This is the week that was.

Public Library in Salamenca, Spain

My 8 days with Pueblo Inglés have ended and I am the better for it.  My hope is that all of the Spaniards I met and worked with feel similarly.

The daily schedule began with an 8:15 wake-up call and typically ended after midnight, how long after midnight depended on the vitality of those involved. Some of the participants (Anglos and Spaniards) were teachers with a goodly mix of business people and a few retirees.  Though the tension was noticeable, especially for the Spaniards, we all were set to give our best during the coming days.  The majority of us rode the bus from Madrid to La Alberca and began to get to know each other.

Anyone who has taken a language class knows that the first topics learned are family descriptions and the early conversations tended to follow the same sequence.  The Spaniards had various levels of ability and had to contend with accents from Ireland, England, Tobago/Trinidad, U.S.A. and Indian (Hindi).  Sometimes I had trouble comprehending the various English accents so I can only imagine the strain on those attempting to learn the language.

The M.C. and Program Director excelled and kept people and events on the move, no boredom allowed within a country mile.  After the initial days of "1 on 1"s and skits and presentations we all walked to town for a demonstration of Master Ham Carving and an excellent lunch.
This locale is renowned for how they cure the meat from the black pig which is a minimum % of specific DNA and the quality of the meat is also affected by what the black pig is allowed to eat.   The Master Carvers have competitions for slicing amazingly thin pieces of meat for serving with bread, cheese and wine.  Yes, I was in my version of heaven.  I doubt that the American pork industry can match my new standard.

Midday Break