For my second time around doing the
auxiliar de conversación program, I opted for a change of scenery. I lived in the north (Pamplona) back in 2008, and then in the south (Granada) last school year, so I went for something more central this time around. I originally wanted Madrid, but Filipinos aren't allowed to choose Madrid for the program, so I chose the next nearby thing:
Castilla y León. Time rolled by and the next thing I knew I was assigned to
Valladolid.
My school is actually in
Arroyo de la Encomienda, another city, but still in the Valladolid province. But it's very close to Valladolid city, a mere 8km away, or a 15 minute bus ride. There isn't much in Arroyo, so I chose to live in Valladolid, and make the commute everyday (the bus is €1,40 one way, which isn't too bad).
Life in Valladolid is quiet and simple. It's a decent sized city, good for comfortable living, but there's not much to
do. It has its fair share of shops, bars, restaurants, and churches, and my pueblo Arroyo de la Encomienda is even home to the biggest shopping mall in Spain,
Rio Shopping.
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| The view from my apartment |
The first thing I had to quickly adjust to was the weather. Castilla y León is actually one of the coldest regions in Spain, and I immediately felt it upon arriving in October. I remember arriving in Granada the year before and spending the first few weeks able to go out in shorts and without a sweater. This time around I immediately had to bundle up, and the temperature stayed below 20ºC. Thankfully my apartment has central heating this time around, so I shouldn't be too miserable come winter.
Another striking thing about Valladolid is its fog! I have never experienced so much fog in my life. There must have been this one week where the sun barely came out, and it was insanely foggy. Below is a picture on my way home from work one day. Normally you'd be able to see the buildings at the end of the bridge, but at that time it was just white skies.
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| Foggy Valladolid |
Auxiliar work has had its ups and downs. This year I was placed in a primary school, which I was really looking forward to (I was in a secondary school last year). But being in a primary school is very challenging. Much like the secondary school students, the ones over here lack discipline. But coupled with their age, they're insanely hard to control. I'm also not supposed to speak Spanish in school, so I feel like every time I get mad at them, they don't really understand what I'm saying. I'm still adjusting, and taking it a week at a time. I'm also giving group classes in the afternoon to supplement my income, which sometimes makes me want to tear my hair out, but on other days are okay.
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| The one day they were actually behaved |
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| Proudly presenting their work |
One fun thing about being in a primary school is the celebrations. In my secondary school they didn't bother celebrating most holidays. But for Halloween this year, the students dressed up (even the teachers were super into it; I just wore a mask), and put on a simple program.
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| Some of my students in their costumes |
Well that's it for now about life in Valladolid. Coming up next are a few more trips I've taken since.
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