How many horses are in your car?

Learning a new language and being immersed in another culture can be quite the challenge. This past week I felt like I was constantly lost in translation. Most of the time I know what's happening around me and I'm able to understand when people speak to me...but then there are those times when I just feel completely lost... like our lovely experience at the Málaga fútbol game.

We were sitting with our Spanish friends, Juan and Ernesto, when they asked us how many horses are in our cars. Jessica and I looked at each other and asked him to repeat the question. I could not understand why he was asking us how many horses we have in our cars but finally I just decided to take a shot in the dark and answer. I guessed maybe two horses can fit in a [big] car. He and Ernesto looked at each other and started laughing. Obviously this wasn't the right answer in their mind. They then told us "No, 200." Um excuse me, 200?!??!? No way. There had to be a misunderstanding somewhere in the mix because there was no way one could fit 200 horses in a car. Jessica, being the bright one, finally said, "OH! They mean horse power!" We spent next few minutes laughing and laughing.

I look forward to more funny and interesting stories like this. Until next time :).

It's times like these when you learn to live again

What a crazy\busy\amazing week it has been. Jessica and I arrived on Sunday and on Monday night we met the rest of our jet lagged American friends in the program. We had a welcome cocktail which was fun- full of free wine, sangria, and of course tapas. We got to know each other and shared stories of our adventurous journey to Spain. The week that followed was full of orientation meetings where we discussed cultural differences we might encounter, learned about our role as language and cultural assistants in Andalucia, and practiced our Spanish through review sessions. We also were able to take a tour of Sevilla, to see the Alcazar (a royal palace in Sevilla that was originally a Moorish fort), and to see a beautiful flamenco show. The Sevilla night life wasn't too bad either! I think it's safe to say that Sevilla definitely sneaked its way in and stole my heart. But the best part of this week was the friendships that I made. I am very excited to travel around Spain to visit them in their different towns. Until then, I have to start getting my life together here in Málaga.

We arrived in Málaga yesterday by train. My first impressions were that it looks like a bigger version of Alicante; right on the Mediterrian, very modern, very touristy, etc. After wandering around I found things about Málaga that make it so unique. I'm looking forward to settling in and making this place home.

Will update more soon. Missing and loving you all.

Bienvenidos!

Bienvenidos a España! Welcome to Spain! I officially made it! It was quite a journey but now I am sitting in my hotel room with Jessica and our other roommate. I arrived in Madrid at 7:15am yesterday. It was still dark outside and the city was dead. My taxi driver said that Sunday mornings are always really quiet because people party too late on Saturdays. Good ol' Spain. My taxi driver took me to the train station and from there I took a train to Sevilla. I met a sweet Korean girl who was traveling Spain. We spent almost the whole time talking, which was very comforting. When our train arrived in I took another taxi to my hotel, Hotel Hesperia, where we will be staying for all of orientation. Check in was easy and I was in my room by 12pm. I skyped mom and dad and then was knocked out for the next five hours. Jessica arrived around 5pm and we quickly caught up on our traveling experiences and then passed out for another few hours. Jet lag really is brutal.


Around 9pm we met two other people teaching with CIEE, Rachael (from Minnesota) and Andy Parks (from Winston-Salem). We didn't exactly know where we were going but some helpful Spaniards pointed us in the right direction. Well, most of the were helpful. The responses of some were "keep going straight and you'll eventually take a left. When you do that, ask someone what to do from there." We finally ended up at the Puerta de Jerez, a big fountain in the center of Sevilla. From there, we went to eat tapas and have Sangria. Let me tell you...I have missed the taste of Sangria. It was soooooo delicious. I have missed the atmosphere, too. Sitting outside, enjoying conversation, watching the bustling people walking by as their nightlife begins. After tapas we decided to have one more drink before we called it a night. On our way walking to another bar we entered this plaza with about 50+ Spanish guys in a group. We had only been in the plaza for about two minutes when all of a sudden they yelled "Muchachas!" and ran over to us. They circled around us, got on one knee, and began serenading us. It was quite a sight that's for sure. I wish that I had taken video but I was laughing too hard to even think about it. It was a great end to a wonderful evening. Welcome to Spain!

Today has been a good day. We have met a few more people and the CIEE staff seems really helpful and energetic. I've been sick most of the day, but I'm feeling a lot better now which is great because we have our introductory session tonight at 7pm followed by unlimited tapas and drinks!

This week will be filled with info sessions, tours, a flamenco show, great food and drink, and meeting lots of wonderful people. On Friday we depart for Málaga and the real adventure begins! Until next time.

Besitos.
Kerianne