Blog – Page 3 – Academia Manhattan

June 21, 2017

My Second Week in Villanueva – Giulia

Hello everybody! My second week in Villanueva has just begun, and things are going great! Last weekend I participated in my first “ruta de tapas,” which is a Spanish tradition of going around the different bars and restaurants in town and ordering a “tapa” and a drink at each spot.

A “tapa” is essentially a small dish, and each place has a different specialty. I enjoyed all of them! My favorite drink was a tasty mixture of carbonated juice and wine that’s called a “tinto de verano.” Absolutely delicious!

It has been quite hot this past week in Villanueva, so unfortunately I haven’t been doing much during the day other than working and going to the gym. The latter has been a great and productive way to pass time! The gym is very close to my house, and I enjoy running on the treadmill and stretching. It makes me feel better about the large amount of food that I consume every day!

A few of my friends and I went on a walk around Villanueva the other day and we saw the outskirts of the town, as well as a few horses and some goats. Unfortunately, our walk wasn’t very long, since we made the mistake of going out at one of the hottest points in the day. However, it was still lovely to explore more of Villanueva and gain a better sense of the town.

Work has mainly consisted of preparation for the intensive classes that begin in July. We each need to get assigned our specific classes before we can begin to write our actual lesson plans, but we have begun to make general vocab lists and quizzes that can be applied later. We have also made presentations about our hometowns, which we have been presenting to the different classes all week. My presentation is obviously about Berkeley, but I added a slide about Oakland and another about San Francisco in order to give students the bigger picture of the Bay Area as a whole. Speaking about my city has made me realize how much I truly love it; I could talk about it for hours. There are aspects of my home that I definitely miss while being here, but I am grateful for the opportunity to experience this new culture.

Maya, Kaelen and I are spending the day in Seville tomorrow, and I’m very excited! I’ll provide all the details in my next post, as I’m sure I’ll have a lot to talk about. Farewell!

June 20, 2017

Time to Hit the Gym! – Catherine

So today was my fourth day at the Centro Deportivo Andalucia and I can’t move. When signing up for a gym membership, my intention was to continue with the same lazy routine I’ve always done. This lazy routine involved me running for 20 minutes on the treadmill, stretching for another 20 minutes, flopping around for another 10 minutes in the hopes that some muscle was getting a good workout, and then calling it a day. But as I was running on the treadmill during my first visit, I was approached by the trainer. She greeted me and wanted to know which parts of my body I wanted to workout. I figured, since she asked that I might as well offer my whole body up for improvement. I was thinking that since I’m only here for 2 months, there is no way that the workouts could escalate to an unbearable degree.

pasted image 0 — Photo credits: http://www.centediario.com/cordoba-tren-arrollo-un-colectivo-hay-heridos/

Wrong! That day we started working out my legs. When those fell off, my arms were the next to go. Personally, I think that each weight machine should have it’s own separate room. That way, those of us who can only lift 1 kg on each arm can struggle in private. But just like how your body deteriorates before getting stronger, so does your ego. The best part of every workout is the stretch that comes at the end. It’s the part of the workout where you can take the time to replay everything that you have just done in your memory without physically feeling the physical pain.

But in all honesty, the Centro Deportivo Andalucia is a great place. I love how much I’m learning about proper exercise and weight training. Sure it’s difficult, but I’m definitely looking forward to getting stronger. The people are really nice, there’s a cute dog that excitedly prances throughout the gym to say ‘hello’ to everyone, and I’m super lucky to have Raul, Alba and Luna to help me figure out the equipment. I’m glad that I’m being taught how to use the weight machines, that way when I go back home, I can workout like a pro. Or at least better than I did before.

Until next time!

June 19, 2017

Another Week in Villanueva – Kaelan

Hi everyone,

My last week in Villanueva has been a lot of fun! Apart from learning more about the area and eating lots of food from Andalucía, I’ve also been doing some exploring around Spain! On Thursday, I cooked a traditional American meal for my host family being composed of fried chicken and mashed potatoes.

On Friday, I went to Madrid with a friend who was visiting. It was an incredible amount of fun! We started off by getting food near Atocha, then went to la Plaza España and la Puerta del Sol to do some shopping! We spent a lot of time on la Calle Mayor, and I ended up buying way too many clothes. We also took to the opportunity to eat Japanese food, which I haven’t had since I left home! We were eating when I realized that I wanted to change my shirt, so I actually changed in the bathroom! It was funny.

On Saturday I went out with some friends in Villanueva to get food and explore some of the nightlife. We went out for drinks and ate tons of tapas. We went to at least 5 different restaurants! As we were eating I got to know another Irish person in Villanueva, which was nice because I got to feel a little at home.

Stay tuned for updates next week!

June 17, 2017

Caracoles, Jamón and Tapas – Maya

Hello Villanueva de Cordoba! I am Maya, one of the students from the United States here in Spain for the Summer to teach English. I just studied abroad in Chile for the past 4 months. Chile speaks Spanish with a very different accent and uses a lot of different words, so it has been fun learning from my host family and the Academia Manhattan community. One thing that I have really enjoyed here in Spain is the different food. In the week, I have been here, I have tried gazpacho, jamón, tinto de verano, and caracoles…and I haven’t found anything I don’t like yet!

If you can’t already tell, I am a super big foodie. My favorite think about Villanueva de Cordoba thus far is the custom of tapas. Last week, the group of interns and I went out for la Ruta de Tapas. This is an annual event where each participating restaurant has a special tapa. A tapa is a small serving of food. If you went to ten restaurants and tried their special tapa, you could get entered into a raffle. I was only able to go to 5, but it was still so much fun and was a great introduction to Villanueva de Cordoba. I also had the opportunity to try tinto de verano, which I really enjoyed.

Blogpost 1 tinto

I also had the opportunity to try jamón, ham, and gazpacho with my family. Someone came over to my host family’s house to cut ham in our kitchen. It took a long time, but the ham was so good, better than any ham I have tried in the United States or in Chile. My host mom also made gazpacho for me. Since it has been so hot in Villanueva for the past week, upwards of 35 degrees Celsius, gazpacho has been a great way to cool off.

Blogpost 1 ham

My host mom and I also went out for snails (caracoles) and beer (cerveza) my first night here in Villanueva. This was a fun welcome into the town. I had never tried snails before coming to Spain, but I am always ready to try new foods although I didn’t really know what to except. At first, I had a lot of trouble sucking the snails out of the shells, but once my host mom taught me how to use a toothpick, I found them very delicious.

Blogpost 1 caracoles

This past week has been full of new experiences and I am very excited to see what other new experiences I will have this summer!

June 15, 2017

2 Weeks In – Catherine

So far I’ve been in Villanueva for a little more than 2 weeks and feel as though I have already done more things here in Villanueva than 4 months studying in Cordoba. To be fair, I was strapped ball and chain to the library at UCO for months on end as I struggled to understand the works of Vallejo-Inclan, Buero Vallejo, Onetti, among others when I could barely understand the Cordobesan accent. But now it’s summer (almost) and I’m free (kind of)!

I’ve been super lucky to be placed with such an amazing host family: Jose Antonio and Mariana and inadvertently Engracia, Pepe, and Antonio Jose. Their ongoing goals are to make me feel part of the family and to never ever let me go hungry, and I can say for sure that they have already accomplished them. Since being here, I have accompanied my host family to bars and restaurants around Villanueva, as well as trips to Pozoblanco and Islantilla. And each night, I have gone to bed crushed by the weight of my own belly.

So far my experiences in Villanueva have included working at the academia, going to the Feria Chica, going to the Romeria, leaving Villanueva to shop in Pozoblanco with Mariana and Engracia, leaving Villanueva to dance zumba in Pozoblanco with Mariana, visiting the animal rescue shelter with Libby and her host sister, Luna, taking Spanish classes with Mariana and Huan Kon, seeing Antonio Jose perform in the town band before the Feria and during the Romeria, visiting Islantilla with Jose Antonio and Mariana and various family outings for lunch and drinks with the whole gang. I have really enjoyed my time here so far.

I’ve loved getting to know the students at the Academia. It’s an amazing experience getting to work with so many different age groups. I enjoyed getting to know about some of the students through the topics they had prepared for their speaking exam. I also love just simply talking to students and learning about their day. The students at the academia have a really great sense of humor, and watching them progress in their English always inspires me to progress in my Spanish.

I look forward to seeing what more Villanueva has to offer in the weeks to come as we at the academia prepare for the intensive courses. It’s sure to be an unforgettable summer.

Until next time!

June 13, 2017

My Arrival in Villanueva – Giulia

I have been living in Villanueva for almost a week now! Unfortunately, I had a very long journey getting here; I missed two of my flights, as well as my train to Villanueva. I had to spend a night in Madrid, which I found out the next day was the same night that Madrid won the Euro Cup! Funny coincidence! But at the time it wasn’t so funny – just exhausting and rather stressful. I was relieved to finally arrive in Villanueva 2 days after I’d left San Francisco. My luggage arrived a few days later.

Villanueva is quite a beautiful town, and everyone I have met so far has been very kind. My host family have made sure that I’m completely at home, and I’m very grateful to be staying with them! They took me to the Romería on Monday, which is a Catholic festival celebrated throughout Spain, and it was amazing. I’ve never experienced anything like it; in Berkeley, where I’m from, there are few local celebrations of the same caliber. The fireworks were my favorite part. My host family also took me to Pozoblanco a few days ago, so I’ve had a chance to explore outside of Villanueva, and I’m hoping to take a quick trip to Córdoba in the coming weeks. This is my first time in Spain and I hope to make the most of it!

In terms of work, things at the Academia haven’t been very busy this week due to exams. I sat down with a few of the students directly prior to their oral exams and helped them prepare for their conversations and topics. Every student I interacted with was more than prepared and quite pleasant to work with. I’m looking forward to getting to know everyone at the Academia and helping them achieve their goals! Everything has been great so far and the future looks bright and full of paella!

-GMC 🙂

June 12, 2017

First Weeks in Villanueva – Libby

I now have been in Villanueva de Córdoba for almost two weeks. I have met most of the students. We practiced the students’ topics and interactive speaking tasks. I really enjoyed meeting the students and getting to know them. Their topics helped me learn about their interests and their lives, which was very interesting and fun to learn. Last weekend, was the Féria chica. I had lechón for the first time, which was delicious. I also had flamenquín and pizza at mycafe, which were also delicious. The caseta was fun and there were a lot of people there. I knew some of the Spanish music, but not all of it. I had dinner with my host family one night and helped my host sister, Luna take her niece and nephew on the bumper car and carousel rides. I also went to Calerito 2.0 that has a different kind of flamenquín, that was very good with lemon.

I am starting to feel more comfortable with my host family. I went with my host sister, Luna to the animal shelter that she volunteers at. I really liked it! The dogs were so cute and happy to see us. There were dogs of many sizes. I have now met four out of five of my host parents’ children.

Monday was the romería and I walked with Luna and her friends from Villanueva to the Virgen de Luna sanctuary. It was a fun walk, but a bit tiring because it was hot outside. We saw the Virgen de Luna in the church and ate some food at the stalls by the sanctuary. It reminded me of processions during Semana Santa, but it was different because there were tractors pulling carts of people yelling and having fun and there were lots of people on horses.

June 10, 2017

Kaelan – First Weeks in Villanueva

Hey everyone!

So far, my first two weeks in Villanueva have been filled with fun and adventure. When I arrived, I have to admit that I was shocked at the scorching heat. Given, I had heard it was hot but I definitely wasn’t expecting 40C! The last few weeks have been a transition in regards to the heat, but at the very least it’s not humid.

Getting used to Spain hasn’t been nearly as difficult as I was expecting. The accent in Andalusia is not as different as the Spanish I speak in the United States with my friends, so the transition hasn’t been difficult. However, I was incredibly shocked when I saw horses casually strolling through town!

Last weekend was also la Féria chica. It was incredible amounts of fun, and I was surprised at how late the party went on for! The music was amazing, and I definitely ate my fair share of buñuelos. It was also very nice because it seemed like the entire town was there, so I was able to see both students and parents alike enjoying themselves.

Well, that’s all for now! Stay tuned for more updates!

-Kaelan

February 2, 2017

Weekend at Belalcázar – Lissette

During my last weekend, I was able to visit Belalcázar. Belalcázar is another town in the province of Cordoba and approximately 50 minutes west of Villanueva. Just like Villanueva, this city was also surrounded by countryside. The first thing that stood out to me was the castle. One of the wonders of Spain is that there are cathedrals and castles throughout many areas that let you see the history of Spain. However, the castle was under construction and we weren’t allowed to enter it. I was also able to visit the Convento de Santa Clara. It was fascinating to see how the designs and paintings were still well preserved. There was also a Roman bridge just like in Cordoba. In other words, just like most towns and cities you can see the Roman influence through the architecture as well as the bridges. The food was delicious too! Since most families have livestock, they usually have really fresh meat. For example, their ham and salchichón is delicious because they make it starting with killing a pig that they’ve raised. The bread and cheese are also very good. These towns tend to have really good food because it isn’t processed and it is all made from scratch. It was interesting to see that most of the habitants of the town were older people. This is due to the fact that most young people leave the towns and go study in the nearest cities. Ultimately, it was a charming town with amazing scenery.

January 24, 2017

Weekend at the countryside in La Carlota – Lissette

I spent my first weekend with some friends at La Carlota, Cordoba. La Carlota is another town like Villanueva located about 20 minutes south of Cordoba. In other words, La Carlota is a warmer town compared to Villanueva due to its location. Just like most Spanish towns including Villanueva, La Carlota is surrounded by countryside. Within my first week I have realized how common it is for Spaniards to have a “parcela” or house in the countryside.

Most families spend their weekend at the countryside. In the countryside they pick olives, feed animals, and go for walks. Most of all, they get together and eat in the countryside on the weekends. I was able to enjoy a Sunday at the countryside with my friend and his family. Even though it was winter, the weather was warm enough for us to eat outside.

It was crazy for me to think that I would be eating outside during winter. We started off with tapas that included ham, cheese, olives, and chips. Most importantly, there was wine and beer. All gatherings in Spain always have alcohol. Then there were grilled sardines. The main dish was migas. Migas is a traditional plate that is usually consumed in the winter. The base of migas consists of fried bread. Additional ingredients that are included in the migas are chorizo (sausage), panceta (bacon), and garlic. The additional ingredients vary among the different regions of Spain. Migas is as traditional as the paella and used to be consumed mostly by people working out in the farms and fields. It was a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon!