Season To Be Thankful

November is known as the month of giving thanks and spending time with your family and friends. I have a lot to be thankful for this year: God for all the blessings he has bestowed on my life,my family and friends for their love and support, different journeys and experiences I have been able to embark on with the help of my scholarship program The Tiger Woods Foundation, my study abroad program Spanish Studies Abroad, and my institution Ithaca College.

One of those experiences this month was my trip to London for the very first time. I went to visit my aunt and her family who moved there five years ago. When I arrived to London, I was quickly reminded of what soon awaits me once I arrive in New York City the cold fall weather, fast paced lifestyle and extensive metro system, everyone speaking English and seeing English signs. But London was a reversal of America. For starters the driver seat is on the right side rather than the left side. The fast lane when driving is on the right which is our slow lane in the States.

However, London is really expensive compared to America for example when you buy an oyster card (which is the card for bus and train similar to a metro card) it can be used for both bus and train but the fares are different and you are charged based on the distance of your journey. I felt that was outrageous and confusing because in NYC there is just one flat rate and it doesn't matter the distance of your journey. The payment is for both the train and the bus. Thankfully, my fourteen year old cousin accompanied me throughout my time there.  When I took the bus for the first time in London, I felt like a little kid because their public buses are similar to our time squares tour buses. As a result, I ran up to the upper deck with my cousin and sat at the front of the bus enjoying the ride lol. My cousin couldn't help but laugh at how excited I was to ride the upper deck.

On the first night my cousin and I went to see the Aladdin play. I was surprised to find out that the program aka playbill did not accompany the tickets. Basically, there were two different types of programs: a very small one with the actors and actresses biographies for 4 pounds and a huge program with all the plays stage performance pictures for 8 pounds, but if you buy both it was 10 pounds. I felt it was a huge rip off because I am used to all of that being included in the price of your tickets. The show was amazing my cousin and I really enjoyed ourselves. Afterwards, my cousins and I spent time talking about the differences and similarities between our two countries. It was funny to see the various words we used to mean the same and at times found ourselves not understanding what the other was saying because of those words (e.g candy vs. sweets, curling wand vs. roller etc). As my trip to London was slowly coming to an end, I went to visit a friend who was studying abroad in London and she took me to an African event where I meant new people and  I was able to see how much London loves culture especially African culture. My trip to London was very much needed and I was grateful to spend time with my family and friends.

Remember the young girl I wrote about in my last blog who is half German and half Nigerian? I saw her again on the bus on our way to school. She told me that after our last conversation during the cooking class I inspired her to do more research about the Nigerian culture and most importantly her family's roots. Furthermore,  she was able to confirm  my statement of a people's identity is more defined by their tribes than by the country itself. She was so fascinated by the different aspects of our culture that she wants to one day visit Nigeria and experience the culture. I was amazed by how me reminiscing about my time in Nigeria could influence another person to explore their roots.

Thanksgiving Day has finally arrived and it was the first time I have ever spent it without family and friends. At this moment homesickness was at an all time high because I was thinking of all the great, delicious, and fulfilling food and the good times with family and friends. Thankfully, Spanish Studies Abroad arranged a Thanksgiving lunch for us (which was pretty amazing in my opinion) where we laughed, talked about how we were and expressed what we were thankful for. I really enjoyed the dinner,  the program did well even though many of was away from home.

I am thankful for the way God has protected me through all my trips around Europe while still doing well in classes and learning a new language. This month marks my last month taking Spanish courses and a month before it is time for me to return back to the city.

Year 2016 will surely be a year to remember.

When Boredom Strikes & Once Again America Is The Center Of Attention

As a lot of you know I am studying abroad in Spain for a  semester embarking on life changing experiences and meeting people from all over the world. But what many of you don't know is that the Spanish lifestyle can get boring at times for a city girl such as myself because you end up doing the same activities (beach days, climbing the various mountains, attending classes, nightlife, and taking siestas) constantly every week and there is no element of surprise. I started to think what can I do to keep myself busy and entertained during my last few weeks here in Spain.

Here at the University of Alicante there is an office called Centro Superior de Idiomas (Center of Languages) which is the building that deals with the language courses for all students  (both international and domestic). In addition, each month they provide activities for international students to participate as a way to let us meet people and learn about the living culture in Alicante and other parts of Spain. There are cooking courses, winery tastings, snorkeling, trips to Barcelona, Granada and Valencia, tickets to soccer games etc. Anywho, I became very bored and was starting to miss the excitement of home, but as luck would have it  a classmate (who is a Cardiologist in Canada, but his roots are in  Iran) of mine suggested I accompany him to a tapas cooking lesson since it was his last day in Spain. Since I never participated in an activity, I decided to give it a try.

The cooking class took place at a nice small restaurant called Restobar Gema Penalva where we learned how to make croquettes, ensalada rusa, calamares, and tortilla patatas with red wine or sangria. It was a wonderful experience, I was able to learn new Spanish recipes and meet new people who I would not have met in the classroom setting. Most importantly, I met a girl who was half German and half Nigerian (Igbo to be exact) it caught me completely off guard. Initially, when she introduced herself she mainly said she was German and a part of me was in disbelief because I felt there was more to her than that. After doing a little investigation-- asking her what her full name was, if both of her parents were German-- I then able to discover she was also half Nigerian.

From there we started a conversation about Nigerian culture (which was mainly led by me) because she had never been to Nigeria and knows little about the Nigerian culture or her roots. Therefore, I was telling everyone about my personal experience as a Nigerian-American and the lovely and life changing aspects about my beloved country. I expressed to my fellow sister that people identify themselves more with their tribe more than the country itself. For example, she and I are both Nigerians but we are descendants from different tribes; I am from Edo State or Benin and her father's side of the family is from Igboland. Through this, I was able to inform her about the differences between our two tribes despite being from the same country. I assured her that regardless of our differences we all still consider each other as family.  Overall, I was happy I went to the tapas cooking class because I was able to learn new dishes to bring back home and was able to meet a fellow sister of mine and talk and about my Nigerian culture.

*** Election Day Has Finally Arrived and the Results Are In !***

Shockingly, the Spaniards were so consumed by the election race as Americans were because they continuously asked us what we thought about the elections and who we wanted to be our next president. Many of us expressed how this election is probably the most unorthodox in US history because how can an inexperienced person in politics who disregards the humanity and respect of women, people of color, immigrants, muslims, and homosexuals have the potential of becoming the next president of the United States of America? On the other hand, a more than qualified woman was losing the trust of her country and potentially the election due to her past with classified emails.

Many people were certain that Trump had no chance of winning the election. Personally, a part of me wanted to believe that Trump had no opportunity of winning but that was not the case. I have learned that in our culture of America, many people tend to publicly say one thing and then behind close doors do the complete opposite.  I noticed this to be true before I left to Spain, (e.g it was more culturally acceptable to say yes I am going to vote for Clinton to prevent backlash for saying they will vote for Trump.) Therefore, when Trump became our newly elected president I wasn't in total shock because I realized that I prepared myself for the worst case scenario as the election results grew closer. Afterwards, I spoke to my parents and they were both in disbelief; my mother said there is reason why God chose him to be the president and my father was so sick to his stomach that he was unable to decipher what had just occurred. After the elections back in Spain, the Europeans basically said good luck to America, but a number of them also said we will just have to see what he does and hope for the best. I do not know why, but I feel like NY will be the one lucky state  that will thrive through these next four years of Trump presidency. A part of me is like, "Efosa, just stay in Europe for the next 4 years”.

Honestly, I was thinking about staying in Spain until my visa expires,  have my mom send me my Nigerian passport and stay there for some time or go and lay low  in China for a while. But I realized that  running away from America will not solve the issues our country is plagued by  because in actuality there is no one country that is perfect and there are still great things in America that I can't just desert it . The next step that needs to be taken are young adults researching about politicians at the local level who are capable of being president in the near future so that we don't have another election similar to this year. Truthfully, I know with the Grace of God I will still be successful regardless of who is in presidency.

All we can do is just wait and see what type of legacy Trump will lead.

That’s it for now everyone !

Pink Beaches, Ibiza and Everything in between

Since I can remember, I have always enjoyed learning about various cultures because I find it very fascinating how disparate  parts of the world can be so close to each other but vastly different. Other than Spaniards, I have met many Norwegians,  Asians  (Koreans, Japanese, Hong Konger) Germans, Irish, Italians, Scotts, Poles and Finns. A common similarity I found between each of them is how commonly they know more than one language. I found it interesting  that most of my classmates could speak at least three to four languages. I asked them was it a choice of their parents or mandatory from their ruling government? Each of them responded  that  it is encouraged in their country to know at least two languages if not three because Europe is a continent where there is an array of multiple languages. After hearing this, I was appalled because America as a whole is a country where English is preferred because there is this general misconception that everyone all over the world can speak or understands English. As a result, most Americans mainly speak English. Of course there is an exception to this, which is the people whose cultural background is not American, then being multilingual is encouraged (which is true in my family). Another observation I made about European countries is that after graduating from high school it is highly recommended the youth take a gap year. For a year or two, Europeans work, travel to different countries, join the army, or learn another language while figuring out what they want to do with the rest of their lives.

Personally, I think the gap year phenomenon  is a wonderful idea that needs to be broadcasted more in high schools especially in inner cities because I know a few of my close friends and associates who would have benefited from that experience. A week ago, I had the pleasure to listen to a first-hand perspective about the gap year programs from an young adult and her insightful parent. To my surprise a girl who is studying abroad with me mentioned how she did a gap year after high school and it was the best decision she could have ever made at that point in her life. She travelled to different parts of the world, met people with similar interests as her and most importantly was able to do self-discovery before embarking on her college journey. Afterwards, I asked her father, "Were you in full support of your daughter's decision to not enroll into college right after high school?" He responded truthfully, "Yes, I was 100 percent in support of her choice because we knew at the time if she went when she was not fully ready, then she would not appreciate college as much as she does now.” As the conversation continued about gap years , I realized that many of us attend college right after college not having a clue about  what we want to major in let alone if college is what we want to truly do. Since attending college is a social norm or another life accomplishment to check off, many people enter college not mentally, financially, emotionally,  socially or physically ready. Unfortunately, people do not finish college and have to suffer from the shame portrayed by their families and friends for being a “dropout”. I can say after this conversation and my personal experience with the college journey, I have a better outlook on the college process for high schoolers. Rather than expressing to them the only option they have is to attend college right after high school , I can inform them about gap year programs and the requirements, benefits, and the ultimate purpose of the programs.

Towards the beginning of October a group of us decided to explore other parts of Alicante throughout the month. We first chose to visit Torrevieja, which is located in the southern region of Alicante. Torrevieja is a well known town in Alicante because it contains two salt lakes, a pink one and a green one. These lakes are very famous because they are referred to as a place where people can get a natural spa. My friends and I decided to go to the pink lake which is called, Las Salinas de Torrevieja. It was an amazing trip because the lake was very  similar to the Dead Sea in Asia. The water was so salty that after a while of being in the lake it started to burn the sensitive parts of our bodies. There was black mud near the lake that was used for therapeutic means by the locals and visitors. However, the most astonishing part about the lake (other than it being naturally pink) was when we would lay down , we did not sink we just floated and the water was so SHALLOW. We were able to pick up salt from the lake and see all the sea salt in its natural state. While my friends and I were relaxing in the lake and getting tanned we met these wonderful Swedish men who were so intrigued about our different regional backgrounds in the States. They were so happy to meet us and started talking about what life was like in Sweden and the similarities and differences between them and Norwegians. It was an interesting conversation because Norwegians and Swedish people are so similar to each other their differences are very minimal. The main difference was their accents and pronunciations with certain words or phrases.

Another part of Spain we decided to visit for a weekend was Ibiza, which is known as the island where the best parties in the whole world take place.  We took a bus to a boat in order to get to Ibiza and let me tell you , it was an interesting journey. I have never met a group of people who enjoy House Music as much as Spaniards. They were filled with so much energy that they were dancing for the entire 3 hr boat ride. IBIZA WAS THE HIGHLIGHT TRIP FOR THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER. It was amazing meeting people from all over the world, enjoying different types of music especially HIP HOP , RNB, but that wasn't the best of it. On our last night in Ibiza we decided to go to a club called Pacaha,  BEST DECISION WE MADE. The club was broken off into three or four parts where music of all sorts was played and I was so elated to find a part that was playing music from back home. Don't get me wrong I am enjoying my time in Spain and the music being played at the various clubs we visit, but a sister has to return back to her roots of Hip-Hop and RNB. As I was enjoying myself, and thinking this night couldn't get any better, I found I was gravely mistaken. After dancing for over three hours, I decided to take a break and THEY PLAYED AFRICAN MUSIC (IVORY COAST TO BE EXACT) ❗❗❗❗❗❗ I WAS SO EXCITED I JUMPED OUT OF MY SEAT AND STARTED BUSTING MY AFRICAN MOVES ON THE DANCEFLOOR. IT WAS SUCH A GREAT NIGHT & THE TIMING WAS PERFECT BECAUSE I WAS CELEBRATING THE INDEPENDENCE OF MY BELOVED COUNTRY, NIGERIA. AFRICANS ARE MAKING IT WORLDWIDE.

So that’s life outside of classes, but I am also learning a lot at school

¡Hola Santiago! ¿Qué tal?

¡Hola Efosa! Muy Bien, ¿Cómo estas?

Muy Bien, Profesor, Jefe Lol

It will be the last time, I would say those words in the morning before Spanish class because it was a new month and I was progressing to the next level of Spanish. Professor Santiago was a BLESSING sent from God. He helped me adjust to the academic customs in Spain, kept reminding me to not be so hard on myself and take everything a day at a time. He made learning Spanish fun and interesting by applying the lessons to realistic everyday scenarios  (e.g introductions, expressing how you feel, describing professions and the places where people work etc.). For that I will forever be grateful  to him.

As I start my new level of Spanish class, I notice I am becoming more comfortable in conversing in Spanish with people outside of the classroom setting. Regardless if I say it correctly,  I am having fun throughout the experience. (That's the whole point of this trip right?) Well until next time !

Surprises and Moroccan Vibes

The Blue City in Morocco

 "New month, new class, new professor, and NOW A NEW HOUSEMATE, OH NO !"  I have reached my halfway mark of being in Spain and finally  feeling acquainted with my host family and a curve ball thrown at me. (I don't know if it's my only child tendency kicking in), but I really enjoyed being the only student in the house and not having to share a bathroom with anyone. Unfortunately, my host mom informs me that we will be getting another female student who is from Japan. Honestly speaking, I started over thinking because I did not know what to expect or what her personality would be like etc. I sent my cousin Lynda a text message expressing my concerns and her response was for me to seize the day and be open to the possibilities of making new connections with another international student. After the conversation with my cousin, I realized maybe I was overreacting just a tad bit. Therefore,  I decided to give it a try and welcome the other student with open arms. The following evening she arrived.  Her name is Kaho, she speaks three languages Japanese, Spanish, and a little bit of English. To my surprise she was a blessing in disguise because she helped me become more comfortable speaking Spanish with my host family. There were times when I could not describe what I was trying to say in Spanish to my host family, so I would explain in Spanglish to Kaho and she would help me translate to my parents. Furthermore, she indirectly motivated me to get up earlier for school without having to run anymore to the tram station. In addition, I was always adamant that the tram was faster than the bus when going to school, but she was willingly to prove me wrong and now I arrive to campus 20 minutes earlier.

Through this lesson, I learned the cliché life quote "Never Judge A Book By Its Cover."

Enough about my home experience,  let's talk about the luxury of being able to visit another continent because Europe's location is ideal for traveling. For my 20th birthday, I decided to go to Morocco for the weekend to mainly ride camels and of course see the Moroccan culture. As a Nigerian-American the trip hit close to home as well because it was my first time traveling to Africa without my parents and seeing another African country other than Nigeria. Initially, I was a tad bit nervous but eventually became excited to embark on this opportunity with the friends I made in Spain. With the help of Discover Excursions, the Moroccan trip was INCREDIBLE. (Discover Excursions is a program made for study abroad students who want to visit different places in Europe (Portugal) or Africa (Morocco and Sahara Desert). While in Morocco, I practiced my bargaining skills, rode a camel, was mistaken for Malia Obama (I do not know how lol), received henna twice (first experience was great and the second one not so much), saw an awesome traditional Moroccan dance, and had great MOROCCAN TEA !

On the second to last day in Morocco, after the group finished eating at this Aladdin themed restaurant, some of us decided to go shopping and practice our bargaining skills. After an hour or so of shopping, we decided to take a break and just enjoy the scenery of the town, Assilah. A young gentleman was trying to have us buy some bracelets from him, but we were not interested . Afterwards, he said "Obama", we all thought he was saying this because  we were American. But then he pointed in my direction and said, "No, Obama. Malia Obama." I looked around thinking he was talking about someone behind, but he wasn't. We all laughed and I responded, "Gracias, pero no soy Malia Obama." He responded, "Si, si mismo cara." At that moment, I just left the situation alone and let him think what he did.

The first time
 getting henna 

Henna in Morocco was very beautiful and interesting it was cool seeing how the women memorized all the designs in the book . The first time I got my Henna it was red , very glittery  (which I loved), but it didn't last more than 12 hours and by the next morning it was completely gone. Afterwards, I was not interested in getting anymore henna. But when we arrived to Assilah , a friend and I were done shopping and these two Moroccan women were hassling us and basically grabbed us to get henna done. While all this was happening, I said, "Solamente, tengo dos euros." The lady who did mine said, "Okay no problem, just come , I know what design to do for you." But the lady who did my friend's said, "you can pay whatever amount you want." Five to ten minutes later, both of the women started doing intensive designs. My friend and I were in disbelief these hennas were only going to be two euros. Boy, were we wrong, the lady who did my friend's henna said, "20 euros." I spoke in disbelief, "UM no no no,  he dicho dos euros y has dicho sí no problema." Afterwards, I called my program chaperone  to come get us because the ladies would not let us go. Long story short, I paid 2 euros , the ladies were upset and we were able to head back to our group.

The next weekend after it was the oldest grandchild's birthday. She was turning 5, the party was awesome. It was hosted in an indoor ball park, a lot of her friends came with their parents. It was great seeing the family again. My favorite part of the party was the puppet show because it had a lot of activities such as a wack - the- robber segment for the birthday girl and story time. It was interesting to see a birthday in Spain because the birthday song is different compared to the way other Latin Americans sing happy birthday. For example in Spain it's, "¡Cumpleaños Felices!" but in other Spanish speaking countries it's "¡Felices Cumpleaños!"

As for classes , it's still going well and my Spanish is getting better each day.

Until next time ❗

Philippians 4:13 - “Christ gives me the strength to face anything.”

Today marks three months until I have to go back to America and I am happy to say the feelings of self-doubt have subsided and I am now getting better acquainted to the Spanish lifestyle. As the weeks passed, I discovered a bible verse that has been essential to my transition into the Spaniard living culture. Philippians 4:13 - “Christ gives me the strength to face anything.” This verse has helped in keeping me encouraged and letting me know I am not alone on this lovely journey.

I was introduced to the other members of my host family; I met their other two daughters (Dori and Maria), their grandchildren (Clara and Vera, Dori’s daughter; and Guillermo, Maria’s son), and their other son-in-law (Dori’s husband). Throughout the week and sometimes during the weekend Dori’s children would stay over and enjoy quality time with their grandparents. When the weekends were quickly approaching Julia and Maria came with their children to spend family time with each other. One weekend the sisters decided to take the children to Dori’s house for a day at the pool and catch up on each other’s lives. It was fascinating to see how close-knit the family was because it reminded me of my family back in New York City. Personally, I was flattered the sisters thought to include me in their family activities.

-- A fun fact I learned about my host mom is that SHE IS A TWIN- the older twin (if you know me you know I LOVE TWINS!) It was interesting to hear about her childhood. --   

Since arriving in Spain, I’ve noticed several differences between the Spanish lifestyle and American lifestyle. I find the Spanish lifestyle is a lot calmer and more leisurely than the American lifestyle. For example, everyone including workers, students, and stores take a siesta (a nap/ close for a couple of hours) during the day to get a break from their busy day. When I saw this happening I was astonished because this would be impossible in America especially in New York City, the city that never sleeps. Another culture shock moment was my first time experiencing free tram day. Free tram day is a day in which no one has to pay for transportation to school. Initially, I thought I was hallucinating because the only way there is free transportation in NYC (which rarely ever happens) is if the systems are down and when that does happen, train stops tend to be out of service.

I’ve also noticed differences between the Spanish educational system and the American educational system. The main difference that stuck with me is how students only take classes within their discipline. I met a humanities student in an English 101 class and was asking for his advice about an Introduction to Sociology class. He was unable to tell me anything about the professor let alone the class. I was in disbelief because he only had knowledge about classes that were in humanities and nothing else.

This is unlike America, where students are encouraged to take courses outside of their discipline as a way to allow them to be well-rounded in different aspects of life after college. So far, I am doing well in my language class and I am also starting to get acquainted with the Spanish language. I have discovered a love for sociology in my Introduction to Sociology course which has a focus in criminology. I am very excited to learn about different cultures around the world and the various justice systems within each culture. As I continue my time in Spain, I can’t help but wonder what sort of impact implementing the Spanish educational style in America would have on the value of the American educational system and vice versa. Hopefully I will get more clarity as time goes on.

During my first month here, I have embarked on adventures I could not imagine doing in New York City. I’ve partaken in aquatic sports in the Mediterranean Sea, taken a day trip to Valencia, and tried new Spanish dishes like tapas and paella. Quicker than expected, my trip to Spain has become the trip of opportunities. Our program coordinators fortunately organized an aquatic sports day for us, where we broke up into three groups to kayak, windsurf, and sail on the... (wait for it) MEDITERRANEAN SEA!! I was so overjoyed about this opportunity because never in a million years would I fathom the idea of being in the actual sea participating in water activities, let alone the Mediterranean Sea.

Many memorable moments were shared that day, but the funniest moment of them all was during the second to last activity.  While my friends and I were sailing on the boat we decided to jump off, dive into the sea and practice different swimming techniques. As I was having fun enjoying the sun beam in my face and occasionally tasting the salty (very, very salty) water, my friend Kate who stayed on the boat shrieked at the rest of us as we returned to the boat. “Oh my God, where did Efosa’s wig go?”

At this moment I was in disbelief as I entered the boat and I slowly patted my head thinking Kate was joking. Unfortunately, Kate wasn’t, she actually thought the group and I were trying to trick her into thinking we were hiding my wig from her. I quickly asked our captain if it was possible to retrieve my wig. “No, it’s gone,” he tersely replied. I was so devastated and upset about my wig floating in the Mediterranean Sea, it took me about ten to twenty minutes to grieve for my wig.

The people in my program are the most beautiful and sweetest people I could have wished for to accompany me on this study abroad program. They were so considerate, some offered to dive into the water to find it and reassured me that I did not even need the wig in the first place. They asked what my natural hair was like and I explained how it grows into an afro and my main purpose of the wig was to limit the amount of maintenance my hair would require given the fact Alicante has a limited supply of water. (More on that next time). As luck would have it, the aquatic sport instructors found my wig the next morning in the bottom of the sea. My wig has floated to another island overnight. (I think my wig wanted an adventure of it’s own. LOL)

The day trip to Valencia was very interesting. We took a bus tour around the city and was able to see many scenic sights and architectural marvels that reminded me of Italy. For the second part of the trip, we visited several museums and churches and got the opportunity to see various depictions of Jesus Christ during the Renaissance and Medieval (Gothic) eras.  In some of the paintings Jesus Christ was drawn with muscles to show his strength, while other paintings illustrated Jesus as being very skinny and scrawny to convey his plight and toughness from crucifixion to resurrection.

These experiences have shown me the importance of not always living life in a fast pace, but to sometimes pause and take in my surroundings. Most importantly, no matter how secure I think my wig is NEVER GO INTO THE WATER WITH IT! LOL!! The experiences I’ve had and will continue to have will change my life forever in more ways than I could have ever imagined. All of this would be impossible without the strength of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.