Three words to describe Alicante: Buenisima, Buenisima, Buenisima!
I've spent the past month getting settled into Alicante and I feel very much at home. Time seems to pass by slower here. Maybe its all the naps on the beach or the casual afternoons spent strolling along las ramblas. Its so peaceful but I never get bored because there is always something to do. Even though I arrived a month later than the other students in CC-CS, I was immediately invited out to bar hop and eat tapas. I even have some new friends at the University of Alicante! I'm so excited to actually befriend some natives. In fact, I'm going down to the beach to play volleyball with them tomorrow!
My host parents here in Alicante are hilarious and always make sure I eat more than necessary. They've welcomed me into their home with open arms and I couldn't be more thankful. I live with a husband and wife who are on the younger side so things are always upbeat. It's easy to have conversations with them because they have children about my age. My 21st birthday was only a few days after I arrived, but my host parents had a little birthday dinner for me with a few gifts and a cake. If that doesn't say welcome, I'm not sure what does!
While I'm at my casa, I'm always picking up new phrases and my host parents always take the time to correct my grammar. In fact, the title of this post, "Cuanto tiempo sin verte," is my most recently acquired phrase. My host father was making a joke of saying "Cuanto tiempo sin verte" to me about every 5 minutes. I didn't understand until they explained that it means you haven't seen someone in a long time. Kind of like the expression, "Its been forever since I saw you last!" My host father always has some antic with a learning lesson up his sleeve. My host mom is an excellent cook and her Paella is simply to die for. The picture below is actually from Google, but my host mother's Paella looks just like it! She makes two kinds, one with pescado and one with carne. I currently live with a roommate from Japan. Akihito is unfortunately only here for the month of February and has one more week left. I'm going to miss him and our Spanish, English, Japanese learning sessions. All in all, it's really great to have a roommate that doesn't speak English because your only way to communicate - besides charades - is Spanish.
At the moment I'm taking two classes through CC-CS, two classes at the University of Alicante and a salsa and flamenco dancing class for CC-CS's Living the Culture. My two CC-CS classes are language and culture and have helped immensely with my grammar and vocabulary. My university classes include Taller de Publicidad (Publicity) and Geography of Latin America. Its kind of difficult to understand the professors, especially when they talk fast; however the power points help. Now I know why we had all those listening comprehension exercises in high school. As far as the dance classes go, I'll never be a professional flamenco dancer. Salsa I have a chance in, but flamenco has me flinging my arms and stomping my feet like I'm on fire. When I told my sister of my dancing adventures she sent me a leotard and wrap skirt .... At least I can look the part.
My CC-CS classes run from 8am till 12pm and I'm not going to lie, getting up at 6:30am every morning is rough. Thankfully I actually like my classes and they only last for one to two months. By the time April and May rolls around, I'll only have my two university classes in the evenings. AKA lots of traveling! I've planned trips to Valencia for the Fallas celebration in March, Barcelona for a weekend in April and for spring break (two weeks) a trip to Italy and Greece. I'd love to squeeze in Paris and London as well, but the Euro to Dollar value difference tends to lighten the wallet. Thankfully, CC-CS in Alicante gives you the opportunity to tutor children in English for about 8 Euros an hour. You could make more depending on the number of children and how often you tutor as well. It's a great opportunity to work with children and improve your Spanish skills. I'm filling out my application now so I can start to add to my travel funds.
Trip to Granada:
My first weekend in Alicante was actually spent in Granada with all the students in the CC-CS program. We went to a Flamenco show, bar hopped, ate tapas and visited the Alhambra. The city itself was beautiful. It has a bustling nature with markets and shops along every street; however if you look just behind the buildings you'll see these majestic mountains covered in untouched, perfectly white snow. It really is a beautiful place. On another note, props to CC-CS for picking an AWESOME hotel. After snacking on Nutella, galletas and red wine we traded our siesta for a dip in the hotel's spa and a trip to the steam room. Check out the video below for an inside look at the Alhambra!
After Granada, I've spent the past few weeks wandering the streets and walking to the beach. I'm conveniently located about 15 minutes (on foot) away from the beach. You'd think you'd never get any homework done, but the beach + blanket = perfect study spot. AND you can get a tan. Talk about multitasking. All the shops are about 10 minutes away as well, so shopaholics beware. There's practically a Corte Ingles (clothes, electronics, books, home, EVERYTHING), boutique and cafe everywhere you turn. And did I mention the weather is fantastic? I think it's rained once this month. Just down the street from me is Alicante's famous Castillo de Santa Bárbara. It is stunning and I've yet to climb to the top, but that's on my list for the following weeks. I heard there is a priceless view, so check back for photos to come!
This week my host parents graciously hosted a house fiesta as a going away present for my roommate Akihito. They roasted lamb in the oven all day and set out an assortment of tapas. My favorite? The olives of course! There was plenty of cerveza and mojitos to go around and we ending the evening with salsa dancing lessons and tres leches cake. Needless to say we had a blast and my host parents promised to have at least one more fiesta before I left. I posted a video below of the activities. See if you can point out my friend James learning to salsa in the beaded skirt!
This weekend I plan on kicking back on the beach and studying for some finals/midterms. My language class for CC-CS is only a month long and my CC-CS culture class runs till the end of March. So, there's nothing like a little gelato and some sun to make hitting the books a little less painful!
P.S. Almost a month here and I'm speaking SO much better. The only way to really learn a language is to go abroad, sorry Rosetta Stone.
Up Coming Topics:
Best places for Tapas
Best places for Chocolate and Churros
Best Bars
Valencia Fallas Celebration
A Tour of the Beach and Town
Santa Bárbara Castle
Any interesting adventures
