Decision

I believe in signs. I believe in fate. After rethinking about everything that has happened, the signs pointed that I should  not be here. I was supposed to come to Spain. And I have learned a lot about my self and my priorities in life. But after a lot of deliberation and thought, I have decided to return home, which I believe I am supposed to do. Before you judge too harsh, let me explain.

I love being in Spain: the traveling, the way of life, the beach. But unfortunately, the day to day of my time in Spain I do not enjoy. I like working with kids, love it in fact, but I have learned teaching (especially elementary) is not for me. I did not enjoy working with my teachers. While others in my program were utilized from moment one, I sat on the sidelines a majority of my time at the school. One teacher was great, I loved working with her, but again, she only teaches one English class so the other time was spent with less enjoyable teachers. I could maybe do this for a month or six weeks, but I know I will not be able to do this, and be here, in the beautiful country, for eight entire months. 

My luck with roommates was also a factor. I thought I found a place, twice, but one time the owners decided I was too young to live there and the other time the Spanish girl decided after all she didn't want a roommate. Third time may be the charm, but by then I knew I didn't want to stay for the entire time. I was still contemplating my decision and did not want to make a contract until I knew for sure I was staying. It would not be fair to me or the others involved.

As much as I have enjoyed my time here, I know it is best for me to return home. I do not know where my life will lead me know (if I knew before...). But I will look for jobs and return to school eventually. This was a hard decision. But since making it I have not regretted it. I doubt I ever will. I gave living in Spain a chance. This was something I always wanted to try. But I now know I wanted to travel around Spain and Europe, not live here. That is a big distinction. Therefore I know this is right and can't wait to start the next chapter. But before that happens, I am taking this "vacation" and running with it. Before I leave I am going to also spend a few days in Sevilla, Vejer de la Frontera, Cordoba, Baena, and Madrid. I am truly taking this "vacation" and seeing as much of Spain as I can before I return home.

The Spanish School System

It would be easy just to say the school systems in Spain and the United States are different. They are different in every way, shape and form. I am working in Maestro Aurea Lopez, which is a public elementary school. I am teaching English to students ages 3 (Ninos de 3) to 11 (Year 6). After that, they go the high school in town. The mandatory age is much younger here than at home (even though I can't remember exactly what it is). After high school, they can go to either a trade school, a professional school, or a university, depending on what they want to do. I met a girl Ana who is in her 5th year of Medical School. It sounds like a lot, but in reality, they start med school directly after high school. She does not need a degree from a university prior to going to med school. She attended school like other people for the first four years, and now has two years left. Two semesters of classroom work and two semesters of clinical work. I asked about the price, knowing how expensive med school is at home, and she said it doesn't cost any more than other students going to public universities. Therefore, it is very inexpensive for her to become a doctor. That is a new concept to me, one of many about the Spanish school system.

At my school, students go to class from 9-2 Monday to Fridays from September through end of May. Their public schools teach religion classes. Every day is a different schedule. Their playground is a concrete floor with brick walls around it for protection. They get to play outside from 12-12:30 daily, but that is also when they are to eat (mainly a snack). So students are playing soccer outside, all holding a sandwich eating their snack. Teachers can come in professional clothes (similar to being at home), or jeans, or sweats. Literally. A teacher today was wearing sweat pants and a t-shirt to classes. There is very little discipline in the classroom. It is not uncommon for students to talk, sing, walk around, arrange their desk, go to a friends desk to talk, while the teacher is lecturing. Its just the way it is. Completely different! Also, a lot of students at younger ages have multiple piercings, and therefore teachers do as well. It is much more laid back than any school I have been to before.

Recently Spain has started making their public schools bilingual schools. What this means, starting in preschool students learn English. By the time they reach Year 4, one or two of their classes are taught in English and Spanish (I have helped in multiple science classes). The teacher first describes everything in  Spanish, then slowly integrates English into the lessons, and the students are tested this material in English. Imagine learning chemistry or history in a foreign language. My school is a year 4 school, which means it has been bilingual for 4 years now. Therefore the students by year 4 or 5 are expected to be able to take other classes in English and by high school it is mostly English. There has been a lot of opposition within the community to make the public schools bilingual. Several parents have taken there students out and to another school district where Spanish is the language of learning. But as this program grows within Spain, more and more schools are becoming bilingual. Which is why this program I am here with, the Cultural and Language Assistant program through the Spanish Ministry of Education sent 1,236 assistants from the United States to teach their children English.

Its been a learning curve to teach English to students who don't understand me. I have no background in Education. I have no idea what I am doing. It is very hard to not speak in Spanish to them (even if it is just translating a word or phrase). I am supposed to talk in Engllish 100% of the time. But they don't know American English. They only know British English. I have already been told I need to adjust my vocabulary and spelling to match what their book says (which defeats the purpose of having an American in the classroom). Its very hard when I am with 3 year olds whose only English knowledge is how to count to 10, the colors, a few animals and mom and dad. But through the immersion this early in their life to the language, the will be better at English than I ever will be at Spanish. This is one aspect I think the US should look into. Little children have the easiest time to learn a foreign language, so why wait until high school to offer it? I think parents should have the option to have their children take a foreign language throughout elementary school so one day they can be proficient of a different language than their native tongue. Its just a thought, but as I have learned here, a lot of people don't agree. Besides, the school systems are so different, could it even work?

Adjusting to the unfamiliar

This past week has been about adjusting to the new time zone, food choices, language, and culture. It has not been an easy adjustment. And I am only partially there. I think I have finally adjusted to the time difference. I can sleep at night now. The key, is sleep on the way there. Don't allow yourself to nap, and you will be tired enough upon arrival to be able to fall asleep at night. At least in theory, that sounds good, but I was up until 4 or 5 every morning for a few nights unable to sleep and adjust to all of the differences. The food is not as bad of a change as I expected. I live on the Atlantic Ocean coast. This area is known for its tuna, and its wine. The wine I like, not so much the tuna. They do something to it that just isn't right. But I have had a lot of other types of sea food and have enjoyed them. They eat at much different times than I am used to. Breakfast is whenever you wake up, typically in Andalucia, it includes coffee and toast with oil and tomatoes. Around noon, there is a break where they have another cup of coffee and a small snack. Lunch is the main meal of the day primarily served from 1-3 followed by a siesta, where everything is shut down until about 6 again. There is an evening snack around 6 or 6:30 which is another cup of coffee and a small snack. Cena, or supper (or dinner, depending on what you call it), is around 10:30. It is common here to eat a salad, or a sandwich. Something small to get you through the night. It took a while to get used to, but now I have adjusted to that as well. But am still not quite as brave to try a lot of the food they have around this area.

The language is still a challenge, but it is amazing how well my abilities have improved in a week. I can get around much better, and now that I have learned correct vocabulary for day-to-day activities and learned to talk with a lisp and to "eat" my "s's". I can now be understood much, much better. Even though, people in Andalucia speak very fast and I still have a hard time following everything that is said.

Culturally, I think may be the hardest change to adjust to. The concept of time, understanding of the details, dependence on technology, clothing, etc is much different. In the school, I am expected to be there at 9, and no later. But if I was going to meet someone for a cup of coffee, 9 probably means 9:30 or 10. Americans are so used to being rushed, being stressed, and working towards the future, where Spaniards are much more preoccupied with personal relationships. Last night, I went down the the beach, with a lot of different cafes and sat with a friend. Mostly, we people watched, but we arrived around 6. We left at 11, when it was still crazy busy and almost every table at every cafe was full. But not just adults, children are out until at least 10. There are pick-up games of futbol (soccer) everywhere. That sport is so ingrained in the Spanish, it is no wonder their fandom and enthusiasm at winning this years World Cup. You can tell who is an American, because we are the ones who are on their phones, or are dragging their computers with them. The Spanish are not preoccupied with technology. I rarely have seen a computer besides my own, anywhere. Even my school has a very limited number of computers. No technology is in classrooms except a chalkboard and cd player. You never see someone is public on their phones, where it has become common place in the US to see phone use in public. Or going to lunch, and texting others the entire time. This is not the way in Spain, they focus on the person in front of them, not on those away from them. That is going to be the hardest adjustment to make. I already am used to no phone, it is too expensive to use, and I can't figure out how to text anyway. But I rely on my computer. Something to survive in this culture, I need to ween myself away from. But that is by far easier said than done. I like contact with people from home. But eventually I will need to adjust completely, get rid of the technology addiction, and live the Spanish life.

Barbate

Yesterday and today was spent walking around Barbate, discovering my city, and taking pictures. I thought I would share them with you.

My school where I will be teaching.

Another picture of my school.

Typical Barbate Street

Beach front cafeterias and resaturates. 

Beach! 

Fishing of the coast is a major past time.

Lighthouse of Barbate.

The house of Franco (former Dictator of Spain).

Fishing boat.

City Park 

Warning: Strike!

So I finally arrived and only two days later than originally planned. I took my flight from Fargo to Chicago, got stuck there for a three-hour delay which caused me to miss my original flight to Madrid. After arguing with the airline for a while, they finally agreed to give me a hotel room for the night as well as rerouting me to get to Madrid. So I got to fly back to Chicago and take a plane from there to Madrid. I thought I would be fine the rest of the trip. However, when traveling with luggage I recommend taking a taxi wherever you need to go. Never try a metro system, especially with changing trains twice. Luckily I had help from a nice Romanian woman (I thought she was British, I mean she is here teaching English and has a British accent). I then arrived at the bus station and found out about the country-wide strike. The workers are striking the government’s recent decision to raise the retirement age from 60 to 62. Therefore, I was stranded in Madrid for an extra day. Luckily I found a hostel to stay at about a block away from the train station.

Today’s events, the ones I dreaded most, seemed to be the easiest to handle. I took a train to Cadiz then a bus to Barbate. I didn’t know where the bus station was in relation to the train station, so I took a taxi. He didn’t understand me at first, but when it was finally figured out where I was going, I got dropped off across the street from where I began. That was a waste of 5 Euros, but I did get to see more of Cadiz, which is beautiful. Arriving to my hostel proved troublesome. I originally asked an elderly man for directions, and he pointed me the wrong direction. It took me almost an hour, to walk across the entire city of Barbate with 125 pounds of luggage. It was not easy, and my luggage did not survive (a wheel is broken on one on my suitcases). Thankfully, I had some help along the way with random strangers who helped pull some of my luggage part of the journey.

This has by far been the most stressful and probably some of the worse days of my life. I am seriously questioning this decision to come here. But it can only get better from here, I hope. Tomorrow I am going to my school and meet the teachers and set my hours. The rest of the day I plan on walking around Barbate, have a real meal for the first time in over 60 hours, and take lots of pictures to post soon for everyone to see. From what I have seen, Barbate is a beautiful city, right on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean with lots of beaches. I can’t wait to see more!

Time to head out

In twenty-four short hours, I will be boarding a plane heading to Spain! After finding connections in Chicago and New York, figuring out where to stay in Madrid. Finding a train and a bus, I will be ready to start my adventure teaching 3-11 year old Spanish children. I am a little less excited when my mom mentioned Charlie is 3, so I get a classroom full of him, now I am debating this choice, but it will be an adventure regardless. And I can't wait to start it!

I have already discovered the first major difference between American and Spanish cultures. When I emailed my school about the details of when I start, where I go, and what I will be doing, I got a reply that basically said this. "You can come whenever on Friday the 1st. If you are busy and cannot make it, we will see you next week sometime. Come when you can and safe travels." I usually like details, especially when it comes to going to a place I have never been. I leave tomorrow and still don't know what I am doing, when I need to be there, how I am getting to Barbate (train? bus? taxi?), or where I am living for the next year. The Spanish culture is much more relaxed, people-orientated, and less stress-filled that I am used to, that could take some time to get used to.

Will be here before you know it!

In a matter of three short weeks, I will be heading across a pond to live and work in Spain for the school year. I can't believe it is already here, unfortunately I have a lot of things left to do before that time comes. For example, get my visa, buy my plane ticket, find a place to live, etc. But the journey is going to be worth it. Studying abroad in Mexico showed me that living in a foreign country is going to have its ups and downs. That trip was only six weeks, this one is almost nine months. Its time to start saying my goodbyes. Tonight I am starting in Grand Forks, followed by Chicago and my lovlies down in Lincoln (and of course cheering on the Huskers at a game). When I get back from there, its goodbye 7-Day Clinic, my family, and my friends in Wahpeton and Fargo. However sad these see-you-laters may be, I am excited to start my mucho-gustos with my new friends in Barbate. It will be a fun-filled year, filled with lots of traveling and adventures and I can't wait to share them with you. Warning: I don't claim to be funny, but perhaps you will enjoy hearning from me anyway.