January

So it's February already. My first thought was that January went by super fast, but then again it seems like forever since New Year. It's been a pretty good start to the year. I've met two new people who I've started doing intercambios with, I've got my YARP underway, and I'm generally loving life. I can't wait to go to Southampton in two weeks, and I'm already getting excited about summer. Yet I'm trying to make the most of my time, to enjoy the small things, etc.

Recently I've been thinking about how cool it is that I'm actually in Spain/Madrid. This time last year I had no clue where I was going to be spending my year abroad, in fact part of me wondered whether I'd actually pass second year at all. Then at first I didn't get a place with the British council, but after being put on the waiting list I got a random letter from the Ministry in Madrid being like here's your job contract. So that was pretty cool. And after hearing about the church plant in Madrid, it seemed like some kind of distant idea of something that might be cool to get involved in, but I didn't think I'd actually be able to be here. And here I am. In the past year I can see God working in my life and changing me. I'm beginning to believe instead of give up when challenges arise, to take confidence in the gifts God has given me, and to recognise all the good he has done. Generally I'm just enjoying life. Although I still don't feel like Spain is home, and I probably won't before June, that's cool. My Spanish is still pretty bad, but I'm trying. I still have four months of intercambios, chatting with teachers, watching Spanish TV, reading Spanish books, trying to immerse myself into Spanish somehow, and I'm sure I'm learning something. And after a week of freezing weather and even snow, its beginning to feel like spring. I went for a walk for the other day, and here are some pictures I took. 

El tiempo vuele

I feel like this week sped by in a way, I guess due to doing a bit more than I do on the average week, having realised I need to make the most of opportunities a little more.

I had two intercambios which went well, and have spoken a fair bit of Spanish. Having said this, I've also used the first person when talking about someone else, and forgotten how to conjugate the preterite. Anyway, the main thing is, I'm speaking more Spanish. Also I'm trying to record all the new vocab I come across, as Im generally not very organised with it and I think it will be good to keep looking back over it to remember and to see I'm actually learning something.

This week school generally went well, I basically took a few classes on my own, with the teacher in the room but leaving me to do the talking and they went well and my confidence in teaching is probably improving, which cool. Although I see flaws in my confidence in other ways, which can be frustrating. I feel nervous about the prospect of talking to my teachers about my project, and I also feel unnecessarily nervous talking at church gatherings. Patience being something I've never really had a lot of, I want to improve everything immediately and find it hard when everything is not where I want it to be in life. But life is much more about learning than being perfect, and I like to think I'm learning, whether it be Spanish, or general life, or growing in God.

Sometimes I cannot wait to be back in Southampton, living with my bestest friends and seeing Dave every day and just generally being able to understand everything, rather than grasping the general idea, or having absolutely no clue what is going on. At the same time I don't want to waste my life looking ahead and I'm aware that this semester will probably be over much sooner than I imagine and I'm really glad of the opportunity to be here. Classic year abroad really.

The first week back

So the first week back in Madrid! It seems like an age since I was in England already.
Since 'Los Reyes' (Epiphany) is a big thing here, Monday was a bank holiday, so I only had to work three days this week, which was nice to ease back into things after an awesome two weeks relaxing.
I spent the afternoon of the 'dia festivo' with the church plant people, which was really great. We spent some time worshipping, praying and Kevin talked about some of the things we're doing this year as well as talking about the importance of focusing on who we are as a church, not just what we are going to do.  We also had lunch together and I tried some 'Roscon' the traditional Reyes dessert which wasn't too bad for Spanish food lol.
Last Sunday I went for lunch with some people from the Spanish church which was nice and a good opportunity to speak a bit of Spanish. And one girl there told me my accent doesn't sound English when speaking Spanish, winning - although I think I only said about two words to her so I won't feel too confident about that yet!
School went well this week, a couple of the classes I took were all about looking back at last year and making New Years resolutions, which caused me to think about it for myself. Most of 2012 was really good, which I'm really thankful for and looking into 2013, I guess one of my aims at least for now is to improve my Spanish a lot. Also I'm going to try and keep in touch with friends at home more, as I haven't been great at that so far in Spain, and I'll try and blog more often about the goings on of my YA, maybe even weekly, although that might not happen. Having thought about the YA so far and how I haven't improved in Spanish as much as I'd like, I've decided to try and be more proactive to make the most of opportunities and not turn down chances to speak Spanish, and try and have a couple more 'intercambios' - language exchange where you chat in Spanish for a bit and English for a bit, and hopefully that can lead to making friends or at least speaking more Spanish.
In other news this week it was great to see one of my best friends Hanna, going for tapas on Thursday and spending friday trying to sort out various things which included a trip to the British embassy, which wasn't nearly as exciting as it sounds. It was also nice to hang out with my flatmate Jackie; today we went to the botanical gardens, but being January most of the plants were dead which was jokes. Also I sadly had to say goodbye to my other roommate Katie who went back to the States.
All in all I guess its been a fairly eventful week and I'm looking forward to seeing how the next few weeks/months go as I continue to try and improve Spanish and work on my research project...

5 things i love about spain/year abroad

sometimes i forget to remind myself that life is good. living in spain is cool. having a year abroad is excellent.
so, in no particular order...

1. spanish. yes, even though i am still yet to enjoy a coherent conversation without feeling really awkward, i do actually love spanish. this is why im here, this is why im studying it, this is why im frustrated because im not fluent yet. and even though im two months into my year abroad and i cant see a vast improvement, i still dare to hope that at some point in life i will achieve near native fluency, and i still believe by the end of this year i will be reaching it, and by the end of my degree it will be within my grasp.

2. church. i love church. and im blessed to have the opportunity to be part of the newfrontiers church plant here. its already been a massive blessing, knowing some like minded people who are also struggling to get to grips with the culture and the language and how to proclaim the name of Jesus in this nation. im blessed that this year is not just about me learning spanish, its about getting stuck in to God's plan for the city of Madrid. wowza.

3. school. i really enjoy my job, which is almost a surprise to me. im seriously considering doing a pgce after uni now, with the aim of teaching french/spanish at secondary school. i enjoy a job where i am around people all day. i enjoy my cute 1st ESO (year 7) classes where we learn how to say Juana is opposite Raquel. I enjoy my humourous 2nd Bachillerato (A2) class where we have debates about whether sciences or humanities are better. I enjoy being surrounded by spanish conversation at break time and await the day i can work out what theyre saying quick enough to contribute a witty response. i even at times enjoy the 40 minute bus journey as we pass mountains and villages and i just get to relax and contemplate life for a while.

4. knowing myself. i think being thrown into a different culture with no friends and family and a lack of fluency in the language is definitely a challenging thing, but with challenge comes the opportunity to grow. outside of my comfort zone, i find i am realising things about myself, about God, about life in general that may usually pass me by in the busyness and ordariness of life.

5. friends. as the year goes on, i hope to make more friends and deepen friendships, and i have already met and got to know two lovely housemates and my super friendly language exchange partner and incredible people from the church plant and one of my best uni friends is only a short train ride away.

and this is by no means the end of the things i enjoy about life on my year abroad in españa, but i must admit, im absolutely buzzing to go home for christmas! i guess there is really no place like home. great britain for the win.

Trusting in God.

Nearly two months into my year abroad, and I feel like I can barely string a sentence together in Spanish. Apparently I don't know how to pronounce sí. I have no 'Spanish' friends. I haven't really got anywhere with my YARP. Sometimes I just want to give up, go home and work at October books for the rest of my life. But I know that I'm here for a reason. I know that this is where God wants me. He could have brought anyone to teach at Juan de Herrera this year. He could have chosen anyone to join the Madrid Church plant for nine months. I have to remind myself constantly, that God is with me, and has plans which he is working out for my good. And if, by the end of this year, I have achieved nothing more than understanding more of God, having a bit more faith, being more deeply in love with Jesus, then that is an immeasurable achievement. The purpose of this year, as with every year of my life, is to be more Christ-like. Not to learn more languages, get a first in my dissertation, or whatever else. And as well as that, I know that God is more than able to help me in each and every situation this year.

And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.

UPDATE on life.

I was thinking today that this is currently the longest time I have ever been outside of Great Britain. And as they say, absence makes the heart grow fonder, and I currently do feel nostalgic for my home country with its tea and politeness and banter.

Having said this, I'm generally enjoying living in Spain. I feel like living elsewhere goes in phases. I'm past the wow I'm living in Spain everything is a novelty and fun times. And I think I'm just getting past the oh my life I'm living in Spain everything is so foreign and ridiculous. Well I guess the whole year I'm going to be in one of these categories to an extent, but at the same time I'm just getting on with life.

Today school was a good day, but I ended up teaching a whole class on my own without another teacher there, which is probably normal for some other assistants but the first time I'd done it. It wasn't a complete disaster, so that's good. Also I'd prepared a song with another class but we realised we couldnt have the language lab at the last moment, so we had to use the CD player rather than a computer and the available song which went with the textbook exercise was Justin Timberlake, always a bonus... or not.

I'm actually beginning to get somewhere with my YARP, by which I mean I have a feasible idea and have read a few articles. Having changed my plan, I still need to write a new proposal, yay. And an abstract, in Spanish. Who knows how that will go, since I feel like if anything my Spanish has got worse since I've got here. 

Definitely need to get on more 'intercambios' to chat Spanish in general life and probably try and actually keep a record of new words/ phrases I come across, and watch some more TV in Spanish, though it is very tempting to just watch in English, especially when there's a new series of Grey's Anatomy. But I'm trying to remind myself that I probably have my entire life to be in England and watch American TV so I should go out and speak Spanish and immerse myself into it a bit more proactively than I am right now. 

Also it's been awesome to see my besties Natasha and Hanna here this weekend/week, although tonight I was too tired after school and my commute to go over to Alcala to hang out with them tonight, they're coming over again tomorrow, so that will be super.

And I literally can't wait to see Dave next weekend.
All in all, loving life. 

Finally got round to writing this!

I've now been in Madrid nearly three weeks. In some ways it feels like a lifetime already, and in others I feel like I just got here, but that's life I guess! I've done two weeks at school, I'm enjoying it :) I've got 16 different classes with a few children in more than one but mostly different so it's quite hard to get to know names etc. So far I've just told them about myself and my life in England and they've asked me questions, done a presentation on the Royal family, quite jokes cos some of them couldn't understand that the Queen is actually called Elizabeth, not the Spanish translation Isabel, and William is not called Guillermo. I don't really know why the Spanish love translating names so much, but there you go.

Some things that I've noticed differences with are cool, like people are generally friendlier and say Hola at bus stops to strangers and have a chat with you in the fruit and veg shop and invite you to have a tour of their hometown. Some things are not so cool of course, but generally it's all good. I'm glad I brought my fairtrade tea bags with me, tea here is like grim lol. And I've ordered a kettle off amazon cos they just don't exist here! Another thing I've noticed is that everyone seems to have all the time in the world, even the telebancos (cash machines) take like 7 years to give you your money.

So moving on, after being sola in my apartment for a week my housemates moved in and I suddenly lived with two American girls. At first I was like ahh I'm never gona speak Spanish and at times I think my brain almost thinks I'm on my YA in the US and gets like super surprised when I suddenly hear someone speaking Spanish in the street and then I'm like oh yeah I'm in Spain, cool. But anyway, they're like so nice, I love living with them already. It's also quite nice to just be able to chill at home and speak English, even though they like laugh at everything I say!

Church is also pretty awesome. So I've like got involved in the Madrid Church Plant which is super cool, the team are awesome people, their faith is pretty inspiring just the way they've just taken their family and moved to Madrid and are now just living here meeting people and building church. I'm also going to Amistad Cristiana and it's just a great church, everyone's super friendly and the presence of God is so there in the meetings, and I was super pleased to actually understand the service since it's ofc all in Spanish. Also I went to the meeting for university age people on Tuesday and it was pretty epic.

I guess a lot more has occured, but I'll leave it there for now, with a few pictures :)

mi habitacion :)

the park just down the road

my roomies in sol ♥