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!
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