It doesn’t seem possible. After what seemed like an eternity of anxious planning and excited anticipation, I suddenly find myself back in Madrid after two weeks of non-stop traveling. Did that really just happen? Did I really spend six days learning how to ski in Andorra and a week on the beaches of Malta? I suppose I have the pictures (and tan) to prove it, but the whole thing still feels unreal.
Andorra was, in a word, wonderful. To start with, the skiing lessons were challenging, rewarding, and — despite a few moments of unmitigated terror — quite a bit of fun. Early on in the week we were divided into ten-person groups according to skill level. Luckily for me, a bunch of my older students (between the ages of 15 and 16) enthusiastically pulled me into their section, so I didn’t feel completely incompetent when 10-year-olds started skiing past us backwards at alarming speeds. I don’t know if it was because we were outside of a classroom setting, or if it was because I was finally allowed to speak in Spanish, but the kids really opened up to me that week. I heard about boyfriends, girlfriends, family, drama, you name it. And they expected no less from me, which means that I got a lot of questions about my current relationship status and private life in Madrid. Fortunately, most of the students accepted an eye roll, laugh, and pat on the back as an appropriate response to these inquiries.
I also got really close to some of the other teachers on the trip. Carolina, one of the Physical Education teachers from the school, and her boyfriend, Jose, were an absolute blast to be around. We ended up spending most of the week talking on our walky-talkies in code and laughing at the absurd positions we were put in every day by the students and other teachers. There were some minor bumps along the way, but all in all, I think the trip was an absolute success. I was really sad to see it all end. When we pulled back up to the school at midnight, the kids that I had worked with the most ran up to give hugs and kisses before rejoining their parents, and I definitely got teary-eyed thinking of all the fun times we shared. Truth be told, I didn’t think the Malta trip could possibly live up to Andorra in terms of camaraderie and laughs, but I was wrong.
Four hours of sleep later, I was on a plane to Malta with a whole new set of students. We were greeted by absolutely gorgeous weather. Frankly, I don’t know how my brain managed to process the dramatic shift in climate from snowy mountain peaks to humid tropical island, but somehow it all seemed to compute. We dropped our students off at their host families, and then proceeded to spend the rest of the week exploring the island’s stunning cities and bright blue coasts. Malta’s history is fascinating, but I would bore you with the details here. Suffice it to say that Malta has been conquered by just about every powerful imperial force ever to roam the seas, and it shows in the country’s beautiful architecture, food, art, and dialect. Once again, the students were great. It felt like every ten minutes someone was running up to me yelling “teacher, teacher” to talk to me about the sites we were seeing or ask me about my life back in the States. Again, they lovingly pestered me about dating and nightlife, but once again they accepted being ignored as rather routine. More than anything, I was shocked at how sweet and respectful the students were even while they were trying to get to know us. At one point, one of the students offered me a cookie, and when I declined, he exclaimed in Spanish “Come on, you should try one! I mean, you’re like one of us! But, just here. I mean…don’t worry, at school we still respect you a lot…but have a cookie!” It was one of the sweetest things anyone has said to me here.
And, now I'm back in Madrid! These past two weeks will definitely stay with me for a lifetime, and I am unbelievably grateful to have been afforded such enriching opportunities. At this point I just need to register the fact that I'm actually back in my own flat! I’ve had a day to recover from all of the traveling insanity, and tomorrow I will be visited by the lovely Laura B. right here in my very own hometown. Needless to say, I’m looking forward to some domestic tourism for a change!
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Beware the Ides of March…and the 14 days leading up to it!
We’re not even two weeks in to the month of March, and I already feel like things couldn’t get any crazier around here. To be honest, all of the Fulbrighters and I hit the ground running two Tuesdays ago with the 4th annual Model UN conference in Madrid. After half a year of lovingly and painstakingly preparing our students to represent their respective countries in an English-based facsimile of the United Nations, the whole thing finally came to fruition. Model UN is a surprisingly big deal here in Madrid: our commencement ceremony was held in one of Madrid’s most central governmental buildings, La Asamblea, and the U.S. Ambassador—along with other politicians and government employees from both sides of the pond—came by to officially open the conference.
I was the Chair of the Eastern European Committee. That means I talked. A lot. And I got to bang a gavel. It also means that I had to memorize all of the official Points of Procedure and Motions that are necessary if you want to achieve anything in Model UN, from opening a window to passing legislation that will extend education to poor women in rural Slovenia**. I have to say, I was really impressed with these kids. Not only did they do a great job of representing the governments of other nations using complex juridical jargon in front of complete strangers, but they also did it in English. The only truly difficult part of the two-day conference was figuring out who would get prizes for things like “best delegation.”
The morning after the conference, Mom came to Madrid! She was only here for four days, but it was wonderful to have her here. We walked around the city center, sampled tapas and Spanish wine, shopped in El rastro (the biggest flea market in Europe by most accounts), and even went all the way out to Tres Cantos to show her where I work. It was so bizarre to see my mother walking through those crowded hallways, surrounded by screaming Spanish adolescents, but I was thrilled to share that part of my life here with her. Even more important, I was able to introduce her to all of the wonderful friends I have made through working in I.E.S Jose Luis Sampedro. It made me realize even more than ever just how difficult it is going to be to say goodbye at the end of the school year.
But that day is still a far way off. In the meantime, I’ve been taking advantage of every moment I have to get as much out of this city as it has to offer. I’ve seen a bunch of live theatre in the past few months, from a stunning rendition of Madre Corage (Mother Courage) to a modern “gypsy” interpretation of La casa de Bernarda Alba. And amazingly enough, it often costs about the same to see a live show in Madrid as it does to go to the cinema.
Up until this point, I haven’t done as much traveling as I might have liked, but that’s all about to change. This Sunday, I’ll be heading out on a week-long trip with the kids from my school and 4 other teachers to the mountains of Andorra. You see, every year, the school organizes a ski trip, and I was fortunate enough to be invited along as one of the chaperons. While I’m there, I’ll be attending ski classes with some of my students for several hours a day, which means I might actually came back to the U.S. knowing how to ski! I’ve heard that Andorra is beautiful this time of year, and mom brought me a ski jacket from the U.S. so that I can enjoy the scenery without freezing.
The kicker here is that five hours (I repeat: FIVE HOURS) after I get back from Andorra with the school, I’ll be hopping on a plane with yet another group of students and two teachers for a week-long trip in Malta. Now, this trip is technically through the bilingual program, but after listening to the native language actually spoken on the streets of Malta, I’m not really sure why. Yeah, the official language is English, but what everyone speaks at home sounds more like an odd mixture of Italian and Arabic than anything else. Oh well, I’m not complaining. The climate is supposed to be tropical and warm, and after a week in the snow, I’m sure it will be a welcome change.
And the thrills don't stop there for the month of March! Oh no, there is much more fun to be had. For now, though, I’ll just try to get through this much without breaking a limb or losing my passport. Fingers crossed.
___________________________________________________________
**So, rather than saying “Hey, I think we should talk now,” our students were encouraged to say “The delegates of Slovenia would like to motion for a moderated caucus of 15 minutes with a speaking time of 30 seconds.” Then the motion had to be seconded and voted on…the point is, there was a lot to orchestrate. I swear, I don't think I could say "The Chair recognizes the honorable delegates from _________" one more time without some serious psychological repercussions!
I was the Chair of the Eastern European Committee. That means I talked. A lot. And I got to bang a gavel. It also means that I had to memorize all of the official Points of Procedure and Motions that are necessary if you want to achieve anything in Model UN, from opening a window to passing legislation that will extend education to poor women in rural Slovenia**. I have to say, I was really impressed with these kids. Not only did they do a great job of representing the governments of other nations using complex juridical jargon in front of complete strangers, but they also did it in English. The only truly difficult part of the two-day conference was figuring out who would get prizes for things like “best delegation.”
The morning after the conference, Mom came to Madrid! She was only here for four days, but it was wonderful to have her here. We walked around the city center, sampled tapas and Spanish wine, shopped in El rastro (the biggest flea market in Europe by most accounts), and even went all the way out to Tres Cantos to show her where I work. It was so bizarre to see my mother walking through those crowded hallways, surrounded by screaming Spanish adolescents, but I was thrilled to share that part of my life here with her. Even more important, I was able to introduce her to all of the wonderful friends I have made through working in I.E.S Jose Luis Sampedro. It made me realize even more than ever just how difficult it is going to be to say goodbye at the end of the school year.
But that day is still a far way off. In the meantime, I’ve been taking advantage of every moment I have to get as much out of this city as it has to offer. I’ve seen a bunch of live theatre in the past few months, from a stunning rendition of Madre Corage (Mother Courage) to a modern “gypsy” interpretation of La casa de Bernarda Alba. And amazingly enough, it often costs about the same to see a live show in Madrid as it does to go to the cinema.
Up until this point, I haven’t done as much traveling as I might have liked, but that’s all about to change. This Sunday, I’ll be heading out on a week-long trip with the kids from my school and 4 other teachers to the mountains of Andorra. You see, every year, the school organizes a ski trip, and I was fortunate enough to be invited along as one of the chaperons. While I’m there, I’ll be attending ski classes with some of my students for several hours a day, which means I might actually came back to the U.S. knowing how to ski! I’ve heard that Andorra is beautiful this time of year, and mom brought me a ski jacket from the U.S. so that I can enjoy the scenery without freezing.
The kicker here is that five hours (I repeat: FIVE HOURS) after I get back from Andorra with the school, I’ll be hopping on a plane with yet another group of students and two teachers for a week-long trip in Malta. Now, this trip is technically through the bilingual program, but after listening to the native language actually spoken on the streets of Malta, I’m not really sure why. Yeah, the official language is English, but what everyone speaks at home sounds more like an odd mixture of Italian and Arabic than anything else. Oh well, I’m not complaining. The climate is supposed to be tropical and warm, and after a week in the snow, I’m sure it will be a welcome change.
And the thrills don't stop there for the month of March! Oh no, there is much more fun to be had. For now, though, I’ll just try to get through this much without breaking a limb or losing my passport. Fingers crossed.
___________________________________________________________
**So, rather than saying “Hey, I think we should talk now,” our students were encouraged to say “The delegates of Slovenia would like to motion for a moderated caucus of 15 minutes with a speaking time of 30 seconds.” Then the motion had to be seconded and voted on…the point is, there was a lot to orchestrate. I swear, I don't think I could say "The Chair recognizes the honorable delegates from _________" one more time without some serious psychological repercussions!
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