This week, my last week with my students at San Juan Bautista, was bittersweet, full of mixed emotions. It was definitely tough to say goodbye to all the kids, particulary since some of them only just realized that they will not be seeing me again next year. It really dawned on me, when it came time to say our goodbyes, how much I care for some of these students, and how affectionate they are towards me. A lot of them were very sad to see me go and kept asking me why I couldn't just come back (one twelve year-old boy, partially in an attempt to get me to stay and also in an attempt to impress the girls in his class, said the following to me: "Elana, are you going to marry me? I love you ...you are very beautiful!". It was cute but also a little uncomfortable at the same time, but at the very least, I was happy that he asked me in English, as this is one of the kids I have trouble getting to speak to me in English!
Althought that was maybe the funniest reaction I got during my last two days, I had time to talk to several students about my time here, their future plans, etc, which was nice, since I havent gotten a lot of time to just talk to them during the year. Since the teachers didn't have all that much planned on Monday and Tuesday, I was able to talk to the kids about something other than school, which I really enjoyed. Also, on Wednesday, we had a graduation ceremony for the 4th year students, which was very nice. Afterwards, there was a reception and I got to meet some of the parents. It was nice to see the kids in a different setting, outisde of school, with their families and friends, relaxing and celebrating their accomplishments. It was also funny because I talked to a few of the parents for quite awhile (in Spanish of course) and all of the kids and parents were amazed at how well I spoke. The kids all know I speak and understand Spanish, but I dont think they had actually ever heard me speak an entire conversation in a language other than English, so it was pretty funny.
Since Wendesday was my last day at school, I've had a nice long weekend to enjoy time with my friends and go out in Madrid a few last times before I have to say my final goodbyes. Several of my closest friends are leaving in the beginning of July, so I want to spent a lot of time with them this week, before they leave. So basically, the last few days have been full of long talks, dinners, and drinks outside with my closest friends here..a very nice and relaxing way to spend the weekend. Now- really all that is left are the final goodbyes, planning for my trip in July, a few loose ends to tie up at school...etc etc. So, while I'm sad to leave, I'm still trying to focus on the time I have left and enjoy it the best I can! I know I still have lots of fun times to look forward to!
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Friday, June 17, 2011
Avila, Visitors, and the end of the school year.
This past week has been full of activity, as I have been trying to take advantage of every opportunity to enjoy the city and my last few weeks here with my friends. Last Friday, Noel, Cassandra, and I went to Ávila for the day. Ávila is a city in Castilla y Leon, located about an hour and a half from Madrid, by train. Ávila is particularly famous for its Medieval wall, which surrounds the city. Apparently it is also one of the cities with the highest Gothic and Romanic churches- to- people ratios! (this doesn't suprise me...as it is not THAT big of a city, and it seemed that everywhere we turned there was a church, monastery, or convent!). Since we were only there for the afternoon, we spent most of the day just walking around, getting different views of the wall and of the city, having a relaxing lunch etc. We also went to a museum about Santa Teresa de Ávila, who was a controversial figure in the 16th century, involved in the Catholic counter-reformation.
That same night, I met up with some visitors back in Madrid. My sister's friend Jessica was here with her friend Jamie, travelling around Spain for two weeks. We had been in contact several weeks before their trip, as Jessica had asked me for suggestions and advice. We ended up meeting and going for dinner/drinks that night. We had a great time and it was fun to meet new people (I really didn't know either of them beforehand). I hope to see her again back in NY! I ended up spending Saturday with them too, doing some touristy stuff around Madrid. Then on Sunday, we had a suprise birthday party/picnic for my friend George, which was a really fun and relaxing way to spend a Sunday. We ended up spending all afternoon and evening in the park, just talking, eating, and enjoying the nice weather.
Then, this week, we had more visitors! Our friend Garazi, from Bilbao, was staying at our apartment for a few days. Also, my friend Christina had a friend visiting from the US. So, we had all sorts of group dinners and events. On Wednesday night, we went to a really great comedy show. It was hilarious and a nice change of pace...not our average form of entertainment. Plus, I feel I have truly reached Spanish fluency when I can understand everything in a fast-paced stand-up comedy show, full of jargon, colloquial language, cultural references etc (ok ok so ALMOST everything...Garazi helped me out once when the guy mentioned the name of the group of Spanish copyrighter/editor people...something i definitely didnt know!)
Also, on Tuesday night, I went to the US embassy for a reception celebrating the success of our students in the Global Classrooms conference. My student who went to the NY conference ended up winning the best position paper award in her committee in NY (which means she was the ONE winner out of about 200 kids..including lots of Americans, and people from all over the world). So, she gave a really great speech...I was really glad to be there to hear that. We also joked about how there was Diet Coke and Dr. Pepper at the US embassy...we found it funny that they must be importing their soda back from the states (you dont find those sodas here!!)
And..yet another thing I did this week (somehow had the time) was quite unique. Awhile back, an American man, who is a film producer/professor and former Fulbright scholar contacted Fulbrights all over Europe about a project he was putting together about Americans living abroad. Long story short, I got his email, and learned that he would be spending several days in Madrid and was interested in talking with/interviewing Americans living here. So, I volunteered, figuring that it sounded like an interesting project and that I would be happy to help and learn more about it. So, on Monday, two other American girls (one, another Fulbright, and the other, a private English teacher), and I, had a discussion with the producer/filmmaker about our experiences living here in Madrid. It really was quite interesting...I'm not exactly sure what's going to come of the project, but I think the idea of recording the experiences of Americans living in foreign countries is quite interesting. I think his goal is to show people that we are "normal" Americans (whatever that means) and that it really isn't that hard to live abroad and have a fulfilling, interesting expeirence, if that's what you want. So anyway, it was definitely interesting to be a part of the discussion, and we'll see what comes of it.
Well, just three days left of school...pretty hard to believe! Really getting down to the end now...at least i'm ending on a high note :) And..next week- on the LAST day of class, i'm giving an entire class in Spanish for one of the non-bilingual groups!! Soo, thats exciting!
That same night, I met up with some visitors back in Madrid. My sister's friend Jessica was here with her friend Jamie, travelling around Spain for two weeks. We had been in contact several weeks before their trip, as Jessica had asked me for suggestions and advice. We ended up meeting and going for dinner/drinks that night. We had a great time and it was fun to meet new people (I really didn't know either of them beforehand). I hope to see her again back in NY! I ended up spending Saturday with them too, doing some touristy stuff around Madrid. Then on Sunday, we had a suprise birthday party/picnic for my friend George, which was a really fun and relaxing way to spend a Sunday. We ended up spending all afternoon and evening in the park, just talking, eating, and enjoying the nice weather.
Then, this week, we had more visitors! Our friend Garazi, from Bilbao, was staying at our apartment for a few days. Also, my friend Christina had a friend visiting from the US. So, we had all sorts of group dinners and events. On Wednesday night, we went to a really great comedy show. It was hilarious and a nice change of pace...not our average form of entertainment. Plus, I feel I have truly reached Spanish fluency when I can understand everything in a fast-paced stand-up comedy show, full of jargon, colloquial language, cultural references etc (ok ok so ALMOST everything...Garazi helped me out once when the guy mentioned the name of the group of Spanish copyrighter/editor people...something i definitely didnt know!)
Also, on Tuesday night, I went to the US embassy for a reception celebrating the success of our students in the Global Classrooms conference. My student who went to the NY conference ended up winning the best position paper award in her committee in NY (which means she was the ONE winner out of about 200 kids..including lots of Americans, and people from all over the world). So, she gave a really great speech...I was really glad to be there to hear that. We also joked about how there was Diet Coke and Dr. Pepper at the US embassy...we found it funny that they must be importing their soda back from the states (you dont find those sodas here!!)
And..yet another thing I did this week (somehow had the time) was quite unique. Awhile back, an American man, who is a film producer/professor and former Fulbright scholar contacted Fulbrights all over Europe about a project he was putting together about Americans living abroad. Long story short, I got his email, and learned that he would be spending several days in Madrid and was interested in talking with/interviewing Americans living here. So, I volunteered, figuring that it sounded like an interesting project and that I would be happy to help and learn more about it. So, on Monday, two other American girls (one, another Fulbright, and the other, a private English teacher), and I, had a discussion with the producer/filmmaker about our experiences living here in Madrid. It really was quite interesting...I'm not exactly sure what's going to come of the project, but I think the idea of recording the experiences of Americans living in foreign countries is quite interesting. I think his goal is to show people that we are "normal" Americans (whatever that means) and that it really isn't that hard to live abroad and have a fulfilling, interesting expeirence, if that's what you want. So anyway, it was definitely interesting to be a part of the discussion, and we'll see what comes of it.
Well, just three days left of school...pretty hard to believe! Really getting down to the end now...at least i'm ending on a high note :) And..next week- on the LAST day of class, i'm giving an entire class in Spanish for one of the non-bilingual groups!! Soo, thats exciting!
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Aprovechando el tiempo que me queda...
The name of this blog entry more or less sums up how I have been feeling over the past few weeks, since I got back from Dublin. The translation in English would be, taking advantage of the time I have left. Since I returned from my last trip, I have been thinking a lot about my experiences here this past year and how quickly time has flown by. I've had trouble convincing myself to write in my blog lately, mainly because I've been having mixed, bitersweet feelings about my ever-approaching departure from Spain. On the one hand, I still have a little over a month left and I know that I should take advantage of every minute of it and enjoy my last few weeks here. At the same time, it's difficult not to think about how my experience here is coming to an end and about all of the things (mainly people) that I will miss after I leave.
This year has been an incredible journey and I have made incredible connections with many people here in Spain. I have learned so much and have had so much time to explore and enjoy life, something that I will certainly miss (not that the ability to explore and enjoy life will suddenly disappear altogether, but realistically speaking, things will not be the same). Yet at the same time, I miss my family and friends back in the US and I'm excited to begin a new phase of my life. I know that my year here as a teaching assistant is just meant to be a phase, and not something permanent. And i know that I want to have new professional experiences and begin my professional career for real. So...to answer that question that I seem to be asked more and more as the days go by, "¿Te da pena irte? (are you sad to leave?), the answer is, "of course!" But at the same time, the answer isn't quite that simple...like in most times of change and uncertainty, my feelings are mixed and bittersweet. So, even though I know I still have some time left, and even though I'm just trying to enjoy that time with all my friends here, all of this has been on my mind.
That being said- I am most certianly enjoying springtime in Madrid. Since it has gotten warmer, m friends and I have spent many afternoons and evenings going on long walks and chatting over a meal or a drink while sitting on one of Madrid's many outdoor terrazas or roof decks. We are still trying and discovering new restaurants and bars, as we want to be sure to have tried a large variety before we leave.
I have also had some very positive experiences in school lately, mainly with the older students. The year is winding down and the kids are getting restless, but nonetheless, I have had some very successful classes. With my oldest students, who are currently learning about WWII in history class, I did a lesson on the Holocaust and included stories of my own grandparents' experiences. This kind of personal lesson was very different for my students and I really think they got a lot out of it. Most of them had never heard first-hand accounts from actual Holocaust survivors, so I was happy to give them a perspective on history with which they were unfamiliar.
Also, for those of you who don't know, there were local/regional elections just a few weeks ago in Spain and due to the economic crisis, there has been a lot of protest and discontent surrounding the elections and corruption in politics. I had a very interesting and provacative debate with some of my students about the elections and the widespread protests, and I was happy to see that the students were at least somewhat informed about the political situation in their country and were interested in having a say in how their country is run.
Finally, yesterday, I did a lesson on cultural differences between different regions of the US. I talked about the usual topics: demographics, politics, religion etc, but also focused on food and accents. I showed the kids pictures of all different regional foods (think clam chowder, Reuben sandwich, jambalaya, southern fried chicken, Tex-mex from the Southwest etc etc). They finally realized that we don't just eat hamburgers! They were aware of some differences between people in different regions of the country (ie people tend to be more religious in the South), but I think they really have a much more nuanced view of the US after this presentation. We also talked about how vocabulary and accents differ between regions, which they seemd to really enjoy. I emphasized the words that make my Jersey accent particularly identifiable (water, coffee, mountain, button) and shared some examples of other accents as well. I really enjoyed preparing all of these lessons. Classes like these really make me feel fulfilled in my position and remind me that I am making a real difference (something I often need to remind myself!) So, because this entry started off a little sad, I think I'll end here...on a good note :) Hasta pronto!
This year has been an incredible journey and I have made incredible connections with many people here in Spain. I have learned so much and have had so much time to explore and enjoy life, something that I will certainly miss (not that the ability to explore and enjoy life will suddenly disappear altogether, but realistically speaking, things will not be the same). Yet at the same time, I miss my family and friends back in the US and I'm excited to begin a new phase of my life. I know that my year here as a teaching assistant is just meant to be a phase, and not something permanent. And i know that I want to have new professional experiences and begin my professional career for real. So...to answer that question that I seem to be asked more and more as the days go by, "¿Te da pena irte? (are you sad to leave?), the answer is, "of course!" But at the same time, the answer isn't quite that simple...like in most times of change and uncertainty, my feelings are mixed and bittersweet. So, even though I know I still have some time left, and even though I'm just trying to enjoy that time with all my friends here, all of this has been on my mind.
That being said- I am most certianly enjoying springtime in Madrid. Since it has gotten warmer, m friends and I have spent many afternoons and evenings going on long walks and chatting over a meal or a drink while sitting on one of Madrid's many outdoor terrazas or roof decks. We are still trying and discovering new restaurants and bars, as we want to be sure to have tried a large variety before we leave.
I have also had some very positive experiences in school lately, mainly with the older students. The year is winding down and the kids are getting restless, but nonetheless, I have had some very successful classes. With my oldest students, who are currently learning about WWII in history class, I did a lesson on the Holocaust and included stories of my own grandparents' experiences. This kind of personal lesson was very different for my students and I really think they got a lot out of it. Most of them had never heard first-hand accounts from actual Holocaust survivors, so I was happy to give them a perspective on history with which they were unfamiliar.
Also, for those of you who don't know, there were local/regional elections just a few weeks ago in Spain and due to the economic crisis, there has been a lot of protest and discontent surrounding the elections and corruption in politics. I had a very interesting and provacative debate with some of my students about the elections and the widespread protests, and I was happy to see that the students were at least somewhat informed about the political situation in their country and were interested in having a say in how their country is run.
Finally, yesterday, I did a lesson on cultural differences between different regions of the US. I talked about the usual topics: demographics, politics, religion etc, but also focused on food and accents. I showed the kids pictures of all different regional foods (think clam chowder, Reuben sandwich, jambalaya, southern fried chicken, Tex-mex from the Southwest etc etc). They finally realized that we don't just eat hamburgers! They were aware of some differences between people in different regions of the country (ie people tend to be more religious in the South), but I think they really have a much more nuanced view of the US after this presentation. We also talked about how vocabulary and accents differ between regions, which they seemd to really enjoy. I emphasized the words that make my Jersey accent particularly identifiable (water, coffee, mountain, button) and shared some examples of other accents as well. I really enjoyed preparing all of these lessons. Classes like these really make me feel fulfilled in my position and remind me that I am making a real difference (something I often need to remind myself!) So, because this entry started off a little sad, I think I'll end here...on a good note :) Hasta pronto!
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