23/10/2022
This is mine - it's a post that can be on both pages 🤓
𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 - 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 - 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 🤭
One of the night schools I attended for Spanish as a second language, was in the centre of London. A place that was notorious in the 60's & 70's, but by the time I started going there, it had become a trendy place & even friendly for tourists (more or less). The college was part of a small chain of colleges, including one where I spent 3 years training to be a civil engineer, before the surveying. This was in the era of 'just starting' with C.A.D. (Computer Aided Design).
C.A.D. in its infancy could draw a rectangle with the operator's inputted dimensions in 85 seconds 😂 So, yes, my career started on the draught board, copying other people's work. This was the reason why I studied so hard to get into surveying. Outside work!
Anyway, in this college of further education, there was one Japanese lad that asked me to get him a Japanese/Spanish dictionary on one of my regular trips over to Spain. I used to go every 6 weeks, for a long weekend. As a domestic passenger (to many places), I have been on nearly 250 planes, but never again I hope!
The dictionary could not be found, or even ordered, in the UK at that time. He was studying 2 foreign languages - Spanish & English. When he arrived in our class, his English level was like that of a child. By the end of the school year, he was at an advanced level for both those languages. He even got 100% in 1 Spanish exam, with the rest of us only getting 85-95%.
This gave me the idea, to take an English course, to help me learn about the technique of learning languages. Learning English is different than learning a European language, especially with the verbs & pronunciation. But yes, the GCSE (for 16 year olds) was helpful. I really wanted a more basic course, like for 10 year olds, but there wasn't any demand for that.
We were asked to write an essay in class (exam) & my story was different events happening at the same time. It was actually from a James Herbert story that I had read some time before. No, I didn't copy it from the book. Exam in the class! 😂
The bad thing about writing something that was really good, was that I was made an example to follow. I had to read it out loud for the class. I did get a round of applause, but maybe they were just being polite 😂
In this college, language was the main subject. My old college was bigger & they had 6 departments, including engineering, catering & theatrical studies. I don't remember the others, but I do remember the girls. I was kind of shy at the beginning & I took up tarot card reading. It became very popular in the canteens & I got to hold the girls' hands. As most of what I said turned out to be correct, I was invited to lots of parties. I soon lost my wall-flower image 😜
I could talk about tarot cards, but not now. It does a rather curious thing to your way of thinking, imagination-wise.
After our twice weekly Spanish lessons, we used to go to a little Spanish nightclub, that was underground & under a restaurant of the same owners. 9 o'clock for 'Happy Hour' & we bought jug after jug of Sangria. At 11 o'clock, the dancing started & we finished at kicking-out time at 2am. The type of dancing was Salsa. I got quite good, although it did take quite a few glasses of Sangria to get me on the floor the first times 🤭
Lots of Spanish people went there & when I told them of the cafes & other places that I had visited in Spain, they were overjoyed that someone there (in England) knew their stuff. I had a lot of friends there, that I would only meet there, but it was nice. This had become my local drinking hole. It was also near Chinatown & it was actually a Thai friend who introduced me to this excellent cuisine. After that 1st taste, never 1 week passed without a meal in a Chinese restaurant.
I taught my Spanish girlfriend how to use chopsticks in Spain. I would ask in the Chinese restaurants in Spain for chopsticks, a small bowl & a pot of jasmine. While the rest of their clientele were eating with knives & forks off their flat plates, I was putting the rice into the bowl followed by the meat & veg on top. A little bit of soya sauce & eating with chopsticks. We always had the Chinese servers watch us & some would even come over & ask, "Where did you learn that?" 😂
My advice to everyone - never give up learning, whatever subject. It will open your life up to so many wonderful & memorable experiences 👍🤓
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