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First meeting:
Presentation by
Jullion Cooper, LIFE Peer Mentor
Disclaimer: It’s important to remember
that, although many of these things are objective, there are many subjective
things that you will hear. As I lived in Spain for five months, the following
information is based on detailed observations. Feel free to adopt or ignore
any of my views and also to enjoy or suffer the consequences as well.
1st things 1st -
What to Pack/Bring with you?
*Remember that although
you want to bring things so that you feel as comfortable as possible while
you are abroad, you will only be there for four weeks! Pack accordingly!
Don’t bring your whole room, it won’t fit!
Another thing to keep
in mind is that we arrive in Spain on January 4th. On January 6th there are
major discounts on everything in Spain because there are only two times in
the year that they have discounts!! Take advantage of this! If you bring too
many clothes, none of the clothes you buy will fit into your suitcase.
What kinds of
things are best left here in the US
*As a male I didn’t have
to worry about certain of the following accessories but feel free to bring
hairdryers, hair curlers, etc. Also feel free to bring things like combs,
toothpaste, soap, etc. You can however buy these things very easily once in
Spain and they’ll most likely be much cheaper than will be stocking up here
in the US and carrying them over to the US.
Keep in mind, however,
that if you bring anything that requires a plug in, you’ll need to buy a
converter (either here or in Spain) because the electric sockets are not the
same.
How much money you
should take.
As mentioned earlier, I
was in Spain for five months so I obviously spent more money than you will. I
brought about 5,000 dollars with me plus the credit cards. I did a lot of
traveling however – something you guys will only have the opportunity to do
on one weekend. So don’t be overwhelmed by hearing that amount.
Remember that your
room and board, meals, and laundry are all paid. The extra money you take
would be for things like buying clothes, paying for entertainment – movies,
theater shows, taking your friends out, buying presents for your friends and
family here in the US, your free weekend, etc. You be the judge. But don’t
feel like you have to bring money for food or laundry for all of these things
are covered in your program fee.
Remember that the
currency used in Spain is the Euro and that the Euro is worth more than is
the dollar. I would personally recommend something around $1100. As of today
for $1 you can get 79 Euro cents.
Obtaining Money
Abroad
Have Debit and/or
Credit Cards?
*Be sure to contact your
provider and let them know a few weeks before you leave that you will be in
Europe. Some providers have fraud detection departments that will temporarily
suspend your card if they see what they feel is “suspicious” activity.
*It’s also a good idea to
contact your provider so that you know their customer service number for
clients abroad so that if your card is lost or stolen you can contact them
and cancel your card and have another one sent to you ASAP.
*So, how do you get
money?
If you have both a credit
and a debit card, bring both. But only use cash when absolutely necessary. If
you have a Debit card as long as it has one of the four logos [STAR, Cirrus,
Hi-tech, Plus, etc.] on the back of your card you should be fine. There is
usually a $300 daily limit for ATM withdrawals. It will give you Euros
directly from the machine and at the best rate. You can always go inside if
you have issues and speak with a customer service representative. IT IS NOT
RECOMMENDABLE TO TAKE OUT MONEY (definitely no more than $50) BEFORE YOU
LEAVE THE US AND TAKE IT WITH YOU FOR ABROAD. Cash, unlike credit, once gone,
is gone. I recommend using your credit card as much as possible. If it is
stolen and someone uses your card, it can be reimbursed.
Clothes
What kind of clothes are
normal wear for people your age?
*Dress comfortably, but
keep in mind these cultural differences.
*Clothes are self-fit in
Europe, not baggy like they are here
*Khakis and jeans are
very common
*leave the baseball caps
at home, flashy sneakers
*Shirts with logos
written on them are rare
-These things will
definitely make you stand out as American. It’s not like you’ll fear for your
safety or anything. More of something that will make you stand out. The
biggest suggestion is that you leave the baseball caps and pants that have
“Delaware go” across your butt at home!!
Laundry
How many times you get
your laundry done will depend on your host mother. Some people will get every
single article that seems dirty cleaned every day, others will have their
laundry done once a week. It all depends.
Weather
Just a heads up, the
weather is measured in Celsius in Spain (and the rest of the world. We are
the only country that has not converted to the metric system.) It’s very easy
to estimate, however. During January, Granada will be basically the weather
we are experiencing right now– around 60°F. Madrid is on the same latitude as
New York and will thus be much colder.
Transportation
In Granada – buses (85
centimos), taxis are all over
Easyjet.com &
ryanair.com (around Europe)
Phone/Internet
service?
Phone use in Spain is
very expensive, so many host families do not allow students to use their
phones.
Phone cards are the
best way to go. A $10 phone card will allow you to talk for a good 300
minutes (5 hours) to the US. It’s cheaper to call to the US than it is to
call within Spain sometimes!
The student who has
internet access in the comfort of their host family site is the exceptionally
rare one. You’ll have to go to Cyber Cafes. They are all over the city. There
is also (limited) free internet access in the Centro de Lenguas
Modernas.
Living situations
This will depend as well.
Some families will have students from other programs in their house during
your stay. You may have your own room or you may have to share. You will,
however, definitely have your own bed and have access to the bathroom to take
showers, etc
Typical Day in
Granada, Spain
Wake up and have
breakfast ~ 7:00
Go to Class (Span 106 and
107: 8:30-11:30, Span 208 12:00-13:30)
Come home from class –
study, recreate, etc.
Almuerzo – 14:00
Siesta (time where all of
Granada shuts down and Granadinos take the opportunity to get a good nap.
Many people observe the siesta (echar la siesta). Basically you might as well
sleep because from about 13:00 – 16:00 all of the shops are closed).
Free time
Cena 21:00
Night time activities
Food
Breakfast – toasted bread
w/ jam w/ coffee or Cola Cao; a.k.a. slim to none!
Lunch at about 14:00
Dinner around 9pm bigger
than breakfast but smaller than lunch
Food most likely to
be eaten at home:
-lots of soup, potatoes,
chicken, beef, steak, eggs, chorizo, all kinds of cheeses (manchego, fresco,
etc.) and hams (jamón Serrano, jamón york--this is the US style ham--, jamón
ibérico,) arroz con ajo, paella, seafood, lentejas (lentils), judías (beans,
not the people), tortilla española, bread (usually breakfast and side w/
lunch and dinner), guiso de patatas (potato stew), pollo asado,
-Milk is not drunk in
Spain as it is here and in Great Britain. It’s warm, not cold.
Host families are used
to having students, so they’ll be used to you not liking particular kinds of
foods. Speak with your host mother and let her know from day one
(respectfully) what kinds of foods you are allergic to, really don’t like,
etc. But remember, if it’s something that you’ve never tried – TRY IT, you
might find that you like it! Don’t be afraid to try!
Going Out
In Spain, things don’t
really get started in the clubs until about 1:00am; people that go to the
clubs at 22:00 will be one of the few people there. In other words, take
advantage of the siesta because, if you plan to go out, you probably won’t
get home till about 4 or 5 in the morning. Siestas are how people recuperate
from the night before.
Safety
Generally speaking,
Granada is a safe place, but that does not mean that you should be careless.
In reference to safety, no one is invincible – male or female – and common
sense must be used. Don’t roam around the city at 3:00am by yourself.
Basically, if you wouldn’t do it here, don’t do it abroad. MAKE USE OF TAXIS
- ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE BY YOURSELF. They are inexpensive and all over the
place.
Alcohol in Spain is
easily accessible; and by all means, feel free to drink, BUT, do so
RESPONSIBLY
It’s of the utmost
importance that you remember that you are going abroad with the University of
Delaware and as a citizen of the United States. You remain subject to UD
standards of conduct and will have to face judicial consequences upon your
(early) return. Neither would you want your first contact with a Spaniard to
be in a drunken stupor that will definitely help to further the ugly American
stereotype.
Alcohol is a part of
Mediterranean culture and thus there is no minimum age of consumption.
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