Last Few Weeks Update

I seem to have left a large gap between this and my last post so I thought I’d take the opportunity to say how I’m doing after just over a month here.

Having arrived in Barcelona on September 3rd with a sense of wide eyed excitement I’ve only ever really felt at Christmas and Welsh rugby matches, I now find myself getting used to the experience a bit more. That’s not to say that I’m still not struck by the fact that I’m living in this amazing city until Christmas, it’s more that I’ve settled into a more regular routine.  I do still find myself wandering past the Sagrada Familia on my way to and from work either in the morning or the evening, just to have a look at it, but at the same time, the walk to and from work is much quicker and I spend a lot less time investigating each and every shop I go past.

As for work, I think I’m finally getting used to the whole “teaching English as a foreign language” joint. I even asked my mum if she’d bring me out some whiteboard markers so I can use the whiteboard in my classroom again, as the ones in my classroom have run out, thanks to my discovery of Hangman as a great way to teach vocabulary to students who are bored of just reading a list to me.  I’m also now the most experienced (!) student teacher at my school, as the other two have only just arrived and started work. However, they’re both really fast learners and we all get along great, so we shouldn’t have any issues with covering the workload.

Foodwise, I’m massively improving. I made my first paella the other day, and it wasn’t burnt or horrific so I guess that can be counted as a success. I really like the food that’s available here, even in the supermarkets it just seems so much fresher than the food back in the UK.

I’m keeping active outside the classroom too, having just figured out all the Spanish I needed to sign up to a gym, and having found a nice run route around my local area and even up to some woodland areas. I’ve even found a few good bars and hit the clubs a few times, Espit Chupitos, a 2 euro shots bar where they do some crazy stunts with fire on the bar being one of my favourites.

So that’s all that’s new with me, hopefully I can continue to enjoy my time here, even as I get down to more work on my essay for this semester.