A typical day consisted of me taking the bus from my host family’s apartment in the city center to my university on the western side of town. I studied at the Universidad de Málaga with local students in the Facultad de Filosofía y Letras taking classes in language, literature, and art history. I did have class with a few foreign students, but I tried to avoid them and make friends with the Spaniards.
Spending time with Malagueños (people from Málaga) was perhaps my
favorite part of living in Spain. They
were receptive to me as an American and were often full of questions about
American life, politics, the university system, and a host of other
topics. I like to think my Spanish was
good when I arrived, but spending time with my Spanish friends and speaking to
them on a daily basis made it worlds better.
As with any foreign country, there were cultural differences
and the ones in my city typically centered on food. The cuisine was naturally different, with
pork being used in almost every meat dish.
Additionally, it was common to take a coffee break at any available time
in the morning; I have fond memories of getting coffee with friends at the
university cafeteria at long breaks between classes or after classes had
finished but no one wanted to leave yet.
While I never felt like a local in Málaga, I certainly felt
like I lived there. At the end of my
year, I knew how to get around and I had seen most of city’s major festivals
and cultural events. I had an excellent
Málaga experience and I am eager to go back for more.
-Andrew
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Don't miss out on your own study abroad experience!
Find out more about Andrew's ISA Malaga Spain - Spanish Language & Courses with Locals program at http://studiesabroad.com/programs/country/spain/city/malaga
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