Melvin and Pablo El Dragon in Spain

This semester has been a great ride. I have grown immensely and come into myself in ways that I did not imagine prior to coming abroad. I have learned a lot about myself and gained a great deal of wisdom from my time here in Spain. During my semester here I have set goals to learn the Spanish language so my course load was light, but language focused. I took Translation I, Spanish Language, Spanish for International Students and a French course for a little variety. In these courses I have gained a greater understanding of how to use Spanish and also how it varies from Spanish spoken in other regions. Here is a picture of my faculty where I attend school.   

At the Universidad de Extremadura in Caceres

The registration system here is really hectic and frustrating and even at exam time I was not registered for two courses even though I had visited my registrar 3 times during the semester. Most classes here didn’t start on time due to the culture of the country and the loose way time is viewed here. I had one professor who consistently arrived to an hour-long class more than 15 minutes late, but this was not a problem for the students.

One of the things I had to become accustomed to here is the infamous siesta (daily nap time). I completed a summer program in Spain in 2012 and since Madrid is so industrial the siesta is not observed there. However, once I arrived here it took me a couple days to learn that the siesta is observed here and most businesses are closed from 2pm to 5pm. Coming from the Unites States where hard work is a pervasive ideology I could not grasp why anyone would not want to continue working during 3 of the most important hours of the day. But shortly after becoming accustomed to the siesta I soon began to nap as well with the rest of the population in my small town. 

Pablo taking in Caceres

This is a picture of Pablo el dragón on the balcony of my building where I often go to look at my part of the city and clear my head. This view is what really sold me on choosing this apartment. I am very pensive and a view of the city from up high really helps me gain perspective.

 

Pablo looking over Plaza Mayor

Plaza Mayor is located in the oldest part of the city of Caceres. It is here where many celebrations take place and people come to spend time with their friends and families. I can appreciate the glimpse into the past that these castle-like buildings offer because it is reminiscent of a slower more quiet time. It is also here in this plaza where many festivals and shows take place such as the festival of San Jorge where a play is shown and afterward they burn a large wooden dragon that they’ve constructed for that purpose.

My time here in Spain has been incredible and I have gained a lot that will prepare me for life once I return to the States. It has also been great having Pablo my little piece of home with me. Now we must enjoy this time we have left before I return home on August 4^th.

Melvin Clark and Pablo
Universidad del Extremadura
Caceres, Spain

Austin and Aireole in Manchester....and beyond!

Hello UNCG Honors College,

I'm sitting here on a couch in Rome with my dragon, Aireole (pronounced ah-ear-oh-lay, for all those unfamiliar with the ancient dialect of dragonian, Yerstra, and its pronunciation), and he and I are about to set out on part 2 of our adventure through the city. So far, Aireole and I have been all through the UK, Ireland, Morocco, Paris, Spain, and  now Italy. We'll be in Roma for another two days before heading up to Tuscany to teach French to a lovely Italian family who will be hosting us for nine days. After that it's on to Florence and Bologna before we fly into Warsaw, Poland to teach English ( and maybe even a little bit of Yerstra, if the Poles are lucky and Aireole feels up to it) for two weeks. Then to finish up our little European adventure we'll head over to Prague for a couple of days before heading back home to Manchester for one last week.

The Colosseum in Rome

So, I suppose I should back up a bit, huh? Aireole and I arrived bright and early into the Manchester airport on January 8, and what an adventure it has been since. Together, we found our way through the city, met the Mancunians, and sampled as much of the local culture as possible. 

There have been so many great moments, like the time we stumbled upon a lively bar called "The Whiskey Jar" in the artsy Norther Quarter of Manchester, where we met tons of native Mancunians who told us endless heaps of information about the incredible industrial history of the city and its unique integration of so many minority groups, and then... There were the less than stellar moments, like the time we got mugged and robbed on our way home from a night out. But hey, even that moment left us with some valuable information about British culture. Well, I suppose you learn new things all of the time.

Abe Lincoln in Manchester!

So much has happened and we've had so many different adventures in the UK and outside of it, that's it's becoming increasingly difficult to try and sum up our entire or even a piece of our aggregate study abroad experience in just a few paragraphs. But, if there's anything that studying abroad has taught me, it's that whatever the world throws at me, I should trust myself enough to find a way through it. As expansive as the world is, and with so much of it still left for me to see, we're not really all that different from everyone else.

Aireole's cousin, Nessie, on Loch Ness

I had an incredible time in Wales on an international student retreat to a a town called Llangollen, (Google it, lots to see and learn) and in just a few days, 23 students all from different cultures all around the world came together and really got a chance to discuss ideas of peace and international culture. I met some of the most amazing people there and it's likely that we'll stay in touch for many years to come. But perhaps the most valuable thing that came out of it, was the realization that with just a little bit of tolerance for the unknown, the "foreign" one can quickly begin to see how truly similar we all are, how our goals, or struggles, our dreams, all fit together quite seamlessly.

The Welsh countryside

Unfortunately, Aireole and I must get on with our gallivanting, but please, if you have questions let me know. We'd be happy to tell you as much as we can. 

Until we return, hope all is well back home!

Sincerely, Austin and Aireole