AN E30 Fan 1 Report post Posted January 18, 2010 (edited) Now some of you may remember, I was contemplating weather or not to do a student exchange this year back in September or October. Well I ended up going through with it and I have arrived in Barcelona in Spain for my exchange and thought I would tell you how I'm getting on. Well after 36 hours of travel by myself, I'm 17 and I have done a bit of travel but even so, it was a struggle to navigate LA airport and Amsterdam (I missed my connecting flight to Barcelona from Amsterdam). Anyway, I arrived here to 8 degrees, not quite as bad as Mark in the Ukarine but still cold leaving New Zealand summer behind. Now, honestly I don't speak very little Spanish so after I arrived I stayed in a hotel for the night and met my family the next morning. My family speak little English so it has been hard communicating but hopefully in a month or so I will know some decent Spanish. Yesterday we went out for the day and they showed me around Barcelona and we went to Barcelona de Castelle a large Castle that was used by the Spainsh whilst the Barcelona Civil war was on, well atleast I think thats what my host father said but again my knowledge of Spainish is small so I'm not sure if im correct there. Anyway we live on the outskirts of Barcelona in a small town called Sant Cugat. So far I'm not home sick what so ever but I start school tomorrow or the next day so we will see how that goes. Anyway here are a few pictures of me in Amsterdam and at Barcelona de Castelle. McFlurry ahh the good old days when they did that at MC D's in NZ Edited January 18, 2010 by AJ-E30 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dubman 39 Report post Posted January 18, 2010 Amsterdam......thats the only thing i picked up on XD. Have fun on your exchange! My mate went to France for an exchange for a year; he's been there for 2 years and counting. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mark247 38 Report post Posted January 18, 2010 I'm only here for 3 months so it's nothing like your exchange which is 12 months! ( I assume ) Have fun. Spanish shouldn't be too hard to pick up on. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AN E30 Fan 1 Report post Posted January 18, 2010 Amsterdam......thats the only thing i picked up on XD. Have fun on your exchange! My mate went to France for an exchange for a year; he's been there for 2 years and counting. Yeh I may have the opportunity to stay as a support person at the end of the year but we will see, hahah Schnipol airport is a bitch to get around in. Umm yeh I was only there for a short while so I couldn't go do any.....sight seeing? I'm only here for 3 months so it's nothing like your exchange which is 12 months! ( I assume ) Have fun. Spanish shouldn't be too hard to pick up on. Yep shouldn't be too hard, went to my school that I am meant to be going to, and at one point the Nun I swear was speaking Jibberish it didn't even sound like a language she was speaking so fast, yep I'm here for 1 year. January to December. Arg I can't wait for Summer. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mark247 38 Report post Posted January 18, 2010 Arg I can't wait for Summer. You cant complain. I walked to work today, its 1.2kilometers walk and it was minus 10 degrees. And that isn't even bad. haha.=P Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AN E30 Fan 1 Report post Posted January 18, 2010 You cant complain. I walked to work today, its 1.2kilometers walk and it was minus 10 degrees. And that isn't even bad. haha.=P Wow, no I can't and I thought Amsterdam was really cold. What time is it in the Ukraine? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mark247 38 Report post Posted January 18, 2010 Wow, no I can't and I thought Amsterdam was really cold. What time is it in the Ukraine? 5:30. And it's been dark since 4. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AN E30 Fan 1 Report post Posted January 18, 2010 5:30. And it's been dark since 4. Hmm close time zones then. It's 4.30pm here, exactly 12 hours behind New Zealand, but it isn't dark here..yet. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
elmarco 56 Report post Posted January 19, 2010 (edited) Awesome - Barcelona is my favourite european city by far! Don't forget to go to the MotoGP while you are there (easily the best one I have been to) and enjoy the Spanish lifestyle. Are your family speaking Catalan or Spanish? They are distinctly different languages, and normally the Catalans speak Spanish as a second language. edit: typing while drunk Edited January 19, 2010 by elmarco Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AN E30 Fan 1 Report post Posted January 19, 2010 Awesome - Barcelona is my favourite european city by far! Don't forget to go to the MotoGP while you are there (easily the best one I have been to) and enjoy the Spanish lifestyle. Are your family speaking Catalan or Spanish? They are distinctly different languages, and normally the Catalans speak Spanish as a second language. edit: typing while drunk Hola! Como esta? haha my Spainsh is coming along. My family speaks both Catalin and Spanish, while we are at home they speak Catalin and at school (I start soon I think) they speak Spanish, Catalin is very similar to Spanish and it has some parts of French in it, for example Merci and D'accord. While we are at home they try to speak Spanish but normally they speak Catalin. Barcelona is an amazing city from the little part I have seen of it so far, even though there is relatively bad weather at the moment (overcast and drizzle) it is still an amazing city. So many diesel manual's here, my family have an E60 530d Manual, such a wicked car and its pretty quick too. Loads of E90 and E92 diesel manuals around aswell. I am loving it here so far, every day that goes by gets better I am pretty keen to go to the MotoGP or the F1, never been to the Formula 1 before so I am pretty keen to go. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
318Touring 40 Report post Posted January 19, 2010 So many diesel manual's here, my family have an E60 530d Manual, such a wicked car and its pretty quick too. Loads of E90 and E92 diesel manuals around aswell. Aren't you lucky to get a family who owns BMW. Is that a co-incidence or did you specially requested a BMW owner for your host family Convince them to let you drive their E60, it's an amazing car. Enjoy your stay! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mark247 38 Report post Posted January 19, 2010 Aren't you lucky to get a family who owns BMW. Is that a co-incidence or did you specially requested a BMW owner for your host family Convince them to let you drive their E60, it's an amazing car. Enjoy your stay! More likely it's because 5 series beemers are like the Holden Commodore / Ford Falcon of Europe. You see heaps even here in the East. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AN E30 Fan 1 Report post Posted January 19, 2010 (edited) Aren't you lucky to get a family who owns BMW. Is that a co-incidence or did you specially requested a BMW owner for your host family Convince them to let you drive their E60, it's an amazing car. Enjoy your stay! I specially requested it Edited January 19, 2010 by AJ-E30 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
318Touring 40 Report post Posted January 20, 2010 More likely it's because 5 series beemers are like the Holden Commodore / Ford Falcon of Europe. You see heaps even here in the East. I wish they could be like the Ford Falcon/Holden Commodore of NZ as well :-) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bmw_tonci 0 Report post Posted January 20, 2010 i always wished i had taken my opportunity to go on a student exchange you should have an absolutely amazing time. i suppose your not of legal drinking age tho ay? would be must to try the tapas bars Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Simon* Report post Posted January 20, 2010 Hey AJ well done on the exchange to Spain mate! I did a year in Argentina in 7th form and loved it. Spoke no Spanish prior and came home fluent and sounding like a local. Commit hard to learning the language mate, it will be worth your while. You should develop an "ear" for it within 2/3 months and understand almost all of what's said - at least enough to pick out the words you don't understand too. Actual conversational speaking might take a tad longer to kick in What helped me heaps was getting hold of a book in Spanish and English (in my case it was an old novel) and I'd cruise through it trying to match it up and make sense of the stuff I was reading. And ask them to stop speaking English as soon as you're brave enough to try They can teach you some pickup lines straight away no doubt - get amongst it! Keep up the good work mate! Enjoy Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AN E30 Fan 1 Report post Posted January 21, 2010 (edited) ^^ Thanks Simon, thats a really good idea. I have already managed to pick up on words they say when they are speaking and kind of understand what they are talking about. I am going to start Spainsh classes soon. Those were wise words Simon. Muchas Gracias mate! i suppose your not of legal drinking age tho ay? would be must to try the tapas bars No the drinking age is 18, however they are extremely relaxed on it. Hoping I will go to Ibizia when my sister comes over, she is doing an Au Pair in Lille, France. So it will be good to see her when I want. Train from Barcelona to Paris then get on the Eurostar to Lille. Edited January 21, 2010 by AJ-E30 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gus 5 Report post Posted January 21, 2010 Get Laid ASAP Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AN E30 Fan 1 Report post Posted January 21, 2010 I have a 5 to 1 ratio of girls to boys in my glass at school Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Simon* Report post Posted January 21, 2010 Catholic girls are THE BEST Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
elmarco 56 Report post Posted January 22, 2010 i suppose your not of legal drinking age tho ay? would be must to try the tapas bars Haha - my ex was buying cigarettes and booze as soon as she could see over the bar with no questions asked. The legal age is more of a suggestion over there - much like red lights in Italy.... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
e30ftw 396 Report post Posted January 22, 2010 I have a 5 to 1 ratio of girls to boys in my glass at school Where do we sign up? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AN E30 Fan 1 Report post Posted January 22, 2010 (edited) Haha - my ex was buying cigarettes and booze as soon as she could see over the bar with no questions asked. The legal age is more of a suggestion over there - much like red lights in Italy.... Apparently the only ones that do ask for ID are the British Bartenders as I said they are extremley relaxed here, the one thing I did notice when I got here was the amount of tagging everywhere and its not where they write stupid sh*t its art quite impressive really, in the 2 weeks I have been here so far I have seen 3 police cars hardly any around, there were more at the airport with assault rifles Edited January 22, 2010 by AJ-E30 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mark247 38 Report post Posted January 22, 2010 The guys here that refill the ATM machines have AK47su's. European airports do seem to have small armies based at them don't they? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
elmarco 56 Report post Posted January 22, 2010 Yeah it is a little unnerving walking through the airport to see the Army walking around with Uzis. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
