Why Piedad is the Best
My host mom is Piedad. From the moment I entered the doors of her piso, and she opened her arms to greet me, I knew we would get on great. She loves to talk and only speaks Spanish. Within the five days I feel completely settled in and at home. In addition, my Spanish has already improved! When we talk, Piedad is especially helpful because she is very expressive, and therefore I can generally infer the meaning of words I do not necessarily know. In addition, she is extremely patient. If I am confused she does not hesitate to rephrase, or speak more slowly, so I can understand her. I never feel self conscious about my spanish when speaking to her (which was a bit of a concern of mine before coming here). I know Piedad will be immensely instrumental in my Spanish language development because she loves to talk; in the morning before she takes the dogs out for a walk, in the afternoon as she mops the floor, but most of all in the evening as she prepares dinner. Through our conversations I have learned about her life and background, however due to the language barrier I still miss key details and information. I am curious to learn more about her life and I want to ask her questions about her past experiences. I imagine this curiosity will help motivate me to relearn the Preterite and Imperfect! A little about Piedad: she is originally from Toledo however moved to Madrid because she wanted to be closer to the city center, she used to love to paint but doesn’t anymore (I’m not sure why), she absolutely adores dogs-small, big, cute, ugly-it doesn’t matter, she goes to bed around 3:00am every night, she enjoys walking (she takes the dogs out at least 5 times a day), and she has hosted many students over the years. On her fridge she has pictures of previous student’s. In addition, she frequently talks about them and last night she was even speaking to one of them on the phone. Above all, Piedad is a caring person. She knows I love coffee cold so she always brews a pot at night so it can be refrigerated.. If Natalie (my other roommate) is coming home late, she will save a plate of food and leave the hall light on. When she saw my purse would be easy to open she fixed a keychain onto it in such a fashion that I can now stroll out into Puerta del Sol without worrying about pick-pocketers. Even though I have only been here for a few days, it is evident Piedad is an extraordinarily nurturing and kind person. When I first arrived, given the age difference, I was surprised to learn that seventeen year old Laura and Pieda were such great friends. But now, I get it. Piedad is a motherlike figure, and a really good one. I feel incredibly fortunate to be one of her host daughters.
Study abroad in Madrid 