I don't know why but I am having a lot of trouble writing about this past week in Sevilla. Last time we conversed I had decided to give up my worrying about lack of progress in this language. The big question for me was whether I would actually do that or revert back to my usual life of worrying that I wasn't doing enough.
I will say this: I don't think my mind has ever been this tired. Yesterday I started talking and thinking Spanish at 10:00 AM with one friend and eventually I left another friend's house at 3:30 AM because I just couldn't think in Spanish anymore. My brain finally overloaded with this language. It was a great day and the perfect end to an incredible week.
For the first time since arriving in Sevilla I looked forward to class. I no longer view it as the end all and be all of my Spanish lessons. In fact the four hours I put in everyday is maybe 20% of what it takes to learn this language the right way. I could be in class 12 hours, but I wouldn't learn all that I did last week. Having said that, there is no way I would be speaking with my Spanish friends like I am if not for the classes. They give a base I couldn't get out on the streets. Somehow it just all comes together to work perfectly. Funny how life tends to do that sometimes if we stop trying to control it so much.
On Tuesday I went to my first Flamenco show with my friend Marta from Poland. It was a little expensive but really good. Later in the week I learned that it turned out to be worth what I paid. On Thursday I met Sara (au pair friend from Texas), Javier (Sevillano that works near my school), and Santa (another au pair and friend of Sara's) and we went to another flamenco show. This was more for the tourists, it was free, and wasn't as good of a show. The company was great, though. Santa is from Latvia so we had quite a diverse table. Plus Sara is patient with helping my Spanish.
This weekend I think I will look back and say this was the weekend that turned around my time in Sevilla. Today, Monday, as I type this I feel like I am part of this city and no longer visiting. It's a great feeling and I hope you get a chance to feel that in a place other than your hometown. Friday night I met Carmen and her friends in Alameda. I have talked about Alameda before. It is a very eclectic place. I might call it the Little 5 Points in Sevilla. I don't think there is a lifestyle or nationality that is not represented. This is the night when Carmen's friends started becoming my friends as well. Oh yeah, none of them speak English. Complete Spanish the whole night. Did I understand everything said? No, not even close. But I was able to get the buzz words and answer their questions in Spanish.
Saturday started out like a Saturday would in the States. I got up and walked around the city and ended up at my favorite coffee shop, Emperador Trajano. Fati was working and there were very few people as not many people get up as early as I do. For two hours I sat at the bar and we talked music, a little politics, Sevilla, and of course Obama. Everyone here loves to talk about Obama. She doesn't speak any English so I got two hours of listening and talking. Priceless. Saturday night was more of the same with Carmen and friends. We stayed at the bar, Caferia, and talked about nothing in particular. I hope to get pics of all these people soon so I can talk about them more in depth. They are quite interesting.
I am not ready to talk about yesterday but I will get that out in the next few days. It was a long day that had me leaving a house in mid conversation because I couldn't think in Spanish anymore.
An observation about my time here: It is much harder to become friends with guys than it is with girls. The guys have not quite accepted me into their circle yet. They are opening up slowly to include me, but it has taken a lot more time with them than with the women. A couple of them were fixing a bike yesterday and I just sat there and asked them questions about it. Maybe this week will be different.
I have learned much about myself as well this week. I've learned that worrying was only holding me back. More importantly I have the confidence that I will not fall back into that pattern. What an amazing feeling!
I only have two weeks left. Not enough time. Not nearly enough time. And when I say this I'm not talking about Spanish anymore. I'm talking about the friendships I continue to build upon and grow into.
Good times from Sevilla,
Jesse
Tienes que quedarte alli...claro que necesitas mas tiempo, loco!!
ReplyDeleteI'm telling you. I love my husband. I love my kids. My family, my hometown and my job (most of the time). But when there is an occasional gray day or an all-out shit storm...I remember the long, lazy and crazy days in Sevilla. I have no regrets now b/c I have no regrets from back then. Disfruta de todo. The rest of your life will wait.
Con carino, admiracion y una gotita de envidia--Katherine