Help write a book about Salamanca!

Tina Christopulos is an American writer in the process of writing her first book: a fictional story about a study abroad program taking place in Salamanca and the characters' experiences in this wonderful city as foreigners – but she is in need of some real-life accounts from real students!

If you would like to participate in the research, read on how…
As an ex-study abroad student with firsthand experience, YOU can provide Tina with accurate "this-is-how-it-really-is-to study in Salamanca" and the study abroad experience for foreigners.

Because her entire work will be fictional, she will not write about an existing study-abroad program or mention any particular schools. However, she is particularly interested in Salamanca's places of interest, such as plazas, monuments, and hangouts… places in the city or excursions where you, as a student who lived in Salamanca, went to!

Tina wants to give her characters and her story a realistic feel of the city – the places, experiences lived, the encounters and behaviors of the locals seen from the foreign student's point of view, the students' thoughts and sensations and most of all, the student's perception, adjustment and discovery of a new culture. With this book, Tina hopes anyone who has studied abroad (or is planning to), especially American teenagers, could relate to her book and fondly reminisce in their memories… or look forward to making their own memories in their upcoming trip!

If her novel is published, she will give her thanks in the "Acknowledgements Section" everyone who aided her with research.

Below is a list of background questions that interested participants would need to answer.
Email your list to tina_christopulos@yahoo.com and use "Salamanca Book Research Questions" as your email subject (otherwise, the email will get deleted).

QUESTIONNAIRE:

• How is the student atmosphere/life in Salamanca different in the summer from the fall and winter? (My study experience was in fall, but my character will be studying in the summer). Where (which countries) do many of the summer foreign students in Salamanca come from?
• Do many students rent cell phones? Where would they go for internet access?
• Where would they buy school supplies? Would it be the type of store where you can browse and choose what you need, or do you have to go up to a person at the counter and specify what you want?
• What aspects of life in Salamanca do your American students tend to find most surprising?
• What are common linguistic or cultural misunderstandings?
• What is/are the typical socio-economic background(s) for host families (types of jobs they have, types of places they live, etc)? Would a typical Salmantinian family have internet access in their home?
• What kind of adjustment issues (serious and silly) do you typically see for students with host families?
• What are some of the ways that students spend their free time?
• What kind of orientation do the students receive?
• I have not visited Salamanca since the year 2000, so my memories are outdated. How do you feel Salamanca's character has or has not changed since then?
• What are common colloquial expressions, positive and negative (for being upset or happy), these days? How do people say something's "cool" or "tacky?"
• Are intercambios still popular? Where are typical places to post an intercambio request?
• Any major, obvious differences you've noted in terms of style/dress/habits between American teens and Salmantinian teens?
• Is there anything else you'd like to share about the study-abroad experience for Americans in Salamanca?