July 25, 2020

ESA Virtual Programs

We are aware that traveling abroad is not easy right now, but intercultural learning is still possible and ESA is here to partner with you as always in this endeavor!

We are thrilled to announce that we have designed and prepared six exclusive customizable virtual programs in different European locations: Barcelona, Berlin, Lisbon, London, Paris, and Scotland. ESA virtual programs offer an opportunity of immersion to the receiving culture in conjunction with their academic coursework. All programs include:

  • On-line orientations
  • Seminar on host culture
  • Guest lectures by local faculty
  • Guided tours of monuments, museums, and sites
  • Cultural exchange sessions with local students
  • ESA exclusive Global Competency Workshop
  • Cooking workshop of local cuisine and farewell event

Furthermore, all ESA programs are customizable, and can be adapted in terms of length, content, and inclusions. Some of the extra components we can add to your program are:

  • Firm visits
  • Local faculty
  • Customized guided visits
  • Customization of lectures and activities to your field
  • Multi-location
  • Additional workshops and on-site experiences
  • Addition of an in person on-site component

These virtual programs can be a perfect alternative in the event of not being able to travel, but also a great and affordable opportunity to complement courses taught at your home university.

If you are interested in learning more about our virtual customized programs, please contact us at info@servicesabroad.com or via our webform. We look forward to hearing from you.

May 18, 2020

ESA Initiatives

At Educational Services Abroad, our goal is to make our programs respectful to our planet and accessible to everyone. For this reason, we have developed sustainability and diversity  initiatives to be implemented in our forthcoming programs in 2021.

On the green side, ESA goes carbon neutral traveling! We love to travel, but we are also very conscious of the impact that traveling has on our environment and we want to do our part to lessen that impact. We commit with our clients to offset 95% of our programs’ ground transfers and flight carbon emissions, in partnership with the initiative CarbonFund

But, why only 95%? Well, the other 5% will be covered by our program participants. We are all in this together and want to encourage our students and group leaders to join us on to help protect our planet. We will provide:

  • Pre-departure guidance for a greener trip 
  • On-site orientation on local sustainability systems and practices in your host destination (recycling, environmental challenges, or local rules)
  • Guidance on how to make your program more sustainable.
  • Actions participants shall take to decrease their impact to cover that 5% (or more!) of their emissions. 

Join us in this initiative for a greener planet, we can’t do it without you!

And last, but not least, at ESA we are committed to diversity and inclusion in our programs. Studying abroad is a wonderful opportunity, and we believe that everyone should be able to experience it. 

April 15, 2020

ESA Safety Statement

Our thoughts are with all of those who have seen their lives affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. We are deeply sorry our 2020 Spring and Summer program students have had their study abroad experience interrupted or cancelled due to this crisis.

At ESA we are monitoring the situation through official sources and working to be ready to offer the best experiences in Europe to our program participants under the safest conditions. We hope to be able to welcome new students very soon and safety is our top priority. Because of that, we have created a protocol of social distancing measures to be applied to our programs, in order to better protect the health of our participants and their program leaders. We will be sharing these protocols with you in our program proposals and direct communications. Please email us at: lynn@servicesabroad.com for more information or for any questions you may have.

We are positive we will soon be back to normal but, meanwhile, we want to guarantee that our upcoming programs run safely and smoothly. During the following months, we will keep monitoring the situation and we cannot wait to see new students coming to Europe to enjoy the best experience of their lives with us.

We cannot emphasize enough how important students and faculty members are for us, and how this situation has impacted our mission and projects. However, as said, their safety is our priority, and we want to send them our best wishes, and thank our partner institutions and students for your patience, responsibility, and support!

 

April 29, 2019

Enjoying the Feria as a Sevillano

Today we’re going to talk about Sevilla’s Feria de Abril. Most people who visit Sevilla know what it is, but do we know why La Feria exists? For that reason, we are going to talk a little bit about the history of La Feria.

The first Sevilla’s Feria de Abril was held in 1846 when the councillors José María Ibarra and Narciso Bonaplata had the idea of holding an annual three-day fair in the month of April and helping the cattle market of the city. After the approval of Queen Elisabeth II of Span, the first Feria took place on April 18th, 1847 at the Prado de San Sebastián. Nearly 25,000 visitors attended.

Over the years, the Feria became one of the most important festivities in the city and it turned to be a social event instead of a market. It has been celebrated every year except for two years during the Spanish Civil War. Due to the large attendance to La Feria, it had to be moved to its current location, Los Remedios neighborhood.

Nowadays, La Feria is divided into three parts: the street where all the rides are and it’s called Calle del Infierno (Hell Street in English); the Real de la Feria, where all the casetas (tents in English) are; and finally, the parking place. There are fifteen streets at the Real and the name of each street is named after a famous bullfighter. The problem with the casetas is that the majority of them belongs to private associations and families, and you have to be invited by them. However, you can always take a tour around those that belong to free associations or the Sevilla City Hall and are open to the public because no membership is required.

Another special element is the traje de Flamenca, which was a very special robe, typical of farmers, which has been considered the best outfit to visit the April Fair since 1929. This robe has been changing over the time. Nowadays, it is composed of a dress ending in a series of frills, a shawl on the shoulders and, as an updo, a low bun at the hair adorned with a flower. The shoes usually have a small heel, to allow dances.

How to go to the Real de la Feria?

You can easily go by metro, by bus or even walking if you live in Los Remedios neighbourhood! You have to keep in mind that a lot of people go to the Feria so traffic and public transport are going to be very busy.

The bus lines that leave you near the Real are:

  • The special line of Feria, that connects Prado de San Sebastián with the Feria.
  • Circular C1
  • Circular C2
  • Bus nº 41
  • Bus nº 05
  • Bus nº 06

You can consult the route of each bus line with the following App: AppTUSSAM

The closest metro stops are Parque de Los Príncipes, closer to The Real, and Blas Infante, close to the rides. The metro works uninterruptedly during the whole week. Regarding the buses, the above mentioned lines have night service except for bus nº 06.

April 8, 2019

Top 5 ranking of the best and most affordable restaurants in Barcelona!

Barcelona is one of the most touristic cities in the whole country, at least in terms of international tourism! Since the beginning of the 21st Century, more and more tourists have chosen Barcelona as one of the most vibrant and joyful cities in Southern Europe.

Due to this, prices in Barcelona are higher than ever, and finding a good place to eat where you don’t overpay may be complicated. This is why we want to offer you a Top 5 list of the best and most inexpensive places in the city:

One of the best options for pasta lovers is Tucco Real Food.

It is quite unknown to tourists, and usually crowded with locals. For less than 10 euros you can have a full menu with a big plate of pasta, drink, and dessert!

This restaurant is in the Drassanes area, 5 minutes away from the L3 Metro stop in Carrer dels Còdols, 27  https://www.tuccorealfood.com/  Screen Shot 2019-04-08 at 4.12.35 PM

Another good option is König! Even though the name is German, this brand is originally from Girona (a region in Northern Catalonia), where the original restaurant is placed. There are 2 more in the city. One of them, the most popular one, is in the very center, in Rbla. Catalunya, 5, and the second one is in Carrer de la Fusina, 3 [inserta parada de metro aquí]. The average price is around 10€!

Tip: you cannot make a reservation, so you will have to wait!

https://www.konig.cat/es/Screen Shot 2019-04-08 at 4.13.16 PM

If your passion is Asian food, Barcelona has plenty of options for you! One of the most affordable, but not fancy at all, is Chen Ji, in Carrer Alí Bei. A very good option if you want to eat a lot and not spend much.

In this same area, actually just across the street, there is a fancier and bigger version of Chen Ji, DaZhong. Prices are a little bit higher, but still affordable, and the food is also delicious!

Screen Shot 2019-04-08 at 4.13.51 PM

In the heart of Les Corts you can find Bendita Helena. This option is especially good for veggies. Tasty and healthy food at a very good price. Every week they offer different full menus for just 11€. The address is C/Galileu 261. It’s not in the city center, but still a very nice area to walk around, very close to Diagonal. You can go and check this place on their Instagram profile.

Go take a look: http://benditahelena.comScreen Shot 2019-04-08 at 4.14.25 PM

And last, but not least, we have the Mexican option as well! Right in the city center, two minutes away by foot from MACBA, there is La Rosa del Raval. Probably the most expensive option in this list, you can find here one of the best Mexican places in the city, and one of the cheapest. Average price is around 10-12€ per person. And you will be able to practice your Spanish with native Mexican people from the staff!

http://rosanegrarestaurantes.com/bcn-raval/Screen Shot 2019-04-08 at 4.14.48 PM

And finally, a friendly advice, beware of the restaurants in the most touristic spots, they are all very expensive and not necessarily good!

March 18, 2019

International Women’s Day!

Last week, on March 8th, around 200,000 people took to the streets of Barcelona to protest in a pacific demonstration for women's rights and equality, celebrating International Women's Day. But not only in Barcelona; people all around the world decided to stop for one day and vindicate unfair situations, like gender violence and abuse or the salary gap between men and women, and basic rights for women, that are being crushed by patriarchal laws and institutions.

Just as in 2018, different feminist groups decided to call on a women strike on March 8th. The idea and message behind was to show and make a clear statement: the importance of women in society and that, without them, it simply does not work. According to different associations and organizations, there was a 70% of effectivity on the strike, which is a little bit higher than last year's, but pretty close.

These demonstrations, that took place all across Spain, were a huge success, and most important, inclusive. Men, as allies, were invited to stay in the mixed groups of the demonstrations, always respecting the non-mixed sections, where all the space was for women to lead their own fight, with everyone's support.

The message was clear: women will not stand anymore in front of an unfair patriarchal system that allows gender violence in all of its shapes. With the rise of right and far right political parties all around the world, this fight - alongside with other fights like the LGBT one - needs more support than ever and, together, we are stronger.

The demonstrations all along the country were peaceful, cheerful and vindicating. In Barcelona, it finished with the readings of different manifests made by different organizations. Besides, there were some concerts in the city center until midnight to celebrate another year of success.

 

March 7, 2019

Eating out and saving money is possible

If you are hungry in Sevilla but you want to save money for travelling, this is your post!

The following five restaurants are perfect to eat around Sevilla without spending so much money.

 

  1. Boga Gourmet La Buhaira.

It is the ideal place to eat gourmet tapas without spending a fortune. I recommend you this discount where you pay near 13€ and you get 4 tapas (you have to chose them out of the list they give you) and 2 drinks.

Av. de la Buhaira, 1.

 

  1. El Rincón del Tito.

This restaurant stands out for its homemade food from Sevilla, although you won't find traditional and local fried food. The restaurant is very cozy and you will not spend more than 10 euros. You can also find some gourmet tapas.

C/ Escuelas Pías, 10.

 

  1. Patio San Eloy.

It's a very famous restaurant in Seville. Why? Because people find interesting to eat in “gradas”. In addition, it is very cheap and the tapas are large in size. There is more than one Patio San Eloy in Seville. I recommend you the restaurant on Calle San Eloy, near ESA office.

The five Patio San Eloy in Sevilla are:

C/ Cuna, 5 | C/ San Eloy, 5 | C/ Mateos Gago, 4 | C/ San Jacinto, 16 (this one is the closest to Los Remedios) | C/ Alhóndiga, 14

 

  1. Piano Piano.

At this Italian restaurant, you can enjoy your pizza while watching the Torre del Oro. Because of its location, people think it’s too expensive. However, prices are affordable compared to the surrounding restaurants. In addition, the pizzas dough is perfect: fine and crunchy.

I recommend you buy this discount where you pay 35 euros and you get a menu for two people (including a starter to share, a main course for each person, a dessert to share and a drink for each person.)

C/ Almirante Lobo, 5.

 

  1. Las Golondrinas 2.

This restaurant is popular because of its low prices and big plates. People usually spend less than 10 euros. However, you can’t expect a gastrobar. This is the perfect place to eat traditional food from Sevilla.

C/ Pagés del corro, 76

Here you have a map with all the restaurants from 1 to 5.

Imagen 1

See you!

January 30, 2019

Less Netflix, more movie theater

Today I’ve decided to talk to you about movie theaters in Sevilla. You may be wondering why I chose this topic. Well, I think that nearly the 95% of people in the USA and Spain spend their free time watching movies or series on Netflix (at least, that’s my favorite hobby). However, you need to connect with the Spanish culture, so pack your stuff and let’s go to watch a movie at the movie theater! I’m going to resume you the best ones in Seville:

imagen 3 (1)

Cinesur Nervión Plaza - Calle Luis de Morales, 3, 41005, Sevilla

I think it’s the best option for you because it is next to the metro stop “Nervión”. The movie theater is located on the third floor of the mall called Nervión Plaza. At this movie theater, you can sometimes find original version movies with subtitles in Spanish.

Multicine Los Arcos - Avenida de Andalucía, sin número, 41007, Sevilla.

The second biggest movie theater in Seville. The quickest and easiest way to go there is by bus (buses number 02, 24 and 29). Maybe I prefer Cinesur Nervión Plaza because of the transportation, but here you can find the same movies as the first one.

Besides watching a movie, these two movie theaters are located at the top of two malls: Centro Comercial Nervión Plaza and Centro Comercial Los Arcos. So you can go shopping, then go to watch a movie and end having dinner at a restaurant of the mall.

Cinesa Plaza de Armas - Plaza La Legión, 8, 41001, Sevilla.

A really good option because of its location. It’s the second closest one to the city center. A negative point is that it has a small number of theaters, so the places are more limited.

Alameda Multicines - Calle Alameda de Hércules, 9, 41002, Sevilla.

Actually, this one is in the city center. However, this movie theater is special because it’s one of the oldest one and it is not as busy as the other ones, but you can find very interesting movies. In addition, it’s surrounded by multiple restaurants and pubs where you can have a drink or have dinner before or after the movie.

All of these movie theaters are perfect for you because of their location and the huge variety of movies. Sometimes you can watch original version movies with subtitles in Spanish but you have to try to watch a movie without any help - that’s how you are going to learn! And you can have a good time with one of your friends eating popcorn and drinking a soft drink.

The link below is a site with all the movie theaters located in Sevilla and surrounding towns. If you click on the name of one of them, you will find the movies that are being screened and when they’re scheduled.

https://www.ecartelera.com/cines/0,43,0.html

See you soon, guys!

December 12, 2018

Music to learn Spanish

One of the best ways to learn a language is listening to music. There are countless artists who sing in Spanish and they are not only from Spain but from North and Latin America as well. This article will be focused on the remarkable genres by Spanish singers. We could be talking about all the genres in music forever: there are a lot, everyone knows that. Besides, nowadays people have personal styles and they have access to all the music in wide and multiple platforms.

Rock has marked a before and an after in the Spanish music, especially in the last century. Names like Miguel Ríos, Rosendo, Loquillo, Leño, Barón Rojo, Obús, Héroes del Silencio or Extremoduro would not exist without the American rock, the main reference in this genre. Rock is power, rebellion, transgression, vibrancy and will to live and dance. Feeling like a bomb is feeling rock and roll. At first, this genre was censured, the artists had to be careful with the lyrics and replacing one word with another was common. All this was because there was a dictatorship in Spain which controlled the media and there was no freedom of speech. Rock had a bad reputation and it was said it provoked bad behaviour on its listeners. The aesthetic with leather jackets and long hairs in boys bothered the Spanish system. However, in the late 60s, things became easier for singers and freedom of speech arrived little by little. Nowadays we can enjoy world-known rock festivals in the country such as Leyendas del Rock or Viña Rock.

Pop is a trendy genre in Spain, as trendy as in the rest of the world. It suffered from censorship, like rock: they both came up at the same time. There are bands from this century which have been listened to ad nauseam (over and over again). Very good examples are Funambulista, Leiva, Vetusta Morla, Maldita Nerea, La Oreja de Van Gogh, La Quinta Estación or El Sueño de Morfeo. Those who are Spanish millennials will know what I am talking about…

There are new artists who are emerging too and they will be able to conquist the music industry. It is essential mentioning Operación Triunfo (OT), a reality show in a singing academy whose main target is to develop the musical careers from the competitors. The professors in the academy teach them how to dance, how to express themselves when they are in an interview and another skills an artist needs. Aitana, the second winner of OT2017, a 19 year-old-girl, has just released her first solo album. It is called ‘Tráiler’ and some songs are in English. However she already has got a single (Teléfono). The same single has got a remix with Lele Pons, the Venezuelan celebrity from the Internet.

IMAGEN 4

Noteworthy, the greatest exponents of Spanish pop at present are Vanesa Martín, Melendi, Alejandro Sanz, Pablo López, Rozalén, Malú, Pablo Alborán, El Kanka, Dani Martín, Andrés Suárez, Manuel Carrasco, among others.

We could spend the whole life analysing music. We are aware of all the genres and the most popular bands we have not mentioned, like trap (Pimp Flaco), dubstep (Space Elephants), electronic (Edu Imbernon), ska (Ska-P), punk (Gatillazo, Eskorbuto), jazz (Carme Canela)... Here there are just a few recommendations of Spanish bands if you like, like me, enjoy indie music: Los Planetas, IZAL, Love of Lesbian, La Casa Azul, Miss Cafeina, Vetusta Morla, Carlos Sadness, Supersubmarina or Carolina Durante. In case you want to give a try to the Spanish rap, which I really love, here you have some really good options: Nach, Rayden, Kase.O., Ayax y Prox, El Chojin, Kaze or SFDK.

Just remember, music has no limits. You will always be free to discover new music, new sensations.

December 11, 2018

Flamenco: from jondo to pop

When you hear music and Spain in the same sentence, automatically Flamenco comes to your mind. Passion, intensity, people dancing and moving their arms and hips, claps… Revolutionary artists from the XX century such as Paco de Lucía and Camarón marked the difference in this genre. Its origins are from the XV century in Andalusia, the south of the country. It is seen as a result of many mixed cultures: Arab, Jewish, Gypsy...

The singers of this genre are known as ‘cantaores’. We have to distinguish between many ‘palos’ (styles within the genre): ‘cantiñas’, ‘bulerías’, ‘fandangos’... In addition to those, there is something called ‘cante jondo’ and it is a way of singing. ‘Jondo’ comes from ‘hondo’ and this means deep. The artists we have already mentioned are in the traditional flamenco: Camarón de la Isla, singer, and Paco de Lucía, guitarist. Plus José Menese, Antonio Molina or Enrique Morente, just to mention a few.

Camaron y Paco de Lucia

Camaron y Paco de Lucia

It must be emphasized that not only singers but also guitarists and dancers are essential in this genre. Sara Baras and Joaquín Cortés are ‘bailaores’, professional dancers recognised around the world. Those who are lucky to watch them can feel the authenticity of their feelings. There is a huge difference between ‘flamenco puro’ and ‘classical flamenco’. The first one is more casual, with no rehearsal. It is more improvised and it is commonly seen in the gypsy communities due to their influence on this style. The second one is the classical, which has more rehearsal and some kind of ballet base. One tip for recognising which is which is looking at the hips: there is hip movement in both of them but far less in the classical style.

Regarding the guitarists, they are known as ‘tocaores’. They usually use the flamenco guitar, which is a bit different than the classical guitar. Sabicas is very iconic, so they are Tomatito, Manolo Sanlúcar or Pepe Habichuela. However, Paco de Lucía is considered the best flamenco guitarist among all.

Flamenco can be also played in a more modern style and that is what singers such as José Mercé or El Cabrero do. When it comes to bands, we cannot forget about Ketama, Pata Negra or Los chichos (being the last one even more modern).

We could spend days talking about this music style but it is worth noting that Flamenco is timeless. Modern Flamenco is suffering from a renewal with the help of Rosalía, who could be included inside the flamenco pop. However, her style is not that simple and it is complicated to classify it. She is a young woman who has already released two albums. The last one is called ‘El mal querer’. It is conceptual and it tells a story of a girl in a toxic relationship: how she gets married, how everything gets worse over time, the harassment she suffers and, most important, how she gets over it and grows stronger and determined, more than ever, everything seen from a gypsy perspective. She is becoming very famous and international and her performances are awesome. Even the Kardashians listen to her music!

Rosalia

Rosalia

 

licencia

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons
Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License