2 Months Since My Ankle Sprain

So I sprained my ankle at the end of April this year, so it’s about 2 months since it happened.

And you know what?

It’s still not better.

I can walk fine and I don’t have a limp, but every morning when I get out of bed and start walking I limp. It’s sore and it feels stiff in the mornings. But then all of a sudden the pain and stiffness is gone and I can walk normally. So that’s the first thing that I notice.

I seem to struggle going down stairs and I have to go down slowly as it’s uncomfortable for my foot.

It’s also still a little swollen in one area, and it doesn’t seem to be going down at all. It kind of annoys me because I have chunky ankles (unfortunately) so this swelling does not help this!

There’s also some tenderness in one spot as well, and when I move it certain ways it hurts.

Finally, I also can’t run! I realised this when I was going somewhere with my Dad and I started running to get my things when suddenly I felt pain in my foot and I thought “Oh no, it seems I can’t run!” So I quickly walked instead!

I knew it would take a while to heal but I just worry that this is what it is going to be like forever! I hope not!

I kind of abandoned my exercises to help my foot for a while but I’ve gotten back into it so hopefully that will help. I just kind of thought that it will heal when it’s supposed to.

I knew it would be a long process, but the doctor did say it will heal within 14-21 days…… so I did actually believe him! But yet here I am 60 days after the accident and it’s still not better.

But anyway, I can walk so that’s the most important thing. I just have to be careful and hope that one day it will heal and I’ll be able to play badminton with the family and be able to actually run and hit the shuttlecock! I’m absolutely rubbish at it now because I’m stuck in one spot!

Aisling

 

My Classes Are Helping Me So Much

Photo by Luis Quintero on Pexels.com

It has been 4 weeks since I’ve start my online Spanish course and it has been helping me a lot. Not just with learning Spanish, but just keeping me sane!

With no job on the horizon, I really had to keep busy doing something, and because now I HAVE to get up, it’s has helped me a lot! If I didn’t have my classes I know I would be getting up at 10 or half 10am, and although it’s not late, I can’t sleep at night when I wake up late in the morning. I would dread waking up in the morning and thinking “Another day of doing absolutely nothing”, and that would just set me up for a bad day.

Second reason is that I get homework from both of my teachers, and although it doesn’t take that long to do, it’s something to do! Plus I enjoy the homework because it’s reinforcing what I studied that day.

And finally…. I’m doing something.

That to me is the most important thing. I’m improving myself. I really really want to be able to be fluent in the language. I want to prove to myself that I can do it; that if I put the effort into it then one day I will be able to do the Spanish language exam (DELE) C1 and pass it with flying colours, maybe even become totally native and get C2!

I put so much effort into my one year course that I just completed and I got 98%, 99% and 100% in all of my modules, and I’m proud of myself because I really did put so much effort into the year. I know myself that I’m not gifted in school and that’s ok, but during that year I really wanted to do well and prove to myself that if I put the hard work in then I will be rewarded.

When I got my results it showed me that if I put the effort in then I will do well, or reasonably well anyway, so that’s why I really want to study hard, go to my online classes, take private classes, and just dedicate myself to the language. For the moment anyway. I’m not sure what I will be doing in September but for the moment my goal is to study Spanish.

So….the fact I’m doing something and not making me go literally crazy is my main reason!

I’ve been annoyed at myself for the past two weeks as I seem to making silly mistakes while speaking, but I think it’s just that my mind is getting all muddled up with all this new grammar and new vocabulary that it’s just taking my brain a while to process it all… so hopefully I’ll start seeing improvements soon.

But apart from that I know 100% that the classes are helping me and I’m going to try and keep taking them for as long as possible!

Aisling

A Little Spanish Test

This is my third week of having Spanish online classes, and one of my teachers told us yesterday that we would be having an oral Spanish test!

She told us that she will pick a photo and we have to look at it and then she will ask us questions about the photos, like where is it, what are the people wearing, what are they doing etc. It is actually like the oral exam in the Spanish DELE. (I have never done it but I have read about it)

She explained that its to make sure that we have a high enough Spanish level to keep moving on in the book, so maybe we might be getting more difficult grammar in the future. I am not too worried because I can talk about things with no problems. I have to review clothes though and how to say they are wearing because I am not too sure on that, but overall I think it will be fine. I think I will get my husband to pick a few photos for me later and I can practise with him!

My classes are going well though. I really enjoy them and even if I know the grammar already, theres always something to learn. There is one student I am not too fussed about as he kind of disrupts the class and he talks rubbish and off topic (because he likes the attention), but apart from that the others are fine. Two students from Australia left the course unfortunately, and then one new student arrived, so I think it is usual for students to come and go. Anyone can join every Monday so it is great to have that option instead of having to wait until a certain date to start! I have nothing much to do right now so I am going to continue with my classes for another while!

Also you can pay weekly which I do, so you are not tied with having to go for months at a time!

So we will see how this little test goes tomorrow… my first one in Spanish!

Aisling

 

Learning Spanish Online

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

When I returned to Ireland and started doing a course here, my dedication to Spanish went out the window! I tried to study it when I had time but passing exams and making sure my assignments were handed up in time where my main priorities, so I haven’t really spoken/studied loads of Spanish!

Now that my course is finished, and now that I have loads of time doing nothing because of this pandemic and the lack of jobs, myself and my husband decided that I should start taking online Spanish lessons. I always wanted to get back into it and now is the perfect time to start again. Plus it will keep me busy for a while!

I signed up to AIL Madrid and so far I’m really enjoying it! I started last week for two 50 minute classes each day and there were other students from Australia, China, Tunisia and America. Some were already in Spain but studying online for the time being, and then when they open their school then those students will go back to studying there.

There is a course for 20 classes a week but last week I wanted to try the 10 classes just to see how I liked it and how I would get on. I really enjoyed it so I signed up for the Intensive week, which is 20 classes a week, or 4 classes per day. I start at 8am and finished at 11:50 (Irish time). I could choose an afternoon time but morning is better for me.

Although it isn’t great for speaking practice, the teachers go through grammar, we do exercises together and we read small articles, which is fine by me. I talk with my husband and I’m also planning on starting iTalki again to practise speaking.

Ideally I would love to go to Madrid to live and study there, but these online classes are great and I’m already learning new words and grammar.

The first week I realised suddenly that I really needed to learn my numbers! There were articles with loads of 1876, 1998, 1276 and 1999, and I had to quickly use my phone to look them up in case she asked me to read them…. so I told my husband to write 10 numbers in my notebook and I had to write them out.

This helped a lot and now I’m much better at reading them! Each day he has been writing a list for me and it’s been really beneficial!

I was a bit nervous joining the class because I was afraid in case the class would be too difficult and I wouldn’t be able to join in but thankfully the class is perfect! My speaking is better than the rest, probably because I talk with my husband, but grammar wise I’m on the same level.

So although I’m jobless (still), at least I am keeping myself busy studying and improving myself, so the money spent on the course is definitely worth it in my opinion!

Aisling