This past weekend I revisited my past yet again, but this time I was able to share my experience with someone who had shared a similar experience, my girlfriend. We went into it with mixed emotions and expectations. We arrived late on Thursday night and headed immediately to the hostel, no detours and no walks down memory lane quite yet. I will be the first to tell you I was a bit nervous to go to school Friday morning. I checked my alarm 2 to 3 times, laid out my clothes, and even brushed my teeth. I was ready to go.
Almost immediately when we left the hostal and I saw Valladolid in the light again I started recount the events of my past as though it was just yesterday. Every street, nook, and cranny seemed to have a tale about some part of my past. I recalled the store the girls went to to buy boots and the snooty store clerk that mentioned "Oh I can speak English too" when she overheard our conversation and the plaza where we graduated and got picked up for our many excursions. Then there were the more personal memories of the ATM machine that I took out countless euros, the phone that I spent 2 hours talking to a credit card company's employee asking repeatedly "I have a purchase at a gas station in St. Paul last week, are you sure that wasn't you?" and I responded "No, I have been in Spain for the last two months, so that would be a physical impossibility". Then there was the cyber cafe that I spent hours upon hours planning my numerous getaways and the building that I called home for almost 6 months. And all of these memories entered my head before 10 am rolled around, but I wasn't the only one with memories. Liz's head was filling with old memories also. We were in a constant battle of who got to tell whose story next and whose experience was better.
School. That was the most nervous that I've been in a while. The whole time I'm thinking and wondering if the professors would remember me and then I thought, why would they remember me. Am I memorable? Do I really stick out, ever? Then my head was spinning and I was recalling people that I studied with that they would remember. Escott, Jefe, Elena, Mateous. But let me tell you, it was a good thing that I was preoccupied with them remembering me that I didn't even have time to worry about speaking Spanish and impressing them. And then it was the moment of truth. Liz and I headed towards the sala de professores and peered though the window in the door to see Beatriz, Alfredo, Montse. We knocked and headed in. Needless to say at first it was awkward and we were greeted with a "si" and then after a bit of explaining and quizzical looks they finally remembered us. Beatriz mentioned that Liz look the same and that I had changed a bit. Also, I am happy to admit that my confidence in my Spanish grew a bit after a few early stumbles with Alfredo, but ultimately they were excited to see us. Escott will be happy to know that Alfredo was eager to recount the story about him running around Las Medulas screaming "Esto es Esparta!!". 
Then Liz and I made some personal stops at our host mother's houses for a bit of success and a lot of Spanish. It's been years since I've spoken so much Spanish that I thought my head was going to explode. Carmen's house was almost identical to how I left it, except that my room was now occupied by a kid from Cedarburg (a town right next to my hometown in Wisconsin) and a 6'8'' giant of a man with a bit larger bed than my roommate had. Of course I showed up unannounced for the second time in 4 years so my host mother wasn't prepared for lunch, but invited us back for dinner. So we parted ways and Liz and I continued on our journeys down memory lane. We got coffee at Panisimo, then onto Plaza Mayor, then to the "beach", and finally to Campo Grande. Every inch of those places had a memory and they all brought me back to another time.
The last stop on our journey, after a wonderfully huge dinner at my host mother's house, was the Negra Flor. Memories upon memories. That was our spot and we loved it, however, it was one thing that had changed. Big projection screens, very few college aged people, and a new bartender. The only constants were Carlos, free shots, and two for one drink specials. In addition, we were able to introduce a new generation of Eau Clairians to the Negra Flor. Stay tuned...Spanish Beginner:
Perdona: Excuse me
Spanish Advanced
Qué hablen de me aunque sea bueno: That people talk about me although it might not be good things. (you say this about people who want attention and don't care even if its bad attention).
Basque
Pringado (Prin-gow): Silly or weird
British English
Nothing today
No comments:
Post a Comment