After a hectic exam period in January in Valencia, I had 2 weeks 'holiday' before the big move to Austria, in which I caught up with friends, enjoyed the beautiful weather (we are talking 25 degrees in Feb?!?!) and made the most of my spanish experience before moving onto my new placement. After a few tearful goodbyes, a quick pit-stop back in Wales, I found myself plonked in Austria with snow up to my waist and temperatures of about -10! Quite a difference!
From enjoying paella in the February sun in Valencia...
... to deepest, darkest winter in Klagenfurt!
Rather than studying in a university like in Spain, here in Austria I am working as an english language assistant in two schools in the small town of Feldkirchen. The schools are situated on the same site, but at one end you have the 'HAK' (Handelsschuleakademie) which is a sort of technical college, for more vocational subjects and at the other the 'Gynasium' a more academic school for pupils who will probably go on to study at university after they complete their 'Matura' exams at 18 years old (our version of a - levels, known as 'Abitur' in Germany)
In both schools I teach classes from about 14-15 years to 18 or 19 in the Gynasium, and actually up to 22/23 years in the HAK, as the austrian education system says that you have to stay in education until you pass your end of high school exams, regardless of your age and so it is possible to have pupils of 18 (normal school leaving age) to as old as 23 in the same class - can you imagine that?! High school until your mid twenties!!
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| Bundeshandelsakademie und gynmasium, Feldkirchen, Oesterreich - my workplace for the next 3 months!
I work at the school around 13 hours a week (with friday as a day off!), splitting my time equally between the two schools. The town Feldkirchen is pretty small (approx. population of 14,000) and is situated in the austrian state of 'Kärnten' or Carinthia for us brits, in the very south of Austria, on the border with Italy and Slovenia. Feldkirchen is in the middle of two of the states biggest cities, the capital of Klagenfurt to the south about 25 km away, and Villach to the west (about 20km away). Given its proximity to these bigger, busier and more bustling cities and the fact that I actually am only in work a few hours a week, I decided it would be a much better option to live in the capital Klagenfurt, and commute to the school every morning
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| Landkarte von Österreich, im Blau ist Kärnten |
Quaint street in the town of Feldkirchen...
A very cold Sophie!!
Given all my free time, I have already been able to really take advantage of my new home in central europe and visited some awesome places.
One tuesday, I joined my 4AHH (equivalent of year 12) class to 'Dreiländerreck', a ski resort in the west of Kärnten, from which you can be standing on a mountain in Austria, and see across to mountains in Italy and others in Slovenia. We spent the day tobogganing down the mountain, completing a course of nearly 9km - it was great fun!
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| eine malerische Aussicht auf die Berge - beautiful views of the mountains |
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| Dachau concentration camp - some 20 mins outside of Munich city centre, Dachau was one of the first concentration camps to be used by the Nazis before and during WW2 |
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| My friend Emma enjoying the traditional bavarian cuisine - Currywurst mit Pommes und Sauerkraut |
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| The two Sophies in Hofbrauhaus - the famous royal brewery of Munich |
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| A strange memorial to the prince of pop - Michael Jackson situated in the heart of the city... |
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| Beautiful neue Rathaus (townhall) in Munich's Main Square |
Von Österreich... Bis Bald!
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