Scarsdale Students go to School with Amigos in Madrid

I have wanted to visit Spain for as long as I can remember. I started learning Spanish when I was in sixth grade and I have been mesmerized by the country's history and culture ever since. That's why I was thrilled to be one of twenty students from Scarsdale High School accepted to participate in the Spanish Exchange Program to Madrid.

For two weeks this past October, twenty American families hosted students from Colegios Ramón y Cajal, a high school in Madrid, Spain in their homes in Scarsdale. In exchange, the Scarsdale students stayed with their exchange student's families in Spain for two weeks in February

Our plane landed in Spain on February eighth at 6:15 AM. We felt groggy and jetlagged after most of us had a sleepless flight, but our chaperones, school psychologist Ernie Collabolletta and Dean Mitchell Thompson, kept us incredibly excited. We all parted ways and started on our adventure, many of us sleeping through most of the first day. Recounting her first day, Danni Hyman, a Scarsdale High School Senior, told me, "I slept from 8 AM - 12 PM and then 6 PM - 8:30 PM and almost forgot to speak Spanish when I woke up!"

The next day (as well as four other days during the trip) was spent at the high school. A typical day there was quite different from a typical day at Scarsdale High School. At Colegios Ramón y Cajal, the older you are, the earlier your classes begin. The girl I lived with is fifteen years old, so her classes begin at nine o'clock. The American students began these school days in the library, a small, square room with five tables, shelves of books lining the perimeter, and a large desk in the back for the librarian to work. After first period, we went to class with our partners. We remained in one classroom for the duration of the day. The teachers change classes instead of the students. At around twelve o'clock, there is a thirty-minute break called "Patio". During this time, students can eat snacks, do homework, etc. Many of the Americans entertained themselves during the break by playing soccer or handball with the younger Spanish students. After Patio, we all went back to class until about two o'clock when it was time for lunch. Many of the students eat lunch at school. There are gates locking all the entrances to the school, so it is very hard for students to come and go as they please.

Lunch lasts for an hour or so, and then class starts up again. School ends every day at 5:15. After school, we would typically spend time with the other Americans and their exchange partners, or attend our partner's extracurricular activities. Dinner is usually eaten around 9:30 or 10 o'clock and ends quite late. It is customary to sit at the table and continue talking after all the food has been cleared.

The food in Spain is very different from food here. Walking up and down the city streets, it seems nearly impossible to find the wide variety of restaurants we are accustomed to in America. Most of the restaurants advertise tapas, chain food like Burger King or VIPS (a chain that sells American food and doubles as a gift shop), or Asian food. In each type of restaurant, there is a typical Spanish dish called a tortilla. These tortillas are not the traditional kind of tortilla we have in America. These tortillas are most similar to a quiche. They are made by whisking egg and potatoes together and frying the mixture. It surprised many of us how often the Spanish students eat at "American" chain restaurants for their full meals. The Spanish students told us they even love to go to these restaurants on nights out with their friends. Different families served a variety of dishes. My family served me a lot of salmon and soup. Steven Berke, a Scarsdale High School Junior, tasted paella for the first time, and says it is now probably his favorite Spanish dish. "I like it because it is very different from any other food I've ever had. The texture of it is so smooth, and everything in it comes together and creates a very exotic yet amazing taste."

What would a trip to Madrid be without some excursions? Our first excursion was to the Prado Museum and the Puerta del Sol. The next day, we visited the ancient city of Toledo, where we saw numerous churches. Many of the boys bought swords, and many of us tried Spanish marzipan for the first time. On Wednesday we visited El Palacio Royal (the Royal Palace), Calle Princesa (Princess Street), and wandered around Gran Vía (the "Times Square" of Madrid). The next day we visited La Valle de los Caidos (the Valley of the Fallen), Templo de Debod (Temple of Debod), El Escorial (The Royal Site of San Lorenzo de El Escorial), and the Reina Sofia Art Museum. It was great to finally see and set foot in all of the sites that I've learned about for so many years. Rick Goodman, a Scarsdale High School Junior claims that "the Valle de Los Caidos was one of the most magnificent places I have ever seen. The giant cross in the mountains is almost too big to be real. When a plane flew by the cross, the plane looked microscopic. I have never seen something so big in my life."

The one full weekend we spent in Spain turned out to be a three-day weekend. Each Spanish family did something different with their American exchange students. Some went to cheer on a Real Madrid soccer game, others stayed at a palace, and many spent a day shopping in one of the biggest shopping malls in Madrid, Plaza Norte Segundo, and along Gran Vía.

The experience we had in Spain is truly unlike any other. Samantha Seltzer, a Scarsdale High School Junior, sums it up saying, "We were really able to see how teenagers all around the world are so similar and different at the same time. It was an eye-opening experience that helped to immerse us in the Spanish language and culture and also helped us to see how, looking past a language barrier, these kids aren't so different."

This exchange gave us the opportunity to visit a country and live as if we were real Spanish students; and also allowed us to have an experience quite different than if we had just been visiting a country as tourists with our teachers or families. We were able to forge close bonds with each other, "Dean Mitch" and Ernie, and our Spanish counterparts. These bonds would never have formed without this trip. The compassion and camaraderie that bloomed is completely evident in the final post in our Spanish Exchange Facebook group from Scarsdale High School Senior Robert Lee: "Before I pass out on my bed, I want to say this trip was so much fun and I bonded with so many of you and met the funniest people on the planet. I love all of you and see you on Monday!"