I arrived last Sunday, at about 17.00, where the Jorinde, the girl whose room I am renting, met me and showed me the flat, and the area. She invited me to dinner with her and her friends, and I felt comfortable immediately with them all! All the International Students here seem so friendly (not that I've met loads!) and welcoming, and I'm enjoying that I'm starting to settle into life a bit, even though I've only been here a week.
My week was a bit stressful, I have to say. Lots of running around and trying to find/understand classes, decide on credits.....it all got a bit much. Even though it isn't all 100% sorted now, and I still have new classes I want to try out next week, I think I am nearly there with it, and feel a bit happier about the whole thing now. Spanish University is so different to the UK, a lot less standardised and informal, late or absent lecturers are common and they like just taking random fiesta days. Not that I'm moaning about that! My lectures also are sometimes until 10pm, which I find strange. But so is the life here, I guess =)
My flat is so close to the beach, a minutes walk, if that. It's super! Although the flat itself is a bit small, it's very clean, and to be honest, I couldn't ask for a better location! My flatmates are lovely too. The whole speaking Spanish thing is hard work, but I am getting there, and trying to not be too hard on myself, I only left Germany a few days ago!
Having said that, it's good that you really need Spanish here. Most of the international students speak Spanish amongst themselves- the friends I've met have spoken English with me, but I recognise that that isn't always the case, and that slowly it'll morph into Spanish. Which is good! I've been practising my Spanish with my flatmate this week too, it's really rusty, sadly, but it's coming back. I'm at a level where my reading is pretty good, it's just getting the words onto paper/out of my mouth! As well as that, they speak with a pretty heavy accent down here, I'm getting used to hearing all the words without s' though! It's all good =)
And that's it! I've been for tapas, several times with friends, I've had dinner with friends and generally settling quite nicely into the Spanish way of life. Now my first stressful week is over, I'm hoping university will chill out a bit next week, so I can get into a routine with it, as opposed to dashing around like a headless, clueless chicken! There's a carnival in the region at the moment, and there's an ERASMUS trip to Cadiz next weekend which I'm going on with two of my friends, I'm so excited, it should be brilliant!
Tonight I'm going to my first 'botellon' and then going out into the night of España =) I am quite sure we won't be in until 6am....or so life seems to be here =)
xxx
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