I kind of overslept (writing e-mails until 4 AM for a 7 AM wake-up call is not a great idea), BUT made it for Today’s Security talk with 5 minutes to spare (Thank you, Chelsea, for stopping by to share your stories with me at 8:45 AM. I REALLY can’t wait to get a cell phone/alarm clock included). GREAT BRIEFING! I liked Ms. Sabo.
Tips on SECURITY: USE COMMON SENSE (if you don't have any. Find it ASAP)
- Do not leave purse behind chair
- Watch out for thieves with NEWSPAPERS (leave your blackberry on the table, they place the newspaper over it. In seconds your cell is gone!). Bizarre
- Avoid carrying passport around. Bring photocopy or license
- Photocopy all of your cards in your purse
- Keep a low profile!
- Register at the Embassy
- Check out information about different countries if you are to travel to them (re: requirements/things you need to look out for): state.gov/travel
- Always leave windows/doors LOCKED
- Emergency telephone number: 112
- Latest Interest! RANDOM Reminder: Foreign State Exam (look into areas of specialization) Look for an internship: US state department website. I love Laura (US Embassy). PSYCHOLOGY major in undergrad!
Moving on to our seminar with Professor David Nordlund (pretty cool man). He offered some fine tips (consejos). He is our “Godfather” in Valencia. He gave us a series of maps, tourist guides, info booklets. GREAT resources.
- Valencia Port, the 2nd most lucrative port in the Mediterranean (indeed, a very dynamic place).
- La Lonja* For a long time, Valencia was a major port of entry for the silk trade.
- Mercado Central (in front of La Lonja)*
- Arts & Sciences Center*
- Soccer Match*
- Viveros Park*
- Bellas artes*
- 850,000 people in city of Valencia. HUGE student population (he said about 130,000)
- *Popular culture in Valencia: las fallas in Marzo (ask if we can help prepare for them in local community. “Casal”: huge time commitment).
- *Look into student group organizations? (Look into Language Exchange)
- Castellon: great beaches; go to old medieval section that hangs over a cliff (right over the Mediterranean), small town (Peniscola and Vinaroz)
- *funcionarios: Get in the know! This is an important topic in Valencia schools right now.
- *Wine areas: Requena & Utiel (festivals now! & Bullfight this Friday, El Ponce; contact Nordlund)
- Valencia is a very “linguistically rich” place. Valencia is regionally bilingual (Valenciano/Castellano).
- Free Introductory Class: University of Valencia & Real Academia de Cultura Valenciana (located by Catedral)
Instead of going out after the delightful reception (Yes, I took many photos and made many new and lovely contacts), I decided to return to the colegio, write a few thank you cards and pack my things in a more relaxed mode. I really need to ease into this outing schedule. Eh, it’s probably so hard for me to stay out late because I do not siesta like every one else (everything closes at 2 PM and opens around 4 or 5 PM, so people can rest. No wonder the stress levels here are seemingly lower than in the US. We never stop!).
Anyway, Today was longer than anticipated (I was downtown for at least 3 hours today and I ended up missing my date with Liliana, a friend of a friend; Problem: No cell phone and Lack of communication. I also learned a lesson today: NEVER throw away your metro tickets after using them. I had to purchase a new one after accidentally exiting the terminal. Lesson learned.
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