That is one of the many things I learn this semester. True, I persuaded my advisers at Northwestern that I was a fast learner and that I would be fine, but actually being put in that position was slightly intimidating. We eventually move to Granada where I live with a family and other international students in an apartment. Granada, population 300,000, seems small. Spain is a struggle for me.
Time is complex.
I arrive in January, apply for a Visa and leave months later never having received it. People are open, fast-speaking, almost immediately passionate. I am not. I cannot speak fast enough and detest speaking because the sound seems to be sucked out of the room as all eyes mechanically turn toward me. I stare at the confused faces, struggling to make a simple contribution to the conversation.