Arrival in Spain
Spain Study Abroad, Blog #3 from…Spain Study Abroad, Blog #2 from 6/26/07
UPDATED 7-2-07
From Kendra, Manager of iD Tech Camps’ Documentary Filmmaking and Cultural Immersion Study Abroad Program in Spain:
Reminder: All photos of the Spain Program can be accessed by:
Students: Via the Student Corner
Parents: Logging in Via My Camp Account
Estimados Padres,
Our first few days here in Spain have gone by very fast, as we have had a jam-packed schedule full of activities. Periodically throughout our 2 1/2 weeks in Spain I will send an update of everything we have been doing. I know that often times the students get occupied having fun, meeting new friends, and experiencing the Spanish culture, so sometimes they don’t keep you informed about all our activities. Welcome to the Spain 2007 blog!
As I stated in my last update, we arrived very late on Friday night. Upon our arrival all the students were greeted by their host families, which of course involved the traditional “dos besos” or two kisses on the cheek.
They have learned very quickly how different the Spanish culture is from the US – people are very friendly and welcoming, and people do not have the same sense of personal space or a personal bubble as many Americans do! Saturday morning the students’ host families took them to the Colegio (our school) for our morning orientation.
After a long day of travel, everyone was still a little tired and jet lagged, but excited to be here in Spain and to experience this new culture. During our orientation we went over the program rules and gave an overview of all the activities we would be participating in. Also, Kevin and I handed out the digital video cameras to each of the students and gave them their first lesson in filming.
After touring the colegio and seeing where our Spanish and Video classes will be held, we had a walking tour of the city. The language institute is located in the new part of town, and during our walking tour we walked along the beach back to the old part of town where all of our students live. It is a beautiful walk along the coast and the long stretches of beaches here in Cadiz. It was a perfect opportunity for the students to practice using the camera – they certainly got some beautiful beach shots.
After our walk we headed to the Torre Tavira, which is one of the tallest towers in Cadiz and has beautiful panoramic views of the city. Additionally, at the Torre Tavira they have a “camera oscura” – a camera that projects live views of the city on a large round panel. The guide is able to point out all the major landmarks in the city, which is a perfect way to learn where things are located and get better acquainted with our surroundings.
The rest of the afternoon on Saturday was free – the students had a chance to go home and eat lunch with their new families, unpack, take a siesta, go to the beach, and just explore the old part of town and learn to navigate the city. It was also an opportunity to rest and get ready for our busy day on Sunday in Sevilla.
Sunday morning we met at the bus station at 8:30am to head off to Sevilla, one of the most beautiful cities in Andalucia and in all of Spain. We started our tour of the city at Reales Alcazares, or the royal palace.
This palace was originally constructed by the moors, but once the Christians conquered Spain they adapted the palace to contain a more classical and christian style of architecture. They still retained many of the arabic influences, so it is a very beautiful palace with amazing art, mosaics, and architecture. After the tour of El Alcazar we had a few hours to break for lunch. All of the host families packed a picnic lunch for the students. After eating, they had time to walk around the Barrio Santa Cruz in Sevilla, one of the oldest and most historic districts in the old part of town, and do some shopping at the many souvenir shops.
After lunch our tour led us to the Cathedral in Sevilla and La Giralda, the tower which is considered to be the most famous image of Sevilla.
The Cathedral is built with a Gothic style of architecture and it is the third largest in the world – St. John’s in the Vatican and St. Paul’s in London being larger. The cathedral also contains what is believed to be the tomb and remains of Christopher Columbus. We had some time to walk around and gawk at the vastness of the cathedral, with its many naves and ornate artwork. Then, we climbed to the top of La Giralda, the bell tower, to get a birds-eye-view of Sevilla. The tower is 34 floors tall, but it is a ramp to the top that used to be climbed on horseback. We did it on foot, and were rewarded by tremendous views.
Following our visit to the cathedral we walked across town towards the Rio Guadalquivir to visit the Corrida de Toros, or the bullring in Sevilla. This corrida is one of the oldest and most significant in Spain. On our tour we learned about some of the history of bull fighting in Spain as well as the stages of the bull flight. This is good preparation since next weekend we will be attending an authentic bull fight in the nearby town of Puerto de Santa Maria.
Since Sevilla is much hotter than Cadiz, we took a break near the Torre de Oro by the river to stop for a helado (ice cream) and rest our feet. We did a lot of walking in the hot sun during our tour of Sevilla and I wanted to commend all of the students – they hardly complained and were very attentive listeners to our tour guide from Mundo Lengua, Luis. Naturally, the tour was led in Spanish so they could practice their language skills.
Our final stop before being picked up by our bus was at the Plaza de Espana. It was constructed in 1929 for the Iberian-American Exposition, and has since been used in many films including “Star Wars Episode 1.”
Finally we hopped on the nice air conditioned bus to head home to Cadiz. It was a long day, but lots of fun and an excellent setting for video footage to incorporate into the documentaries.
Monday was the first day of classes. The students met at the school at 9am for an orientation and to get divided into their Spanish classes. Right now at the language institute there are over 100 students from all over – the US, Germany, Switzerland, and Canada, to name a few. The Spanish classes are all taught by local Spanish instructors, and the classes are divided by ability level. The first few days of class we check in with the students to make sure they are comfortable in the level they are at. We have already made some adjustments to move students up and down, and will continue to do so until they are settled and happy with their level. We want them all to be challenged so they can make the most out of the instruction and greatly improve their speaking during their time here. Please encourage them to come to speak with us or with Yaye, the Academic Director here at Mundo Lengua, if they feel they need to switch to a different Spanish Class.
Our Spanish classes last until 1:30pm, then we have a break until 4pm where the students go home for lunch and siesta time. Yesterday at 4pm we all met by the Cathedral for a tour of the Barrio del Populo, the oldest neighborhood in Cadiz. Most days we have a cultural activity that we participate in each afternoon. Then, we head back to school for our video class. Yesterday’s class was an instruction to documentary filmmaking. We started by all sitting in a circle to reflect on our initial impressions of Spain, and what we like or what we notice that it is different. In only a few short days the students are already learning so much and have come to appreciate the Spanish culture. People here live life at a slower pace that Americans, and everyone really values friends and family. The students become members of their Spanish host families during their time here. Of course the food is different than at home, and everyone is enjoying trying new things. It is important that they communicate with their families as much as possible to tell them what they like and dislike. This is the best way for them to practice their Spanish, and the families are all very accommodating. This discussion is a great opportunity to get the creative juices flowing and start thinking about how each student will put together their final movie. We also got the computers set up in the computer labs and instructed more on filming techniques, including different camera angles and framing. Today we will delve into Final Cut Pro to log and capture the many hours of footage everyone collected over the weekend.
As you can see, we have been extremely busy. This afternoon we will be learning the Sevillanas, a form of Flamenco dancing. Later tonight Mundo Lengua has arranged for the entire institute to go to a discoteca together – it should be a lot of fun to go dancing!
I hope you have enjoyed this lengthy blog – please also check for the many photos we have uploaded. You can access the photos by logging into your camp account.
As always, if you have any questions or concerns regarding the program or your child please email me anytime. I check my email often while here in Espana.
Thank you for reading, and I will write again soon!
Gracias,
Kendra
Spain Program Manager
Reminder: All photos of the Spain Program can be accessed by:
Students: Via the Student Corner
Parents: Logging into My Camp Account
June 26th, 2007
Posted in: Locations
