Sweet internet, how i have missed thee… October 25, 2007
Posted by Luke in Uncategorized.1 comment so far
You never quite realise how much you miss the internet, until you haven’t got any access to it. For the past few weeks, basically since I started working, I haven’t been able to get near a locutorio to check the internet and it wasn’t until two days ago that our internet was connected at home. As I’ve said before ‘things happen slowly in Spain’ and Telefonica (the phone company) is one of these. Luckily, Rocio’s father works for Telefonica which means our place in the connection line sped up a little. Nevertheless, apologies to all and sundry for not being in contact. Now I have skype, now I have email, facebook, whatever, I’m here and alive. Don’t cry, Josh. (Anyone who doesn’t know Josh might not follow that comment).
So, on to news…
Well… there’s very little. We never made it to Zaragoza. Tom was booted from his room, because the guy’s mother wanted to stay and thus needed the weekend to search. I was left without any plans. There was talk of Toledo for cochinillo (suckling pig) but like many Spanish plans it became manana, manana. (Damn english keyboard not having the second n!) So I did very little. I recuperated, you could say.
Last weekend, though, I decided enough was enough. I didn’t want to sit around the house, and I didn’t want to fiesta too much. I decided to go to the Prado and be a proper ‘guiri’. I’d love to say I have pictures, but you can’t take pictures inside. I do have some of outside but it ain’t the prettiest building. I mean, it’s nice and all, but y’know, a little bland. The Goya’s inside are amazing though. By far my favourite pieces. La Pintura Negras are disturbingly brilliant, and I will consider going back to look at them more closely. (Sunday’s are free.)
Other than that, it’s been work. I may be repeating myself, but I start at 7am with the metro from Franco Rodriguez to Avenida de America – and then from Avenida de America to Arturo Soria – where I have two classes with EMTE Sistemas. Then I head to Puerta del Sol for a two hour Spanish class. then I head either to Pio Doce or Santiago Bernabeu, depending on the day and finally back to EMTE for two more classes. I walk out the door of EMTE at 7:30pm – head home, either to crash or plan lessons (generally the former) and get home about 8:30pm.
Seriously, anyone who reads this who is considering English teaching, be warned. 18 hours a week may sound easy but it’s really 18 hours pay for 40 hours work. But it’s not a bad job… except if you teach kids! (More on them some other time.)
Now, I hope you’re all satisfied. I’m going to watch Die Hard 4.0 in English and chill out, slowly becoming brain dead.
Hasta luego
erghh… wtf is the present perfect, past participle? October 11, 2007
Posted by Luke in Madrid.add a comment
So somehow right now, I’m stealing internet. I don’t know how but my computer is connected. I don’t think we have internet yet, but oh well.
Each day, I think I get a little better as a teacher… although I’m not entirely sure what my students are actually learning. Of course, some classes are much better than others. One of my students, a 50 odd year old Director, kept trying to tell me I was wrong because it’s not the same as the way it translates from Spanish. Business classes tend to tell you they don’t want grammar, then get it all wrong anyway, and kids classes, well, kids are kids. Scarily though, one kid knows more about simple tenses than I do – and I think he knows it.
Friday is a public holiday for the Virgen del Pilar. It’s also the day of a ‘fine’, military parade. I might just check it out because I ain’t never seen one of those before. Then, my mate Tom and I are heading up to Zaragoza for the festival of Virgen del Pilar (she’s the patron saint of the city). Hopefully, I’ll get to check out the Basilica del Pilar, which keeps three unexploded bombs that the Republic dropped on them during the Civil War.
Bit by bit, my Spanish is getting better. I still find it near impossible to understand, but I can communicate a bit better. Two hours a day plus teaching is taking its toll. The bags under my eyes are growing rapidly. My classes are getting better though. My last class tonight really seemed to enjoy themselves; they’re quite advanced though.
More later… once I’ve been to Zaragoza.
Last class for the week!! October 5, 2007
Posted by Luke in Madrid.1 comment so far
I have my last class for the week in a little over an hour. It´s been exhausting, and I haven´t prepared much for this lesson, but nor do I have any books for this class yet.. well, not a teacher´s copy anyway.
My hours have already been increased from 18 to 22. It is sooo easy to get work here. Even the illegals have too many hours that they’re declining offers left, right and centre. This week I didn’t have a full schedule but it´s already exhausting. I was up at 6.30 for my 8am class of bratty, 12 year olds. They knew I couldn´t speak much Spanish and utilised it continuously to their advantage. I´m sure I picked up a few swear words directed at me. Luckily, I was only taking that class for a week! I also have a class of 8-9 year olds, a proficiency class with 3 17 year old guys (who were kind enough to explain the virtues of Franco – they´re nice kids, but a little misguided. nb. the politics here are incredibly interesting. One guy I met even suggested that the prospect of civil war wasn´t that far off). My other classes are all adults.. I´ve only met a couple of them.
I´m settled into my place now and the internet should be connected shortly. Rocio and Santi are fantastic. They´ve tried to ensure that I feel as at home as possible, introducing me to their friends and explaining conversations I don´t understand. Santi and I were discussing España the other night, specifically about the dying siesta. His quote was pure gold ¨Ah, yes, that is very bad… but on the weekends, we make our revolution, FIESTA!” Spanish kids do tend to party hard, drinking botelos on the street until 9 or 10 in the morning. There’s no way I’m attempting to do that with the amount of hours I’m working.
The apartment is a good size, large by Spanish standards and with a street balcony. Whilst this means it´s noisier at night, it also beats the hell out of looking down at an interior courtyard, like my previous room did.
A fellow teacher of mine brought his car with him from England, and we may head to Toledo on the weekend. Next Friday is a holiday for the Festival of Virgen del Pilar. It´s apparently the patron saint of Zaragoza, so we may change our destination for there, but we’ll work it out. It will be nice to get out of Madrid for a while, if only a day or two.
I finally got my NIE today. So much for having an appointment. I still had to line up and wait and didn´t get in until 12.40 instead of 12pm. But now I am a resident of Spain for five years if I want. I can open a bank account and I can get Social Security. Now I just have to learn the language. I started my classes on Wednesday. So far, it´s mainly going over things I already knew- the basics ¨¿Como tú llamas? Me llamo Luke. etc etc. But I´ll get there.
I´d kill for a meat pie, and an iced coffee right now though!
