School has almost totally officially started and I'm learning all kids of crazy Spanish things. Even though I was super stressed about Spanish grammar for the first couple of days now we are learning how to SPEAK and COMMUNICATE and it's pretty fun. We had a debate in class today about some university reform legislation called Plan Bolognia that is supposed to reformat all EU universities so that they have similar curriculums for the same degrees. There are lots of pros and cons here, but the main reason to oppose PB is because it will turn universities into "factories", rather than encouraging knowledge and personal growth. From what I can tell though, they will be making professors take into account student work and participation in grades, rather than basing grades only on a final exam. So really, I think this is making students more accountable/present in their learning AND making them more competitive candidates in the EU job market so I don't see what the big problem is. There is anti-PB graffiti all over the place. Obvi, students who are happy with their current coursework do not want to have to change what they're used to and old-timey professors don't want to learn how to teach. I'm sure there is more to it than this, but either way I was very excited to learn about something current, and host bro Pepe and I had a long chat about it when I came home. (p.s. one more reason that people are against the change is that it will make getting a Masters almost obligatory, which is extra school, which is more expensive. Like... £3000 more expensive. For an entire degree. Hearing this made me want to laugh/cry/be a Spaniard)
I'm getting used to using fun Spanish words in conversation, like frigo and coche and autopista. I started my internship, with an organization called Unión Iberoamericana de Municipalistas. I thought it would be awesome, but I've done mostly busywork which embarrasses me in front of the cool Spanish interns who are doing all kinds of... municipalidad-ing. So right now this is a major cause of annoyance, especially because I have to go there on Fridays when there is no class. I am crossing my fingers that it'll get much much better.
Still have not learned anything about immigration to Granada, which I am genuinely curious about. All I have gathered from observation is that Sub-Saharan African immigrants are great opportunists (I always know where to buy an umbrella at 7:30am on my way to class!) and that foreign students throw lots of parties. For my Spanish Experience of the Other class we get to do a project where we learn more about a minority group in Granada and how they interact with native Granadinos. My group is researching Arab immigrants (an excuse to try a lot of kebab places) to understand how Spanish people feel about immigrant groups dominating certain areas of the economy (also to try lots of tea places) when unemployment is over 20%. I'm expecting it to be super interesting/fun/probably not that educational because what can you really do in 3 months. STILL COOL.
Some pretty pictures :)
1) A yummy coffee shop very near IES called Pilar de Toro (pilar = fountain in a wall) where I had napolitanas (chocolate croissants) every day for a week until I realized I was the only one and peer pressure made me feel like a fatty. So pretty!
2) View from the Alhambra of northwest Granada
3) View of the Alhambra from IES' terrace. Gorgeous!
send me napolitanas!
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