No Pasa Nada

I love Spain. Let me say that up front. But sometimes I love the very American value of efficiency.

In the US, a common phrase is "if you're five minutes early, you're on time. if your on time, you're late." People show up to things early, expecting that they start and end on time. As a country, we Americans really value time and show that by ardently following deadlines and appointment schedules.

Spain is different. Rules about on time-ness are a more fluid. After we came back from Spain, those of us who studied there realized we had adopted a Spanish sense of time. Meeting friends at 10 really means meeting them sometime between 10 and 12. In the US this would not stand, but in Spain it is understood. I think this comes along with their cultural norm of "No pasa nada" which would translate to the English equivalent of "eh," as in the dismissive sound one might make when they realized there was nothing to be done but go with the flow of life. While back in the US I've tried to embrace no pasa nada when possible, but it is sometimes a major challenge.

According to the Ministry of Education website, we should get more information sometime after the 19th of May. It is now the 24th and nothing has arrived. Thankfully I know I'm not the only one. One of my fellow Auxiliares sent me a text yesterday asking if I got anything, which leads me to believe that she too is without further information.

When I told my mother about the lack of information, even though a date had been loosely set, she started to get frustrated. All I could do was tell her not to be so American about things.

I hope a school assignment will arrive soon, hell knowing my luck it will probably show up in my inbox minutes after posting this but really, who cares? I'm moving to Spain, the details will fall into place.

I'm Moving Back to Spain!

For those of you who don't know, I will be moving back to Spain sometime in September.

I've been accepted to the Auxiliares de Conversación program through the Spanish Ministry of Education. This program places Americans and Canadians in schools across Spain to assist in their English language classrooms. I'm not super sure how I feel about this whole "helping people learn English" thing, but it is a great opportunity. Especially for someone who wants to put off being an adult for an extra year.

My hope for this blog is to track the months leading up to my departure. Once I get to Spain, it obviously will transform to a place to discuss my experiences there.

I hope you Enjoy!