Aqui estamos! Can you tell that I have NOTHING to do by how frequently I am updating my life here? I went from not understanding blogs less than a week ago to pouring my life’s energy into them, but there ya go. It just gives you one more way to procrastinate at work? Not that I think I’m the center of everyone’s attention or anything…
So, where’d I leave off? I think I mentioned looking at various apartments and meeting Becky, and I suppose that a lot has happened since then, despite the fact that I sometimes feel like the day is dragging on. Asi es la vida!
I went to school for the first time yesterday, and nothing could have made me feel more welcome here, to be honest. Some of you may have known this, but there was minor confusion between when our contract said we were supposed to start work (Sept 15th) and when the director of us Americans at my school said we should start (Oct 1st), so I arrived on Friday knowing that perhaps there’d be nothing for me to do right away. So we met up with Ramon, the teacher in charge of the bilingual program at my instituto, yesterday at 10, and we were immediately launched into the whole introductions, sorting out the schedules type of “first day of school” behavior. Oh, and it WAS the first day of school for the students, too! No wonder they don’t normally have auxiliares like me come into work until the beginning of October, so that they can breathe a bit! But nevermind.
Everyone was SO helpful and friendly yesterday, it made me remember why I liked being here in the first place. It sounds like, in contrast to last year, we’re going to almost be exclusively working with the bilingual program at the instituto, which means that we’ll be working in classrooms, teaching random other subjects, but just doing it in English. Needless to say, that means that all my preparation from last year is likely not going to be used much this year, since I may not be doing very much actual English language teaching. But it’s for challenges and differences like this that I decided to head to another part of Spain in the first place, and I think it’s going to be a very different, but good, experience. And after learning I was a history major, they’ve thoughtfully put me into history and geography classrooms. I was originally signed up to spend an hour in the Physics/Chemistry class, which just made me laugh. I think it’s in everyone’s best interest that THAT didn’t work out due to scheduling!
Another part of our day as teachers is going to be in this afterschool “taller de teatro,” or theatre workshop. It sounds like every grade in the bilingual program (and it’s a new program, so it’s only the first three grades out of six at the school) has a once-a-week 2-hour theatre workshop where they practice language through the expression of it. Or something? It could be really fun, I think, provided I don’t have to do any “show them how it’s done” acting. Haha.
And then I found an apartment! I ended up choosing the expensive one I mentioned earlier, only because I know it’ll make me happy. I moved my stuff in yesterday, which was fun and relaxing – nice to have things in their place. And then I adventured off to find the local supermarket, Mercadona, which is about a 10-15 minute walk. So on a nice day on the walk THERE it’s perfectly wonderful, but the walk back was a bitch. Mental note: learn the bus system quickly!
Nextly, Becky and I met up with Rachel, the girl who taught at this same instituto last year, for a coffee. It was REALLY nice to talk to her, if only because she reassured us that we’d be fine, that the school was really great, that the program was cool, and that the teachers are just stupendous. Actually, I think, being British, the word she used all the time was “lovely,” but I paraphrase.
I also found the libraries here yesterday, which really WAS lovely! I have to go get myself a passport-type photo shortly so that I can get a library card and start borrowing. I can hear you all thinking, “Oh, Kara!” and laughing at me even from across the world, but it makes me happy, so I tune it all out. And seriously, I’m excited.
Oooh, and I went out to the Couchsurfing meeting last night at a bar here in town and met some nice people, although the whole thing was a bit overwhelming because a) they’re all friends already and b) it’s hard listening to 7 people chatter away in Spanish with loud music in the background. But they seem really nice and hopefully will be a group I can go out with occasionally, just to have a group to do that with. And at the very least, it was nice to get out and do something in the evening, as opposed to just sitting around and missing home.
And finally, we met Chris today, the third American that’s going to be working at the instituto this year. He seems quite nice, although on the awkward side (here’s hoping he never reads this!). Maybe he’s just shy and coming out of his shell, so we’ll give him the benefit of the doubt. Hell, I’ll take all the friends I can get at this juncture! Haha.
Anyway, favorite people in the world, that’s all I have to say for today. Undoubtedly another ramble will follow!
xxx
