What do you think of when you think of Spain? Do you think of bullfights or of flamenco dancers? Or maybe of romantic nights in Sevilla gazing out at the Guadalquiver, sidled up next to your love and sharing the best Spanish wine, and of course, a big hunk of cheese. The sun splashes the clouds with rich chemical pinks and oranges as it retires for the day. You and your love stroll along the river with memories reflecting sentimentally on the beautifully framed present.
Yeah, yeah, all that crap is true enough, but I wish to focus on the language barrier. Before I came to study here at Alcala de Henares, which is about a half hour train ride east of Madrid, I was told how similar Spanish is to English, and furthermore, how everyone in Spain speaks English anyway. Not so, says I. This may be true in the areas that are more heavily visited by tourists such as Toledo and Andalucia, but not in the local areas of Madrid, Cuenca and our very own dear little home, Alcala de Henares. Your next question might be, “Well then, how did you get along without knowing any Spanish, amigo?? In the beginning, I got along very minimally with a great deal of frustration and some help from classmates. As the weeks progressed I learned more Spanish and began to get around town on my own. You know—I buy food, go to the movies, get a haircut, get my shoes repaired, apologize repeatedly and go through a very superficial existence. I do try, but my actual conversations are quite limited and not very meaningful or interesting. I try to use as many feeble-minded, bumbling American facial expressions for a humorous, apologetic affect as I engage in conversation with Spaniards. Once you do learn some Spanish, you find that you have learned only one of many forms of Spanish specific to its own region. C’est la vie. Yeah I know. That’s French.
Anyway, it’s not that Spaniards in their “we’ll be the only country in the European Union not to speak English?kind of way aren’t helpful. On the contrary, they are more than helpful and more than polite. When noticing that you are having trouble understanding them, they will repeat themselves over and over again. I don’t think that they realize how useless this is, because they also use a great deal of hand motions and body language to help you understand what they are saying. They never keep it short and simple, bless their informative little souls.
Why am I telling you all of this? How is this an overview of our experience thus far here in Spain? It is one aspect of my time in Spain, and I am merely forewarning anyone who visits Spain (and reads this article) that some prior knowledge of the Spanish language (any of the Spanish languages, but primarily Castillian) is quite helpful and can be completely necessary when one is alone and wishes to avoid extremely time consuming and frustrating incidents with the natives.
To understate it plainly, Spain is a beautiful country rich in history and culture. To try and focus on the beauty, contrast, pride, diversity, etc. that is Spain and its many collaborative cultures in a short article such as this one would be an absurdity best left to the attempts of a fool, a madman or Ernest Hemingway. If you visit Spain, come with an open mind prepared to absorb a great deal of stimuli, and above all, learn the language before you come.
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