Early days in our Spanish school.

During our first month back in Granada we were busy trying to figure out a new language, new schedule, new culture, new people and we really wanted to enjoy the whole experience.   We are relatively self-motivated, not afraid of working hard and had expected to be able to learn these new skills in the same way we had mastered new tasks in the past.

WRONG!  Learning a new language for the first time, as an adult, is one of the most difficult things we have ever tried to do.  The culture in a new environment grows into a feeling of normalcy over time and the people grow into friends and acquaintances in a similar way everywhere we’ve been.  Time and fording the language barrier are the most important components to a real understanding of new people and places.  The language requires the commitment of time and energy; it is not enough to want to speak it and to take classes and study, you also have to spend hours every day listening and trying to participate in conversation.  Before we embarked on this journey we had been told to expect to be somewhat comfortable and able to get along in the language by the end of the first year and not to expect fluency until we had been living and speaking exclusively the new language for two years or more.   With the benefit of partial hindsight, we probably agree with this timetable.

One of the benefits of taking formal classes in an accredited language school is that you meet a whole bunch of other people from all over the world who are trying to accomplish the same thing you are.  During the second week of our classes the school hosted a big paella dinner and we had a chance to meet a lot of the other students.  One of the professors Antonio, “sin gafas” (Antonio without glasses, not to be confused with Antonio, “sin pelo”, Antonio without hair) was the chef, and our class, all three of us, were given the opportunity to help by accompanying Antonio sin gafas to buy the ingredients.

We had a class to familiarize us with the vocabulary of paella ingredients and basic question and response phrases useful in the market so that we knew how to ask for things, then we each took part of the shopping list and walked up to Plaza Larga.  We spent a wonderful hour meeting the ladies who run the Pescaderia (fish shop), the “gitano” (local gypsy) lady who has the best fresh fruit and vegetables in the Mercado, the family that runs the Panaderia (bakery) and the man who cuts the meat however you want it in the Carneceria (butcher shop).

We returned to school with all the stuff and with a bit more confidence; everyone had been helpful and patient with our attempts at speaking their language and it made us want to learn more so we could actually carry on a conversation with them.  We helped prepare the food coached by both Antonio and the beautiful Russian girl Victoria who runs the kitchen at school.  Speaking only Spanish, of course…..