Well I have arrived safe and sound in Salamanca, with just a few minor difficulties that I will go into in a bit. It is a beautiful, glorious city, one that I only really could imagine in my head, not one that people actually live in. But alas, people do live here, and I am so very thankful to be one of them for the next few months.
Unfortunately, my luggage did not arrive safe and sound. I was so worried that I wouldn't make my connecting flight because I had about 25 minutes to get to my gate at Heathrow, (compared to the 75 that they recommend), but I made it just in time. But when I got off the plane in Barajas Airport, and took the train to get my luggage, it never came out. So here I was in a foreign airport, alone and without my any of bags. So I then proceeded to speak with the airport workers in my oh so broken Spanish and inquire on what would happen and what to do. So I gave them my address of my Madre here in Salamanca and was told that my “maletas” would arrive tomorrow. No sign so far, but I’m not losing hope just yet. So After figuring out all that, I left the baggage claim to go to the arrivals gate, which I though was where I was supposed to meet the group. However, no one was there when I got there, so roamed around looking for a familiar face and then realized that I was not at the right Terminal at all. I had flown into the right terminal, but had to go to another to get my luggage. So I had to get some euros from a cash exchange booth, figure out how to use the telephone, call Jesus our program director, tell him in my still broken Spanish where I was and ask where he was, get directions from a lady to Terminal 1, take the bus to Terminal 1 and then find the arrivals gate. By the time I got there, I was an hour later than the time we were supposed to be there and very thankful to see the familiar faces of Jesus and Dr. Harllee. Turns out some other kids lost their luggage or had late flights. Although I wasn’t the only one missing, I still felt like a black sheep, sulking onto a bus of tired and grumpy students who all knew that I was late. Thankfully my three friends were overjoyed to see me and made me feel not so bad. Our bus ride was about 2 ½ hours, in which I drifted in and out of light sleep, trying very unsuccessfully to stay completely awake to see the scenery.
the snow clad mountains of spain
When we got to Salamanca, we were taken to a street corner where our Madres were waiting for us. My Madre, Rosa, recognized me from the pictures that I sent her and came right up and said that I was hers. So Rosa, Maggie (my roommate and comfort) and I took a taxi back to the apt, which she lives in with her 17 year old daughter Sylvia. It is a one floor, terribly cute apartment, which green walls and dark wood doors.
home sweet home for the next 3 months
Rosa owns a hair salon too, which is located in the apartment. That night, she made us dinner and we sat in the living room and ate meatballs, bread and fruit, while watching Spanish TV, which hilariously included the Spanish version of American Idol, called Operación Triunfo, and a reoccurring commercial (for I still don’t know what) with one of my favorite songs by Sufjan Stevens, a great folk artist. Funny how that is, one of my favs on a commercial across the world. A little slice of home. So we ate a little snack at 10:30pm and then went to bed soon after as we were both exhausted from the traveling and I am sick with a cold of some sort.
plaza mayor
Saturday morning, we woke up around 9:30, ate breakfast and headed out to the Plaza Mayor to meet the rest of the group to go have some orientation. We met up with Jesus and Dr. Harllee and other students and walked across the city to part of the University, where we went to a classroom and Jesus talked to us for a while about stuff we’d need to know. We went back home around 2 and ate lunch with Rosa, Sylvia and David, Rosa’s 20something son. While eating, we watched the Simpsons in Spanish. That’s pretty funny. Then it was nap time- gosh I love the siesta system.
Sunday was some more orientation in the morning and then free time in the afternoon which I took advantage of to walk around the western part of the city. We went out with the group for dinner that night to a nice tavern like restaurant.
el convento de san estaban- bet you won't find this on a walk in h'burg
Intensivo started today, my prof’s name is Javier and he’s great. I’m looking forward to all that ‘learning’ stuff. My spanish has really improved, just in three days. And that’s really exciting. That’s all for now, Maggie and I are about to go do some shopping, getting myself a winter coat is high on my list of things to do, as it’s been around 25 degrees each day. Later.
