Don't know much about history, don't know much biology...

I've been working at the elementary school almost two full weeks now and it really is just what I needed in adjusting to Spanish life (besides Charo). Last Thursday, I taught my first class on my own. I made them a worksheet with past tense verbs, and we did it together in class. I was surprised at how happy I felt when they did so well with it! After the worksheet, their teacher, Javier, had another activity, with a song. It reminded me of how many little songs I've sung in Spanish or listened to in Spanish to teach my brain to learn this language. We listened to the old American song "Wonderful World" by Sam Cooke, which I'll put a video to at the end of this post. The song happens to have a lot of school subject titles in it, which they are learning the English names of, so we listened to it to see if they could recognize the names. I didn't really know the words, but Javier and I stood in front of the class and sang along to get to kids to sing, saying the English words out loud, and recognizing the school subject names. Normally, I would feel kind of silly singing in front of a group of 25 twelve year olds, but for whatever reason, I felt really enthusiastic, and since last Thursday I keep reliving that moment where I looked at Javier and he was like "sing, sing" and we did, and the kids did. I downloaded the song onto my ipod and every time I hear it or think about it, I think about how good it felt to feel like I was a part of something important: Javier and I were putting all of our energy at that moment into teaching these kids English, as if them learning English was the most important thing to us. Afterwards, I wrote all of the subjects that are in the song on the board and we sang again as I pointed them out. I am really happy to be where I am in the school, and that's just one class! I am also helping in preschool (4 year olds) and 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades. It's definitely a learning experience, but I'm really glad I'm there. As many of you know, one of the things I crave the most is to be a part of something, and in coming to Spain I felt like I was sort of thrown into the world without anything to hold onto, without anything that feels like I belong to it, and I think that being at the school is definitely filling that gap, because I feel like I'm a part of something, I belong to something that is worthwhile: teaching kids.

Besides that, I've been doing some traveling, but it would be hard to share every detail on all of that right now. Two weekends ago, I went to Salamanca! Highlights: seeing friends from SMC!!!, the new and old Cathedrals, the old University (including jumping the rope and standing in Miguel de Unamuno's classroom!!), Casa de las Conchas, walking at the river and finding/seeing/touching all of the good luck charms. Lowlights: I started to get sick.
Last weekend, I went to Sevilla! Highlights: orange trees, the Cathedral, the tower/old minarete/giralda, the Alcazar, the river, Parque de Maria Luisa, Plaza de España, shopping, lots of treats/sweets, 70 degree weather in February, delicious sandwiches, testing orange wine. Lowlights: I got sicker, probably because of the weather changes, we walked A LOT, the orange wine was really bitter and in a very strange looking glass.

This coming weekend, I am going to Paris to meet three friends from SMC! I can't wait to see more familiar faces and explore somewhere different in Europe! I plan on being pretty touristy - which is fine with me. I don't love being touristy while in Spain, but while in France, why not??

Until next time!

New beginnings, already?!

Yesterday marked my third week in Spain. This week, I changed my internship officially. On Wednesday, I had an interview at a colegio (school) with kids from 3 and 4 years old up until the 6th grade. I got a little lost on the bus system that goes outside of Madrid and ended up in a town somewhat outside of Madrid, but I was able to turn around and get to the school for my interview. I loved the people there, everyone was SO friendly and welcoming. The director's name is Lola, and I'm also working under the sort of "head English teacher" named Javier. Yesterday was my first full day and I just went around to help out in English classes. I had a 2nd grade, 4 year olds, 5th grade, 6th grade, and another 5th grade. It was really fun, and interesting to see all the levels of English speaking. It was also nice to have lunch with the other teachers and get to talk to them about all sorts of things. I'm looking forward to going back on Tuesday!

Not on purpose, I'm going to end up traveling all of the weekends in February! Today we are headed to Salamanca, next weekend we are having a one night overnight with the BU program to Sevilla, the weekend after I am going to Paris to meet some girls from SMC (!!) and the last weekend I am going to Morocco with a tour group. I'm really excited to get some traveling in, and also excited with how I've budgeted everything so far. Even with some extra expenses, I'm not doing so bad! I know everyone knows I was worried about this, so I'm happy to report that so far, so good :)

I've been having a lot of "I'm really here!" moments recently, and that's been nice. I feel like I've been here for a lot longer than 3 weeks, and I don't feel at all out of place anymore. Yesterday during my break at school I was looking at my agenda and realizing how short of a time period I really have here. No time to waste!

Off to Salamanca. Hasta luego!

"Nada" by Carmen LaForet

Excerpt from the book I'm reading for my Contemporary Spanish Novel class that I really love:


"Yo no lo dudaba: me parecía ver en Román un fondo inagotable de posibilidades. En el momento en que, de pie junto a la chimenea, empezaba a pulsar el arco, yo cambiaba completamente. Desaparecían mis reservas, la ligera capa de hostilidad contra todos que se me había ido formando. Mi alma, extendida como mis propias manos juntas, recibía el sonido como una lluvia la tierra áspera."

the end of enero in Madrid

Things that happened this past week (both big and small):

1. I quit my internship at the art gallery. I thought it was going to be really fun, but I wasn't doing much of anything - more than that, I didn't feel really comfortable with the owner of the gallery and most of all, I was hardly speaking Spanish. I was hardly even listening to Spanish because I was by myself for nearly the entire 3 hour period every day. It wasn't what I needed. The internship director is finding me a position in a school, probably teaching English or helping in an office. I'm really excited for it and I think it will work out much better for me. That's what I should have asked for in the first place, but I keep trying to branch out from what I know really works for me/really fits my personality, and I'm not getting the best results - lesson learned: know yourself enough to know where you will be happy. 

2. I went to the Prado again. I saw the special temporary Renoir exhibit as well as made it up to this wing that was practically all Goya that we didn't make it to the week before. I really love going to the Prado. I also really love that it's free (BU reimburses us for any "cultural activities" we do!!) 

3. I booked my first trip! It's just a short one, this weekend in Salamanca, but I'm so glad that I'm going to be taking the "pilgrimage" to the home away from home for so many SMC Spanish majors/minors/students in general. I'm also excited to be doing some traveling, even though it's just a short ways away.

4. I went to the discoteca! I needed to give myself some time to adjust to Madrid before I delved into this big part of Madrileño life, but I finally did it, and I surprised myself by how much fun I had. I explored the 7 floors of the discoteca and had a lot of fun just dancing with my friends. The hired dancers dancing on little platforms made me laugh, and reminded me where I was in the world. I didn't make it until 6am like the madrileños, but I did make it until 4am, so we'll see how long I make it next time.

5. I went to an art exhibit of Charo's friend and it was so much fun to sit with all these older Spanish people, talk about Maite (the friend)'s art, their life out in the pueblo where they all met, and just other kind of normal, regular things of life. The art was beautiful, the atmosphere was wonderful and I was so grateful that Charo took me, kept introducing me to all her friends/some family that was there as her "hija" (daughter) and I got so many compliments on my Spanish and so many were really interested in hearing about why I was in Madrid, where I came from, what I wanted to do while I was here, etc. I had a wonderful time. 

6. I caught up with a lot of people on skype on Sunday which was nice, including the fam (Courtney + Janel), Patrick (here is your shout out) and Liz who is in Florence! It was nice to see people from home, talking to people who know me, especially older friends, always makes me feel more like myself and that was good. 

7. Charo and I discussed Sarah Palin over dinner. That was a laugh.

8. On the home front, I was given an ACA position for next year! I will be living/working in the townhouses, specifically the 400s townhouses which is very exciting because even though I changed my mind and wanted the 300s this past year when I applied, the 400s were originally my goal for senior year! I think this also relates back to what I said about knowing my personality - I'm more suited to things like the 400s and elementary Spanish schools, and I'm starting to learn this about myself.

9. Fernando, Charo's ex-husband that lives with us, and I, still have not really spoken. When she said "he is like a piece of furniture", she was serious.

10. January ended! It's February! How did that happen?! I left Plainville 3 weeks ago today, got to Madrid 3 weeks ago this coming Thursday. Time is flying!

Hasta luego!