloudy and began to rain. Despite the rain we walked to a little shop off the beach and ate some helado. My host family showed me all of the historical monuments and a summer college for exchange students, there was even a mini zoo! On the way back to Valladolid we stopped in a cute little town to see a church, named San Martín, that was built in the 11th century. The architecture was absolutely beautiful. We ate dinner in a little restaurant while watching one of the World Cup soccer games. One thing that I observed today was that at the beach the lifeguards put up different flags for if it is safe to swim or not, green for good, yellow for caution, and red for no swimming. My word for today is gaviota which means seagull.
Megan: Today me and my family left for their village a little ways out of the city. They showed me around and I learned that my host Dad has his own windmill that he fixed up from the 17th century. They also took me to their grandparents farm where I got to pet really cute goats. I also saw the really old church and houses in their town. I also got to meet more of Claudia’s friends. They’re all really nice and sometimes a bit crazy. At night we went to a concert in a nearby village with her sister and some friends. My word for today is piel de gallina, which means goosebumps.
Grace: Today Lola was gone for a track competition so I just hung out with Isabel Diego and Martin. In the morning we went shopping so I could get some more souvenirs for my family, thenn we walked around town and Isabel shared some of its history with me. After a delicious lunch (chicken paella) I took a long siesta. One thing I noticed is that my family always has a salad for lunch and dinner, and they all eat it out of the same bowl. Later that night we went over to Cigales to visit some of their extended family and have dinner. After dinner me and Diego went to Plaza Mayor to meet up with Trevor and Pablo to head out to a discoteca but since it was a Saturday night there were lots of people and hardly any room to dance! My word of today is competición, which means competition.
Meredith: Today the neighbors came over for lunch, but not after we thought we were going to their house. We were all ready to walk out the door with the lasagna and they showed up with soup. The family went with it and we set a table for 10. My observation for today was that they put napkins out for every meal, but they never put them on their laps like we do in the U.S. My words for today are zurdo and diestro, which mean left and right handed respectively. This came up in conversation, because I am left handed.
Katie: My highlight today was going to the town of Portillo for a festival. The festival was for garlic and pottery. The Portillanos have a way of braiding garlic, which is a way to store garlic. It's also very beautiful! We also looked at pottery, which all had similar styles, and the glaze was a dark brown. I wish I could bring some home, as I LOVE pottery, but I don't want to risk breaking it while traveling. There were many vendors there selling things like cheeses, olive oil and, jewelry, and more. We also explored the castle a little bit too. My word of the day is manzana. It doesn't just mean apple; it's also a word for a city block! There was a sign on a building that said “Manzana 19” and I was fused, as there were no apples around. ;) My observation today has to do with the ease of their healthcare system. My host sister has some bad bug bites/rash/bruises on her leg, so we took her to urgent care before going to the festival. We waited in line for less than 5 minutes (I didn't even have time to braid her hair), she saw a doctor, and we left. No questions about insurance, no bill, nothing. I'm sure this isn't always the experience with seeking medical attention, but it was interesting to observe nonetheless.
July 1st-Last Homestay Day
Trevor: chirp, chirp
Anna: Today, before 11:00 so Lidia wasn't up yet, we went to a huge shopping mall connected to an IKEA. I think I have found my heaven! I of course bought some more clothes and some starbucks. I was told that normally on a Sunday, the mall would be closed but it wasn't because the sales had just started that day. My new word is tarta which is cake.
Jenna: Crazy how time flies! This morning we went to a sub city of Valladolid called, Peñafiel. We visited a beautiful castle. Then, we went to another sub city, where Lydia and Andrea’s grandmother lives. I learned a lot about my host mother’s childhood and it’s very similar to my mom’s childhood. We ate paella for lunch and it was really good. Next, we visited the parents of Lydia and Andrea’s dad. I enjoyed sharing photos of my brother graduation/ grad party and successfully explaining how it is different from what the celebrate academically here. This is something I couldn’t do on the first day, along with understanding the conversation and adding to it (this is my observation for the day.) I learned a few phrases today. “Que pasa?” and “que mono.” These are both phrases you can use with your local dog. “Que pasa” means “what’s up” to use when you don’t understand what your dog is doing, so you ask. “Que mono” means “how cute”<3 which can also be used to talk to your dog. I heard both of these said to my host family’s dog, Niko, throughout my homestay.
Taylor: chirp, chirp
Megan: Today we were in my families village again. We woke up and went to church around 1. This is very new to me since my family gets up early to go to church at 9. After church everyone goes out to the bars in town to have a snack before lunch. After a nice siesta me and Claudia went to the pool with her friends until it was time to head back go Valladolid. My word for the day is farola, which means streetlight.
Grace: chirp, chirp
Meredith: Today we went to León, which is a village about 2 hours northwest of Valladolid. It has a beautiful cathedral (built in the 13th century), San Isidoro church (which has tombs of the oldest kings and queens in Spain, built in the 11th century), and the San Marcos Parador (which used to be a hospital and then a prison (built in the 12th century). We then met the rest of the family for lunch and to watch the Spain vs. Russia Soccer Match. All in all I had a great last day and I definitely think that I would love to explore this part of Spain some more! In Leon anytime you order a drink (which I ordered two coffees at different places) you get free food! My word of the day is topo, which is mole in spanish. There is a story of a mole tearing up the earth, which really slowed down the process of the cathedral being built. The chemistry mole is still a mole in Spanish.
Katie: My highlight today was walking around Valladolid one last time before leaving. I needed to get a few more souvenirs and used it as an excuse for one last walk through the city. :) My observation today was that Sunday is a relaxing day for Spaniards. When looking for stores, not many were open and the stores that were open were only open for 3 hours or so. My word today is portero, which means goalkeeper. If you didn’t see or hear about the exciting Spain vs. Russia World Cup game, it went into two overtimes and then it went to a PK shootout. We felt bad for the porteros…
Trevor: chirp, chirp
Anna: Today, before 11:00 so Lidia wasn't up yet, we went to a huge shopping mall connected to an IKEA. I think I have found my heaven! I of course bought some more clothes and some starbucks. I was told that normally on a Sunday, the mall would be closed but it wasn't because the sales had just started that day. My new word is tarta which is cake.
Jenna: Crazy how time flies! This morning we went to a sub city of Valladolid called, Peñafiel. We visited a beautiful castle. Then, we went to another sub city, where Lydia and Andrea’s grandmother lives. I learned a lot about my host mother’s childhood and it’s very similar to my mom’s childhood. We ate paella for lunch and it was really good. Next, we visited the parents of Lydia and Andrea’s dad. I enjoyed sharing photos of my brother graduation/ grad party and successfully explaining how it is different from what the celebrate academically here. This is something I couldn’t do on the first day, along with understanding the conversation and adding to it (this is my observation for the day.) I learned a few phrases today. “Que pasa?” and “que mono.” These are both phrases you can use with your local dog. “Que pasa” means “what’s up” to use when you don’t understand what your dog is doing, so you ask. “Que mono” means “how cute”<3 which can also be used to talk to your dog. I heard both of these said to my host family’s dog, Niko, throughout my homestay.
Taylor: chirp, chirp
Megan: Today we were in my families village again. We woke up and went to church around 1. This is very new to me since my family gets up early to go to church at 9. After church everyone goes out to the bars in town to have a snack before lunch. After a nice siesta me and Claudia went to the pool with her friends until it was time to head back go Valladolid. My word for the day is farola, which means streetlight.
Grace: chirp, chirp
Meredith: Today we went to León, which is a village about 2 hours northwest of Valladolid. It has a beautiful cathedral (built in the 13th century), San Isidoro church (which has tombs of the oldest kings and queens in Spain, built in the 11th century), and the San Marcos Parador (which used to be a hospital and then a prison (built in the 12th century). We then met the rest of the family for lunch and to watch the Spain vs. Russia Soccer Match. All in all I had a great last day and I definitely think that I would love to explore this part of Spain some more! In Leon anytime you order a drink (which I ordered two coffees at different places) you get free food! My word of the day is topo, which is mole in spanish. There is a story of a mole tearing up the earth, which really slowed down the process of the cathedral being built. The chemistry mole is still a mole in Spanish.
Katie: My highlight today was walking around Valladolid one last time before leaving. I needed to get a few more souvenirs and used it as an excuse for one last walk through the city. :) My observation today was that Sunday is a relaxing day for Spaniards. When looking for stores, not many were open and the stores that were open were only open for 3 hours or so. My word today is portero, which means goalkeeper. If you didn’t see or hear about the exciting Spain vs. Russia World Cup game, it went into two overtimes and then it went to a PK shootout. We felt bad for the porteros…
July 2nd-Travel Home
My favorite place/activity was______.
the beach
Sevilla
outdoor concert
Grenada
My favorite food was_______.
paella
Tortilla de Espana
empanada
gazpacho
I will miss ______ the most.
my tan after literally two days
scenery
my host family
learning new things
eating gelato everyday
shopping all of the time
I will miss ______ the least.
feeling stupid every time someone asks me something in Spanish
the large pig legs hanging everywhere
eating pig ears
people smoking everywhere
Newark
My favorite place/activity was______.
the beach
Sevilla
outdoor concert
Grenada
My favorite food was_______.
paella
Tortilla de Espana
empanada
gazpacho
I will miss ______ the most.
my tan after literally two days
scenery
my host family
learning new things
eating gelato everyday
shopping all of the time
I will miss ______ the least.
feeling stupid every time someone asks me something in Spanish
the large pig legs hanging everywhere
eating pig ears
people smoking everywhere
Newark