I've once again neglected my blog. This is silly. Why? Because I like writing it and I think people enjoy reading it. One excuse is that I've actually been busy. My other excuse (or explanation rather) is that I've lacked motivation. Basically, I didn't write for a few weeks and I forgot how much I liked it. Then, two weeks turned into two months. Well anyway, here's a summary of my experience in Spain so far.
Let's start with the basics. I'm living in Valladolid, a city of about 300,000 people located about about 2.5 hours northwest of Madrid by bus. Location is one of the best things about living here. Last year it took me around five hours to get to Madrid, which if you're trying to catch a flight on a short weekend trip it can be quite a hassle. This year I can get there in a couple hours multiple times throughout the day or night. It's true that Valladolid lacks a distinctive feature when it comes to the area's physical landscape. It's not luscious and green like northwest Spain, it doesn't sit nestled against the Picos or Pyrenees, and although there is a "beach" (sand that was brought in along the river that runs through town), there is of course no sunny Mediterranean coastline. Valladolid sits atop the golden, rolling hills of the Central Plateau. For me that's just fine, but I grew up on similar terrain, so maybe I just don't know any different.
One of the most common questions Spanish people ask me is whether I like Jaén (the province in southern Spain where I was last year) or Valladolid better. It's sort of a loaded question, not because I'm afraid of offending them or that they'll be offended if I don't say Valladolid, but because the question is, well, "loaded" with cultural assumptions about northern versus southern people. Generally, northerners (especially those from Valladolid) have a reputation for being "cold", less friendly people than those from the south. When they ask they want to test (or maybe just prove correctly) their stereotypes. I inevitably disappoint them with my response because for me, this year has been a much better experience, but that has little to do with local culture. Last year I lived in a village of 2,500 people. They were, of course, very friendly, but still, it was a village of 2,500 people. This year I feel less isolated. There are just more things to do people to meet. So I tell them that for me, it's better living here, the underlying message being that I'm not basing that decision on what the local culture is like. After that, they most often dig a little deeper, curious to know how an outsider who has lived in both regions perceives what they know to be true. So we talk a little on the surface about cultural differences. I affirm some of what they believe but mostly repeat that my perspective on the subject is rather skewed because of my individual situation. Interestingly enough I rarely hear the stereotype of northerners challenged even by those who live here.
As I've been alluding to so far, I've had more things to do, been busier, etc. One of the things I've been busiest with is teaching private English classes. I teach 12 hours of private classes a week (the same amount I work for my actual job at my high school) and make roughly the same as what I make from the government. My savings took a big hit last year so working extra has been more or less a necessity. Ok, updating my wardrobe and traveling to other countries aren't exactly necessities but hey, they're things I want to do, and I couldn't afford them on my regular salary. I've also been doing loads of "intercambios" or language exchanges. Basically this entails meeting up with a Spaniard who wants to practice their English and with whom you can practice your Spanish. It's a great way for me to make sure I'm practicing every day and also a great way to meet people. There is certainly no shortage of those who want to practice either. If anything the economic crisis has increased the appetite to learn English because of the increased probability it gives one of obtaining a job while also opening up the opportunity to work outside of Spain. I put an ad on a Spanish website to do language exchanges and within a few days I had already received around 25-30 responses. At times I feel like I'm on "The Bachelor: Intercambio Edition".
Some other highlights as I wrap up. I went to Belgium a few weekends ago with my American friend, Lauren, and had a great time (pictures are on facebook). We ate lots of fries covered in mayonnaise, waffles covered in chocolate, and of course sampled the local beverages. On the 24th of December I'm flying to Berlin and meeting up with another American friend, Dave (the one I stayed with over the summer in Colorado). We'll spend four days there before heading to Prague for New Year's. After that we'll get on another bus and head to Budapest. I miss family most around the holidays but this trip looks to be a memorable one. Well thanks for reading the hodgepodge of a blog. I'll try to keep things more updated in the future. Merry Christmas to everyone!
