Since the middle of September I study in Castell?n de la Plana, Spain for one semester. I made this decision mainly to stop the distance relationship to Gonzalo, to improve my spanish skills and to get out of my comfort zone once more in life. Life is good here in Spain, I?m enjoying it a lot. At the same time I got some challenges to master. Let me show you how a day can look like as an Erasmus student.
My alarm rings at 7:30 am. Time to get ready for another adventurous day in Spain. First of all I stretch myself, get to the livingroom and start a 10-15 minutes meditation. That?s a great way for me to wake up and start the day with lots of energy and positive vibes. Then I brush my teeth and have porridge with apple, banana and almond milk. Meanwhile I like to listen to voice messages from friends and family and answer them.
In general I?m super amazed with all the great possibilities to keep in touch with anybody nowadays. Voice messages, text messages, sending pictures of the Spanish sun or having a quick video chat with my beloved showing them my lovely view from the apartment, those are things I do everyday and it?s normal. How would have been traveling or living abroad without Internet? I don?t know and at the moment I wouldn?t like to miss it. Sure I like to have a break of being available 24 hours seven days a week but that?s another topic that can be discussed in another blogpost.
I?m ready to leave the house. Since couple of days temperatures decreased and I need to wear a good sweater and a scarf. The wind is cold and even colder when I bike to the university. Fortunately Castell?n de la Plana has city bikes to rent and even better is that I?ve got a bike station just in front of my apartment. I rather prefer biking to the university in the cold for 15-20 minutes than waiting for a crowded bus where I barely can breath. And by the way I heart that sport is good for my body and health 😀 Additionally I really hate to depend on public transportation like bus or train. I like to go home whenever I feel like without thinking when my bus leaves. Sure, sometimes I prefer public transportation in terms of really far distances. But in a city like Castellon you can walk or bike to every corner of the city so easily.
The school timetable says classes start at 9 am and finish at 11 am. But at 11 am starts my next class already. How am I going to make it to the other classroom on time? This was one question that bothered me since I saw my timetable. They don?t have any break in between? Super weird! After the second week going to classes I already had answers for my doubts: Tell spanish people we start at 9 am and they will arrive on time to start classes at 9:10 am. (I really don?t want to put up stereotypes at that point. I am sure there are punctual and unpunctual people all over the world. What I want to focus on are the unwritten laws or norms each culture has. And I love to discover those laws.) Additionally the teachers don?t teach until 11 am. They like to finish 10 – 15 minutes earlier. In other words, there is enough time to change classrooms or to get a cup of fresh squeezed orange juice. I love that you can get fresh squeezed orange juices in every bar, restaurant or supermarket. Furthermore in Castell?n there are plenty of orange trees. That?s paradise for my taste buds!
Theory classes seem to be the same like back home: There is a teacher in front, a powerpoint presentation on the wall and some laptops on the table in front of some students. The only difference is, most of the time I don?t get if the teacher says interesting things or if he just likes to talk. Moreover the presentations doesn?t help at all to understand what the topic is about. At least I get when everyone starts tipping or writing like crazy, then I realize everything the teacher says at the moment is important. Well, don?t think it?s really that bad. No, it?s not. I guess I understand main things but sometimes I?m wondering would I understand a thing if they talk english or even german. I mean everyone of us knows the situation when someone talks, you?re kind of listening but at the end of the talk you wonder: ?What did he/she say?? I?ve got those situations even with people who speak my mother tongue. That?s why I assume that not understanding a word is not a cause of not speaking Spanish well. It?s more about that I?m not concentrated enough, the topics are boring, the way the teacher is teaching is not helping to get interested or I simply have better things to do. Fortunately theory classes are not obligatory and after nine weeks I started to just don?t show up anymore.
Let?s switch to practical classes! There I have another big challenge to master: We are a group of six people. Two of them are Erasmus students and the rest Spanish. I am really talented in organizing, keep track of the project and to work efficient. (Maybe you think that?s typical german, but it?s not! 😀 I?ve got lots of proofs!) Now I am in a Spanish group work and sometimes I don?t understand when they start to discuss topics and approach. So exactly where I have my strengths I can?t get active. It?s not just that I can?t follow the discussion, it?s as well that I can?t express myself to help organising. I am just sitting there. I try to keep up, to follow and to talk and give advices. But I simple can?t give the 100% I?m used to give back home. And that feeling is challenging me. Well, that means it?s time to get a new role in group work and to discover the advantages of the secondary role. And I start to like it as well. 🙂 At least I?ve got some nice company in almost all my classes of other Erasmus students who I can share my experiences with. You?re never alone!
After four hours of classes I finished for today and I am happy to relax my mind again. Since I live in Spain I don?t want to talk spanish to Gonzalo anymore. I?m so happy to come home and to know, I can speak and express myself in an easy and understandable way. It?s like a release, a huge present. I start to appreciate every moment when I speak to someone without struggling. Soon I will talk in Spanish without any struggles but by then there will be new challenges coming up.