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  Oza Dos Rios, Spain
Monday, August 18, 2008

It's been about two weeks now since that nervous moment when I stepped off the bus from Oviedo to be greeted by the welcoming waves of Pachi and Pitu and the chocolate-smeared grins of their two boys; 8 year old Pancho and 6 year old Manuel (or 'Manu').
Pachi and Pitu are great - warm and very accomodating. I´m staying in their (big and beautiful) house in the country about 30km outside of La Coruña in Galacia. My job is to look after the kids from 3-9 and try to teach them a wee bit of English in the process, this is fairly subject to change though and I generally spend my time not really knowing what´s going on but just going along with whatever. Often Pitu will surprise me with "¡Ruth, vamos!" and I don´t have any idea where we´re going... mostly I can make a pretty safe guess, however, that it'll be to the cousins' (even bigger and more beautiful) house which is the hub for the whole extended family who often gather for lunches or to spend the afternoon. Pitu's sister, Paula, had an Irish au-pair, Niamh, for her two little ones; Ricardo (6) and Lucia (4). Niamh left last Wednesday but for the first 10 days of my stay here we often watched the 4 kids together - it was great to have her there to explain the various family links of the masses of new people milling about - especially as I happened to arrive two days before the grand event of the Christening of Paula's newborn - Nacho (Ignacio). It was also quite a release to have an English speaking companion for a bit. I found myself suddenly hugely appreciating the ease and freedom with which I can speak my first language!
It is probably the most immersive language-learning environment I´ve been in and my Spanish, of course, is improving. It feels like a slow process though, especially in a situation which very much highlights all that you don't know. However, I am picking up new words and phrases everyday and it is fantastic just to be constantly surrounded by the language and hear how and when things are said. There's nothing quite like that feeling at a moment of sudden understanding or when you first use a new word. I have to keep reminding myself that a year ago my Spanish extended to counting to 10 and maybe buying an ice-cream... 
Though tiring, I enjoy my afternoons with the boys. Pancho is a very cheerful and sweet-natured kid, not nearly as cheeky as his younger brother. Manu is a very cute little monster. His favourite phrase at the moment for getting his own way is "¡Si, o te mato!" ("Yes, or I'll kill you!") - as it goes, I've managed to get a slight improvement on this so now I have the ultimatum of "¡Si, o te mato! Please". Generally we spend our time playing football, hide and seek, cops and robbers, dressing up, swimming in the cousins' pool...whenever they´re not jumping about infront of 'Wii Tennis' or watching the Disney Channel (they´re big fans of that wonderful creation, High School Musical). I don't find the limits of my Spanish too constraining with them untill they have an argument or one is in a mood and I don't have the words to sort it out or console them.
I have a couple of free days each week so I´ve been in to La Coruña a few times. The weather unfortunately is making me feel very at home and I am constantly assured that Galacian Augusts are not normally this grey and drizzly. However, i've taken the opportunity to practise my Spanish with some trips to the cinema - so far I've seen the dubbed 'Mamma Mia' and 'El Caballero Oscuro' (Batman), neither of which were too profound or challenging (I highly recommend the latter!). After coming out of the cinema yesterday with my head swimming with Jokers and Batmobiles, I stumbled across stalls, parades and music in celebration of the current 'comic book' festival which is going on in La Coruña. Wondering about the city, you may catch a glimpse of Spiderman scaling a building or Tintin relaxing in the plaza.
I've also visited Santiago which is home to the Cathedral to which pilgrims on the Camino make their journey. It towers over a large plaza which buzzes with a sense of exhausted excitement as laden, blistered-footed travellers bask in their achievement. I spent most of my day sitting before this impressive building and soaking in the atmosphere. I ended up sharing wine and bread with an artist who lives off his paintings of the Catherdral and two of his pilgrim friends.
Last week Pachi took me and Niamh to see 'los toros' ( a bull fight). It was quite an experience (which is always my response when I am asked if I liked it..). It was fascinating to be part of this ancient Spanish culture, which does feel very ancient. There is a lot of ceremony and theatre involved and much of the process is majestic and stylish. It felt imcredibly surreal and bizarre, however, to be sitting in a staduim packed full of excited fans (its very popular with the woman for the guapo matadors!) round a ring in which anouther living being is tormented and beaten - in a very unfairly weighted fight - untill death. The matador does his final flourish with the red flag, swiftly sinks his sword into the bull which then stumbles and crumples to the ground as the studium erupts with the cheers of the spectators who stand up waving white hankercheifs and the matador proudly struts round the blood-stained sand soaking in the applause. Though glad to have had the opportunity to see such a spectacle, I can't say I've come away the biggest fan.
So, exactly 2 weeks since I arrived here, exactly 2 weeks more to go and, as it happens, exactly a year since I made that strange jump from Thailand to Scotland. Odd to think of the emotional journey I was going through this time last year, and all that a year can herald since then.
Here´s to the next two weeks then, and to the next year...
  

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