La familia
“Mi familia” consists of the 2 children, the mother and the grandparents. The house is divided into 2 parts; the grandparents got their side and vice versa. I, on the other hand, I pretty much have my own floor. It’s really big; I’m kind of used living in a big house though.
Since my duty here is taking care of the children, I spend a lot of time with them. Every morning I drive them to school, and pick them up while finishing. 2 days a week I also bring them home for lunch. The school system is very different here compared to Sweden. They start at 9 and finish at 17, every day! After that, they usually have some activity to do (swimming- or painting classes) so we’re basically never home earlier than 18-19, sometimes even later.
The boy is 3 and the girl is 8. Although it’s tough days for them, I think they handle it really good. Since the girl has more or less the same amount of homework as I had in secondary school/högstadiet (!!!!!!), we do a lot of homework. There isn’t much time for playing because of the long days, so I usually go with them to the park for a while before we’re taking the car home.
Regarding the languages, it’s much mixing here. Since their (the whole family’s) mother tongue is Catalan, they speak Catalan with each other. But when I’m around, they speak Castellano (Spanish). I always talk to them in Spanish, besides with the girl. I try talking to her in English as much as possible.
Since this is Catalonia; the people are bilingual. By that I mean, they speak both Catalan and Castellano fluently. Thank God, cause Catalan can be really weird. I understand a lot though, it’s a mix of French and Spanish. In school, the kids study them both. They must master both of them equally well if they want to continue studying after graduation. English, on the other hand, does not have the same priority. Hardly anyone speaks (or even understands) English here.
Now I’m gonna keep on doing nothing, really hoping I’ll feel better tomorrow. I just can’t stand not doing anything. I’m climbing the walls soon!
Hasta ahora,
Jessie
