Tests

This past week I had a lot of tests. I didn’t know exactly what to expect. All I knew was that it was going to be very difficult taking most of my tests in Catalan. That’s right Catalan, not Castellano (Spanish).

Sabadell is in Catalunya where the majority of people speak Catalan. It is a very unique language; but if I had to say what it is similar to I would say it’s a combination of Spanish and French.

The government of Catalunya wants the official language to be Catalan; so, schools are enforced to teach more Catalan than Castellano. In my grade (Segundo Bachillerato) we have more hours of English class than Castellano.

Thankfully, most of the teachers did not expect me to grasp the language of Catalan. Most teachers walked me through the tests to show me what they would be like. No multiple choices here. In my other classes such as Math and Dibujo Tecnico (technical drawing) where not many words are needed to understand the concepts, I took the tests feeling pretty good.

This past Friday I had two tests: Spanish and English classes. The English test was IMPOSSIBLE and the Spanish was so easy. Just kidding, it was more like vice versa. While the Spanish test was on some crazy Spanish grammar I struggled with, I finished the English one in five minutes… everyone was in awe.

Struggling to get by the Catalan barrier, I am learning more and more Castellano.

One thing I haven’t gotten used to yet is that here in Spain most people are on a first name basis. I call my host mother, Feli, and my host father, Angel instead of Sr. and Sra. Nieves. I also observe that students call teachers by their first names. It’s strange to me but that is the custom here.
I have been with my host family for three weekends now and we have done many fun activities. On the first weekend we went to my host family’s apartment in Comaruga by the Mediterranean Sea. It was really nice to be by the beach when I knew that back at home it was probably getting cold and summer was officially over.

During my second weekend my host family took me to Barcelona to see a plane show and competition. It was a great show with lots of plane formations in the air. I also got to meet some of the family members on Feli’s, side. During that day we went to a Chinese restaurant, which had a fabulous buffet. We came home exhausted after a fun-filled day.

This past weekend we climbed up a mountain called Montcau. It took a lot of effort to get up but it was worth it. Once I arrived at the top I wondered if Heaven was something like this. The view was spectacular as you can see from some of the pictures. Once on top, it was so relaxing to just sit and enjoy the view. I am glad I did it.
Another activity we enjoyed this weekend was going to the movies. My host family and I saw a movie called “Agora.” It was a pretty interesting film about early Christianity. However, the strangest thing happened to us while we were at the theater. All four of us were in line for popcorn, Oscar, Feli and Angel and I. Since the film was about to start Feli and I decided to go get our seats in theater 23 while Oscar and Angel would stay to buy the popcorn. The film soon began and we waited for them to come with the popcorn and drinks. Pretty soon we were a half an hour into the film and we are still wondering where the heck they are. I went out of our theater to see if they were outside but they were nowhere to be seen. Feli and I went through the whole film without them or without any popcorn L. It turned out that the theater next to us was also showing Agora at the exact same time. Oscar and Angel were in the other theater. After the film we had a good laugh and headed to a restaurant and had a nice dinner. I am obviously enjoying myself during the week and weekends in Spain. I guess I should talk more about what I’m learning at school next time .

School in Spain

The school system here in Spain is very different from the U.S. In Spain they do not have High School they have a Secondary Education. This Secondary Education begins at age 12, and goes through 18. I feel that I am lucky to experience another culture’s customs, especially the school system.
As I enter my new school for this year I observe all the students and surroundings. It is an interesting sight. Together, students from all different ages and sizes are enjoying themselves, talking to one another. Because of my age and grade in the U.S. I am placed in Segundo Bachillerato, which is the highest level or grade in Secondary Education. After Segundo Bachillerato the students go off to a university or work.
I arrive at my first classroom and notice that there aren’t any decorations such as pictures or books in the room, in contrast to my school’s classrooms back at home. In the classroom there are only desks for the students and the teacher, a chalkboard and a coat rack.
As class begins I immediately take note of the differences. It is more relaxed, students can just yell out questions or comments without raising their hands and the majority of the teachers don’t mind.
Another thing that I think is very unusual is that the subjects we take have different classrooms and are not during the same periods each day. For example, on Monday we will have Biology during period 1 in room 36 and then on Tuesday we will have Biology during period 3 in room 27.
In the middle of the school day all the students are given a 30-minute break. It is sort of like a recess/ lunch. During this period of free time most students will eat a bocadillo (sandwich) or have a small snack. It is not a full lunch or meal; that is reserved for after school.
When school finishes each day I go home with my host brother, Oscar. At home we eat lunch do our homework then go to the club (gym) or just chill. There are no extracurricular activities in school for Segundo Bachillerato, such as sports or academic clubs. It is up to the individual to find things to do after school.
Despite the differences in schooling I am able to make new friends and it has been a great experience so far.