I'm ok

After my more panicky blog posts I thought I’d let people know that I am actually fine now, and have managed to sort my life out in the 6 days I’ve been here.

I’ve found an amazing flat with 2 other British language assistants and a Spanish girl. It’s right by the bus station, which is perfect for my commute to Ermua, and about 5 minutes away from the Athletic Bilbao stadium (another great reason why my male friends should visit). I’m so relieved that I’m not homeless anymore but having to spend a week in a hotel as well as pay for the deposit on the flat and one month’s rent means that I am officially broke and considering putting money from my English overdraft into my Spanish bank account until I get paid in November. And yes, I have managed to open a Spanish bank account after signing about 50583373 forms without understanding any of them, and being forced to put 100 euros into the account in order to get a debit card which I may never actually receive because I wasn’t 100% sure of my Spanish address at the time, so I ended up inventing the flat name and number of the block. I got the street and postcode right though, a minor success. I also managed to get the dreaded Numero de Identidad de Extranjeros without too much hassle or queuing, which was a nice surprise. Although I’d filled in and photocopied the wrong kind of residency form, but the nice lady printed off the right one and I was allowed to fill it in there and then.

And, most importantly, I’ve managed to make some friends! Everyone in Bilbao, both British and Spanish, have been so lovely. I’ve so far met 4 other British Council Language Assistants and we were invited out last night, randomly, by a woman working in Santander bank; very welcoming.

Next task: Start work tomorrow. Before I can do this I must make sure that I catch the right bus, get off at the right bus stop, and find out where the schools are in the town. 

ESTOY EN ESPAÑA!

I finally made it! I couldn’t bring myself to cut down my luggage so I turned up to the airport quite a few kilos over the allowance, and amazingly didn’t have to pay any extra charges. The woman behind the desk obviously felt sorry for the girl on the brink of tears dragging 4 bags behind her, and didn’t want to add to my problems.

So, today was the day when I needed to start my mission to find accommodation. After a very successful morning where I managed to get a Spanish sim card on my second attempt (who knew you needed a passport to get a phone number?), I went to the Universidad del Pais Vasco with Laura, a fellow Southampton University student who I met for the first time via social networking a week ago, and her mum to look for posters offering accommodation. What I’d been told previously was in fact true and there are loads of posters advertising flats and rooms so we took down some numbers. Then came the tricky part: I had to actually ring real life Spanish people and have a proper conversation with them. This is where my success ended. I have so far only rung two people and the conversations were going so well until they said something I didn’t understand, which led to a long, awkward pause. They then proceeded to say something else which I didn’t understand; I panicked and hung up both times. Therefore, I’ve decided to give myself a break because obviously this speaking Spanish business isn’t for me, and from now on I think my use of the language should be limited to writing emails only.

On a side note, people back home will be pleased to know that it isn’t all lovely and sunny in Spain. Today I got caught walking for 15 minutes in torrential rain. It might not be as bad as the flooding at home, but you wouldn’t expect anything less from Britain. I, on the other hand, did not sign up for rain on my year abroad. 

My packing nightmare

Despite being prepared enough to already check in two suitcases with the airline I’m flying to Bilbao with, I recently found out that I can still only take 23kg! I was under the impression that you could take full suitcases but it appears that I was being slightly naïve because airlines apparently aren’t that generous. So, needless to say, packing has been extremely difficult because I can justify taking almost everything I own. 

No one else seems to understand the tribulations of moving my life to Spain, least of all my parents who have been very unsympathetic to my packing problems. Obviously I do think that taking 10 pairs of shoes is essential and in no way excessive. And no, I can’t wait for when they come to see me in a month to bring some of my shoes because I will clearly have an occasion to wear all 10 pairs within the first week. 

Ok, maybe I am being slightly irrational but my nightmare has not just been limited to packing. I still have nowhere to live when I get to Bilbao. While I’ve always seen myself as someone cool, calm, and collected, who didn’t need to be overly organised, not having accommodation is one step too far. It doesn't matter how many people tell me it's easier to find accommodation when you're actually in Spain I still have visions of myself being homeless and roaming the streets of Bilbao while simultaneously having to plan lessons. 

This crazy lack of planning (even by my standards) has forced me to get more organised in all other areas of my life so that when I arrive in Spain I’ll have less to worry about. Therefore, this weekend I will get some euros so that even if I am homeless I won’t be starving and will be able to replace the shoes I've been forced to leave behind. I will sort out all the paperwork I need to take and work out what an NIE actually is and how I can get one because it seems quite vital for opening a Spanish bank account and getting paid. I will sort out flat viewings for the day after I arrive in Bilbao. And, I will try to cut down on the amount that I deem essential packing. Or I might just pay a fortune in excess baggage at the airport. I’ll weigh up both options before I reach my final decision. 

2 weeks and counting!

I have two weeks left before I embark on my big adventure to spend the next 8/9 months in Spain - ok so the title of the blog may be slightly incorrect - and am freaking out about how fast this time has come around. Summer has gone by in a haze of travelling, and catching up with friends and family before I leave. So, before I go I decided to start writing a blog because I’m so bad at communication normally (I went 6 weeks without ringing my parents earlier this year) that I’m worried I’ll come home in June to find myself without any friends and family to update about my travels.

For my year abroad I originally wanted to go as south in Spain as possible but, as many other people will know, students who want to be language assistants have very little say in where they will end up. Despite the initial upset about being placed in the Basque Country I am now really looking forward to living there, and it’s probably for the best that I’m in the north because I’d fry in the southern sun anyway.

The two secondary schools where I’m teaching are in a town called Ermua, about a 45 minute commute from Bilbao itself but I've decided to live in Bilbao, the capital city of the Basque Country, for a number of reasons:

   1.   Living abroad is scary enough without living in a town where I’m the only English language assistant.

           2.  The idea of only being friends with the other teachers or older students that feel sorry for me isn’t very appealing.

            3.  I’m working 12 hours a week (luckily they don’t put students who are used to lots of free time under too much pressure) so I don’t think the commute will be an issue.

           4.  Bilbao generally has more things to see and do so I can put my free time to good use. Obviously in between writing my dissertation...

I was lucky enough to spend the first 6 weeks of my summer holiday travelling around South America so I’ve adopted the attitude of if I can do South America then I'll be fine in Spain, which has been quite detrimental to my preparations really. I haven’t yet organised accommodation, I don’t know anyone in Spain, my Spanish is pretty average, I don’t know where Ermua is in relation to Bilbao or where the schools are, and I haven't yet been in contact with either of the schools. I’m also not really sure of how to pronounce Bilbao which could get slightly awkward. I definitely think I should be more worried than I am given the circumstances but the overriding feeling I have is excitement. However, I’m sure that will all change in the days leading up to the big move…