VaughnTown -- Even More Awe-inspiring As My Week Came to a Close

Meals were truly amazing events where we always sat at tables of 4, 2 Spaniards and 2 Anglos, and for each meal everyone tried to be sure to choose different Spaniards and Anglos. Each day at 9.00am we started with a vast, expansive buffet breakfast with every kind of sausage imaginable and freshly baked bread to die for. Cheese, fresh fruit, pastries and eggs were also included as well as rich strong coffee. Lunch at 2.00pm and dinner at 9.00pm always started with a salad buffet followed by 3 courses accompanied by red wine and of course lots of conversation. The truly enjoyable part of our meals was lingering for an hour and a half while conversations took place – no cell phones or TV to divert anyone’s attention.

Finishing dinner around 10.30pm, most of us headed for the bar where conversations continued on from dinner or new ones started. One evening, some of our group, mostly Spanish and some UK fans, were treated to watching a soccer match between Real Madrid and Manchester United. It was a nail biter all the way to a tie finish. A couple of the evenings we had games of our own such as word games or Trivial Pursuit. One night we all gathered in the solarium for a Queimada ceremony, narrated and mixed by Carlota. It’s a Galician witch’s brew made from Senorio de Beade – a 40 proof liquor which Carlota set on fire while 2 Spaniards and 1 Anglo played the witches parts.

On Thursday as the week was winding down, one of the requirements for the Spaniards was to give a 10 minute presentation on any topic of their choice. I’d asked various Spaniards what the topic of their presentations was and often as late as Thursday morning, they weren’t sure. My god, I’d have been in a panic all week but they were confident in their ability to speak English and do their presentation. We were divided into groups again so that Anglos could watch the presentations.  Each and every presentation was absolutely impressive and awe inspiring. Just imagine giving a 10 minute presentation in a language that you are just learning.

Thursday night ended with a party that went on to the wee hours of the morning. Many of the Spaniards, both female and male, are fantastic dancers! Not to say that the Anglos aren’t but the Spaniards seem to have a built in rhythm and smoothness and a love of life that comes through in their dancing. Friday morning everyone was on time for our last breakfast, in spite of the late hours. It was a warm spring like day so as we met our partners for one to ones, we formed a larger group and walked to a river just over a mile away.

Following our morning session, we had a closing ceremony where each of us was given a certificate saying that we’d completed 80 hours straight of English conversation. This of course, didn’t include the many hours that we’d spent in the bar after dinner, nor the few minutes that we met around the scheduling board each morning before breakfast. Each of us had to say something and it was then that I realized that this week had provided me with a missing part of my life – interacting and getting to know people from other cultures. I was overcome with emotion because each person there had become so familiar to me as if I’d known them for many years. Over the week, this group, both Spaniards and Anglos had become my temporary family. But who’s to say that the length of time that you know someone is a measurement of friendship?

My VaughnTown week was an invaluable experience I hope to repeat several times if I can. In addition to being warm, open, witty, loving life, demanding (of themselves), excited (I love their expressions and the animated use of their hands when they talk), dedicated and welcoming, I found the Spaniards to be incredibly hard working. Most of them are taking a 5 month long English class consisting of 10 hours a week in the classroom plus a minimum of 20 hours a week of homework. They all have very demanding jobs as managers or directors so this requires extra hours at their work place. And many of them have families including small children whom they want to spend as much time with as possible.  For a few, they are into their 2^nd 5-month course. That’s a long, hard year for them.

I was also impressed with the Anglos, many of whom I now consider good friends. We didn’t get to spend a lot of time together but we got to know each other very well in the short time we did have.

My VaughnTown experience was a memorable one for many reasons – the incredibly well organized program due to Mayte; the energetic vitality that Carlota provided for the skits and presentations and the wonderful accommodation and meals at Gredos. Mostly, I will never forget each member of my VaughnTown family – la familia. By the end of the week, I had the answers to my questions of the first morning. The individuals involved in the program did become my family, if only very briefly and dynamics in relationships did change over the week but only for the better. I hope to keep in contact with them and follow their progress through life.