My First Week: Travel

Laura, my roomate, has enthusiastically and graciously introduced me to many of her Spanish friends. On Friday night we went out for Tapas and to play bingo. Two of the girls, Ines and Isa, who are sisters and whose father works at my school, invited me to go to Isa's boyfriend Pedro's house in Albox, with their friends Juan and David and Isobel, who are from England. Albox is a 2 hour drive northeast of Almeria. On Sunday we drove through the neighboring towns looking at the churches, sancturary for monks, and the castilla/alcazaba of Purchena. On monday we returned to Almeria where I met up with Laura and her friends Maria and Juan to drive to Cobda, where we stayed with her friends Paco, Jesus, and Raquel. We stayed at Paco's house where we watched Young Frankenstein in spanish! (haha) and stayed up until 6:30am playing spanish games and singing Karaoke! Haha the sleeping schedule here is much different! I didn't wake up until 3pm! The next day we grilled out for lunch...the guys cooked all of our meals!...which is a very special luxury...men in Spain typically don't do ANYTHING domestic. It was delicious. I really like the pork, the pan con tomate (bread with tomatoe), tapas, tortilla (like an omelet), mandarin oranges, and the olive oil.

Note to Self: European cars are small with stick shift; European roads are extremely curvy; and most everyone smokes like a chimney, even in their cars...this did not help my sensitivity to car sickness...the road trips this weekend were a bit queasy and at one point my driver had to pull over for me to take a "breather." Needless to say I will be buying Dramamine, or the spanish equivalent, ASAP!! Also, there are no rest stops...I had to hold it for 2 hours over a bumpy, windy road. Not comfortable!

My First Week: Work

Wow, I can't believe how much has happened my first week in Spain! There is so much to Tell! To try and make it easier to follow, I will break it up into two parts: work and travel.

Work: I am working as an English teacher/assistant in a public bilingual school in Santa Maria de Aguila. There are four English teachers - Celia, Virginia, Noelia, and Laura. I will be permanently living with Laura in one of her parents' home that is a three minute walking distance from the school. At the school I am suppose to only speak in English. I have been going to each classroom to introduce myself and assist the English teachers in teaching the children English vocabulary and Christmas carols. Next week I will plan activities to teach the kids about the USA, Texas, family, etc. and new English vocabulary. Everyone is very excited to have me for such a long time. Every direction I turn there is always a telling me "hello" or "byebye." Last Friday was the 31st anniversary of the Democratic Constitution of Spain. The school had special presentations, a flag ceremony, and singing of the national anthem. You could compare the holiday to our 4th of July. Everyone had Monday and Tuesday off for vacation. On December 22, there is a Christmas celebration where the children will sing the carols in English and then will be on break for the next two weeks. After Christmas, I will start assisting the teachers who are studying to become English bilingual teachers and do outside tutoring in the evenings.

The most interesting aspect so far is seeing the different countries represented in the school. Spain has many immigrants, especially in the are I am in because of all the greenhouses. They mostly come from Russia, Eastern Europe, and Morocco. There is also a large Gypsy population, which adds another interesting dynamic to the society. I am interested learn more about this aspect of Spanish culture.

I´m in Spain...FINALLY!

After two months of waiting and 12 hours of traveling I finally made it to Spain! I am living in the southern region of Andulucia in the province of Almeria. I was picked up from the airport in Almeria by two of the three English teachers at the school, Celia and Virginia. The took me for a drive through Almeria and took me to get tapas and cervezas (beer)...a traditional Spanish late afternoon snack. The scenery is amazing!! Almeria is right on the Mediterranean coast and directly behind it are miles of mountains. It is a striking contrast!

When we arrived to the small town, Santa Maria del Águila, where I will be living and working, we went straight to the school to have a look and meet some of the other teachers. The name of the school is CEIP, Colegio de educacion infantil y primaria (School of Infant and Primary Education). Many of the teachers are young and enjoy spending time together outside of work. Last night I was able to meet many of the teachers and some of us went out to a local bar for drinks. Other than the English teachers, most of the other teachers do not know much English and I am the only native English speaker. At the school I am only allowed to speak in English so the teachers and the students can improve their skills. I will be working about 16 hours per week and possibly tutoring some adults outside of the school. Other than that I am completely immersed in Spanish. Fluency here I come...FINALLY! It has only taken me 8 years of studies, a Spanish minor, studying abroad in Argentina, and roughing it in Honduras to get there! Haha!

I am going to be permanently living with a girl named Laura in one of her family´s houses. She is my age and a teacher at the school. She knows quite a bit of English, but what she lacks I am able to make up with my little bit of Spanish...basically in one language or the other we are able to complete each other´s sentences. She is really nice and friendly. Everyone has been so welcoming and everthing is working out more smoothly than I ever imagined. It is amazing how God provides times of uncertainty, "fun employment," and transitions to lead us into that next moment in life that exceeds one´s expectations in its perfection.

EXPLORE

Life is about the journey. It is a series of twists and turns, with exciting discoveries around each bend. Embrace every opportunity to try something different or go someplace new.