Oh hey, I'm back! How nifty. I just finished my third week in Alicante!! I've been working at my school for two weeks now, which has been all kinds of chaotic fun.
Imma break today's updates into categories instead of doing chronological because it all blended together in my brain lol.
Teaching:
I work ages 5 thru 12ish (6th grade) qnd see each class (there are two per grade) once a week during their english lessons
I work in Vila Joiosa which is a little town up the coast, about a 50 min tram
I only have to work 16 hours a week, so I work tues-thurs which is super nice and chill
children are crazy!! literally what they have no concept of authority
and when they backtalk the teachers the teachers just go right back at them its a madhouse
I mostly work with Natalia, who is really nice and speaks english the best of the teachers, she is the english teacher so I guess that makes sense.
I also work with Ana, who is nice too but she teaches the younger kids and her english is not quite as good
the kids are supposed to think I don't speak any spanish but they know so little English that I can't communicate anything to them if I don't occasionally speak in spanish
sorry, "Castellano" the spaniards get mad if you call Spanish "español" because there's a bunch of spanish dialects and languages the government is trying to preserve
in my area, its Valencian, which is like Spanish + Italian + French its super weird. Kinda like catalan in Barcelona.
in the cities everyone speaks castellano, but in the more rural areas like Vila Joiosa they speak more Valencian
That's the other thing: all of the kids classes are in Valencian which most adults I know think is utterly pointless because its so so regional. But basically they learn everything in Valencian, then learn english and castellano as separate classes. But they are all bilingual castellano-valencian.
There are also soooo many Ukranians and Russians here displaced from the war. I've got at least one in every class, if not 3 or 4.
these poor kids don't speak ANY of the applicable languages, English is best, but it's really broken sentences.
they've been through so so much and mostly the teachers have no idea what to do with them
another fun thing about spanish public schools: they are legally not allowed to separate by learning level, so the kids who really struggle basically just sit in the back and fall more and more behind, and they don't get one-on-one attention because its an understaffed rural public school.
The kids all call me and Natalia and Ana "teacher" which is really funny because they'll just yell "Teacher!!! Teacher!"
This week we are starting to learn about halloween, and next week they'll continue-- lots of spooky time!
starting to have some private lessons booked too to make a little extra cash. I have two sets of siblings so far! Pretty easy peasy considering that's pretty much what I did all of college, except I was teaching scientific writing instead of singing "hello, hello, hello, how are you?" but hey I get paid way more for this.
Funny children stories:
One day a kid just stood up and went "me voy" (I'm going!) and ran out of the room and Natalia had to chase him down
same kid also likes to curse everyone out in valencian
I did a presentation on myself and the states in English for them and they had to answer some questions after and omfg their spelling is hilarious
"Carson" was spelled "Curse"
"Washington DC" was "Wauysinton"
"Frisbee" was "Frisvi"
at one of my private lessons, the little sister of the boy I was teaching tried to throw shoes out the window
I google translated to a Ukranian second grader to help him understand things and asked him why he wasn’t participating in the freeze dance activity and then he’s like 'I don’t wanna' but I convinced him and he then stands up just starts break dancing through the whole thing. He never got the freeze half of freeze dance but he was immediately cool as heck
Frisvi:
I'm playing for my beach team in regionals in Valencia this weekend!!
We are called "Diskål" which is a pun on "Disco" (aka disc) and skål, as in Scandinavian cheers.
it's the B team for the "Bárbaros y Vikingas" so they really wanted to keep in with the viking theme.
It's super great but I also high key miss just playing with women because men who have played for two months like to explain things to me and I'm like 'yes, I understood that already thank you'
ex: I threw a hammer for a point in a crowded end zone (honestly epic) at practice yesterday and afterwards a guy (who I do actually really like usually) came up and was like "you know you can dump it in that situation and its a much easier throw, just for next time" and I was like fuming because I thought about the throw, took my time, and thought I could make it ANDWASRIGHT and he still had to comment... he's not even our captain...
I think I seem worse than I am because of the language barrier, but I wish I could communicate that to them
Friends:
I have friends! Most of them are other American auxes teaching in or around Alicante and living in the city.
We have a couple of sets of roomies that we hang out with and Louis, our one token male friend. Louis is also our only brit.
I'm going to the south of France for halloweekend with Hanna, another Hanna pronounced Hannah, Gemma, Sophia, and Harper!
Harper and Amelia are roomies, and so are Gemma, Hanna(h) and Sophia.
Hanna(h) gave me the idea to do El Camino next summer and now that is my dream. its like the Spanish version of John Muir or PCT or Appalachian Trail. But more chill than doing the full PCT for sure.
Exploring:
Went with a bunch of auxes (to meet people) up to the castle in Alicante, Castillo Santa Barbara. It was beautiful and that's where we met Louis and Amelia but oh my gosh everyone else lowkey annoyed me.
Went with our friends to Altea, a city up the coast, for a day trip.
very cute! looks a lot like a greek island
I was hangry for most of it though so wasn't my favorite trip
tried some blue wine-- and I mean blue raspberry level blue-- and it was actually quite good!
Other:
I've had a wonky stomach illness for a week or so. At first I thought I ate spoiled beans, and then that I got sick from the ocean, the tap water or the kids or something but still a bit off. hopefully I'm back to 100% soon, especially in time for the tournament.
Alicante actually feels like a really safe city. I walk home alone at like 9:30 from practice and I feel safer than I did walking up Bruinwalk at night lol. I think its because it's pretty well lit, the men are not American and thus slightly less openly misogynistic, and especially because everyone eats dinner and stays out so late that even at like 11 there's still families wandering around.
Homesickness is definitely starting to kick in, I miss Trader Joes so much lately.
I also miss good spicy food, canned black beans and oatmilk being more accessible and coming in larger containers
Hanna finished her vlog about Sweden!! I'll link it here, it's really cute.
Photos!
Updates!
Somehow, pretty much everyone prefers the color forest green. I definitely was either veganism or firm mattresses but hey.
My UCLAers all cited queer people, good food, and beaches as reasons to love LA <3 I only have beaches here so far, so wish me luck
Kirbs also recommends the comedy store in LA which I have always heard great things about!!
Nebby says "i love everything about london, its so picturesque and so much green and dogs everywhere and everyone is so friendly!!" which YES London is fantastic and I am so glad you're having so much fun :)
Shreya lives in Pittsburg and thinks you all should know that it has "more bridges than any city in the world, including Venice (suck it Venice)"
PS you should come up with a couples costume for halloween >:)
or be a bridge
Katherine is killing it in Arlington, as usual
Someone who I believe was Kaitlyn said "College🤘🏼" which...so true.
New Form:
access:
Okay!! I love and miss you all, please call anytime (I am 9 or 6 hours ahead so I can't promise I'll pick up immediately but please stay in touch <3
besitos <3
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