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La vida española

November 3rd, 2015 akolso17
Hello Everyone!
One of the central aspects to Holy Cross’ Spain study abroad program is the host family. Each student is placed with a family in order to learn Spanish customs and experience full language immersion. While each student has their own experience abroad, I wanted to share a little bit of my life in Leon.
The Questionnaire
In the spring, study abroad students fill out a questionnaire about what type of home environment they would feel most comfortable in. For example: Do you want to live in a house with little kids? Do you want a smoke-free household? Are you allergic to any animals? The Holy Cross Study Abroad office and the local site administrators work hard to place students with good families. The vast majority of students get along well with their host families, but should there be any type of problem, the site administrators are very willing to place the student with a new family. The student’s safety and comfort are top priority.
The Home
Each home is different. Some people live in apartments and others in houses. The homes are in different areas of the city, but all are within walking distance to the city center. While the student should remain conscious of the fact that they are living in another family’s home and become accustomed to the family’s way of doing things, the student’s needs and privacy are greatly respected as well. Another thing to note is that the Spanish home is largely considered a private space for family. Time with friends is spent in public spaces like cafés or parks.
The Family
As can be expected, each family is different. Some families have toddlers while others have grandparents in the home. Some host moms are in their 30s while others are in their 60s. Some have pets and others don’t. My particular family consists of my host mom Carolina, her husband, and her 96-year-old mother. Carolina has a daughter who lives a block away and often visits with her 14 and 7-year-old sons. I was welcomed to the family instantly and am cherishing the time spent with them.
Laundry
Another perk of living with a family is not having (more like, not being allowed) to do any chores. The host moms do all of the washing, ironing, cooking, and cleaning. After the first week I gave up on offering to wash the dishes. Each time I tried Carolina told me, “I am your mother this year. This is what mothers do.” If only my own mom had that attitude! (Just kidding mom!)
Food
I saved the best (and most important) category for last: FOOD. The host moms provide for all meals. If you go on a trip they’ll send along bocadillos (sandwiches of chorizo, salchichón, etc.). And if you want to go out for tapas or to a restaurant with friends all you have to do is give a heads up to your host mom that you can’t make it for lunch/dinner. Breakfast is usually something light like a pastry and a piece of fruit. Lunch is served at 2 pm and is 3 courses – 2 main dishes and fruit or yogurt for dessert. Dinner is lighter than lunch and served around 9 pm. Another thing to keep in mind in regards to food is that different areas of Spain have distinct dishes, and of course families have their own preferred recipes and ingredients. But here are some common dishes in León:
Bread
White bread is bought fresh from the bakery everyday and is served with every meal
Soup
Garlic soup (especially particular to León)
Vegetable purees
Stews with meat and vegetables
Meat
Meat, especially pork, is central to Leonés food
Cecina, morcilla, botillo, chorizo, jamón serrano, jamón ibérico
I have also eaten duck, chicken, beef, lamb, rabbit, fish (trout, salmon, tuna, bonito, cod, merluza), and seafood (prawns and mussels primarily).
Dishes
Arroz a la cubana
Empanada
Tortilla de patata
Croquettes
Pizza
Spaghetti
Paella
Desserts
Roasted chestnuts
Churros con chocolate
Flan
Frisuelos
Arroz con leche
Bizcocho
Napolitanos de chocolate
Fruit and yogurt
If you need a change from Spanish food, there are some great restaurants with Mexican, Chinese, Italian, Turkish, and of course, American food.

Have a wonderful week!

Ali

Arroz a la cubana

Arroz a la cubana

Screen Shot 2015-11-22 at 3.58.20 PM

Empanada

 

Churros con chocolate

Churros con chocolate

 

 

 

Napolitano de chocolate

Napolitano de chocolate

This entry was posted on Tuesday, November 3rd, 2015 at 3:38 pm and is filed under Leon, Spain, Spanish, Spanish Major, Study Abroad. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

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Ali Olson '17

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