day one in camarma
Yesterday (Tuesday) Ron and Michelle (missionaries from ECA) picked me up from my hotel and drove me to Camarma. I had asked if they would be willing to stop along the way for me to get a SIM card to set up my phone. They were more than happy to do anything I needed. They showed me around a little on the way to Camarma. I got to see just a little of the outskirts of Madrid, and then we drove through Alcalá de Henares, which is a major suburb of Madrid. I can take a bus to Alcalá and get on the train to get to Madrid. We stopped at the mall in Alcalá to get my phone set up, and the mall has all of the major Spanish stores, plus a food court. We ate at a very traditional restaurant (ha) called The Good Burger. My phone has a new SIM card with a whopping 1 GB of data, but it's all set in case of emergency and when traveling. Plus it's only costing me 10 euro a month.
After our quick stop for lunch, we drove into Camarma. The pueblo is actually a little bigger than what I was expecting. All of the houses are much bigger than in Sevilla but still very small by American standards. Ron and Michelle helped me drop all of my luggage off at the school, and I got to take a tour of the building, meet teachers and students, and observe for a few hours in my classroom. I have 10 students- 6 second graders, and 4 third graders. They have experienced more language and culture in their lives than I have, and I want to ask them so many questions at the worst times of the day. I can't wait to get to know them (and their families) better. My classroom is small by American standards, but I also only have 10 students. The room is well-stocked with resources, supplies, and typical classroom decor and furniture. I have my own set up, with a desk and supplies, which is great since I don't have a desk at my home.
Pilar, the lady that I'm living with, came to pick me up after the school day. She drove her car out to get me and all of my luggage, and we headed for her house. She knows everyone at ECA. At first, my Spanish felt very rusty and forced, but by the time we were eating dinner and heading to bed, I was amazed at how quickly the language had come back. I have a very nice set up in her house. The home is two levels, with a half bath, kitchen, and living area on the main floor and then two bedrooms and a full bath on the second floor. My room is probably less square footage than my closet at home, but it's the perfect space for the time being. I have a nice dresser, a twin sized bed, a TV, and an armoire.
Last night, I unpacked and settled in at my new "home." Pilar fixed dinner- a soup with noodles, chicken, and cucumber as well as bread and cheese- and then she took me on a walk so I would know how to get to school today. It's about a 10 minute walk, since the school is on the outside of the city. She also took me to a local gym to ask about classes and a membership- I had mentioned this in an email conversation with her. Again, I need a Spanish bank card for memberships and classes, but she told me to go back and ask again another day.
Today was my first full-day at school. Even though it's only been a week since I left my last placement, I felt like I had been out of the classroom forever. I've had a lot of transition and travel in that time, I suppose!
Fun things and blessings:
After our quick stop for lunch, we drove into Camarma. The pueblo is actually a little bigger than what I was expecting. All of the houses are much bigger than in Sevilla but still very small by American standards. Ron and Michelle helped me drop all of my luggage off at the school, and I got to take a tour of the building, meet teachers and students, and observe for a few hours in my classroom. I have 10 students- 6 second graders, and 4 third graders. They have experienced more language and culture in their lives than I have, and I want to ask them so many questions at the worst times of the day. I can't wait to get to know them (and their families) better. My classroom is small by American standards, but I also only have 10 students. The room is well-stocked with resources, supplies, and typical classroom decor and furniture. I have my own set up, with a desk and supplies, which is great since I don't have a desk at my home.
Pilar, the lady that I'm living with, came to pick me up after the school day. She drove her car out to get me and all of my luggage, and we headed for her house. She knows everyone at ECA. At first, my Spanish felt very rusty and forced, but by the time we were eating dinner and heading to bed, I was amazed at how quickly the language had come back. I have a very nice set up in her house. The home is two levels, with a half bath, kitchen, and living area on the main floor and then two bedrooms and a full bath on the second floor. My room is probably less square footage than my closet at home, but it's the perfect space for the time being. I have a nice dresser, a twin sized bed, a TV, and an armoire.
Last night, I unpacked and settled in at my new "home." Pilar fixed dinner- a soup with noodles, chicken, and cucumber as well as bread and cheese- and then she took me on a walk so I would know how to get to school today. It's about a 10 minute walk, since the school is on the outside of the city. She also took me to a local gym to ask about classes and a membership- I had mentioned this in an email conversation with her. Again, I need a Spanish bank card for memberships and classes, but she told me to go back and ask again another day.
Today was my first full-day at school. Even though it's only been a week since I left my last placement, I felt like I had been out of the classroom forever. I've had a lot of transition and travel in that time, I suppose!
Fun things and blessings:
- I had talked to Pilar before I came about wifi and internet access at home. She told me she didn't have wifi, so I had planned to get a hotspot from Orange when I set up my phone internationally. I actually couldn't do this because I don't have a Spanish bank card, so I can't get any services that require a contract. I was a little concerned just because I have such little data on my phone, and I have a lot of internet needs with student teaching. Really before I even had time to worry about wifi, Pilar told me that she asked her neighbor for his wifi password, and he's happy to let me use it. Perfect- and saves me 40 euro a month that I was planning on spending.
- Last night (Tuesday), some teachers from school invited me to their apartment to watch The Bachelor. I declined the invite just because I wasn't settled in at all and needed that time to feel ready for the week, but I'm so glad that there are other people here who are my age and who also need friends haha.
Well really Allison - you have to admit that your closets are outrageously gigantic!!! Your classroom looks fab and I can tell you are in a cool place. I noticed the gravel road and looks like there are some fields to remind you of home. Debbie
ReplyDeleteI almost added a side note about the size of my closet :)
DeleteOne of the first things I saw as I came into Camarma was a herd of sheep! There are olive trees around- do we call them vineyards or orchards- and orange season is coming up soon, and there are many fields. Not sure what they're growing, but I've seen a few tractors too.