My experience in Spain was invaluable. I will keep in my mind the things I have learned for the rest of my life. There were a few things that threw me off at first. For example, the people in Malaga never moved out of the way on the street. I at first thought they were a little rude. But these same people were also incredibly helpful. Once I was looking around with a map in my hand and one person, who actually looked very busy, stopped walking and spent five minutes explaining where I was and where I had to go. I later found this was regular behavior. If asked for directions, the people always helped and always made sure you understood. However, be wary of the Spanish saying “cinco minutos mas” or “un kilometro mas o menos.” More often than not, this turns into a twenty minute or four kilometer walk.
Another thing that threw me off was how dirty it was. However, this I later found out was not Spain, but only Malaga. The city center of Malaga is dirty. Dog poop, liter, and open sewers can be found in almost every street. However, not to give it a bad name, it is a very pretty city and the streets are also gorgeous (if not for the liter). Just something about beach people and tourists I guess. It was also amazing to have a beach within walking distance both were I lived and where I worked. And the people of Malaga are, as I said, incredibly kind. This is a Spanish thing, but even more so a Malaga thing. Having traveled throughout Andalucia, I can safely say that if I return to Spain, I would prefer to stay in Malaga. Granada is also recommendable, but no beach.
The kids were also very interesting. The strangest thing about them was that they listened to me and were actually excited to have class. They also wanted to answer questions. Weird. I found the people of Spain to be very informal. Lots of arm and shoulder touching, being friends with strangers almost immediately and ready to invite you to dinner anytime. This informality transfers to the children. They did not call me “profesor,” but rather “tio.” they asked me questions about everything in my life from where I lived to what drugs I indulge in. True, some of the informality was clearly because I am young and they identify with me, but I still found them to be very open.
If they weren’t so young, I would have become friends with many of them. They definitely hold a place in my heart and there are some hundred names that I will never forget.
The professors I worked with were also very friendly and helpful. They were willing to help me with any troubles I had. I mentioned needing a place to stay and they virtually found it for me. I came in late and told them I over slept and one bought me an alarm clock. I said it was hard to meet people and the headmaster of the school had his son take me out a few times and teacher had her daughter do the same (and with both of them the nights ended somewhere around six am!). They invited me on school trips that I had nothing to contribute to. They asked my opinion on several things and listened to me. Just friendly in the best way. However, it was a little upsetting to me that two of them seemed to have better English than I do and I often had to ask them for a grammar explanation.
I will always remember it and plan to do it several times more after I finish school
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