I have now been in Madrid for 5 weeks, although it feels like a lot longer, having been a rather challenging month...
To be completely honest I wasn't really looking forward to coming here, I would have very happily gone back to Brazil for the rest of the year. The lifestyle was amazing; I travelled almost every weekend, made the most of the brilliant weather, didn't once think about the dreaded year abroad essay and most importantly made the most amazing friends who I was sad to leave so suddenly and continue to miss so much. But Brazil wasn't real life, and I had to come back to reality with a bump!
Los Reyes parade |
Fellipe makes a flying visit to Madrid! |
Dinner at Naif with Fellipe |
La Tabacalera with Rozzy |
Over the next 3 weeks, I sent CVs and cover letters to everywhere I could possibly think of, probably around 30 companies in total. I cold called all the big finance/management/PR companies, I applied for NGO programmes in South America, I even went to the local job centre. There was nothing, the Spanish job situation really is as dire as reported. The only position I an offer for was volunteering for an NGO in Argentina, which sounded amazing but I had the small issue of not being able to afford the flight and also would have had to pay the erasmus grant back, difficult when I had almost already spent it all on my deposit and rent even though it was meant to last for 4 months!
Late night run in the Retiro with new housemates, from left to right: Belén, Blanca, Chio and Sophie |
On the Friday afternoon of my third week of being jobless, when I was beginning to despair and on the verge of giving up, I received two emails at the same time. One from the British Chamber of Commerce and one from the Madrid Council asking me to be a teaching assistant. After, answering some challenging written questions on the Spanish economy, I had an phone interview with the chamber that evening and due to my work experience in a similar area in Brazil, was told I pretty much definitely had the job and just needed to come to the office on Monday for a face to face chat. Great, phew, panic over, stressful couple of weeks but it will all be fine...
My apartment in Brazil also had a sofa made from crates, it must just be the taste of the type of people I get on with! |
Sightseeing with Greta |
Great find Greta, the best Brazilian food in Madrid. |
Hmmm, I did take one, and it hasn't come true yet... |
That was yesterday. I am pretty fed up at this point but am determined to stay positive. Obviously everything could be a lot lot worse and it sounds pathetic complaining. I am so lucky in so many ways; I am living with the sweetest housemates, 3 sisters from Jerez (their accent is impossible!) and a lovely Belgian girl who is studying at IE business school. Yesterday when I was feeling tired and fed up we went for supper in IKEA which definitely cheered me up! Food is always the solution! It's been a crazy month but I keep telling myself that it's character building and part of the year abroad experience! My cynical side is thinking how much easier it will make answering competency questions such as 'describe a challenging time and how you overcame it?' in future job interviews, very sad that that's what I think of I know!
I am not a very reflective person but I think my year abroad has already changed this a bit, whether it's a good or bad thing. First Brazil, and now the last month, have really reinforced that friends and family are everything. This month would have been so much harder, if I hadn't had the support of my two best friends who I am so lucky to have out here too. My mum's signature tough love whatsapps also continually remind me to look at the bigger picture when it seems everything is going wrong, even though the lack of sympathy annoys me at the time!
The benefit of living with a Belgian |
A few of the many highlights have included: the Los Reyes parade, a visit from my Brazilian friend Fellipe, cultural stuff with Rozzy, dog walks with Greta and Teki (her new sausage dog!), and Sunday night suppers with and Ger and Rozzy.
I am managing to keep myself as busy as possible, I have a Spanish class three times per week, meet with a sweet Brazilian exchange to keep my Portuguese going (challengingly just before my Spanish class!), have joined a running club, have actually read some good novels, and am giving english classes twice a week to a group of four year olds and to three boys with 'behavioural difficulties'! Got to earn some money somehow! And obviously the world count for the year abroad essay is still 0, and I have the added challenge of writing it in Portuguese while in Spain, not the smartest move! Being jobless doesn't change some things!
Gourmet supper in IKEA on a Friday night, nothing beats it. |
Oh my god this sounds like such an endurance test! I am amazed that you're still there after so many set backs in Madrid! Can your uni not do anything to help?
ReplyDeleteI've just moved to Madrid too, last week in fact, but luckily the job arranged has all gone to plan, and reading this post make me feel so grateful for what I was previously taking for granted! You sound pretty assertive and proactive so you have a good chance of finding something decent eventually but I can just imagine the stress you're under at the moment... Good luck with it and if you fancy meeting up in Madrid then let me know! Virginia x
Thank you so much for your message Virginia, it is so nice to know that you are reading my blog, especially when I admire and enjoy reading yours so much! I am sure I will find something soon and when I do I will appreciate so much more than I would have otherwise...I would love to meet for a coffee when you are not busy and find out more about your new job in Madrid! Helena X
DeleteStressful start to your time in Madrid!!!!
ReplyDeleteGood work in pounding the pavement with the jogging group and indulging in speculoos (love! speculoos makes everything better). I've often found that the hard starts almost always turn out to be the best adventures.
PS - If you're after cheap eats (at least until you get paid) - hit up this place: http://spain.100montaditos.com/ which does 1 Euro bocadillos on Wednesdays and has a cool uni crowd.
Besos.