i wanna be an expat...several yrs from now..
My summer has been daytime of interning at a legal office. Nighttime working at mall. I just came back from Spain. It’s funny, but I genuinely felt like I had come home. Maybe b/c it reminds me of Philly so much, and maybe I have gotten a little too used to city life. My mom was complaining how nothing was in English (its SPAIN!! Rg.) Much as I love her, I was getting frustrated that she had not learned any Spanish and getting annoyed she and my dad were naïve American tourists who believed they would somehow escape getting pickpocketed in Madrid, despite looking visibly different from the majority population. According to the U.S State Department website, Asians are more targeted for pickpocketers b/c they look different. My dad was the other uber American stereotypical tourist, wondering why I wanted to learn Catalan so much-what was the point?
Um, the point is to communicate and learn as much as possible, immerse yourself in culture and live life as the Europeans do. Oh, and my parents went through Asian food withdrawal and totally ignored my carefully-crafted itinerary of Spanish tapas, gazpacho, and other hubs. And went to two Japanese restaurants, a Chinese restaurant, and a Korean restaurant during our stay here. *rolls eyes.*
To prep for the trip, I bought a guidebook in April and taught myself Spanish. My parents kind of take it for granted that since I know French, Spanish is automatic. Actually, it’s not. I spent 3 months memorizing key phrases in Spanish, practicing in the car, and learning bits of Catalan for Barcelona.
I love Spain. Yes, I witnessed a guy walking thru the plaza with a knife. Yes, I witnessed a grisly motorcycle aftermath in the countryside where one victim lost lots of blood and a leg (which was inches away from the crash). But, I loved shopping at the Boqueria market, where you knew you were getting fresh produce and the best quality items, ie) cheese. When I was little, I ate Kraft sandwich cheese, and that was pasteurized cheese product. Aka: not even cheese. Ew. America has so much junk food crap artificial stuff you can’t tell what’s real and what’s not. America does not have a food culture. Or at least compared to Europe.
Right now, I have 17 days till Talbots ends FOREVERTHANKGOD. Not gonna lie, it was like virtual slavery for years. End work (day is ok) but then drive to mall to be on feet several hrs, feet aching so bad you want to cry. Actually, I’ve had days where my feet hurt so bad I got a headache and I almost started crying then and there. Sometimes my parents say I’m lazy but at least they do the cooking/laundry/chores while I’m out and I have less chores than previously.
Now, I’m brushing up on French, and trying to learn more Catalan, Portuguese, Spanish, and a slew of other languages. I’m studying international law at Loyola, so I’m super excited. I want to eventually move abroad (hopefully!!) and get a job in Europe somewhere. Hopefully. We. Shall. See. Anyways. Am leaving for New Orleans the week of August 9th…till later! J -L