Before I left for Madrid for the weekend I was surprised when my host mom told me that two girls from Tennessee would be staying with us. They would be arriving the day I got back from Madrid. Pump the breaks! I was not prepared for this. My head filled with questions and concerns. “I’ll have to share the bathroom. What if they’re better at Spanish than me? I’ll have to share time with my host mom. What if my host mom likes them better? What if my host brothers hang out with them more than me? ” This must be how first born children feel when they meet their new sibling for the first time. I now feel sorry for our cat Ruby who probably felt the same things when I was born.
When my new host sisters Leslie and Sharyce got here lots of my concerns and anxieties were relieved and replaced with new anxieties. My host mom introduced me to them and gave me a look of “thank god you’re here.” The girls only had one year of college level Spanish and could hardly communicate or understand Lourdes. Lourdes asked me to translate things for them like rules for the house, what time we’ll eat, when they’re going to school, etc.
In that moment I was able to reflect back on where I started in my language abilities and how much I’ve learned and how far I’ve come. I was in their shoes not too long ago struggling to communicate and now my host mom needs me to be a translator. Wow, I’m really proud of myself! At dinner Lourdes complemented me in front of the girls saying how good my Spanish is, how well mannered I am, how easy I am to get along with, and how I sometimes have funny things to say. It was nice to hear, but too bad the girls didn’t understand a word of it.
I could see how overwhelmed the girls were feeling just by the looks on their faces. I was able to give them tips and tricks from places to explore in Santander, what busses to take to get places, and even about how to unlock the gate without having to climb the fence.
Living with them hasn’t been easy. I don't like having to share my host mom because I feel like I have fewer opportunities to practice my Spanish. The girls want to talk to me in English during dinner which takes away from learning Spanish. They don’t even try to speak Spanish; they prefer to rely on me to translate or our host brother Oscar. Sharice hardly knows any Spanish and always asks me how to say complicated things in Spanish so she can participate in conversations too. I try my best to give her the correct phrases but she gets mad at me when she says it and Lourdes doesn't understand. Her pronunciation and grammar needs work. Then she looks at me and says "I said exactly what you told me to" like it's my fault she can't communicate.
Living with these girls has made me realize why Americans get such a bad reputation. They have big personalities and want to do everything their way without respecting the Spanish culture. They’re self centered and expect everyone to speak English to them. Hello, we’re in Spain! For example, the other day at dinner they took food off the counter which was for the other family members without asking. Also, when they went to the Mercado (which is a restaurant) they brought their own glasses and bottles of wine. That’s so tacky. It makes me embarrassed to be an American!
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