The glass is definitely half full

As you can see, I'm running out of creative wordplay. I can hardly believe it, but 50% (even more) of my voluntary service is over. Julia six months ago would definitely be proud of me. I started this year here quite naively and was therefore negatively surprised several times. But as they say: get up, straighten your crown, keep going.

Last week I was at the Midterm Seminar in Málaga. There were about 60 participants from various EU countries. Actually, I thought beforehand that the seminar wouldn't be of much personal benefit to me. Since the Welcome Seminar was pretty boring (see Ibiza post ;)), I had accordingly low expectations. What pleased me above all was that I could travel with a friend and my roommate. Something different than Premia de Mar and seeing my workplace. Unfortunately, we didn't see anything of Málaga itself, as we lived about an hour outside Málaga in Mollina and spent the whole day (9:30 am - 8:00 pm) in an aggressively blue painted room. As if to taunt me, the TikTok algorithm showed me aesthetic videos of Málaga the whole time. The only thing I saw outside the hostel was a bar called "la discoteca". The name clearly didn't match what was going on inside. Nevertheless, I was really positively surprised by the seminar. I realized how much more open I have become through my time here. I'm still more introverted, but it's much easier for me to approach people and start a conversation with them. It felt really good to talk to so many volunteers, as everyone had different experiences and projects. I was also able to practice my Spanish diligently. Now I know that tía/tío means the same as bro or dude in English. A Spanish dude called me tía the whole time, which can also mean aunt in Spanish. That's why I was initially confused and he found it very amusing that I didn't know what it meant. In a group work, we dealt with how we have changed within our projects in the last months. For the first time, I reflected more and noticed many positive changes. I have experienced a lot, positive and negative, and I haven't even recognized it myself sometimes. Of course, friends and family have always supported me with advice and action in difficult times, but I still had to overcome the challenges completely on my own. In the process, I have also made some less smart decisions, but I have grown from them and learned. In Spain, I finally feel like letting go and being fully myself. I'm proud of what I have achieved and who I am, and I look forward to everything that is yet to come.

I am also very happy with my work at the moment. I feel like I'm fully integrated now. The workdays always pass relatively quickly because I have a lot to do. The kids are very cute and much more open towards me than they were at the beginning. Sometimes they can be little devils and drive me crazy. Then I always wonder if I was the same way as a second grader and had the same bad table manners. You can forbid them one thing 20 times, maybe they will eventually listen to you, and if you briefly look away, they'll still continue doing it. Many think that I can't get angry with others. You should have seen me today, I was really getting annoyed and made my first real announcement, which actually helped to some extent.
I get along very well with two of my colleagues. I want to go for coffee with one of them soon. She's from Bolivia and is the English teacher at the school. That's why we speak English to each other. The other one is also very kind and warm-hearted. She always hugs me when we see each other and motivates me with her positive and energetic attitude. She gives me tips on what to do when the kids are disrespectful and supports me in standing up for myself more. Despite language difficulties, I can have very good conversations with her. Next to her, however, I feel like a giraffe. With 170 cm, I am average height in Germany, but here in Spain, I stand out as a woman of that height. She is probably only about 160 cm tall.
During the break, I'm always outside with the kids. Almost every break, I play tag with them, which can be quite exhausting in the long run, especially when 10 children want to be tagged by you at the same time. But sometimes I also push them around in a wheelbarrow or carry them on my back. As a reward, I get homemade sand cake or I buy churros, which unfortunately are just sticks. I'm currently enjoying spending more time with the first graders. They are excited about the smallest things. I once had an Actimel with Pikachu on it, which they really liked, and they kept saying "Pika Pika" all the time. During breakfast break, one of them recently came up to me and whispered in my ear that someone had farted and that he strongly suspects his buddy. I burst out laughing. Baking bread with them is always an event, everyone gets a small piece of dough and in the end it turns into a big loaf of bread. I always knit with the second graders. My ego gets boosted when kids want to sit next to me. A few weeks ago, a girl simply gave me a beautifully painted picture. I was very happy about it. Generally, small gestures and gifts from the children make my day 100 times better. I have a smile on my face and a good feeling that lasts throughout the day.

In terms of leisure activities, I can't complain either. I'm discovering Barcelona and there's a lot I want to see. I like trying out new bars and restaurants. I can highly recommend Bar Manchester if you ever visit here. I had Indian food last weekend, that was also very tasty. I have also checked out Mustafa's vegetable kebab. I said in German to my friend that I find 7€ for a kebab really expensive because it only costs 3.5€ in Premia de Mar. What I didn't expect was that the kebab guy also spoke German. So we both just paid 5€ per kebab. I thought that was really nice and funny. Next weekend, we want to go to a flea market ("El Palo") that is only open on the first weekend of the month, on Sundays we'll go brunching and to the museum. At home in Premia de Mar, I'm also having a good time. I cook with my roommate, read a lot, watch movies, and vibe to music. For weeks, I've had an earworm of Quedate (sorry to everyone who has to hear me singing this song every day) and every time the song comes on in the club, I'm totally euphoric and go crazy. I'm still just as in love with Barcelona as on day 1. I love the city with its beautiful little streets and the architecture. I haven't felt so much warmth and freedom in any other city, the good weather, the people sitting outside at any time of the day, and the vibe contribute to that. Even though I sometimes miss my home and especially my family and friends, I finally feel at home here too. I have settled in completely. I am grateful for what has happened, whether it was good or bad. In both cases, it has helped me, and the positive outweighs clearly. That's why I'm looking forward to the second half now. No matter what happens, I can say the glass is definitely half full.