Tag: jcapobia

By jcapobia

Ya está. That’s it. As quickly as study abroad began, it seems like only about a week remains until I find myself on a 7 hour one-way flight back to the states. Although it seems like so long ago, I remember my flight here, sitting nervously in my seat, very uncertain of what lay ahead. I even remember my last few moments in the states before I got on the fateful flight from NY to Madrid. The week before I left, I had done my best to not think about the biggest displacement of culture, identity, location, and language I was about to experience. I went about my business as usual, until on the drive over, a sense of dread suddenly befell over me. I remember looking at everything (house, dogs, favorite restaurants, highways, cars, etc.) and thinking how much they would all change by the time I got back.

...continue reading "Ya está"

By jcapobia

When I was in Rome last week, my traveling companion, Brian Schwartz, and I went out to an American bar. We chose that place because we had really been dying for some American culture and contact. After spending sometime there we struck up a conversation with a Mexican (Javier)  and an Italian (Giovanni), who for whatever reason found themselves at an American bar that night. We started talking and, when I mentioned we were studying in Madrid, they switched to speaking to us in Spanish.

For the rest of the night, we communicated in strictly Spanish, which basically equated to 3 hours of non-stop Spanish conversation. While we were in the bar, we also met a bunch of native Spaniards who came over to talk to us because we were the only ones in the bar speaking Spanish (the rest were Americans speaking English). While the night progressed, it felt to both Brian and I that we had an “in” or we were somehow different because of our ability to speak Spanish. When we left the bar and said goodbye to our Spanish speaking friends, we were ecstatic because that had really been the first time our studies of Spanish language and culture had produced a real world effect. Had we not known Spanish, we would have never made friends with Javier and Giovanni or the other Spaniards because, to them, we would have been just another bunch of Americans in that American bar.

...continue reading "What I’ll Take With Me"

By jcapobia

Let’s be honest. There are some people in this world that we could never get along with no matter how hard we tried. It’s really no one’s fault, but there are just some people who you don’t click with. Maybe you have clashing personalities, different interests, or just genuinely don't like each other.

And this usually isn’t too big of a problem, given that there’s almost 7.2 billion people in the world. As mentioned in previous blogs, people usually seek out like minded individuals and wall themselves off. Sure, may not be the greatest way to live your life, but there's some sense in it. It is genuinely hard to relate to people that don’t share your interests, your experiences, or your views.

Here in Spain, I’ve kind of felt trapped in the sense that meeting different kinds of people has been a struggle. I haven’t had the patience or time to actually maintain some of my earlier friendships, and this has led to the dissolution of many relationships. Additionally, as I’ve gone through my adventures in Spain, I’ve found that being an American restricts you in a way that makes you not quite “exotic” (for lack of a better word). Through the omnipresence of American media, foreigners will always know much, much more about the United States than you expect. And I think this kind of takes away from the cultural exchange aspect of studying abroad because I have no culture to exchange; Hollywood, Kanye West, and The New York Times are already spreading it around the world.

...continue reading "How to Make Friends Abroad"

By jcapobia

I am writing this blog just after the attack in London (3/22/17) and a week after the attack at Orly airport in Paris last week. As someone who grew up in the shadow of 9/11 (literally and figuratively), I’ve more or less lived with the threat of terror in the back of my mind. all my life. Although I’ve been lucky and never suffered the consequences of a terrorist attack and really haven't worried about becoming a victim myself, there's something about these recent attacks that have given me pause for concern.

So when tomorrow comes and I fly to Paris-- to the exact airport (Orly) where the terrorist attack occurred.--for the first time in my life, I am a little scared. I know this fear is not logical as my likelihood of being killed by my christmas tree is higher than being killed by a terrorist. Nevertheless, when I saw the pictures of London under lockdown after the attack, it made me very afraid because I remembered being on those exact streets just a month before.

I think I’ve always looked at terrorist attacks through the safety of a TV, thinking they occured in a world far away from me. However, something about being on those streets before, traveling to the airports, and being able to place myself in these hot spots of terrorist activity has made it all the more real for me. I’ll be honest,and admit that I am a little worried about my next two trips (Berlin, Germany and Paris, France) because these are two countries that have taken an active role in the Middle East and have been targets of previous attacks.

...continue reading "When I was in High School, I had a Pretty Severe Fear of Rollercoasters"

By jcapobia

 

I haven’t done a “day-in-the-life” post yet so for those wondering what I do between writing these scintillating blogs, this posts for you. I’ll break up my days into three different categories: Monday/Wednesday, Tuesday/Thursday, and weekend. They mostly vary based off my class schedule, but overall all are quite similar.

Monday/Wednesday:

• 6:45: Wake Up and eat breakfast. 7:20 leave for train; a fifteen minute walk (at New Yorker speed) from my house.
• 8:00-9:00: Arrive at Universidad Autónoma de Madrid gym.
• 9:30-11: Class 1: Advanced Oral Communication: A class that examines stereotypes, linguistic, and cross-cultural differences between the U.S. and Spain, focusing on communication techniques and differences in expression
• 11:30-1: Class 2: Camino de Santiago: A class that studies the Camino de Santiago and prepares us for our trip along the Camino in May.  
• 1-3: Take the train back home and arrive at home for La Comida 2:15. I usually eat with my host mother and one or more of my host brothers. We discuss our days or talk about random topics. Great for practicing Spanish as I make sure I use a new word or phrase everyday. Practicing with native speakers everyday is an incredible support to my language learning.
• 3-5: Siesta: I actually do take a siesta Monday and Wednesday. While the siesta doesn’t exist “officially” in Spain, as many stereotypes hold, there's definitely a noticeable drop in activity both at school and in my house during the late afternoon.
• 5-8: I grab the train (45min ride) to the center of the city where my Flamenco class is held. During class we prepare for our May performance by rehearsing the Flamenco style dance Las Sevillanas. Take train back
• 8- End of day: Either I will go back home and eat with the family for La Cena or if it's Wednesday, usually the GW Madrid program sponsors some type of cultural activity for us, whether it be a play or a Flamenco show.

...continue reading "Un dia en la vida"

By jcapobia

I thinkthis blog is cause for celebration because I’ve made it halfway through my study abroad experience. Although I am not fluent yet, I’m happy with the progress I’ve made both linguistically and in general. I’ve spent the last month figuring out my place here in Madrid, trying to hammer down schedules, become comfortable with my host family, and gain confidence talking to locals.

And for the most part I think I’ve succeeded in finding my place here in Madrid (more or less). I’ve finally gotten into a groove with my schedule and classes where it's almost (almost!) starting to feel mundane as the weeks pass by. Moreover, I’ve also gotten very close to my family. At first, as you can imagine, living with a family in another country that doesn’t really speak your language is a tough hurdle to clear. But I’m happy to say that after two months, I wouldn’t trade the experience for the world. The family is extremely helpful and engaging. All my host-brothers and my host-mom have gone the extra mile to make sure I’m happy, well fed, and that I know what I’m doing in this foreign city (all while kindly correcting my Spanish). And finally, I think I’ve gained confidence in believing that I belong; that I’m more than a tourist in a foreign country. I feel (on the Metro, the Train, on the streets) like I am one of the locals, just going about my business.

...continue reading "Halfway to Nowhere: Cautiously Pessimistic"

By jcapobia

Because it's midterm week and I just finished climbing two mountains, I will make this blog quick and to the point.

As I was climbing a mountain in Cercedilla, Madrid today a question came to me. Something that I didn’t have an answer for and could use some help with. (Please send your answers to me in the below comments, in person, through Facebook, etc. I will aggregate them and reveal them in the next post).

Why study abroad?

• To travel: Is it to see the world? Should you be traveling to any and every country in your area so that you can experience many different cultures? Should you spend your last dollar (Euro) to experience everything while you can? How much are those pictures of the Sagrada Familia worth to you? How about that gondola ride in Venice? Can you even remember it all?
• To experience one culture / immersion: Should you stay in your host country and try to immerse yourself as best you can? Should the goal be to experience one culture in full, rather than 18 cultures in passing? Should you just stay, save some money, and explore your own host city, hang out with the host family, and immerse yourself in the culture as best you can?
• To learn differently: Is studying abroad useful because you can learn from foreign professors, learn with foreign students, and see a different style of schooling?
• Resume builder: I know you want to put “World Traveler” on your resume. 
• Meet new people: Is it to meet people who come from vastly different worlds and cultures? To exchange ideas and worldviews with them, opening up your mind to things you had never thought about.
• Instagram photos: Photos of ice cream in front of European castles really do bring in the likes
• Economic: Cheap Drinks!
• Political: Lead the resistance against Trump from Abroad!
• Anything else?

...continue reading "A Question from 1500m Above Madrid"

By jcapobia

“Fitting in” is something everybody deals with. When we are young we try to fit in because we think that “fitting in” will make us cool, get us friends, and shield us from looking like an outsider. This was mostly achieved through appearance (new shoes) or cultural (listening to “cool music” and buying the new Lil Wayne album). As we grow older, this desire to fit in recedes to our subconscious a little bit and becomes less obvious.

When I arrived in college I found that people didn’t care about fitting in anymore, they didn’t care about conforming to what was considered “correct” or “cool: In college, people are more confident in themselves and don’t try to adjust themselves as much. I think when people get to college, they forget about trying to fit in because as we become older we become more cognizant of our worth and confident in our abilities.

Although that burning desire to become a chameleon and blend in with your surroundings recedes in college, it never really goes away. In Spain, I’ve found this “fitting in” urge to be very strong, something that I am constantly cognizant of. I visited London this weekend, and I can’t stress how similar I found it to a U.S. city and how “blended in” I felt. Although London is obviously London and has its own charm and culture, I found myself more comfortable there then I have in Spain so far. And I don’t think it was just because there was no language barrier in London. It felt like being in Washington, D.C. again. People were professional, ate at normal eating times, dressed similar to me, and had similar complexions to me.

...continue reading "An American in Madrid"

By jcapobia

Following up on my last blog post, I attempted to put words into action and completely immerse myself in the language and culture. Starting on Monday of last week, I attempted to fully and unequivocally surround myself in Spanish culture and language. This consisted of only reading, speaking, writing, listening to music, and, most importantly, thinking in Spanish all day for a week. I was going to immerse myself fully in Spanish culture and language, completely shutting the American culture and English language out for an entire week.  

And what a week it was. I don’t think I can overemphasize the amount I learned and the level of immersion I felt. While I’ll admit that I failed in my goal to only do Spanish things for a week (as you can probably tell because this blog is written in English), it was still a pretty cool experience.

Immediately I saw benefits:

• When I couldn’t think of a way to express something in Spanish in my head or I didn’t understand a word in the novel I’m reading, La Torre Herida Por El Rayo, I looked it up on the SpanishDictonary app on my phone. This vastly increased my vocabulary.
• Orally, I found myself more fluent in the sense that I didn’t need to change languages every second. Whenever I heard or read Spanish, since I had been thinking in it all day, I didn’t need to translate it in my head. In a weird way it was received by my brain in the same way I naturally receive and understand English.
• And most important of all, I felt more like a true Madrileño, a feeling I won’t try to put into words because it was surreal and I’m not really sure how to express it.

...continue reading ""I’m Tryin to Raise the Bar High, Whose Tryin to Jump and Get It?""

By jcapobia

When I was in Lisboa, one of our tour guides told us about a Portuguese word that has no equivalent in English or Spanish. The word is Saudade, a word which describes the feeling of depression that one feels when they think about the “good old days;” the longing for something that cannot exist. Our tour guide described it as the feeling you get when you see your Ex walk by and you remember the old days, but simultaneously realize your life can never be like that again and that you may never feel that same happiness. (In Portugal, they express this sadness through music, most notably in the melancholy music of Fado)

This encounter made me think of a linguistic hypothesis I heard a couple months ago in a movie. The hypothesis, recently popularized by the movie Arrival,  is called the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis. This hypothesis holds that as someone’s language influences their thoughts and decisions. In other words, the limits of your language, all the way down to the grammatical structure, determines the way you perceive the world. Although I haven't thought about it much before this week, as I learn more and more and become immersed in this culture and language, I am learning the subtle differences that Spanish and English (And the two Portuguese words I know) have and the subsequent effects of these language peculiarities.

...continue reading "My Language Limits This Title"