An Interview With A Six-Year-Old

Whew.  Getting information out of Hugo is impossible.  He much prefers playing something, ANYTHING, over being prodded for information. Although this "interview" does not even begin to touch upon the thousands of observations he has shared with me over the last month, it does provide a glimpse of how moldable and non-judgemental we are when we are six - how moving to an ENTIRELY different country with absolutely NOTHING in common with our native culture can amount to, well, not much.  I feel like I am constantly reminded of the practical wisdom in what we might label "childhood ignorance."

1. What is the thing that has most surprised you?

Nothing. 

2. What is the biggest difference between your life in Spain and your life at home?

That we have to stick with you. 

3. Are there any differences in the food?

They eat lots of sugar. 

3. Tell me about school.

It is taller. It is littler. That they write differently; they write in cursive. 

4. Tell me about kids here. 

They don’t have the same names. 

5. What is it like not having a car?

That you have to walk everywhere or take the metro if you’re going far or the bus if you’re not going far or the underline train if you’re going super far. (light rail from nearby train station to major train station.) 

6. Have you gone anywhere interesting? 

No. Not really. 

Hugo trying to comfort Marina

7. What is your life like here?

It is a lot harder because we always have to listen to you and know where you are and stay with you. 

8. If you could pick one thing to tell your friends at home, what would it be? 

There is a lot more pollution. 

9. Is there anything else you want to add to this? 

No. 

10.  Do you feel like you're learning Spanish? 

Yes. I don’t know. Well, I don’t even have to understand what the teacher says.  I just see what other people get out, so I get it out. And if other people are doing two pages and then they get to choose, I do 2 pages so I can choose what I want to do like, I get to play. Most of the days I understand my teacher. I really understand my teacher. And I understand my friends because they barely ever talk to me because they are too distracted with playing.  They only say like, “Me lo pongo” and if they say that well, I was the goalie, I just know that they are saying that they want to switch. I just know what they are saying. 

On a picnic with friends in La Sierra de Madrid

11. Do you feel proud of yourself? 

Yes. 

12. Are you ready to go back to Missoula? 

Yes, because I am missing my buddies and Daddy. But I would like to stay here for a little bit more because I would like to learn a little bit more Spanish.  And that's all. And I don’t want to hear what I said.