Submitted by MaryVictoria Barr on the 2014 spring semester study abroad program in Granada, Spain…
This week was filled with a lot of school activity because I had a lot of homework in my classes. I am adjusting to the classes and professors here very well and am enjoying my courses and teachers thus far. An interesting difference about class life here in Spain is that students are not free to leave briefly in the middle of class to get a drink of water or use the bathroom. A student must always ask before leaving and typically it’s not even acceptable to just go use the bathroom during the class.
This weekend a few friends and I traveled to Amsterdam. We had our first hostel experience, which was great. There were ten of us in a very small room with bunk beds, but because we knew each other it was okay. Amsterdam is a very different city than anything I have ever experienced. Thank goodness all people spoke both Dutch and English so we were able to communicate.
Valentine’s Day was this past week and it, too, is different in Spain. In the United States it is normal to give and receive cards from your family members and it is a commercial holiday, meaning stores decorate for it. Here in Spain, it is solely between lovers and family members don’t recognize it.