The Week

Sorry I haven't really had an opportunity to post this week, I have been extremely busy with classes. The week went well, although it went by very fast. I met with all of my intercambios like I usually do which was fun. I got to check out some of the local parts of Barcelona and it was interesting to see parts of Barcelona that none of the tourists know about. Classes have been the same, but I do have a few papers and tests coming up after out study week so I am trying to get ahead.

This coming week we don't have class. IES has a "study week" and basically this means that Monday through Wednesday there are conferences at one of the local universities given by IES professors, and other professors throughout Barcelona. These conferences are only mandatory if IES professors assign them to their classes, and of course my professors are assigning almost all of them. I must go to three of them, and also write summaries and a reflection which won't be that bad. However, I know many people who do not need to go to any of them. The conferences include diverse topics such as: business, environment, politics, social issues, sports, arts, communications, design, etc.

There is an optional presentation given by ESADE called "Job Searching in Europe" which sounds like an overview of working in Europe, how to get a job here, networking, difference between American and European resumes, interviews, etc. Apparently ESADE Business School is ranked among the top 10 Business Schools in Europe, and ranked in the top 20 in the world. I am going with a few friends because I think it will be interesting to learn about the differences working in Europe and the US. I definitely think that it is worth going, especially if I decide to try and find some sort of international job, which might be a possibility.

After the conferences are over, our entire program heads to Navarra on Thursday! Yes, our entire program...all 450-500 students are required to go! Navarra is located in the Northern part of Spain in El Pais Vasco (The Basque Country). El Pais Vasco is a country much different than any others in Spain. Their language is different than all the others, and no one is quite sure where it came from. But the Basques have wanted their independence much like the Catalans.

We are broken up into groups according to our Spanish class, so my class and two other upper level classes will be riding on the same buses, and staying at the same hotel as well. Our of our guides will be in Spanish and a lot of my friends will be in my same group. How the trip works is Thursday morning we all depart in 30 minute intervals. Of course I have the luck of being the first bus, leaving at 8:00 AM. It is a short 6 HOUR bus ride up to Navarra, and it will be much cooler up there as well. Many IES students have been complaining about this trip, but I am looking forward to it because I wanted to go to the north of Spain, and this trip is included in our program cost as well!

During the trip we will be visiting at least 7 different parts of Navarra: Olite, Estella, Tudela, Ayegui, Roncevalles, Puente La Reina, and Pamplona. Previously, I never heard of any of these other than Pamplona. Pamplona is a historic city that has turned its main festivity, the Sanfermines, into a fiesta known throughout the world. Sanfermines is the daredevil bull running which takes place in July. Pamplona gets thousands of tourists every year and there are always severe injuries and deaths from the bull running. The deaths of the people during Sanfermines are always tourists, they actually rank them out here. The first most are Australians, followed by Americans, and then English...all English-speaking countries.

Each part of Navarra that we will visit has something unique about it. In fact, Ernst Hemingway had a passion for bullfighting and the north of Spain, and a few of his novels actually took place in Navarra. We will also be visiting The Camino de Santiago or the Way of St. James, which has existed for over a thousand years. Apparently the Basque Country is very famous for its wines, so we will have the opportunity to visit some vineyards, I believe.

I am very excited for this trip, and also interested to experience a very different part of Spain. It seemed like this trip was months away, but my time here sure is flying.

Today I plan to finish one of my papers which is due after the study week, but since Lindsay is coming out here in a week, I want to finish most of my school work before she comes.

My intercambio, Axel has a castellers performance today, so I might head up there for a couple hours and check it out. There is a FC Barcelona game tonight and I'm getting together with a few guys to watch the game at a local bar.

I will post before I leave for Navarra and explain a little bit more about how my intercambios and conferences went!