PERI: Homestay Family and School Orientation

     After I posted my last link, we met our host mother, or señora, at a bus stop.  She does not speak any English, but luckily my roommate Elizabeth is almost fluent.  It has taken me a couple of days to have a good ear for the Catalan-Spanish accent, it gets a little better everyday and I know that it will continue to do so.  Anyway, Josefa walked us to our new "home"... she assured us that it was a 5 minute walk.  Like 15-18 minutes later, 2 sweaty and tired American girls walked up to their new home in the Gothic neighborhood of Barcelona.  We got our luggage up the rickety elevators and into the small apartment.  Josefa showed us our bedroom and bathroom and went downstairs to start dinner.  We analyzed the living situation: two beds, one small clothes rack, and a 3 drawer nightstand.  We split the 8 hangers on the rack and took up a drawer and a half each, and got inventive with where to put the rest of our stuff.
     The first two days were very rough on me, the toughest that I have experienced yet.  Josefa was cooking with one of her friends (I still don't know her name) and we ate dinner as a "family", but Elizabeth and I were not acknowledged or introduced to anyone the entire night.  The next morning, we had a small breakfast of bread and small coffee and left the house... no keys... not a good idea of how to get back... and no knowledge of our family.  I had a rough day thinking about the house and how it is going to be the rest of the time I am here.  That day, we had our first meeting at Pompeu Fabra University (UPF).  Our day was full of getting to know the university and a bus tour in the evening.  We went to Parc Güell, Antonio Gaudi's famous park.  It was gorgeous, I love Gaudi's whimsical, functional, organic, and beautiful work. We also saw his masterpiece, La Sagrada Familia (the Sacred Family), a gorgeous and ornate temple that was begun in 1882 and is still not completed!!

La Sagrada Familia

Houses in Parc Güell

      The next day, we took the placement test at UPF; it was just like Mitzi said, same format, and harder than I expected.  I am also in Intermediate I which is where I expected to be.  We have two weeks of Intensive language classes (starting in the morning), only 2 and a half hours a day, then... nothing!  We don't start our regular classes until Sept. 27th!  Language classes for now are 10-12:30, and Elizabeth and I have them at the same time so we can walk together to class, it is about an 18 min easy walk.  There is a big festival that takes place here at the end of the month so that will be perfect timing!  (The main festivities of the holiday take place about 2 blocks from our house; they are VERY unusual and exciting!... but I will tell you about that when the time comes)  

      Today we took a walking tour of the Gothic Quarter (or El Barrio Gotic), which just happens to be our neighborhood.  It was great to get a tour of the area and hear about the history and see all of the hidden gems that this area has to offer.  We walked through another gorgeous, elaborate cathedral, out into a square that houses a church where a bomb was dropped during WWII, massacring young children playing outside.  We then turned another corner and were in the Jewish area, where the Jews once thrived and then were persecuted.  We then turned another corner and BAM! we were literally right in front of our house.  We had no idea that all of these amazing historical things were around us. Today was a new day for my outlook on this trip: I love this city so far, I love (and have a new appreciation for) this neighborhood, and our house mother is a fantastic cook (I am soooo excited to learn how to cook Spanish dishes).  It is very difficult for me to be away from home and my loved ones at this time, but I know that I need to focus on the positive.  This will be a great experience for me, I am learning and understanding more of the language each day.  Josefa, her son Fabian, and her grandson Juan (we also met her daughter, Juan's mother today) has opened up a lot in the past two days; she seems very sweet, she addresses us as "guapa" (beautiful) all the time ("Como estas guapa?").

Alley/Street near our house (the uneven stone of the apartment on the right, behind the balcony, is the remains of a Roman building)

    

I just want to make a little comment on this city.... EVERYTHING that I have heard about it could not be more true.  It IS very progressive.  It IS a stunning mix of old and new.  It IS very cultural: Spanish, Catalan, and European.  It IS historical and interesting.  I know that I am going to find something new to love every day.  It is fairly easy to get around, the Metro is simple, and the streets are confusing but I pick up something new every time I walk somewhere.  It is by far my favorite European city so far.  I am so excited that I made the decision to live in Barcelona.