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| POR FIN! |
I know it's a lackluster title for this post but I'm beyond excited, can you tell?
Earlier this morning I received my
official school placement in Madrid. I've been so terrified of getting a high school but lucky me, I was placed in a bilingual colegio, which is grades 1st-6th. Absolutely perfect because that's what I have my teaching certificate for, and all my experience in!
I was placed in Getafe, Madrid; a city just south of the metropolitan area of Madrid. I've found, and talked to, some auxiliares that are currently at the school and they seem to have really enjoyed the experience so now I'm even more excited!
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| Like a 30 min. commute from el Centro! |
Getafe is a large industrialized city (with a population of around 170,000) that is home to one of the oldest Spanish military air bases and the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid. The most popular site to visit here is Cerro de los Ángeles, a famous hill in Getafe that is considered the geographic center of the Iberian Peninsula. This hill also is home a 14th century monastery,
Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles, and
Monumento al Sagrado Corazón (Sacred Heart of Jesus) which now houses the patron virgin of Getafe. Apparently many battles during the Civil War were fought on this hill and you can still see bullet marks on the Sagrado Corazón monument and monastery walls. While there are few more things to see, this seems the most notable in the city.
I also did a quick check on wikipedia for the weather averages and noticed that it mentions Getafe averaging 3-4 snowfalls a year and
sometimes dropping below freezing at night...YES! No more new England winters and being freezing
almost every day! However, while it may be large I do still plan on living somewhere in the capital city of Madrid and commuting. If I'm living in Madrid I want to live in the middle of everything! And while I don't plan on living in Getafe, I would love to learn more about this city if anyone has any experience there?
Now I just have to contact my school to introduce myself and the hard part, finding where I want to live for the next year! Right now I'm looking between the three districts of el Centro, Atocha, and Nuevos Ministerious. I've been asking some of my friends that live in Madrid too, but I'm open for all suggestions! :)
If you've lived in Madrid, or Getafe, do you have any suggestions or tips?
That's exciting! I know a few people who have taught in Spain and they absolutely loved the experience - some even stayed on longer. ;)
ReplyDeleteThanks! I'm really excited; I've heard so many good things about the overall experience. And my fingers are definitely crossed for staying longer! :)
DeleteHow exciting - congrats! I have no idea what the best place to live in Madrid is but I had a friend who lived in Lavapies and loved it. The rent was cheap and it was close to a bunch of fabulous museums.
ReplyDeleteThanks Jessica! :) I'm actually looking at La Latina right now which is pretty much the neighborhood next to Lavapies and it looks nice. Central, near transportation, and not to0 expensive. It's nice to finally know where I'll be working!
DeleteHey! I just found out I'll be teaching in Getafe. Where did you end up living? How was the commute?? Really excited!!
ReplyDeleteI live in the center and it's about a 35 minute commute, I really enjoy working there!
DeleteHi! I was also placed in a school in Getafe. Are you glad that you chose to live in Madrid instead of Getafe? Is it worth the commute? I am trying to decide which area to live in. I guess part of the decision could also depend on my school schedule.
ReplyDeleteI'm really glad I chose to live in Madrid, it's such a big city and there's so much to see and do. Getafe is a great city, but it's much quieter than Madrid (especially the part where my school is). For me it's definitely worth the 35 minute commute.
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