Les Illes Balears

Hey again!  I couldn't help but notice I included very little information about my new home.  In September I'll be moving to the Balearic Islands (named les Illes Balears in Catalan and las Islas Baleares in Spanish), and I couldn't be more excited.  So what does it mean to be Spanish?

Flamenco?

Bull fighting?

Comida?

La tomatina?

El encierro?

La Cruz?

Well yes all of these are Spanish, but there's so much more to Spain than their portrayal in the media.  I'll spare you a big historical and cultural lecture, but there's more than one way to be Spanish.  Spain is a country of a little of 46 million people and has quite a varied landscape.  They have at least 4 official languages with just as many sub-dialects.  The country is situated between France and Portugal, and it also borders Andorra (MUST VISIT!). 

I have the privilege of moving to a strand of islands in the Mediterranean.  From what I've noticed, most auxiliares are placed on the largest island named Mallorca.  OK, now is your cue to start being jealous.  This gorgeous island with a population of just over 860,000 is unlike anything on the mainland.  The predominant language on the island is a form of Catalan called mallorquí, and I can't wait to learn the ins and outs of the language.  I'll be teaching in a public school most likely and can end up with students anywhere between 5 and 18.  I hope to learn as much from them as they do from me *cue the Rodgers and Hammerstein*  Below I'm gonna add a few pics and vids of the island, and you can get an idea of what I'll be around for 8 months.  I'm definitely ready for this!

The capital: Palma de Mallorca (pop. 405,318)

Palma during Christmas

Fountain in Palma

My favorite Spanish department store, El Corte Inglés

The metro!

Speaking of trains, here's the cool Ferrocarril de Sóller that runs from Palma to Sóller.

Town of Sóller (pop. 14,148)

The beautiful Port de Sóller

Valldemossa (pop. 2,007

Inca (pop. 29,966)

Santanyí (pop. 13,095)

A vid of Palma.  Although the island can be a bit touristy (why wouldn't it be?!) this video looks a lot less like a sales pitch than most.

OK, that's all I have for now.  I'm sure I'll post more about the application process as well as the Balearic Islands as the day gets nearer.

Un beso,

Tyler from Texas