Today over our mid-day coffee at the school's cafe, my supervisor told me that every Thursday all seventy staff members at IES Suarez Figueroa get together for lunch after school. "Yes," she said. "It was so nice. We were there from maybe 3 until 7. You will have to come next time." As an American with limited familiarity with Spanish culture, there are a number of things about the above paragraph that still strike me as odd--even after two weeks of living here. A cafe in a secondary school? No lunch during school? And at 3? Until 7? It is something that I am still not so accustomed to and yet this is generally how things operate here. I would liken Spaniards to the Hobbits of our world. Although they do not seem to share Halflings physical appearance in terms of feet, ears, or stature, their lives, too, seem to revolve around food and the sense of community that thrives in cultures that values ease, conversation, and warmth. Breakfast at ...
Aux-ing in Zafra
Howdy! Welcome to my adventures wile living and working abroad in Spain during the 2022-23 school year. This is something of a gap year for me as a recent college graduate with limited ideas for my future. Follow me as I navigate cultural obstacles, attempt to learn Spanish on the fly, and work as an Aux or Language and Cultural Assistant in local schools through Spain's NALCAP Program.