History

Its impressive array of Romanesque, Gothic, Moorish, Renaissance and Baroque architecture gives evidence of the city’s historical past. It was occupied by the Carthaginians in the 3^rd century B.C before becoming a Roman settlement. After the fall of the Roman Empire, the area was invaded by the Alans, and later the Visitgoths. As with much of the rest of Spain, Salamanca was taken over the Moors in 712 AD, and remained this way until the 11^th Century. The university was granted a royal charter in 1218 by King Alfonso IX, and since then has become one of the most prestigious and popular universities in Europe. Originally, most of the classes were taught in churches and other buildings, until the majority of the university was built in the 15^th and 16^th centuries.

Student life

University

Salamanca is one of the top universities in Spain. As it is such a famous university, as well as attracting Spaniards, Salamanca draws international students from all over the world, as a popular Erasmus destination. It was also the first university to offer Spanish courses, so it now has the most prestigious language courses on offer, which attracts a great number of foreign students. Salamanca has over 30,000 students.

This gives the city an international and vibrant feel. It is quite a small city, with a small town feel, so it is easy to get to grips with the city straight away. It is possible to walk pretty much everywhere, which is an enjoyable experience in itself, as the city is extremely pretty with all its cobbled streets and beautiful buildings; there’s always something new to see. The biggest bonus of Salamanca is that it’s cheap, which is ideal for students; not only for accommodation, but for nights out as well! You could spend just 150 euros a month on renting a room in a shared flat!

Nights out

Salamanca is a great night out for students. You can expect to be surrounded by other students, and to have a good time without spending a fortune. It has a lot of bars that you can go to first, to enjoy a few drinks and some tapas; “ir de pinchos” as it’s known here. The best places for this are around Gran Via, or around Plaza Mayor, which would be a bit more expensive. Plaza Mayor is a common meeting place for students, located in the center of the town, with a good atmosphere. Calle Van Dyck in the north of the city also offers tapas bars, with very good prices and good sized pinchos!

If you’re looking for a night out clubbing, Salamanca can also give you what you’re after. Going out is possible every night of the week, although the students normally go out Thursday- Saturday. Nightclubs don’t get started until about 1am and can go on well into the early hours, which takes a bit of getting used to! There are many clubs you can choose from depending on the sort of music you’re looking for. The majority of the nightclubs are in the old town, and music can be divided between these zones.

You can find live music haunts around the Bordadores disctrict, often with medieval style décor. The area around Gran Via is full of places popular among foreign students with a range of bars and nightclubs of different music styles. More alternative music can be found around Plaza de San Justo. Most places offer some sort of special offer, such as a free second drink, but there are some other places you can look out for it you’re on a tight budget like most students. Liter bars are popular, and you pay a lot less than you would if you were in a club; around €3.50 for a liter of beer! There is also a bar dedicated solely to the one and only Michael Jackson, called “Jacko’s”, which has reasonably cheap prices too! Other popular places among foreign students involve “The Irish Rover” (a nightclub), and the “Chupitería” (a shot bar!).

By Jonathon L., guest blogger studying Spanish and skiing in Santiago, Chile

Chilean Mixology 102 – Terremotos y Maremotos  (101 is for Pisco Sour, but this is more interesting) 

Directions (vary depending on location): 

-Take 2 scoops of pineapple flavored ice cream and put them in a 16(ish) ounce glass.

-Take cheap white wine, Vino Pipeño (it tasted a lot like sangria)and fill the glass nearly to the top.

- Top it off with about a shot’s worth of one of the following (everyone I asked has told me different things) Cognac, Rum, or Pisco

-Spin it all together with a spoon or straw, insert the straw and..

- ENJOY!

Warning: One Terremoto ("Hurricane") may result in a mild headache throughout the entire next day.  2 Terremotos almost guarantees a "terremoto" in your head for the entire next day. And they say that 3 Terrimotos is the limit, however, few remember making it that far.

A Twist: The maremoto ("Tsunami") – Top off your terrimoto with mint liquor for a listerine-esque experience thats at least twice as fun as dental hygiene.

Chilean Mixology 103 – Mote con Huesillos

Yet another classic Chilean beverage, this one is more of a tea than a mixed drink (however it has just as much sugar, if not more than, than the Terremotos).  However, this “TEA” is meant for summertime enjoyment as it consists of the following:

- MOTE: Grain like wheat product that looks like the result of cross breeding corn with granola and then boiling it until it gets soft.

- Huesillos: Dried Peaches, that are then put back into water and sugar to be rehydrated.

- The Tea: Pretty much, if you took canned peaches and used the syrupy liquid from it, that’s exactly what this tasted like.

- Spoon: To facilitate eating (and also make drinking from the cup somewhat challenging for my chilean hermana, but very hilarious)

My Mote experience was part of a larger journey where I summited to the top of Cerro San Cristobal to see the large Vergen who overlooks and protects the city of Santiago from atop of this giant hill.  She is lucky though, because on a clear day she can see for miles from the top of her perch.  However, yesterday was not a clear day….but through the smog and clouds, I could see the nearby mountain ranges and nearly the entire urban center of the city.

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By Alisa W., guest blogger studying Spanish in Playa del Carmen, Mexico 

Since living in Mexico, I have had a lot to consider about the choices concerning the school that I attend, the length of time I stay,  and choosing the homestay over other housing options.  I chose the homestay option with the belief that it would be the easiest way to spend my time here in Mexico.  After meeting others that are attending my school who had not chosen the homestay, I began to question whether or not I had made the correct choice.  Some of my friends are posted-up in the hotel that the school recommends, and some other of my peers are living in the student residence (which I didn't even know existed, probably because of my late sign-up). 

My first object of consideration became the student residence.  It sounds fun to be staying with all the students, being able to hang out all the time, and go out without having to plan hours before.  My second consideration was the hotel, mainly because it is air-conditioned, and that is where most of the people I hang out with are staying.  My homestay is far from these places, so I have start walking early to get to them, or take a taxi.  Fortunately, I have a reliable internet connection so we don't necessarily have to plan our afternoons and evenings before school gets out.  However, I also began to take into account the home where I stay. No, there is no air conditioning.  But there are two fans in the room and a good breeze.  The first couple of nights, it was difficult to sleep.  However, I now sleep soundly. 

At my home, my mom serves me two meals per day.  In the morning, fresh cut fruit and toast with jam.  In the evening, she serves dinner and chooses to mix it up.  Sometimes even serving the mexican version of Chinese food!  She is very kind, and when she found out how much I like Horchata, she served it the next night with dinner.  One of my fellow housemates mentioned that he loved empanadas con queso, and we had them for breakfast the next morning.  My familia also helps me with my Spanish.  Although my father speaks English very well, he will push you as hard as you like to learn.  If you speak in Spanish, he will speak in Spanish.  If you speak in English, he will speak in English.  My mom only speaks Spanish which forces me to put to use what I learn in school, even if I am not confident on a word, and she corrects me when I say things incorrectly in the nice way that only mothers are able to do.  The two meals per day helps to save me a lot of money, as well.  While my hotel and student residence friends are searching the streets for their next restaurant or surviving on packaged foods, I am enjoying home cooked meals from my family.  

I also feel like staying with a family keeps me open-minded.  I think when you are so close to your friends (i.e. staying in the same hotel or residence) you tend to all stick together and don't really get much exposure to the locals.  Since my friends are not close, I often walk down to lay on the beach by myself, and each time I have done so, I have had a lot of local residents stop and talk to me.  Which helps me with my spanish, and the city that I am staying in.  In conclusion, although I think there may be some sacrifice when choosing a homestay.  That being said, I am sure I made the right choice.  A homestay puts you out of your comfort in some ways (i.e. showing up when the entire family is there the first day!), but learning to be comfortable in an environment you're not used to is essential to learning about yourself and expanding your horizons.

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By Alisa W., guest blogger studying Spanish in Playa del Carmen, Mexico 

 Beginning my second week in Playa del Carmen – I am excited to continue with my Spanish lessons!  We get a new teacher each week, and my new teacher pushes us really hard to speak only in spanish which makes a big difference.

Today, I attended the cooking class that the school offers once per week.  We made guacamole.  Guacamole is a popular dip in Texas, and I already knew how to make it Texas-style, but it was still interesting to see it made in another country.  They actually made it a little differently, adding more onions and a few less ingredients than we typically add at home. 

I also attended a Salsa lesson that the school offers and, although it was fun to learn, I remember why I never really took up dancing!  I spend at least a few afternoons each week on the beach,  I think I am even considered a regular at one of the beach side bars that offers cheap beach beds and cervezas. 

Each week the school holds a 'futball' match down on the beach where the teachers play against the students.  It is a fun experience whether you go to play or to watch.  Today, my housemate from Germany showed me how to ride waves in the ocean up to the beach.  It probably looked silly, but it was a lot of fun!  Things are going well, and each week brings new people from different places which allows me to experience many different cultures in one place.  So really, with a trip to one country, I am getting to experience a little of many!

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By Alisa W., guest blogger studying Spanish in Playa del Carmen, Mexico

I have been in Playa del Carmen for exactly one week now.  The week has flown by, and I'm amazed by how quickly I became comfortable here in Mexico.  Yesterday, I took a tour with some of my new friends to Chichen Itza.  Chichen Itza is about two hours from Playa del Carmen, and is one of the new 7 wonders of the world.  It was interesting to see the cenote, which is where the Mayans sacrificed people to the gods.  A cenote is a naturally occurring sinkhole that occurs in porous rocks.  The riviera maya is primarily made up of limestone, which is very porous.  Due to this, cenotes are very common. 

After the tour of the ruins we had time to shop from the many vendors around the ruins.  I think one of the best things about shopping in Mexico is bargaining.  One of my friends bargained on an item that the vendor asked 300 pesos (about 30 american dollars), and ended up purchasing it for 10 pesos (about 1 us dollar.  Later in the day the tour took us to a different cenote (one where human sacrifices did not occur) so that we could go swimming.  It was very refreshing after the long, hot day of walking. 

That evening, we all decided to meet up and check out the Saturday night life.  5^th avenue (the tourist street) was PACKED with tourists and even some locals checking out the different bars and clubs.  We ended up at the blue parrot club which has two different dance floors.  Overall, we enjoyed the evening. 

From the beginning of the week to the end of the week my spanish has improved ten fold.  On Sunday evening I couldn't understand anything that my mexican mother said, but now I can understand a lot of what she says and usually stutter out some kind of response.  Staying with a family has, so far, been a tremendous experience, and I think has been key in the progression of my spanish.  Today, I have relaxed and done some studying.  I have also done some shopping on fifth avenue for gifts for my family back home in Texas.  I have three more weeks here, and I am excited to see what they have in store for me.

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By Niki, AmeriSpan Study Abroad Consultant

Ramadan, the 9^th month of the Muslim calendar, is celebrated by roughly 98% of Moroccans.  Every Muslim is expected to fast, which means abstaining from food, drink and some other activities during the daylight hours. Ramadan dates change every year since the Islamic calendar is based on the lunar cycle. This fasting, known as “sawm,” makes traveling and/or studying abroad in Morocco during August to September a bit difficult for non-Muslims visiting the Arab nation. However, after visiting I believe the pros certainly outweigh the cons. 

Upon arrival to Casablanca’s Mohammed V International airport, after a 7 or so hour flight from JFK, I was hungry and thirsty, but because it was 9 AM during Ramadan, I felt too uncomfortable to even attempt to drink out of my water bottle or eat the snack bar in my bag. Travel sites advised to keep public consumption to a minimum during Ramadan to avoid scornful stares.

My friend, an American citizen with family in Rabat, Morocco’s capital, told me to eat it when we got into their car. With her uncle driving, I still felt like it would be disrespectful, but he assured me it was OK. “You are not Muslim, you are a guest here, please have some water,” he said.

I noticed pretty quickly how desolate the streets were and that nearly all the shops and stores were closed. This is typical during Ramadan. Everyone essentially stays inside during the day.  Those that have to work seem sluggish and tired, having not eaten since before sunrise. Of course, the first week is said to be the toughest, and as the weeks go on, those celebrating say they get used to the feeling. Businesses and government offices close early, and even some tourist sites shut down earlier than expected.

 
This was the sun setting at the Hassan Tower Mausoleum.

On the side of the Hassan Tower is the mausoleum where King Mohamed V lies. It is in the same place where the late Mohamed V, returning from exile, gathered thousands of Moroccans to thank God for giving independence to his country. Normally guards remain on duty until 5 P.M. but they began leaving closer to 4 P.M.   You'll see a huge rush of activity from about 4:30pm and on as people flood to buy last minute items to break the fast; grocery stores become packed.

Sweets and pastries are very popular during Ramadan. It was on a trip to a local pastry shop that it dawned on me how similar this feeling was to being in the States during the Christmas holiday season.  After breaking fast with a Moroccan family, you will surely enjoy their famous Moroccan tea with some sort of sweet treat. Everyone also wildly shops the last week of Ramadan for presents for family, as they exchange gifts at the end of the holiday, another element comparable to the Christmas season.

Chebekia – My Favorite Traditional Moroccan Pastry During Ramadan.
  Moroccan family shopping at the “souk” in Rabat (open market.)

 I must say, AmeriSpan’s partner school in Rabat is fantastic. Great atmosphere, excellent teachers and they organize many activities and excursions. During Ramadan, the schedule changes, but they still accommodate students with traditional things to do to experience the holiday.

Buses and trains run according to schedule. Half way through a bus ride to Marrakech from Rabat (about a 4-hour ride) we pulled over on the highway. I curiously peeked out of the window to find the bus driver praying on the side of the road. Muslims pray 5 times daily, more attentively during Ramadan.

 
Sun setting over the Marrakech Train Station.

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t extremely hungry and thirsty at certain parts of the trip. I searched for a shop to buy water before getting on one very long train ride from Agadir to Rabat, and there were none in sight. It was certainly a time for reflection on my part, as I felt what the rest of the country was probably feeling in the hot summer’s heat.  

Many tourists will notice that tempers flare during Ramadan. I saw this more than once. It’s common to share taxis with other riders in Morocco, and when a woman thought my taxi driver was refusing her a ride, he shouted harsh obscenities to her, ones that made my Moroccan friend blush and become startled. I asked her what happened and her response was, “Everyone’s hungry and the men can’t smoke. This makes a lot of people cranky during Ramadan.”

If you like to drink alcohol, you better stick to your tourist driven cities. Some bars and clubs may remain open, but not all, even in beach towns like Agadir. In a city that welcomes European tourists and boasts an active nightlife, only 2 bars and nightclubs could be found open during Ramadan. Many close for the entire month.  This doesn’t mean that the fun has to stop. In fact, it felt like every evening was a party on the streets. After breaking fast and relaxing with family, locals come out to stroll and enjoy the night air.

  Enjoying snails at the Jamaa el Fna in Marrkech. This place is always alive in the evenings, year-round.

One particular special day I experienced was on the 27^th days of Ramadan. Its significance in Islam lies in the fact that the Qur’an was revealed from the Lord Allah, to His Messenger and servant Prophet Mohammed (Peace be Upon Him). On the 27^th day of Ramadan in cities like Rabat, Sale and Fez, there is a tradition where children dress up in fancy dresses and tiaras with their henna, hair and makeup done, and get professional photos taken in the streets.  This night the children are allowed to come out and play until late, throwing frisbees and running around the parks.

While eating at a street side café in Marrakech just after sunset, I noticed a homeless woman looking at our food. The restaurant’s owner welcomed her to have a seat and poured her a bowl of Harira (the traditional soup eaten during Ramadan.) Muslims are expected to give alms and charity (Zakat) to the poor since after all, this is the meaning of Ramadan. By feeling the hunger pains throughout the day, one feels sympathy for those who do not have food, and feels gratitude and openness to be able to share with those less fortunate.

Every day, when the sun sets, a bell tolls throughout the towns indicating that it’s time to break the fast. It was almost an indescribable feeling that came over me at this moment each day. Knowing that the entire country was eating together at this moment was extremely peaceful; it creates an overwhelming sense of togetherness as a community and a country, an almost serene feeling as if millions of families were blissful at this exact moment. It was like a months worth of our U.S. Thanksgiving dinners, where every day is a holiday and time to be thankful for  your blessings. 

Overall, I learned that Ramadan is more than just not eating and drinking. It’s about self-sacrifice and refocusing attention on God. It’s about gratitude for the health and good fortunes one has for the remainder of the year. It seems to keep people humble and appreciative. I would advise any AmeriSpan student, Muslim or otherwise, to visit Morocco during Ramadan. At least plan part of your trip around this important holiday. Since the purpose of immersion programs is to experience the life of the locals firsthand, what better time to see a country than during one of their most important and fascinating times of the year. 

"Thank you and goodbye!"

B

 One afternoon we got to have a meeting with a real shaman!  It turns out she also worked as a Registered Nurse and a massage therapist.  And there I was expecting this witch to come in with a cape or something.  But she was really sweet and gave us an explanation of the three types of work she does: the first one is reading of our cocoa leaves, the 2nd involves an egg, and the 3rd a guinea pig (cuy).

I'll explain the latter two because she actually performed the first one for all of us.  The egg and its yolk represent the soul and the body, and the shaman is able to tell how in synch these two parts of the human are from looking at their egg.  The egg is continually rolled over the person's body, starting with the head, touching the arms, then the stomach, and ending with the toes.  This allows the egg to absorb the person's energy which is interpreted when the egg is broken in a glass of water. 

The cuy also works in a similar matter.  A live cuy (has to be pure black) is passed over the person's body (though I'm not sure if there's contact), and is then killed and read.  The problems seen in the cuy are thought to be the same as problems the person is suffering, will suffer, or has suffered.  For example, if the cuy had an odd coloring around its kidney, it's a warning sign for the client. 

In the cocoa leaves, the first thing we had to do was choose our leaves in groups of three.  The leaves had to be whole and in tact, with no holes in them, and we placed them on a small mat until all the sides were fulfilled.  Then she gathered all the leaves, grabbed a handful, and asked us each for three questions.   It was like a genie in a lamp or something, but it was fun at the same time, and after we asked our question she would blow/bless the leaves in four directions (for the four winds).  Turns out that I went first, so I asked your generic questions like when will I marry….oh man, I don't need to explain that one.  The second question was where will I live and this was a bit more interesting.  She told me right off the bat that I was going to live "far" away from my hometown and that a lot of children would be involved in my life…so I would most likely be working with children.  (Both of these things have been slow on-going realizations for me).  My 3rd question was a bit more personal so I won't say it here, but she was pretty dead on right.  Freaky.  After this, the three of us girls went out for dinner and had a pretty lengthy discussion about this…and in the end we decided that this was like horoscopes, but all in all it was still pretty fun to ask and hear some answers.  I'm still a bit superstitious though, I love these type of things.

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By Ashley C., guest blogger studying French in Lyon, France

Here is a short list of tips based on my first month here that I thought everyone might find helpful for French study in Lyon!

Eating:
Eat well! This may be entirely obvious to most people, but it wasn?t to me. During my first couple weeks here, I lived by the motto “if I?m only going to be here a short time, I should be able to eat whatever I want!” When you travel, though, your diet changes so much. I didn?t realize that my diet would even change that much! I didn?t realize I could even gain weight (I?m pencil thin, and I?ve never been on a diet). Eat fruits and veggies!  Eat healthy food! Don?t eat croissants every spare chance you can get! I started to get sick a few weeks in (I think because of my diet), and I?m now still trying to figure out how
to eat well in Lyon. You can do it, but don?t think it will come naturally.

Drinking:
Every night, some students hit the bars. I went a couple of times, and was absolutely tired the next day for class. Don?t succumb to peer pressure here! You only have so much time to learn French, and I really feel for the students who are (virtually) wasting their education in France by going out every night. Party hard when you go home, but study hard here!

Studying:
You don?t need to study that much, but I think it?s good to look over your notes from each day. This week my class really poured over different ways to conjugate verbs, so I studied a bit harder (conjugations just must be memorized!), but otherwise I?ve gotten by well without studying too heavily.

Sleeping:
French beds are tiny! (I think because of all the skinny people here!). I usually sleep in a nice big queen bed in the states, but here I can barely fit in one of these French twin beds. It?s not bad once you get used to it, but be prepared (and look on google images to see what your bed will look like!).

Greeting:
Even if you don?t know that much French, people can tell if you?re a nice person if you just smile and treat them kindly. Be nice in the stores and the shops. Smile often. Say “sil?vous plait” a lot. Say “Merci et au revoir” when you leave a shop. Be nice! It?s very important, especially when you?re in a new place.

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By Josephine K., guest blogger studying Korean in Seoul

Nothing to do in Seoul?  Check out a museum!

Seoul is such a busy city that it's hard to find yourself with nothing to do.  However, if you are ever stuck I recommend spending the day at one of the MANY museums.  There are museums dedicated to anything and everything, including art, history, the olympics, and even the popular Korean food kimchi.

The great thing about going out to these museums is not only do you get to learn more about the culture, but you also get to practice what you've been learning in class.  After learning one of the sets of numbers I found it great fun to go to the museum shops and ask what the price was for different objects.  Not only did this build my confidence with what I had been learning in class, but I also got to practice my pronunciation.  Many of the shop clerks were happy to help correct me and were very patient with my slow speech.

Even though it was great to practice the language, there was still plenty to learn in each of the museums.  So far I have visited three museums: National Museum of Seoul, Seoul Museum of Art, and the Kimchi Museum.  All of these museums had explanations of the exhibits in both Korean and English so I was able to learn about the history without having to know the language.  Also, before entering the exhibits most of the museums offer audio tours for less that 5,000 won.  All you do is give the museum employee a form of ID (it does not have to be your passport) and they will give you a MP3 player for you to use during your visit.  The audio will start automatically as soon as you stand in front of the different exhibits.

One of the things I did not expect was to be followed around in every museum I went to.  No matter which museum I toured I was closely followed by a group of young children.  With my blonde hair, freckles, and blue eyes I stick out like a sore thumb in a crowd of locals.  The reactions I received varied in each museum but I always received some form of attention. 

In the National Museum of Seoul (6th largest museum in the world) a group of 7 year old girls followed me around for most of the first floor (which is a pretty large space) saying, "Hi," "It's nice to meet you," and then running away giggling.  They even dragged their teacher and a male chaperone and forced us to have a very awkward introduction.  However, after I said "annyeong haseyo" – a polite way to say hello) the girls froze and ran away surprised I spoke Korean.  Luckily for me they did not continue the conversation, because at the time that's about all the Korean I knew.

After visiting the national museum I then went to the kimchi museum.  In this museum they explain the process of making kimchi and the history behind one of Korea's most famous foods.  At the end, there is a place for you to try all different types of kimchi, and this was yet another spot for me to become some sort of spectacle.  I was trying a piece of kimchi when a mother and her young daughter came up to try some too.  However, the mom wanted to take a picture of her daughter trying the kimchi.  I politely backed out of the photo, but after many gestures the mother insisted I be in the picture with her daughter.  They got a kick out of "migook salam"  American trying kimchi and I enjoyed being able to interact with a Korean family.

So, if you ever want to practice your Korean, be stalked by kids, or most importantly learn a little more about the culture, I highly recommend visiting one of the many Seoul museums.  I only wish I was here longer so that that I could visit them all!!!

Here I am trying kimchi at the Kimchi Museum in the Coex Mall National
Museum of Korean – the 6th largest museum in the world!

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This summer, guest blogger Niki W. participated in the Junior Immersion program for teens in Heredia and had a blast!  Here is a video she took during a cooking demonstration at her school.

For more information on this program go to Teen Junior Immersion in Heredia, Costa Rica

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