All work ~ some play ~ in Spain

"I want them to see how much freedom they have here," he explained.

During free periods, I sat in the staff room attempting to read Spanish newspapers and chatting with teachers. Unlike at other schools, I was the only American assigned to Castillo de Luna.

That meant I was left to boldly go where someone of my Spanish ability probably should not have gone. In one conversation with a music teacher I confidently used the word sobre (about) when I meant algunos (some). Pride goes before the quest for fluency.

Fortunately, my reputation wasn't too besmirched. Members of the English department befriended me and occasionally asked me to help in their classes. Once, a group of teachers invited me to go to a nearby eatery to have bread with jamn serrano (thinly-sliced ham) during the half-hour morning break.

All this cultural exposure made getting up early and mandatory volunteer meetings worth it. But the advantages of being a "servant-learner," as Global Volunteers calls participants, didn't stop there.

Our team also got to know the community through daily tutoring. Most of us agreed this was one of the best aspects of the program. "We love to talk about our culture," Moreno told volunteers early on. "We will bury you with information."

Between 4:30 and 6 p.m. most days, I sat outside talking with a thirty-something woman who was learning English to improve her job prospects. In the warm afternoon sun we discussed movies, the Spanish custom of not always wearing wedding rings, and heavier subjects like situations where abortion is legal here.

One volunteer tutored two tour-guides-in-training, who later took us around Rota's Old Town. There we wandered through a 16th-century church and a castle that dates from the 13th century. It sports a plaque honoring favorite son Bartolom Prez, who sailed with Columbus.

And the Atlantic was so warm

For all our daily commitments, there were moments that really did feel like a vacation. Volunteers swam in the Atlantic and walked along the beach. We found the answers to questions like "How many Global Volunteers can you fit in a Ford Fiesta?" when we piled into cars for weekend trips to places like Seville (90 minutes north) and Granada (four hours east) (see story, below). In the evenings, residents invited volunteers to choir practice and outings to nearby Cdiz.

Also making the $1,795 service fee worth it was the oceanfront guest house. It offers impressive views of the Atlantic and sunsets that we in the New World rarely see. The accommodations were comfortable but dorm-like, and included a kitchen and a washing machine.

We were also well fed. Like most things in this town, the restaurant we ate at daily was within walking distance of our villa. At Taberna de Yantar, we discovered that french fries -patatas fritas - are a Spanish staple, and that a tortilla is a thick, filling omelette.

Our meals were rich in fish and vegetables, reflecting Rota's traditional professions of farming and fishing. One local specialty, Urta de la Rotea, was a white fish in a special sauce.

"It's the best fish in the sea," a waiter at one restaurant, El Faro, told us, exhibiting the pride many had for things hecho en Espaa, made in Spain.

Used to traveling alone, it was a pleasure for me to have company at our midafternoon and late-evening meals. Volunteers talked of doing the Hokey Pokey and demonstrating trick-or-treating to friendly grade-schoolers. At a vocational high school, one pair worked hard to keep the attention of mainly uninterested students. They celebrated small victories, such as students who were not in the class wanting to sit in.

While volunteers praised much of the program, some left feeling they could have done more or been better utilized. Others were more content. "I prefer to see how people actually live, and I think this is a good way to do that," said Geoffrey Nafziger, a paper technician from Torrance, Calif.

As for me, an entry in my oft-neglected journal echoed his thoughts: "This is exactly the kind of thing I was looking for."

*Send e-mail to campbellk@csps.com Global Volunteers offers programs in 20 countries including the US. For more information call 800-487-1074, or visit www.globalvolunteers.org or e-mail email@globalvolunteers.org

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