The Spanish Classes

Spanish Classes

       The first thing I found out was that the Spanish classes were a social event more than a just a way to learn Spanish. They would plan a day out, rent a coach, take a gas bottle and a big gas ring with a metre diameter stainless steel dish. We would go to a local picnic site, set up the tables and the old hands would start to cook Paella in the big dish. Sometimes we would be joined by a class who were learning catering. Then we had a feast. The three chefs in the photograph were, in fact, teachers of catering. 

 

       The picnic tables would be filled with all kinds of food, wine, beer and soft drinks

everybody joins in. After the food the tables were cleared of crumbs and the cards would come out. If you have never seen the Spanish playing cards you are in for a revelation. 

       They are very different from the normal 52 card pack. There are 48 cards in four Palos, or suits. The most common game is Brisca and it is played with two, four or six players in teams. The play is rapid and noisy. Cheating is normal and team members can show each other the cards they have in their hands. They even have arranged signals to to tell their other team members what cards they have in their hands. 

      The Spanish are known for being noisy and around the picnic table the howling, laughing and genreal hulabaloo is infectious. 

 

      On one trip they played for money. Something I have never seen before here. They were playing a game called Subista (In English: Auction.) There were perhaps ten old ladies playing together, but not all had money. Each time you deal, ten centimos (About 6p) goes in the pot. The cards are played and one player is eliminated. 

     Some of the old ladies had no money so they picked pebbles from the ground and put them in the pot. At the end of the game one little old lady had the winning cards and collected the pot. She was being helped by everybody else because she had never played before and did not know the rules too well. She picked put the coins and swept the pebbles to the floor. Everybody cheered and one of the younger ladies climbed on the table and danced whilst we all clapped.

      These were our Spanish classes. We all learned a lot more than speaking Spanish.