Farewell Amelia&Bea

These are my last days in Groningen before my departure to Spain and although it's highly probable that I come back to Groningen in a few weeks, I cannot help but feel a little sad these days.

I will miss my bike and all the walks that I do with it... I will miss speaking English with my intercambio partners and my neighbors... meeting new people from all over the world at parties in our old student house, and even, doing all the housework by myself (like cooking, doing the shopping at the supermarket, doing the laundry....), because I really like to do it alone without help, I don't know why, but it makes me feel more independent.

Although the main reason of my sadness, is saying farewell to one friend, Amelia. I came back to Groningen with two of my best friends, Bea and Amelia. I wanted to improve my English level and they started an internship at Hanze University. And last Friday we had our last party together, at least for a few months, because they will be my friends for all my life no matter what and I am confident that we will continue seeing each other wherever we are.

And although my plans are to go to London to do an internship soon, I can't imagine my life in Groningen without my two best friends... luckily Bea will come back in January and I hope that  Amelia changes her mind and comes back to Groningen with us so that we can spend a few more months together.

SINTERKLAAS

Last week, on 5th of December, I was greatly surprised. My friend Renate, who I talk English&Spanish with once per week, gave me the letter "B" in chocolate!! Apparently this is very common in the Netherlands, giving and receiving letters of chocolate according to your name on the 5th of December. I really appreciated this sign of affection because it made me feel like I am taking part in the Dutch culture.

Renate told me this happens because here in the Netherlands, they celebrate Sinterklaas (an elderly man very similar to our Santa Claus in Spain), who gives presents to good children visiting their houses the night of the 5th of December, but besides that, you yourself can also show your affection to your friends or relatives, giving them a present. And one of the possibilities are these chocolate letters.

We also have this tradition in Spain. We have Santa Claus, who leaves presents in children's shoes if they have been good, the night of the 24th of December and moreover we have the three Kings, who do the same on the 5th of January, if the children have shown good behavior during the year.

Will I see snow before I leave Groningen?

These days has been very cold here, in Groningen, and I am wondering if I will see snow before going back to Granada. I would like to see it snow, due to the fact that snow isn't very common in Spain, well, concretely in the south of Spain. Althoug it's true that where I live, we have one of the more famous places to ski in Spain, maybe you know the "Sierra Nevada"

But this isn't the same... I mean, it's really nice to wake up and seeing all the snowy streets and to go to the universtiy walking over snow!! It's more special living your normal day around snow than to only experience it if you go to the mountain.

For that reason, another special moment in my Erasmus year was seeing "this particular environment", I tool a lot of pictures, I drew names in car windows, I threw snowalls to my friends. I could really enjoy snow like a child and I hope to repear these moments before my Christmas holidays.

The followings pictures were taken the last year, aren’t  they beautiful?