Beginning Barcelona Blubberings.

I say blubberings because it is very late and I am very tired. My days here have been so busy and full of excitement that I practically crash every night. Which helps with the time adjustment.

Day 1:

On the plan from Nashville to New York.

                                                In the New York airport waiting for my flight.

We finally arrived in Barcelona at 7:15 AM in Barcelona time which was around 12:15 in our time. Needless to say I was very tired. When we arrived we were met by Kristen, the coordinator, and took a bus to our school.

From there our host family picked us up and took us home. I was able to unpack to stay in Oscar's (my 9 year old host brother) room. He loves planes and asked me all about my plane ride at dinner that night. 

Day 2: Our first day at CRMSI

The students in my homeroom decorated the hallway for me. Each student made a different letter that spelled  "WELCOME MISS NICHOLE!" The teacher I am working with is Miss Laura. She teaches English and science; however, they are student social science now instead of physical science...so it is really more like I'm teaching social studies.

This is the classroom of my homeroom students. The teachers switch classrooms and the students stay in one class except for PE. This makes it difficult for the teachers to prepare lots of materials to bring to class because they have to haul it around and really don't have any place to store it. The students here wear uniforms and smocks over them during class. The school day is from 9-5, but we get an hour for lunch break and other 30 minute breaks throughout the day. It is very different from the 20 minute lunch we got back in the states. Speaking of lunch at school, the food they serve the teachers is very good. I was impressed the first day and they don't disappoint. Everyday we get a lot of food and it is pretty good quality as well for not much money.
This is the view from the classroom window. Beautiful.

After school we went to Las Ramblas at Placa Catalunya which is where there are lots of vendors along the street. The vendors are interesting, but there were many tourist-y places. BUT there was a fantastic food market. Below are some of the delicious looking foods you can buy at this market (okay some are not so delicious looking...):







While we were walking Las Ramblas we went to a pharmacy where Edu's (my host father) mother works. She took my picture in her pharmacy with my host mother, Sara, and three of her kids (Oscar, Carla, Elena). They have been so nice. Sara has taken me some place almost every night I have been there. They are going out of their way to make me feel welcome and like part of their family. It is so excited to experience Barcelona through they eyes of a family that lives in and loves the city.

 

Day 3: First lesson taught and Rachel's birthday!

This morning I had fuet today for breakfast. It is similar to a sausage that is sliced and served on bread with tomato. The tomato is sort of like tomato jelly. It was really good. Oscar was helping me assemble my breakfast and telling me just how I needed to eat the fuet.

Today I taught a third grade girls English class. What I have observed so far, most of the teaching comes straight from the textbook. This is an example of what the material was like that I taught today.

They were learning transportation vocabulary today in English.

After school we went out to eat at Mussol for Rachel's birthday.

I ate beef with goat cheese and grilled artichoke which was served with fries and mushrooms. It was delicious.

Buenas Noches!