Last night I saw the film Groundhog Day for the first time in my life, and thoroughly enjoyed it. Wow was I surprised to discover today that it really is a real day!
The excellent Radio Open Source has an interesting post on this must-see film, and is doing a show on it tonight. Should be worth listening to.
Technorati Tags: groundhog
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David Hampshire is onto a winning formula here, running us through the essentials of where to live in Spain, what work we can expect to pick up, how to buy a house… Even the ins and outs of starting a business in Spain are thoroughly explained. After 7 years in Madrid, I still found this book to be packed with surprisingly useful information. Pick up a copy at: Amazon.co.uk (Europe)  Amazon.com (USA)  |
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Or perhaps it’s a podcast full of wonder… either way, I highly recommend the first episode of the new Alan Watts podcast, especially the first six and a half minutes. It’s philosophy the way philosophy ought to be, and delivered in the finest of British accents!
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No travel writer loved walking as much as Laurie Lee. With no Spanish and nothing to support him but his violin, Lee manages to cross Spain on foot, narrowly avoiding death from dehydration on the way. With Spain on the brink of war, he finds a country desperately clinging on to the last vestiges of stability. He finally ends up in a fishing village in Andalusia, where he too gets involved in the unfolding events. Beautiful descriptions of landscapes and lives told in Lee’s famous lyrical tones, and a journey we would all love to make. If you enjoy this, then don’t forget the sequel, A Moment of War. Pick up a copy at: Amazon.co.uk (Europe)  Amazon.com (USA)  |
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After extreme weather driving to Oviedo, we begin in a restaurant in the centre of Oviedo, eating Fabada, a lettuce, onion and tomato salad, and ‘patatas a la importancia’ – important potatoes! I tell the story of a widow who is forced to live above her husband’s killer in the Basque country – see this Guardian article for the full story.
Next morning we visit the cathedral, where we hear a beautiful misa cantada – sung mass (the clip I play is a catholic version of what I know as the Lord’s Prayer…), and continue up into the hills outside Oviedo to see the churches of Santa Maria del Naranco and San Miguel de Lillo.
The reconquest of Spain began in Asturias, at Covadonga, and the Asturians put up fierce resistance to Franco in the Civil War.
Also: we mention one of the finest mounain walks in Spain, the Ruta del Cares, the Cares Gorge. And if you are interested in teching English in Spain, check out my blog post here.
Photos: click to enlarge.
Fabada |
Plaza Alfonso II |
Oviedo Cathedral |
Cathedral Porch |
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A wonderful journey through Spain in the company of Monsignor Quixote, an aging priest, and his friend Sancho Panza, the communist mayor. Together they set out in Rocinante, an old Seat 600, to encounter prostitutes in Madrid, a hospitable vineyard owner, and the dreaded Guardia Civil. Vintage Graham Greene and a classic take on Cervantes’ Don Quixote. Pick up a copy at: Amazon.co.uk (Europe)  Amazon.com (USA)  |
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This is the latest in the highly irregular hints and tips series. I get a lot of questions about working in Spain, and let’s face it, the easiest job when you get out here is English teaching. So here are my top tips on where to start:
One. Do you need a diploma? The short answer is no. If you are heading for the big cities like Madrid or Barcelona you will find work by simply fitting the description of ‘English speaker’. It helps if you are smartly dressed and well spoken, but hell, even those that aren’t get work in Madrid.
Two. Ignore point One and get a diploma. The CELTA (previously TEFL) certificate is the one to go for, though I hear the TESOL course is fine too. You can even do courses here in Spain at prestigious academies like International House. The month intensive course is hell, the hardest work I’ve ever done, but well worth it. You are much much more employable with a course/diploma under your belt, and you’ll get better (pay, conditions) jobs than those without.
Three. Do I have to be British? No, any native or bi-lingual English speaker will get a job out here, even if you are not from the European Union. Read this post about working in Spain if you are from outside the EU.
Four. Can I get work anywhere in Spain? Yes, but you will often have more luck in Madrid and Barcelona. Even in larger towns like Seville you may have trouble if you turn up during the academic year. An ideal time to find work in any city/town, no matter the size, is in September, as the schools and academies start back at the beginning of October. Do try your luck in the smaller places though, just expect to have more trouble filling your timetable if you aren’t lucky enough to get a full-time contract straight off.
Four and a half. Do I need to speak Spanish? No, though it helps. Courses such as the CELTA teach you how to teach with no second language skills. They also teach you the basics of English grammar, which really helps!
Five. How do I find an academy job? Take a CV to all the Languages Academies in your chosen destination. Call them back. Be persistent if necessary. Find these in the Yellow Pages, via Google, in local English language papers (loads of jobs in the small ads in these too).
Six. How do I fill my time table? A typical academy timetable is 24 contact hours (teaching) – you’ll need more to prepare your classes too. If an academy only gives you half this amount, it’s common to supplement your income with private classes…
Seven. How does this ‘privates’ thing work? Private classes tend to be one-to-ones with businessmen, children, bored adults, etc. Usually you go to their office/house, if you’re really lucky they’ll come to yours. I’ve given private classes in cafés, a friend of mine even managed to swing classes with two bikini clad Spanish ladies at a city pool in summer! Privates pay much better than academy classes (see below for rates) and don’t usually involve any kind of contract. Some pay on the day, some in advance. Try hard to arrange that if they don’t show up, or cancel with less than 24 hours notice, they pay anyway. The only downside is that they can involve a lot more travel. Find privates via word of mouth from other teachers, students, advertise in local papers, etc.
Eight. What about ‘Company Classes’? Typically arranged by language schools/academies, these involve going to a company and teaching one or a group of suited business types. If you can get into a company directly and arrange and charge for all the classes yourself, then you can make a fortune… (30 Euros per hour? More?)
Nine. Kids classes? Only for the brave! Either arranged (or forced upon you) by language academies, or in posh bilingual private schools. The British Council also has a programme for placing teachers in Spanish Secondary/High Schools.
Ten. Will I earn enough to survive? First jobs in language academies do pay badly. I have heard of people earning as little as 700 Euros a month in the first year, and that’s hard in Madrid. With luck you may earn nearer, or over 1,000 in the first year. As time goes by you start finding the better jobs, with better money and better timetables. Company classes may pay around 18 Euros an hour or more. Multiply that by 24 per week and do the maths. Privates do supplement income nicely, and are widely taken on by most teachers sooner or later. These can pay anything from 20 to 40 euros an hour. Finally, the Holy Grail is the University language teaching job, that can earn you up to 50 Euros an hour. For work in Companies and Universities, you may need to become ‘Autonomo’, self-employed – a bureaucratic nightmare but worth it for the better pay.
Bonus! Will I be an English teacher forever? That is down to you. With persistance you can do anything here that you wanted to do where you came from. Good Spanish often helps. Good luck!
Anything to add, feedback or ideas? Please use the comments below.
There are some fine podcasts listed here, in this article by Budget Travel On-line. Particularly the third one down 🙂
… of the old guy who ran over the girl playing in the road in Seville? His killer was the girl’s father. He has just been apprehended on the Portuguese border. He had been drunk at the time. The girl survived with light injuries.
Notes from Spain by Ben Curtis 