One of the most striking aspects of my living situation is that the environment is extremely bilingual. One minute we can all be speaking English and the next the conversation can turn Spanish. This rapidity surely keeps me on my toes, and it also forces me to confront my anxieties about speaking Spanish. Surprisingly, I become a very shy person when speaking Spanish - the opposite of what I usually am - and it's mostly because I tend to lack confidence in my conversation skills. I can read and write Spanish with much more proficiency, so the fear that creeps up as I try and comprehend a question and then answer it is truly frustrating for me. Part of what this whole experience will teach me is to fight that fear, to realize that I am my harshest critic and that most people do not mind if I make a few grammatical mistakes. I can't wait for the day when I can walk away from a conversation with a local feeling comfortable and happy with my progress - that will definitely be a miracle in my day! So far I have been able to push myself and have conversations with some locals who know my boss and her family. I find that many of these friends are trying to learn English as well, so we then become equals. Oh, and guess what I miraculously discovered? The Spanish cooking channel!! Joy!! Why so much joy? Because I really need help with my food and cooking vocabulary in Spanish, and what better way to learn that vocab than to watch Spanish chefs explaining how they cook in Spanish! And they even play Jamie Oliver shows with Spanish voice-overs - cool!!
Yesterday was a leisurely day for me. I slept for 12 hours straight so I woke up quite refreshed. I spent my time unpacking, studying for the GRE, reading, and watching some Spanish TV (which is actually quite productive). For lunch I just had a little sandwich made with a fresh baguette and lomo, a coldcut that is basically cured pork loin, delicioso!! Then I made my boss and her family some fresh tomato sauce with pasta for dinner. I had to improvise on the ingredients a little bit, but my boss thought it was lovely, so in the end I succeeded!
Kaitlyn, the other girl I am working with and living with from UD, arrived this morning! My boss cooked us some chicken and risotto with fried asparagus for lunch - yum! Her daughter's friend was there and ate with us, so we spoke in Spanish during that meal. I was able to say a few sentences - an okay start - but I know that I will improve as the weeks pass!
We just took a walk into town and I finally got some pictures of the Plaza Mayor de Grinon!
The town of Grinon is really quite nice with the Plaza Mayor you see above, some "tabernas," the usual "tiendas," and even an Irish pub! There are trees of all different types, but the palm trees reign supreme and are coupled with beautiful yellow and pink roses in various shades. What I notice most is the camaraderie amongst the locals. I consider small towns to be little miracles when this happens, because this means that one small place can bring so many people together in a way that the city sometimes does not!
Then we come home to my boss's two precious dogs - Emma, a boxer, and Dixie, the golden retriever who loves to follow me around and sleep at my feet.
Isn't she cute!! She loves this big piece of wood too, it's hilarious!
Well, I start work tomorrow! I am truly excited to meet new people and start my work in the publishing industry! A definite blog post will be coming about my first day of work, but until then, hasta luego!
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