My First Day and Week Living in Barcelona

I think it's time I updated you on my first days in Spain (or Catalonia). I arrived at Barcelona's airport early last Friday. From the moment I woke at 3:30am on that day, I knew it was going to be a long one.

I flew from Southend and just a couple of days before my departure I was told a girl on the program was also on my flight. Not long after we arrived at the airport we were met by programme coordinators and others that had just landed in sunny Spain. We had to wait around a bit for a couple more flights to come in, then we were swiftly transferred to a building, just north of the centre. Without further information, this explanation sounds rather dodgy, but of course it lead us to meet other people in the same boat who were a part of the program. The next four hours consisted of a lot of sitting around, some unavoidable awkward silences, a couple of interesting ice-breaker tasks, and a more informative presentation. At points it was difficult to stay focused as I was running on no sleep and hadn't been able to eat a substantial amount of food because of my nerves. Although, I shouldn't complain as there were a tonne of Americans that had been up for 24 hours, or near to that. 

As soon as it turned 5pm the host families began arriving, and one by one we were collected. I was one of the last people to be collected. Some of you may be unfamiliar with the aspect of a host family. This was the part I was probably most anxious about, but knowing they were putting me up, being aware that they weren't getting anything towards having me made me more confident of the kind-natured family they were going to be.

I believe I have settled in very quick, a lot quicker than I expected to. I live with a couple who have two twins aged 4, and a girl aged 6. They are three of the sweetest and prettiest children I have ever met! Although their English is very limited because of their young ages, on the odd occasion they seek to impress me with their random outbursts. The first day or so with the family was a shock to the system. For one, I had just moved to a brand new county, then moved in with complete strangers, as well as lacking a huge amount of Spanish. My new home is situated in the heart of the city, close to La Sagrada Familia and a lot of Guadi's famous art work. The weekend more-or-less consisted of 'family time', where I was shown the city by foot and even ended up in a bar, drinking Spanish beer and watching huge rivals Barcelona and Real Madrid. It seems that the football match was about more than just football when these two teams play. I find the whole concept of the division between Catalonia and the rest of Spain an interesting one which I will elaborate further in a future post.

As I'm English I have to add in a little bit about the weather, because it is so typical of us Britons. The weather was amazing when we first arrived, but it has chilled down a bit since I've been at the school. We went to the beach at the weekend where temperatures raised to around 26 degrees. My host family said that this weather is unusual for the time of the year, but I'm not complaining. It's nice to be comfortable walking around without a jacket and at times even a jumper.

The weekend came to a close and Sunday evening brought me thinking about my first day at the school. I felt like I was a student at a new school, regardless of me being 'teaching staff'. I had both feelings of excitement and terror. Although I had volunteered for a short time as a teacher's assistant in a field centre in Epping, England, I had never worked properly in a proper school with such huge range of ages. The students at the school I work at ranges from 4-18 years.

My first day was overwhelming, but a good overwhelming. After a quick tour of the place where I met around two dozen staff in the space of half an hour, I was then ready to attend my first lesson. Well actually I wasn't ready but I was thrown in the deep end. As soon as I walked in I had 20-25 12 year old's eyes  fixated on me. The teacher introduced me and then they began asking me questions as I stood on the platform at the front of the class. Even though this terrified me I got such an adrenaline rush, and couldn't wait to be back with them. One girl accompanied me to the lunch area and as we met we exchanged two kisses and she explained how she was to attend an English academy in Oxford. I could not believe how good her English was for a 12 year old. I find it embarrassing that English people can not seem to compete with this, as the majority of us are unable to speak any language other than our own. In Spain they start having lessons in English at the age of 4! They say that younger years are vital to learning language and I truly believe that. The younger you learn it the more chance you have at grasping it.

Since my first day I have now attended several classes which are of a variety of ages. So far, I have found that the 14 year olds are the most challenging as they are older and more boisterous. It only took an observation of the questions they asked to acknowledge this. Whilst sniggering, the 14 year olds asked me things like whether I had a boyfriend and what I thought of Ebola. I guess it's good to know they have a sense of humour! 

The last lesson of my first week I was given a group of six children to take to another classroom and work with. I was given little guidance and at first I stuttered, unsure of what to do with myself, or them but finally I worked it out. I got the group talking and set them a simple activity. I know it will get easier with time because this is the kind of thing I will have to do frequently.

I really enjoy working with the 4 and 5 year olds and after just one class they were already clinging onto me at any opportunity, and shouting my name in the corridors. I can't help but smile at them and all because to see the excitement in their eyes, and hear the happiness in their voices is such an incredible thing. It is this exact feeling that has driven me to this situation, and has further secured my thoughts on a career involving children, if not teaching. We all acquire different traits that make us suitable for different job roles in life, and it is my enthusiasm and love for children that make teaching such a dream for me. I think some people either love working with kids or despise it. I'm definitely one that loves it.

So as you can gather I'm loving it. Although days are long, with starting at 9 and finishing at half 5 most days, it is worth it. I dread waking up in the morning, but I am yet to dread being in a class. Admittedly this first couple of weeks is easing me in, and it is going to get harder when I have more responsibilities, but if I continue to get the same admiration and reactions then I couldn't care less. I have found something that really makes me happy and that is incredibly important when it comes to the world of work because too many of us get trapped in jobs that we don't have a passion for, and in addition can make us feel depressed. No job is easy but I think it should be worth stressing over.

Everywhere I walk teachers and students say 'hola', 'hello', or even just shout my names, whilst displaying the biggest smiles on their faces. There is such a chilled vibe here that I want to rub off on me. One day I was in a class of 13 year olds and two of them performed their talents to me. One sang an English song, whilst the other showed me a magic trick. Children have so much energy and being around them that radiate it, makes it impossible to feel down.

It may only have been the first week but I'm loving every second, although a few days ago something hit me and I felt slightly homesick. I think it's the language barrier that makes it a little more difficult than it would be if I spoke enough Spanish to get by, however I know this will improve once I become more familiar with it, and learn more than the very few words I know now. I start Spanish lessons next week, I'm excited to meet up with some other people from the program over the next few days, as well as having my first night out in Barcelona.  It's a good thing I enjoy the beer, because spirits are really expensive here! I'm falling in love with Catalonia, and admittedly I can say living here is starting to be more tempting than Germany. I will write another post soon about my weekend spent in the countryside with my family so check back again soon! 

Take care!

Laura May