SANTANDER

TABLE OF CONTENTS

What to do before you leave for Spain Leave your affairs in order (e.g. bills, apartment sublet, pets,

boyfriend/girlfriend)

Fill out a form for the U.S. Department of State

Plan your trip and length of stay

What to pack (only one check-in piece of luggage recommended)

- Passport(s) and IDs

- Clothes

- Prescription medications, contact lenses

- Other items that you will need (e.g. purse, sunglasses)

While you are in Spain

Spanish manners vs. American manners

Safety

Dress

In class

At home

Money

Telephone

Transportation

Food and water

On the beach

Going out with Spaniards

Luggage You are allowed to check one suitcase and one carry-on bag. You can also carry a small

backpack or bag.

Make sure you include some form of identification (a copy of the itinerary, for instance) inside the suitcase, in case it gets lost.

Don’t pack jewelry or valuable things in your check-in suitcase.

Make sure your luggage is labeled both outside and inside. Never leave your bags unattended.

If your belongings get stolen, report the incident to the police immediately.

Don’t pack anything sharp in the carry-on bag (e.g. scissors, nail clippers, metal file). It will get confiscated at the airport.

You will need to have a pen handy while airport hopping.

If you need to pack any type of liquid (e.g. contact lenses solution, tooth paste, lip gloss) in your carry-on bag, all items must be in containers of less than 4 fl. oz, and must fit in a small Ziploc bag. Pack those items handy because you will have to show them at the airport.

Passports

Photocopy the identification page; leave one copy with your family in the US and another with a friend in case of emergency.

When you are in Spain leave your passport in a safe place and carry one copy with you at all times.

When you travel in Europe, you might be required to leave your passport at the reception desk in the hotel; some hotels are required to register all foreign visitors with local police authorities.

You must also show your passport whenever you cash a traveler’s check.

If your passport is lost or stolen while traveling, inform the local police immediately and also the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. The U.S. Department of State has a 24-hour traveler’s hotline:(202) 647-5225.

Electrical appliances:

Electrical appliances will require an adapter

that changes the arrangement of the plug

prongs, as well as an electrical voltage

converter that will allow normal 110-volt

American appliance to take 220-volt European

current. Two-in-one adapter/converters can be

purchased at the Hoekstra hardware store on

Portage and Crosstown Pkwy.

Clothes:

In almost all ways, Spanish culture is more formal than the American one. Jeans and tennis shoes are ok, but it is a good idea to plan to dress a bit better and more conservative than you would here.

No baseball caps, unless you are planning to go to the beach or the mountains. Under no circumstances wear one to class!

Pack casual clothes and comfortable shoes (you will have to walk a lot).

Pack at least one sweater and a light raincoat.

Don’t pack too many clothes. Chances are you will love the stores in Santander and you will go shopping a lot.

Other items that you will need:

Spare glasses/contact lenses

Your Bronco ID card

Your WMU medical insurance card

An ID card for any other insurance you may carry

If you absolutely need to use a washcloth, pack one because most Spaniards don’t use them.

You might want to take pictures of your family, your house, your pets, etc. (to show your host family).

Do not pack more than one towel, because they take up too much space.

Do not pack sheets. The family will provide them.

Other items that you will need:

Bring some kind of gift for the family with whom you will be staying. Things that say “Michigan” in some way are particularly good.

If you are taking medications, bring enough for two months. The same goes for contact lenses.

Alarm clock (battery operated)

Leave your diamonds at home; you don’t want to be a target for a thief.

If you are a member of AAA you can get free maps of Spain

and Europe.

BEFORE YOU LEAVE FOR SPAIN

* Leave your affairs in order.

- It is a good idea to arrange for your parents to have your power of attorney so that they can act legally on your behalf, if necessary, while you are away. For example, an issue could arise regarding your security deposit on your apartment.

- Take care of your bills (e.g. cell phone, credit cards, etc.) before you leave for Spain or make arrangements (leave payments with a friend or family member, for instance).

- Driving in Europe can be a challenge for someone from Michigan. However, if you plan to drive while you are there, you will need an International Driver’s License. You can get one at the AAA office for about $20.

ALL STUDENTS NEED TO FILL OUT A FORM FOR THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE. You can do this before you leave for Spain.

Go to: https://travelregistration.state.gov

Important!

You must be in Santander on Sunday, July 3. We will meet at 8:00 p.m. at __________________________

Make sure I have a copy of your itinerary. Let me know when and how you plan to get to Santander.

I will give you the information about your host family as soon as I receive it.

If you have any questions, feel free to call me at (269)

387-2955 or email me at pablo.pastrana@wmich.edu

WHILE YOU ARE IN SPAIN

You should always carry with you:

A photocopy of your passport

Emergency telephone numbers (family, American Embassy, Pablo), in case you run into some kind of problem

Your health insurance information

Money (in a discreet place)

Find out from your host family where is the nearest medical center and Pharmacy. In case of emergency they will probably send you to Servicio de Urgencias del Hospital Valdecilla(they’ll give you more information about this when you get to Santander)

Spanish Manners vs. American Manners

In Spain people are not as cheerful and overly polite as in the U.S. Don’t be offended if they don’t say “por favor” or “gracias” every time they reply or ask for something.

Spaniards usually look like very serious people; in general, they only smile when there is a good reason to smile. Thus, Americans might think that Spaniards are not happy people or that they are rude. But this is just a first impression; once you get to know them, you will realize that most Spanish people are very polite and helpful.

When you go to a restaurant in Spain, don’t expect the waitress to come to your table, introduce herself with a big smile, tell you about the specials, or come to your table several times to find out if you need anything else. After finishing your restaurant meal, you must request the bill.

Spaniards in general are people who tend to call it the way they see it. For Americans, this can make them seem too straight forward and direct, to the point of bluntness. With Spaniards, you will always know where you stand.

Greeting Kisses and hugs

It is common for women to kiss on the cheek (usually two kisses, one on each cheek) every time they meet and say goodbye. A man and a woman, if they are good friends, will do the same.

A man does not kiss another man, but they will hug each other.

Safety Use common sense while you are in Spain. Remember that you are in a

foreign country. If you do something immoral, socially indiscrete, or just plain stupid, there will surely be negative consequences.

When you go out at night, make sure you don’t go alone. If one of the students is in bad shape, don’t let him/her alone. Make sure he/she gets home or call Pablo.

If you have a problem with drugs or alcohol perhaps you should withdraw from the program now. People who have an addiction to alcohol or drugs need help, and a foreign country is the lasts place they should go to in search of the help they need. Any trouble you get into in Spain because of alcohol or drugs will be ten times worse than anything that would happen to you in a similar situation in this country.

Watch your purse and your wallet, especially when you are in Madrid or Barcelona. People will know immediately that you are tourists by the clothes you wear; you are probably good target for thieves.

In classDo not, under any circumstance, bring food or drink

of any kind into a Spanish classroom. This includes water. One of the things that Europeans cannot understand about Americans is why you have to be carrying a huge jug of Coke or coffee with you everywhere you go.

No sitting on floors, no matter how tired you are. Chairs are for sitting, floors are for walking or standing.

Don’t take your shoes off in class, or put your feet on any desk or table.

At home

Don’t get too comfortable when you are in the living room: Keep your feet on the floor and don’t lie down on the couch.

Don’t walk barefoot around the house.

The mother in your host family will do your laundry. Do not be surprised to see your underwear hanging on the balcony.

It is not uncommon for Spanish families to enter a room without knocking on the door.

On the beach

Many women go topless. Do

not be surprised and do not

take photos of them.

Remember your sunscreen.

Money

a) Credit cards

American Express, MasterCard and VISA are the most widely accepted credit cards. Check with your credit card company before departure if you have any doubt about its validity abroad.

Also inform your credit card company of your trip to Spain so that they allow you to make charges from another country.

Scan or make copies of all your important cards (Visa, MC,…) and passport. Leave a copy with your mom in case they get stolen.

Keep a record of your card number in a separate place and note the international phone number to report card loses in case yours is misplaced or stolen.

b) Cash

Don’t carry a lot of cash with you. It’s better to use your ATM card whenever you need money. Remember that your bank in the U.S. will charge you a fee

for each transaction.

Telephone

In the past, students have bought a pre-paid cell phone in Santander for about 40 euros.

Students who have been to Spain say that the Euro Card was good too. Do not call from homes in which you are staying. People get nervous about long distance phone bills.

Another cheap way to call from Spain is through AT&T. To access AT&T within Spain, dial 0-900-99-00. These calls can be made collect (“unallamada a cobro revertido”), or paid for by credit

card.

Food & water

Try to stay away from McDonalds while you are in Spain and learn to appreciate Spanish food. It will be a whole new experience.

Drink only bottled water, at least the first two weeks. Tap water is safe only if you are used to it.

If you have an upset stomach, a sore throat or any other minor health problem, you might want to go to a pharmacy first. They are usually very helpful.

Going out with Spaniards

Spaniards spend, by comparison with Americans, a huge amount of money on food and drink consumed in social situations.

In Spain, when groups of friends go around together, the custom is that one person picks up the tab one time, somebody else the next time, etc. Spaniards do not figure out what they owe and kick in to a general fund, the way people do in this country. And if you start going around with a regular group of Spanish friends, every now and then you should do this. Say “esta vez invito yo” or “esto lo pago yo,” or something like that.

Tips are not expected. Coin change is enough.

Spanish people don’t go to bars to get drunk. They go there to be with their friends and family (even their children), to relax, to enjoy a good glass of wine, to have some tapas, or to play cards or domino. Going to the bar in Spain is a social event and people are expected to behave accordingly (it’s not common to see people drunk, for instance).

If you just use the restroom and don’t buy anything, you will be perceived as cheap, and you will not fit in well with Spanish culture.

Topics to avoid when talking with the Spaniards

(at least at the beginning)

1. Religion. Most young Spaniards are not

very religious.

2. Politics. Most Spaniards oppose the

invasion of Iraq or the war in Afghanistan.

YOUR SCHEDULE WHILE YOU ARE IN SPAIN

• 8:00-8:30 Breakfast

Most Spaniards have a light breakfast: café con leche o Cola-Cao con galletas.

• 9:00-1:30 (Monday through Thursday) Classes

• 2:00-3:00 Lunch

Stores, offices, churches, museums, etc. are closed from 1:00 or 2:00 to 5:00. Most Spaniards go home to have lunch with their families.

Many Spanish families have a sobremesa, the time after a meal when people talk about everything (e.g. school, work, religion, the news) at the table. The sobremesa can last for hours, especially on Saturdays and Sundays, and everyone is expected to participate. It is not polite to get up and leave right after you finish your meal.

Some people take a nap after lunch (usually on the couch). Others watch the news at 3:00 and relax.

• 9:00 -10:00 Dinner

• Dinner is around 10:30 p.m. or later. Discuss dinner plans with your family

Remember!!!

Your are going to be an ambassador of your country

in Spain. Behave like such and make Western Michigan University proud of you.

• Students choosing not to behave appropriately will be dismissed from the program.