life in extremadura?

[freeradical]

hi everyone,

i just got placed in Extremadura for the Auxiliar de Conversacion program, but I can't seem to find anything cool about this place online. Everything is either about how they are the rudest people in Spain, or how it's just very isolated, rural and country-like without much nightlife or much fun stuff going on.

I'm wondering if anyone else who has done the program has been placed there before and what they thought of it. Or has anyone been there in general and had an good experiences?

Any info would be greatly appreciated!!

gracias

[inmydreamsiwin]

hey!  I'll be in Extremadura too!  I didn't really know much about it, but have been doing some research too...  (I still hope someone that's actually been there answers this, but just thought it'd be cool to get in touch w/ someone else that may be there, and start a dialogue about the region!)

I've been playing around in Google Maps (if you type in something like "bar" and a city name, there are at least a handful in Plasencia, Badajoz, Caceres, Merida, and Zafra, and random places scattered elsewhere)...  But we'll supposedly have Fridays off (i.e. 3 day weekends), so if the nightlife leaves something to be desired, you could probably head to Madrid every weekend if you wanted to... or Salamanca, Sevilla, or even Lisbon depending on which end of Extremadura you end up placed in.  Personally though, as a small town girl myself, I bet the house parties are where it's at... 

Extremadura seems to have a lot of places of historical, cultural and ecological interest.  Roman ruins, wildlife refuges, the Wolf Vostell Museum, a wine region (check out http://www.vinosdeextremadura.es/ ), cathedrals and castles and art museums (take a peek at http://www.fexm.es/temas/cultura/museos.htm ), etc.   There's lots of info. online, some of it is a bit hard to find - if you're interested in any of those things, I can post more links.  Much of that is not traditional fun for young people, I guess... but I'm VERY excited about Extremadura!  (I made it into the program by the skin of my teeth, so I'm just thankful for what I got!!!)

This NY Times article is a good overview (it's from 1998, but it probably hasn't changed much, LOL):  http://www.nytimes.com/1998/05/10/travel/land-of-the-conquerors.html

A friend of mine has gotten in touch with someone that was placed in Badajoz for the '08-'09 school year, and she seems to love it!  But it seems like the experience is different for everyone, and it's partly what we make it...

If none of that interests you (no judgment, we all have different interests), I would also say that declining the grant is an option.  Or maybe you could talk to someone about switching?  But I hope that you'll come to Extremadura w/ me, I'd like to have friends there!!!  haha. 

Saludos,
Becca

[mlcruz]

hi, i'm placed in extremadura also. i am unsure yet if i want to decline my acceptance, but i am hoping that i get placed in a school that is near a big city so that i can just commute back and forth.  since extremadura is not that populated, a bit isolated, and people mainly live off their land (from what i've read), the chances of people wanting private english lessons doesn't seem likely.  therefore the possibility of extra money to supplement our monthly stipend doesn't look good. i'm also a little worried about the housing situation- since its a pretty rural area, i wonder if a lot of ppl still live with their families or if there are any people in their 20s that live on their own.  i hope we get our placement letter soon so i can see exactly where in the region my school will be!

[jb1290]

I already posted this in the North American auxiliares 09-10 board, but thought this place might be more relevant, too... so here we go:

Is there anyone assigned to Extremadura and would like to switch? (I'm in Castilla la Mancha.) I'm aware of that email stating if we want another region, we should apply next yr; however, I'm wondering if it could be possible if 2 ppl want to switch mutually (which I would imagine would be easier to do/more feasible, as opposed to changing 1 person's region). Of course, I'm extremely happy w/ my location, but if someone realllllly doesn't want to be in Extremadura, I'd be willing to help out. Many thanks! cheers

[inmydreamsiwin]

therefore the possibility of extra money to supplement our monthly stipend doesn't look good. i'm also a little worried about the housing situation

I'm a bit concerned about finances too (esp. since I want to travel)...  But the girl in Badajoz said her grant money went much further there than it would have in other regions, and that her quality of living was higher than it was for her back home in the U.S. (in Extremadura she eats fresh produce all the time, since it's so agricultural).  She also said that finding a roommate is very doable - in cities and villages alike there are flyers posted everywhere.

[inmydreamsiwin]

Just wanted to continue posting exciting things about Extremadura... 
The main Wikipedia article on Extremadura in SPANISH has quadruple the info. of the English article (that surprised me, I always expect articles in different languages to be translations of one another, but that's not really how Wikipedia works...ha!):  http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extremadura

Also, check out all the References at the bottom of that main page, especially the newspapers - I haven't really looked at them yet, but I bet they have great info. for apartment hunters.      Also, the E. Convention Bureau!  And several sites about their dialects!!!  AND A WHOLE WIKI PORTAL about the region!  Among other things, Wikipedia has articles on their cuisine, music, fiestas, and mythology (!!!):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extremaduran_cuisine
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_of_Extremadura
http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiestas_de_Interés_Turístico_de_Extremadura
http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitología_extremeña

Several other single page guides/articles exist on the internet:
http://www.mrandmrssmith.com/printable-guide/spain/extremadura
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2006/may/06/homes2
http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/europe/the-complete-guide-to-extremadura-442634.html

These guides are for the two provinces (they might be more helpful once we know where we'll be placed):
http://www.euroresidentes.com/euroresiuk/guides-spain/guide-to-badajoz.htm
http://www.euroresidentes.com/euroresiuk/guides-spain/guide-to-caceres.htm

The coolest thing I found though, are these aMAZing student project blogs (It seems to have been a region wide effort to get young people interested in Extremadura, to instill pride in their communities, to teach them technological skills, and to encourage tourism to the region. The first is the main portal and the second is my favorite, just to give an example).  I was hoping to find a blog by an auxiliar that had been placed in Extremadura, but I'm so glad I found these instead!  They're full of the most beautiful photography...  If these don't make you fall in love with Extremadura, I don't know what will...
http://www.yosoymarcaextremadura.com/
http://conociendoextremadurapasoapaso.blogspot.com/

Also, there's a neat rock band in Plasencia:  http://www.extremoduro.com/

[rawbeeze]

Since no one from Extremadura has given any input to you guys, I'll chime in.

I got into the Extremadura program in October of 2009 by the skin of my teeth. I sent in all my paperwork late, and Extremadura was offered to me as a last resort (I didn't choose the region in Profex). Just like you guys, I was desperately looking for as much information about Extremadura as possible. I couldn't find much online, as far as personal accounts go, and all the books about Spain in my local library seemed to skip Extremadura. I'm from the San Francisco Bay Area, so my greatest fear was that I would be stuck in the middle of nowhere.

I've never lived in a small town before living in  Azuaga, Extremadura. When I arrived, I was pleasantly surprised at the friendliness of the people and the quality of life. Everyone was insanely nice to me, people were constantly inviting me to drinks to to dinner with their families, the food is very healthy (Mediterranean diet) and cheap (I eat fresh produce every day), rent is cheap (around 170 Euros a month with a roommate), and the people are always down to party until 10am on the weekends.

I live in a small town of 8,000 people and we have a gym, sports center, swimming pool, tons of bars and 4 discos. If you are charming, people will always invite you to travel with them or to go to their country house on the weekends. As the only American in my town, I had a very "Spanish" experience, but I also had the option of going to the bigger cities in Extremadura to hang out with other English and American auxiliaries. Badajoz, Merida, Zafra and Almendralejo always have something going on.

With 700 euros a month, you will live comfortably. Even in small towns you will find families that want their kids to have private classes. With 5 private classes a week on top of my normal salary, I'm able  to save at least 200 euros for traveling or non-necessities.

If you have any questions, just let me know.

[rawbeeze]

Here's a question I recently received as a PM. Hopefully this repost will help others with the same questions.

"thank you so much for posting your experience. I was recently placed in Extremadura and had the same hesitancy at first about living there since I couldn't find any in depth information about the region. Since we are able to write to the junta of the region and request a city, I'm curious which city you would recommend. I was also wondering about, as silly as it may sound, the internet situation. Do they have wifi everywhere?"

I replied:

"Wow, you get to choose which city you will work in? That's awesome, because I had no choice.

Free WiFi: I'm writing this from a bar in my pueblo that has free WiFi. You could order a one euro beer and sit around using their internet for 3 hours if you want to. No one cares. There are also libraries in the pueblos that have free WiFi. Their hours suck (common for government institutions in Spain) but at least they are there. You will also probably meet friends who will offer to share their connection with you.

Internet plans: crappy plans with download limits can be as low as 20 euros a month. A normal limitless connection will be around 30 or 40 euros. If you live with a roommate or two you should just split the bill. I live alone, so I just use free WiFi at work, libraries or bars.

Recommended cities note: if you are assigned to a small village within 30 minutes from a city, chances are the professors will live in the city and be able to offer you rides to work. I live in a village of 8,000 people and commute to a small village of 2,000 people 3 times a week.

Recommended cities: Badajoz (best night life), Merida (best ruins), Plascencia (charming old city), Caceres (university city with a good nightlife), Almendralejo (good nightlife and good wine), Trujillo (haven't been, but it's supposed to be gorgeous).

If you want to get better at speaking Spanish, I recommend you skip the cities and live in a Pueblo. You'll meet other auxiliaries who live in the cities, so you'll always have the option of hanging out with them on the weekends. If you are real dependent on being around English speakers, the city will be better for you; however, your experience will be limited. There's so much to learn from being the only American in your town."

[pepita]

Thanks so much for the information! I was actually going to post something asking the same question.

Personally, I'm looking for a true cultural immersion and hope to improve my Spanish as well. I don't mind living in a city without a great nightlife, I'm more interested in welcoming, kind locals who will include me in their community. What you've described as your own experience Azuaga is exactly what I'm looking for. With that in mind, would you recommend any particular pueblos to request?

On another note, could you describe the general demographics of the region, or does it vary greatly from city to city (or pueblo to pueblo)? I'm just wondering if there are many 20-/30-somethings that choose to live in Extremadura with so many other popular regions in the country.

You mentioned that you live alone. Have you found it to be pretty affordable? Is it difficult to find (native) roommates? Would you recommend living alone?

One last thing! Was it difficult for you to adjust to the extremeno dialect? I keep hearing how crazy it is, and I can't seem to find much online where I can listen to it (although there are many videos with the andaluz dialecto). Do you have any advice on conquering it?

Thanks again for all your help! It's been great getting your feedback.