"no te vayyyaaas"

Back in November, I wrote some words that have come to mark my time here. You can read them here.

As the days are growing to an end, I wish I could change some things about my time here. But honestly, I have learned from those mistakes and I find myself a little bit stronger, like when the soreness finally wears off after lifting weights. One thing I wrote in that post is that when I had a particularly beautiful moment, I made myself promises about staying forever, about planting myself here, burrowing deep into the Andalusian soil until the line between "them" and "me" blurs and Spaniards become my people, Spain my country, and Spanish my language.

I needn't* have worried. Humans are a bit like plants. We root ourselves. Transplanting always causes a bit of shock, minimized by lots of water and rest. With time, Spain has become my country. Spanish is my language. My colleagues tell me "Eres de lo nuestro" You're one of ours. Time, time, time.

As I have gone about despidiendome de mis students, I have watched their faces fall as I told them "next week is our last class." "Today is our last class". I have received hundreds of "no te vayyyyas" y "te echaremos de menos" y "por que te tienes que ir?" This week, three classes organized surprise parties, and I've just returned from my goodbye meal with the teachers. They gave me a card signed by all of them. Apparently, my dancing during feria was quite impressive. They regalar-ed (gave) me presents.

They gave me a flamenco shawl and real, quality castañedas (castanets?). If you don't know what that is, it's the little clicky thing that flamenco dancers have in their hands. It's extremely impressive to watch and I am going to practice it the whole plane ride home. (Update: 3 hours after I wrote that, I have nearly mastered the basic technique) Afterwards, they explained "we don't normally give this kind of thing, but it just fit for you."

Also, Oliva made me a t-shirt. It's maybe the coolest thing I have ever seen. Ask me to see it when I get home because it is so laden with symbols I can't explain it in English right now. It even has a tiny Tío Pepe.

Tomorrow I am going to the beach. Sunday biking. Monday my last day of classes :( and party number 4. I have Spanish facebook. My students are agregandome (adding me) on facebook. It's way fun. I got an email from one of my 5th graders that said "Hi Ellen How are you? I very well thank you. Until then" Yay.

*It's worth mentioning that I had to look up how to spell "needendnt" on google because I had no clue!