Everybody's quick to note the benefits of being bilingual, (see below). From being a highly marketable skill in the work force, to delaying or preventing the onset of dementia, to improving "brain power" and cognitive skills, it's pretty obvious that knowing a second language has its perks.
It recently occurred to me, though, that even if I don't experience any of the other benefits -- even if I never have a job where I speak Spanish, even if I suffer the effects of dementia at a young age, even if my cognitive skills never improve, learning a second language has been worth all the effort, if only for the fact that it brought many people into my life whom I would have never had the chance to communicate with otherwise. I've made some amazing friends and shared some inspiring and profound conversations completely in my second language. And that's a benefit that can't be topped.
New York Times - The Benefits of Bilingualism
NPR - Being Bilingual May Boost Brain Power
8/29/2012
8/26/2012
Sassy
I recently began re-reading a lot of the drafts on my blog. You know, all those posts that I wrote, or started to write, but never finished and never published. Some of the them are amusing, so I'm going to work on publishing a few. Here's a gem. It's the moment I realized that my time in Sevilla was changing me, for better or worse. In the grand scheme of things, this moment is rather trivial and insignificant. But nevertheless, the anecdote makes me smile. :)
Original post from February.
If you know me, you probably also know that I'm normally pretty reserved. I am not the type to go around sassing strangers on the street. But today, I did just that. It may seem like nothing, (and really it was nothing), but because it's so out of character for me, it was surprising and possibly noteworthy. And, I don't know... maybe I was a little bit proud of myself, too.
You see, I was on my way to a friend's house for brunch, loaded down with bottles of juice. I decided that taking a bicycle would be easier than walking. I rented the bike and headed down the main street, not a care in the world. On this particular road though, there is no bike path, just sidewalk. The path runs along the river, down a ramp and parallel to the road.
After getting the bike, I was trying to make my way down to the aforementioned ramp. At one point, on my way down the sidewalk, I came across a couple walking hand-in-hand, Red Rover style, taking up the entire sidewalk, as it's customarily Spanish to do. So I gave my bell a little ding. The woman turns around, and says, in a rather sassy tone, "This isn't a bike lane!" To which I turned around quickly and replied, with just as much sass,"Thanks, I already know!" And I rode away. Ha!
I know it's not that exciting. The exchange wasn't full of insults or swear words, and no punches were thrown. But I was rather surprised with myself. Normally I wouldn't have responded at all. But this time, it was as if the words came out without thinking. More impressive is that the exchange was in Spanish. Spanish sass without thinking. How's that for fluency?
Original post from February.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
If you know me, you probably also know that I'm normally pretty reserved. I am not the type to go around sassing strangers on the street. But today, I did just that. It may seem like nothing, (and really it was nothing), but because it's so out of character for me, it was surprising and possibly noteworthy. And, I don't know... maybe I was a little bit proud of myself, too.
You see, I was on my way to a friend's house for brunch, loaded down with bottles of juice. I decided that taking a bicycle would be easier than walking. I rented the bike and headed down the main street, not a care in the world. On this particular road though, there is no bike path, just sidewalk. The path runs along the river, down a ramp and parallel to the road.
After getting the bike, I was trying to make my way down to the aforementioned ramp. At one point, on my way down the sidewalk, I came across a couple walking hand-in-hand, Red Rover style, taking up the entire sidewalk, as it's customarily Spanish to do. So I gave my bell a little ding. The woman turns around, and says, in a rather sassy tone, "This isn't a bike lane!" To which I turned around quickly and replied, with just as much sass,"Thanks, I already know!" And I rode away. Ha!
I know it's not that exciting. The exchange wasn't full of insults or swear words, and no punches were thrown. But I was rather surprised with myself. Normally I wouldn't have responded at all. But this time, it was as if the words came out without thinking. More impressive is that the exchange was in Spanish. Spanish sass without thinking. How's that for fluency?
8/25/2012
Good Article.
Today I read an article online called What Happens When You Live Abroad. A lot of it resonated with me, and I'm sure that if you've ever lived abroad yourself, you'll find some paragraphs that sum it up pretty well. Here are a few quotes I really enjoyed.
"Yes, the country and its people will have their own effect on who you are and what you think, but few things are more profound than just starting over with the basics and relying on yourself to build a life again. I have yet to meet a person who I didn’t find calmed by the experience. There is a certain amount of comfort and confidence that you gain with yourself when you go to this new place and start all over again, and a knowledge that — come what may in the rest of your life — you were capable of taking that leap and landing softly at least once."
"So you look at your life, and the two countries that hold it, and realize that you are now two distinct people. As much as your countries represent and fulfill different parts of you and what you enjoy about life, as much as you have formed unbreakable bonds with people you love in both places, as much as you feel truly at home in either one, so you are divided in two. For the rest of your life, or at least it feels this way, you will spend your time in one, naggingly longing for the other, and waiting until you can get back for at least a few weeks and dive back into the person you were back there."
"When you live abroad, you realize that, no matter where you are, you will always be an ex-pat. There will always be a part of you that is far away from its home and is lying dormant until it can breathe and live in full color back in the country where it belongs. To live in a new place is a beautiful, thrilling thing, and it can show you that you can be whoever you want — on your own terms. It can give you the gift of freedom, of new beginnings, of curiosity and excitement. But to start over, to get on that plane, doesn’t come without a price. You cannot be in two places at once, and from now on, you will always lay awake on certain nights and think of all the things you’re missing out on back home."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"Yes, the country and its people will have their own effect on who you are and what you think, but few things are more profound than just starting over with the basics and relying on yourself to build a life again. I have yet to meet a person who I didn’t find calmed by the experience. There is a certain amount of comfort and confidence that you gain with yourself when you go to this new place and start all over again, and a knowledge that — come what may in the rest of your life — you were capable of taking that leap and landing softly at least once."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"So you look at your life, and the two countries that hold it, and realize that you are now two distinct people. As much as your countries represent and fulfill different parts of you and what you enjoy about life, as much as you have formed unbreakable bonds with people you love in both places, as much as you feel truly at home in either one, so you are divided in two. For the rest of your life, or at least it feels this way, you will spend your time in one, naggingly longing for the other, and waiting until you can get back for at least a few weeks and dive back into the person you were back there."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"When you live abroad, you realize that, no matter where you are, you will always be an ex-pat. There will always be a part of you that is far away from its home and is lying dormant until it can breathe and live in full color back in the country where it belongs. To live in a new place is a beautiful, thrilling thing, and it can show you that you can be whoever you want — on your own terms. It can give you the gift of freedom, of new beginnings, of curiosity and excitement. But to start over, to get on that plane, doesn’t come without a price. You cannot be in two places at once, and from now on, you will always lay awake on certain nights and think of all the things you’re missing out on back home."
8/18/2012
The TV Trap
One of the worst things about being back home and unemployed is how easy it is to get sucked into a TV marathon. It doesn't matter what channel it is, they are all seemingly black holes for productivity. I never really watched TV in Spain (aside from the few American TV shows that I downloaded on my computer), and to be honest, I didn't miss it. I got so much more stuff done. I painted. I spent time with people. I read more books. I went out more.
But for some reason, here at home, I just can't seem to ever turn it off. Maybe it's the fact that I'm home with nothing to do, or that there are hundreds of channels with movies and shows all in English (though rarely is anything of quality), or maybe it's the way they trick you into watching the next show by starting the next episode without a commercial break. It's not like the shows that I'm watching are actually worth watching either. In fact, they're horrible. I'm wasting my life away watching things like Snooki and Jwoww, Teen Mom, Say Yes to the Dress, House Hunters International, and the worst, by far, Here Comes Honey Boo Boo. Most of them are so bad, I kind of have to watch. You know, the train wreck thing.
Anyway, of all of the horrible TV shows that I get caught up watching, House Hunters International is the most productive. If nothing else, it inspires me to dream about someday buying my own house in Spain, even if it is just a vacation home. Of course, that day is a long way away. I'm still working on finding a job. And then, you know, my student loan payments will start killing any remaining dreams pretty much immediately afterward. But at least I'm getting ideas.
But for some reason, here at home, I just can't seem to ever turn it off. Maybe it's the fact that I'm home with nothing to do, or that there are hundreds of channels with movies and shows all in English (though rarely is anything of quality), or maybe it's the way they trick you into watching the next show by starting the next episode without a commercial break. It's not like the shows that I'm watching are actually worth watching either. In fact, they're horrible. I'm wasting my life away watching things like Snooki and Jwoww, Teen Mom, Say Yes to the Dress, House Hunters International, and the worst, by far, Here Comes Honey Boo Boo. Most of them are so bad, I kind of have to watch. You know, the train wreck thing.
Anyway, of all of the horrible TV shows that I get caught up watching, House Hunters International is the most productive. If nothing else, it inspires me to dream about someday buying my own house in Spain, even if it is just a vacation home. Of course, that day is a long way away. I'm still working on finding a job. And then, you know, my student loan payments will start killing any remaining dreams pretty much immediately afterward. But at least I'm getting ideas.
8/13/2012
Teleportation
Physical teleportation may be impossible (at least for now), but today I had the joy of being mentally transported to another place and time.
After opening a vacuum-sealed bag of my fall and winter clothes, the scent of bargain detergent, purchased at my corner MAS supermarket, filled my bedroom. For just a few seconds, I was back in Sevilla where the warm spring sun shined brightly onto my 6th-floor balcony. As I took my recently dried laundry off the rack, a fleeting rush of fear passed over me as I wondered what kind of trouble Tony might be up to. I went from an overcast summer morning in Pittsburgh to a beautiful spring afternoon in Sevilla, all within a matter of seconds.
I don't think about Spain constantly, but I constantly get reminders of it. They come in whiffs of laundry detergent, in seeing European products at the grocery store, in eating imported Manchego cheese or drinking imported Rioja wine, in listening to and singing along with Spanish music. These small, seemingly insignificant moments are significant for me-- they are reminders of wonderful memories. And they take me back, even if just for a few seconds, to where I'm pretty sure a part of my heart will always reside.
After opening a vacuum-sealed bag of my fall and winter clothes, the scent of bargain detergent, purchased at my corner MAS supermarket, filled my bedroom. For just a few seconds, I was back in Sevilla where the warm spring sun shined brightly onto my 6th-floor balcony. As I took my recently dried laundry off the rack, a fleeting rush of fear passed over me as I wondered what kind of trouble Tony might be up to. I went from an overcast summer morning in Pittsburgh to a beautiful spring afternoon in Sevilla, all within a matter of seconds.
I don't think about Spain constantly, but I constantly get reminders of it. They come in whiffs of laundry detergent, in seeing European products at the grocery store, in eating imported Manchego cheese or drinking imported Rioja wine, in listening to and singing along with Spanish music. These small, seemingly insignificant moments are significant for me-- they are reminders of wonderful memories. And they take me back, even if just for a few seconds, to where I'm pretty sure a part of my heart will always reside.
8/09/2012
An Ex-expat's Views on Gun Control
This post isn't exactly meant to get political, and I don't mean it to offend. It's just meant to be an observation of a cultural difference between Spain and the United States. Since returning to the States, I have been increasingly bothered by the things I have been seeing on the news. I will never claim to be an expert on guns or gun control. I know this is a super heated discussion here in the States, but I feel like I need to share my thoughts on the issue, based solely on my own experiences. This is in no way comprehensive of the whole debate. You are free to agree or disagree with me about anything I write. Feel free to comment or email me, or don't; you can ignore me just as easily. I don't really expect to change anybody's mind about the matter, I'm just throwing my own ideas out there. That being said, let's begin.
Throughout my travels in Europe, one question that I was repeatedly asked by strangers was, "You're American?? So... do you own a gun?!" Is it sad that the overwhelming stereotype of Americans is that we are all gun-toting crazies, who barbecue for every meal and work all the time? I kind of think so. I mean, the barbecuing and working parts aren't horrible, but the gun thing gives us a bad image, I think. (And, in fact, upon looking up the numbers, I see that, "The rate of private gun ownership in the United States is 88.8 firearms per 100 people" (http://www.gunpolicy.org/firearms/region/united-states)). Sick. The only thing worse than the stereotype is how close it is to being truth.
The common argument that we hear here in the States is that "if you outlaw guns, the only people that will have them are the criminals!" But what's the difference? All of the criminals have them now, so can it really get any worse? In Spain, where guns and other weapons are generally illegal to own, I can hardly remember a time where I felt unsafe walking alone, even in the middle of the night. There really isn't much to fear if nobody has them. But here in my own neighborhood, (which isn't even a bad neighborhood by most peoples' standards)? You won't catch me walking anywhere after dark. The problem here is that anybody could have a gun. And you don't have to look very hard to find a story about somebody getting shot over something ridiculous. Just turn on the news.
Every day my mom watches the local news, and every day there are about three stories of local people being shot. EVERY DAY. People outside of bars, people at home, people in stores, people in cars. Why is that acceptable? Not to mention the mass shootings that have become ever so frequent in the last several years, and even over the last several weeks. This sort of thing just doesn't happen in other civilized countries. Our lax gun laws are like none other. And maybe there's good reason for that.
Say what you will about our second amendment rights. That's all fine and well. But perhaps we can follow the example of the rest of the world on this one. From what I know about Spanish gun laws (and please, correct me if I'm wrong), you can still own a shotgun or rifle for hunting, but you must provide a reason for having it. Police and military officials are generally the only ones allowed to own handguns. Everyone that owns a gun must undergo psychological, criminal, and domestic violence evaluations and take a training course, and they have to register their weapon. And I believe that there is also a limit to the number of guns that you can own. Want to know how many people die each year from gun violence in Spain? In the year 2008, there were 80 deaths due to gun homicide (http://www.gunpolicy.org/firearms/region/spain). Compare that to the 9,484 that occurred in the US that same year (http://www.gunpolicy.org/firearms/region/united-states). Granted, Spain is much smaller in size and population than the United States, but per 100,000 people, that is .18 deaths in Spain, and 3.12 deaths in the US. That is less than 6% of the number of gun deaths that we see in the States! Though, in my opinion, it is far too many in either case.
Honestly, it is so disheartening to watch the news here. What value do we place on human life anymore? And it is so unfortunate that we should have to worry about walking around our own neighborhoods and cities. We can't even go to a public event without being frisked at the door. Welcome to the Land of Liberty, where our freedom to own a gun is more important than our right to walk our own streets without fear.
If you ask me, I'd rather live without that fear.
And yeah, yeah, I know that the gun issue is so entrenched in our American culture and it's not likely to change anytime soon. But I just want to point out that it is possible to have a society where guns aren't necessary, and where they aren't even close to being the norm.
Throughout my travels in Europe, one question that I was repeatedly asked by strangers was, "You're American?? So... do you own a gun?!" Is it sad that the overwhelming stereotype of Americans is that we are all gun-toting crazies, who barbecue for every meal and work all the time? I kind of think so. I mean, the barbecuing and working parts aren't horrible, but the gun thing gives us a bad image, I think. (And, in fact, upon looking up the numbers, I see that, "The rate of private gun ownership in the United States is 88.8 firearms per 100 people" (http://www.gunpolicy.org/firearms/region/united-states)). Sick. The only thing worse than the stereotype is how close it is to being truth.
The common argument that we hear here in the States is that "if you outlaw guns, the only people that will have them are the criminals!" But what's the difference? All of the criminals have them now, so can it really get any worse? In Spain, where guns and other weapons are generally illegal to own, I can hardly remember a time where I felt unsafe walking alone, even in the middle of the night. There really isn't much to fear if nobody has them. But here in my own neighborhood, (which isn't even a bad neighborhood by most peoples' standards)? You won't catch me walking anywhere after dark. The problem here is that anybody could have a gun. And you don't have to look very hard to find a story about somebody getting shot over something ridiculous. Just turn on the news.
Every day my mom watches the local news, and every day there are about three stories of local people being shot. EVERY DAY. People outside of bars, people at home, people in stores, people in cars. Why is that acceptable? Not to mention the mass shootings that have become ever so frequent in the last several years, and even over the last several weeks. This sort of thing just doesn't happen in other civilized countries. Our lax gun laws are like none other. And maybe there's good reason for that.
Say what you will about our second amendment rights. That's all fine and well. But perhaps we can follow the example of the rest of the world on this one. From what I know about Spanish gun laws (and please, correct me if I'm wrong), you can still own a shotgun or rifle for hunting, but you must provide a reason for having it. Police and military officials are generally the only ones allowed to own handguns. Everyone that owns a gun must undergo psychological, criminal, and domestic violence evaluations and take a training course, and they have to register their weapon. And I believe that there is also a limit to the number of guns that you can own. Want to know how many people die each year from gun violence in Spain? In the year 2008, there were 80 deaths due to gun homicide (http://www.gunpolicy.org/firearms/region/spain). Compare that to the 9,484 that occurred in the US that same year (http://www.gunpolicy.org/firearms/region/united-states). Granted, Spain is much smaller in size and population than the United States, but per 100,000 people, that is .18 deaths in Spain, and 3.12 deaths in the US. That is less than 6% of the number of gun deaths that we see in the States! Though, in my opinion, it is far too many in either case.
Honestly, it is so disheartening to watch the news here. What value do we place on human life anymore? And it is so unfortunate that we should have to worry about walking around our own neighborhoods and cities. We can't even go to a public event without being frisked at the door. Welcome to the Land of Liberty, where our freedom to own a gun is more important than our right to walk our own streets without fear.
If you ask me, I'd rather live without that fear.
And yeah, yeah, I know that the gun issue is so entrenched in our American culture and it's not likely to change anytime soon. But I just want to point out that it is possible to have a society where guns aren't necessary, and where they aren't even close to being the norm.
8/06/2012
Most Romantic Poem Ever
Contigo
by Luis Cernuda
by Luis Cernuda
¿Mi tierra?
Mi tierra eres tú.
¿Mi gente?
Mi gente eres tú.
El destierro y la muerte
para mi están adonde
no estés tú.
¿Y mi vida?
Dime, mi vida,
¿qué es, si no eres tú?
8/05/2012
Oh, hello!
Oh, blog. It's been a while.
I didn't mean to take such a long hiatus. I really didn't. I have even tried to blog a few times, but the things I wrote came out just as scrambled as my own thoughts, and I figured that nothing was really worth posting -- or worth trying to rework into cohesive, meaningful sentences. So I gave up. The last 7 entries in my list of posts are drafts. So there you have it.
Thanks to a friend's reminders, I have been thinking about the ol' blog again. Rachael (back) in Spain isn't exactly applicable anymore, so I've got to change the title. It's kind of an interesting exercise to think about titling a chapter of your life (before you even know what the chapter contains). As far as blogs go, I've got 'Rachael in Toledo' and 'Rachael (back) in Spain' -- both are pretty self-explanatory and unimaginative. So what's next?
As life would have it, I don't know what's next. I'm still figuring it out. Right now, I'm taking any and all options into consideration
Since coming back to theStates, I've felt the need to build a new life. Things are not the way they were when I left. (Nor did I expect them to be.) Things have changed, I have changed, and now comes the fun part (sarcasm optional) of trying to make things work.
Anyway, I just want to let you know that I plan on blogging again shortly. I've got some things floating around in my head that I'd like to write about, if for no other reason than to get my thoughts sorted out on the topics.
Either way, Hello again, blog. I've missed you.
I didn't mean to take such a long hiatus. I really didn't. I have even tried to blog a few times, but the things I wrote came out just as scrambled as my own thoughts, and I figured that nothing was really worth posting -- or worth trying to rework into cohesive, meaningful sentences. So I gave up. The last 7 entries in my list of posts are drafts. So there you have it.
Thanks to a friend's reminders, I have been thinking about the ol' blog again. Rachael (back) in Spain isn't exactly applicable anymore, so I've got to change the title. It's kind of an interesting exercise to think about titling a chapter of your life (before you even know what the chapter contains). As far as blogs go, I've got 'Rachael in Toledo' and 'Rachael (back) in Spain' -- both are pretty self-explanatory and unimaginative. So what's next?
As life would have it, I don't know what's next. I'm still figuring it out. Right now, I'm taking any and all options into consideration
Since coming back to theStates, I've felt the need to build a new life. Things are not the way they were when I left. (Nor did I expect them to be.) Things have changed, I have changed, and now comes the fun part (sarcasm optional) of trying to make things work.
Anyway, I just want to let you know that I plan on blogging again shortly. I've got some things floating around in my head that I'd like to write about, if for no other reason than to get my thoughts sorted out on the topics.
Either way, Hello again, blog. I've missed you.
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