Spanish Life Through Unfiltered Eyes (Wanderfil Interview Series #3)

In this latest entry of the Wanderfil Interview Series, I am delighted to share with you the picturesque Spanish journey of my dear friend (slash Eras concert date), Bianca🦋

In 2014, she graduated from DLSU with a degree in Behavioural Science Major in Organization and Social Systems Development. Not long after, she thrived in the corporate world, landing impressive roles at some of the top companies in the country. Amid her successful career in the PH, she made a bold move to pursue a completely different career path and went on to explore teaching. In 2022, she joined the Spanish Ministry of Education and quickly established herself as an outstanding English teacher in Madrid for 2 school years.

She loves art, museums, books, travel, music, and food. Without further ado, let's get to know Bianca - our savvy English Teacher in Madrid!

Where were you born and raised in the Philippines?

I was born and raised in Manila, the capital city of the country. 

You had a great career in the Philippines; what urged you to move abroad?

I would have to say that it was my dream to live in Madrid and also I was going through a hard time mentally and emotionally due to burnout. I visited Spain for three weeks back in 2014 and loved it. I always said I would go back even when I wasn’t sure how I was going to make it happen. Then I started working and Spain moved further to the back of my mind with all the corporate hustling going on. In 2020 I had felt that I wanted to go back already but unfortunately, when I was discussing it with my godfather, who is a Spanish citizen, about going back, he didn’t recommend it as the pandemic was just starting and the lockdown was set to begin so everyone would just be within their homes. So I had to wait, yet again. It was hard mentally and emotionally with both the pandemic going on and work, and it further pushed me to want to experience life elsewhere. Fast forward to 2022 and I was able to push through and return to Spain after 8 years.

You visited Spain as a tourist in 2014. Did your expectations of living and working here match the reality when you moved?

It would have to be a mix but the good outweighs the bad. However, I would have to say I did not expect to experience and grow so much within the two years of living in Spain. During the two years, my way of thinking had also shifted after having lived and experienced life outside of what I had known and am comfortable with.

What do you enjoy most about living in Madrid, Spain?

There are top 3 on my list, to be honest. First, I definitely enjoy the lifestyle the most. I’m from a third-world country where hustle culture is the norm. In my opinion, this culture stemmed from how hard life is in the country as well as from America's influence. People have a more relaxed way of life in Spain than in Manila. I’ve been told by my godfather that in Spain the people work to live, while in the Philippines it’s live to work. I definitely saw that. 

Second, it's the public transportation. In the Philippines, I can count with both hands the number of times I had to use public transport but I’m someone who doesn’t commute to work or school yet has seen and heard what it’s like daily from those around me. Trains either break down or are late, buses and PUVs squeeze in people way more than the capacity should be, buses and PUVs stop anywhere at any time, and the late or unset time for arrivals or departures of the vehicles. In comparison, public transportation in Madrid is very efficient. Buses and trains are frequent and are on time when it comes to arrivals. Because of this, people don’t force themselves on them to the point where people are unable to breathe. It’s also easy to get to the towns or other cities by using them.

Third, there are so many activities and events always happening in the city of Madrid. Be it free museum visits daily at certain times, festivals happening, exhibitions, weekend markets, etc., there’s always something to do. I loved visiting the different museums and exhibitions when I could, be it immersive digital art or traditional mediums. 

How does daily life in Madrid differ from what you were accustomed to Manila? Any particular routines or customs that took you awhile to adapt?

The hustle life is the only one I only ever experienced, where you go to work and then go straight home due to the heavy traffic unless it’s a Friday night or the weekend, and overtime was seen as normal. So it was such an adjustment for me when I came to Spain and people clocked out almost always on time, and after work, people would be meeting up, enjoying visiting cafes and bars, having dinner out, taking walks around the city, or even shopping. It took me a while to get used to this and I remember that there was a time I was even thinking “What do I do now with all this free time?”.

How does the work environment in the Spanish education system differ from your previous corporate roles in the Philippines?

It’s totally different. In the Philippines, I worked with adults ranging from rank and file to Vice Presidents, while in Spain I mainly worked with children. In the corporate setting, the stress level was high and you could feel the need to hustle. The hours would also be long and, as mentioned earlier, overtime was very common. There were also instances where I would get calls from work outside of working hours or on weekends. Not to mention that there were quarterly evaluations of one’s performance on top of annual evaluations.

While working in the Spanish education system, however, a huge adjustment needed to be made. First, I can’t speak to the students the same way I would speak to a colleague or a subordinate. On top of this, I had to keep in mind that English is not their first language and that they are learning it so word choices and explanations should be easy for them to understand. As kids, they have a lot of energy as well, especially the younger ones. They won’t listen right away if you tell them to settle down so finding creative ways to get them to follow what you want them to do is needed. I can say that my patience was tried and tested at times but that it also improved.

Can you share any tips on finding a supportive community/network in Spain as an expat?

As someone having come to Spain from a different country, I can say this: put yourself out there. Be it by joining Facebook groups, taking part in different hobby classes, etc.. I honestly didn’t think I would have a hard time making friends, however, once I arrived it was different than what I had imagined. It’s different when you come to a country for work rather than being a student. As a student, you’re in the same class with a group of people who, generally, are the same age as you, speak English, and have something in common with your studies. However, when it comes to work, it would be somewhat harder to build relationships as adults, especially when Spanish isn’t your first language or you don’t speak it at all. It will take a while before you find “your people”. You will try to make friends with others, it may work out, it may not, or it may work out in the beginning but then fizzle out. Just remember that there are people who are meant to be just there for a specific period in your life. It’s all part of the process, but the journey of starting from the beginning again by trying to make friends, finding the right ones, to building that relationship and friendship with them is worth it. Once you’ve found “your people” and you build that friendship, it’s just the greatest feeling.

Reflecting on your journey so far, what aspects of Spanish culture have you found most enriching/ challenging? How has living in Spain shaped your personal and professional growth?

The most enriching for me are the art and architecture. Learning about the great artists of Spain, their artworks, and the different periods of the history of the country reflected in the various architecture is quite interesting. With the abundance of museums, exhibitions, monuments, and architecture in the country, there is so much to learn and explore. I love to learn about these things, so when traveling around the different cities, and even while in Madrid, I try to go on tours and visit the local museums or exhibitions.

As I mentioned earlier, I did not imagine I would grow so much in the two years living in Spain. From having to cook for myself (even when sick), doing the household chores and grocery, doing all the necessary paperwork, getting and attending different appointments within the city or in different towns, feeling so comfortable using public transportation, and most of all, being able to travel by myself. Besides this growth, there have been changes as well in my way of thinking after experiencing the more relaxed lifestyle of Spain. 

Final words/advices to fellow Filipinos who want to chase their dream lives abroad?

In terms of Filipinos thinking about moving to Spain, I have to say this first and foremost: when you hear and read things that say it’s easy for Filipinos to get Spanish citizenship, it’s false advertising. People really should know this because it’s very misleading. 

Much information is being left out. For example, they say that Filipinos only need to stay for two years before they can apply for citizenship, but they don’t specify that those two years have to be on a work visa. 

They also don’t mention the job market in Spain. Spain is still experiencing the effects of their economic crisis with high unemployment rates. They were on the road to recovery however the pandemic happened, which lasted for two years. There is also the matter of priority with jobs as the priority will be first Spaniards, then EU citizens, and then non-EU folks. The hiring of non-EU folks is done when there is a shortage of fit candidates for that role within Spain or the EU. 

Getting Masters in Spain can help one land a job but it cannot guarantee that. One of my best friends took her Masters in Spain and in the end, she and her class ended up going back to their home countries as they were not able to find a job. One of her friends is even an EU citizen. Another friend of mine completed her Masters as well in Spain and got hired, however, she mentioned that in her opinion the salary she’s receiving in the company that hired her is lower than that of people working in the grocery.

Also, before you can apply for citizenship you have to take certain examinations about Spanish geography, political institutions, historical events, cultural traditions, and rights and obligations of Spanish citizens, as well as an exam for the Spanish language.

Now on a general note. Moving to another country is life-changing for sure. However, I would advise that people do their research thoroughly rather than just base things on hearsay or one post. There will be a lot of things that need to be considered, such as the job market, the country’s economy, the cost of living, etc. However, researching in advance will allow a person to think things through and know what to expect.

Get to know Bianca and her journey more @biancacuatico on IG

Hasta luego!