5 October, 20:00, Granada, Spain.
John and I have decided to document the key parts of our Spanish teaching ‘adventure’ on this blog, as a husband and wife, chatting to one another about how we're feeling and what we're doing. It's a big thing to move to another country on your own, but it is equally as challenging to do it with someone who you're also very close to and adding recently married into the mix. At the same time, two weeks in, I feel really lucky to be here with someone I am very close to, it’s made the settling in process a lot smoother than what I was expecting. Here goes!
We’re currently away in Granada for the weekend but we’re based and teaching in San Javier, Murcia.
John and I have decided to document the key parts of our Spanish teaching ‘adventure’ on this blog, as a husband and wife, chatting to one another about how we're feeling and what we're doing. It's a big thing to move to another country on your own, but it is equally as challenging to do it with someone who you're also very close to and adding recently married into the mix. At the same time, two weeks in, I feel really lucky to be here with someone I am very close to, it’s made the settling in process a lot smoother than what I was expecting. Here goes!
We’re currently away in Granada for the weekend but we’re based and teaching in San Javier, Murcia.
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| Hello from Granada |
Q: Two weeks in, how is it going so far?
John Zakharia: Week 1 was was weird. We had just come off a 60 day holiday, and were about to start new jobs. We had the first week to begin setting up our lives in Spain. So it felt there was all these tasks that had to be done and a time frame to do them. Turns out San Javier is a very laid back area, and you can't help but get caught up in that attitude. So the week progressed and everything got done! Turns out our biggest choice we had to make was to live on the beach or in the city.
Week 2 was ‘back to school’. I had been super excited for this so when the time came this overrode any nerves. I really enjoyed my first week. I met all the teachers I would be working with and the students. Teaching was a shock. You're standing in front of a group of kids, trying to captivate them for 45 minutes. Teaching teenagers I was constantly trying to think about how to make the topics relatable to all 30 students at one time…impossible. Teaching the little kids, I stood no chance. All I had going for me to grab their attention was that I was tall.
After 2 weeks - I can say that so far it has surpassed any expectations I had.
Carla Zakharia: Honestly, I am surprised it has already been two weeks. A lot has happened, we’ve found our apartment and began our new jobs as Auxiliaries. I have come to really love where we have settled, by the beach in San Javier. When we first arrived, I had doubts, I felt far from home and uncomfortable with the idea that I needed to create a new home, however, this is different now. I feel excited and just an overall feeling of happiness and anticipation for our new life San Javier. There is this excitement for the opportunity of new hobbies, new adventures and new friendships.
Week one at school was a whirlwind, meeting hundreds of children who I currently am racking my brain on trying to remember their names and the teachers I will be working with. I felt quite confident going to school, I wasn’t worried or scared, rather, I was anxious at the idea of starting something new, but can confirm that these anxious feelings are gone now that I am progressing in to week two. All I can think of now is of the potential impact that me being at the school will have on the students and teachers. I can feel the challenge of language existing already, however, this is why I am here!
One thing I wasn’t prepared for, how exhausting teaching would be, add into the mix that the level of English isn’t so high and you can only speak in English to the students.
Everyone in the town is so nice, the people I am working with are so kind and generous with their time, it's wonderful.
So far, so good.
Q: Biggest challenge settling into a new country?
JZ: The language barrier, you're sitting there trying to negotiate a rental agreement (or decipher a Spanish menu) with Google translate at the ready.
CZ: The language. Quickly scrambling to Google Translate to make something out of a sentence here and there, you’re guessing most of the time.
Week 2 was ‘back to school’. I had been super excited for this so when the time came this overrode any nerves. I really enjoyed my first week. I met all the teachers I would be working with and the students. Teaching was a shock. You're standing in front of a group of kids, trying to captivate them for 45 minutes. Teaching teenagers I was constantly trying to think about how to make the topics relatable to all 30 students at one time…impossible. Teaching the little kids, I stood no chance. All I had going for me to grab their attention was that I was tall.
After 2 weeks - I can say that so far it has surpassed any expectations I had.
Carla Zakharia: Honestly, I am surprised it has already been two weeks. A lot has happened, we’ve found our apartment and began our new jobs as Auxiliaries. I have come to really love where we have settled, by the beach in San Javier. When we first arrived, I had doubts, I felt far from home and uncomfortable with the idea that I needed to create a new home, however, this is different now. I feel excited and just an overall feeling of happiness and anticipation for our new life San Javier. There is this excitement for the opportunity of new hobbies, new adventures and new friendships.
Week one at school was a whirlwind, meeting hundreds of children who I currently am racking my brain on trying to remember their names and the teachers I will be working with. I felt quite confident going to school, I wasn’t worried or scared, rather, I was anxious at the idea of starting something new, but can confirm that these anxious feelings are gone now that I am progressing in to week two. All I can think of now is of the potential impact that me being at the school will have on the students and teachers. I can feel the challenge of language existing already, however, this is why I am here!
One thing I wasn’t prepared for, how exhausting teaching would be, add into the mix that the level of English isn’t so high and you can only speak in English to the students.
Everyone in the town is so nice, the people I am working with are so kind and generous with their time, it's wonderful.
So far, so good.
Q: Biggest challenge settling into a new country?
JZ: The language barrier, you're sitting there trying to negotiate a rental agreement (or decipher a Spanish menu) with Google translate at the ready.
CZ: The language. Quickly scrambling to Google Translate to make something out of a sentence here and there, you’re guessing most of the time.
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| Suave look 2019 Prior to missing the our bus by 1 minute, then having to wait 2 hours. |
Q: Biggest surprise in your first week teaching?
JZ: How happy I felt when I could help a student learn a new word or the pronunciation of a word. Oh, and when I student drew me a picture… So damn adorable but she could improve her line work. I didn't mention, I teach art.
CZ: The kindness of the students and the teachers. They are so genuinely happy to have you there. The hugs in the middle of the class are so special. I felt so happy and grateful that I had made the decision to do this, despite months of doubt and questioning whether or not leaving my corporate job was a good idea. It has been so far.
Q: Biggest challenge in your first week teaching?
JZ: I was asked to teach biology… I confidently crack open the unit book and the word 'cartilaginous' is staring me down. I’m praying for the students of that class.
CZ: Grade 1 english, last period on a Tuesday. It’s a messy, exhilarating combination of wild spanish speaking students, the English language and two frustrated teachers. Makes for a lot of yelling.
Q: Best thing you’ve eaten since you’ve been in Spain.
JZ: Broad beans and ham dish. It's really simple but it just feels homely.
CZ: Patates Aioli from Restaurante El Portugues in San Pedro del Pinatar. Just try it.
Q: How has it been doing this with your significant other?
JZ: It's really good, just to have someone to talk to about it all. Who is doing exactly the same thing as you. No denying that we have butted heads on multiple occasions but it is well outweighed by the good. We also get through it by celebrating every possible thing. Looked at an apartment, we should celebrate. Managed to get sim cards, celebrate that too. Sadly the bank account has meant that our bi-daily celebrations have had to come to an abrupt stop… Here is to hoping we were held together by more than that.
CZ: It has made the process of picking up and moving to another country a much smoother transition for me. While I feel far from home I have my best friend here with me, making it much easier. We have had a couple of disagreements, but you realise that you are both all you have here and you just work through it all. Sharing stories after school about your students is also fun, we’ve had a bunch of laughs over this. I’m hoping that this experience in Spain will help us to grow, challenge each other to be better individuals and a stronger unit.
JZ: How happy I felt when I could help a student learn a new word or the pronunciation of a word. Oh, and when I student drew me a picture… So damn adorable but she could improve her line work. I didn't mention, I teach art.
CZ: The kindness of the students and the teachers. They are so genuinely happy to have you there. The hugs in the middle of the class are so special. I felt so happy and grateful that I had made the decision to do this, despite months of doubt and questioning whether or not leaving my corporate job was a good idea. It has been so far.
Q: Biggest challenge in your first week teaching?
JZ: I was asked to teach biology… I confidently crack open the unit book and the word 'cartilaginous' is staring me down. I’m praying for the students of that class.
CZ: Grade 1 english, last period on a Tuesday. It’s a messy, exhilarating combination of wild spanish speaking students, the English language and two frustrated teachers. Makes for a lot of yelling.
Q: Best thing you’ve eaten since you’ve been in Spain.
JZ: Broad beans and ham dish. It's really simple but it just feels homely.
CZ: Patates Aioli from Restaurante El Portugues in San Pedro del Pinatar. Just try it.
Q: How has it been doing this with your significant other?
JZ: It's really good, just to have someone to talk to about it all. Who is doing exactly the same thing as you. No denying that we have butted heads on multiple occasions but it is well outweighed by the good. We also get through it by celebrating every possible thing. Looked at an apartment, we should celebrate. Managed to get sim cards, celebrate that too. Sadly the bank account has meant that our bi-daily celebrations have had to come to an abrupt stop… Here is to hoping we were held together by more than that.
CZ: It has made the process of picking up and moving to another country a much smoother transition for me. While I feel far from home I have my best friend here with me, making it much easier. We have had a couple of disagreements, but you realise that you are both all you have here and you just work through it all. Sharing stories after school about your students is also fun, we’ve had a bunch of laughs over this. I’m hoping that this experience in Spain will help us to grow, challenge each other to be better individuals and a stronger unit.
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