Spain. Once you've been here for a few days its easy to forget that life hasn't always been sunshine, socializing, and siesta. Who wouldn't fall in love with a lifestyle that endorses leisurely afternoons spent with friends in small cafés and restaurants or that heartily advocates taking the famed Spanish siesta, which is a glorified afternoon power nap? Indeed, the Spanish are an interesting variety, especially here in the South where they are famous for their siestas, tapas, and flamenco. The way foreigners often describe the Spaniard is that "he works to live and never lives to work." Pros and cons of this motto aside, one must admit that the Spanish lifestyle is quite alluring.
I've been in Seville, Spain for five days now. After finishing up a challenging and tiring Senior year at Umass Amherst, I decided that the opportunity to live in Spain while working as a teacher's assistant and receiving grant money from the Spanish government was just too good to pass up. Having already fallen head over heels for one Spanish city (Granada) I hope that Seville will be equally enticing.
The program I am doing is called the North American Language and Culture Assistant/Auxiliares de Lengua y Cultura Norteamericanos grant program. The Spanish government will be paying me a monthly grant of €700 (as of today's exchange rate $1,026). So, basically, about $250 a week. Its not much, but it is enough to live comfortably in Spain...even in a big city like Seville! However, to be able to travel etc. most people in my position give private lessons for which they charge between €12-€15 per hour. I definitely plan to do this, not only for the money but also for the experience and the fact that our "real" jobs are only 12 hours a week!
For the first two weeks I am here I am staying in a "residence" which is basically a shared apartment. There are four bedrooms but right now only one other is occupied. I decided to pay a little extra for the residence versus a hostel because I didn't know how long it might take me to find an apartment, and knew how nice it would be to have my own room (and not 6-15 other roommates)!
The View of an Old Church from my Window
Luckily, I did find an apartment right away. It was actually the first (and only) apartment I looked at. Its not perfect...the bedroom is very small and the rent is high according to the locals (€300/month)...but I like the location near the city center yet on a calmer street as well as the landlady who is doing this program too for her third year! I'll be living with a French and a German girl and I'll probably move in this coming weekend.
Well, thats an introduction about me and the program...more on Spain to follow!
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