¡Bienvenidos a Barcelona!

After many years of talking and getting overly stressed and excited about my Year Abroad, I can now officially say that Barcelona is my hometown. 2 weeks in and I’m finally starting to settle. I’m very lucky to have been accepted and given a place in this beautiful city as I know that some of my friends did not get the destination that they were hoping for.

On Friday 30th September I jetted off to the Catalonian capital all on my own (Despite the 3 and a half hour delay!). Not knowing what to expect at all, I arrived safely at my Airbnb. I started to look for flats almost immediately and within 12 hours of being there I found a room in a great location. A word of advice… The best way to look for a flat in my opinion is by joining Facebook pages. I joined Erasmus Barcelona and made friends which lead to me finding a room in El Born – a proper student area in Barcelona and such a good location. I did however look for flats on websites which were extremely useful like Idealista and Pisocompartido. Just be careful booking things over the internet, you never know who you can and can’t trust!

On Monday, I went to my school which I will be working at and met all of the staff, including my tutor. She couldn’t have made me feel more at home. Her and all of the teachers are so friendly and have helped me so much over these past 2 weeks. Most of the teachers don’t speak any English at all, only Catalan and Spanish. This is making my Spanish progress day by day and I’m even picking up bits of Catalan, especially from the kids! The primary school itself is a Catalan school therefore all the lessons are taught in Catalan. I’ve noticed over the last few weeks that the locals are very proud of their language and it’s so interesting to listen to their views on the right to be an independent country.

I’ve had the most hectic 2 weeks imaginable! I’ve had to move from my Airbnb to my new flat  which was such a struggle but I was lucky to have my mam travel out a week after I arrived to help me move all my belongings over to my new place. On top of this, I’ve had to sort out so much paper work! If you are planning on doing a Year Abroad and working out here, I advise you to obtain your NIE (Número de Identidad de Extranjero) at the Spanish Consulate in the UK. I got mine in Edinburgh (There are 2 in the UK – Edinburgh and London) and it came within 2 days. You NEED this to open up a Spanish bank account. If you decide to leave it until you arrive in Spain, you have to take a trip to the police station where you have to queue for hours and you may not get an appointment on the day.

Besides the hassle, I am now ready to start living the Spanish life. Everything has been up in the air but I know this will soon change. Almost every local who I have spoken to has said that it’ll take me a while to get used to their way of living (I’ve immediately noticed that no one seems to rush for anything or anyone! This can’t be a bad thing can it?). My flat mates are near enough all my age and they’re from different parts of the world which is so fascinating. They’re so easy to get along with which I’m so happy about!

From mid October I had the build up to Halloween at school. I forgot how excited children get when yearly traditions come along (god help me when December comes!). During these weeks I had to make a presentation for the Year 6’s explaining how Halloween is celebrated in the UK. It’s very similar here in Barcelona as they do the traditional ‘trick or treating’ or ‘truco o trato’ in Spanish, but the children told me that they celebrate something called ‘La Castanyera’ which is a celebration in the Catalonian region. They eat roast chestnuts, panellets (special biscuits or cookies) and sweet potatoes. Street vendors sell these wrapped in Newspapers and it was so charming to see when I walked around the cobbled streets near where I live.

My brother, George, arrived for the Halloween weekend! It was so good to see him as both of us had been looking forward to this weekend for weeks and the last time George visited Barcelona was about 12 years ago, where he was only 10 and I was 8. With me living away from home, its always extra special seeing people who mean so much to me – and I’m sure everyone living far afield would certainly agree. On the Saturday we took a visit to the Sagrada Familia, a large (and I mean large!) catholic Church designed by Antoni Gaudí. If you come to Barcelona this is a must see! The picture below doesn’t do it justice for how beautiful and big it is. We wanted to take a trip inside but it was fully booked. Perhaps this was a good idea because we would’ve been €60 down!

On the night we went to the Nou Camp to watch Barcelona vs. Granada. What an unforgettable experience! Although we were both disappointed that Messi didn’t score, Barcelona still won 1-0. I’d definitely recommend going to a match too. It is rather pricey, but worth every penny. Oh and no alcohol is served at this stadium, just for the heads up!

The following day was what we were looking forward to the most. We went to an all day event called ‘Elrow’, an extravagant rave which started off in Barcelona but has now gone world wide. This was of course Halloween themed so we got dressed up and headed out at 2pm with my friend Megan and ended up making lots of friends along the way! It was such a fun and unforgettable weekend and my brother said he will definitely be returning for the next Elrow which is in the next 2 weeks!

Now that the Halloween rush is over and George arrived home safely, I  returned back to working at the school. The children are starting to pick up little bits of English which I’m so pleased about and they are very enthusiastic about it, although not all of them of course! They’ve already started singing Christmas songs. Is it too early yet or am I just being a Scrooge? My Spanish is coming along nicely too, however I feel that I need more practice. Everyone tells me I’m probably learning more than I think but I’m just not realising! My next task is to join Spanish conversation classes where I can talk more and if people need help with their English I am happy to help them too.

On 11th November and after 7 weeks apart, my boyfriend Shane finally came to visit for a full week! He was so excited to come over and I was even more excited to show him where I’m living and show him around Barcelona. We went the zoo, the aquarium, went on the cable carts, ate out every night and drank lots of wine (as you can probably tell from the photos below!!). I told him I would cook him lovely meals which did not happen once.. Oops! Before you go to these excursions, I’d recommend buying them online. I bought the zoo tickets on the internet and it was 20% cheaper. I think the aquarium was the same but we ended up just buying them there, so we could’ve saved some money! The week flew by but we had such a nice time. Personally, it is a challenge having a long distance relationship but like I previously said it makes it worth while when you’re finally together. Nowadays you have access to Skype, Face Time and texting so it makes it a lot easier as you are in contact each day. I think another key factor is to stay positive and look forward to when you’re next going to see them! So yeah,  it doesn’t always have to be doom and gloom.

¡Feliz Año Nuevo!

So the month of December is always a busy month for the majority of people around the world. Christmas parties, Christmas shopping, Christmas decorations and of course Christmas itself. At my school Joan Miró, there was lots going on! We decorated the corridors with tinsel, Christmas trees and stockings and I had to make a presentation to the children and tell them how I celebrate Christmas back home in England. It’s very different out here in Spain because they celebrate Día de los reyes (King’s Day) where on the night of 5th January, the Cabalgata de los Reyes Magos (Three Kings’ Parade) takes place in every city in España and they deliver the presents to everybody’s houses. The following day (6th January), everybody opens their presents. So as we receive our presents off Santa Claus, the Spanish receive theirs off the Three Kings. Unfortunately I wasn’t here to see this because I was home for 2 weeks for the Christmas holidays –  it was so nice returning home after being away from Newcastle for 3 months (I wasn’t a fan of how cold it was though!). But yes I’ve been told it’s a heartfelt experience. If you’re going on your Year Abroad next year to Spain, I would definitely recommend being here for the 5th and 6th January.

As for my Spanish, I have been using the following website openlanguageexchange. It allows you to put in your details i.e. name, age, your native language, the language you are learning etc. and it pairs you up with people who have similar interests as you and are wanting to learn your native language and will help you with your second language. It sounds complicated but let me explain a little bit more. I have met a 22 year old señorita (a Spanish woman just to clarify) who wants to improve her English and I’m a native speaker of English wanting to improve my Spanish, entiendes? It’s called an intercambio which is where we exchange languages. So we’ll meet up for a coffee/drink and for half and hour to an hour (or however long we want) we’ll talk in English and then change to Spanish. From my personal experience, I would say this is definitely the best way to learn a language, although a bit nerve racking at first! Just be careful who you are meeting and perhaps add them on Facebook too to see if it’s not a dodgy/fake account (that’s what I done) and meet in an area with lots of people around. I know you aren’t silly, but take note!! I would advise anyone to visit this website and try it out. It doesn’t just help you improve your second language and because it’s one on one, you won’t feel intimidated or embarrassed if you mess up. Trust me I know the feeling.. Surrounded by Spanish teachers in the staff room who don’t speak any English at all can be daunting at times.

I’ve also managed  to explore more of Barcelona. At the end of November I went to Parque Güell, a park situated in La Salut which is another one of Gaudi’s masterpieces. You do have to pay to get in the park (only about 8 euros) and walk up a big hill if you don’t hop on a tour bus, but it is definitely as they say in Spain vale la pena (worthwhile!).

On 18th December, Megan and I took a trip to Tibidabo. Located in the mountains, Tibidabo is such a surreal place as it overlooks the whole of Barcelona. We took the bus from Plaza de Cataluña and it took us straight there. I couldn’t believe that there’s a theme park at the top of the mountain! We didn’t go in though, we walked around and went into to the Sagrat Cor church and then wandered around the area. Although I am a little queasy of heights to say the least, Tibidabo really is a spectacular place and was worth the visit! (photo to the left is Tibidabo, I took it standing outside the church!)

La Primavera 

So we’re well into Spring now (hence the title!) and I’ve seen a huge difference in temperature from December/ January time till now! The majority of Spaniards who I’ve spoken to say they prefer Spring to Summer because the trees are blossoming and the heat is bearable. I however disagree. I hate the cold and for someone who is used to the cold conditions back home, I  can tell you that it has been freezing throughout January in Barcelona.

When I returned to the Catalonian capital after Christmas, I noticed that the temperature had dropped around 10/15 degrees  and even my mam agreed when she came out a week later. AND having no heating in the flat made matters a little worse! I did however manage to survive with the help of my little heater and hot water bottle..

But saying all this, the coldness didn´t last long. The weather has been delightful. It´s so nice experiencing sunshine so early on in the year because Newcastle is always either wet, windy or cold (or all 3) so anything above 15 degrees is a godsend! I even managed to go to the beach last weekend and caught some rays with the girls. 

In  January I was over the moon when one of my good friends Rachel moved in the same flat as me. She’s on her Year Abroad too but was previously in Germany for the first half and now in Spain for the second. We’re now staying in the same flat until we leave (around mid June). I moved downstairs with her because my flat was getting far too quiet. We’re both  so lucky  having each other because let’s be honest, being in a different country with a new job, new routines, different faces and a different life in general, it can sometimes get the better of you. So if we’re having a down day, we’re always there for one another and having someone here to share this experience with is fantástico! I love my new room. It has a little balcony and loads more space and the people in the flat are so helpful and easy to get along with, which is what you want! I must warn you that paying for your digs in Barcelona isn’t cheap, you’ll be lucky to pay less than 400 a month for a double room. But I think it’s worth it for where I’m located (El Born, next to Arc de Triomf). Everything is within walking distance, things like the beach, the parks, restaurants, bars, shops etc! I couldn’t ask for anything more.

So I’ve managed to get a little part-time job with the help of one of the teachers at the school as two of her friends needed a babysitter. It’s only around 5/6 hours per week but it entails me picking the two children up at dinner time on a Monday and after school on a Thursday for a few hours. My main aim is to talk to the two girls in English as their native language is Spanish. Yes you guessed it, at the age of 3 the girls can understand English, Spanish and Catalan! But it’s benefiting me as I’m learning more Spanish from the girls as they won’t reply in English, only a few words here and there but the rest they speak in Spanish. I’m also gaining more experience in teaching children and getting paid! I’d recommend this to anyone wanting to teach. It adds something to your CV and gives you that little bit extra money for doing something you enjoy. Maybe just ask anyone in school if they know anyone needing more support with English. Don’t be afraid to ask!

As for my aventuras - adventures.. Megan and Rachel and I went to explore Montjuic which is a mountain in Barcelona,at the end of January. We got the train from Arc De Triomf to Plaza de España and walked the rest of the way. Don’t panic, there is a bus that takes you from España! We just fancied the walk because the sun was shining! We visited the castle which is free on a Sunday after 3pm or at any other time its around 5 or 6 euros. It’s definitely worth a visit. I preferred the views over the castle but both were still breathtaking. I also went inside the Sagrada Familia. Rachel’s parents who were over in February paid for us to go in which was so sweet. You have to book online to guarantee a place and you get given a slot of around 1 hour and a half which is plenty of time to look around. It is a bit pricey (around 15 euros). Everything about it is breathtakingly beautiful from the architecture to the lighting, to the colour on the stain glass windows. The pictures below doesn’t do it justice for how outstanding Gaudi’s work is.

¡¡El Fin!!

I have finished working at Joan Miró school in Barcelona. 8 whole months have gone by and I have completed my placement. I’ve made strong relationships with a huge majority of the children and some of the teachers too. Although there has been an improvement in the children’s English, they still didn’t have a clue what I was saying 80% of the time. Almost every day I hear ‘Qué?’ ‘Cómo?’ (the equivalent to ‘what’ in English) after I speak. My last day was so emotional. Some of the children drew me a picture titled ‘Hello Kate’ or ‘Bye bye Kate’ with a photo of me sunbathing underneath. They asked me ‘What is your favourite thing?’ to which I replied ‘sunbathing’, hence the drawing. I got a lovely bunch of flowers off the English department and the headmistress, along with some Catalan chocolates and biscuits.

I think if anything this experience has taught me a very important key aspect in teaching a language: you have to be PATIENT (it helps a LOT!) and speak only in the target language, so in this case English, with plenty of hand gestures so they understand the gist of the sentence. By speaking only in the target language they adapt to it and get used to the language very quickly. Repeat your sentences and key words in the sentence so they know that this is vital information. Remember that they don’t need to know every single word and they probably won’t. I still struggle at times when someone is talking to me Spanish, especially when they get their `r´s´ rolling and talk very fast, but I always pick up on the some of the words and can work out what they are saying. School aside, let me tell you what I’ve been doing in the months leading up to summer.

On Saturday 1st April Megan, Rachel and I took a trip to Montserrat, a beautiful mountain retreat about an hour away (North West) from Barcelona by train. Well not just by train, we took the train from Plaza de España to Aire de Montserrat then took the cable car to the Montserrat Monastery, only costing around 20 euros return per person. If you’re a little queasy of heights the cable car journey might be the worst five minutes you’ll ever experience, but the views are substantial as it overlooks the Llobregat River and Valley and takes you up the mountain and right up to Montserrat Monastery. It’s definitely worth it, when you´re in the cable car just don’t look down. We spent all day there and we managed to hike up one tiny part of the mountain, see the Monastery and several shops. It’s a huge place so I’ll definitely be returning in the summer and exploring another part of the mountain. Consejos: (tips) Look at the forecast in advance and go on a clear sunny day, we hit lucky as the forecast for this day was cloudy but it wasn’t as bad as we thought when we got there. Also set off early because there are so many things to see and do! Wear proper trainers or hiking shoes and take layers of course. I have to admit it’s the best place I’ve visited, despite my fear of heights.

On 6th May, Rachel and I went to Lloret De Mar, a lovely little (and very British) resort in the Costa Brava. We got the coach from Barcelona Nord (coach station) which is around a 5 minute walk from where we live. The coach takes around an hour to get there and only costs 10.50 euro one way. I wouldn´t say there´s a great deal in Lloret, we went for a little break away and we knew that there were plenty of bars and restaurants and a lovely beach which was perfect for us! Like I say it is very British so if you´re planning to come here, expect lots of tourists (especially stag & hen do´s!) and lots of cheap alcohol. We stayed the night and headed back to Barcelona on Sunday afternoon.

About a month later, the 3 of us took a trip to Tossa De Mar, a very small coastal town about an hour and a half away from Barcelona.  Rachel’s work had organised a trip there by coach which meant we didn’t have to organise anything ourselves (but I can’t imagine it being too stressful to sort out) AND the weather was lovely. We visited the castle, had some tapas and sunbathed on the beach before heading back to the coach around 6pm. It’s such a pleasant little town. I wouldn’t say it’s a place where I’d stay for a holiday, but definitely worth a visit for a day or two.

I hope you have enjoyed reading my blog posts and I hope it has given some of you an insight of what to expect if you are planning on going to live abroad. It’s an experience I’ll always remember. If I can give anyone advice for their year abroad it is simply to explore as much as you can, don’t be afraid to try new things and EMBRACE yourself in the new culture!

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