You're Not Required to Listen to What I'm About to Say, but You Should!

Okay guys. So, I know I've only been in Salamanca for around 5 weeks now, but I feel like I have some fairly insightful things to let you know to help you take advantage of your soon to be short time in Salamanca as well. Let's get started:

Spend time with your host family
It's seems to me that a lot of people who have come on this trip are concerned with going out and drinking most every night, which is fine (as I go out a lot too), but just make sure that you're not doing this in place of something more productive while here in SPAIN. That's right. You're in Spain. There are clubs back home, but you're host family is basically here to stay. I've grown quite accustomed to "chatting" with my host mom over each of my three meals during the day, and I wouldn't change that type of experience for the world. It's quite literally a once in a lifetime opportunity, so why not take advantage of it?

Try new food
Mainly, this has made my list of recommendations because it's one of my biggest pet peeves: how do you know you don't like something unless you try it? Back in the States, I'm a practicing pescatarian, but I've decided to take a break from my dietary restrictions to try and see what sorts of culinary excitements Spain has to offer. I do not in the least regret my decision. I've fallen in love with foods like cochinillo asado and ensaladilla rusa, and how would I have ever known this if I hadn't tried it? Trust me. It's the right decision. P.S. If you are a practicing vegetarian/pescatarian/vegan/etc., you most definitely need to prep your system for the shock of digesting meat again. I started eating meat about 2 weeks before I left. Depends on the person, but be smart. I know you are.


Pack some warmer clothes
I've been told on several accounts that our summer here has been abnormally chilly, but I'm still quite frustrated that CGIS steered me away from bringing more warm clothes than I did. I brought one jacket and I literally wear it almost every morning. Talk about a fashion repeater. Even if you're trying to get the European look down, you're still gonna stick out like a sore thumb if you wear the same jacket over and over again. Some will suffer to avoid this fate. I prefer comfort. But yeah, just be smart when packing. Don't pack all warm clothes. Don't back only bathing suits. And no matter what you pack, don't pack too much because you're going to be leaving with more than you brought (a problem I hadn't really given much thought until too late).

Embrace, don't knock, cultural differences
Now, this is something I sometimes find hard to do. Here in Spain, there aren't that many "in your face" differences that you're going to notice (okay, maybe some, but not that many). It's going to be the smaller things. And eventually, some of these smaller differences will drive you up a wall more than chalk on a blackboard. For instance, I find myself getting super frustrated walking down some of the busier streets because a) Spaniards walk a lot slower than we do and b) they don't even bother to get out of your way. In fact, there have been days where I try to pass somebody, only to have that same person move right back in my way. I want to scream and knock them over, but then I realize that it's not something they've ever taken notice of because it's a cultural difference we Americans are used to. You're gonna pick up on a lot of these little things, but don't let them ruin your time here. In fact, it's sometimes fun to ask your teacher or host family why some of these differences exist because for them it's so completely normal!

Challenge yourself
Want to try on a pair of shoes but don't have the confidence to ask the store clerk? JUST DO IT! Seriously. Don't ever let the language/cultural barrier get in your way. Climb over it. Overcome it. Not only will you get something done that you want to get done, but you're also going to feel so proud of yourself for doing it in Spanish. And yes, you will fail on occasion, but who cares? Odds are, you're never going to see that store clerk again. And even if you do, they're probably relieved that you struggled through Spanish instead of making them struggle through English. It's all a learning process, and it doesn't have to be scary. It can be totally fun :)

Take advantage of your time in SALAMANCA
I'm gonna go out on a ledge here and say that a lot of people are going to recommend you "travel", which can be totally fun, but it's not for everybody. For instance, I didn't have the money to travel left and right. Hell, I barely had the money to get my ass over to Spain. What's really important is that you take advantage of all the wonderful things Salamana has to offer because odds are you won't be coming back here anytime soon. I'm not trying to knock traveling, but I often feel like people don't realize that there are other people who aren't able to travel. If you are fortunate enough to be able to travel, go for it, but don't feel discouraged or left out if that's not on your list of possibilities.

HAVE FUN!
I'd say this is the most important recommendation I can give you because how to take advantage of your time here in Salamanca depends on each individual person. I feel like I've done what's best for me while over here in Spain, but that isn't necessarily what's best for somebody else. I've made friends that I'm already excited to see in the fall. Friends that are now registered to take classes with me. Friends that live near me in AA. Friends that I sincerely hope to keep in touch with. I also have formed a relationship with a family that lives on a completely different continent than where I come from, and I know I'll cherish this for the rest of my life. So just do YOU. Be you. Love you. Love Salamanca.




Well, there you have it. Like I've said in the title, you're not required to listen to what I have to say, but you should most definitely take it into consideration. I hope you have an incredible time here in Salamanca, and I'm already jealous of the adventure you're about to embark on.

My Recommendations for Future Students

I can think of a fairly long list of things that one should do in Salamanca, and a few things one shouldn't. The most important category should always be first, so food. Not considering tapas there are a number of foods that you can get in Salamanca that may be difficult to find in America. Every day for breakfast I have galletas de Maria. They are little round crackers that are a tiny bit sweet. They also have a ridiculous number of calories, so they are perfect for those tiny Spanish breakfasts. If your senora doesn't leave much out, eat a couple of these galletas and you have a whole meal. I also really enjoy the apricots here. I have never seen just an apricot fruit in the United States. there are apricot bars and candy, but not just the fruit itself. It is delicious, but watch out for the pit, and make sure it is not rotten before you bite into it. Finally the Fanta de Limon may be the best soda that I have ever had, except for Dr. Pepper.

All of those small things aside, the thing to do in Spain is to go out to tapas bars. I would recommend going up and down Calle Von Dyck visiting various bars and trying lots of different types of tapas. My personal favorites are tigres, a mussel with breaded cheese essentially, and champinones with mushrooms. If you go for simpler dishes, try the Spanish tortilla.

For foods to avoid at all cost, one of the worst is salchichas. They are very similar to a hot dog, maybe a little bit smaller. But, they have no flavor and a texture like I would imagine melting rubber would feel like. They probably have all the trash in them that American hot dogs do, without any of the positives. Then of course, the bane of my culinary existence here is the milk. I have never been served cold milk, which is bad enough, but it is also about 300% fat. It tastes more like a strong cream than the milk that we are used to. I would give a lot for one glass of real American chocolate milk.

As far as things to do are concerned, I think the most important is to talk to your host family as much as possible. You will learn more from them than from your classes if you give them an opportunity to talk about themselves, Spain, and other things as well. They will almost certainly be hard to understand, but if you give it time, it will get easier. I also recommend exploring in the old parts of the city, especially at night. Of course don't be stupid and walk alone with your iPhone out looking for directions. But there is a nice atmosphere at night, not to mention that it won't be super hot. I personally loved reading at night in La Plaza Mayor with a nice Fanta de Limon. The Plaza is lit up beautifully, so there is plenty of light to read, and you can sit outside and sip your drink, and take hours. There is also an event that happens every now and then called Jazz en la Calle, where Jazz musicians come and play a free concert in a park (pictured below). It is good music and a relaxing time. On the other hand, the market in Salamanca that happens every Sunday is terrible. It is far away, so it can be tricky to get to, and once there basically every stall sells the same womens underwear and handbags. I would give that one a miss.

My Daily Routine in Salamanca at Last

My typical day in Salamanca begins with my Senora, Tina, waking me up anywhere between 8:50 and 9:20 AM. She offered to act as my alarm clock during my first week here, so I asked to be awoken at 9:15 every morning. For some reason, she never actually wakes me up at 9:15, although I did say in my heavily accented Spanish "Nueve y Cuarto" which as far as I know should have been clearly 9:15. So now whenever she knocks, I look at the clock on my phone to see if I have more time to sleep or if I have to hurry up and get ready for class. When I do get up, I get dressed and go to breakfast. Breakfast in Spain is a tiny affair, so I always just have a small cup of yogurt, some warm 300% fat milk, and a few cookie-crackers. Then I brush my teeth, and am out the door on my way to class.

My first class is the History of Spanish Art, followed by Spainish Culture, and finally Spanish Language. The first two are taught by University of Salamanca professors, and the third by a University of Michigan professor. I am learning quite a bit in all of them, especially in the history of art. I am entirely ignorant of everything art related, so it is all new to me. Thus far we have tallked about the works of Velazquez, Goya, and Dali. Spanish Culture is always fun. We watch lots of youtube videos, and the professor is very enthusiastic, even to the point of demonstrating Spanish dances for us in class. And of course, Spanish Language is great, since we learn about profanity and go out to eat tapas.

After class ends, I walk back to my apartment to be there when Tina serves lunch. Lunch is always a big meal, although in my case rarely a good one, much like dinner and breakfast. Unfortunately, I do not often enjoy Tina's cooking, or I am embarassed to say, most Spanish cooking. I go for spicy food, which is severely lacking in this country. I know that will incite great anger in certain readers, so I apologize for my blasphemy. After lunch, I take a long siesta, usually about two hours, which is very long, but I am always dead tired at that time of day. I make up for the unreasonable nap by going to the gym right afterwards to work out. It takes about 25 minutes to walk there, and I usually exercise for a little over an hour, so the whole activity takes somewhere around 2.5 hours.

When I get back to my house, I shower and then do homework or any errands that have to be done. The homework is usually writing in a journal, making powerpoint presentations, or writing on this blog. The errands tend to be trips to the supermarket or to the telephone store to recharge my minutes.


At 9:30, Tina serves dinner, and I usually eat at home with her and the two other students in the apartment. On occasion, I will go out for dinner. A group of friends and I have a new tradition where we go out to Mexican food or Chinese food in Spain. We are always seeking spice, and never finding it, but we have a good time anyway.

After dinner, there are a variety of things that I might do. I often talk to people in the United States on the computer, either my girlfriend or my family. I also occasionally go to Plaza Mayor to read and have a soda. Or more interestingly, I sometimes attend cultural events such as Jazz en la Calle. Finally, I usually go to bed around 1:00 AM, and get ready to do it all again the next day.

para los chicos de 2012

SPEAK SPANISH- This seems like a "well duh" sort of suggestion, but you'll spend a lot of time with other Univ. of Michigan students, so take advantage of the opportunities you're given to use your skills. Watch TV with your family and ask what is going on if you don't understand, answer more than just "bien" when the guy at the local cafe asks "que tal?"--open up a conversation. If you're in a store or at a club and someone wants to speak to you in English, pretend like you don't understand. Hablas espanol, claro.

BRING BAND-AIDS- You'll be doing plenty of walking so be prepared that those nice new shoes you bought before you came are going to give you blisters like none other. Plus it's always good to have them on hand.

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF CULTURAL DIFFERENCES- You're living with a host family, which undoubtedly going to be different from your own. Don't be afraid to ask if there is a reason something is done one way. There might not always be a good answer, but it allows you to share about US culture as well. For instance, I had to explain to my senora why my housemate always said she would eat yogurt for breakfast. Here in Spain yogurt is a dessert, not a breakfast food! Chances are your host family will be just as curious about you as you are about them.

Futbol vs Football

TRAVEL- You're in Spain now, so make the best of it. If you've always wanted to go to Madrid, GO! Between all the different cultures, foods, and sights, it's silly not to! Money is always a consideration as poor college kids, but there are ways to travel cheaply (buses, hostels, free tours, street food). You'll regret NOT going more than the slight dent you'll put in your bank account.

DON'T OVER PACK- Las rebajas, or sales, start here at the beginning of July. Chances are you're going to be tempted to buy clothes there anyway, so lighten your suitcase and save a few things to buy here.

DON'T GO TO 'AMERICAN' PLACES- Irish Rover, Camelot, Gatsby's...Just don't do it. You can get a better, more authentic European/Spanish experience by going to a bar without as much advertising. Those places might have drink specials, but even they aren't that great.

most importantly...

HAVE FUN!!!- You won't get as much of the experience if you're always on your computer trying to talk to people back home, or getting caught up in culture shock. Take a deep breath, and remember you're only here for 6 weeks, and you should make the best of them!

A Guide by Laura Kuznia

After having lived in Spain for about 5 weeks now, there are a few things I feel everyone should know before they come here.

1. Don't worry about dressing like a local. Don't ask me how, but they KNOW. So don't stress out about wearing dresses or strappy sandals,

or anything like that. Just dress in whatever makes you feel most comfortable because you will be doing A LOT of walking.

2. Bring sunscreen. I thought I'd be able to pick some up for cheap here to protect my lovely pale skin, but it costs an arm and a leg. May as well just give those up to skin cancer now. 17 euros for a little bottle of sunscreen. Bring it.

3. Be adventurous and try all of the food. I never thought I'd like beef tongue, but it's surprisingly good. Tapas are a great way to try just a little bit of a new food if you're unsure. And your senora will definitely cook something you've never seen before. Just go for it.

4. Don't spend all of your money the first week. When you first arrive in Spain, your automatic reaction is going to be to go shopping every day. Try to halt this feeling. Wait closer to the end to buy souvenirs because I can guarantee you'll find something way cooler at the end once you know all of the stores than in the beginning when you're buying everything you see.

5. Get to know Salamanca. It's a cool little town. While you should definitely trav

el to other parts of Spain if you have the time and the means, make sure you save one or two weekends to walk around this place. It's really pretty and there are a lot of cool things to see here that you don't have to ride on a bus 3 hours to see.

6. Going with the previous recommendation, get to know your senora or the other people living in your house. Not only is it a great way to practice your Spanish, but you'll also make a friend or two in the process, which makes being in a new country at least an 8 hour plane ride away from home a little easier.

7. Push yourself to try new things and get into situations in which you're not exactly comfortable. I've learned a lot about myself, mostly about how long I should be in a country before going a little crazy, but it's good to test

yourself. Otherwise, you may as well have just stayed in the US and saved that 7 grand for something else.

8. Have fun. Make new friends. They really come in handy when you think you're about to have a nervous breakdown because all you've eaten for the last week is fried potatoes and ham.

So far, this is what I've gathered from my experience. I hope it helps someone. Remember the sunscreen.

Recommendations for Salamanca from a Mere Transient

As my short six weeks in Salamanca are nearing a close, it seems only natural that I would have gained enough insight to provide recommendations for future students in regards to "what to do" and "what not to do". While I believe that these recommendations would be widely accepted by my peers, I feel that if I spent another whole six weeks here that they would change or that I would be able to come up with even more helpful recommendations. I am not saying this to belittle my forthcoming suggestions, but only to provide a perspective toward the fact that even just a week ago these recommendations would have been different. However, I believe that the city has become a part of me and that these recommendations will effectively help any newcomer acclimate to Salamanca (and Spain in general) and take advantage of all that it has to offer.

Recommendation 1: Travel. Traveling on the weekends has been one of my favorite parts of my time in Spain. Much like the United States, the many parts of the country can be completely different. One should travel in order to receive as much of a comprehensive view of the country that is possible. For example, when I went to San Sebastian, it looked like a city I would have more imagined to be in France than in Spain. Traveling helps break the monotony of Salamanca because you discover completely new things. Though the old parts of Salamanca are undeniably beautiful, seeing them every day naturally results in less appreciation for them. In turn, traveling is also beneficial in that it can make one appreciate Salamanca more because it allows one to distinguish the nuances that make Salamanca what it is.

Recommendation 2: Speak with your host family. I've found that this is the best way to practice and improve your Spanish. In my experience, the host families tend to be more tolerant of less competent Spanish speakers, which could stem from the fact that they're accustomed to this because of past students. They’ll correct your Spanish and let you know better ways to say thing. Also, they're native speakers - The reason that you take Spanish is to be able to communicate with Spanish speaking people. You'll be able to understand the initially incomprehensible Spanish speakers if you speak with the people who grew up speaking the language. In addition, the commoners throughout the city tend to be unsympathetic to you if you are having trouble getting your point across. So improve your Spanish with your host family and impress that brute of a waiter.

Recommendation 3: Take brief siestas. This is a recommendation I wish that I was given. When I first arrived in Spain, I was under the impression that a siesta was a 2-hour-long manifestation of stereotypical Spanish laziness. So, I figured that I’d indulge, and later found out that I was the lazy one. An authentic siesta is no longer than a half hour, and now I’m in the habit of sleeping two to three hours in the middle of the day. While in the United States, I never take naps and especially do not during the academic year because I’m strapped for time. So I’m probably going to have to work in order to eliminate this habit. So refrain from doing this and take actual siestas.

Recommendation 4: Try new types of food. You’re in Spain so unless you plan on coming back soon, this is the only time you’ll be able to sample the authentic Spanish cuisine. The way the food is prepared is very different from the United States. In addition, it’s simply fun to try new types of food. This coincides with my first recommendation to travel while you’re here. Different regions of Spain have different types of typical dishes, so try each region’s respective famous dish.

Recommendation 5: Take advantage of the Nightlife. One of the great things about being in Salamanca is that it is a college town, and you’re a college student. In turn, there are venues of all types where you can enjoy yourself at night, and many are different from any typical place in the US. Whether you want to tranquilly drink a bottle of wine with friends at a street cafe and feign sophistication, or if you want to go clubbing and dance the night away, there is a suitable location. Alcohol is a social catalyst. Utilizing this truth in a responsible manner can result in some of your most memorable nights (note that I said responsible). The city of Salamanca recognizes this and can facilitate great nights out.

Recommendation 6: Socialize with people of other countries. When else can you do this? The social dynamics of other countries are very different from what we’re used to. It’s really interesting to see the way they interact with other people. It also helps if they speak English. But one of the nights in which I was most amused was spent with a British girl who proceeded to write extremely vulgar insults on post it notes and stick them on any chump who came within close proximity of us in the bar. And who doesn’t get a kick out of a foreign accent?

Recommendation 7: Go to San Fermin. Enough said.

Surviving Salamanca

It’s hard to believe, but my time here in Salamanca is already drawing to a close. While it feels like I just got here, I have definitely become accustomed to some of the habits and customs of the city and its people. Salamanca is a college town and in some respects is similar to Ann Arbor, but at the same time isn’t even comparable. I think there are several things that future students can do to ensure that their time is well spent:

Recommendation #1: Speak Spanish! It seems obvious but because Salamanca is a well-educated town, it is definitely possible to get by speaking in English the entire time. Use every opportunity you can to practice your language skills- it’s the best way to learn. At restaurants or stores speak in Spanish with the employees, in class with your professors, and most importantly with your señora and housemates.

Recommendation #2: Take advantage of travel opportunities! It’s amazing that Spain is smaller than the state of Texas because of Spain’s seventeen regions are so diverse. If it is within your financial capability, make sure to use your weekends to explore. Sign up for day trips, go hiking, or even take a train to Portugal! Some of my best experiences have been walking around in different cities that aren’t necessarily Spain’s major cities.

Recommendation #3: Be Safe! There is crime in every town and Salamanca is no exception. Always walk home with a friend and use common sense. During the hours of 2-5 pm when it’s siesta, it’s probably not the best idea to whip out your computer in public to check your email. Be sure to stay in control when going out at night and monitor your alcohol intake; don’t put yourself in compromising situations.    

Recommendation #4:  Work on a Relationship with Your Señora! Not only is your señora an excellent person to practice to practice your Spanish, she also has insider’s knowledge of Spain! In addition, while homesickness might not be a concern before coming, it’s nice to have a good support network while here.

Recommendation #5: Be ready for the smoking. It’s everywhere so make sure you bring allergy meds if you need them. It might also be a good idea to request a non-smoking house.

Recommendation #6: Avoid becoming a “guiri!” While it may be most convenient to go to the same bars and tapas restaurants every night, it’s much more rewarding (and fun) to try to find new places that have less tourists. It’s just another way to experience Spanish culture firsthand.