Things that I have learnt so far

So I'm four days into what feels like a month of organising/building a life here in Torrelavega, the town in which I will be teaching for eight months. I've traipsed the streets of both Santander & Torre for longer than my feet find acceptable, eaten a lot of delicious tapas, drunk lots of vino rojo y cerveza, learnt a ton of words, spoken two tons of Spanish, found a flat, bought a mobile phone and met some incredibly friendly and welcoming people who I hope I'll get to know even more during my stay here! Throughout all of this I've also learnt some interested little habits of the Spanish culture that exist here:

Dubbed TV As far as I can tell, the quality of Spanish TV is a bit hit and miss, hence the prevalence of dubbed series from the States that are on all the time on the main channels. Let me tell you, watching New Girl in dubbed Spanish/any other programme that you were previously familiar with is a hilarious experience! To be a voice-over actor in Spain you are required to have the silliest, cheesiest voice possible that in no way matches the original voice of the on-screen actor. Not sure what their aversion is to subtitles but very entertaining all the same!

Children don't sleep I kinda already knew this one but really, tonight the kids were playing in the street at 10 in the evening. The reeeally little ones I mean! Unthinkable in the UK but here it was lovely to see the youngest and oldest members of society (as well as everyone else in between) hanging out together in a big noisy pretty plaza, 'tomando aire'.

No tipping! I know, right! Apparently it's not the done thing in Torre. I'm just glad to have realised this sooner rather than later to save me a bit of pocket money.

Kettles are not Spanish it took one of my fellow language assistants a good amount of time searching for and trying to describe exactly what a kettle is to people in Spain and it seemed initially that they didn't have a direct translation. Here it seems that the heating of drinking water at home is done by microwave! Last night however we were told that it is known as tetería (like cafeteria) but this has still been met with odd looks by shop assistants. Luckily my flatmate and I ventured into a Hypermarket to find one; the box says Hervidor de agua (literally: Water Boiler). 

They think that bras and sheets are cobwebs you need to see it with your own eyes, but the fashion in window dressing seems to be hanging everything in the most abstract way possible, usually by pinning it to a board at funny angles. I mean, why display a bra on a mannequin when you can hang several of them in a bizarre fractel-esque arrangement?

So that's just a selection of the random things that I am coming to understand from my time here, and that's not mentioning the far bigger cultural differences in eating customs and the 'horario' of Spanish businesses, por ejemplo. But it'll have to do because I am KNACKERED. Buenas noches :) 

antes de salir

It's almost a week before I fly to Cantabria for my Third Year Abroad, where I'll be spending 8 months teaching English to Spanish kids in Torrelavega! Heady stuff, BIG DEAL. My feelings are pretty mixed about the whole thing, frequently veering between utter terror at the thought of leaving behind my life here (which is pretty lovely at the moment) and complete joy at the prospect of beginning a whole new one in Spain. Overall, however, I'm leaning on the optimist's side; the opportunity to eat/sleep/drink/speak/talk Spanish every day is a brilliant one that I am surely going to make the most of!

In terms of preparation, I also hover between feeling wholly prepared and totally caught off guard every time I look at my calendar. I've been aware of my Third Year Abroad (propercasing always required) for so long now, what with the preparation lectures, waiting for the British Council to respond and constant speculation made by fellow third years and myself, that I am no longer convinced that this this is indeed actually going to happen, let alone in seven days time. Hmm, I'll have to wait and see. Will let you know if it does.

Whilst there's a ton of stuff that I'm really looking forward to saying hello to in Spain, I nevertheless want to exorcise some 'leaving' sadness by the way of a goodbye list of some of my favourite things about this fair island:

BRITISH WILD SPACES

One of my great loves is the UK countryside and coastline- the sounds, the smells, the colours, the wildlife, the space. Thankfully Cantabria is known for its beautiful natural surroundings so hopefully I won't get too homesick for the colour green.

THE LIVE MUSIC SCENE

Joiners, I'll miss you! Talking Heads, you too! 

THE BBC

I know, I know, I-PLAYER duh! But still, there's something great about coming across a quality documentary/two-part series whilst idly flicking through the channels.

CUPS OF TEA (or more specifically, the vast array of flavours available in most UK supermarkets)

My Madrilenian amiga requested that I bring two boxes of Lemon & Ginger over for her so I'm guessing that speciality tea hasn't quite found it's market in Spain. I will miss you, Chai tea. And those great guys, Fennel, Mint & Nettle.

MY BLOOMING FRIENDS AND FAMILY OF COURSE

This past academic year as well as the Summer of 2013 have seen me through some of the best moments in my life; Budapest, Barcelona, Bestival are to name but three awesome experiences from this year (all Bs, bizarre). I have so many memories of great times spent with some truly amazing, kind and warm-hearted people. I am always learning from you and your unique outlook on life, your opinions, your ideas. All I can say is that I am one hell of a lucky lady to know each and every one of you (and you know who you are!) so thank you for making my life happy :) I'll miss you! See you soon. 

Here's to you, my life in the UK! See you at Christmas!