Autor: Jacqueline Tanasic

Episode 5: Holidays, Dragons, Explosions, and Blackouts (Just Another Week)

Ladies and gentlemen, gather ‚round, because the past days were stuffed with holidays — and you know I’m not complaining. Free days? Yes, please. I’ll take ten.

We hit the beach for a dragon show (no real dragons were harmed, unfortunately). It was colorful, magical, and — plot twist — the weather didn’t try to kill us for once! Rain-free miracles do happen, kids.

Later, we checked out the fireworks at the Plaza de la Crida — part of the big Saint celebration here in Valencia. Let me tell you, if you enjoy the sound of your eardrums being brutally assaulted, you would’ve loved it. I flinched so often I basically invented a new dance move. Might patent it.

After the fireworks? We decided to just walk for an hour. Yup, like psychos. And we admired the onion fields. Mostly Florian and I, but hey, the others didn’t mind — more peace and onions for us. Quality bonding time among vegetables.

Fast forward to Monday: Public holiday!
Cue dramatic music… because BAM!
A giant power outage. Like, everywhere. Not just our city — all of Spain, Portugal, parts of France and Morocco went dark. No internet. No mobile network. Basically prehistoric times, but with better eyebrows.

What did we do? We bravely attacked our food supplies like it was the zombie apocalypse. Eat first, panic later. And then… Uno war. Friendships were tested. Tears were shed. Legends were born.

Today, the Germans are coming! (No, not like in WWII, chill.) Our supervisors are visiting to check up on our agencies… or, well, just mine and Ruben’s. The others are either still on holiday or still jobless. (Oops.)

Stay tuned, beautiful weirdos.

Tumblr Blog for Pictures and Videos: https://afib-in-spain.tumblr.com/

Episode 4: Da Vinci, Donuts, and…wait what

So I did a thing. I googled stuff. Yeah, dangerous, I know. But this time, it paid off — big time. Turns out there’s a massive Leonardo da Vinci exhibition going on here in Valencia, from March all the way to next year. At the “City of Arts and Sciences,” no less. That name already sounds like something out of an Avengers base. And for just 9 Euros? You bet your Mona Lisa-smiling butt I’m going. And I’m dragging Flo with me. He doesn’t know it yet, but resistance is futile.

Speaking of not missing out — we also finally strolled through the shopping mile at Plaza de Sant Francesc. Fun fact: this square is like the stylish cousin of all other plazas. It’s got history, it’s got flair, and apparently, it’s got my wallet now. I bought myself a fresh pair of pants (because you can’t fight art crimes in ripped jeans) and some pretty awesome shirts. Fashion icon unlocked.

After the shopping extravaganza, Flo and I hit up an Italian restaurant. Cue pasta, deep conversations, and those aesthetic palm trees in the background that made us look like we were in a movie — possibly a buddy comedy, with a side of tiramisu.

Easter came around and we visited a parade near the beach — and I even got a flower. A real one. Like, someone just handed me joy in petal form. Made my day. We had breakfast there too, right by the sea. And yes, we visited the sea — the big blue beauty herself.

Picture this: waves crashing gently, kids laughing, bubbles floating through the air, and someone playing the piano like we were in a rom-com montage. I half expected credits to start rolling.

All in all? Another awesome, slightly-too-sunny chapter in the Valencia saga. My sweat glands are screaming, but my soul is chill.

Stay tuned, nerds.

More pictures and videos on my Tumblr Blog: https://afib-in-spain.tumblr.com/

Episode 3 – Nerds Assemble: First Day at the University of Valencia

Guess who strutted into the University of Valencia’s Computer Science and Engineering department like they owned the place? That’s right—me (and Ruben, my trusty sidekick who doesn’t know he’s my sidekick yet).

We kicked things off by meeting the big boss lady—aka the head of this mega-ultra-European-supercollab project. What’s the project about, you ask? Oh, just a tiny little app powered by Artificial Intelligence that helps tourists navigate the city. Not impressed yet? Wait for it… It includes the best sightseeing routes, pollen-free paths (bless you, allergy squad 🤧), reviews from both tourists and locals, and probably can predict your future too. I mean… who needs Google anymore?

After that, we sat down with the rest of the international brainiacs to hear about their work. My brain melted just a little. Then came the real kicker: Ruben and I were assigned to work on the website’s frontend and backend using WordPress. Yes, we get to play with buttons and make things work behind the scenes—like the Batman and Alfred of web dev. (I’ll let Ruben decide who’s who.)

They even gave us a little university tour—because you can’t just dump international interns into a building without showing them where the coffee lives. ☕

Our first few days were surprisingly chill. Not the “Netflix and nap” kind of chill, but the “wow, people are actually nice here” kind. We’re working closely with two programmers, Adrian and Emilio—absolute legends. They’ve been trying their best to make us laugh in English, and honestly? They’re succeeding. It’s like working in a sitcom.

Lunch with them was not only fun but also educational. Adrian immediately gave us the real local guide: where the students party, where the good (and cheap) food is, and which streets to avoid unless you enjoy surprise bird poop.

The work vibe? Amazing. Friendly, relaxed, helpful—10/10, would code again. Only downside? They have never heard of airing out a room. Ever. Germany, please send help and windows that open.

Oh, and bonus content for you public transport lovers: the tram here is elite. At the end of the line, there’s a freaking sofa lounge. I repeat: a sofa. In a tram. With a view. If that’s not peak public transport luxury, I don’t know what is.

More pictures and Videos on my Tumblr Blog: https://afib-in-spain.tumblr.com/

Episode 2 – The Fellowship of the Mop

Living with 8 people under one roof? Sounds like a sitcom. Or a horror movie. Depending on the day. It’s loud, it’s messy, and someone always steals your yogurt – but guess what? We actually look out for each other. We even chip in for cleaning supplies and food. Real adulting stuff. Gold star for us.

On the last day of our Spanish course, we gave our teacher Jesús a bouquet of flowers and snapped a group photo. The guy looked so happy, I swear he nearly evolved into a Disney character right in front of us. Pure joy, no filter needed.

Now, behind our house? BOOM – instant nature. Like, actual fields and flowers and chirpy birds. It’s all very Instagram-worthy. But if you’re headed to the supermarket, buckle up. There’s an „adventure route“ that involves climbing fences, dodging thorns, and risking your dignity. Indiana Jones, but for groceries.

This week we created a cleaning schedule. (Yay, democracy!) Guess who got picked first with Florian? Me. But plot twist: everyone bailed to go drink with Mr. Maier. Classic. So I did what any exhausted hero would do – I cleaned the whole damn house myself. Kitchen? Sparkling. Two bathrooms? Sanitized. Floors? Swept, mopped, and polished like Mr. Clean himself did a walkthrough.

Sure, it was tiring. Sure, I now have beef with every dust bunny in existence. But when the squad got back and said they could eat off the floor? Chef’s kiss. Also, it finally smells like lemons and justice in here.

Oh – and I treated myself. Bought the most expensive strawberries I’ve ever paid for. Worth every damn cent. Locally grown, sun-kissed perfection. No moldy imposters, no mushy disappointment. Just sweet, crisp, juicy flavor bombs straight from the fruity heavens. Best. Strawberries. Ever.

And the real MVPs of Valencia? The cats. They’re everywhere. Lurking, lounging, judging. You’re never alone on the streets here – there’s always a cat watching. Probably plotting. Definitely majestic.

EXTRA BONUS ROUND: It’s Palm Sunday – Domingo de Ramos – and we thought we missed the parade for Semana Santa Marinera. WRONG. Turns out, in our very own neighborhood, the evening procession had just started. Florian and I basically WWE-tag-teamed our way into clean clothes and ran to catch it.

And holy palm leaves, it was magical. Long lines of people in traditional robes, some barefoot, some carrying religious statues that look like they belong in the Vatican’s VIP section. Locals holding woven palm branches (a classic symbol of peace and Jesus‘ entry into Jerusalem), incense thick in the air, and solemn music from brass bands echoing through the streets. It wasn’t just a parade – it was a full-on emotional rollercoaster wrapped in tradition and goosebumps.

Valencia doesn’t just celebrate Holy Week – it lives it, breathes it, and marches it down your block like a boss.

Next week? I’ll be back with more chaos – and I’m checking out the local Easter festivities. Bunnies, eggs, and maybe a resurrection or two. Stay tuned.

Episode 1

Hola, WLANcia – things are getting afib

Hi. It’s me. The main character of your favorite low-budget Erasmus film. Spoiler alert: I survive the first episode. Probably.

My name is Jacqueline, 27 years young (insert existential crisis here), and I’m doing my apprenticeship as an IT specialist for system integration at the afib group. Yep, that means IT, cable spaghetti, and constantly Googling things I should probably already know – the full experience.

Thanks to Erasmus, I was catapulted straight into the Valencia sun with a plane ticket, an overpacked suitcase (RIP my spine), and an internal monologue screaming “Why am I doing this to myself?” Valencia – the city of oranges, tapas, palm trees… and the constant risk of accidentally offending someone when trying to speak Spanish.

After checking in, we entered full-on survival mode: get water (because the tap water here smells more like chlorine than a Berlin public pool in July), hunt for food (thank you, Aldi – the international best friend of all broke students), and most importantly: get settled. Which basically means unpacking, panicking, repacking, reorganizing, and then giving up.

This week we’re starting a Spanish language course with our teacher Jesús. Yep. That’s his actual name. And while his English isn’t exactly Olympic-level, he teaches us with so much humor, hand gestures, drawings, and wild enthusiasm that you kind of start understanding things through sheer emotional osmosis. It’s weirdly effective.

Then: Culture overload. We headed to the center of Valencia – with the Metro, by the way. The stations here are huge, clean, organized and – bless – air-conditioned. A true gift from the Spanish gods in 28°C heat. Sure, it’s sometimes so full you feel like a canned sardine on a school trip, but hey – at least you’re not sweating to death.

In the city, we saw all the classic landmarks:
Torres dels Serrans (old, pretty, dramatic), Real Colegio del Corpus Christi (sounds like Hogwarts, looks even holier), Plaza de Manises, admired the stunning architecture of La Seu, and of course the iconic Plaza de la Virgen with the Valencia Cathedral and the basilica next door – so much holy architecture, I almost lit a candle for my router issues.

Oh, and then – BAM – the trees. Not just any trees. Giant fig trees with roots straight out of a fantasy novel. In Berlin, we’re lucky if a tree isn’t killed by an SUV. Here, they grow like nature’s skyscrapers. I was officially impressed.

Grand finale? An evening at Las Horas Café – so colorful, so loud, so “please shoot an indie film here”. And yes, I tried Agua de Valencia. A mix of orange juice and alcohol that tastes sweeter than my sarcasm – dangerously good.

From now on, I’ll post here twice a week – sharing the good, the bad, the awkward, and the unfiltered truth about this sunny, chaotic adventure. For your entertainment, emotional support, or pure confusion. (Yes, I’m real. No, I don’t have superpowers.)