Hi Auxiliares! I answered some of your questions and have gotten more. Keep them coming!
In the Templar fortress of Jerez de los Caballeros (where the Templar spirit remains)
If I don’t accept this placement, will they give me a different one in Extremadura or will they take me out of the program entirely?
Accept. I am not 100 percent sure, but you get one placement. If you don’t accept, they will take you out of the program entirely and offer that space to someone on the waiting list. If you accept to Extremadura, they place you in a school. It is really luck at that point: what you put on your application, who is renewing, and the spaces they have available. If you don’t accept the offer, you probably won’t have another opportunity.
How did you arrange your housing? How much do you pay for rent?
I had a housing saga. At first my professor found a place for me. That place was 300 Euros. I would need to pay 600 Euros when I first got there (300 for a deposit). Considering that our stipend is only 700 Euros (and I wouldn’t get it until November), that seemed really expensive. I stayed a night and it wasn’t for me. The next day I found another place while at the internet café. He said he had a place available. I looked at it and it was cheaper with internet included, so that was a better option for me. But it was still expensive for Jerez. I paid 250 and lived alone so I looked for other options and found my current living situation.
Most people have found places with the help of the teachers. There are online sites to help, but for Jerez de los Caballeros, it comes down to what is posted on the public walls, libraries etc. The teachers will be a great resource for you as you search. Some auxiliares have stayed with professors while they search for a place. Places are furnished and you can move in that day. You often don’t sign a contract either. The people in my village pay anywhere from 100-200 Euros per month on rent. I have a roommate so I pay in the middle of that range, but it’s affordable. Originally, I wanted to find a Spanish roommate, but that was a challenge because most folks still live with their parents.
My third apartment is such a success. I live with another American auxiliar and it works out well. Also, living in a village is often cheaper than a city. And my landlord now is like my Spanish mother. She invites me to coffee, lets me try the soups she makes and is incredibly kind. I really lucked out.
Jerez de los Caballeros
How did you arrange your transportation to and from the schools? I just found out that I am assigned to Monesterio, which is a town of about 4,000. I don’t know if I could handle living in a town that small.
The program provides transportation. I go with teachers to and from school. If you are teaching in two areas, they will organize transportation between the two. It’s their responsibility to find transportation, but if you want to live in another town than where you school is, first make sure there is a teacher who lives there already so you can get a ride.
I have a friend who lives in Monesterio who absolutely loves it. She has Spanish roommates and is in love with the village. That said, if it’s a small village, there will often be teachers living in a larger city who commute. Zafra is another place where a lot of auxiliares live. They teach in smaller villages get rides with teachers from Zafra. In my school, many teachers live in Badajoz. I don’t think I would like spending two hours in a car all day, but you know your comfort level. Often cities have more to offer (theater, shopping, nightlife, etc).
Will you be going home soon or doing a 2nd year?
I have been accepted to Valencia. Spain has been wonderful to me. I will be headed home May 31st. As for the future, Einstein said, “I never think of the future. It comes soon enough.”
Want to see more photos? Previous blog entries with more photos, information:
Jerez de los Caballeros
A walk in the countryside
A trip to Zafra