Keeping Things Interesting

My week in Jaén with Pueblo Inglés came to an end yesterday when I returned to Logroño after 12 hours of traveling. Taken as a whole, the past week was easily the best seven days I've spent since I arrived in Spain in October. The people were interesting and friendly; the daily schedule was full but not overwhelming; the physical surroundings were beautiful; and, on a more practical note, the food was great. I can hardly think of a single moment that I did not enjoy. I've been telling people the program is a bit like a summer camp for adults, and people often make reference to the fact that children don't want summer camp to end - that was never true for me as a child, but it was this time. It would obviously be impossible to communicate exactly why that is, but here's a few highlights.

The program took place at a hotel near the town of Cazorla, a bit like a hunting lodge located in the Sierras de Cazorla national park. Our bus ride took us through acres of olive trees, which could only be expected, as 60% of Spain's olive oil is produced in the province of Jaén. The area around the hotel, however, was only mountains and forest. During one of our afternoon breaks, some other participants and myself took a hike to a nearby waterfall, where I indulged my love of wild swimming for the first time since last summer. I don't think I knew how much I had missed it until I dunked my head under a massive cascade of frigid water.

The majority of the week was built around speaking English in one-on-one sessions. Obviously this is intimidating for the students, but the English speakers also have to concern themselves with being able to maintain a conversation for almost an hour. For me, however, it was a relief to finally be working with adults. After 8 months of practically pulling teeth to make Spanish children speak English, speaking to Spanish adults was hardly more difficult than talking to a native English speaker for the same amount of time. My one-on-ones would often run over the allotted amount of time because of sheer interest. I don't think I've ever had so many interesting conversations or met so many interesting people in such a short space of time.

One of our mornings was also dedicated to an excursion into Cazorla, a city of about 8000 people. Some of the streets reminded me of Granada and took me back to my first visit to Andalucía two summers ago (also the reason I applied for this position). Although we didn't have long to explore, I was intrigued by the city's mountainous geography, waterways, and stray cats. Apparently my wandering ways caused me to miss an impromptu bullfighting demonstration by two of the group's members...can't win 'em all, I guess.

The idea of creating an English village means everything becomes part of the program, including the meals and free time. Naturally, that means the food has to be pretty good, and it was. Lunch and dinner were three-course meals, with the first and second dishes chosen from a menu the day before. The selections may have presented the greatest challenge for the English speakers, as many of them were quite unique to Spain and Jaén. One of the firsts was local wild game, a combination of boar and deer that left very little room for my second course. My experience with Spanish people this year led me to believe that the food would be a great conversation starter, and I was correct. With so many Spaniards from so many places, there were always opinions flying around the table (but not food, fortunately).

But the best part of this week was also the most intangible - the people. As I mentioned above, I have rarely met so many interesting people in such a short span of time, and it was absolutely fantastic to be around them. It would be impossible to fully explain why that was, so let's just leave it at this: put me in a group that includes a retired air force pilot, a circus performer, and an engineer/blogger/poet, and it sounds like the beginning of a joke. But it also allowed my curiosity to run wild and me to thoroughly enjoy myself.

Also, the hotel had a baby deer that was looked after by the staff and kept as a pet. As if the place wasn't awesome enough already.

The hotel and its surroundings.

Near the river I went swimming in - this waterfall was too far away, unfortunately.

Stray cats on a roof in Cazorla.

Bambi, the temporary pet of the hotel.

The End, Extended

I finished work this past Tuesday. It was an odd finish, as I had been sick all weekend with pneumonia and had to miss school on Monday to avoid a relapse. My last day at Albelda was much more low-key than at Alberite, as one of the teachers had just returned from a two-week honeymoon in China, which distracted from the fact that it was my last day. I didn't mind - having just begun to feel better, I wasn't sure I could have handled being the center of attention.

Wednesday saw my last tutoring class, and early Thursday morning, I took the bus to Madrid to meet the people with whom I will be living this week. To give a little background, I had signed up for a program called Pueblo Inglés (English village), which brings together native English speakers and Spanish students of English. For the English speakers, it's a volunteer position - for the Spanish people, it's a week of practicing English (often for professional reasons). After meeting in Madrid, we were carted off on a six-hour bus journey through Castilla La Mancha and Andalucía to a hotel in the mountains near Cazorla, in the province of Jaén. It's an absolutely beautiful location, but more importantly, it's isolated - which allows for the creation of an "English village." It's an interesting approach to education that I am keen to try after a year of educating in a more conventional manner.

On a side note, Pueblo Inglés is a great way to get a cheap holiday in Spain - your accommodation is paid for as well as your food and transportation from Madrid, and the location and accommodation are both fantastic. The people here are a unique mix - I believe I'm the youngest person, but the age range seems to cover everything from 23 to 80 (or thereabouts). I've already met a former Air Force fighter pilot, an academic journal salesperson (oh yes, they exist), and two people who operate businesses that they began themselves.

Oh, and this is the view from my bedroom window.