Tag: Romería

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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!

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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 🙂
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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.