Buenos días a todos! Bon dia! Good Morning!
In this blog post I will be discussing the different relationships (and different forms of relationship) you have when you move to another country with a different culture and language to your own. It might seem scary at first, given all the changes and adjustments that you have to make when moving abroad, which is why pre-existing and new relationships become all the more important. Having friends to talk to that already know you as well as new friends who are experiencing similar things to you are both key to making the most of your year abroad. As ever the key vocabulary is in bold, see if you can remember what the words mean (using the list at the end) without looking!
Para empezar (to start with), hablaré de la relación con un país nuevo. Hoy en día, (nowadays) vivo en Valencia. Antes de Septiembre sólo fui a España dos o tres veces; por esta razón, España parecía (it seemed -parecer-) nuevo, distinto y un poco bullicioso (hectic). A mí me gustan experiencias nuevas, me encanta viajar y descubrir nuevas partes del mundo. España es un país llena de cultura y oportunidades aprender sobre cosas muy interesantes. ¿Sabías que hay muchas idiomas? (aparte de Español) Las personas que viven en Valencia hablan Valenciano y los gallegos (people from Galicia) hablan gallego y también existe Catalan y Vasco. Me interesó mucha la oportunidad vivir en España y descubrir (to discover) estas idiomas.
Un mapa de los idiomas que los españoles hablan
Living in a foreign country for the first time can be challenging initially. Especially the first few weeks when you don’t necessarily know lots of people. It can also be an exciting chance to make new friends and learn first-hand from locals! Having pre-existing relationships (and support networks) is a key part of having an enjoyable and fulfilling time abroad. It’s important to speak to family and friends if you have difficulties and experience challenges. Attending university and having friends who are also abroad (albeit in different parts of Europe) means that I always have people who I can speak to, people who are able to relate to any issues that I may be facing in a way that friends back home are sometimes unable to. Looking after your health -both physical and mental- should be a top priority. In no time you find yourself making new friends from all over the world! I’ve met people from the USA, the Netherlands, Peru and Italy. Meeting lots of new people also gives you lots of friends to visit once you have left!
Cuando sales a tu país y viajas a España para trabajar o estudiar es muy importante cuidarse (to look after yourself) y llevar una vida sana. Para la salud mental y física (mental and physical health) es necesario que hagas amigos nuevos pero por otro lado (on the other hand) que mantenerse en contacto con viejos amigos (old friends). Además, puedes aprender vivir solo y hacer cosas por ti mismo, por ejemplo, si quisieras viajar podrías viajar solo.
Relationships that you have and make with people whilst you are abroad are a key aspect of the whole experience. Having discussed relationships that you have before you are abroad and relationships you make whilst you are abroad, in this final section of the blog I would like to talk about how your relationship with yourself can change whilst you live in a foreign country. There are several things that I did not realise or fully appreciate before I moved abroad: firstly, the fact that no matter what you want to do it will involve speaking to someone in Spanish which is very helpful for improving as a linguist but also, at times, can add an element of challenge to even the simplest of activities. Whilst this may sound negative, in reality it means you are constantly thinking and practicing speaking Spanish, which can only be a good thing! Secondly, people in different countries might hold different beliefs to you, for instance, in Spain the children call the teachers by their first name and also quite often will just ask them to ven (literally ‘come’) which is usually not considered impolite unlike in the UK. I have found that these different attitudes have enabled me to learn more about what I believe and question why I think the way I do.
Las relaciones son muy importantes y sobre todo, todo el mundo (everyone) necesita amigos. Cuando vayas fuera tu país las relaciones son más importante que antes. Gracias por leer y que tenga una buena semana!
Amigos viejos y nuevos
Para empezar
Hoy en día
parecer
bullicioso
los gallegos
descubrir
cuidarse
la salud mental y fisica
por otro lado
viejos amigos
todo el mundo
¡Hasta la proxima!
Jacob