3 months in Barcelona – Bognár Helka
In the last few months I participated in a long-term Erasmus, first one in Poli! I spent 3 months (from 6 February to 6 May) in Spain, Barcelona. I went to a high school at top of a mountain in Badalona, which is a city next to Barcelona, it’s kind of like Hűvösvölgy in Budapest. Host families ensured my living, they gave me a private room (in cases a private bathroom), food. Their kids were my classmates so we went to school together and had classes together. We spent the afternoons, evenings and weekends together. My task was to adapt to the families which can be challenging, because all families are a whole world. Especially if you spend this time in several homes. The days at families were divided to 28-16-37 days at each house. We enjoyed a lot of experience together, they took me to their holiday house, we went to see the sights and went out for family dinners to explore Spanish culture.
My school called Garbí Pere Vergés was a Catalan school, they provided me classes partly in Castellón language. I had a special schedule which contained English, Castellón grammar, Philosophy, PE, Literature. First in the morning, we had a one and a half hour long class, then a one hour long, at 10.30 we grabbed some ”almuerzo” in the canteen together, which included baguette, guacamole, ham, fruit, yoghurt with cereal, coffee, milk etc.
My favourite experience was when me and my third family cooked a big paella together and talked at the table for hours.
I could recommend it for students who would like to become independent, learn a new language fast, to meet a culture and who are able to make compromise.