Ccidiz summer program, summer 2000

by Jennifer Nespo/i

If you like Spanish there is no better way to spend five weeks of summer than in the beautiful, sun-bathed country of Spain. That is what Dr. Juan Carlos. Jimenez offered this past summer to students who wanted to better their Spanish skills and have an adventure at the same time. It really is the best way to learn the language, and at the same time experience the rich culture of the country. I took this opportunity and went to Spain this summer with four other students from Cabrini and four from Bryn Mawr College. Despite not being fluent in the language, I was able to communicate from the first day I arrived, and my language skills improved immensely during the trip. Dr. Jimenez was willing to help us anytime we had a problem, and he stayed in the same city as we did so he was always close by.

We lived in the small port town of Cadiz, which is on the southern tip of Spain, not too far from the Costa del Sol. The city was amazing. It was almost completely surrounded by ocean, with beaches and beautiful views from just about anywhere. The program Cabrini offers involves four weeks of study at the University of Cadiz and provides an extra week at the end for traveling and other activities. I stayed with a Spanish woman who lived alone, but she had enough personality for a whole family of people. She had a vivacious energy that seemed to be characteristic of all the people we met there. She welcomed me and my roommate with open arms, and the first day she was ready for us with a dictionary and a whole lot of patience. It was much better staying with her, as it would have been with any family, than in a dorm. We were forced to speak Spanish with her all the time, and that strengthened our confidence and language skills. She showed us around the city, cooked us authentic Spanish cuisine, helped us with our homework and taught us so much about their culture and way of life that we never could have learned otherwise. Not only that, but we formed a special bond with her.

We were encouraged to make friends with the people who lived in the city, which was easy to do. The people were friendly and talkative, always willing to strike up a conversation or invite us into their group of friends. They love life there, and their spirit and energy is contagious. Even our professors at the university would take us out of the classroom once a week for tapas, tours of the city, or trips to museums to make sure that our ed- ucation did not take place solely in the classroom. In fact, though our classes were interesting, informative and a good way to meet other students from all over the world, most of my learning did not happen there. Our weekend trips to surrounding cities like Jerez de la Frontera, Granada and Seville also turned out to be culturally enriching as well as fun and entertaining.

There was no time to be homesick because we were constantly busy. There was always something going on the city or at the university, such as concerts, poetry readings, day trips, tours, fairs and carnivals. Plus the beach lay all around us with dazzling warm blue water and powdery soft sand. By the time our five weeks came to an end, I was completely in love with the city. Now I cannot wait to go back!