La Vida Española

The first two weeks of classes are over and I’ve begun to get into a regular schedule here. I’m beginning to get a sense of what the classes here are like. It’s a little overwhelming to be with mostly Spanish students in my classes, but my professors are very nice and are making an effort to help me out. Even though I know it will be tough with the language, I´m really interested in my classes. After being here in León for about a month, I thought that I should share a little bit of the daily routine here.

8-9AM- Desayuno, breakfast: breakfast is very light here, coffee and crackers or toast. Its definitely an adjustment to a hearty American breakfast which I have grown so accustomed to.

In the morning I have classes at the university, any time between 9AM and 2PM. After my morning classes, I head back to the apartment for lunch.

2:30PM  Comida, lunch: The largest meal of the day.  It is definitely hard to get used to eating so late in the day for lunch, but it’s really nice that lunch is the largest meal of the day.  There are 3 courses, first course, second, and dessert.

After comida, it is time for a siesta. While its true that not every Spaniard is able to take a daily nap after lunch, Ive grown to take full advantage of it. Between 2pm and 5pm, almost all of the shops are closed and everyone returns to their houses for a family meal.

On some days, I also have afternoon classes between 4PM and 8PM. Cena, Dinner, is traditionally served at around 9 or 930PM. While it seems extremely strange compared to 6pm dinner in the states, dinner here is much lighter because comida is the main meal of the day. Eating this late makes the day feel a lot longer. Since they eat so late, Spaniards generally go to bed later and get less sleep. I guess that’s where a siesta really comes in handy!

In terms of the nightlife, people usually don´t go out to bars until about 1 or 2AM, and then most places close around 5AM. This certainly is a huge difference than the US, but I guess the Spaniards know how to make the most of their day (and night)!

The schedule here has definitely been a large adjustment but I’ve been getting accustomed to it during my time here. Overall, the people seem much more relaxed. A common stereotype of Spaniards is that they are always late and more relaxed when it comes to the timing of things. Even though this isn’t always true in terms of work and important meetings, when it comes to meeting up with friends, I always have to remember the difference in ¨Spanish time¨, aka 5 to 10 minutes late. Also, in our classes, its very rare for a professor to show up exactly on time and class usually starts 5 to 15 minutes later than it is scheduled to. This concept of time can occasionally be frustrating, but I generally like how the people here seem a little more relaxed.

That´s all for now, I´ve got to do some work for my classes.

¡Hasta Pronto!

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