Blog 10: Dinero, Dinero, Dinero (Money, Money, Money)

Blog 10: Dinero, Dinero, Dinero (Money, Money, Money)

Panoramic view of Córdoba

Arcos de la Frontera

            In the past week I’ve gone to two more Andalucian cities. First I went to charming Córdoba and then peaceful Arcos de la Frontera. I will talk about my trip to Arcos de la Frontera next time but these pictures are like a preview. Doesn’t the town and dramatic cliff look like a scene from a movie? I went to Córdoba as another college trip. There we saw the Mezquita, a beautiful mosque turned church that had endless rows of rusty red arched columns.  Walking in there is like stepping back in time. The lights are dimmed and if you have a good imagination you can almost hear the low hum of the Imam (Islamic priest) and the swishing their ropes. The ocean of graceful arcs above seems to whisper the secrets of the past. It was yet another beautiful Islamic treasure. But one of the most fascinating things in Córdoba, for me anyways, is that it has one of the three last Jewish synagogues in Spain. . It was so small and simple it was easy to forget that it is now a reminder of a dark past. During the Spanish Inquisition, many Jewish people fled Spain. Many people were burned on stakes or tortured and synagogues everywhere were destroyed. The fact that this synagogue in Córdoba survived because it was so well hidden is remarkable to me.  The humble white washed walls of the synagogues insides are so starkly different from the grand, golden altars in the cathedral of Spain. Yet I found this little synagogue to be just as profound.

            Next topic. The thought has probably crossed your mind, “how in the world is Terah paying for all this!” That’s a very good question. Spending a semester traveling around Europe might not seem all that possible for us college students sitting in our cramped dorm rooms religiously eating microwaved cup of noodles and pop tarts. I’m not going to lie, studying abroad (or going on your dream trip to Europe) can be cara (expensive) but if your smart about budgeting you can have the time of your life and not break tu cartera ( your wallet). I have three simple suggestions. One, unless you have the means it will be impossible to go out every night. I go out when I feel 100 percent in the mood for it or when my friends are planning to do something different. For example, I really wanted to go to my intercambio’s barbeque and they asked everyone coming to pitch in money for the bebidas (drinks) and comida (food). Since I hadn’t gone out the night before, I didn’t feel bad spending the money. And it was well worth being able to practice Spanish for seven hours! Two, remember to convert euros to dollars in your head. Currently one euro is about one dollar and 30 cents so cuidado (careful)! That cheap twenty euro bolsa (bag) is actually about 27 dollars. Three have a game plan. I have a scholarship that helps pay for this study abroad and I’m planning to work again once I get back to Hawaii. But all this icky money-talk aside, for me, the life experience you get from living abroad is priceless. You will come back as a more confident, worldly person if you truly immerse yourself in a new culture and lifestyle.