Excursions

Hey Bloggers!

Things have really kicked up. Once again, I apologize for not updating as often as you'd like. They keep me busy here. Last week I went to The Alhambra. It was so beautiful. Anyone who knows me knows that I'm not a big rap fan, nor am I a big Drake fan, but after walking to the Alhambra I vowed to give Granada its own album on my social networks and name the album after the Drake song "started from the bottom now we here." Walking up all of those steps, and climbing those hills were a killer. Every time we got done climbing one set of stairs we found out there was another set! It seemed infinite! But once I got up there it was beautiful! 

It was definitely worth the walk, but I don't think I would ever do it again voluntarily. It was so hot up there and my host mom told me to bring a jacket because its cold on the inside! The only thing that jacket came in handy for was shade! I used it as a hat lol! 

We have two free weekends while here. The other two weekends we go on excursions with the program. Last weekend was one of my free weekends. I went to Almuñecar. It was very fun and beautiful as well.

You know how sand is nothing but worn down rock? Lets just say that beach had very little sand and all rock. They call it a "playa de chicos" beach of small rocks. It hurt so bad to walk on them but I got used to it. It was too cold to get in the water (not sure if I would have anyway). Nevertheless it was very fun. Another cultural difference, they don't classify their beaches as nude beaches but there will be topless women. A LOT OF THEM! I was so shocked because there were babies running around making "rock castles" right behind what I would consider "nude" women. 

It seemed like we were hungry majority of the trip. We found a really good deal on food at a Chinese restaurant. I love Chinese food, and eating Chinese food  in Spain was one of the things I said I would do. It was interesting. For starters, they brought us these rice cakes as appetizers. They looked like Styrofoam and tasted like fish. Needless to say, after having one bite I was done! Here's a pic of them just in case you think I'm exaggerating. 

We were able to order an appetizer, a starch, an entree, and a dessert for 5.50. I ordered chicken and mushroom soup, special fried rice, and beef with vegetables. Here's something interesting for all you Chinese food eaters. You know how we always joke about the food Chinese people are giving us? "that's not real chicken, that's not a real rib, that's not beef etc.!" The beef they give us is actual beef, but it's veal! I noticed on the menu in Spanish it said "ternera con verduras" and on the English side it said "beef with vegetables." Ternera is the Spanish word for veal. Here are pictures of my food it was very tasty. 

Funny how depending on where you are geographically, the fried rice they serve you can come in different colors. 

Okay so for dessert.  First off, I'm not a sweet-eater. I like food, I'll pass on cakes and cookies and ice cream and pies. I do however love the Spanish custard called "Flan." I had my reservations about getting a Spanish pudding from a Chinese restaurant. Just like I don't go to a Chinese Restaurant and order soul food even though they have it. I just don't trust it. So I waited for my colleague Danielle to try hers before I ordered a dessert. It looked good and Danielle told me it was the best that she'd ever had. So I caved and ordered it. It was the only thing I liked on the menu anyway. 

It was neither the best nor the worst that I've ever had. It was alright and overall a great experience.

We left to come back to Granada, Sunday. We had to check out of our hotel at 12:00 so we we decided to be beach bums while passing time. We walked almost the entire beach. Then I got a flash back of my childhood. One of my family traditions is where we bring in the New Year. We go to Brigantine, NJ (right outside of Atlantic City) every year to my grandparent's condo and we bring in the New Year together as one. We usually stay there for a week. Some people would say that my grandfather spoiled me, I would argue that he showered me with unconditional love and attention. Anyway, no matter how early we would leave to go back to Newark, and no matter how cold it was in the month of January, no matter how much his health was declining; every year, the morning before we left to go back to Newark, he would take me and we would walk along the beach and he would let me pick up seashells. When I would miss a good one, he would pick it up for me. For some reason, being there at peace with myself and nature. I started thinking of the Footprints poem. I thought of the part that said "when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you." Here's something special I'm going to share with you. The day I left, I went to visit my grandfathers grave. I spent some time with him there. As I was leaving the house to go to Newark airport, I grabbed my passport (the most crucial item you need when you are going on a journey) and a picture of my grandfather holding my hands at my first birthday party. As I was leaving, I whispered "okay, now I really need you to hold my hand. It's you and me!" I consider my grandfather my God sent angel.  As memories of my childhood flashed, I started looking down while walking. Now remember I said that this was a rock beach. So instead of picking up seashells I picked up rocks. 

They were the most unique!

I go to Seville this weekend. I'll chat with you all when I return. Thanks for your continued support.

Hasta la proxima vez,

Malikah

Cultural Differences

So I was told by many people that I would experience culture shock once I got here, and experience reverse culture shock once I got back into the United States. For those of you that don't know the most simplistic definition of culture shock is  the personal disorientation a person may feel when experiencing an unfamiliar way of life due to immigration or a visit to a new country, or to a move between social environments, also a simple travel to another type of life. Maybe it's too soon to tell but I have yet to experience it. I have seen some interesting things however. 

First things first, Spanish people are EXTREMELY AFFECTIONATE! In the Spanish culture, when you greet someone you give them two kisses, one on each cheek. You are supposed to go right first and left second. Even though it looks like they are kissing, they are really touching cheek to cheek and kissing the air. Every once in a while, you may see people hug (I saw it mostly at the airport). But it's not just women hugging women, and men hugging women, men hug one another as well! They don't do the American hand shake, then "bring it in" type hug. They open their arms and embrace one another. That's SO DIFFERENT! In America PDA (Public Display of Affection) is frowned upon, here it's as common as walking. They walk everywhere here! My walk to school is 25 minutes! We've gone on two excursions and for both we walked to the sites. I think they only drive if the walking distance is more than 50 minutes, THAT IS CRAZY! We also eat at different times, and they are all portioned differently. Breakfast is at whatever time you wake up, and it's usually just toast and coffee. Spanish people are caffeine addicts! Lunch is served from 1pm to 4pm and it is usually your heaviest meal. Dinner is served anywhere from 8:30-10:30, isn't that late? In America we'd be too worried about getting fat.

The Mediterranean diet is interesting. I want to say they eat almost anything. Vegetarians, especially vegan, this may not be the place for you. They serve beef, pork, and fish a lot. They are really big on eating fish, they serve bread with every meal, and wine too! When I first arrived at my homestay my host mom asked my roommate and I did we eat fish. We both responded "Yes." She was so surprised because she said a lot of Americans don't eat fish. I thought that was weird. Later my roommate tells me "Maybe you should tell her you don't eat fish with the head on it." OOOOOOOOH My Lord, I think I may have had a panic attack if that lady would have made me a dish with eyes! I can't imagine having a staring contest with something on my plate. They also serve shrimp with the eyes on it. They serve eggs sunny side up, YUCK! 

Social norms here are very different as well. For instance in the US, when you're walking and you see someone coming, you guys kind of move over to accommodate one another. Here, they actually bump one another and its nothing. They physically knock shoulders, and keep walking. The first time it happened to me, I was thinking "What the Heck?" Where I'm from, that's the initiation of a fight.They also sneeze and cough but don't cover it. I have a teacher who coughs ALL THE TIME and he doesn't cover it and I literally witnessed a woman sneeze on her baby while pushing a stroller. I wouldn't consider myself a "germaphobe" but that's just nasty! Staring here is normal. It's is absolutely fine for someone to stare at you. I've had that happen, I just stare back. It's almost impossible to beat me in a staring contest, haha!

Malikah

The Studying Aspect

People have been asking us "are you studying abroad or are you on vacation?" Well if there was any doubt, we are studying! Yesterday we took a 3 hour placement exam. It was hard! Well not all of it, but the listening activity was picking at my brain and everyone else's. It seemed like every time the answer was approaching the guy sped up, which caused the entire sentence to sound like "caderjsheijhahdikj." Did you get that? Exactly, neither did I. Thank God for the oral examination!

As we waited outside we hummed the jeopardy song, waiting to see who would be the next person to get called into the room. I was so NERVOUS! I was fanning myself and trying to calm down but the only thing I could think about were my credits transferring. One of the staff members of ISA said as long as you get a 4 or 5 you are fine.  We watched the native speakers and the fluent speakers go in and come out, they tested into levels 7/8 which are advanced. So there I was standing outside thinking "these people have been taught in Spanish their entire life, they have Spanish as a first language and English as their second. What am I going to do?"

There were 3 test proctors. One guy and two females, one older and the other middle-aged. Everyone loved the guy. Some said the older lady kind of helped you with her expressions, so you know if you had said something correct or incorrect. The students that had the guy and the older lady came out and they knew their levels. And then there was the middle-aged lady. Everyone came out saying she had a horrible accent, she told some their levels, others she didn't. We waited and waited outside that door for the next victim lol.

...And then there were four, "Malikah Morris," said the middle-aged lady :-{ ... Why me?!?!?! I was standing right behind her. In the most disappointed voice ever, I answered "I'm right here." And so the oral examination began. It wasn't hard at all. I forgot a few words when I was trying to express myself, but she clearly knew that I understood everything she said and I told her that the listening part was the most difficult. We finished pretty quickly and she was quick to tell me how well I had done. BUT SHE DIDN'T TELL ME WHAT LEVEL I WAS IN!!!!!!!!!!!! So I had to wait and be nervous all day. We went to the Alhambra after we ate lunch and once we returned they said "check your emails, your schedule will be there, classes start tomorrow." I placed into Upper Intermediate/Advanced, Gracias a Dios (Thank God)!

Hasta la proxima,

Malikah

No Turning Back!

Is anyone afraid of heights or riding roller coasters? Have you ever got on just to face your fears? Have you ever had second thoughts once the ride attendants came through and secured you? You ever wanted to scream stop as the roller coaster is taking off but you know it's too late because the ride is already in motion?  Well, that's the feeling I felt when the plane took off. People kept asking me was I excited and things of that nature, and my response was always "no, I'm just ready to get there!" After my flight was delayed for an hour and a half we finally departed for Madrid.

The ride was good; there wasn't much turbulence and they fed us. The food was, what I expected but the service and luxuries surprised me. We had free TV, games, movies and so much more the entire ride. I didn't know prior to my flight but I discovered during and shortly after that there were about four other students from my program on my flight. We waited for about 45 minutes and then we were picked up by the ISA Staff and taken straight to the hotel.

Updates and Change of Plans

When I first created this blog, I established that it was for 2 reasons: to keep my loved ones up-to-date with what I'm doing, and to inspire and assist those who are thinking about studying abroad or who wish to study abroad. However, I don't have time to do both. So here's what I'll do, I'm going to keep everyone informed on what I'm doing, and upon my return or approaching completion of the program, I will focus on all aspects and concerns of studying abroad. Vale(Okay)?

Talk to you soon,

Malikah

Updates

These first few days have been busy. We spent the first two days in Madrid. I will upload pictures soon. I was so sleep deprived that I was nodding off while standing up in the Prado Museum. We had late nights, early mornings, and jet lag. I haven't been able to post much because each night I've gotten less than 3 hours of sleep.

We visited Toledo today and it is one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen. The architecture is amazing. Tomorrow, we go to Granada to meet our host families (thank God, I can stop spending a ton of money on food)! Monday we take our placement test and tour of Granada. Tuesday classes begin. If I'm a little slow or delayed in my postings please know that I am out doing things so that I can have something to tell you about.

Thanks for your patience,
Malikah

What to Pack

Whether you're abroad for a month, 2 months, a summer, a semester or a year, knowing that to pack is very important. When you travel by plane, your luggage is allowed to weigh 50 pounds. It seems like a lot, but it's not. Just think, shoes and jeans weigh a lot! That was the biggest dilemma for me. I originally wanted to pack 30 pairs of shoes but my colleague Camille, who is also studying abroad at The University of Granada, told me flat out "come on, that's ridiculous." So I narrowed my shoes down to 15 pairs. Here's the best 4 pieces of advice I received regarding what to pack:

1) Pack things that you can layer, that way you can add more or take some off if it gets too warm. 

2) Don't pack a lot of heels, the sidewalks aren't like ours and  your heel will get caught and you can trip or    hurt yourself (Anyone who knows me, knows that I worked my way around that situation. I packed chunky heels and wedges.)

3) Don't pack a lot of personal items, it's a waste of space. Toiletries, hair gel, lotion, etcetera, can be purchased over there. Don't waste space or money (a lot of that stuff can leak or bust while being loaded onto or unloaded from the plane). 

4) Don't forget to purchase an adaptor plug/ power converter. The US doesn't use the same wattage as other countries so to keep from blowing a fuse, or damaging an appliance, or bringing an electronic and not being able to use it, purchase one. I got mine from Walmart for $10.88!

Happy Packing!

Malikah

Confession

I have a confession to make. I almost NEVER speak in Spanish! It's not that I don't know how, it's just that I choose to reply in English. I guess it's because it's my first language/ the language that I'm most comfortable with. Here's the catch: If I'm with someone who is speaking Spanish but also speaks English, I will listen to everything that they say in Spanish and reply in English. However, if I'm with someone who only speaks Spanish, then I will adjust my comfort level in order to accommodate them. So I guess you can say I speak it when necessary or when I'm joking around with my friend Rhayven.

I've always wanted to learn Spanish. Even as a little inquisitive child lol! In Newark, we have a high population of Puerto Ricans and Dominicans. When I would go inside the corner store, they would be talking away, and if someone upset them, the talking got more harsh and they started pointing at whomever upset them, and I always wanted to know what they were saying. One, so I could know if they were ever talking about me. Two, I don't like the feeling of "not knowing," if that makes any sense?

My high school is blessed with many staff who have the gift of teaching. I was fortunate enough to be able to meet today for a dinner date with two of them today,

Mrs. Soares and Ms. Chi!

They told me yesterday "prepárate hablaremos solo en español!" That means "prepare yourself, we will only speak in Spanish." Haha they tried that, but I shut it down before we even sat down at the table. Granted, they still spoke in Spanish and I responded in English. It would have been great practice but, I didn't speak in Spanish. Lately, I've been getting a little concerned about my understanding of and responding to the language. Especially since I have to take a placement test when I get to Granada and I haven't intensely practiced Spanish since the fall of 2010 (pray for me)! But, today was a little bit of a reassurance for me. I can understand it still! Lets just pray I remember all of the verb forms, and irregulars!

Here's my vow to me and to you: When I get to Spain, I will try my hardest to speak sólo en Espanol o tanto como posible (only in Spanish or in Spanish as much as possible). If not, I'm wasting my trip, the experience and the opportunity to better myself. Before I left for summer vacation, I had to sign a few contracts in The Study Abroad Office and a lot of them were reminding me that even though I am abroad, I am still to conduct myself as a Hampton University student. "I love, I love, I love my HIU," so I'm going to do my best to assure that I uphold "The Standard of Excellence"

Choosing a Program (Locations, Scholarships, Dates, Cost)

There are many different programs you can study abroad with. There's AIFS, CIEE, IES, and ISA just to name a few. I chose ISA. When choosing a program it is important to consider the cost, dates, and locations. Also, think of what interest you most. For me, I LOVE helping the less fortunate, specifically youth and young adults. The place that I would have liked to go to most of all was Africa. I've always wanted to go there. Not to mention, one of my fellow Hamptonians traveled there the summer of 2011, was fortunate enough to meet First Lady Michelle Obama. and was considered as a candidate to be an intern for the First Lady. Going to Africa would have been amazing, but you have to remember to make wise decisions. I am a Spanish major and while studying abroad is a great opportunity to travel, the most important aspect is your actual STUDIES! With that being said, I could not choose Africa as my location.

I had to choose a Spanish speaking country. I did not want to be traditional. For as long as I can remember, I've never liked to be a follower. I tend to choose the road not taken. When I was deciding which location to go to, I consulted with my study abroad adviser. I paid attention to the locations she said that students loved and traveled to most often, but I paid closer attention to those places she said that students hadn't traveled to. Costa Rica, Argentina, and Spain are such common places. So originally, I chose Colombia. It's a Spanish speaking country, the cultural aspects are amazing, and it had countless opportunities for me to volunteer. I knew that I had to choose a program that was either complete by mid-July or that starts at the end of July.It is also important to make sure that the program does not overlap your normal school semesters. In example, a program may start in May, but many colleges do not dismiss until the 2nd week of May. It is important to make sure that your dates do not conflict.

Because I am a Spanish major, I had to consider which programs and locations would help me further my degree. I was able to decipher these things by looking at the descriptions of the programs, and seeing which classes were offered during which term, and then seeing which matched a class offered at my school. Granada seemed to match the classes the best, so I chose Granada as my location. The program that I chose to study abroad with was ISA. Why? The number one reason was affordability. Remember I said when choosing a program consider the cost, dates, and location!Unfortunately, the scholarship I was applying for, The Gilman Scholarship, did not cover my travels to Colombia because it is on the US Travel Warning List. Make sure that when you are choosing your location you check The US Travel Warning List.

When it comes down to paying for your program there are many options. If you are going during the fall or spring semester, you can use your federal financial aid. If you are going for a summer term like I am, you should first see if you have exhausted all of your financial aid for the year. If you haven't then it is possible for you to have those funds transferred. If you have exhausted all of your financial aid no te preocupes (don't worry)! Chances are your program has scholarships available. There is also the Gilman Scholarship, it is very popular and the award amount is very generous! If you are creative, fundraise! Many times, students have been able to get their church to donate to or sponsor them. I was blessed to have the support of my church. If you have no church home, you can create a page where your friends and family can give donations to help out. If you're interested in doing this, there are two websites that I know of (www.gofundme.com) and (www.giveforward.com). If all else fails, you can take out a student loan.

My advice is to start early, and never stop!

Buena Suerte (Good luck)!

Malikah

Hello!

Hi, my name is Malikah. I am a rising Junior at Hampton University. I will be studying abroad this summer at The University of Granada. I created this blog for two reasons: to keep my in contact with, and keep my family updated and informed while I'm abroad, and to promote and encourage studying abroad. 

Why should you study abroad? There are several reasons. The best way to learn a language is by immersing yourself in it, experiencing it. It is one thing to study from a text book, communicate with a professor, and pass tests. But how do you know if you have really mastered the language until you are only left with the option to communicate in the language you study? Studying abroad provides you the opportunity to network internationally! When I was a rising senior in high school and trying to decide whether I should stay in state or go out of state, my "Biggie" Charity, told me one thing that stuck with me. She said "you'll always have your friends at home. But you may never have the opportunity to network with people who aren't where you are from. You'll never have a connection somewhere you're not familiar with." In the world we are living in today, it's not always what you know but who you know. Sounds cliche but it's a lot of truth to it. How awesome would it be to have connections internationally? You've just opened up so many windows of opportunity for yourself. 

Many people think that because studying abroad cost a fortune. The reality is, college cost a fortune! The average cost for a year of college as an undergrad is $22,000. Here's another fact, studying abroad is roughly the same price as studying at the average US college/institution. So why not do it? Furthermore, the value of a bachelors degree is going down. Studying abroad, enhances your résumé and opens up many job opportunities. When you consider all of these things, why wouldn't you consider going? Just do it! Follow me as I show you the amazing world of studying in and beyond the classroom. 

Sincerely,

Malikah