I'm leaving for Spain exactly one week from today, but I have yet to receive my housing assingment from the PRESHCO coordinator, which is making me feel antsy. I requested to live with a host family, but I would really like to know who they are. Especially considering I have yet to get them some small gifts when I arrive & knowing who, exactly, I will need to get gifts for would help a lot. And of course, it would be nice to know the neighborhood I'll be living in, how far away it is from the university, etc. Hopefully I'll find out soon enough & I'll let you all know when I do.
My program has both a host family option & a residencia /university dorm option. But since I heard the residencia is quite different from American dorms, I really wanted to live with a host family. It will mean even more of the Spanish immersion I'm actively looking for + would have ammenities such as linens or cookware readily available, allowing for a smoother start-up. I would expect if there's something that really isn't running smoothly, I would've been notified there was a problem, so I'm not too worried.
Although considering all of my PRESHCO classes will be in Spanish instead of just one -as has been the case during high school & semesters at Smith- even that alone means a heck of a lot more immersion. I know I'm taking Spanish Art From Velázquez to Picasso & Beyond and Comparative Political Institutions (The U.S. & Spain) for sure. I've heard positive things about both, although I've heard the latter class isn't as comparative as it seems, that the professor pretty much just talks about Spanish government & politics only. Still, as a gov major with a focus in American government, I'd like to think I'm quite familiar with the American political system so I'm sure I'll be comparing the two countries on my own as it is.
My other two classes are a bit up in the air as of now, but luckily we don't need to make final decisions until we arrive. The PRESHCO coordinator this year started a new class called Community Organizing & Local Politics in Córdoba , which includes a volunteer internship with a local NGO for several hours each week. I had to apply to be in the class & for my placement, I indicated a strong preference for the two NGOs on the list we could choose from which serve people with disabilities. Over the summer, I interned in the office of Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin (also Smith class of '84!) through the American Association of People with Disabilities' (AAPD) summer internship program. So considering how much I learned about disability justice in the U.S., I think it would be a great opportunity to volunteer with a disability organization in Spain. We'll see if I get into the class. If not, I might take Islam: Beginnings, Introduction into Spain & Contemporary Andalucía, instead, considering how important Al-Andalus was to Iberian history, yet is largely ignored or presented in extremely inaccurate ways. My fourth class would come from the larger University of Córdoba offerings, so I'm going to decide when I get there. Hopefully, I'll be able to take all of the classes I want & there won't be any scheduling conflicts!
Now I'm off to compile a packing list. Considering I'm only taking have a suitcase, an LL Bean backpack (which has to magically fit enough stuff for our immediate ten-day trip) & a laptop bag, I'd like to start organizing what can be packed where to ensure there's room for everything. And in case there's not enough room or something I've forgotten, I can realize it now.
I'll be posting at least one more entry before I leave, so stay tuned!
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Equal Parts Nervous & Excited
Considering how slow things have been at home after all of my friends have gone back to school (either in the U.S. or abroad), I figured this Saturday night would be as good a night as any to finally start the blog I kept telling everyone I intended to start during my own semester abroad so folks can easily find out what I'm up to + is another way to stay in touch.
For four months, I'll be studying abroad in Córdoba, Spain, a city of 300,000 people (about half the size of Boston). The city & much of Andalucía, the comunidad autónoma (close to the equivilent of a U.S. state, but also sub-divided into several provinces) which Córdoba is a part of, bears many historical traces of Al-Andalus. This is the period between 711-1492 when the Iberian Peninsula was largely under Muslim rule. Córdoba was an important economic and cultural center during this epic. And as throughout Al-Andalus , there were sizeable Jewish, Christian & Muslim communities in Córdoba which interacted together, a catalyst for many cross-cultural influences.
I leave on February 2nd, which is only 11 days away! Whenever someone asks me if I'm excited, I've been responding that I'm equal parts nervous and excited. Though I've been taking Spanish since middle school, this is the first time I've traveled to a Spanish-speaking country & the first time I've actually lived abroad, instead of merely visiting. I have to admit I'm fearful of not speaking Spanish "well enough", of feeling alone in a foreign country, of a rough adjustment to Spanish life & culture- especially as someone who isn't Catholic. While so many smithies say study abroad was one of the best experiences of their life so far, I'm nervous mine will be anything but & that I'll even regret my decision.
But the things I'm excited about seem to counter these fears. It's an opportunity to immerse myself in Spanish language & culture that I've been waiting for. I've spent my semesters at Smith as a Gov/Spanish double-major studying the paintings at the Prado & the Museo Nactional de Reina Sofia in Madrid, the Gran Mezquita/Great Mosque of Córdoba, the Alhambra in Granada, the archeitecture of Gaudí in Barcelona, the synagogues of Toledo, Spain under & post-Franco, the political conflicts in Euskadi, Galicia & Catalunya. This is the opportunity to visit & experience instead of being restricted to simply reading about it all. It's also comforting to remember that almost everyone else participating in my program doesn't know a whole lot of other folks, either.
Even though I only have four months, I plan to do my share of traveling but still balance these plans with getting to know Córdoba. My top priorities are traveling to Madrid, Barcelona, Granada, Sevilla, Toledo, Cádiz, Basque Country/Euskadi (probably the city of Bilbao) & Málaga- mostly because Picasso is my favorite artist & since he was born in Málaga, a lot of his artwork can be found at several smaller museums there. If have enough time & funds, I hope to travel to some combo of Valencia/Segovia/Léon/Mérida. Luckily, my program already takes us on excursions to several of the cities I really want to visit.
I'm also planning to travel outside of Spain to Portugal, France, & hopefully Morocco. I know I can't possibly get to all of these places, especially if I intend to also treat Córdoba as not just a weekday hostel. So if anyone has any travel suggestions to help narrow things down, feel free to let me know!
I'll be updating regularly throughout the semester, including another post or two more before I officially leave. Follow my blog & read about what's sure to be four roller coaster-like months!
For four months, I'll be studying abroad in Córdoba, Spain, a city of 300,000 people (about half the size of Boston). The city & much of Andalucía, the comunidad autónoma (close to the equivilent of a U.S. state, but also sub-divided into several provinces) which Córdoba is a part of, bears many historical traces of Al-Andalus. This is the period between 711-1492 when the Iberian Peninsula was largely under Muslim rule. Córdoba was an important economic and cultural center during this epic. And as throughout Al-Andalus , there were sizeable Jewish, Christian & Muslim communities in Córdoba which interacted together, a catalyst for many cross-cultural influences.
I leave on February 2nd, which is only 11 days away! Whenever someone asks me if I'm excited, I've been responding that I'm equal parts nervous and excited. Though I've been taking Spanish since middle school, this is the first time I've traveled to a Spanish-speaking country & the first time I've actually lived abroad, instead of merely visiting. I have to admit I'm fearful of not speaking Spanish "well enough", of feeling alone in a foreign country, of a rough adjustment to Spanish life & culture- especially as someone who isn't Catholic. While so many smithies say study abroad was one of the best experiences of their life so far, I'm nervous mine will be anything but & that I'll even regret my decision.
But the things I'm excited about seem to counter these fears. It's an opportunity to immerse myself in Spanish language & culture that I've been waiting for. I've spent my semesters at Smith as a Gov/Spanish double-major studying the paintings at the Prado & the Museo Nactional de Reina Sofia in Madrid, the Gran Mezquita/Great Mosque of Córdoba, the Alhambra in Granada, the archeitecture of Gaudí in Barcelona, the synagogues of Toledo, Spain under & post-Franco, the political conflicts in Euskadi, Galicia & Catalunya. This is the opportunity to visit & experience instead of being restricted to simply reading about it all. It's also comforting to remember that almost everyone else participating in my program doesn't know a whole lot of other folks, either.
Even though I only have four months, I plan to do my share of traveling but still balance these plans with getting to know Córdoba. My top priorities are traveling to Madrid, Barcelona, Granada, Sevilla, Toledo, Cádiz, Basque Country/Euskadi (probably the city of Bilbao) & Málaga- mostly because Picasso is my favorite artist & since he was born in Málaga, a lot of his artwork can be found at several smaller museums there. If have enough time & funds, I hope to travel to some combo of Valencia/Segovia/Léon/Mérida. Luckily, my program already takes us on excursions to several of the cities I really want to visit.
I'm also planning to travel outside of Spain to Portugal, France, & hopefully Morocco. I know I can't possibly get to all of these places, especially if I intend to also treat Córdoba as not just a weekday hostel. So if anyone has any travel suggestions to help narrow things down, feel free to let me know!
I'll be updating regularly throughout the semester, including another post or two more before I officially leave. Follow my blog & read about what's sure to be four roller coaster-like months!
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