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Published: March 11th 2006
New (blurry) Friends
Rafael, myself, and NYC Joe posing blurrily (is that a word?) for a picture in the villa.
Rafael was so kindly patient in his teaching me the Sevillana over the course of the week.
Joe is all heart and sweet invites for a personal guided tour of New York City's natural history museum.
Spanglish Lessons at Gredos:
The old adage states that 'travel broadens the mind,' but I would take it a step further. The best travel experiences take place when you abandon your preconceived ideas.
This past November, I had the opportunity to test this theory. Three friends (Adam, Joe and Debbie) and I traveled to Spain to participate in an English language immersion program hosted by Vaughn Systems, an English language school based in Madrid. The company recruits native English speakers worldwide to spend a week in Spain in exchange for their conversational skills. Vaughn pays your room and board, provides interesting company, and you (the Anglo) supply the conversation. A Spanish holiday in exchange for speaking English? This offer was too intriguing to let pass by.
Spending several days in Madrid prior to the commencement of the program gave the four of us the opportunity to explore this remarkable city and taste its culture. Madrid has a masculine beauty, warm and rugged, enfolding you into its embrace if you allow it. Walking around the first day, I found myself synchronizing to the pulse of the city, stepping out of Philadelphia time and into
New Friends
Debbie, myself, and Nuria walking in the snow. The weather changed as frequently as the topics of discussion.
Madrid time. Joe and Adam, wandering through Madrid in search of an elusive Laundromat, noticed the odd way old stands next to new, with no feeling of clash or tension between them; rather, the structures blended. This was also the time to discover the fun little peccadillo's of traveling with friends. Debbie and I looked forward to the enriching cultural delights of the Reina Sophia and the Museo del Prado. However, the guys were intent on sampling the culture to be found at the Museo del Jamon.
Having met over tapas the night before, our group assembled on a brisk Friday morning for the 2-hour bus ride into the Gredos Mountains, to the resort where the program was to be held. Later that evening, we had our first meeting with the Spanish students. It was the typical awkward meeting of virtual strangers, but it was the first of a series of shared experiences that bound the group together over the course of the following week.
Individual discussions, group projects, plays and conversations that lasted into the early morning hours fostered a spirit of camaraderie between the Spaniards and the Anglos. A group outing to
New Friends
New Friends: Spanish Max and Debbie posing for the camera.
the nearby town of Barco de Avila, a twelfth century town named after a crewmember of Columbus' ship the "Santa Maria," had the Spaniards acting as tour guides to the anglos, translating brochures that described the history of the area. The program put no limits on the topics for discussion, so I was taught the steps of the Sevillana, discussed the love lives of various Spanish celebrities, and had several discussions comparing the political and economic systems of our two countries. The Spanish and the Portuguese were genuinely curious about the American lifestyle, having only movies and television to base their opinion. They were as enthused as I was to discover that our two cultures were more similar than we both imagined.
The week progressed, one-time strangers become friends, and discussions amongst the group took on a more informal and personal tone. Far too soon, the last day arrived and we were saying our farewells and exchanging e-mails. In retrospect, our weeklong experience at Gredos revealed a clearer, more intimate picture of the Spanish culture. The Gredos program went beyond its stated goal of improving the language skills of the Spaniards. It fostered, at least on a small
Quemada, anyone?
As Enrique reads an ancient incantation, Pablo prepares to light the concoction of alcohol, sugar, fruit and coffee beans. scale, a greater understanding between two cultures, showing that greater understanding is also possible. My own ideas of Europe and it's inhabitants were fundamentally changed for the better... in essence, proving my theory correct!
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