Jamie Fehr

Or can you just say “to the right”? A very good question. And so begins the two-month milestone of my being in the field.

Only a few short days ago 11 people from John Brown University came to visit. Most of the people on the team were international students from central america on a very international missions trip to North Africa and Spain. They stopped by our center because … I don’t know why. But they stopped by our center and ate some food, painted some walls, and did some of their own laundry, as they had just come from nine days in laundry-less North Africa.

They came and they toured the center but they skipped my office. I am not bitter. And just to prove what a good sport I am I volunteered to take them on a tour of Málaga’s downtown area. It was really just a clever ploy to get more spanish practice. As I was leading my semi-bilingual tour, some girls wandered away from the group and I shouted “A la derecha! to the right!” at them, and that point one of the girls that I had been talking to said “You learned spanish in two months? Or can you just say to the right?” Wonderful story wasn’t it. But apparently my expression for “to the right” is very convincing.

2 Month’s in Spain

Yes, I am learning spanish. Yes, it is ridiculously hot. Yes, summer has only just begun. But I would like to elaborate on these points.

Spanish is fun. A while back, a really nice german girl, who spoke really good spanish asked me to walk her home (in Spanish). She didn’t live that far from me, and now she is back in Germany. But for 45 minutes or so, we chatted in spanish about the weather, life in spain, life back home, education, and so on, all in spanish (or maybe I just think that’s what was being discussed). But it’s not the first time that I have conversed in spanish, and it’s more comfortable with every day that passes.

El Tiempo Hace Calor. The weather is hot. It’s 30 degrees celsius or more during the day and the night-time lows are only 24-26 degrees. I feel sweaty again before I have even exited the shower. And the only reassurance I have is that is only going to get hotter. Pants are a prison and shoes are a form of cruel torture. It’s so hot that I don’t even feel like eating.

El Mundial 2006. The world cup. I have been completely absorbed by the world cup, Spain plays later on this afternoon. And I am so excited, I am taking off work early to watch it. For those Canadians who don’t care, Calgary born Carl Hargreaves is playing for England, which is the team that I cheer the most for. If a day goes by that I haven’t seen a game, part of a game, or highlights I don’t know what I have done for the day. It feels wasted. Just kidding, I love my work, But I cheer for England, then Spain, then Germany whenever I get the chance.

Los gentes son muy amable. The people are very nice. Two nights ago I had the experience of being downtown in the midst of the celebration for Málaga’s basketball team, Málaga Unicaja, who had just won the Championship. They took a best of five series in three games straight. The noise and celebration was unbelievable. The noise, the cheering, the face paint, the horns, the flags. These people are very passionate about there sports.

In upcoming events I have the Camino de Santiago. Which is a 195km walk through the north of Spain. It lasts for 9 days. It’s a university outreach that Campus Crusade puts on. It symbolizes the travels of the apostle James. And it will be an excellent opportunity to practice my spanish for nine days. It will be fun.