The Ciudad Real bunch had a full week of classes and fun activities!  The week began with some of the students’ first exams and writing assignments in their classes.  The students are growing a lot in their knowledge of Spanish culture, geography, ability to read literature in Spanish, listening comprehension, and their fluency to express themselves correctly in both spoken and written forms.  Outside of the academic realm, the students have divided themselves into theater and choir groups and have enjoyed acting and singing in Spanish.  They are now embarking on the endeavor of creating and/or selecting pieces for the end of course program for the host families.  As you can see in the pictures below, they have also enjoyed playing sports this week.  There are a variety of activities, including yoga/pilates, basketball, volleyball, soccer, and frisbee – or what seems to be our group’s favorite activity called “frisbee fútbol,” which seems to be a fun combination of ultimate frisbee and soccer. 

We celebrated our first onsite birthday this week, during which the students’ host family surprised the birthday girl with a cake to share with the whole group!

Though we did not travel on an excursion this week, the students enjoyed a couple of optional evening activities here in Ciudad Real.  First, the students went to the theater to see a movie of their choice, such as Snow White, Men in Black 3, Project X, among others.  Most were surprised by the cheaper price of tickets and typical movie refreshments and took full advantage!  A few were also excited about the Burger King right next to the theater and took a moment to indulge in American fast food.  

The following evening, a small group attended a local dance school’s end of course festival.  They were able to see the school’s instructors perform a variety of traditional Spanish dances, such as flamenco, tango, sevillana, and tango.

This week the group is looking forward to a very short week – only three days of classes followed by our overnight trip to Córdoba and Granada!  Needless to say, we are all anxiously awaiting the trip and pictures will follow upon our return!