Un Poco a Poco

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I have been in Spain for a little over two and a half months now and, little by little, I continue trying to figure out the method to the madness that makes Madrid the city that it is. Some days are simply fabulous, and some days are, well, some days are better than others.

It seems to me, every time somebody starts new in an unfamiliar place, they go through ‘un período de locura.’ A period, for me, in which I’m more prone to freaking out and letting the small things make me crazier than usual. Case in point, the last three weeks.

I’ve been letting everything hit me right square in the face, quite definitely harder than it should, and I’ve been having trouble trying to convince myself that everything that inconveniences and makes me want to howl, really isn’t such a big deal. Because, well, most of the time, it really isn’t such a big deal.

A couple weeks ago, I got up early and decided to head to La Latina and wander around El Rastro flea market, like I do most Sundays. As soon as I walked out my door to catch the elevator, an elderly neighbor popped her head out of her door and started in on a big long rant in Spanish, that by my best translation, had something to do with why our trash was outside the door during a long weekend, and why we (accidently!) left the door to our flat standing open sometime the week before. Ok lady, first of all, I didn’t know you couldn’t leave the trash outside the door (like I do everyyy other day of the year) during a long weekend, and second, I am not the only one that lives in the flat, so I don’t see why you had to lay in on me about the door being open. So, um, accidents happen sometimes. Gahhh. Plus, I live surrounded by flats owned by elderly couples. Not that we left the door open intentionally, but well, I don’t think we’d have to be particularly worried about being robbed blind…

Anyway, I shut the door, perhaps harder than I should have, and cried like a little kid.

So, I lost it. And proceeded to have a hermit weekend – I didn’t step foot outside the house for almost two whole days. After that, I realized I realllly need to lighten up, and remember that life here, well, is pretty fabulous if I let it be.

One thing that (I think) I am getting used to is that almost everyone here stares at me. It’s probably for a multitude of reasons, whether because I’m blonde, or quite obviously not Spanish, or because they like what I’m wearing, or because they hate what I’m wearing, I never really know. Whatever the reason, for a matter of survival, I think I’ve learned to brush it off. I can’t always be worried about what a person here or there thinks of me in passing on the street or in the metro.

At my school, things seem to make more sense to me. I think it must have something to do with me feeling like an equal to the kids. We have something in common, the 5, 6, and 7 year olds and I. We all struggle each day because of one language or another, and the school is one of the few places I don’t feel I’m being judged. That probably isn’t completely true, because they sure do appear to notice if I do something different with my hair or wear something they haven’t seen before, but for the most part, it’s like another little world I escape to from Monday through Thursday.

Things are far from perfect – a 5-year-old got upset two weeks ago, yelled “hijo de puta!” (“son of a b****!” eeeek) and threw his pencil case against the wall from the front row of science class – butttt well, I guess we all feel like doing that at some point, right? Haha.

Each week my co-worker Eddie and I take groups of 2nd graders out of class and help them prepare for their Trinity English exams which take place in the spring. There’s always a multitude of interesting answers each week, but one of my personal favorites goes something like, “Antonio, what are you wearing?” “I’m wearing an tummy.” Hehehe, oh the simple things.

Last week we had a unit on wild animals and one exercise in particular asked the students to name two animals they liked and explain why they chose those animals with a simple sentence… We had answers ranging from completely perfect to, “I like orangutans and beards,” to “I like legs.” They WERE all grammatically correct, even if most missed the mark by a fair margin. 😊

Yesterday I was so happy I almosttt inadvertently started clapping in the middle of class. We have one boy in our class whose family is from Senegal, so the poor kid is trying to learn English in addition to Spanish, because at home his family speaks French. So, when Sandra asked him yesterday, “Is a tiger black and orange?” and he answered slowly but surely, “Yes…. it…. is!” (and not “Yes, it isn’t,” or “Yes, it has”) with a big grin on his face, I don’t think I was the only one who felt the need to do a little dance. Yessssss, progressssssss!

While I do really miss college and being intellectually challenged on a daily basis, I think the kids at school, as smelly and whiny and crazy as they are, keep me going. They make me so happy sometimes. That, and coffee. 😊

I also have a renewed appreciation for writing in cursive. It’s embarrassing when 6-year-olds laugh at you, rightfully so, when you can’t figure how to write October on the blackboard in letters that are halfway readable. Haha

As far as the world outside Santo Domingo goes, I’m starting to notice that dogs look like their owners. I’m not saying this to be unpleasant either, it really is true. Dogs are everywhere and believe me, when there are so many dogs squeezed into one city, you can’t help but notice them.

I had lunch with my roommate Javi the other day after work and it allowed me recognize that when my neighbor isn’t lecturing me or the man at the bank is staring me down demanding paperwork in Spanish, I am actually a little better at speaking than I thought. A relaxed setting is the key. Too bad they are a little hard to come by, as relaxed as Madrid is sometimes.

I have started reworking things in my mind automatically now when someone speaks to me, according to what I’ve learned about the language or the ways I know things are expressed in Spanish. Sentences are not formed in the same way in English, and, when I’m not too tired, I automatically think in Spanish a lot more often now than I did when I got here. Un poco a poco.

I got paid (to my Spanish bank account, without any problems!) for the first time at the end of October and it’s quite a luxury to be both making and spending euros now. Before I was paid, I was spending euros with the dollars I had saved this summer, and boy were they disappearing quicker than was comfortable.

The cost of living in Spain is on the rise, but compared to most major American cities, it’s still pretty reasonable. I have been cooking at least once a day and Spain in making me into quite the chef. It’s much more practical than eating out, and there aren’t many frozen or pre-made foods to choose from here, so I’ve been teaching myself. Soup has been my specialty lately, because it’s been raining almost every other day. Cooking also gives me a reason to visit this marvelous (and amazingly cheap) little Indian owned fruit and vegetable shop that I love in Lavapies.

And, oh the laundry saga. It’s like a weekly brainteaser. I either have to strategically figure out how to use every hook, corner and hanger I’ve got in my possession to hang everything to dry in my room, or, if I risk hanging my clothes on the line out the kitchen window, I have to try and guess if it’s likely to start pouring at any given moment.

Hmmm, in other news, I started two more private lessons a few weeks ago, with the 15 and 8-year-old neighbors of my other private lesson kids. The new family is a bit less well-off than my first family and it’s interesting to compare the differences in interests and conversations I have with each of the kids. I will start a half an hour lesson with the dad of two of my students this week as well. He is quite sufficient in English already, but just wants to practice conversation. Easy for me!

Arantxa’s birthday falls at the end of October and she returned from London to Madrid to celebrate for a few days and see her family who came down from Bilbao. Her visit happened to fall on the same weekend I felt it necessary to become a recluse, and I think seeing her and getting together with her friends was probably one of the only reasons I didn’t go completely loca. 😊

I have had the chance to take a couple of day trips to San Lorenzo de El Escorial to see a famous painting by El Greco and visit an amazing and drafty palace, full of tombs of past kings and queens, and to Toledo, the ancient capital of the Spanish empire. In El Escorial I went with my friend Bree and we enjoyed an amazing menu del dia in a hidden, apartment-like restaurant and then spent three hours exploring the palace.

On the way to Toledo, we missed the train (due to a bit of an underestimation of the time it takes to get a cup of coffee), but made it there an hour later on the next train, nonetheless. Toledo is a beautiful city full of hills, history and art, and my friend Lindsey and I spent the afternoon exploring and having a picnic next to an old cathedral before successfully catching our train back to Madrid.

Two weekends ago I took a trip with Bree to Santander in the comunidad de Cantabria, in northern Spain. On the train ride there, we stopped for a night in the small town of Reinosa to rendezvous with a friend and enjoy a bit of small-town Spanish atmosphere. In Santander, the ocean called my name and although we didn’t have much time to spend as a whole in Santander, I enjoyed walking along the sea-front and making new friends during dinner and a night on the town. There’s even an Alaska Café in Santander, though the name was about as Alaskan as it got. Haha

I went to the American Embassy last Friday for an informational meeting about the US Foreign Service and it felt a little funny to be surrounded by a room full of Americans, a familiar, comedic banter and a way of speaking that I didn’t realize I had missed. The meeting was really interesting and even if I don’t end up pursuing a career as a Foreign Service officer, for the time being, the meeting inspired me to at least finish the three university classes I have left.

I am headed to Salamanca for my 23rd birthday this weekend, to see one of the oldest universities in Europe and enjoy time spent outside Madrid for a few days.

Meanwhile, I’m missing you all.

Much love,

Cari

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Comments

[Steve DL]

Bueno
Hola Cari The DLs just completed a two week stay in Nicaragua, with Katie in tow. We saw and experienced much of the culture and geography; both fascinating. I so enjoy your blogs, and it's exciting for me to read your comments about all the Spanish cities and towns that you are visiting and we too visited a couple of summers ago. Your blogs relate many personal ups and downs....they are touching and make be feel you are closer to us in spirit than you are in miles. That's good. Keep scratching that pen. You're in a real growth and development experience....good for you and for all of the other couls you touch. All best, mi amiga PS; Sorry I missed finding you on your birthday. Though, Kate and the DLs toasted your passage on your special day.