Art- By Bella & Anna
So far, art has been my favorite way to learn about Spanish history and culture. My favorite museum by far was the Reina Sofia in Madrid. It had works from artists such as Picasso and Salvador Dalí. Seeing Picasso’s painting, Guernica, was amazing. Once I walked into the room I was stunned. It was breathtaking. It was so much bigger in person. Seeing the painting in person was such a different experience than seeing it in a textbook. We were in awe of such a famous and historical painting. It represents so much of the pain and anguish felt in Spain as a result of the Spanish Civil War.
Classes at Letra Hispánica- By Felice
In Salamanca, we attend daily classes at Letra Hispánica. Our days consist of 2-hour grammar classes and various culture lessons. There is a total of 4 classes with varying levels of difficulty, based on students’ mastery of Spanish.
My class has 9 students, 7 of which are from the Brookline High School trip. The other two are from Japan and China, visiting students just like us. Although grammar lessons may sound tedious, I am actually grateful we have them. Living in a country which speaks the language one is learning (like this trip!) is extremely helpful to fluency, but without the basic rules, it can be very hard.
Recently, we spent time on a tense called the subjunctive, the bane of many students’ existences. The subjunctive is not something that is used all the time; it is sentences like “I hope it doesn’t rain tomorrow,” where doubtfulness evokes a certain conjugation in verbs. What I have found is that, although tenses like these aren’t always useful, it makes for more eloquent language in the overall. My class ended the week with a grammar test.
The other classes, mostly conversation and culture, have the purpose of familiarizing students with Spain as a country. We have discussed art, the Carnaval, food, sports, music, poetry, etc. Spain, like all countries, has its little peculiarities, like the staying out in town until midnight.
Going to school during vacation may not sound very appealing, but it has been a pretty valuable experience to the students. We thank both the Brookline High and the Letra Hispánica teachers.
Food- Stefano & Steve
In Spain, we have eaten food that is authentic in origin and rich in flavor, consistency, and history. A common way of eating is to order tapas, or a few small, separate, and inexpensive dishes, similar to what we know as appetizers in the US. Some tapas choices are a deep-fried dish stuffed with cheese and ham called croquettes, tortillas filled with egg, potato, cheese, and onion, and small egg and cheese omelets. There are many other delicious options for food that can be found in all cafes and bakeries, such as Empanada, Hornazo, and Pastel Unidad, all pastry or sandwhich like snacks that are most often filled with chorizo, lomo (pork), ham and cheese, or atun (tuna). When not eating a small meal in one of the various Plazas Mayor restaurants, we have feasted on delicacies typical of the cities visited such as suckling piglet and hand cut fries in Segovia or Jamón with baked goat cheese salad in Salamanca. A desert common in Salamanca is churros con chocolate. Churros are a licorice shaped fried dough that one dips in a cup of sweet, thick hot chocolate. This, however, is a snack typical of siesta, or afternoon rest. Following meals we have snacked on rice pudding, chocolate cakes, or pastel San Marcos, a cake topped with creme brulee sugar.
We have been lucky to experience the amazing cuisine of Spain. Not only have we had the opportunity to try new foods on a daily basis, we have also enjoyed regionally exclusive meals on every excursión! We wish to thank everyone who has granted us the opportunities to eat these typical dishes of Spain!
Our Family in Spain-By Hannah & Michelle
Crying in Logan airport before leaving my family, I had no expectations for our families in Salamanca. I had no idea who or what to expect and decided to just have an open mind. When the bus dropped us in the plaza, every family was waiting as if we were finally home from a trip. Esperanza, my host mother, quickly found us, kissed us and brought us to her car. We knew she ‘d be a funny one. We didn’t know we’d soon meet her husband, her fifteen-year old daughter and seven-year old son. All of our time spent at home is with them and I can’t picture a family that laughs and eats and has jokes only they understand. We are at peace at once with España, and at home.
So far, art has been my favorite way to learn about Spanish history and culture. My favorite museum by far was the Reina Sofia in Madrid. It had works from artists such as Picasso and Salvador Dalí. Seeing Picasso’s painting, Guernica, was amazing. Once I walked into the room I was stunned. It was breathtaking. It was so much bigger in person. Seeing the painting in person was such a different experience than seeing it in a textbook. We were in awe of such a famous and historical painting. It represents so much of the pain and anguish felt in Spain as a result of the Spanish Civil War.
Classes at Letra Hispánica- By Felice
In Salamanca, we attend daily classes at Letra Hispánica. Our days consist of 2-hour grammar classes and various culture lessons. There is a total of 4 classes with varying levels of difficulty, based on students’ mastery of Spanish.
My class has 9 students, 7 of which are from the Brookline High School trip. The other two are from Japan and China, visiting students just like us. Although grammar lessons may sound tedious, I am actually grateful we have them. Living in a country which speaks the language one is learning (like this trip!) is extremely helpful to fluency, but without the basic rules, it can be very hard.
Recently, we spent time on a tense called the subjunctive, the bane of many students’ existences. The subjunctive is not something that is used all the time; it is sentences like “I hope it doesn’t rain tomorrow,” where doubtfulness evokes a certain conjugation in verbs. What I have found is that, although tenses like these aren’t always useful, it makes for more eloquent language in the overall. My class ended the week with a grammar test.
The other classes, mostly conversation and culture, have the purpose of familiarizing students with Spain as a country. We have discussed art, the Carnaval, food, sports, music, poetry, etc. Spain, like all countries, has its little peculiarities, like the staying out in town until midnight.
Going to school during vacation may not sound very appealing, but it has been a pretty valuable experience to the students. We thank both the Brookline High and the Letra Hispánica teachers.
Food- Stefano & Steve
In Spain, we have eaten food that is authentic in origin and rich in flavor, consistency, and history. A common way of eating is to order tapas, or a few small, separate, and inexpensive dishes, similar to what we know as appetizers in the US. Some tapas choices are a deep-fried dish stuffed with cheese and ham called croquettes, tortillas filled with egg, potato, cheese, and onion, and small egg and cheese omelets. There are many other delicious options for food that can be found in all cafes and bakeries, such as Empanada, Hornazo, and Pastel Unidad, all pastry or sandwhich like snacks that are most often filled with chorizo, lomo (pork), ham and cheese, or atun (tuna). When not eating a small meal in one of the various Plazas Mayor restaurants, we have feasted on delicacies typical of the cities visited such as suckling piglet and hand cut fries in Segovia or Jamón with baked goat cheese salad in Salamanca. A desert common in Salamanca is churros con chocolate. Churros are a licorice shaped fried dough that one dips in a cup of sweet, thick hot chocolate. This, however, is a snack typical of siesta, or afternoon rest. Following meals we have snacked on rice pudding, chocolate cakes, or pastel San Marcos, a cake topped with creme brulee sugar.
We have been lucky to experience the amazing cuisine of Spain. Not only have we had the opportunity to try new foods on a daily basis, we have also enjoyed regionally exclusive meals on every excursión! We wish to thank everyone who has granted us the opportunities to eat these typical dishes of Spain!
Our Family in Spain-By Hannah & Michelle
Crying in Logan airport before leaving my family, I had no expectations for our families in Salamanca. I had no idea who or what to expect and decided to just have an open mind. When the bus dropped us in the plaza, every family was waiting as if we were finally home from a trip. Esperanza, my host mother, quickly found us, kissed us and brought us to her car. We knew she ‘d be a funny one. We didn’t know we’d soon meet her husband, her fifteen-year old daughter and seven-year old son. All of our time spent at home is with them and I can’t picture a family that laughs and eats and has jokes only they understand. We are at peace at once with España, and at home.