from Taylor

Hi guys! I hope you've all been doing well since I last saw you a couple of weeks ago. I'm sorry it took me so long to write to you, I've been busy with my brother's high school graduation and vacation to the beach.

I want to take a moment to thank you all for this last year. You've made it a great one for me and I have learned a lot from you. Every one of you has something to offer and can accomplish awesome things if you put in your best effort. Hugs to everyone!

So you guys had great ideas about souvenirs. My family and friends loved all of their gifts. Here are some pictures of a few things I brought back to the US with me:

My brother with the soccer jersey I bought him (at the chino, shhhhh)

The wine and chorizo I brought for my parents.

My cousins with their hats and cookies I bought them.

Also, I hope you all enjoy watching the World Cup!

My friend and I ready to watch the game, Go Team USA!

4th year, have fun and be safe in Madrid!

Here's to a great summer for everyone at CPI Tino Grandio!

Talk to you soon,

Taylor

Interview to Taylor Matherly

What's your name?
My name is Taylor Elizabeth Matherly.

 Have you got any brothers or sisters?
I do. I have one brother. He's nineteen and his name is Grant.

What are your hobbies?
I like to read. I like to go to the gym. I like to listen to music and I like to watch movies.

Where are you from?
I am from Durham, North Carolina (USA).

Can you tell us about your city?
Yeah, Durham is a city in North Carolina. It's a little bit bigger than Lugo but not much. Ah... we are famous for our three universities and our baseball team. And it is... it gets cold, but not very cold in the winter but it gets very hot in the summer.

What do you like and dislike about Lugo?
Let's see. I like about Lugo. I like the people, I like that you can walk anywhere. It's a nice city to walk around, but what I dislike is that stores close during siesta and on Sundays.

What is different between Galicia and the USA?
Well, I'd say first of all the food is very different. I like the food in both places, it's just different. It rains more here. But other than that I'd say, well I guess TV shows are different but people are nice in both places so there's more alike than different.

What do you think about people from here?
I think that people from here are very kind. They're very willing to help, so for example, if I get lost or maybe I don't understand something or know how to say something people are always willing to help.

Did you visit other places in Spain?
I have. I studied in college in Sevilla so I visited Granada and Cordoba, other places in the south. And in Galicia I've been to Vigo, to Ourense, I've been to places around A Coruña and I've been to Madrid and Barcelona.

Which of the places that you visited in Spain did you like the most?
Well, I liked Barcelona a lot, it's a very beautiful city. I liked Madrid and then ... I don't know, I liked all the places. I guess my favourite would be Barcelona, though.

If you could travel anywhere, where would you go?
I've always wanted to go to Prague in the Czech Republic.

What do you miss about America?
I miss the food, but most of all, I miss my friends and I miss my family.

What will you do next year?
Next year I'll do the same thing I'm doing now but in a school in Madrid.

Happy birthday, Taylor

picture from Wikimedia

Halloween images

candy corn- picture from Wikimedia

In today's classes we have been talking about how Halloween is celebrated in the US and how Día de los muertos is celebrated by the Mexican community in the USA.

Halloween at Chapelhill - picture from Wikipedia

chocolate and pumpkin cake - cookiteasy.com

Halloween at Chapelhill - socinnovation.worpress.com

children in a corn maze - www.denver.org

girls dressed up at Chapelhill - tarheel-blog.blogspot.com

día de los muertos, Mexico -from Wikipedia

You can see the Halloween party at Chapelhill, Taylor's city in North Carolina. The street full of people is Franklin street.

About Taylor

This week Taylor has been telling us about her life and family in the USA. If you want to have another look at her presentation, here it is.

About Taylor Matherly

Hi students! My name is Taylor and I will be your new "auxiliar de conversa" for the next year. I'm 22 years old and am from the  city of Durham in the state of North Carolina. I have also lived in the mountains in a small town in the state of Virginia. Both North Carolina and Virginia are in the south-eastern US. I went to college at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) and love my school's team, the North Carolina Tar Heels. My favorite Tar Heel sport is basketball. I also enjoy watching and playing baseball. In college, I studied sociology and linguistics. Last summer, I studied at the university in Sevilla. I traveled a little bit, but this will be my first time in Galicia! Since I have never been to Galicia before, do you have any advice for me before I arrive? What are your favorite and least favorite parts about your village? I'm so excited to meet you all!

- Taylor

Here are a few pictures of where I'm from:


^This is Durham, where I was born and lived for a long time.



^Here's a map of the US with North Carolina highlighted.


^Like I said before, I love my university's basketball team. This is a picture of one of the most famous Tar Heels, Michael Jordan, when he went to school and played basketball for UNC.


^ Finally, here's a picture of me with my parents and younger brother on the day I graduated from college. My brother decided to be funny and wear my graduation hat for this picture.