Day at The Beach and Night In New Cadiz

Today I started out in class discussing the different types of people in Spain. For example we discussed the presence of goths in Madrid and not in Cadiz. After Class today I went to the beach and hunted for crabs and interesting sea life among the rocks near the beach. My friends and I were able to catch a few things. Most notably, a 3 inch crab that was really angry and did not like to be picked up. After hanging at the beach my friends and I went to an Italian restaurant. I had pasta bolognese and pizza, it was wonderful. Later we met up with the group and left for a night in new Cadiz. The group ended up splitting up and exploring.

Middle Eastern Tea and A Futbol Dilemma

Today I went to a tea tasting. It was very interesting, I had some of a cocoa tea, it had a slight chocolate flavor. In the end I ordered a cold fruit drink that was sour and had lemon in it. Also today Italia won their soccer match against Germany, I am so psyched. It's funny though because I don't know who to root for. On one hand I love Italia, and I always root for them, but on the other, if Spain loses everyone in Cadiz will be depressed and I will miss out on some major celebrations. I still am looking forward to the final though.

Dia de San Juan

Today was great! I saw the Spain soccer game against France in a bar with the group. We ate sandwiches and fries. Every time Spain scored the whole bar went berserk. It was amazing. Today was also El dia de San Juan (the day of San Juan) and there was a giant celebration on the beach with fireworks.  I met more people on the beach and waded into the water and watched the fireworks, it was fantastic.

Tomorrow

Cadiz 1 day away can't wait!

Last Thoughts Before Cadiz

As a teenager who has lived his whole life in America, I see myself as sheltered from outside cultural influence. Yes the US is diverse but lacks, for me at least, the ability to become fully immersed in another culture and language. These qualities are exactly what the Abbey Road, Cadiz, Spain program offers. I am enrolled in an I.B program in south Florida. It is very rigorous and by my senior year of high school I must be proficient in Spanish, in all aspects, comprehension, written, spoken and grammar. I believe this immersion program will allow me to fully expand on what I have learned in high school and extend my language abilities. This will allow me to be speaking and hearing Spanish continuously on daily basis. I am a citizen of the future; I will be part of “what happens next” in the world. As far as the future goes, being bilingual will be extremely important. Spanish is one of the most spoken languages in the world. Through the expansion of travel and communication, globalization is rapidly increased, thus diversifying the word. So to survive in the future, I feel it is necessary to be diverse, and being bilingual is a major component. To survive, and communicate one must evolve with the times. Another importance is being culturally aware. Another major component to the I.B program, for Spanish, is being aware of the cultural climate, habits, celebrations and traditions that come along with the culture.  Having the opportunity to live in Spain, I will be seeing, hearing, practicing on a daily basis. I am really looking forward to having an opportunity to travel internationally on my own. I have traveled a lot with my parents in the past, but this time I will be responsible for myself! I am also looking forward to seeing the sights of Spain. Cadiz is a beach town and I am looking forward to seeing the beautiful coast. It will be a nice transition from Florida to Cadiz because it is similar, in respect to the beach. I am bringing a penny board with me and I will be skating around town on my free time, exploring the sights and beaches. This is a pretty general statement but, I love food, and I especially love calamari. I am immensely looking forward to the tons of fresh seafood that there will be, and I will most definitely take full advantage of that.