Tranquila...

Buenos días,

For the last two weeks, I have been so busy that I could not really focus on writing my blog. I did not want to sit and write anything without giving it the importance I believe it deserves, so I will do my best to express what has been going on with my life the last two weeks.

Monday the 15 of February, which was the day after I arrived from Morocco, the international relations office held a meeting for the North American international students. The school divides the meetings in two: one for the ERASMUS students, which are the students from other European countries studying in Spain, and another for the American students, which is pretty much everyone in North and South America. Obviously, the meeting for the North American students was much smaller because there are less than us than there are ERASMUS students. The meeting was to inform us of how the matriculation for UMA would be processed and the steps that we needed to take in order to complete our matriculation in an orderly fashion.

It is actually quite frustrating because UMA has a completely different mentality about matriculation than in USA. Here, the students start school in late September and around that time, they matriculate for both Fall and Spring semesters. The students have about a month to go around and "listen-in" on classes until they feel they have solidified their class schedule. In our case, it is a lot more difficult because we are coming in without being registered in the classes that we need. The office basically gives us an opportunity to sit in on some of the courses to aquire a feel for our classes. This is good and bad. I believe that this is a great opportunity for international students to chose the classes they feel best fits them. However, the longer you continue sitting in on classes, the longer it takes to complete your registration and the more you continue missing out on valuable class time.

Another note of importance is that UMA has different "facultades" or campuses of concentration and the students spend their entire day at the same facultad and each facultad starts school on a different date; all the facultades do not start classes at the same time. For example, at GSU, students can double major in business administration and pre-law if they wanted too. Students at GSU would have to go from Aderhold, which is where the majority of the business classes are taken, and the main campus. This is not done here. A double major is unheard of here, and students usually spend their entire day in their own facultad. If a student is a psychology major, he or she will take classes in "La Facultad de Psycología". Another issue is that the facultades do not communicate with one another, since there is really no need to do so. With that being said, chosing business classes and Spanish classes has been quite the ordeal.

At the meeting, it was believed that the Facultad de Sociales Empresariales and the Facultad de Economía started classes on Wednesday the 17th, two days after our meeting. This made me a little concerned because I had not been told sooner and there had been no way for me to find out what classes would be available, so I decided to hold off and research and start attending classes on Monday the 22nd, which is when the Facultad de Filosofía y Letras started classes.

The weekend before the 22nd, I found some classes online that would be available and worked out a schedule that I felt was practicle. Satifisfied with what I had put together, I went exploring on Sunday to "El Alcazaba" a fortress-palace in Málaga. It was pretty awesome because it really was decorated like a moorish palace. There were several gardens and courtyards as you continued through. You could also tell it was very well protected because it was built on a hillside and as you climb up you can slowly but surely see the entire downtown Málaga. I find moorish architecture and the Arab influence on Southern Spain to be quite fascinating, which is why I am taking a history of Andalucía class.

The next day, Monday, I woke up early and went to my first class at 8:30 in the morning and sat there for two hours confused as to why the professor had not presented the course plan before lecturing about demographics, to then find out that the class was an annual class. After a moment of frustration, I went to my next class to find out that the professor was not going to be available because he had a conference, but that class too was an annual class.

I arrived back at the dorm a bit frustrated because I obviously attended the wrong classes on my first day, which was, in my eyes, a non-productive day. I explained the situation to my roommates, and they of course said to me....TRANQUILA, NO PASA NADA (relax, it is going to be fine) because usually the first week is just for class presentations and the professors know that the majority of the students are sitting in with hopes of choosing their classes wisely. With Michelle´s help, that evening I put together a schedule with semester classes that I needed. Once again, on Tuesday, I wake up for class at 8:30 and after waiting for a half our my professor did not show. I proceeded to go to my next class--linguistics, which was a success. In the evening, my history class was cancelled for the first week because the professor got sick, so the class would not start until the following week.

Wednesday, my birthday, was a very frustrating day because that was the first day I went to my business class, which had a started a week earlier. After sitting in class for two hours and feeling relieve because I felt that my schedule had been completed, I find out that the class was an annual class as well. Frustrated, once again, I went to the international relations office and spoke to my program director about my situation. She kindly sat down with me and gave me some other options and the names of some of the professors. After the meeting with her, I went and spoke with one of the professors to see if his class would be a good option. He kindly answered all of my questions, but I later found out that his class coincides with another one of my classes. So I am basically back at square one with my business class with hopes to attend the right one this following week.
That night, the girls from GSU and I went to celebrate my birthday at a local restaurant near the residency. It was very nice to talk and relax with great company. I am actually very appreciative of my roommates too. The night before right as I was getting into bed, at midnight, I heard a knock at the door. When I opened it, my roommates and fellow gsu students surprised me with a cake and a small little something. They had told me that they were working on a project, when in reality they were working on a card for me and buying a cake! I am so fortunate and blessed to be in such great company! That night I was still frustrated with my school issues, but I realized that life is too short to be living with anxiety all the time. I am not used to feeling powerless in this respect, and it is quite difficult for me to be "tranquila" when I know time is a ticking, but at the same time, maybe this is a life lesson for me to learn that life goes on, be it good or bad.

This weekend is a long weekend because Monday is "El día de Andalucía" and I have plans to go to Ronda, which I hear is a beautiful weekend. This might be the perfect opportunity to chill out ;-)

Until next time....

No estaba lista para ésto

Hola a todos....

Last week was quite the adventure. For those that don't know, I went to Morocco! It was a bit of an experience so I'll just start from the beginning.....this is an earful!


For some odd reason, I decided to take an express bus to Madrid, which was pretty awesome. The bus left on Tuesday at 5pm, and we finally got to Madrid at 11pm. It seemed appropiate to sleep at the airport on Tuesday night since the flight to Marrakech was for 6:25am. Once we got to Madrid, we took the metro to the airport. For the short while that I was in Madrid, I could tell that Madrid was a pretty mobile city because of the fact that the metro was so extensive. I mean, from the bus station to the metro was 45 minutes, and we were able to get directly to the airport. I thought that was pretty awesome, and it makes Madrid a pretty attractive city. For the first time in my life, I slept at the airport (I would not recommend this for everyone!). After several attempts at falling asleep, it was finally time for us to board the plane.

When we got to the Marrakech airport, the pilot told us that he could not land because of fog, and after an hour of circling, finally decided to land at the Agadir airport, which is about 4 hours away from Marrakech. RyanAir was able to get transportation by bus for the passengers to Marrakech, which took another 4 hours. FINALLY, we got to Marrakech!

Morocco was a lot different than what I was used to here in Spain or even in the United States. Even though we stayed in Marrakech, a tourist city, you could still see the heavy Arab influence.

We ended up staying in Hotel Ali, which served breakfast too. The owner was very nice and was available for any questions we had. We stayed in the heart of Medina and in the main plaza of the city. The first day was a little overwhelming, because since Morocco is a poor city, every harrasses the tourists for their business and many times will not accept NO for answer. In the main plaza there were many mini kiosks with different items for sale. There were snake charmers and hena women available for entertainment; one just needs to be careful because these people will do whatever it takes for a buck! It was funny because on the first night, Kelley got stalled by one of the hena women and she handed Kelley a booklet and in 5 seconds had an entire design on her hand. Kelley, as wonderful as she is, told the woman that she did not have the money for hena and did not want it in the first place and wiped her hand clean. IT WAS AWESOME. But they do try to get you!

The second day we walked around the city and went to some of the local sounvenir shops trying to get an idea of how much things were going to cost. It is unbelievable the number of vendors that were available in the city. They sold things such as ceramic vases and plates, daggers, jewelry, purses, etc. I mean EVERYTHING! It was overwhelming the fact that we were three women in a city dominated by the male presence! But, we stuck together and handled it quite well. We also took a tour of the old Palais Bahia, which was phenomenal. It was amazing to see how intricate the arab architecture is and made me wish I knew how they conceived all their ideas! The palace was amazing and was filled with so many rooms, gardens, and courtyards. I loved it!

Out of everything that happened, I think I was most impressed at how many times a day Arabs pray. We were actually next to the Kotoubia, which is a mosque right in the heart of the city. It had speakers where they would anounce the prayers at the different moments in the day. I believe they prayed about 4 or 5 times a day. The Kotoubia was beautiful! It had a garden full of orange groves and fountains. I felt like I was in heaven! lol. I also got a chance to see the Atlas Mountains, which were AWESOME! It's moments like those that make me realize how great is my God!

I would definately recommend to anyone planning on going to Morocco to do their shopping at the Souks. You can negotiate souvenir items for whatever price you want! Since there are so many shops that are selling the same thing, the vendors take whatever they can get! It was sooo exciting to go shopping! I was able to buy a beautiful tourquise scarf and some other things. Plus, since Marrakech is a young tourist city, you can easily take a vacation with an inexpensive budget.

The last day we went to the Jardin Marjorelle, which is considered to be one of the twentieth century's most mysterious gardens because it represents five continents. Just from the moment you walk into the garden you feel peace and tranquility! I would definately recommend the Jardin Marjorelle to anyone.

All the restaurants in Marrakech served fruit juices, which were DELICIOUS! Juices made from banana, kiwi, avocado, pineapple, apple, almond, etc. O my goodness, this is a must try! The food was very delicious. For breakfast we ate crepes and eggs with orange juice and coffee. THE COFFEE WAS THE BEST COFFEE I'VE EVER HAD! No lie.

The last night we decided to sleep at the airport again (qué divertido, ¿no?). It was pretty cold, and the three of us made an attempt at keeping warm by spooning and it was awesome! Great way to generate heat. Next thing you know, it's time for us to board the plane. We arrive in Madrid and end up missing the bus ride to Málaga, which makes us have to purchase another bus ticket! Ay Dios mío.......¿qué no nos pasó?

All in all, it was a great experience and would definately consider going back again. I would say a year ago I would have never thought about visiting an Arab country but Marrakech was awesome. Next time though.....I'm doing the excursion to the Sahara!

Until next time........Ciao!

No dolares, aquí se paga en euros

Hi Everyone!

The last couple of days have been pretty eventful. Last Saturday evening, the entire crew from GSU went to celebrate the commencement of a life changing experience. Michelle decided to take us out to wine and dine at GARUM. While there, we talked and shared about why we decided to come on this trip and apply to this program, and while there, I realized that I really like the group from GSU that is here in Málaga. I found it especially interesting the fact that our reservation was for 10:30 in the evening, and there were still people walking around casually in the streets! Even at night, this place is so beautiful! All the lights and the architecture make the city come to life. By the time we finished, it was 1:30 in the morning, and there were still people in the restaurant talking and in deep conversation. That is so amazing!

On Sundays, most everything is closed, so Sunday was a day to unpack and organize my room. I took the opportunity to explore la residencia and get to know my roommates, who by the way are spectacular! Each one is so different, but that is what makes this experience so special! It was funny because I asked my roommates why everything here is done so late! For example, breakfast at la residencia is served from 8-9 am, lunch starts at 2 pm and ends at 3 pm, and then dinner does not start until 8:45 pm! By the time dinner starts, I am starving! My roommates were shocked when I told them they ate late here, because they said they eat dinner even later at home! I could not believe it.

On Monday, Kelley took Teljer and I to the bank to open up a bank account. The people there already knew us and helped us with no problem. They were very cordial and were open to answer any of our questions. I had some US$ in my wallet and even had a chance to change them into euros at the local bank, which I thought was quite convenient. After going to the bank we explored the shopping center, El Corte Inglés, which is pretty similar to a Macys. Everytime I go out, I find myself doing the currency conversion in my head to see how much everything is in dollars. I keep forgetting everything is in euros! Surprisingly, some of the items here are much cheaper here than in the USA. But a good majority is a little more expensive, which makes it harder to buy certain things.

Out of everything that we have done this past week, I find that the most convenient is the student bus pass. Mass transportation is available here, and the people are able to use the bus system, taxi, or their own car. The bus system here is so extensive, though, that there is no reason to use a car. The student bus pass has unlimited rides and only costs 23 euros to purchase. They just need proof of enrollment in order to process the bus pass. Since the girls and I have not been able to enroll yet, we were not able to get a student bus pass. You can, however, buy a 10 ride bus pass for 7 euros or 20 ride for 14 euros. Because the bus is used so often here, it is better to purchase the unlimited student bus pass, because I bought the 20 ride and I only have 10 rides left!

Yesterday, Thursday, was the first day of the intensive Spanish classes, and I can already tell that I am going to learn a lot. I am not only going to learn about the way Spaniards speak Spanish, but also basic things to improve my everyday speaking. The first two hours are for conversation, and then the follow two hours are of grammer. I found it quite interesting to be in a class full of people from all over Europe who have come to Spain to learn how to speak Spanish! My professors are very funny and down-to-earth. My grammer professor´s name is Rafael and almost had a heart attack when I addressed him formally.

I really do love Spain so far and would encourage anyone to go abroad to study, work, or travel. I have met so many new people here, and I have only been here a week. It is so fascinating to see how much globalization has had an affect on a city such as Málaga! I cannot wait to discover more as my time here progresses!

CIAO!