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Events & Blogs


Didn’t Fallas Just End?” | Understanding Life Rhythms in Spain
Just as one celebration ends in Spain, another begins. From Fallas to Semana Santa, life in Xàtiva doesn’t slow down — it swings between extremes. Through real schedule changes, busy students, and everyday moments, this story explores how cultural rhythm shapes not only daily life, but also the way we learn, adapt, and connect through language.
Darcie Khanukayev
Mar 303 min read


🎉🔥 Bilingual Fallas Experience in Xàtiva | Learning Through Culture
A colorful Fallas sculpture (ninot) in Xàtiva showing a fantasy character with blue skin, a wide open mouth, and dramatic facial features riding a lizard-like creature. The figure wears detailed, ornate clothing with mushrooms and whimsical elements around it, set against a bright blue sky.
Darcie Khanukayev
Mar 172 min read


Bilingual Excursion to Montesa Castle | Language Learning in Nature
Join DarKha Academy for a bilingual excursion to Montesa Castle, a historic fortress located just outside Xàtiva in the Valencian Community of Spain. This guided outing combines nature, local history, and English–Spanish conversation practice as participants explore the charming village of Montesa and hike to the medieval castle overlooking the surrounding countryside.
Darcie Khanukayev
Mar 112 min read


🌄 Join Us for a Hike to La Ermita de Santa Ana!🌟
📅 Date: February 22 ⏰ Meeting Time: 10:00 AM 📍 Meeting Point: DarKha Academy. We’re heading to La Ermita de Santa Ana, a stunning 16th-century Gothic chapel with breathtaking views from its strategic location atop its namesake mountain.
Darcie Khanukayev
Feb 101 min read


📣 Bike Adventure: practice cycling in English and Spanish!
📣 Bike Adventure: practice cycling in English and Spanish! Xàtiva → Cova Negra 🚴♀️🌳Sunday, February 8 · 10 AM Meet at: Sant Domènec, 32 – Xàtiva (València) Come join a scenic bilingual bike excursion through the beautiful countryside around Xàtiva — perfect for enjoying nature, fresh air, and good company! 🇪🇸🇬🇧📍 Route Overview: We’ll pedal from Sant Domènec toward Genovés and on to the natural site of La Cova Negra. It’s mostly rolling terrain with some gentle climbs
Darcie Khanukayev
Jan 271 min read


Hello, Nature and Language Lovers! 🌞
Hello nature lovers! 🌞 Join us for a bilingual hike to Les Arcadetes along the Albaida River, where language learning, community, and nature come together! 📅 Date: January 25, 2026 ⏰ Time:10:00 am 📍Meeting Point:Sant Domenèc, 32 ⛰ Duration: ~ 2–3 hours (friendly pace) 🌎 Languages: English & Spanish (all levels welcome!) Bring comfy shoes, water, snacks, sun protection, and curiosity! Let’s hike, laugh, and learn bilingually! 🌳✏️
Darcie Khanukayev
Jan 201 min read


🇬🇧 Celebrate Love & Language with Us! 💘 🗓️
Friday, February 13 | 🕖 7:00 PM | 📍Sant Doménec, 32. Join us for a bilingual evening full of creativity, laughter, and heartfelt fun. 💌 We’ll make cards and poems in Spanish and English. 🍷 Bring a snack or drink to share — or both! 🧑🤝🧑 Bring someone you love… or just your joyful self. Love, languages, and lots of laughs guaranteed! 💃🕺
Darcie Khanukayev
Jan 201 min read


🌟 Let’s celebrate the new year together! 🎉 Word Game Night!
🗓️ Friday, Jan 16 — Viernes, 16 de enero 🕖 7:00 PM📍Sant Domènec, 32 🗣️ Practice English & Spanish with charades, laughs, and lovely people! 🧀🥂 Bring a a friend, and a snack, or drink to share, 😄 and your sense of humour!
Darcie Khanukayev
Jan 151 min read


🚴♀️ Bilingual Biking with DarKha Academy!🌟 Join us on Sunday, January 11, for the first ride of the year!!!
🚴♀️ Bilingual Biking with DarKha Academy!🌟 Join us on Sunday, January 11, for the first ride of the year!!! 🛣️🍊We´re taking a scenic ride through orange groves and charming towns: We'll explore Vallés, Cerdá, Torrella, Llanera de Ranes, Granja de la Costera, and finish in Xàtiva.📍 Meeting Point: DarKha Academy (Sant Doménec, 32, Xàtiva) 🕙 Time: 10:00 AM ✅ What to Bring: Your bike🚵🏼, water💧, appropriate clothing, and a desire to practice Spanish/English! 📏 Distance
Darcie Khanukayev
Jan 71 min read


📖 DarKha Book Club – February Edition is a story of kindness and change
📖 DarKha Book Club – January Edition is a story of kindness and change: Join Our January Book Club Wednesday, January 30 | 7:00–8:30 PM📍 DarKha Academy, Carrer Sant Domènec 32, Xàtiva.
This month, we’ll dive into “Thank You, Ma’am” — a powerful short story by Langston Hughes about a chance encounter between a tough, kind woman and a young boy who tries to steal her purse.
It’s short, sharp, and full of heart — just a few pages you can read in advance or with us during th
Darcie Khanukayev
Jan 71 min read


Communication is Connection (Not Perfection)
I remember my first Valencian orange juice. It was thick, sweet, and sunshine in a glass. I’ve been hooked ever since.
As I was preparing it one morning, my friend Xavi watched with curiosity as I squeezed the orange — pulp and all — into the cup.
“Does everyone in California drink it like that?” he asked curiously
“No,” I laughed, “most people drink just the juice. But I love it with the pulp, too.”
A flicker of horror flashed across his face. Just a blink. Then he quick
Darcie Khanukayev
Jan 52 min read


📚✨ Bilingual Book Club – January 2 @ DarKha
📚✨ Bilingual Book Club – December 12 @ DarKha
🗓️ Friday, January 2
🕖 7:00 PM
📍 DarKha Academy – Carrer Sant Domènec, 32
This month we’ll be reading “My Brother Walter” from Mouthful of Birds by Samanta Schweblin.
Some of us found last week’s story a bit intense 😅 — so this time, we’re exploring a gentler, more reflective piece.
“My Brother Walter” offers a new tone: emotional, a little mysterious, and very human. Let’s keep enjoying fresh literary styles while practicing
Darcie Khanukayev
Dec 16, 20251 min read


Dear Spanish Speakers: English Will Betray You
I have a secret… Spelling doesn’t come naturally to native English speakers.
In fact, I divide the world into two camps: those who can spell and those who struggle. There are people who can confidently write “definitely”… and then there are the rest of us — the ones who Google it every time or wait for the spell checker to jump in and save the day.
I don’t love admitting this, especially since I’m not only an English teacher but the director of an English academy. Still, t
Darcie Khanukayev
Nov 27, 20252 min read


🚴♀️ Bilingual Bike Ride with the DarKha Immersion Club! 🚴♂️
Join us on Sunday, March 30, for a fun and adventurous bilingual bike ride! 🌿🚲
📍 Meeting point: DarKha Academy, Sant Domènec, 32 ⏰ Time: 10:00 AM 🧢 What to bring: Water, helmet, and your adventurous spirit! We'll be exploring the scenic area around Mount Puig between Genovés and Xàtiva, enjoying the fresh air, great company, and bilingual conversation along the way. All levels welcome! Let’s ride, chat, and immerse ourselves in language and nature. 🌍🌞 👉 RSVP no
Darcie Khanukayev
Nov 25, 20251 min read


📚✨ Bilingual Book Club – December 12 @ DarKha
📚✨ Bilingual Book Club – December 12 @ DarKha
🗓️ Thursday, December 12
🕖 7:00 PM
📍 DarKha Academy – Carrer Sant Domènec, 32
This month we’ll be reading “My Brother Walter” from Mouthful of Birds by Samanta Schweblin.
Some of us found last week’s story a bit intense 😅 — so this time, we’re exploring a gentler, more reflective piece.
“My Brother Walter” offers a new tone: emotional, a little mysterious, and very human. Let’s keep enjoying fresh literary styles while practi
Darcie Khanukayev
Nov 13, 20251 min read


🍁🦃 Bilingual Cooking Class: ¡Celebrate Thanksgiving with Us! 🦃🍁📅
Thursday, November 21 🕖 7:00 PM📍 DarKha Academy – Carrer Sant Domènec, 32 💶 Bring 3€ for supplies. 🥧 And bring something to share with the group! Come cook, laugh, and connect in English & Spanish while learning about the heartwarming American tradition of Thanksgiving! 🇺🇸❤️🗣 Practice your language skills in a fun, real-life setting 🌍 Celebrate culture, friendship, and gratitude 🎉 Friends are welcome – the more, the merrier! 📝 RSVP (685 166 339) please!
Darcie Khanukayev
Nov 4, 20251 min read


Olive You! Olive Me!
As a kid in California, I thought olives were... fine. Nothing special. They came in two varieties: black, with barely any flavor, or green and stuffed with pimientos. That was it. They tasted like the jar — flat, timid, and bland. We put them on pizza and... well, I can’t think of much else.
Sure, olive trees grew in California. I loved their silvery-green leaves and gnarled bark, ancient and wise. But their fruit? Always a disappointment. I never would have guessed that,
Darcie Khanukayev
Oct 29, 20252 min read


We are hiking🚶🏻♀️to La Ermita en el Puig.🥾
November 16, We are hiking🚶🏻♀️to La Ermita en el Puig.🥾 It’s an emblematic hermitage of Xàtiva very close to the urban center. Meet at the academy at 10 with water, snack for a 3 hour easy/medium excursion (about 8 km on roads and up a the hill on well trod paths).
Darcie Khanukayev
Oct 28, 20251 min read


📚✨ New Book in the DarKha Bilingual Book Club! ✨📚
Ready to switch stories? 💫 We’re putting Don Quijote back on the shelf (for now 😉) and diving into a captivating, slightly eerie, and beautifully written short story collection: 🕊️ “Birds in the Mouth” by Samanta Schweblin. 🔁 As always, it’s our DarKha Special Bilingual Book Club — where language learners and literature lovers meet to share, laugh, and practice Spanish & English in a relaxed, thoughtful space. 🗓️ Get a copy of book in PDFs in both Spanish and English at
Darcie Khanukayev
Oct 28, 20251 min read


We’re going to knit in two languages!
🧶✨ BILINGUAL ADULT COMMUNITY NIGHT ✨🧶 Friday, October 24 at 7:00 PM📍 DarKha Academy – Carrer Sant Domènec, 32. We’re going to knit in two languages! Yes, really. Whether you’re a seasoned stitcher or don’t know a knitting needle from a spoon — you’re welcome! 🧶 We’ve got supplies, 👜 but feel free to bring your own.🧍♀️🧍♂️ We’re looking for: Knitters and non-knitters; English and/or Spanish speakers; People who love to laugh, learn, and share. 🎁
Darcie Khanukayev
Oct 8, 20251 min read
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