This week was a hard week. I had 7 hours of individual Spanish classes every day. It was extremely exhausting since no day passed without new things I tried to understand and remember. Plus homework after my classes ended at 3:30h the days were usually over. But today was the last day in school and I officially graduated with a little ceremony and a certificate – let’s see on which wall I can pin it… 🤘
Finally on Wednesday and Thursday I had the feeling a bit clarity arrived and overcame the chaos in my head. I actually improved my Spanish in the last three weeks. Didn’t really feel that way sometimes. Now I just need enough practise to manifest the whole thing. But also a learning that things are not that easy to remember anymore with age… 👴🏻
Well anyways. It has been a great time in Santo Domingo and it was worth the effort. And my teacher surprised me with a very nice poem which I had to translate to study the form of “Presente del Subjuntivo” – but I couldn’t hide my smile while I did. I was happy that I was quicker than him and actually don’t have to look back anymore and regret.
Some credit the poem to the Argentinian writer Jorge Luis Borges, others say it belongs to Nadine Stair – no matter who did it, it’s good (english translation below):
Instantes
Si pudiera vivir nuevamente mi vida,
en la próxima trataría de cometer más errores.
No intentaría ser tan perfecto, me relajaría más.
Sería más tonto de lo que he sido,
de hecho tomaría muy pocas cosas con seriedad.
Sería menos higiénico.
Correría más riesgos,
haría más viajes,
contemplaría más atardeceres,
subiría más montañas, nadaría más ríos.
Iría a más lugares adonde nunca he ido,
comería más helados y menos habas,
tendría más problemas reales y menos imaginarios.Yo fui una de esas personas que vivió sensata
y prolíficamente cada minuto de su vida;
claro que tuve momentos de alegría.
Pero si pudiera volver atrás trataría
de tener solamente buenos momentos.Por si no lo saben, de eso está hecha la vida,
sólo de momentos; no te pierdas el ahora.Yo era uno de esos que nunca
iban a ninguna parte sin un termómetro,
una bolsa de agua caliente,
un paraguas y un paracaídas;
si pudiera volver a vivir, viajaría más liviano.Si pudiera volver a vivir
comenzaría a andar descalzo a principios
de la primavera
y seguiría descalzo hasta concluir el otoño.
Daría más vueltas en calesita,
contemplaría más amaneceres,
y jugaría con más niños,
si tuviera otra vez vida por delante.Pero ya ven, tengo 85 años…
y sé que me estoy muriendo.*****
Moments
If I could live my life again.
Next time, I would try to make more mistakes.
I would not try to be so perfect, I would relax more.
I would be sillier than I have been.
I would take fewer things seriously.
I would be less fastidious.
Accept more risks, I would take more trips,
Contemplate more evenings,
Climb more mountains, and swim more rivers…
I would go to more places where I have not been,
Eat more ice cream and fewer beans.
I would have more real problems and less imaginary ones.I was one of those people who lived
sensibly and meticulously every minute of their life.
Of course I have had moments of happiness.
But if I could go back in time, I would try to
have good moments only,
and not waste precious time.I was someone never went
anywhere without a thermometer, a
hot water bag, an umbrella
and a parachute. If I could live again,
I would travel more frivolously.If I could live again, I would begin
to walk barefoot at the beginning of the spring
and I would continue to do so until the end of autumn.
I would ride more merry-go-rounds,
I would contemplate more evenings and I would play
with more children.If I could have another life ahead.
But I am 85 years old you see, and I know that I am dying.
(source: tomzap.com)
And it somehow matches which what I came across in one of the social media channels. Also don’t know from who, but true. And the fun thing about it is we never know how the other life would have looked like. That makes it amazing – It’s always all or nothing…
Tomorrow I will head down south to the Corcovado National Park for some more adventures in the jungle, scuba diving with sharks, hopefully spotting a few more whales and the rest will just happen.
