Backyard Barbacoas

Every Tuesday evening I participate in a conversation "class" with people from all over Europe--Spain, England, Norway, Italy, and France.  During these two hours we do an intercambio ("exchange of language") to learn more Spanish and English.  We meet at a tavern, order a few beers and bocadillos, and alternate between speaking in English and Spanish--well, a little English and a lot of Spanish.

Last week one of the Spanish girls from the class invited us to her finca (country house) right outside of the city for a barbacoa (barbecue).  So this past Sunday all of us guiris piled into our Spanish friends' cars and rode to la huerta.  We spent the fall afternoon eating grilled pork and sausages, tortilla, and other tapas.  (When I heard we were having a barbecue, I immediately thought of baked beans.  So with our grilled meat we had classic American baked beans, which I have introduced to my European friends.  My dish became known as alubias americanas, American beans.)

After picaring and eating for three hours (yes, three hours), we played a few games involving taping paper to our foreheads and charades.  It was a perfect way to spend a domingo afternoon.

Spanish tortilla

American beans

 

"Cinderella"

Mr. Bean

My advice to a guiri:  Many people in Spain have ganas to learn English; so if you have the opportunity, get involved in some sort of Spanish-English conversation class.  It's a good way to meet people and to improve your Spanish.  

Also, if you're ever at a party or with a large group of people, try to get some kind of game going.  At first playing games in another language can be intimidating.  But even when I clumsily spit out "The dinosaur eats people in Japan," and a group of people immediately and anxiously respond with, "Godzilla!," my confidence always gets a bit of a boost.