Better

Teenagers

I had a good day!

Moving Out

Becoming a puppet master and ruining the innocent memories of children

The age-old philosophical question persists: who's hand really is up who's arse?

I may have made a student cry today

Pets. Everyone loves talking about pets, right? Today in my Flyers class we were talking about animals (as dictated by the beloved textbook). The topic was animals, and naturally, the topic of "What's your favourite animal?" came up. This exciting the children, and they happily started calling out animals like "dogs!" or "horses!" Then one of the girls at the front of the class burst into tears. It turns out that both her dog and horse just died, really close together. What luck! 

I gave her the "It hurts, but life goes on" talk (put a little less bluntly). All that was missing was me bursting into a rendition of Circle of Life with an army of animatronic animals.

Yes, we had to keep talking about animals for the whole lesson, with potentially triggering topics.

Blah 3

Blah 2

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Escolapios - teaching and being overseen

English table

First Day of Teaching!

After signing a load of Spanish documents and contracts that I didn't understand, I'm now officially and legally allowed to work in Spain. Next I can stop freaking out and thinking cars are driving themselves when they approach me from the wrong side. Bit of an issue because for some reason I was down as "British Elizabeth" which sounds like the Queen's porn star name.

Not a single smile from anyone. Welcome to Spain!

Today was my first day of teaching. Though I applied for work through one academy, and thought that was where I'd stay, I actually work all around the city for two companies. During the day I worked with a small group of ten-year-olds in a school that is ACTUALLY RUN BY NUNS. The class was really well behaved. I started with my name. Basically it's a game where I write information about myself 

Then, there were the seven year olds. Oh God, the seven year olds. At first, they were all very cute and energetic and I was like "Yes! I got what I wished.Then I realised that actually 

So, yeah, today I was able to see bad classes at the polar end of the scale. Lucky me.

The first class was teenagers, therefore, not a lot of talking, slouching and not appearing from out of the knitted hat.

Basically, I felt like this guy:

Everyone wants to be that cool, chill teacher until you just think "Oh, fuck it, children" 

I don't really expect seven-year-olds.

I found a fast food place called Pizza King as I was roaming the streets for comfort food to stuff my face with. You can be I thought 

He llegado! or something

I don't think I've made a New Year's resolution in about ten years, but New Year seemed like the perfect time to pack my bags and leave the country to teach English as a foreign language. After being stuck in Wizard's perpetual festive dystopia since October (I was a Card Factory Christmas temp) a more exotic change of scenery has definitely been in order.

For the last year I've wanted to live and work in Japan, but my experience (or lack thereof) has made securing a job really difficult. So one night, about a month ago, when I was in the midst of the graduates' "Where is my life going?!?!" angst, I went nuts and near enough applied for every job on the TEFL website. Or half of them, because I eventually got tired and just decided to go to bed. But the thought was definitely there.

I was ready to take a job in China, when research into the agency showed it was full of dodgy, unscrupilous fuckers (it was Worlda, for your information). So Spain it is - Albacete, to be exact. That's not to say I don't want to be here, because I definitely do. I always toyed with the idea of having the experience of living in both Japan and another European country, and now it's just panned out that way.

Hyped by DK Eyewitness Travel: Spain as "one of Spain's Least interesting cities", travel snobs needn't worry about a swarm of tourists ruining an otherwise authentic Spanish experience - because there there's not much here they'd want want to see. That doesn't mean it's not without its attractions. The town is a renowned manufacturer jacknives and daggers - and you can't get more rock 'n' roll than that. When I typed "Albacete" into Google images, pictures of the neighbouring village, Chinchilla, came up,the city was far more metropolitan than I expected, putting me under the impression that I was going to a quaint, dusty little village, probably travelling to school by donkey, instead of the bustling, shop-filled metropolis that Albacete turned out to be. With shops open until past 8.30 pm, it's not a place to feel lonely in.

Situated in the autonomous community of Castilla-La Mancha, Albacete is surrounded by dry, beige, yet oddly captivating landscape. Travelling through by train was like entering Mars, with the odd patches of green. And looking at the spotless blue sky I could have been forgiven for thinking it was the middle of the summer (until I took a step outside, of course).

And from the picturesque to the picaresque, the lanky silhouette of Don Quixote - perhaps the region's most iconic literary creation - can be seen dotted about the city, from fridge magnets and statues to bakery signs,

I arrived on Thursday. My mum took me to the airport, but I didn't have time to feel emotional as my hand luggage was scanned, opened and swabbed for "explosive materials". Thankfully, I'd made the last-minute decision not to put all my underwear in my hand luggage. That's the thing about moving abroad: what on earth do you take? I repacked my case many times, and even then, I had to really force it into the luggage holder to say, "That's right, it fits! *pant pant*". I saw some cases going around with "Right Sized Case Company" written on them. Who's smug idea was that?

I travelled from Alicante to Albacete, met my boss and another teacher (who took me out from some Spanish seafood). I'm living with a sweet little old Spanish lady who can't speak any English, her son, and an older Latin teacher, so it'll be a good chance to practice my flailing Spanish. To be honest, I had no idea where I'd be living until I arrived, if I'd be living with axe murderers or, most importantly, if there would be internet or not. Thankfully, it's all good.

I've since spent the first couple of days getting acquainted with the city in the only way I know how: by getting horribly lost. On my first night I just left the flat and kept walking, until I realised I had no idea where I was. I'm trying to speak to everyone in Spanish, but sometimes, it just doesn't cut it. I wandered into a supermarket, announced if anyone could speak English, was told in Spanish to get a bus so I got on a random bus and flailed back to the flat.