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Basking in the Basque Country: Internship in Bilbao
Kaixo! My name is Anjali and I am a Third Year undergrad at the University of Exeter in the UK. As a student of History and Spanish, I am now on my ErasmusYear Abroad, trying to learn as much Spanish as possible.
I had never really heard about Bilbao before, but when I saw an advert for an internship at the Instituto Hemingway at my university, I applied for it on a whim. And I am really glad that I did. I visit Southern Spain a lot and I was a bit apprehensive of going so far north, especially since Pais Vasco prides itself on being different from the rest of Spain. However, I am constantly bowled over by how friendly eveyone is, and how accommodating they are, despite my broken Spanish.
I have been in Bilbao for only two weeks and I am already loving it. I couldn’t in good faith say that I know my way around yet, but whatever little I have seen, has impressed me. The Instituto was really kind and they gave me a place to stay until I got my bearings and found a flat. And for all those who are worried that they would have to spend the whole of their Year Abroad at a youth hostel, flat-hunting is not as scary as it seems.
So far, I have only been working for a week, but it has been both enjoyable and educational. Instituto Hemingway is an Instituto Cervantes – accredited school, which teaches Spanish to foreigners. My job is mostly to promote the school, by writing and translating articles for the website etc. This means that come that dreaded Final Year translation exam, I should be able to hold my own. Apart from office work, interns get lots of opportunities to practise our Spanish, either amongst ourselves and with the teachers) or with the students themselves. Because there is so much to see in Bilbao, we take the students on trips every day, be it boat trips, wine-tasting events, or museum exhibitions. My personal favourite is the Tour de Pinxtos, which is a weekly bar-hopping night-out. Pinxtos are the Basque version of tapas, and combined with calimocho, which is a Basque combination of red wine and Coke (seriously worth it, even for those who don’t like wine much), it leads to a very fun evening. Not only do we get a taste of Spanish/Basque culture (no pun intended) but we also get to unwind and learn more about different cultures as there are students from all over.
I am still yet to see more of Bilbao, such as the famous Museo Guggenheim, but I would not hesitate to recommend an internship in Bilbao, and more specifically at Instituto Hemingway. Not only will you hopefully learn to speak like a native, but you will have so much fun exploring another culture and seeing a different side to the Spain that you may be used to.
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