As the Spaniards said goodbye to their host families, left JC, and headed home to Spain, The Patriot caught up with Natalia Fernandez, who stayed with senior Mollyann Pais.  This year’s program included 20 exchange students from Spain who stayed for 18 days.

Q. Are laws in Spain stricter than United States’ laws?

A. It depends, because in Spain you can drink whereas here it is more controlling. In the United States people drive with their cell phones and text. If people did that in Spain, they’d freak out.  Also, in Spain you cannot get your license until you are 18.

Q.What is the biggest difference you’ve discovered between the United States and Spain?

A.Everything in the United States is really big and you have to drive far to get anywhere. In Spain, you go to work and live in the same city.

Q.What are you going to miss most about the United States?

A. I’m going to really miss JC. I’m going to miss being able to drive any place and how the United States is like a film.

Q. How are the dances different?

A. In Spain parties are common.  Here everybody goes crazy over one.

Q. What are the biggest differences between JC and your school, Colegio Nuestra Señora de los Infantes in Toledo, Spain?

A. At JC the students have computers. It is more like a university because the classes are shorter. At my school, the teachers move from class to class, not the students.

Q. What‘s your favorite place in the United States that you visited?

A.New York because it’s like Hollywood. It has high buildings, lots of lights, and huge signs and billboards.

Earnshaw can be reached for comment at [email protected].