2. When you arrive at UCV, you will not have a schedule because you are not technically registered. Contact you international coordinator ASAP!
3. Everyone speaks English and they want to hear you speak English. It is nice when you are having issues, like going to buy medication when you are allergic to certain pills or having to deal with the mess that is your schedule, but other than that it is BAD. Also, the international students try to talk to you in English because it is a common language and they are comfortable speaking it. DON'T. Talk as much Spanish as you can.
4. Your host parents are a wonderful resource. They can help you find routes to school and show you where to go to buy things and where to visit. They might even offer to kick butt if people are doing you wrong. And if you get my host family, Rosa and Jose, consider yourself lucky. They are wonderful people.
5. At least half of the people smoke here. Chances are that you will have a couple friends who smoke. It really shocked me at first because I wasn't expecting it. I am an asthmatic and the smoke bothers my lungs. Now it barely bothers me.
6. Another thing that you should be prepared for is the way people greet each other. At home we give the awkward hello nod and smile, maybe a handshake. If you know someone well you give a hug. Here, if you are a girl, you greet everyone, boys and girls, with two “kisses”. By kisses, I mean you touch cheeks and make a kiss noise. You do not actually kiss someone’s face. If you are a guy, you kiss the cheeks of girls and give a handshake/bro hug to another guy. It’s little awkward at first because we value our personal space in America. I still don’t know which direction you are supposed to start when kissing cheeks and it is still a little awkward to be at someone’s face, especially a face of the opposite gender. In general, people are a lot touchier. Things that would indicate a boyfriend and girlfriend, actually indicate a friendship.
7. Some signs are in the dialect of Valenciano. Don't worry, you aren't going crazy. It isn't Spanish. It is okay if you cannot read them.
8. Socialize with your classmates. At first they will look at you as if you are an exhibit in the zoo but once they warm up to you, they can be very helpful. They are very patient about your Spanish and like to know people from other countries. They also can help you with your homework assignments and show you places to go in Valencia.
9. Water is not free here. If you order water in the restaurant, it will be bottled. It is not from the soda machine.
10. Whenever you go to a museum or the City of Arts and Sciences, bring your student I.D. Often you won't have to pay full price or you will get in for free.
11. Don't be alarmed if you walk into a cafe or stare and see hanging pig legs. This is customary here as it keeps the ham juicy. Also, stores sell whole seafood, eyes and all. The smell is disgusting but is how it is sold.
Finally, the most important:
12. Enjoy your time here in Valencia. You don't need to travel everywhere while you are here. I highly recommend visiting Madrid and Barcelona but Valencia has a lot of things to do. If you are gone every weekend, you will miss out on festivals and seeing friends. It is not about where you go, but what you do. Valencia is a beautiful city and a wonderful place to study. Please enjoy every minute of it.
3. Everyone speaks English and they want to hear you speak English. It is nice when you are having issues, like going to buy medication when you are allergic to certain pills or having to deal with the mess that is your schedule, but other than that it is BAD. Also, the international students try to talk to you in English because it is a common language and they are comfortable speaking it. DON'T. Talk as much Spanish as you can.
4. Your host parents are a wonderful resource. They can help you find routes to school and show you where to go to buy things and where to visit. They might even offer to kick butt if people are doing you wrong. And if you get my host family, Rosa and Jose, consider yourself lucky. They are wonderful people.
5. At least half of the people smoke here. Chances are that you will have a couple friends who smoke. It really shocked me at first because I wasn't expecting it. I am an asthmatic and the smoke bothers my lungs. Now it barely bothers me.
6. Another thing that you should be prepared for is the way people greet each other. At home we give the awkward hello nod and smile, maybe a handshake. If you know someone well you give a hug. Here, if you are a girl, you greet everyone, boys and girls, with two “kisses”. By kisses, I mean you touch cheeks and make a kiss noise. You do not actually kiss someone’s face. If you are a guy, you kiss the cheeks of girls and give a handshake/bro hug to another guy. It’s little awkward at first because we value our personal space in America. I still don’t know which direction you are supposed to start when kissing cheeks and it is still a little awkward to be at someone’s face, especially a face of the opposite gender. In general, people are a lot touchier. Things that would indicate a boyfriend and girlfriend, actually indicate a friendship.
7. Some signs are in the dialect of Valenciano. Don't worry, you aren't going crazy. It isn't Spanish. It is okay if you cannot read them.
8. Socialize with your classmates. At first they will look at you as if you are an exhibit in the zoo but once they warm up to you, they can be very helpful. They are very patient about your Spanish and like to know people from other countries. They also can help you with your homework assignments and show you places to go in Valencia.
9. Water is not free here. If you order water in the restaurant, it will be bottled. It is not from the soda machine.
10. Whenever you go to a museum or the City of Arts and Sciences, bring your student I.D. Often you won't have to pay full price or you will get in for free.
11. Don't be alarmed if you walk into a cafe or stare and see hanging pig legs. This is customary here as it keeps the ham juicy. Also, stores sell whole seafood, eyes and all. The smell is disgusting but is how it is sold.
Finally, the most important:
12. Enjoy your time here in Valencia. You don't need to travel everywhere while you are here. I highly recommend visiting Madrid and Barcelona but Valencia has a lot of things to do. If you are gone every weekend, you will miss out on festivals and seeing friends. It is not about where you go, but what you do. Valencia is a beautiful city and a wonderful place to study. Please enjoy every minute of it.
No comments:
Post a Comment