Job offers and such September 5, 2007
Posted by Luke in Canterbury TEFL, Spain, Teaching English.1 comment so far
A few months ago, I worried that I’d started worrying too early about whether or not I’d get a job in Spain. As it turns out, I was right. In the last few weeks, I’ve received a couple of quite decent offers, even with limited experience in a classroom.
I had a phone interview a few nights ago. They’re quite a strange experience. It was very general and very conversational, but there were some odd questions. Well, one odd question.
”Can you spell?”
I was taken aback by that. I had no idea how to answer it. Maybe I could have said ‘do you want to test me?’ and then fired off correct spelling to supercalifragilistexpialadocious (i think that’s right). Or, if I was a bad speller, I could have lied. ‘yeah, i’m a fantastic speller, real tops, y’know!’ kinda thing. I didn’t do either of those. Just stated that it was an odd question and that I thought spelling would be fairly integral to an English teaching job. Apparently, the new ‘yoof’ can’t spell ‘reel good’. We use too many spell checks and mobile shorthands. It’s a worrying thought.
Anyway, I can’t have said anything too wrong as I got offered the job. I haven’t definitely accepted, and I don’t need to until I arrive in Spain, but I think I will. It means though that I’ll have to cancel Canterbury. It’s kind of relieving, though, because I wasn’t looking forward to a month without incoming pay. I’ll miss not having the camaraderie of other people in the same situation though. (Note: to the guys that commented who are heading to Canterbury for September course on a previous post, I’d still be well keen to meet up, have some drinks etc.) But I’m sure there’ll be quite a few new teachers at the school I’m heading to.
On a side note, I’ve also been offered an apartment in an awesome location (just near the El Retiro Parque) – only catch is it’s a young family with two kids – one and two years old. I’m a little worried I’ll end up babysitting. It would be an awesome way to learn Spanish though.
Two days left of bureaucracy! What a relief!
ADL ———-> ESP ? YES May 9, 2007
Posted by Luke in Adelaide, Canterbury TEFL, Spain, Travel.add a comment
It’s 3.36am. I woke with a sense of urgency, rolled over to check my email on my mobile and then realised I had no credit. Staggered downstairs, switched on my sister’s computer, logged in, email loaded, I’m going to Spain. I’m going to Spain. I’m going to Spain. I. AM. GOING. TO. SPAIN.
September 24th is the date. That gives me four more months in a job that bores me silly. Four more months in a city that I need some time from. Four more months with people that I’ve grown close to. Four more months with English speakers. I AM GOING TO SPAIN!!!!
I will be living in Madrid for at least two months, but have a guaranteed job there until June next year. If I wasn’t so tired, I would not be able to contain my excitement. Where’s someone to kiss and celebrate with? Wake up, world!!
Ignore the previous posts… May 1, 2007
Posted by Luke in Adelaide, Anarchism, Canterbury TEFL, History, Politics, Spain, Teaching English.add a comment
First post… what to write? Hmm… if anyone reads this, what would they want to know? okay… i lie… this is the seventh post. I just backdated it. It’s now the first. The details I talk about after this post I did not know at the time of writing those posts but at the time of writing this post I did. Comprehend? I don’t.
Okay…. I don’t read blogs a lot. I mean, I read some regularly, some occasionally, but I wouldn’t say I’m a blog fiend or anything. I like the idea though.
So.
Hmmm…
Me? You ask. Well, I’m 24. I’m male. Currently, my town/city of residence is, as we like to call it in the locale, A-Town or Radelaide. But not for much longer. On the 19th of September, I’m moving to Madrid. That’s right, Madrid, Spain. It’s a little nervewracking. I speak minimal Spanish. Kinda like the Buenas dias…..ummm errr… Como estas? ummm errrr Hablas inglese? type of Spanish. Although I’m trying to learn – fast.
So why Spain? Good question. I’m fascinated with the country for reasons that are now 70 years old. The Spanish Civil War. It’s been in my bones for nigh on five years now. And I can’t shake it. You’d think writing a 15,000 word thesis could kill the interest, but no. It heightened it.
Why? One word – anarchism. The only country in the world where anarchism nearly prevailed. And that could have been amazing. I don’t want to get into a politics lecture here. Not yet anyway. But if there is an ‘ideology’ more misunderstood, I’ve yet to find it. I’d like to call myself an anarchist, indeed I have at times, but I’ve always done so with that sinking feeling that one is lying somewhat. In my mind, to be an anarchist requires passion; it requires dedication; it requires immediacy – and I am lazy. It’s taken me five years to get to Spain. How long will it take me to get politically active?
Plus, as some of my friends succinctly point out, how can you be an anarchist and work in government? Well, that, my dear, is a very good question. It’s difficult. And you hate yourself, your job and your decisions more every moment.
But hence Spain. Hence resignation. Hence, I don’t know, everything. I’m getting out of the G to the T, and I’m not coming back to it.
So, I land in Spain on the 20th September. I start a TEFL course at Canterbury TEFL on the 24th. I know no one there. I barely speak the language. I have an EU Passport (dual citizenship is equivalent to a golden ticket in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, methinks). I’m leaving some person/s here that I’ve grown to love very dearly, who don’t realise quite how much, nor how much I fear that I’ll lose them whilst I’m gone. I have to do this. I have no idea how long I’m going for.
And I have this.
