Trip to L'Oceanogràfic

I decided to go to L'Oceanogràfic in Valencia which is situated in La Ciudad de las Artes y Ciencias which I had no idea existed until I Googled 'Things to do in Valencia' but I am so happy I decided to visit as it is easily the best aquarium I've ever been to.

It is the largest aquarium in Europe and has different sections for different marine ecosystems including: Mediterranean, Wetlands, Temperate and Tropical Seas, Oceans, Antarctic, Arctic, Islands, the Red Sea and a Dolphinarium. It also has a variety of restaurants and gift shops. It is huge and well worth the 27 euros it costs to enter as I had a fantastic day.

Mediterranean

This included different rings of aquariums with thousands of different types of specimens which you can see so clearly. 

Wetlands

This is an open-air exhibit where you go into an enclosed dome shape which is homed to two coastal wetlands of the marshland and the mangrove swamp. 

Temperate and Tropical Seas

This building shows you all the different species of fish and living beings in the oceans from the mild water oceanic regions to the warm waters of the tropics. This section has a 70 metres tunnel running thorough so you can see the fish swimming all around you. 

Oceans

These are the largest tanks and have millions of litres of water in them. They have tunnels running through them so you can see the different fish and sharks swim right above your head. 

The Antarctic

This area is a representation of a rocky cliff which is home to a colony of penguins.

The Arctic

This section is in a circle shape which is shaped like an igloo to represent the Arctic Zone. This area recreates the environmental features that are found in the Arctic region for the Belugas and Walruses. 

Islands

This is an outside exhibit which has temperature-controlled waters and is home to the marine lions which are relatives of seals.

The Dolphinarium

This area contains 27 million litres of water and 11 metre deep swimming pools which can house 30 dolphins. They have demonstrations with the dolphins but also educate the visitors on how we need to protect these animals.

Source: www.cac.es

The aquarium is not just to we can look at all the different types species in the ocean, it also provides and educational aspect too. In each of the different sections, there are information boards not only about the species but also about how humans are destroying their environment and habitats. It gives us information on how we can change our behaviour and protect all these amazing creatures by doing things such as using less water, not using plastic bags and using less washing detergent, which all end up in the sea and destroy the environment. The aquarium shows us what we would otherwise never be able to see and by doing so tells us how we can protect them in the future. 

Getting a Bank Account

After receiving my NIE I went to the nearest BBVA bank to open an account as I'd heard that these were the best as they didn't have any charges. After the initial confusion of what to do in a foreign bank, I took a ticket and waited to be called to a desk where I stated that I wanted to open a bank account. However, the woman said I needed my passport and a certificate of residency or a certificate of non-residency from either Spain or my own country. Seeing as I had no idea what this meant, I just gave her my Passport and my NIE to which she replied 'oh you have an NIE.'

The process after that was fine as she took my details from my passport and took my address and it didn't matter that I didn't have a Spanish number, she just told me to let them know what it was when I eventually got one. The woman was actually really lovely which surprised me as I had an image of getting someone who clearly didn't want to be there or deal with a foreigner. She explained that because I was 20 I could get the under 21 blue account which meant that I got a free debit card (as I was shocked to read that some banks charge your for a card, which I find ridiculous), free transfers etc. She then got me to sign different things and printed off all the paperwork and went through it all, telling me what everything was. She said my card would come in 3 or 4 days and showed me the website and how to login, how to change my password and how to make transfers, then gave me all the paperwork and that was it.

All I needed to open the account was:

1. My passport
2. My NIE
3. My Spanish address.

Although nothing else was mentioned about a certificate of residency or non-residency after she saw my passport so maybe I don't need one as I live in the EU?

As I said the whole process was easy enough and the woman was lovely and spoke slowly so I could understand her and kept asking me if I had understood which I was grateful for. The experience was so much easier than I thought it would be even though I have hardly any experience with banks as I didn't even set up my English account on my own.

Year Abroad Bucket List

Source weheartit

I've now been in Valencia for nearly 2 weeks and realised that I haven't done all that much except go to the beach and top up my tan as I don't know anyone yet and my flat mates haven't moved in. So I decided to compile a bucket list of what I want to achieve whilst I'm on my year abroad to give me the motivation and satisfaction to tick something off my list.

The list so far:

Say yes - this is the main thing that university tell you to do in order to get the most out of your experience; say yes. I am the sort of person to say no if I'm feeling tired to a bit under the weather and as I start to feel more homesick, I imagine the last thing I would want to do is go out and do things with people I hardly know. However, I want to make my time here the best it possibly can be and so I will vow to say yes to new things.

See Valencia - I've already walked around the city a bit but there are still places I want to see including: the Biopark, City of Arts and Sciences, La Albufera National Park, Turia Gardens and the Barrio de Carmen.

Read at least 3 books in Spanish - I love reading and think this will be a good one for practising my Spanish and I'll get to read my copy of Harry Potter y la Cámara Secreta.

Keep up with my French - As I want to do a joint degree and plan to go to France over next summer, I need to find a way to keep my French up to scratch. Ideally I want to find a French class but there doesn't seem too many from what I have researched, so whether it's reading books, watching shows or listening to music I need to figure out a way to improve my French.

Get Spanish lessons - despite living in Valencia and being surrounded by Spanish, unless I actually speak in Spanish, I won't improve. I imagine speaking in Spanish will be more difficult as I am a English Language Assistant and will therefore be speaking English a lot of the time.

Buy a postcard and shot glass from every place I visit - pretty self explanatory as I collect these from every new country or city I go to.

Watch a football match - I actually really like football and intend to watch a match and seeing that I live close to Valencia football ground, I don't have an excuse not to.

Take a trip to Barcelona with my family - which I intend to do when my family come and visit me in March for my brother's 18th birthday. I want to be a complete tourist and see the main attractions including: touring Camp Nou, La Sagrada Familia, Park Guell & Las Ramblas.

See Las Fallas - which takes place in March in Valencia so I have no excuse not to see it.

Travel as much as possible - I have an extensive list of places I want to visit but during this year I hope to visit: Portugal, Morroco (but not Marrakech), Sevilla, Mt Teide in Tenerife to see the sunrise, Lanzarote to see Carnival (even though the bigger on is in Tenerife, my love for Lanzarote is too great not to see it there) and finally as many cities in Spain as possible. 

Source weheartit.com

Exploring Valencia City Centre

Yesterday I decided to have a look around the city of my new temporary home. My first impressions of Valencia have not been too great as I don't live in the very centre and I didn't think it could be as great as all the websites and travel books make out. However, I was very wrong as the city centre has some amazing architecture and scenery, combined with beautiful, narrow streets filled with little shops.

Plaza de Toros 

Estacion del Norte 

Plaza de Ayuntamiento 

Plaza de la Reina 

Old narrow street

Mercado Central

Inside Mercado Central

Plaza de la Virgen 

Plaza de la Virgen

My favourite part of what I saw has to be all the narrow streets filled with different shops which reminded me of Venice. The buildings are beautiful and have completely changed my mind on the city and even the train station looks amazing. Even though the buildings were I live are not awful, they do not compare to the grand ones in the centre and for some reason I was so happy to see the standard tourist shops which I had began to think didn't exist here.

How to get an NIE in Valencia

After putting off going to the Police Office for last week to attempt to get my NIE, I finally plucked up the courage today and went.

I found this whole task completely daunting at first so to try and find some information, I went on web page after web page and posted on the Language Assistant page on Facebook and was horrified with the results and other people's experiences. After hours of searching, I was convinced I would never get an NIE and the process would be confusing and daunting for someone who has only been learning Spanish for 2 years.

Despite at first going to the wrong building, in the completely wrong area of the city, I came away with the EX-15 form that you needed to fill in. A week later I braved going back to the Police Office and got there at 8.50 am where the queue was already fairly long. I was number 36 and although I waited for 2 hours to be seen, it didn't seem that long. When it was nearing my turn, the Police Officer on the door called the numbers 34-39 and we went into a little waiting room, next to the room where 2 officials were working, despite there being 4 desks. When number 34 was called, my heart started racing. The nerves kicked in and I felt 10 times worse than when I sat my oral exams.

When my number got called, I went into the room and asked for the NIE and gave the woman behind the desk my form plus a copy. After the woman had asked ''¿Para Qué?'' four or five times before I remembered what it actually meant, I told her I was going to be working and gave her my Nombramiento. She filled out the forms and entered my details into a computer and then told me (in English) that I needed to go to a bank and pay the fee which was 9,39 Euros and that I could return in a week and pick it up.

The whole process took less than 10 minutes and was fairly straightforward once I was in the office. I just hope it will be the same when I return next week.


How to get your NIE in Valencia:

1. Fill in the EX-15 form which you can print off here: http://valencia.angloinfo.com/information/moving/residency/nie-the-application/ 
2. Make sure you fill out the form in black ink in capitals and get a photocopy. 
3. Go to the Comisaira Valencia C/ Bailen, 9 Valencia with the form and make sure you get there early to be at the front of the line. 
4. Once you have seen an Officer, go to any bank and pay the fee. 

Things you will need:

1. Your Ex-15 form and a photocopy
2. Your Nombramiento to prove why you need the NIE
3. Your passport
4. A photocopy of your passport
5. 10 euros to go to the bank and pay the fee
6. Patience 

First Week in Valencia

My year abroad officially began on the 2nd September 2014 at 2:00am and after a last goodbye to my cats, I loaded my Uncles car with my belongings packed up into two suitcases and headed for the airport. At this point it suddenly became real that I wasn't going to be returning home in a couple of weeks and my excitement quickly turned to nerves. Luckily for me my mum was coming out for a week to help me get settled and we stayed in a hotel in Picanya which we finally arrived at after a 2 hours plane journey to Alicante, followed by a bus to the train station, a train to Valencia, the metro to Paiporta and finally a 15 minute walk. It's safe to say that without the hotel's pool, we probably would have overheated.

The following day we headed to pick the keys up for my room which I found on www.happyforeignersworld.com before I flew out here. We moved all my stuff in to my temporary home which I will be sharing with three other girls who don't come here until later in the month.  Except the incidents of my key not working and having to go back to the office for a replacement, everything went ok. 

My Room

My Room 

View out of my window 

The following day was going to be spent trying to get my NIE number but after going to the wrong office with nobody speaking English in order to get  the form I need to then go to the correct police office and be told there would be a 3 hour wait, I couldn't cope and begged my mum to go back to the hotel. Although thanks to a lovely German girl who checked my form and told me which bits I'd missed and how the process works, I now have everything I need for when I attempt it again in the next few days.

After that I decided that I just wanted to spend some time with my mum without having to run around finding different places so we headed to the beach which turns out is only about half an hour from where I am staying and 3.90 euros return. We spent a lovely day at La Playa de Las Arenas which had the warmest sea that I have ever been in.

The final day was spent around the pool in the hotel and on the Monday morning it was time to say goodbye, which was the hardest thing I've ever had to do in my life. People tell you that it will be the best year of your life and you will have new and amazing opportunities and friends but they don't tell you how hard it is to actually leave. I'm currently sat on my bed whilst my mum is in Alicante airport and it still doesn't feel real that i'm not going to see my family or my cats until the end of November when I go home for the weekend.

A Little About Me

My name is Becky and I am going to be spending the next 9 months in Paiporta, Valencia in a secondary school called IES La Senia as an English Language Assistant with the British Council. I have just turned 20 years old so this is a huge thing for me as I've never lived away from my home in a small town in the North of England. I study French and Spanish at university and with Spanish being my weaker language, I opted to go to Spain.

I never thought I'd write a blog but after trying (and failing) to find blogs about English Language Assistants in Valencia, I thought it may help others in the future and help me document my time here.