So long, farewell!

Hi everyone!             

            I can't believe that it's already my last week at Clara Campoamor! As they say, "time flies when you're having fun" - and the time definitely flew! We had a great year together in the bilingual program. Through all our classes, we learned so much and improved our English and cultural knowledge. 

            My favorite memories are going on field trips to Granada and Seville, seeing the dance performances in PE, hosting a Christmas concert with the teachers, and playing games like Bingo and Baamboozle in the classes. We also have shared a lot about Spanish and American culture. I have learned so much from you all too!

                      To the students, it's been so fun to get to know you and watch you grow. You have made me laugh and smile every single day. You are all amazing students with bright futures!

                      To the bilingual teachers, thank you for being so organized, flexible, and positive this year. It has been wonderful to get to know you and build a relationship with everyone! 

                    Thank you especially to Marta! You have been a great bilingual coordinator. You made this whole program run smoothly and have always been there to help when needed! I feel that I have been so lucky with my placement because of you.

                    It has been an absolute pleasure to be here and I feel very blessed to have had this unforgettable experience. Thank you all so much - you're the reason this year has been so positive for me! I wish you all the best!

❤️♡💙Much love ❤️💛❤️ 

Sierra Cady

P.S. Let's stay in touch! My email is sierrancady98@gmail.com

My first Holy Week in Spain

I hope you had a great Holy Week and spring break! It seems like many people enjoyed many traditions and festivities for the first time in two years.

For me, it was my first time in Spain during this special week. My sister visited me and we got to experience a lot of new places and events together!

My sister and I in Zuheros

We watched many processions in the streets of Lucena. It was lovely to see the lively streets filled with people enjoying time with family and friends and reflecting the holiday! This is what I noticed during Holy Week in Lucena:

Midnight Procession

• The weather was finally perfect just in time for the processions!
• The midnight, silent procession was very peaceful and beautiful. 
• All of the spectators wore their best, most fashionable outfits.  
• Families stayed out very late in the night to watch the processions, even those with babies!
• The traditional outfits of the participants of the processions was very shocking to us. The conical hats and face coverings appear to be like the dress of a racist, hate group in the USA; however, we know that in Spain it has absolutely nothing to do with this group. We had to remember that here, the dress is religious and symbolic. 

Overall, it was unlike anything I had experienced before. Spain has more religious Easter activities than United States. In the USA, many people today focus on the Easter Bunny, Easter eggs, and chocolate candies. It was nice to see so many cultural traditions during this week. 

My sister and I were inspired by the traditions and how everyone gathered together. It was amazing!

What did you do during Holy Week?

-Sierra

A Weekend in Paris!

                        One of my New Year's goals this year was to travel more around Europe. Last weekend I flew with a friend to my top destination: Paris, France! With Paris being such an iconic city, we had very high expectations. The city exceeded them all- it was one of the best trips I have ever been on!

    Most of the weekend was cloudy, cold, and rainy, but that didn't stop us from sightseeing. We stayed near the Sacré-Cœur Basilica, which is a church with a panoramic view of the entire city. 

Sacré-Cœur Basilica

    Next, we went to the Eiffel Tower, walked to Notre-Dame Cathedral, and enjoyed a French lunch. Later on, we returned to the Eiffel Tower to see it lit up at night.

    The following day, we went to the famous Louvre Museum. We spent hours walking around it, and even took a selfie with Mona Lisa! The museum was huge and very impressive!

Selfie with Mona Lisa!

    My favorite part was seeing the Eiffel Tower at night. Its reflection on the river was so beautiful, especially when it was sparkling. I also loved seeing all the fashionable people in Paris and trying French pastries!

Eiffel Tower at night

    I loved Paris and would like to go back one day. Have you ever been to Paris? What did you think of it?

Sincerely,

Sierra 

Valentine's Day

        💜💗💘

    This week, we celebrated Valentine's Day on Monday, February 14th, and there was definitely love in the air at Clara Campoamor! Roses and candies were passed out during recess, heart-shaped valentines were exchanged, and love songs were sung. Valentine's day is the perfect day to celebrate not only your romantic relationship, but also your family and friends.

     In our 3rd ESO English classes, we discussed various love myths, such as whether or not love at first sight exists. To my surprise, many students believed in love at first sight. However, few people agreed that finding your partner means you will constantly be happy in your life. I think it is valuable to reflect on what myths we subconsciously believe about love in our minds. Do you think that people in love never fight? Do you believe that you will just see the person and immediately know that he/she is perfect for you? Do you believe that being in a relationship will complete you? 

     Often times, TV shows, movies, and the media can affect how we think of a “normal” relationship. This week, the 3rd ESO students considered what love is and wrote their thoughts on paper hearts. Some hearts were broken and others were full. Their task was to write "Love is ..." on the full hearts and "Love isn't ..." on the broken hearts. Here are some examples of what I thought of during this activity: 

 💔 5 Things that Love Isn’t:

•  Love isn’t keeping a record of everything someone does wrong. 
•  Love isn’t selfish. 
•  Love isn’t being jealous of the other person. 
•  Love isn’t controlling someone else. 
•  Love isn’t being angry with your partner all the time. 

 💜  5 Things that Love Is: 

•  Love is being patient. 
•  Love is being kind and gentle. 
•  Love is listening well. 
•  Love is telling the truth to your partner. 
•  Love is persevering when you go through difficult circumstances.

What would you add to these lists?

I hope you had a lovely week!

-Sierra

Traveling and Travel Goals!

    One of my main goals during my time as a Language Assistant is to travel around Spain and the rest of Europe. Traveling is a great way to learn about other people and their culture, and it shows you what makes your country unique. 

    Since being in Spain, I have taken trips all around Andalucía. I love Andalucía because of the architecture and the weather. My favorite part about the culture is that people spend a lot of time outside and love to socialize with others. This is very different than Chicago. There, it is cold and we stay indoors a lot. 

      A great time to travel is when there is a break from school. During Christmas break, my boyfriend came to visit me here and we went to Málaga, Córdoba, and Seville. I also showed him around Lucena. Our favorite city is Seville because of the beautiful river! 

    During the New Year, it is fun to set new goals for yourself. My goal for 2022 is to travel to Paris, France and London, England. 

Do you have any travel goals? I would love to hear about them!

I hope you get to go somewhere new this year! 
-Sierra

Lucena

Córdoba Mezquita

The Giralda in Seville