Apartment

In July we arrived in England with a school, a job interview, a soccer club all set up for Spain, however, no apartment to live in.

Montse’s family have been wonderful to us helping us with many different things and in August, Montse’s sister, Maria found us a very nice apartment after having viewed and enquired about many. The day we arrived in Spain we were able to stay in it and our first month of rent was September.

It is a two bedroom apartment with a main living area and a separate kitchen. It is one of many apartments in a large circular apartment block creating an enclosed complex with a 24 hour security guard.

It has a swimming pool which we enjoyed a lot while it was still open, a playground, a small area where the boys play soccer with the neighbors and a paved path around where many roller blade or use their rip sticks and skateboards. Many of the owners/renters gather in this communal outside area in the evening so there are plenty of new friends to meet. They all seem very nice.

I was describing our apartment to be like a holiday apartment and then Billy told Montse’s Mom that this year was going to be like a holiday!

View of Cuatro Torres Business Area in Madrid from the city where we live.

Part-time Job

The good news and incredible really is that I found a part-time job. I still cannot believe my luck. 
 

Before I left the USA, I wrote emails (again with Montse's kind help with the translation) sending my C.V. to all the schools around where I was going to live and asked if they needed help with looking after children and teaching English. In July, when I was in England I received an interested reply by email but needed to phone them. I was then running around like a headless chicken, thinking any Spanish that I did know has completely left my head. Luckily after the first pleasantries we switched languages and the phone interview was held in English. The first full day we were in Spain, I had another interview with the principal (in both English and Spanish as he does not know English) and then started work on the second day looking after and speaking English with the children in the playground(before even the boys went to school).

The age of children ranges from 4 year olds to third graders. All lovely ages to want to come and speak to me. They also like to come and tell tales on their friends if things are not going right. I still do not understand everything they say but I have learnt a few words such as push, punch, hit, kick, fall and hurt from listening to them. They have been very patient while I have learnt their names. Some have been helpful by telling me it everytime they pass, others have spelled it for me which is very helpful if I have never heard the name before and don't hear what they are saying. Others just laugh with me at my bad memory. They call me Fiona or Profe if they can't remember. I do know now which children just want to visit the nurse for the sake of it (they look for any little mark-yesterday's or last week's) and I will make sure that everything is fine without visiting her. They also seem to know that I will go on a toy or backpack hunt with them if they have lost their things.

Then October arrived and the second day of the boys going to school the full day, I was asked to sub in the classrooms. Most days since then I have had the opportunity to work one or two more hours on top of my normal two hours/day. I will finish at 4:45pm and collect my boys from their school at 5pm. The timing is just perfect to leave one school and arrive at the other on time. The children's age range that I sub for is from two year olds up to 3rd grade. I very much enjoy teaching the children English and I am also learning which ones I should speak to more in the playground for practice.

Montse’s mom, Afia, is also extremely kind and has been a great help to the Menkens. During September, she looked after my children, while I was at work. They finished at 1:30pm and I finished at 3pm. So lots of luck and very kind people.

Afia and the boys at Corte Ingles