Another important date, the 9^th of March is a key moment in our country because we will be choosing our new Parliament. It’s true that as the Spanish elections are really only played out between two parties, there’s not that much excitement.

We are not just in Spain, but Valencia. This means that in March we can enjoy the indoor world athletics championship (1^st-2^nd March) and with Fallas (14^th-19^th March) we jump to the summer, when for the first time the city will see a Formula 1 circuit (it will be urban, on the 24^th of August) before the emblematic Motor GP (26^th Oct)Only one thing more, wait and wee what’s out there to surprise us or make us think, the when December comes, 2008 will have been more interesting than had expected.

Now, the only problem we have is the odd spelling mistake!

It was necessary for us to speak Spanish because we wanted to go to Peru as volunteers. In Peru I worked as a dentist and my wife helped me.

In March 2007 we went to Lima by plane, then to Cajamarca and after that, by taxi to Jesus, a small village in the Andes.
People there are very poor and don’t have the opportunity to go to the dentist, so in 2002 a Dutch dentist founded a humanitarian organisation made up of Dutch dentists.

Three times a year, two dentists and two assistants go there to take care of the village population’s teeth.
We helped the children of a small school in a little village named Bendiza (close to Jesus). There were 45 people between six and fourteen years-old and for most of them it was the first time they had seen a dentist. What a pity that they drink Inka-cola and eat so many sweets! Almost every child had cavities in their teeth. So we filled them up and pulled out many rotten teeth. The children were very afraid at the beginning but soon started trusting us and after the treatment we gave them a present.
After that they went back home very happy.

We loved the Peruvians and we are going to go back in 2009.

Ineke y Paul Rood.

Ralph, student of Spanish (Scotland)
1. ‘Poquito a poco’, on Hospital street, very close to the Public Library.
2. If I’ve got time and it doesn’t rain, I go to the lakes of the City of Sciences & Arts, a beautiful and clam place.
3. I love the Cathedral. I’m not religious but it’s a nice place to think in your people…

Jon, teacher of Spanish (Cantabria)
1. ‘Café Museu’ (Museo Street, El Carmen). A small terrace full of very big people.
2. Los Jardines de Monforte, between La Alameda and Blasco Ibáñez. There aren’t many people and smells nice.
3. Despite the posh shops, the Mercado de Colón is amazing.

Sarah, teacher of English
1. ‘La Trobada’ in Los Fueros square, behind the Torres de Serranos.
2. Viveros at night. Yes, it’s forbidden, but if you get in, you’ll be the only one and it’s very quiet and relaxing.
3. Walking at night all the way down from Ciscenors square, where the Museo de Medicina is, towards the Torres de Serrano. It’s lovely!

Electronic music allows its user to modificate, disassemble, accelerate the musical elements. The only limite is the composer’s creativity, as the machines let you do anything you want.

Nowadays the expression “electronic music” can be confusing for the people because it covers a big spectrum of different styles like house, techno, ambient, trance, hip-hop, drum and bass…

The importance of electronic music startet in the 1980s in the United States. Then, Chicago was the capital of house music pioniered by DJ Marshall Jefferson. Some years later, Detroit became the essential place for techno music with the famous DJ Jeff Mills who turned the world of techno music around. We mustn’t forget the triumph of acid house by the end of the 1980s in England. At this point of time electronic music was already known throughout the world. Starting in the 90s it became more popular and got still more diverse. Electronic minimal music, electro klash and drum and bass became more important in the middle of the nineties.

Nowadays electronic music is everywhere and of course you can dance to it. In Valencia, you can find some places with this type of music: Latex and Le Club du Pop offer pure and high-quality music. They are without a doubt the two places which offer the best electronic music programme.

Hey Vicente, how are you?
I’m fine, eyes on the screen for a change. Thanks.

Well, tell us something about you and what you’re doing…
My name’s Vicente, I’m 28 years old and I’m in charge of the online marketing for Route66. I’m aiming to get the homepage in the first places of google and other search engines on an international level. At the same time I develop strategies which should help to achieve an increase of visits of the homepage.

You run your own business, don’t you?
Yes, that’s right. I worked in the financial department of an entreprise in the center of Valencia but I was fed up with wearing ties that’s why I decided to set up my own business. We offer online marketing consultancy for small and medium-sized entreprises and we organize Google workshops in Valencia.

And now you’re preparing a social network for Route66?
Yes, that’s the new project which is corresponding with what we today know as the new generation Web 2.0. The aim is both reunite the students at an international level and offer a bulletin board for students and ex-students. It’s meant to provide help and recommendation for other students interested in coming to Spain, and especially to Valencia.

And how does it work?
Well, let me explain it to you. You enter the web (http://route66idiomas.collectivex.com) and sign up with your mail, fill out the profile with information like name, city etc. After that you can fix your aims, for example “find a flat”. It’s not just a forum to exchange fotos, documents, anounce activities, it also allows you to get in touch with other students and ex-students of our school.

Ok, and to end the interview, please tell us something about what you like.
I swim, play tennis and do paddle, at the weekends I teach tennis. Concerning music I like brit pop and from university I’ve got still outstanding to work in a foreign country for a period of time.

Tell us something about you!
I’m from Cantabria (the most beautiful region in Spain =)), but I have been living in Valencia for more than three years after having lived through the North of Spain and along Europe.

How long have you been teaching and what did you do before?
Before Spanish, I have tried to teach English, Italian and Valencian to children. But I’ve also worked at a kindergarten, at an elderly home, at a circus, at thousands of restaurants, at supermarkets, as a pollster, as a tourist guide, to name just a few.

What do you like about being a teacher?
Being a teacher is interesting, but above all I like teaching Spanish to foreigners because the students always are fond to learn and the same happens with all the languages. The most inspiring aspect is the intercultural exchange.

How are your students?
I’ve got a broad spectrum of students. If not, I wouldn’t like my job so much.

I’m sure there have been funny situations in class…
A student told me that in her flat there was a big cochina (dirty girl) instead of “cocina”. Another student wanted to put contactos in his eyes (phone contacts in a newspaper) instead of lentillas. And another one got scared as he noticed that when paying in a bar you ask ¿Cuánto cuesta? (How much does it cost?), he had been asking ¿Cuánto cobras? (~ How much do you get?). Furthermore there are people who use their humour to apply grammar, and that’s interesting too.

Vices, passions and obsessions?
My vice: a good white wine, music and my people. Passions: travelling and writing. Obsessions: orthography and uneducated people.

I am leaving….!! After one and a half year of living la vida española (or at least I tried to, I will always be Dutch of course!) it’s time for a change. We are going back to The Netherlands for a short while, to prepare ourselves for a new adventure in Denmark or South America or…. We will see where we end up but I am sure we will find our way!

The worst thing from leaving is that you have to say goodbye. They say that people from Lapland don’t have a word in their language to say “goodbye” because they believe they will see each other again. They never say goodbye forever. I will do the same thing as the Lapps; I won’t say goodbye, just see you next time!

Thank you all for your friendship, your interesting and funny stories, for your attempts to improve my Spanish and your open minds! I will miss Valencia, the “gezelligheid” (a typical Dutch word for a good atmosphere), my friends, Route 66, the sunny weather and the Spanish way of living that I like so much. I wish you all the best and if you want to keep me informed about your lives, please do so! See you!

Lots of kisses, besos, kusjes en liefs, Marlies

It doesn’t matter if you’re a beginner or an advanced student, if you’re an early bird or a night owl or if you have problems concentrating in the afternoon.

The teachers of Route 66 would like our students to learn with ease and efficiency.
We strive to learn in an environment of respect, integration and equality and therefore require your assistance in achieving these common goals. We would like everyone to adhere to these principles during and outside classes as often as possible. Please, help us to spread these values throughout Valencia.
Welcome to our city and thank you for choosing it.
Jon.

After the nerve breaking casting we also had a look in the audio room and we were able to make our own newsflash, directly from the museum! We have spotted a new, upcoming talent among our students: the Australian weather man David!
We even felt more like popular television heroes because a camera crew of Canal Nou, a Valencian television channel, was there to make a report about the workshop. So we even showed on national television for real!
The television workshop was the first in row of our Friday morning workshops; Route 66 Idiomas thinks it is important to learn the grammar and theory of a language but using it for real is just as important. By organising 2-hour workshops every Friday morning we are hoping to help our students even better with integrating the language.