caroline c

You are 21 no responsibilities if you can´t go for it now when can you. Good luck give it a go and enjoy.

jonomurphy3

I have holiday booked from July 16th - 21st, I think I'll extend that to two weeks. Going to go out there and just search.

teuchterpete

Like anywhere else. Go to the more popular areas ( Costas etc.) more chance of work, higher accommodation costs. Out in the provincials just the opposite. For me, accommodation is the key. If you can find a cheap place, better still stay with a friend/acquaintance, then you can take any work. If you have to pay rent then you must find work and keep it, or your savings will take a serious pounding.
Go for it and good luck.
Pete

jonomurphy3

Thanks all!

I am going to Barcelona on my own 17-21st July, Reuss Airport. I have a friend there that will receive me, but I'm just curious as to how Barcelona is for someone on their own? And I don't speak Catalan, and have heard stories of people refusing to speak Spanish...so a bit disheartened but excited, nonetheless!

cricketman

Pretty much. The worse thing is that in order to get a customer service job then you must speak Catalan by law. So I dont fancy your chances

jonomurphy3

Aaah damn, I'll keep away from those sorts of jobs in the interim then haha! Any advice to be given about Barcelona in general?

cricketman

Bring lots of money, its expensive

And if you dont speak Spanish or Catalan then you'll be hanging around with Brits and Germans down near the port, that is even more expensive!

jonomurphy3

Been saving for about a while now! And I speak Spanish (just paranoid I'll run into a catalan nationalist who'll refuse to speak Spanish, knowing my luck! )
thanks

Eric S

Don't worry. Everyone in Barcelona speaks Spanish, too. I lived there for about a year and not once did I run into someone who refused to speak to me in Spanish.

- Eric S.

jonomurphy3

So I finally went, for a meager 5 days - pero mejor que nada. I loved it: the culture, the city, the people.

I'm going to do a cervantes course within the next few weeks, get a certificate, and then aim to head over to Spain again.

Thank you so much for the advice, it came in handy.

pwwm

Excellent news, so pleased it went well

steviedeluxe

Good to hear you enjoyed yourself. Just be aware that 5 days in summer as a tourist, is a little different to living and working full-time. Can you not do your Cervantes course in Spain outside of summer, to get a better feel? At the very least try and get a job even if it's an intern position. I don't see the job market getting any better, wherever you choose. Good luck!

Dick Dasterdly

Possibly due to some of the wierd characters that hang out there ?

jonomurphy3

Ha, funnily enough my ex was from Madrid. It's said that a lot of people from there have an aura of superiority about them? =P

steviedeluxe

When I speak to Spanish people in other parts of the country and the topic of Madrid comes up, two things tend to be mentioned (apart from any political stuff). Firstly, it's always assumed that things are very expensive there. Secondly, they always know someone who's moved to Madrid and is trying to persuade them to move there too "jobs are far better paid there", "a lot more opportunity there" "the range of clubs, museums, galleries, shops etc is far better there". I think it's similar to the impression London gives in the UK. I can understand why people are turned off by constant praise of the capital city. I've lived in both, and still think Madrid has the edge in some things, but London is great too. It doesn't mean I think I'm superior, just lucky to have experienced life there.
As it happens I think the people far more guilty of feeling superior to the rest of us, are the Catalans. We're constantly told how they are superior to the rest of Spain. Maybe they are ????