MI EXPERIENCE IN MIAMI-by Catalina Pelaez

My experience in Miami

This month I took part in a language immersion in Miami. This trip was an opportunity given by the Dual Diploma Program, an extracurricular activity that takes place at school and that offers their students the opportunity to study online and at the same time their Spanish and American bachelors’ degrees, so when they finish, they can go directly to the university in the United States.

This language immersion was organized in order to give some of their students the opportunity to have a ‘first contact’ with American education, customs and people. 

Eleven students from different parts of Spain went there for two weeks, and a Spanish coordinator, Andrés, that works on the school that’s in Miami where the “head office” of the program is; the Doral Academy Preparatory, was in charge of us.

The day we arrived, the families (families of students or teachers at the school) that were going to take us in, were there waiting for us.

The first thing I remember of my arrival was the hot and humid weather, the sun and palm trees everywhere. 

The next day, we went to school and at first, we did a tour around the campus. I remember we were amazed, because Doral Academy consists of three buildings; “A” building for Middle School (students from 1^st to 9^th grade, “B” building for High School (students from 10^th to 12^th grade), and C building for College, where some of the best students could earn extra credits in order to learn more and be also more prepared to the university. They have a gym, a sports complex, an enormous music classroom with all sorts of musical instruments (violins, cellos, drum sets…), a recording studio with cameras and spotlights, that was set up for a subject called “TV production”, in which the students learned how to create, film and edit their own videos. With those videos they do, the daily school news broadcasts at 10 AM. They also have dance and theatre classrooms indoors, and a baseball and football pitches.

Then, we had a meeting with all the principals of the school, who welcomed us to the school and explained us how the school worked.

Afterwards, we got our uniforms and organized our schedules. The school gave us the opportunity to choose three out of the seven subjects we were going to have at school, and depending on the grade we were in (we were eleven students from 4^th grade of “ESO”, and 1^st and 2^nd of “bachillerato”), we could choose different ones. They have subjects like marine science, dance, forensic science, theater, choir, ceramics, photography, psychology, robotic, programming or TV production among others. My schedule was this one:

At first period, I had Biology Honors, at second, Leadership Skills, at third, Dance, at fourth period Geometry Honors, at the fifth one Psychology, at the sixth one English Honors, and at the seventh one, Ceramics.

They also explained us their school-day system. There are two types of days: day “A”  and day “B” . On the “A” days, we had the classes that were on the first, third, fifth and seventh period, and on the “B” days, the ones on the first, second, fourth and sixth. If Monday was “A” day, then Tuesday was “B” one, Wednesday “A” day again, and so on.  

As well, they pointed out that there were four lunch turns, and depending on the class and grade we were at, we had to eat at one time or another. “A” lunch turn was at 10:15 AM, “B” one at 11:00 AM, “C” turn at 11:30 AM and “D” turn at 12 AM.

That week we went to school from 7:30 AM to 2:30 PM, and at the evenings, we went out with our host families.

That weekend (the only we spent in Miami), all the Spanish people went to a lot of places in Miami with Andrés as the guide of the tour.

Saturday we visited “Little Havana”, one of the most popular neighborhoods in Miami because of being the traditional “home” to all the Cuban and South American immigrants. That’s why Little Havana is named after Havana, the capital and largest city in Cuba

Then, we went to Bayside, a marketplace situated next to the coast. There, we went on a sightseeing cruise to see the rich and famous’ people mansions that live there, such as Ricky Martin, David Beckham or Miley Cyrus.

Afterwards, because it started to rain, we went shopping to one of the traditional American Malls, the “Dolphin Mall”. 

Sunday we went to the National Park of the Everglades. The Everglades are a network of wetlands and forests of 0,4 km long, and the natural habitat for species like the American Alligator, the Florida panther or the West Indian manatee. There, we did an airboat ride. 

We ate on “Fuddruckers”, a restaurant where you can have a real American hamburger. I swear it was the best one I have eaten in my life! 

Then, we went to Lincoln Road, a pedestrian and commercial walkway situated next to Miami Beach.

And, finally, we ended our trip on Miami Beach! 

On Monday, we started classes again. At the evening, we went to a NBA basketball match, in which the Miami Heat played against Phoenix Suns.

Our trip was ending. During that week, our families organized a lot of things for us to do. On Thursday, we had a special farewell meal with all the principals, and my family organized a family gathering; a farewell barbecue.

We left Miami that Friday. I have to say that this one has been one of the best experiences I've had in my life.