As you’ve probably seen before on my blog, I have found moving overseas to be full of challenges, I don’t think that the cultural differences have been so hard to grasp, more the issue of picking up a new language. Funny how the simple things that we all do every day become fraught with pitfalls; when just working out how to say “hello” in whichever situation can cause a few minutes of frantic memory searching and word repetition.
I have also found my capacity to work around these problems and to adapt to my (now not-so) new country and language remarkable. (I am sure this is true of everyone in my situation but I can only actually speak for myself).
Yesterday I had an epiphany moment which showed me just how far I have come in the 1 year and 9 months that I have called
The realisation, as with all the best moments of enlightenment, came to me in a bar. This bar to be precise:
I had a meeting in the city centre yesterday morning and so jumped in the car, zipped into town (some hairy driving on the way of course, couldn’t possibly post without mentioning driving now could I?), headed straight for the car park nearest my meeting, dumped the car and then trotted happily off in the sunshine. I arrived early and decided that I should get a coffee and kill some time. On the way I had seen a guy dive into a likely looking place and had made a mental note. I retraced my steps and headed into the bar.
Really great little bar by the way, very Spanish, or rather Madrileño; go in and head down a couple of steps; standing only area at the actual bar with a small restauranty bit off to one side. As I walked in I was greeted with a sturdy “buenos días” by the barman. Appropriate response made, coffee ordered, milk selected to my taste and there I was. Coffee in hand pondering how marvellous life can be and how simple things can make you smile and then The Epiphany came upon me.
6 months ago just navigating into the centre would have been a major issue, forget finding the car park and I wouldn’t have even thought about going to order a coffee at a little local bar like that on my own, without a Spaniard to back me up. This one of those places where the waiters chat to you after all. I would have not been able to deal with the idea of thinking of and then making the appropriate responses, I would probably have broken out in a sweat at just the thought of it but yesterday I did it without thinking. And I was happy doing it. I enjoyed the bar, the waiters, the coffee and standing there on my own in the heart of the Spanish capital, not a Starbucks in sight.
Cue proud face because it hasn’t always been easy.
Incidentally, I really recommend going to a place like this if you are ever in
Today I had another cheers-cheers moment: I called a doctor’s surgery and made an appointment. As far as I can tell I made it correctly, with the right doctor and I have noted the time and date down right. You will be the first to know if I have screwed it up.
Life is made up of…small victories and tiny things that can really make you smile.
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