Student Journals: AIFS in Salamanca, Spain

Jana Simard
Providence College
University of Salamanca, Spain

January

MA view of Salamanca, a view of independence

Jana SimardMark Twain accurately captured the essence and importance of taking advantage of opportunities, and stepping out of one's comfort zone into the unknown exciting world when he said, "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." Twain was a man who knew exactly what fresh experiences were like and valued them wholeheartedly. His words command the human race to experience those three verbs: Explore, dream, discover.

There is something captivating and enchanting about the small city of Salamanca.

If you asked me to tell you my favorite part of this city I couldn't. The combination of so many beautiful things makes Salamanca come alive every morning. Whether it is the perfectly dressed people, the buildings made of "golden stone," the fountains, the parks or the huge white storks that fly gracefully throughout the city, it has captured my heart. There are many different things which one must adjust to when going abroad. But what amazes me most about the Spanish culture is the complete love for a healthy, happy life.

The morning begins with desayuno (breakfast), which consists of toast, café con leche, and fruit. La comida, or lunch, is the biggest meal. Salamancans chat about their day and what they will do that night. After lunch is of course the siesta. This is very important for los españoles, because they believe those who take a siesta every day will be healthier and live longer. I have learned to not only love this part of their culture but also believe in it. My señora's mother has taken a 40- minute siesta every day, and two days ago she turned 95. During the siesta hours of about 2:30 p.m. until 5:00 p.m., everything in the city closes. People return home to spend time with their families, eat, laugh and rest. La cena, or dinner, is not until 9:00 p.m. or 10:00 p.m.

The schedule of eating has been a challenge; I not only eat smaller portions, but I also eat healthier and walk everywhere. There are also many differences in the Spanish home. For one, people never walk barefoot around the house; I have yet to see my padre's feet! My señor also sits at a separate table from my señora, a small part of their tradition. They are also very conscious of their use of electricity and water, as it is so expensive. All are differences, but good differences. My personal motto for studying abroad this semester is "open eyes, open heart."

This is an opportunity I have been looking forward to for years, and it is finally here. To give a small glimpse of how real it is, and how fulfilling my first three weeks have been, one evening I left my house after dinner for fresh air. After walking through the streets, I found an old tower with many stairs leading to the top. As I stepped onto the top platform and pulled myself through the narrow opening, I opened my eyes to a breathtaking view of Salamanca. The sun was setting, and the painting in the sky was unlike anything I have ever seen before. Red, gold and light pinks filled my eyes. At that moment, standing there by myself, I thought: This is it. This is life. This is my independence.

February

"You will find as you look back upon you life that the moments when you have truly lived are the moments when you have done things in the spirit of love."
-Henry Drummond

In a recent trip to la Alhambra, an ancient mosque, palace and fortress of the Moorish monarchs of Granada, I experienced my second heartfelt treasure. Alhambra is flawless. Amazing history is such that I was able to stand in the exact room, on the exact ornately decorated marble floor where Cristobel Colon received permission from King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella to explore the vast seas and find the new world, which today, we call our country. It is one thing to study about him in your hard sixth grade desk, and another to actually breathe the air of the same room he stood in. It left me speechless. Once outside, my eyes and ears were immediately drawn to a group of fifteen Spanish children playing tag. Beautiful voices shouting "cariño toro!" (caring bull) and little feet scrambling to the bench base surrounded me. I was caught up with them and suddenly a small dark-haired boy tagged my leg and ran away smiling, his way of asking me to join them. I dropped my bag and ran after him but he was so fast! I tagged a girl in a pink coat as I safely sat on base. The others who scrambled to base, sat on my lap and beside me, their feet not touching the ground, out of breath in the cool afternoon. After about ten minutes of these enchanting moments, their teacher gathered them to leave. After hugs, waves and shouts of "hasta luego" and "besos para ti" I waved back and shouted "Besos! Adios!" I stood there and watched them line up in pairs and wondered at how something so simple was so fulfilling. In their laughter and smiles they had shown me love, and in my return of it, I had shown them love. From one American girl, to fifteen Spanish children.

A. Desai once wrote that wherever you go becomes a part of you somehow. A part of Granada became a part of me that day…I'd like to think it had something to do with their smiles. As I was walking across the Roman Bridge, I realized, today marks five weeks and this city of Salamanca has become a part of me. Little fountains and pretty side streets surprise me everyday. A little café near the Cathedral has become my hide-a-way. It has captured me with its dim lights, soft chairs and the best café con leche I have ever tasted. I know the old mahogany wood that covers the walls and ceilings have seen much. But 3800 miles across the Atlantic is another place that has become a part of me. Things about Providence College that I have taken with me on my journey to Spain…I remember walking to Slavin, you know, that beautiful sidewalk lined with trees; that amazing view you get of Providence looking beyond the turf field; or laying in the sunshine on the quad, the girls flipping through the new Cosmopolitan Spring Fashions, while the guys are throwing footballs and grilling hamburgers.

Let what surrounds you become a part of you. For the moments when you are open to the beauty and love around you, are the moments when you truly live.

I slip into my favourite café after class and the smiling waitress already knows to make my café con leche complete with the pincho of the day. I set my chunky bag on the barstool next to me and start to sip my café. She smiles and asks how I am. From this simple phrase, a conversation begins, stories about Spain, Florida, morals, friends, guys, and goals fill the space between us. Intricate and balanced. After a while our conversation fades; she clears my dishes away and takes the order from an old man smoking a pipe. I remember when I first arrived in Salamanca; we were merely two strangers in a café. Waitress and customer, and now, we are friends. There are days when I simply step in to say hi to Ellena. The dynamic of friendship has grown between my professors and me as well. The kind spirit each one of them possesses is seen through a simple "como estas Jana?" to a "no pasa nada" when I tell them I missed a class because I travelled an extra day. They are of course, people who I highly respect, but they have become my friends. I mean, who has their professor’s number in their cell phone and goes out with them on weekends?

The next day, as I was walking to my Pilates class, a young guy jumped out in front of me, huge smile on his face, long arms spread wide."Dame un abrazo!" (Give me a hug!) Taken aback and slightly skeptical of whom this guy who was and why he was so emphatic about giving me a hug, I hugged him back. Cuando in España, right? I stepped back, most likely with a complete look of confusion on my face as he handed me a paper which translated from the Spanish reads: Why is it important to hug?

The hug or touch is a unique sense and I will therefore refer to it as a type of gift, for this, I recommend that we never deprive ourselves of the sacred gift of enjoying the hug/touch, feeling the things we love, enjoying the recognition of its forms. Personally, I recommend a minimum of four hugs daily, which will be a true giving of pleasant sensations – of positive information – so much for the body as for the mind.

I smiled to myself in the sunshine as I passed the fountain of knowledge outside of my classroom. I thought to myself, this is what the world needs. It is so simple. We must let down our barriers of race, religion, and differences of opinions. We could surprise ourselves. Imagine what our world would be like with more random acts of kindness. I heard somewhere that fear makes strangers out of people who should be friends. Do not let that fear hold you back, take time to get to know one another and give love. For this is all we have. So hug a stranger, smile at the waiter in your favourite café, you never know, he may become your friend, and if not, at least it puts a smile on your face.