-I've started to observe a "castellaño" class (which is another word for the Spanish language) that Salamanca Acoge offers to their clients who are immigrants from many different countries. Although I'm not learning much new grammar, more importantly, I'm learning a lot of things through simple observation and I've found it extremely interesting! The three classes I've gone to have more or less been the same students with a few missing or last week we had a new couple that had just arrived a few weeks earlier from Romania. There is quite the mixture of cultural backgrounds in the class: Moroccans, Germans, Bulgarians, Brazilians, Romanians and Albania. Because they all have different native languages, all of the class is taught in Spanish, regardless of how limited their vocabularies may be. This is definitely a struggle at times and is a different idea to me because if we didn't understand something in one of my Spanish classes in high school, our teacher would simply say it in English - but there isn't that second language to simply utilize. One thing I definitely love about the class is that everyone is more or less willing to jump in with the teacher and try to help explain something, for example defining a word in other well-known Spanish words. The instructor told me last class that I'm going to teach the next class...yikes!! Luckily, he'll be in the room with me, but I've never taught any sort of class before, let alone taken any edu classes (other than the grammar one I'm in right now at USAL), let alone try to teach beginner students with entirely different language levels and backgrounds. Regardless, I'm happy to have the opportunity to do so!
-A few weeks ago, Katie & I ventured to Alba de Tormes, a small town about 30 minutes outside of Salamanca by bus. We got off at the deserted bus station and literally had no idea where to go with no maps or anything. It was actually quite comical. Eventually we found a gas station where they pointed us in the right direction (simultaneously internally laughing at us touristy students). We hadn't planned it, but it happened to be a day of festivals in the town for Santa Teresa, so there was a parade, concert and lots of tourists!
The Spaniards historically seem to have a liking of preserving body parts of religious or significant figures...for example:
Also, we happened to stumble upon a parade and decided to join in! We probably didn't fit in with lots of kids & families surrounding us, but it was fun nonetheless. They were throwing out candies & there was a marching band plus some men dressed up in a costume with a large head...pictures will do more justice.
Because it was the festival of Saint Teresa (which is the Saint of my señora), we had a little celebration later on that afternoon. Her son sent her a huge bouquet of flowers & a selection galletas (cookies) from a local bakery that were delivered. We drank coffee (yes, that includes me, the not-so-coffee-drinker - granted she made it light for me) & ate cookies to celebrate her special day, which to them is essentially like a birthday.
-Last weekend my friend Katie & I went to see Cenicienta (Cinderella) ballet performed by the Cuban Ballet Company. It was absolutely incredible. Katie & I are both dancers who've done pointe and know how painful & challenging it is, yet these ballerinas made it look like a piece of cake. And the men were absolutely phenomenal too, jumping so incredibly high - so much talent! It was really cool to be able to appreciate it not only as dancers but while in Spain because there were no words so nothing was lost in translation. The whole story line was told through the movements of the body and I absolutely love dance...in case you didn't know that already :) The second act was spectacular with ballet routines that had a Spanish flavor to it and some even used the castanets in their hands! I can't rave enough about the performance. It was phenomenal & definitely a highlight of my semester so far!
-This week the IES office has been decorated for Halloween! Today there were fun activities, like guess how many garbanzo beans are in the jar & a pumpkin carving contest. Aly & I did a spectacular job...we'll find out shortly who won but the winner gets a GIANT basket of candy, so it's a pretty big deal! Tonight we went on a spooky tour (or in Spanglish: espuki) of Salamanca, learning about lots of different legends, myths and truthful historical stories, including ones about witches and about a priest with supreme powers to do thousands of miracles in his lifetime.
-I've continued to go to the events with En Vivo and I love it! I am always meeting new people not only from Spain but from Germany, Africa and other regions of the world. I'm also loving the Evangelical Church that I mentioned before. The community has been a true blessing for me. Praise God for his continual presence as a God of the Universe, not just Gettysburg or Pittsford!
Last week I went on an official tour of the cathedrals, where we got to go up to high balconies & see great views of the churches & the city. These pictures show quite the contrast between the Catholic church and a non-Catholic church in the same city. (Although, in the end, does it matter what the church looks like?!?)
Here is a glimpse of some other things I have stumbled upon in Salamanca during the past few weeks:
Dance show in Plaza Mayor!!
Once again, I failed at keeping it brief. Hopefully I didn't bore you all with my full-length essay here and I'll try to update more often!
¡Abrazos a todos!
awesome! love all the pics:) miss ya chica
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