Settling In, part 24

Now, in early November, it was time for us to host the fifth grade parents’ get-together that Christine Lotto had booked me for. It wasn’t any trouble—I made sure the house was tidy, and we put out some cheese and ham and olives and wine and soft drinks. I was delighted to see some of the people I already knew a little—the Scarritts were there, and Amy Levine and Eric Gronningsater, and Huibrecht Kruger and her husband Piet. I moved among the guests, feeling comfortable as the hostess, trying to make others feel welcome. There was no shortage of interesting people to chat with—several U.S. Embassy families, who always had stories to tell of previous postings in exotic places; executives from international companies, many of whom had also lived in other countries; and Spanish people who were much more outgoing and friendly than the norm. Just by having chosen the American School for their children, these Spaniards had demonstrated their openness to what most of their countrymen would regard as a progressive approach to education. “Spanish education relies a lot on memorization and doesn’t really foster creativity,” my friend Sandra had told me. She had her children in the very progressive Waldorf School, but she had an appreciation of the Spanish system as well. “They truly know history, which we Americans don’t,” she said, “and now I know why Spaniards can quote poetry for any occasion—they’re made to memorize a ton of it!”

The evening’s conversation was lively, taking in U.S. and Spanish politics, the kids, their teachers, and the ever-present topic of the Spanish language and how difficult it was for us English speakers. I moved from group to group, happier and happier as the evening went on, till we said good night to the last guests and started to clean up. “I feel great!” I said to Mike, beaming. “I’m going to be able to find good friends, I can tell! I know I’m going to be okay here!”