10. Exploring Madrid some more

This past week (actually two weeks ago) was quite quiet (also, I haven’t found a word that translates “rustig” as well as I’d like it to. Suggestions, anyone?). As for the weekend…I have officially given up on planning things, because other people do it and they’re just so much better at it (continue reading to know more). Not that I’m complaing at all.

There was a school holiday on Monday (I forgot to ask what is what for, but the internet tells me it was a bank holiday), so we got to sleep in, which was absolute bliss. So much so that I am now craving every weekend to have three days. That night I went to my first Rotary Dinner. My host club is Pozuelo de Alarcon. It’s a town(suburb) to the east of Madrid and they host a few other exchange students as well. My sister was also invited, as a future outbound student who would be sponsored by Pozuelo.

So, at 20:40 we set out (me with my Rotary blazer on, of course) and drove to Pozuelo de Alarcon. The other exchange students (Caroline, Madison, Nahla, Ali, Joe and Nate) were already there. I greeted all of them and we chatted, but I kept on glancing at the white screen at the front of the room and feeling nervously in my pocket for my memory stick. I was to deliver my first speech tonight – and everything would be in Spanish.

Let’s just get on thing straight – I love speaking, especially if it is in front of people. I could go on for days and days. That is why class orals or speeches at school never really bothered me much. I would write them some days before, read it over a few times and learn it the day before it had to be delivered. No sweat. Thus, I thought this instance would be no exception. I had written what I would need to say down a week or two before (then the dates had changed, so I had never learned it), so that was covered. But, I thought, seeing as Monday is a public holiday, I could leave the learning ‘till then, I have the whole day. It’s just another speech… right? HAHAHAHAHA.

no.

I asked my host-dad to correct my errors (Google Translate’s fault, not mine) and then I started learning, which proved to be more difficult than I had anticipated. I hadn’t taken into account that leaning a Spanish speech would be more difficult than just English or Afrikaans. I feel so stupid looking back now. Why had I thought it equal to Afrikaans or English when it was obviously equal to learning a French oral, i.e. much more difficult. I don’t know. Anyway, I did learn it and I did know it by the time we left home, but I wasn’t as confident as I usually was before having to speak to a group of people. Even after rehearsing it to the family at home, I still didn’t feel prepared enough. So, back to my fidgeting all through the dinner as I waited for them to call me to the front and deliver my story.

When it was finally time, I stood up, clutched the folded piece of paper in my hands and went to make sure the PowerPoint was still working. The president of the club came up to me at the computer and asked if I need any help. He spoke with a clear German accent and I was surprised. I politely declined and was ready to stand to speak when he asked me a question.
“Do you speak Afrikaans?”
It took me a moment to reply. “I… Yes I do.”
“And if I were to speak Dutch, you would understand?”
“I… Yes I would.”
And then he started to converse with me in Dutch, which I understood perfectly well, while I replied in Afrikaans, after initially having to overcome the shock and wanting to continue speaking Spanish, or, at least, English. I can honestly not remember what we said, I was just so elated to speak Afrikaans, I totally forgot about my nerves.

But as soon as he went to sit again and I had to turn the group of people gathered, they flared right back up. I tried to reason with myself – you don’t any of these people, your friends and family are in the back, rooting for you, you have the words in front of you and you have a PowerPoint they can be distracted by if you mess everything up. Just chill and start.

So I did. The starting bit, not so much the chilling. The presentation was about where I come from, where I went to school, my family and a bit about the Western Cape’s agriculture and weather. I even managed to squeeze in some South African culture, i.e. rugby, soccer and braai (I just couldn’t resist)!

As I ended with “I hope this experience in Spain gives me a new perspective on life and helps me grow as a person to meet any challenge when I return to South Africa,” I was met with applause which then turned into a standing ovation as my host dad decided to stand up and soon everyone in the back followed. I couldn’t stop smiling, but I was so embarrassed at the same time. I can’t even explain why I felt those two emotions at the same time. In my eyes, I had read everything from the paper and had forgotten to press next on the PowerPoint a few times, which meant having to backtrack and getting lost and confused – all in all, not very successful. But, as I walked back to my table, my ears and cheeks positively glowing, all I knew was that the presentation was over and I could retreat and drink my weight in red wi- ahem, I mean Coke Light and pretend that that never happened. But everyone was telling me that it was a job well done, so I began to believe that it hadn’t actually been that bad.

In the end, after group photos and pin exchanging and enjoying fine food, I realised that it had indeed been a successful evening regarding my presentation. I just need to take pressure of myself sometimes and accept a compliment when it comes my way.

I had a Geography test on Wednesday, so I studied Tuesday. At least, I tried to. My mind tends to wander when I try learning Spanish work, probably because my brain gets tired of focusing on the Spanish and storing information in Spanish and then kicks out, like an overloaded wall socket makes the whole house trip. But the test didn’t go too bad in the end.

Now, for the weekend. As I was saying, I have given up on having plans because there will always be someone doing something cooler.

As I was coming home Friday night after some shopping (I discovered Primark, the European version of a shop with PEP/Mr Price prices and Mr Price/Woolies quality clothes) and my first Starbucks (I had been in Europe a month before I had some), Naseem, another exchange student friend of mine WhatsApped me and asked what I was doing the next day. Turns out, an exchange student who lives in Seville was staying with him for the weekend and they invited me to join them in doing exchange student things(I didn’t really ask for details.) I happily accepted.

The plan was initially to go on the Teleferico, which is a system of cable cars that take you on a trip over Madrid, but we found out too late that it closes at six and that was about when we set out from Naseem’s house. So, instead, we walked to a park near Naseem’s house that has a literal piece of the Berlin Wall in a fountain and then on to the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. As we approached it, we heard a couple of thousand people shout inside.
“Oh, there’s a game on.” One of us remarked.
On the walk I also got to know the other exchange student a little better. His name is Matthew, he’s originally from California, but they moved to Kansas and his parents modify Porches.
Also, it started to periodically rain, which I wasn’t too fond of and the new shoes I had bought the previous day turned out to be too small, so they pinched me the whole time.
But, we continued.
As the stadium came into view, so did a lot of people. Turns out, the game had just ended and we were in the middle of everyone and everything. We also saw a matte black Lamborghini, which got the boys very excited. Me too, actually.

Thankfully, before long, we got on the metro and took a train to Gran Via. When we got out, the weather was a little better. As we walked on the pavement, staring at everything around us (as one does), I suddenly became of aware that the road, the actual Gran Via, was empty of cars. I stopped and looked around and saw that where we had come from, the road was closed.
“Guys, look, look! The road is closed!”
“Whaaa..”
And that’s the story of how we ended up in the middle of Gran Via, taking some rad photos and saw not one, but two protest marches! One for an independent Catalunia and another one for Gay Rights. And everywhere there were mean looking police men and chanting people and everything was just such a rush.

We jovially continued onto Sol (after getting free hugs by some people in t-shirts saying “Abrazoz gratis”), Plaza Mayor and the palace, all the while taking photos and talking. Naseem also showed us the Palace Gardens, the Egyptian Temple and a city lookout point, all of which I saw for the first time. And everything was just much more magical, a) because it was night and b) because everything was wet, so all the lights reflected off the wet roads and sidewalks and just... wow.

After all of that, my feet were killing me and I convinced the guys that it would be a really good idea to go into a café and just sit. We did just that and I ordered some hot chocolate… no sorry, some liquid chocolate heated up and then we sat in the quiet café for another hour, talking.

I got home safely and was so glad to take off my shoes. Note to future self: don’t wear new shoes when exploring on foot. Ever.

The next day I joined Naseem and Matthew again, before Matthew had to leave for Seville. I only got to go to Retiro with them because I had lunch with my family at two and their plans were in the middle of that and, anyway, Retiro was just as nice. We saw the dam, the big monument right next to it and the Crystal Palace, which is literally a building made of glass. It didn’t rain again, but instead there were huge cumulonimbus clouds decorating the sky, which you could see a lot more of because none of the trees had any leaves. So, I guess there are some perks involved in it being winter.

And that’s the week.

Stay cool folks, until next time.