Six Days in Pedraza

November 21, 2014

Six Days in Pedraza

We all got certificates when our program was over. The gentleman handing me mine was one of the "students" and a "Gardia Civil" - federal police officer!

Now that I have returned from my two weeks in Spain I can reflect upon the six days I spent in Pedraza speaking English to Spaniards. When my friends ask me how my "volunteer tutoring" went, I think I will say that it was like going somewhere to climb a mountain or participate in a marathon .... not relaxing, but certainly a great experience.

Our program, while taxing at times, was a unique and enriching experience. Our daily marathon began with breakfast at 9:00, followed by a list of people with whom we would spend 50 minutes talking to, one on one. Occasionally we participated in group activities and telephone conversations, but most of our "one on ones" were spent strolling around the beautifully restored medieval town of Pedraza, sometimes stopping to enjoy a coffee at one of the quaint little shops.

Meal times were also opportunities for conversation as the seating arrangements consisted of tables of four, two "Anglos" as we were called, and two Spaniards. The Anglos consisted of volunteers from a variety of English speaking countries. This was done on purpose in order to expose our Spanish friends to a variety of accents (poor things!). Dinner conversation was further encourage by a bottle of red wine on every table, except at breakfast of course!

Dinner with Antonio, Nacho and Terry (from Texas)

So what about those Spaniards anyway? Who were they and why were they spending a week (at great expense) to practice speaking English? Well, they came from all walks of life ... doctors, police officers, business people, even a TV producer and a marketer for the French company Loreal! As it was explained to me, English is the language of business in Europe particularly as contacts are made with other countries within the European Union. The common language that is most likely to be understood is English. If a Spanish company has dealings in Italy, or Germany, for example, they speak English to each other in order to communicate. How bizarre it seems that a group of countries communicate with each other in a language that is foreign to all of them!

I have to say that the most rewarding part of my experience in Pedraza was getting to know the Spaniards. Of course, for the most part they are no different than we are ..... but much more stylish! After several days of intense conversation, I found that two themes emerged; thoughtfulness and a strong sense of family. When I say "thoughtful" I mean that they seem to give great thought to life in general,.... how life should be lived, the fairness and effectiveness of the government, how history has shaped today's world and their lives specifically. They are much more philosophical than we are .... and did I mention fashionable? After several conversations I learned that Spanish people are very family oriented. Several young adults on the course stated that they called their parents at least once a day and another was adamant that his parents would never go to a nursing home when they get old. Others explained the great respect for the hardships that their grandparents (or parents) had suffered during the Franco era. By the end of the week I could see that the Spaniards were definitely a more passionate lot!