Por Fin! (Finally!)

Really and truly, writing a blog update has been on my to-do list for about a 3 weeks now. Sorry guys. And even now, I don’t know how excellent this is going to be. But here goes:

1) The lovely “Las Encinas:” I’m getting more and more settled into my job as the weeks go by. I’m even figuring out useful tricks for successfully teaching a world geography course (which is at time confusing in any language) in English to Spanish speakers. In class today, the Ciencias Sociales (History and Geography) teacher that I work with said, in a thick Spanish accent, (which is vital for the overall gist of this comment) "Wow. Katie. This is good. You're a real teacher. No other Americans ever do anything this good. You send to me so I can use next year?” I had a few thoughts about this. 1) Yay positive feedback! And my second, and more fuerte, or strong, reaction 2) what exactly is your past experience with Americans? (shudder.) Because obviously, my lesson was far from superb.

2) Other interesting things! Cooking. I’ve really been enjoying cooking here. For once in my life, I’ve had time to try out some of the recipes I’ve been hoarding. The only problem is that I have to use about a billion substitutions and conversions. One of these days, I’ll buy a Spanish cookbook, and that will be magnificent. I’ll be able to practice Spanish as I read the instructions, and chances are I’ll be able to find the ingredients as well. Bonus! Look for a post purely about Spanish food experiences soon! ;)

3) Running by the Guadalquivir River. I find that if I stay in the city for too long, I feel a bit trapped by all of the buildings. After all, I’m a biology major, nature lover at heart (right, Embug? You’ll vouch for that, eh? ;) ) All it takes is a short jaunt to the river, and suddenly I’m basking in open air, waving grasses, and often, the company of many fellow walkers, runners, cyclers, and rowers. It’s a jolly way to see the city, to be sure.

4) Overall, my time in Spain has been wonderful so far. It’s hard to even express how much I’ve learned so far. Much of it stems from the fact that as a Spanish language learner, I’ve accepted the reality that I will be viewed as unintelligent and somewhat useless—forced humility! It’s a healthy experience that can’t be replicated anywhere but in a foreign country. When I visited London at the beginning of the semester, I found myself asking way more questions and being quite more outgoing just because people could understand me. I’ll always value communication more from here on out!

5) I still stop and wonder at Sevilla’s beauty regularly.

Lastly, I do have a few prayer requests:

-That I would continue to try to learn Spanish with fresh energy. It’s hard to keep on keeping on, if you will, when it seems so vast at times. We’ve declared Thursdays (and maybe Tuesdays) as purely Spanish days in our flat—this is a beginning!

-That I would find a few key ways to get plugged into the community further, via intercambios, a church, private classes, or volunteering, to name a few options I’m exploring.

-That I would live for God’s glory every day, not for my own comfort or success.

Thank you, friends!

Que tengan un buen día, (I hope you have a great day,)

Katie