I survived yet another "Week without Walls" or as our school puts it - "Trip Week". The last 2 years my destination was the Ardennes forest in Belgium where the 7th graders learned about overcoming their fears and all that other garbage. In the middle of nowhere, these kids have a hard time getting into trouble.
On the other hand, this year I was sent to Barcelona with the 9th grade (14 year olds). The change of venue is normal, teachers normally switch out every other year. It allows one chaperone to be the veteran and 'know' a little about the destination while the other learns the ropes. This year that didn't happen. The other chaperone and I had never been to Barcelona before and we were both walking into this blind. By the way, Barcelona is a great city and I highly recommend it to any European traveller.
I was picked because 2 decades ago I live in Mexico City for 2 1/2 years. My director evidently thought that this meant that I had an excellent grasp on the Spanish language (reminder - Barcelona is in Catalan - meaning they speak Catalonian first, Spanish second). Umm, yeah - I remember Spanish... Yeah. Really. *note excessive sarcasm*
So we left for Barcelona on Monday the 19th with 10 kids and 2 adults. One speaks broken Dutch and the other is generally believed to speak a few words of Spanish. God help us if the kids get into trouble with La Policia.
And I was pleasantly surprised when put on the spot, my Spanish came back. Not a lot, but some. It was nice to understand some of the conversations that were taking place around me, to be able to comprehend the announcements on the PA system, and to be able to communicate basic ideas to the people whom I was talking with. It didn't happen right away, it took a day and a half, but I did enjoy the sensation of having a clue. I've been somewhat clueless since living in Holland because my Dutch is horrible. And to be honest, I haven't been working on my Dutch like I should (hence why I only understand the times that TV shows are on Net5). But having a clue felt nice and besides being in an English speaking country, it was the most comfortable I have been since leaving the US two years ago.
So perhaps I will change my plans for next year and think of making it a Spanish-speaking country. The pay may not be what it could be if I were to be in China or Saudi, but I may be a bit more comfortable, and maybe that's something I could go for at this point in my life.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
I didn't know you understood Spanish! Oops! That adds a new dimension to the pod experience!
You've got my support in heading to a Spanish-speaking country, Expat. The experience of living in a country where you know the language is so much richer than the experience of living in a place where you don't know the language. Head off to a country that speaks Spanish, Expat, and I'll be sure to visit. And, after my stint here, I'm right behind you. :-)
(PS: Good call to add the spam-blocker / word verification thingy)
Gracias chica, pero mi espanol no es muy bueno and it would take some time for me to really get a grasp on the language if I were to move to a spanish speaking country.
And you're invited to come visit me wherever I live, be it in Holland, or the US, or Argentina (random S. American country).
As far as the spam blocker, I felt like I had to do it because within moments of posting this entry, it already had been spammed. Cheeky bastards...
Post a Comment