My first proper day...done!
We drove from the farmhouse to the townhouse in Torre del Mar last night and my bags are now officially unpacked!
This morning my host Mum and I rode our bikes to my school so she could show me the route. My school is called Escuela Oficial de Idiomas de Axarquía ('official language school of Axarquía (the region I live in)) and is an adult language school that also offers French, German, and Arabic. I will be working there every afternoon (with 2 or 3 classes anytime from 4-8.30pm), Mondays-Thursdays. It was an easy 15-min ride and although the bike path stops about halfway up the mountain, there is an old tram line, no longer in use, that took us to the top (then it's breaks-off all the way home).
At 11am, I caught up with 4 other language assistants (one from the US, one from England, and two from Australia) at el farro (the lighthouse). We went for a walk along the beach and had drinks and tapas; I had my usual tinto de verano which was mentioned in my first post.
Then I popped over to my local Centro de Salud (medical centre) to get my International Covid Vaccination Certificate changed to an EU one, however, the trip wasn't very successful. Apparently I need my empadronamiento (essentially a registration of your address which adds you to the census), however, as I am living with a host family I don't have any utility bills to prove where I live so I'm going to have to get the local council to acknowledge my living situation before I can even apply for the padrón. Eventually, the receptionist made me an appointment in 10 days time, so hopefully, I'm able to get all the documents ready by then. (You'll need your passport + copy, vaccine cert, NIE (identification number), and padrón.)
I had then hoped to make an appointment for my booster shot (as I'd be eligible in 3 days time if I were in Australia), however, only people who've had AstraZeneca or are 52+ years are eligible in Spain right now. Even though it's mandatory to wear masks, Covid seems to be rife in Spain.
As I was parking my bike outside the school in time for class, I was greeted by my director who, surprisingly, had a thick, British accent. He showed me around the 16th century, 3-storey white building also known to be the home of Cervantes (the Spanish author of Don Quixote). Unfortunately, I have arrived just in time for the 2-week exam period, so there won't be much class-time for me although, I have been given some tasks to prepare for and PowerPoint presentations to make in the meantime.
Notes:
- I had my first homemade paella and torrenzo (a local, fried pork dish)
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