Kate Schievink
October 17, 2023
For the second half of September, I enjoyed exploring my new neighbourhood of Usera, just south of the Manzanares River. It is often referred to as Madrid’s Chinatown, due to the large Chinese diaspora who reside there. I found it a comforting place when I first arrived, as, at the time, I was more familiar with Mandarin than Spanish. Also, it’s much more residential than my previous room in the city centre. Walk three or four blocks in any direction and you’ll find a public park teeming with children, their parents socializing and watching from a patio nearby. Public spaces teem with life in this city.
Pure chance scored me tickets to two Rugby World Cup games in Bordeaux, France. I travelled there one weekend and was pleasantly surprised by the kindness I was met with here. On Saturday, I watched an afternoon game of Chile vs Samoa from the most incredible seats in Row 2 – no idea how I got so lucky! The atmosphere was incredible and despite supporting Samoa, I was taken by Chile fans all around me. Sunday offered the ultimate treat by watching the South African Springboks play Romania. While the game was a bit of a wash (76-0), the atmosphere continued to be amazing with fans adorned in green and gold. During both games, I enjoyed the company of French fans seated beside me. Sport is a beautiful and powerful tool that brings people from across the globe together, and it is a pleasure to bear witness to this.
I’ve become more comfortable with the routines and customs at SEK and am enjoying my time in the classroom. I spend a lot of time observing instructional periods, which is great preparation for Field 3 and 4. Intentional observation alone at SEK is a worthwhile experience. I’ve heard of an expression that is something to the effect of, ‘if you know nothing of foreign languages, you know nothing of your own.’ I think this rings true of many things in life – adding experiences that offer contrast to your own makes for rich contextualization and understanding. It is interesting to watch the students begin and progress through their first inquiry (i.e., unit) of study about healthy habits.
Spanish classes are going well but continue to be overwhelming at times. I am coming to realize how difficult this language is and am trying to not be discouraged. I wish I had more time to study, but our online courses have offered quite a challenge this semester and I find myself preoccupied with them. I don’t think I will progress in my Spanish as much as I intended while here, but I’m hoping to lay a foundation for continued study upon return to Canada.