Weeks 5 & 6

Hello!

So this is now my sixth week in Spain and I’d like to think that things are finally becoming a bit more “normal” and “settled” (??) Well I’ve been working at the primary school now for two weeks, after a difficult stop-start month in October. It seems like everything is sorted paperwork wise; I’m also moving into a new flat this weekend, which is going to be fun. Mainly it’ll be nice just to have some independence, which will provide me with more routine hopefully.

So, last weekend Katherine and I decided to test our new bikes’ stamina and we cycled to Aguilas again. It was a lot quicker this time as we knew the route. We also decided to take the road rather the beaten mountain track (which was a tough uphill climb, but nonetheless quite satisfying) and we got to Aguilas in 3 hours. Once we got there, we “checked in” to the beach house, dropped some things off and then headed out on the bicis again!

We cycled ten kilometres down the coast in the direction of Almería. We actually ended up crossing the border of Murcia into Andalusia, which was quite exciting. Some of the views were absolutely amazing. Lots of mountains, winding roads and coastline…

Flying off over the deep blue sea!

Cycling through the fields!

Cycling buddies

Spanish architecture

Andalusian coastline

More flying

We got to a small town somewhere near Pulpí which was called San Juan. Once there, we sat on the (quite windy) beach and ate like an entire massive bar of chocolate between us (we’d just cycled 60 kilometres in total). The sun came out and it was simply beautiful so I decided to get my bikini on!

After that we went to a restaurant for beers and calamari. Then we sat back, feeling a bit full, a bit sleepy and watched the sun go down. Once it really started setting, we got back on our bikes and headed back to Aguilas. We stayed overnight in the beach house, woke up lazily the next morning (best thing ever to have a really good night’s sleep after a long day of sun, sea and intensive exercise), had a late breakfast (which ended up being hamburgers and chips because I think we needed to replace burnt off calories from the day before).

Then we took the 2pm train home to Lorca – there are three a day here: 7AM, 2PM and 7PM…

On the train we got a little “lecture” from the conductor guy on how to “store” bikes upright on the train. They looked like they were getting a bit hurt and the angle in which they were stored was really weird. I wish I’d taken a photo.

Anyway we both got back in one piece (and the bikes too) and the rest of my Sunday was pretty chilled. I went for a run round Lorca (even though my muscles were a bit stiff from the cycle ride) and then church in the evening.

That was all on Halloween weekend. Halloween itself was actually noneventful, except amongst the kids at the primary school. I ended up getting roped into telling a “Halloween story” to years 1, 2 and 3 which was quite cute. We got to dress up, so I ended up walking round Lorca with cat whiskers and a nose on my face, which got quite a few laughs out of localers, including Rúben who I bumped into outside of the library during my break.

Anyway at the other school I work at (a private language academy) we did a “skeleton/bones” themed week. We also decorated the classroom with pumpkins and various other Halloween type things.

I guess teaching is ok. There’s Christmas next, which could be a lot more fun than Halloween if we manage to spread enough Christmas spirit, music and crafts into the humid air of Lorca! I enjoy doing creative activities, the kind of thing I wasn’t really able to do as much when I worked in a secondary school in France.

The week after Halloween was pretty dull if I’m honest. At the primary school, I’ve been given the task of doing the science oral exams with years 2 and 3…testing them to see if they know the functions of the respitory, circulatory and digestive systems. At least it will be over by the end of next week.

In terms of how I feel, things are getting better. My initial month didn’t leave me jumping for joy exactly. On the contrary, there were some moments where I absolutely wanted out; I even found myself looking on Skyscanner for planes home. Thank goodness I pulled myself together.

 The only way I can describe it was that this place is not exactly what I expected. It’s relatively big but it’s got quite a small-town mentality. If you’re not Spanish, you stand out like a sore thumb. I guess Katherine and I got a bit fed up of being pointed and stared at in the first few weeks which was why going to Seville was so good because it’s a bigger city with more students. Lorca has its charms but I never realised that fitting in to a Spanish town could be hard work. Little by little, my Spanish is improving and little by little I am uncovering things about this place that are helping me to understand how to live here. And maybe by the end of next year, I will have a new plan for my life and whatever happens, I think it will be worth the effort to have stayed here and become fluent in Spanish.

Fingers crossed!

Here are some photos of my new flat. I'll try and get better ones soon!

Hasta luego guys!