Galicia is known for bagpipes and their role in Galician traditional music, so I decided to take bagpipe classes during my time here. I take my classes with two friends from the United States at the local bagpipe school, or escola do gaita (Galician for bagpipe school). Our school asked us to play the drums with one of their bagpipe bands for a performance last Friday. We agreed excitedly, and then they told us the performance was going to be on live television. We were super nervous, but we did it. It was so much fun and everyone we met there seemed to be so excited to see foreigners getting excited about their culture and traditional music.
I enjoy learning about different places and cultures in the world and since I also enjoy reading, it is nice when I find books that are interesting, engaging, and give me a new perspective. I recently read the memoir "The Year of Living Danishly." This book was written by an expat from London who moved to rural Denmark and tried to figure out how the country earned the title of "the happiest country." It gave me an interesting view of Denmark from the perspective of an immigrant from a very different culture.
In addition to being an English Language Assistant in my school, I also teach individual English classes to students outside of school. Some of my younger students have become obsessed with playing the card game "Go Fish," and this has become a good way for them to practice numbers in English while playing a game they enjoy.
