La Vida Española

Lindsey Spanner is a  sophomore studying Communication Studies and Spanish while also  pursuing the Writing Certificate. Follow her travels as she visits Toledo, Spain for 10 weeks during Spring Quarter.  She can also be found on Twitter, @ListenToLindsey.

I am here in Spain not only to study the language but also to study the culture.  I have learned a lot in the past five weeks about the Spanish way of life by living with a Spanish host family.  While I had learned about some of the differences between the Spanish lifestyle and the American one before departing, some of what I have encountered here has surprised me.  Nonetheless, I am adapting well to the Spanish way of life, and even like some of the Spanish customs better than their American counterparts!

Here are a few examples of differences between the Spanish lifestyle and the American lifestyle:

• Spaniards are very energy conscious.  The price of electricity in Spain is very high, and according to the news it is only going to continue to rise.  Thus, Spaniards are sure to turn off all lights before they leave a room, and they try to utilize all of the natural light they can.  Windows and doors are often open during the day to let as much natural light in as possible so as not to use electricity unnecessarily.

The windows surrounding this courtyard are a great source of natural light into the hallways of my house, and thus are almost always open during the day.

• Spaniards never go barefoot.  I have yet to see a member of my host family walking around the house without something on their feet.  However, they never wear just socks and seldom walk around in their shoes.  Instead, it is customary in Spain for each person to have a pair of slippers that they wear around the house each day.  This is a great way to sort of leave the outside world behind and feel comfortable and at ease in your own home.

• Spanish time is different from Bobcat time.  In Athens we always joke that students and staff run on “Bobcat time,” meaning that we show up at 10 minutes after the hour for events since that is when our classes start.  However, Spaniards run much later than this!  The normal lunch time is between 2 -4 p.m., while dinner time is anywhere from 8:30-11:30 p.m.  When going out for the night Spaniards don’t visit the bars until 10 or 11 p.m., and it is normal to stay out until 5 or 6 in the morning.

Representing OHIO U on the beaches of Barcelona!

• There is no such thing as an appetizer.  While you will often be served bread before your meal, if you want to order something small off of the menu then you need to look under “tapas.”  Tapas are small portions of food that are usually served free with the purchase of an alcoholic beverage.  There are certain dishes that are almost always available as tapas.  Rumored to have started because the government wanted something to deter citizens from getting drunk quickly, tapas are a social event and a great way to catch up with friends.  Spaniards either go out for tapas before dinner or after dinner, but never for dinner itself.

While this sign from a restaurant in Madrid obviously caters to English-speaking tourists, it shows that tapas are almost always free with the purchase of a drink!

While I’m not sure if always wearing slippers around the house would catch on, I think tapas could be a big hit in Athens!

To go to theatre in London or not to go? by Kristen Spicker

The simple answer is yes.

While in London I’ve never a) seen so many plays and b) never seen so many amazing plays, just in general.

Of course, I’ve seen well done performances in America, but I’ve also seen some horribly done ones as well. However, in London, I’ve only seen one play I didn’t like, and I’ve been to a performance a week at least. In that past month and a half, I’ve probably seen around twenty productions (and the one that wasn’t good had an amazing set and fabulous costumes – so it wasn’t even horrible).

Obviously I was expecting high-caliber performances because London is the New York City of Europe, and Shakespeare lived in Stratford-upon-Avon and London, but I have been blown away by the quantity and quality of theater in this city. After walking down the street in any direction for ten minutes, I know I’ll probably pass a theatre in Central Londo. The Tube is packed with fliers for everything, from Betty Blue Eyes to As You Like It to The Lion King. London has it all.

Another aspect of theater in London that surprised me was the attendance. Fine arts in London is not just for the wealthy or the elderly. I’ll see teenagers dressed in jeans or dresses at a performance on a Wednesday night – and not just to see the major productions, but to see the small ones as well. Maybe it’s because theater is so accessible and affordable, but it appears that it’s basically integrated into the Londoner’s life to appreciate theater and art.

Another thing that surprised me was how common it is for movie and television stars to go back to the stage. Keira Knightley, Elisabeth Moss, Ellen Burtsyn and Lisa Backwell from the UK television program Skins all preformed in The Children’s Hour and Harry Melling, better known as Dudley Dursley from the Harry Potter films, was in School for Scandal at the Barbican. Not only was I shocked to see these well-known actors perform live, but I also was able to meet or get a brief glimpse of them as they walked past me to hurry into a cab.

Though the theater in London is absolutely spectacular, if I had to recommend any performances I’d definitely say go to Shakespeare’s Globe. Though the building is just a reproduction of the original Globe, it was constructed to be as close to identical as possible. And if you go to the globe, don’t pay for actual seats. It’s only £5 for a yard ticket, which, if you’re a Shakespeare fan, you should be geeking out over. For those not familiar, the Globe had a yard surrounding the stage where common people would stand to watch the performance, and by standing in the yard at Shakespeare’s Globe, you are as close to experiencing an authentic Shakespeare performance as possible. Plus, the yard tickets are right against the stage, with no barriers, so you can end up with the best seat in the house if you get there early enough.

Cheers, Cheerio and Cheerios by Kristen Spicker

I love London. It’s that simple. After only five days of living in the city I have already been tempted to cancel my lease for next year in Athens and take up permanent residence in the United Kingdom. Every morning I wake up and look outside my bedroom window and sigh from the sheer joy of staying in such an astounding city.

When I began packing for my stay across the pond, multiple people warned me of the grey skies, rain and cold weather. So far, that’s the exact opposite of what I’ve experienced. As I’m typing this, it’s 55 degrees and sunny. Dead serious. It hasn’t been under 50 degrees since I’ve arrived and it rained only a little bit for one day.

London has to be one of the prettiest cities in the Spring. Even though it’s an industrialized city, there is still a lot of green space with small parks located on nearly every other corner. Plus, the buildings and architecture are absolutely gorgeous. The British have done an excellent job at preserving old buildings, so while walking down a street, it’s fairly common to pass a building where a lord or chancellor used to live.

It’s bizarre to consider how old London is, especially compared to the United States. There is just so much history and culture down every street. While on a bus tour (where my camera unfortunately wasn’t working), I passed everything from new attractions like the Millennium Bridge, feature in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part One, and the London Eye to older ones such as the Tower of London and Westminster Abbey.

One thing that I didn’t realize about London is that it’s like the New York City of Europe. I didn’t automatically assume that every person I ran into would be a Londoner, but I figured it would be a high majority. However, it’s very much a melting pot of other nationalities. I hear a new accent every day, and from actual working citizens of England, not just tourists. Even better, the people are rather lovely. Although I don’t have to experience a language difference, the accents are enough to make simple sentences and words sound foreign. Thankfully, everyone I’ve spoken to has been understanding and helpful, even though I’m sure they were sick of my blank face and constant “What?” “Sorry,” and “Can you repeat that?”

Though it’s early in my stay, I already know that choosing to study in London is easily the best decision I’ve made since coming to Ohio University. In less than a week, I’ve already learned and experienced so much more than I would’ve expected. I’d love to blog more, but the park outside my flat that’s covered in picnic blankets and sunlight is calling my name.

Cheerio!

blog ideas and pre-packing misadventures by Christy Illius

I’ve been reading a few blogs lately, trying to decide how I should go about sharing all of my experiences with everyone, and I have to say that my favorite blog so far actually isn’t a blog, but a facebook page. My lovely roommate’s boyfriend is over in Asia right now, and he is doing this sort of “status update mini-blog” in multiple parts, like, part 1, so on so forth. They are short little updates, but I have had a ton of fun reading them! I am going to try to be tech-savvy here and put his link in so you all can read them. http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/profile.php?id=12316885&ref=mf  If that doesn’t work, friend him. His name is Mikey Smith. He loves new people, really. Tell him I sent you : )

Anyways, since my last entry, I’ve successfully semi-packed my bags, gotten together the majority of my laundry I need to finish, purchased my Euros, and scheduled my taxi for the airport in Paris. The euros look far niftier than US currency, which is good for me, because they are just too pretty to spend : )

The booking of the shuttle/taxi was a little more difficult than I thought it would be. First of all , the website is paris-shuttle.com and you can pre-pay ( that way you won’t be taken for a billion dollar ride around town as the newbie) and the driver meets you with a sign. However, I have a feeling the website was translated from French to English, because there were some holes in the forms, like where my state was supposed to be, how I’m supposed to choose the terminal I will be coming out of ( I don’t know, the American one? ), and when I tried to call the company, several things went not-so-well.

First, Paris is a (few) hours different from us. Ooops. I think I called them at maybe around 1 am? Secondly, when I did try to call at a more appropriate hour, the phone was busy. For 4 hours. Needless to say, I am a tad nervous about my arrival into Paris .

Also, packing for a month is hard!! How am I supposed to fit a month’s worth of daily items into only two bags?! I had to pack bags inside of bags just in case I bring home more than will fit into my already exploding suitcases. Did I already mention that I still have more to pack? I read somewhere that you are supposed to take “half of what you think you need, and twice as much cash”. Right. Oh and another fun side note — I’ve been told to hide my euros in different parts of my luggage. So what happens if I lose my luggage? At least I’ll have my list of where I hid all of my euros when I lose them.

The homesickness is definitely starting to show its lonely head as well. I already miss my family and fluffy companion, and my boyfriend ( who can sometimes be considered the fluffy companion : ) I went ahead and bought some mailing manila envelopes at Target today and pre-addressed them to everyone , this way, all I have to do is fill them up with trinkets and momentoes when I’m in Paris, and I don’t have to worry about paying an extra 10 e for an envelope each time I want to send some Parisian love to the states. Pretty nifty, eh? Speaking of nifty, I should probably blog about all of the nifty sites I found while shopping for travel things for Paris. I am a google goddess.

Later gang!

c

Editor’s Note: The OEA recommends that you carry all your money with you when traveling. Stash it in your wallet/purse, a money belt, and your carry-on luggage. Cash and important documents should never be packed in checked luggage. Lost and stolen baggage is unfortunately a reality.

Start your journey!

The Office of Education Abroad is bustling with prospects. More than 150 Ohio University students have come in to speak with our Peer Advisors about planning their education abroad experience. The Office of Education Abroad offers OU students opportunities to study, teach, intern, volunteer or work abroad in more than 30 countries including Japan, Spain, England, Australia, Africa and more! It is our mission to give students the opportunity to expand their horizons, to learn more about other cultures and to develop valuable skills through experience.

The Office of Education Abroad strives to match students with the program that matches their needs and desires best. That is why we offer hundreds of programs with diverse opportunities all throughout the world. Though we have several resources available to help students start their journey, this blog will serve as a forum for students who are or have been abroad to share their experience and to answer questions for students who are trying to find the right program for them.

The Office of Education Abroad is seeking student Foreign Correspondents to share their education abroad experience this year. Please see the Foreign Correspondents page for more information. In the meantime, the Office of Education Abroad will answer many of your questions about education abroad and keep you updated about upcoming deadlines on this blog and our website at www.ohio.edu/educationabroad.

Thank you for starting your journey with us.

We look forward to helping you GO!