A Mid-Year Reflection

My Fulbright grant lasts for nine and a half months, which means that, in early February, I reached the halfway point of my time here. I really don't want to re-hash every minute detail of the last 4.5 months (read the earlier posts if you want to know what was going on during my first few weeks here), so I'll just share a few epiphanies and a little of the knowledge acquired.

Teaching/Teaching at My Particular School: Overall, I love working with my students...well, most of them. The youngest ones (who are the equivalent of American 6th graders) are absolutely adorable and speak English better than some of the seniors. The 7th graders...well, I'm pretty sure they woke up one day last summer without any type of self-discipline or control and without an inkling of an idea as to where their common sense and manners went. However, I still have hope for them. I teach a course called Global Classrooms, in which 12 students and four alternates from Spain's Third Year students (approximately 8th or 9th graders in the States) are chosen to prepare for and participate in a conference that is the equivalent of Model UN. The conference is next week, so be expecting a post full of details and me gushing over them. All I'll say for now is that I'm extremely proud of the work they've done and effort they've dedicated. Finally, the 11th and 12th graders...well, they're just ready to go, which is the universal attitude of all soon-to-be high school graduates. Who can blame them?

As for teaching at my particular school, I've made my peace with it (kinda). However, were I to renew my role as a teaching assistant and choose to live and teach in Madrid for another year (which I won't be doing for several reasons), I would have to switch schools and, possibly, cities. Some teachers are nothing but a joy to work with and make my role as a teaching assistant both interesting and fulfilling. However, there exists a faction of faculty members who harbor an overabundance of semi-unrealistic expectations without much empathy. Their constant berating is headache-inducing. The way in which they speak to the assistants is, at times, reprehensible. When mistakes are made because of a lack of understanding or something happens that challenges their cultural norms, the complete absence of simple compassion that can be found in this toxic faction of teachers is astounding. I would think that they would try to have a somewhat flexible mindset with foreigners who are not trained teachers and are nothing more than long-term guests in their city and country but, alas, this just isn't so. 

In saying those things about the few septic people at my school, I must say that I've met some really great people, too. The secretaries are absolutely amazing. Of course, none of them speak English, but that just gives me the chance to improve upon my Spanish. I've received many great ideas about restaurants and different sights to see and visit because of them and they help fill my 17 hours at IES Parque de Lisboa (which is the name of my school, by the way) with laughs, which I appreciate more than I can say. 

Life in Madrid/The City in General: It's aight. I'm just not enchanted by this city. There are so many other cities in Spain that are superior to Madrid including, but certainly not limited to, Granada and Barcelona. There are places whose scenic beauty can melt hearts and make one wax poetic, other places that make you want to go out and dance all night. Madrid is...Madrid. It's nice enough,, it has its beautiful days (though it looks like a city that survived the Apocalypse during the winter), it's as much of a melting pot as one will find in Spain, and there are tons of things to do. However, something is missing from the city. Maybe it's the people; Madrilenos, in general, just aren't the friendliest people in this country. Maybe I'm just tired of all the second-hand smoke I'm inhaling. I mean, good heavens above, have they heard of lung, esophageal  throat, mouth, and/or tongue cancer with their 35% smoking rate!? Maybe it's just the dry, gray, miserable winter that I've (almost) survived. It could also be the fact that I have found examples of every negative stereotype about Spaniards (they're racist, lazy, etc.) within the boundaries of this city. Who knows? Whatever it is, Madrid only gets one thumb up (some days).

That being said, this little city of mine does have its redeeming qualities. The only other place in Spain in which I'll find as diverse a population as Madrid is Barcelona. In most other cities, including my beloved Granada, the population of non-Spaniards is extremely small, so I can definitely appreciate Madrid for that reason. Additionally, the people I've met, the friends who've helped sustain me and with whom I've shared so many good times, have made many a day fly by with an almost breathtaking speed. While I would gladly move to a smaller city here if  I could (cough Granada), one of the perks of living in a large metropolis is that there is always something to do. I have a host of museums, bars, clubs, and random cultural events and festivities that just can't be found on a constant basis in smaller locales. Witnessing history as Spaniards strike  throughout the year is also something that's fascinating, if not always pleasant. If the sun ever comes out again and the temperature ever rises past 65 degrees Fahrenheit  there may come a day when Madrid receives that second thumb up from me...maybe.


The Fulbright Program: It. Is. Amazing. Though I have some legitimate problems with Madrid and my school, I've always tried to be cognizant of the fact that this is no reflection on the U.S. Student Fulbright Program or the Spanish Fulbright Commission. I still believe in the mission of the Fulbright Program and  have received nothing but support from the staff at the Commission. I would recommend, without hesitation, applying for a Fulbright to anyone who inquired. The opportunity to be a goodwill ambassador for the United States and engage in a cross-cultural experience through a program as established as this is something that can alter one's thinking, change beliefs, and help create more empathetic and aware global citizens. 

The Apartment: Roomies are nice enough; we all do our own things, which is quite alright with me. The neighborhood's cute, quaint, and eclectic. I ended up not finding a new apartment, as I was once considering in another blog post. Instead, one of my roomies moved out and I moved into her larger bedroom, which made me a lot more comfy, so here I remain.


Preparations for Home: While it may seem a little early to already be thinking about life after Fulbright, it's really not for me. My last official day as a Fulbright Scholar is June 30 and I plan to be a beach bum for about a week before heading back stateside. Ideally, I will have packed and been proactive about mailing packages well before-hand. However, knowing myself as well as I do, I foresee a night of shoving crap into already overstuffed suitcases twelve hours before my flight. But I digress. Plans are really underway for my grand re-entrance because I'm heading off to law school in the fall. By the second half of August, I will, once again, be a slave to the books as I pursue my Juris Doctor degree at Tulane University's School of Law. So, between now and then, I'm completing necessary paperwork, emailing back and forth with the powers-that-be as needed, and the 'rents are on the hunt for an apartment for me.


In my introductory blog post, I stated that I wanted to learn more about Francisco Franco and his legacy in Spain. That's still a work in progress; I'm currently reading a book titled The Spanish Holocaust, which is shedding some real light as to what occurred during the Civil War here. I'm also starting to engage in discourse with one of the history teachers at my school, so it's coming along. I also said that I wanted to positively evolve as a human being. While I will never stop growing and am certainly not done being impacted by this experience, the first half of my time here has taught me a little more about patience (some days), empathy, and, above all, resilience. I look forward to the lessons that will accompany Part Two of this journey.