Tag: Ahliaa

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Blog Post #2 – Ahliaa

Hello again!

It has been a whole month since I have started living in Spain and I have learned a lot. There are many different customs that I have become accustomed to, such as the siesta. I’ve also tried many different foods and met many friendly people in town.  I now know that Churros and chocolate is a great way to start the morning, while tapas and a Radler is a great way to end the night. 

We have started teaching classes at the Academia and I think they are going well. There are many classes to teach therefore the other interns and I have assigned each other classes. All of the students are a lot of fun. The class of 5 and 6 year-olds is the hardest! Most of the older students are studying for the Trinity or Cambridge Exam, so it is important for them to practice reading, writing, listening, and discussing. We make the students practice different skills by creating new and engaging lessons everyday. 

When I’m not teaching in the Academia, then I am traveling somewhere new in Spain. So far, I have seen Granada, Sevilla, Cordoba, and a beach in Malaga. This weekend I will be going to Ronda and then Portugal after that! I have many pictures from all of these trips. I need to organize all of these photos! I buy a magnet from each city as a souvenir from the trip. I need to buy gifts for my family. I want them to have a little piece of Spain. 

That’s the end of my little update! Talk to you soon!

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Getting Started – Ahliaa

Hello Everyone!

I have only been in Spain for a couple of days now and I have already done a lot of new and exciting things! Just in my first day, I made it through the airport and train station without getting lost, rode a super fast train from Atocha station to Pedroches, and got to see the parade for the last day of Romería. My second day was full of observing classes at Academia Manhattan, eating at some of the local cafes and restaurants, and seeing new parts of the city.

Villanueva de Córdoba is beautiful! From the roof of my host family’s home, I can see the whole pueblo. It is even more beautiful during the sunset! My host parents, Sebastian and Anna, are super friendly and really funny. They showed me some of the best places around and always make sure that I’m not hungry. They have been helping me improve my Spanish speaking skills by having long conversations with me and encouraging me to say full sentences (rather than just “Sí”). They let me take my time and stop me from using Google Translate. Once they understand what I am trying to say, they correct any grammar or conjugation mistakes. Through all of this, I’m sure my speaking and listening skills are going to improve greatly!

Sebastian and Anna also run a little clothing store and they seem to know everyone who walks in! I think it is nice that everyone in town knows one another and are super friendly. Hopefully I can also meet more of the residents (especially when I start teaching some classes).

One thing that I have noticed is how late dinner can be. Last night, I ate dinner at 10:00 pm (22:00), but in America, dinner is usually at 6:00 pm (18:00). Even though there is a four hour difference, I don’t get too hungry since the meal sizes for lunch are very large. It also helps that everything is delicious! The siesta is also a new experience that I have to get used to. I love the idea of a midday nap, especially if it means cooling down when it is way too hot, but having all of the shops close down can be difficult. Hopefully I will learn to work around that since I have an entire summer left to go!

I can’t wait for the many new things I will get to try while I am here and am especially ready to start exploring Spain!

Ahliaa