I was very much pleased with the accommodation. I was fortunate in that I had got in contact with the other language assistants that were based in Asturias and we formed a group chat on Facebook where I managed to find two other assistants who were looking for a flat in Gijón. We found a three bedroom flat in an ideal location just around the corner the ‘Playa de Poniente’, one of the three beaches of Gijón, along with Playa de San Lorenzo and Playa del Arbeyal. Just a short walk away is also the ‘Elogio del Horizonte’, a famous landmark of Gijón. In terms of price, we pay 800 euros a month between the three of us plus bills and utilities.
I thought that it would be a better idea to live in Gijón as opposed to in Avilés itself because Gijón is a bigger city with more things to do and more fellow Erasmus students.
Since arriving, my flatmates and I have sought out some of the famous traditional cuisine of Asturias such as Fabada, Cachopo and Sidra. We have visited ‘Tierra Astur’ which is a chain of restaurants in Asturias where they serve traditional Asturian food, however the portions are very large so it is advisable to share them. My flatmates, Elisa and Rachel, and I get on very well.
On arrival, we had to obtain a NIE, which is a number from the government which is needed to open a Spanish bank account for the monthly wages to be deposited into. I decided to go for ‘Liberbank’, who offer a ‘Cuenta Corriente Max Joven’. We also had to attend an induction day in Oviedo, where we given some tips about the teaching aspect and how to make the most of our time here. It was nice to meet the other language assistants that I had spoken to previously over Facebook.
On Mondays and Tuesdays, I work in a secondary in Los Campos called ‘IES Corvera’ and on Wednesdays and Thursdays in a primary school called ‘Colegio Santo Angel De La Guarda’. In terms of transport, I get an ALSA bus every morning which arrives into the centre of Avilés, followed by a renfe train over to Los Campos. For me personally, I think it is worth getting a ‘Abono Joven CTA’, which is a card that you can top up from €37 a month that lets you have unlimited travel on public transport between a certain number of ‘zones’.
The flat did not come with internet included so we had to purchase a WiFi router ourselves but fortunately when we went to the Vodafone store they gave us a discounted rate of just 30 euros a month because I am a student.
#accommodation #wifi #location
Callum En Asturias 