1 Week Anniversary

Heeeeeeey All!

Well as the title suggests today marks my 1st week anniversary here in Murcia! so what better way to celebrate then to update this blog and let you know a bit about what has happened! Warning: i have a feeling this is going to be a long entry >.<

Let's start with school shell we? Well i have now meet all my classes! the school system is a little different here so at times i'm confused! they have what's called ESO which is compulsory secondary school which i think is from 12-15 and then Bachillerato which is 16-18 but we teach both at Miguel Espinosa! The school runs a bilingual programme so 2 classes from each year level have to have all there classes in both english and spanish so about have the teachers there have some degree of english! I'm blessed to be at Miguel Espinosa! it's by no means a wealthy or modern school but the teachers are all very kind and friendly! OMgosh i don't think anything could have prepared me for spanish kids tho! Maybe it's just been a while since i've been in school but they all seem very loud and noisy! i suppose they're just super excited about learning! XD

Some of my classes prepared me beautiful cards welcome me to Spain and Murcia! it was very nice surprise and they made me feel very welcome! I hate to be biast but i have to say my favourite class is 2nd Bach (bachillerato) which is my last class on thursdays! They are the oldest class and obviously are the best behaved! Also they are alot closer to my own age and are very interested in what i have to say! Because you don't usually eat lunch until after school here and our class finished after 3 a couple students and the teacher brought some beautiful spanish food to eat! i have to say, other then the eggs i am reaaaaaaally loving spanish food! it's so delicious! i just wish i knew what half of the stuff was called >.< A typical food here is Murcian salad which is tuna, boiled eggs, olives and canned tomatoes! really nice and they are dessert specialists here! lol :D

Moving on! at school on thrusday morning we had a english department meeting! and as english is compulsary at a highschool of 450 students there are alot more english teachers then say spanish teachers in a NZ highschool! so i thought it was pretty crazy when 4 were speaking at once! when that happens in a group everything just turns to noise to me! that's one of the hardest parts of a new langauge! i was talking to some1 who has been learning english for 20 years and they say they still don't understand what's going on when more then 1 person is talking.

But then! if i thought that was bad yesterday (friday) we had a party for all the new teachers at Miguel Espinosa! i had completely forgotten and looked like such a retard when i got a text from Maria asking me where i was?! i felt soooo bad but i quickly got up and promptly rushed to school to join the party! there was alot of nice food there and was very cool to meet people! but like i say i barely understood anything! i was like WHAT is going on! o.O

Another very exciting part of my week was applying for my NIE which is a foreigner identification number! because the visa that i spent so much effort getting is only valid for 60 days >.< but anyways a girl called Irene from my school drove me to the office for foriegners and helped me out! i was soooooo glad she was there to explain things to me because it was sooo complicated and stressful! i had to go see sooooo many people and wait in lines and talk with people at different desks! Then i got my NIE but had to also apply for a TIE which is a special card for foreigners, so we were just about to do that and had everything ready when the guy told us my passport photos were too big! and i was like really? so we raced around to some random shop to get some new ones because the guy told us to hurry! we raced back and the guy gave us a number to meet with another person and said we were the last people to be processed so that was incredibly lucky! long story short i got my NIE and processed everything for my TIE which i will need to return in 40 days to pick up!

Yesterday i went to open a bank account! which by the way is NOT easy! i wonder if it's just as difficult for foreigners in NZ? anyways i finally got that open with my passport, my NIE and my letter from the ministry of education of Spain! so i have a card coming soon and alo internet access! or at least i hope so XD but there is a CajaMurcia (my new back) just around the corner! and i have now sent all my details to the ministry to recieve my pay! let's hope it comes a lot earlier then planned! :D

That's about it for now! I went out with my friend Marta again around Murcia, visited an art store and bought a sketch book! ^^ also visited yet another manga store! stoked! lol :D Here are a couple pictures for you all!

 Corte Ingles! this is like their main department store here! none of the shops here are the same except like BK and no1 can believe i've never heard of any of there shops lol

 Swing bridge to walk over the Segura River

 The 'Old Bridge' lol what a name! XD

 Marta and I! gosh don't we look happy! >.<

 A small market in Murcia

 Manga Store

 Do you see that Green! :D

A statue in the Plaza de Flores - the flower square! for a rather dry place i have seen some very impressive flowers for sale!