language learning.

so one of my main goals coming to Sevilla included becoming fluent in Spanish, other goals included traveling parts of Europe I haven’t seen before, meeting other study abroad students from all over the US, and learning about and embracing Spanish culture. I feel like I’m doing really really well in all areas. BUT the fluency in Spanish is coming along a lot slower than I thought it would. I’m learning so so so so much from my classes with Ana Claudio and Penelope and it’s definitely being reinforced and ingrained into my mind because I get to use the language everyday. I try to learn something new everyday. And grammar points/new words that I learn I try to use them right away whether its en los calles o cuando estoy hablando con Manoli (in the streets or when I am talking with Manoli). But the problem is that it is such a slow process. I thought I would be fluent faster I guess. And it’s hard not to compare myself to other people whose Spanish is much better than mine. It definitely gives me new insight as an SLP on learning language and how frustrating it can be to not be able to communicate everything that you want to say. Also, it has taught me a thing or two about learning language and being on the other side of the therapy table, I guess. But more and more it is becoming more difficult to have the motivation to really struggle through with Spanish and keep going with it, just because it is hard when I have English to fall back on and it makes my life a lot easier to just speak in English (now, don’t I feel like a deaf child that knows sign and is trying to learn to listen and acquire spoken language – Elizabeth will totally get this). Also, the fact that there are so many American study abroad students in Sevilla doesn’t help when my language goal gets rough. It is also really hard for me because I’ve always done well in school because I work hard, I just want this to come easy with hard work too. But really it’s more than that, it’s not just memorizing and knowing information but it’s about incorporating it into my life and using it. I was talking to Amir about it yesterday and I think it’s really about having the motivation and proactive-ness to keep going with it. Amir has like 4 intercambios. I have one, I need to step up my game on this Spanish language learning business. In a few weeks, we decided that between our friends that we are all going to speak only in Spanish all the time. We’ll see about that, I don’t know. Anyways, I had coffee with Clara (my intercambio) today, which was really good. We talked for a while and the time went by really fast and I had to run home for dinner. I see myself slowly progressing and learning, we help each other a lot so it’s really really good to meet with Clara. But sometimes I wish it was just a faster process and that it would come a lot easier.

feliz cumpleaños a lola y brian.

What a week. I am finally finally finally feeling so much better because I’ve been on antibiotics and on Tuesday I decided that I need to rest or else I would land myself in the hospital soon. I took siesta almost everyday this week which was good for my soul and good for my health. The weather has been amazing too. It has been around 70s-80s during the day but during in the early morning and at night it gets a little colder. It was so nice out actually that Ali and decided to take advantage of it and lay out by the river this week to siesta. It was fabulous. We also laid out by the river to catch up on homework and read a little too.

La senora con la que vivo, Manoli (the senora that I live with), has been sick but she went to the doctor twice this week and he finally gave her antibiotics. This is pertinent to my health also because she cooks all my food. Anyways, so Manoli is better now too, so all is good in the world.

Monday, I met with Clara, my intercambio, which was very exciting. University de Pablo Olavide has this program with intercambio (literally meaning like exchanges) where you are paired up with a Spanish student who wants to practice English and you want to practice your Spanish so you converse with each other to help each other learn language. It was lots of fun, I wasn’t feeling that well but I had a good time talking to Clara we met at Starbucks and I got tea which helped my throat too. We are going to meet every week and chat, some of the time in Spanish, some in English, and some Spanglish too.

Wednesday, Ali and I began our lunes y miercoles afternoon adventure club and went into Catedral to take pictures and explore Europe’s 3rd largest cathedral. It was lots of fun. We are going to be going on afternoon adventures on Mondays and/or Wednesdays every week because we get out of school at the same time together.

Thursday night was interesting too. Mallory met these Spaniards at an intercambio tapas event at UPO on Wednesday and we went out with them on Thursday night. We walked around town a bit, then went and hung out by the river before going to a discoteca later that night. We actually sat in a circle by the river and played ‘never never have I ever’ while they spoke in English and we spoke in Spanish. It was really funny and it helped us practice Spanish too! I was really not feeling well later that night so I went home early with Daniella and didn’t end up going to the discoteca but later Brian and Amir had a run in with some punks who wanted money from them. At first they asked for gas money because they said their moped ran out of gas and so Brian gave them a euro. But then the guys started asking for their credit cards and wouldn’t leave them alone. Amir started yelling at them and shouting once one of the guys pushed him and then so the Spaniards who were getting churros with Mal called the cops and the guys left. It was a crazy story. I’m glad they’re safe and nothing bad happened, it’s good that Daniela and I went home too so that we weren’t there either.

This weekend we celebrated both Lola’s (Danielle’s) 20th birthday on Friday and Brian’s 21st on Saturday. It was so much fun. Friday, we went to the Banos de Arabes (Arabic baths), which was so so so relaxing. It was 2hour spa-bath treatment where we got to go in a cold, mild, and hot bath, salt water pools, jacuzzi, and a sauna room. Also, we got a 15 minute massage and had tea afterwards too. It was great to have a spa-type day and we even convinced the boys to do it with us too.

Friday night, we hung out at Amir’s apartment for a while had cake for Lola and Brian and sang happy birthday to both of them. Then we went out to Calle Betis and Buddha later on which ended up being really fun. Amir always gets stopped at the door at Buddha because he never has nice shoes. Hahaha, then he always tells him he didn’t know and that next time he’ll wear them. It’s great. But anyways, it was a great way to celebrate both their birthdays.

Saturday, we all slept in because we stayed out pretty late. We ended up studying in the basement of Mama Terra (a restaurant with wireless internet) because mid terms are this week. Also, we spent a good portion of the afternoon trying to figure out whether The Reader was playing at the movie theater in English or Spanish… it was only in Spanish so we opted not to see it because we were tired.

Sunday afternoon, Amir, Brian, and I went to the mercadillo (kind of like a farmer’s market) on Avenida de la Paz. Melissa lives over near there so we met her there. I brought the dslr to take lots of pictures of it but Amir was a hater most of the day and told me someone was going to rob me so I should put the camera away. I put the camera away not because I thought he was right, but because I wanted him to stop being a hater about it so I only got a few pictures. It was fun, I love outside markets but I’m a bad barginer so I have to work on that. I bought cute earrings for a euro (they are super cheaply made too so I’m going to put nail polish remover on the backs). Brian finally bought sunglasses, Melissa bought shoes, and Amir bought like 4 kilos of fruit. It was a very successful day.

Things to look forward to in the next month: Tori is coming to Spain for her spring break to visit me! I'm meeting her in Madrid on Saturday and then she will come back with me and spend the week in Sevilla. Christine and Elise are traveling on a European excursion for their spring break too and so I am meeting them in London, also, while Marie bbbbBbbbbbBbb will be there too. At the end of the month, I'm meeting Dustin in Florence and we'll travel in the Tuscany region and hopefully meet up with Bailey too. So many loves from home and so many adventures in the next month. I can't wait! :)

Pictures: 1- Amir buying oranges at the mercadillo, 2 - shoes being sold at the mercadillo, 3 - Brian, Lola, Mal, Amir, and I right before entering the Arab baths, 4 - Ali and I laying out at the river