Chapter Three: Dias Granadinos

I've fallen in love.

It sounds crazy, because it's only been two weeks. But with me it never takes very long- I'm extremely naïve in that sense. Already Granada feels like home. There's a comfort in the everyday way of things, now that I've dropped into that much important routine which I wrote about last time. It's something that helps me, and many others I know, to thrive and it's the key to making sense of all the upheaval of the previous fortnight or so. Sheer infatuation, with where I am and what I'm doing.

I use the word upheaval as, for myself and all my fellow ELA's across Spain, Thursday 1st October saw us attend our allocated schools for the first time. For me, this was a very long, and action-packed, day. Starting with an alarm at 6 in the morning, I then had to leave the flat by twenty-past-seven, in order to catch a lift-share to Motril, with a delightful Spanish lady named Esther and her friend Antonio. This is thanks to Bla Bla Car, an extremely convenient tool if you need to commute somewhere further afield. This is due to it being both quicker and cheaper than using a bus, not to mention a much better opportunity to practise my Spanish. It's just an all-round better experience!

 I arrived at my school, Virgen de la Cabeza, shortly before nine O'clock, and was warmly greeted by my mentor teacher and head of the schools bilingual programme, Angela, who wasted no time in introducing me to fellow members of staff. I found this reception completely overwhelming. Every member of staff knew me by name, and would stroll up and introduce themselves as if it was the most natural thing in the world. I've been welcomed in a similar way when I first arrived in Australia over two years ago, but the sheer uplifting feeling of people's generosity never fails to strike a chord with me. And this was all just after nine in the morning!

Mi cole

These prompt starts are actually nothing new for me. I'm a morning person anyway, so I like to seize each day as it is beginning. It's not as if I have the option not to anyway! I'm usually in school at twenty to nine, Monday to Thursday, to meet with fellow members of staff to prepare the days lessons- it's a chance for me to show them the exercises, games or songs that I have planned, and for them to give me feedback. These conversations can be in either English or Spanish, though it's very often the latter, which I infinitely prefer- I'm speaking English most of the time anyway, so any opportunity to practise is to be seized. The staffroom also has the most ingenious coffee machine I've ever had the good fortune to come across, which also helps, especially after the time I'm up on school days!

To build a rapport with students I was encouraged to prepare some PowerPoints describing my hobbies and interests, general life and favourite things, along with some facts about England. This proved to be a great success, and my favourite films, books and sports have made me recognizable (and infamous, in the case of my football team) to pupils around school during the day. As LA's we are all assigned different subjects with which to assist. My allocated classes (Social and Natural Science and Music) really keep me on my toes and coming up with creative ideas for lessons. I've also managed to get used to welcoming cries of "Teacher Ben!" when I enter each classroom- I infinitely prefer that to "Mr Seymour" for various reasons! Lessons begin at 9, finishing at 2 in the afternoon, with a 30 minute break from half-past eleven. It's manic from minute one, but I wouldn't swap it for the world.

In order to get back from Motril, I catch a lift with another Bla Bla Car user. Again, for obvious reasons, this has become a feature of my Year Abroad so far, and I continue to be struck by the generosity and willingness of all the Granadinos I've come across to lend a helping hand. I normally arrive back at home around three. From that point on, the rest of the day is ours to spend as we like: for me this obviously entails going for a run, and on Thursday afternoons you'll find me slogging around the athletics track at Granada's newly refurbished Estadio de la Juventud- an average temperature of 26 degrees makes it so much easier to get the winter miles in, not to mention an opportunity to keep the running vest-tan on point! My fellow LA's and I will also frequently arrange to meet for dinner, tapas, drinks or a combination of all three. These gatherings are a great chance to trade a few laughs and swap some war stories from the days classes- the highlights (so far) being some of us having to explain the finer points of the male and female anatomy (yes, all of it), horse riding, mountain biking and being stiff-limbed from two hours of singing 'Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Toes.' After that I fall into bed, exhausted, to do it all again the next day. I'll say this: Auxiliares certainly earn their keep.

Hitting the track for the first time, finally!

The routine I keep is trying, but highly gratifying in equal measure. It's very strange when I think back to where I was this time last year. That's the biggest reason I need this experience. It's a chance to continue to grow, to leave behind old, unhealthy obsessions, things I was hung up about for so long, and get to know a new area, explore greater horizons and to meet new people. I personally feel things went a bit stale in Nottingham last year, and that I needed a new stimulus- something to really push me to change my attitude. I'm not there yet, but that old adage of 'one step at a time' continues to ring true. I currently don't have any time to stop and think about things, and that's just how I like it. More of the same please! Except human biology...


'Por volar mientras todos caminan.' Fly, whilst all the others walk.