Intercambio a Quintanar IV

Riley
Hey, I'm Riley, and for the past month or so I have been living in Spain.

Though it has been an excellent experience for myself, and most likely for my fellow students, it started off rather bland. We left for the Adelaide airport after saying our goodbyes, and then waited there for two hours, give or take. After the horrid waiting around was over we boarded our flight to Dubai which lasted for what seemed like an eternity. It was cramped, uncomfortable, the food was unappetising, and the girl behind me vomited; it was most unpleasant. After arriving in Dubai, we had to endure more waiting, and then another, though shorter, un enjoyable flight to our final destination: Madrid.
After collecting our luggage we walked through the doors to be welcomed by our host families; it was all very... awkward. After waving, saying hello, and going up to shake their hands or what have you, nobody knew what to do (not me at least). We did the little dance of back and forth over who should take the luggage to the bus; of course they insisted, but I politely declined and opted to take it myself. The bus ride to Quintinar was a little better as we started to talk more and joke around a bit; everything was well.
After getting off of the bus and going our separate ways, we arrived at what would become home for the most of the trip; it was after I started unpacking in my new room that it finally caught up to me: I was here. It wasn't until this point that the gravity of the situation started to sink in; not on the plane or the base or the welcoming; none of that really got to me, but this is what made it all real.

"School"; the most feared place of all man kind, but not as bad when you don't attend full lessons. :P
For the first week of our trip we attended the local secondary school to see how things worked over here; obviously we would not be able to participate fully as our language skills were at a minimum, thus, preventing any thorough communication; but we sat in on some classes, including a few English lessons, and we got to know some of the students a bit which was really great. We also visited some sites around the town; including a chocolate factory where we got free chocolate (score!), a blacksmith of sorts whose proper name escapes me at this point and who is the last of his kind in the world (supposedly), and some other locations.
On the second week we did some traveling; our host siblings had exams this week, so we left to let them study. We traveled to Salamanca after staying in a few towns/cities along the way. We mainly visited churches and cathedrals which I found quite intriguing; not for the religious aspect, that sort of thing doesn't really concern me, but for the history, architecture, and art: things which are actually fascinating, I love those sorts of things, and I found the tours of these locations to be truly remarkable.
Over the third week we were back at school, which was similar to our first week but with some differences; such as a visit to the primary school where my host mothers teaches English, and some altered lessons as it was the last school week of the year.

Holidays!
During the holidays we had Christmas, which was... different. Christmas Eve was a gathering of family members for dinner, which I found weird as I don't usually meet up with every one on the eve, usually on the day. After dinner I wanted to go to bed, I was dumbfounded when I was told that everyone was going out to a party later on... at 2am! That was way to late (or early) for me to be going out partying, so I stayed home and just went to bed. Christmas Day brought with it a lunch with all of the family members again, and with food I wouldn't be eating; everything had seafood which absolutely repulses me; I survived off of bread and Fanta; which was surprisingly filling. Later that day we headed off to Benidorm; a large tourist city located on the beach. It was quite fun there walking along the beach at night, and feeding the birds; one even jumped onto my hand which made quite the photo. Benidorm was made even better by the lack of tourists there, being the beach at winter. Alas, it had to end; we drove home on the following Sunday, arriving at 11pm; I went straight to bed.
2014 was upon us, and I was on the couch. Being the holidays I was lazy (lazier), so I was sleeping in and wearing trackies. I didn't even realise it was New Year's Eve until my parents rang wishing me a happy new year. I stayed up with my family and at the 12 grapes, which was different but whatever floats your boat. Being late I was heading to bed when they said we were going to a New Years party at 3am (why do these people hate sleep?). I was way to tired, so I apologised that I couldn't make it, and I went to bed.

Overall it has been an amazing trip; though there were some oddities such as school finishing earlier, the bigger lunches and the smaller dinners, and the later eating times.
A downside to this trip would have to be the food; while most people say it's amazing and the best food ever; a guy like me who feels sick at the site of seafood cannot survive in a place where the menus are dominated by the stuff; though some of the pasta was superb.
The upside to this trip would have to be everything else that has happened so far (except the part where I was sick; that sucked) there is just too much I cannot fit in here and I have already gone on far too long.
It has been a great time and I will be sad when it ends; though I plan to return because it is awesome here. :D

¡Adios!

Barry
Hola amigos, im Barry, and for the past five weeks i have been living in spain with a wonderful host family. During these five weeks i have experienced what school is like in spain and their routine, and how their lifestyle differs from ours. I have traveled around towns and cities visiting the treasured monuments and tourist attractions of Spain. My favourite place that i visited was definately Salamanca, i have done things here that i might never get the chance to do again. I have had a truly wonderful wonderful experience here and i thank everyone who contributed to this exchange and who made it all happen, i only wish that i could do this all again one day, i certainly see myself coming back to spain again one day. 

Tolan
Hola! Me llamo Tolan. Tengo catorce años y soy más joven que todo los otros alumnos en nuestra intercambio.
Every few days in Spain, I sit down and reflect on what is actually happening here, and often, it is hard to believe. The reality is somewhat of a fantasy - an idealistic way of improving language, pushing boundaries and soaking-in culture. An opportunity that is much more effective than classroom learning, simply because your not only hearing about, you're being a part of it!
Being able to travel to Spain (in EUROPE!!!!) with people you know, but not necessarily all really well, is the perfect way. Not only do you make new friends, you have people to both share and empathise with, which is always comforting knowledge. With us all being distributed to our respective host families, it is nice to have some familiarity amongst the ways of life that we have learnt to adjust to. 
I love my family here in Spain, there are two parents and two children (aged 7 and 10) and they are extremely hospitable and willing to help me learn. Not having a student my own age doesn't bother me, I actually prefer it because it encourages me to strive to develop my Spanish when speaking with primary school-aged children. Four weeks into the trip, I know my vocabulary has tripled (or perhaps more) and I am constantly improving my interpreting skills. I often surprise my host mother when she starts to explain something that has been said in English and I tell her that I understood. It is all about taking the words you are familiar with and joining them together.
The biggest learning experience I have had was actually one the most frustrating, difficult days of my life. It was when my family and I had a "Dia de hablando Español solamente". Not being able to express myself properly was irritating and being restricted to the boundaries of "present tense" didn't help. However, I learnt more that day than ever before because I had no other way! Afterwards, I finally felt confident about my Spanish improvement.
One of the most happy, sad, exciting and surprising moments of my trip so far was Christmas. I was constantly comparing similarities and differences between the Australian culture (or lack of) during that time. This led me into my second homesickness "mode" on Boxing Day (after one in our trip to Salamanca). Presently my emotions when I think about leaving in only one way are very confused. I want to see my family and live "normally" again but I don't want to end the experience so soon, and leave these terrific people. I just want to get the most out of everything I have left.
The most satisfying thing is to see how much of an imprint I have left on this family. They have adopted some of my quirks and I inturn, some of theirs. Sometimes, I might be in my room and I hear them speaking in English to each other. They are improving, like me, at speaking in second languages. 
All in all, I believe this has been a irreplaceable experience for all exchange students and our host families. Not only does it introduce new cultures and ways and improve languages, our levels of inderpendence are tested, being away from real family. Despite some difficult moments, I have no true regrets concerning this. I just don't know how I'll cope with leaving!

Carly

Trying to sum up this exchange in just a paragraph is virtually impossible. It has honestly been the experience of a lifetime. I have always dreamed of travelling, but i would never have thought that at 16 years of age I would have already been to the other side of the world. 
The things I have seen, said and accomplished are memories that i will have forever. 
It's the little things that really make this trip so great; going on long bus trips, getting excited when I can say a sentence in Spanish correct, when my host mum cried because i was crying, watching movies in Spanish, learning how to Spanish dance, hearing them try to pronounce some English words and just simply meeting so many new people.
In this short amount of time, I have managed to grow such a bond with my host sister, Ángela and her family. They have treated me like I am a part of their family. I am forever grateful for them and that i got such a lovely and caring host family. I can say that I will definitely be back in some years’ time to visit them and to continue with this cultural and language experience. Knowing that when i get back to Australia that i have family and friends on the other side of the world is pretty exciting.
I highly recommend that anyone who has the opportunity to experience any exchange, they should grab this opportunity. It will be the time of your life.

Please enjoy this attractive picture of my host sister and me at our finest.

Keisha
Wow! What a year it has been, everything leading up to our trip has been exhausting, but it was definitely worth it! My experience in Spain has been so incredible, I have eaten things I would usually look at and think, "Oh dear god it looks even worse when its dead!" But if I didn't do it, there would be no funny stories and hilarious memories to tell people about.

My favourite part of our trip was Christmas and I'm sure I will love New years in a couple of days!!! (OH MY GOSH!)
I've learned so much on this trip and I wish I didnt have to leave so soon, but all good things have to end, and I'm really hanging out for a pie!! (LOL)
I am more proud of myself than anyone will ever be. I have gladly stepped out of my comfort zone, so far so that i forgot i even had one! I've seen things in 5 weeks that most people wont ever see in their whole life, and I would like to thank EVERYONE who helped me to get here! If I didn't have the support of family, friends, teachers, and local citizens I wouldn't be here and I definitely wouldn't be the person I have become in this short time. 

Once again, thanks to everyone who has made this dream become my reality, words can not express how grateful I am.

Parky
Mi experiencia en España ¡Dime! "There is no place like home." I miss my back yard and dogs so much, but certainly I have been enjoying all experiences that I have had in Spain. ¡Muy bien! I enjoyed going to Instituto Alonso Quijano with my Aussie students. Basically, everyone at school loved our presence and welcomed us with their giant smiling faces. The highlight of my experience at school was to have conversation classeswith Spanish students, exchanging the languages. ¡Cojonudo! Ángela and Tano are the teachers whom Mr. Anderson and I have been staying with. They are dedicated and considerate people who care about us. I also love their friends who are easy going and chilled out. They are truly cojonudos. ¡Fantasticos! I loved all the sightseeing that we had; Segovia, Ávila, Salamanca, Alberca, El toboso, etc. Shopping is always an additional fun in the tourist areas. ¡Me encanta! I love spain. Spain reminds me of my home country, korea in a lot of ways; family-oriented culture and food loving people. ¡Tengo mucha hambre! Even though Spainsh people facinate me with their food culture, it's not easy to get used to seeing lack of vegetables in their food and having late dinner. I often find that vegetables are used for flavour, not for main dishes. Sometimes we go out for a special event at 9:00 pm, then have dinner or tapas full of fried dishes after. 10:00 pm and leave a bar after midnight. One time, one of my Spanish friends said "Isn't it too early to go home? Well, yes, it is. It is midnight! Haha:) i have to laugh. I'm still here, but already I can't wait to come back to Spain to have more adventure that I might have missed this time. I crazily fall in love with Spain, especially with the language. ¿Y tú? De Parky

Ryan
The school where we attended for the two weeks was different in the sense of the layout and When they leave school. Our schools in the country are extremely spaced out whereas the school here is vertical. The early departure for lunch was fantastic. As for my family, one hiccup occurred throughout the time I have been here thus far. My little host brother, José was a little too much and had to have a talking too. Recently, after having him spoken to it has calmed down and I feel more at ease. Together, us Australians (including the teachers) embarked on a week long journey throughout Spain which brought some of the best experiences in food and sights. Cochinillo, baby pig, was one of the highlights for that trip as was Salamanca. Salamanca was a very diverse and beautiful place, my second favourite that I have visited after Toledo. Christmas was much like what we have in Australia, family time. It was nice to get everyone together for a meal. My host brother and I also entire out and caught up with a few of his friends whom I had recently met, befriended and exchanged Facebook details with. As for what I like most, that is the easiest aspect to write about. I love the architecture and the cultural differences from Australia, it is literally unlike anything I have ever seem before and to witness such things with my own eyes has been a very grand aspect of this exchange for me. I am heavily into ancient cultures and eras. Seeing Segobriga was amazing. The most difficult is also the most obvious, communication with those who speak little English blended with my little Spanish. Many unanswered questions and apologies on my behalf. The food here, though being great and diverse is also bland. Meat served without vegetables and gravy is terrible. After consuming my weight in lamb not doused in any condiment the first meal I will eat in Australia will be a pub schnitzel drowned in a Diane gravy. The culture and traditions are very different as we Australians don't hold too many tour name. It is treat to take part in such events as Christmas and New Years traditions. I honestly do not want to leave Spain, I am having the time of my life here, this exchange has been the best thing I have done and am extremely thankful to all who helped organise this trip as well as my family for hosting me, it mustn't be easy taking in a stranger, though, July next year my family will have the same experience as my brother, Carlos will be coming out to Australia more than likely. I am looking forward to everything to come in the near future and on their Australian exchange. -Ryan

Renee
As we left Waikerie on the 29th of November 2013, each one of us was feeling a different emotion. Sad, nervous, excited. Well let's just say that 'excited' was definitely an understatement for me! After completing a three month exchange to New Zealand in 2012, I assumed this one would be a lot easier. Well boy was I wrong! It has been the biggest emotional roller coaster, but the positives have definitely weighed out the negatives and I am extremely proud of myself for everything I have achieved. Being away from family for Christmas is a big thing, as well as New Year, and in my case, my 17th birthday. Being so young and on the other side of the world is a major thing, and only now I have realised how brave us 8 students are. Friends always tell me "I can't believe you're actually going to Spain, there is no way I could do that". I never truly understood what they meant until now. I tried to keep myself occupied as much as possible to prevent home sickness from occurring, but unfortunately, it didn't work. The constant messages from my parents and close friends haven't been the best thing, but I know they're only doing it because they love and care about me. My host family have been nothing short of amazing. They're extremely friendly and very supportive of my studies in Spanish. They are always teaching me new words and phrases, then testing me later on to see if I have remembered it. At the start, when I was told I had a host brother, not sister, I was slightly concerned to how well we would get along. But my spanish partner, Dani, is a very easy person to get along with and we have very similar personalities and hobbies. Our love for photography and film has been perfect, as it is a good talking point and a movie is always a good boredom killer. It has been very different living with a boy, as most Friday and Saturday nights are spent at the bar having beer and tapas (obviously I didn't!) The biggest issue has been the language barrier between myself and people who can not speak English. However, technology nowadays has made this slightly easier, using spanish dictionaries on our iPads and smartphones. My slightly crazy and spontaneous personality enabled me to act out what I was trying to tell the person. When worst comes to worse, and I've completely and utterly confused someone, I usually had Dani or Mr Anderson close by. I feel that my spanish has improved extremely, and not only do I have a family in Spain, I have somewhere where I am always welcome back to. My spanish parents are trying to convince my Australian parents to fly here within the next few years so they can finally meet. Fingers and toes crossed that Dani is coming to Australia in the July of 2014! This exchange has definitely given me the confidence booster I needed to potentially participate in another exchange in my gap year. I can now say I've got the travel bug - sorry Mum and Dad!

Sophie
Hola, me llamo Sophie. I have been on exchange in Spain for four weeks now and so far I have spent two weeks in school, one week on holidays and one week away in Salamanca with the other exchange students. School was good but different from Australia as they have lessons up until 11 o'clock then a snack break and school finishes at 2:15 instead of at 3:30 like in Australia. 
In our week away we got to see lots of churches and cathedrals, the old and the new, both very beautiful and very cold!!
My family are very welcoming and friendly, they have done their best to help me settle in. I believe that I was settled in to my new home with in a few days :)
The hardest part of this trip was probably getting used to the meal times. Lunch at 3 and dinner at 9 instead of 12 and 6. But that is all apart of the experience, taking part in a new culture :) 
I am loving Spain and it is very beautiful but I also can't wait to get home.

Porque la vida es distinta cuando te pones la nariz - because the life is better with this nose on.