“If you all need anything, you just let me know,” said my friend Mamadou to me in Spanish, our common language. He knew somehow that we would be needing something soon because he knows what it is like to be an extranjero (foreigner). Having arrived from Senegal four years ago, he became fluent in Spanish in only four months, transitioning from Wolof, his native tongue, and French, the lingua-franca in Senegal. Not only did he transition quickly linguistically, but he has made and does make a true effort to integrate into the culture here. If you walk down the street with Mamadou, you’ll soon discover that it’s rare to come across a soul who he doesn’t know. His story is quite an exception to the norm, however, so Tiffany, Margaret, and I are grateful that we’ve been adopted by this kind young man, a willing guide to cultural integration.
Immigration here is common, as I have realized, because in this tiny place I have met individuals from Egypt, Senegal, Italy, Lithuania, Ecuador, Peru, Argentina, Brazil, and of course Colombia. Every time I meet someone, the very first thing they want to know is, “Why are you in Huercal?” When I discover a new acquaintance is also an extranjero, I want to know the same thing. It’s as if to say, “Wait a second, how is it that you came from a really cool place in the world to this pea-sized town? Do you like being bored? Or is it for the money?” The response is usually the latter, as you might guess.
Though I have heard much about Huercalense boredom, I have yet to experience it for myself. Festivals have been going on every week since we arrived, if not in Huercal-Overa then in some nearby pueblo. I’ve been told this is not going to last, but for the moment we are in the middle a six day fury of non-stop partying which is the Huercal-Overa Feria. This festival, which attracts people from nearby cities as well as natives, includes rides for the kids, dancing and partying for anyone between adolescent and elderly, and delicious Spanish-style carnival food for everyone. You can come right as siesta begins at 3 in the afternoon and have drinks and tapas with friends. Dancing usually starts right around 6 and then continues until 6 the next morning! Fortunately, this has provided a lot of great opportunities to hang out with my co-workers this week. Oddly, I’ve also run into a few of my students in the same places. It seems not to faze the professors, though. Everyone loves the fiesta!
Hey Anna,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your post. It was interesting, and you write well. A charming depiction of the area and your life so far. "...'Do you like being bored? Or is it for the money?' The response is usually the latter, as you might guess." Lol... It's funny how some people think that being in a "cool city" is equivalent to enjoying life. Some people I meet from smaller towns say "there's nothing to do here... I bet Atlanta's way more alive." But big skyscrapers and "hip clubs" don't mean much for a happy social life. It's mostly about having people you like to hang out with, whether old friends or new.
But it does sound cool to go to another part of the world and to meet all of the people with their different backgrounds and perspectives. I love learning different cultural norms and manners, and histories. I've never been overseas, just experienced some of that through having foreign friends.
Well... it seems as if I need to start a blog myself. I used to have one, but now it's defunct. And I have so many interesting thoughts! Yes, that's what I'll do. The first post might be about my recent-ish intellectual struggles with Christianity. I can see you're on the edge of your seat!
Til next time,
Manny