Vale!

Each of the classes I am taking at Carlos III are amazing.  Every class is taught in Spanish and I am getting credit to transfer back to UCR.  I am taking classes related to what I am interested in doing for my career.  For my "Periodismo y medios de comunicación en español" class for instance, one of our assignments is to create a blog about a topic and continue writing about it with a classmate. It's not the blog you are currently reading, but another blog that will make it's feature opening soon.  My friend Matt and I are writing about food.  It will include food from different places we visit, what we expected, and what we experienced during our food excursion.  We decided on food because it is a common interest we both share about Spain and traveling in general.

Spanish language class- We are learning phrases and words from Spanish used here.  Spanish from Spain and Spanish from Mexico for instance are not that big of a difference, just short phrases, how some words are used, and a slightly different accent.  One of the assignments for homework was to ask our host parents what certain phrases mean.  For example, a phrase that is used here is "que te sea leve," meaning "I'm sorry you have a lot of things to do."  Also, a very common word used here that I noticed right when I got off the plane is "vale," meaning "okay."  Short, simple, gets the message across, and a word I found to be my favorite.  Vale!

Medioambiente y sociedad en España- A geography class, may not be my favorite subject, but this class has to be the most interesting geography class ever.  We are learning about the environment and society in Spain.  I'm not a science major, but the way this class combined science and society is pretty amazing.  My teacher told us the first day he likes teaching American students because we have a lot of things to say and are a fun group to teach.

Historia del Presente: España hoy-  How Spain is at this moment is the subject of what we are learning.  We are studying current issues that Spain is dealing with. We are learning the root of where things came from as well, tying it to history from a while ago around the 1900's. "Zapatillas esparto" for instance are shoes used in the 1930's in Spain, and they have come back in style with newer looks. The shoes look somewhat like the famous "TOMS" shoes, which also happens to be one of my favorite pairs of shoes.  The quote "things come back in style" definitely applies here. Recent issues is a subject I am very interested in and I always try to be updated with what is going on in our world. In this class I am learning about a specific country, issues for the country, and having my mind be open to new ways of thinking.  In the United States, I've gained a brief knowledge of different countries by history classes I have taken.  This history class I am taking is unlike any other.  I am learning the most recent history of how a society in this country came to be and how it may be different from how the United States is right now.

Cine español- The number one class I was planning on taking!  I am learning about different types of movies and Spanish directors that have put the movies on the screen.  My major at UCR is taught all over the world, and I am learning every great thing about the topic in Spain.  Having my friends in that class makes it even more fun.  We end the school week 7 p.m. on Thursdays! :)  

Spanish director: Pedro Almodóvar

I can't believe I am already going to start my fourth week in Madrid!  Cheers to the current and future, experiences and memories! Keep on livin'