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!