highs & lows of spain
Sep 19th 2006 | 5:31 am
#31
Straw Man.
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 46,302
From: That, there, that's not my post count... nothing to see here, move along.
Re: highs & lows of spain
Originally Posted by Bossman-kent
Why go there ? Spain is better
I have lived in Spain, and i loved it but its a different place to what it was then! I started thinking about moving away when body parts started to spring up in the countryside and Russian appeared on the menus!!!
Sep 19th 2006 | 9:05 am
#32
Just Joined
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 8
From: valencia
Re: highs & lows of spain
hi all i agree with all of the above most people come over here thinking its like a holiday.ive been coming to valencia for years then decided to pack everything up and come with my family. i cried all the time when i first got here because i couldnt find a job and couldnt speak spanish so i got off my behind bought a buisness and headed for the spanish bars where they will give you a warm welcome.first theres not a lot of work for none speaking spanish people.the schools well we have had no problems my kids settled well and in a few months were speaking 2 languages with lots of spanish friends,so we have no complaints.all my friends are spanish and they show no respect for the forigners who have no intention of learning spanish.and if u try even if ur wrong they will help you and you will find that most of them do speak english when it suits them. good luck in what ever you decide but a career break maybe a good option and to rent your house 
Sep 19th 2006 | 9:22 am
#33
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Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 309
From: Manchester
Re: highs & lows of spain
Originally Posted by muttymutt
Just thinking about my last post, i was extremely negative, but i wish we had had people telling us exactly how they found spain before we made the leap.
There are some pluses for being out here though (these are only based on what weve found in our area. For example (the obvious) weather, its lovely except in the winter when it does get cold and in the months when it rains, it really DOES rain for a few days then it stops. we have just had central heating installed because a wood burner is all well and good for heating up a couple of rooms but the whole house is a different matter. then in the summer it gets very hot and very difficult to do odd jobs in the house/garden. i enjoy gardening to an extent but in the summer its best to stay in the pool, indoors or on the beach!!
seondly, if you have a sweet tooth Spain is the place for you, they are chocolate mad!!!!!! we can get cadburys out here but otherwise its milka or nestle, which isn't too bad. spanish food i think is lovely, especiallt their menu of the day. you get tons of food usually 3 courses plus a coffee and a bottle of wine for 6 euros(hence the reason they siesta cos their tummys are too full and there brains a bit worse for wear!!!) you can get most english food out here, the only thing is t-bags although you can get them they are quite expensive so make sure you pack tons of them before you get here!!!
restaurants are on a whole lovely, and very, very child friendly!! which is lovely after living in the UK. infact most of spain, shops, restaurants, supermarkets etc are very child friendly. get you children usued to staying up late!! they eat very late and it has taken our two quite a while to get used to giving up on lots of sleep!!
The one big difference we have found is that although they are child friendly, you don't see lots of children playing out together in the streets. Where we lived in the uk we had a huge park outside ours and it was always full, here our children have had to get used to playing together as there aren't many children around our way.
so i'm sorry there are some highs for living here but try to weigh up both sides before you jump!!
There are some pluses for being out here though (these are only based on what weve found in our area. For example (the obvious) weather, its lovely except in the winter when it does get cold and in the months when it rains, it really DOES rain for a few days then it stops. we have just had central heating installed because a wood burner is all well and good for heating up a couple of rooms but the whole house is a different matter. then in the summer it gets very hot and very difficult to do odd jobs in the house/garden. i enjoy gardening to an extent but in the summer its best to stay in the pool, indoors or on the beach!!
seondly, if you have a sweet tooth Spain is the place for you, they are chocolate mad!!!!!! we can get cadburys out here but otherwise its milka or nestle, which isn't too bad. spanish food i think is lovely, especiallt their menu of the day. you get tons of food usually 3 courses plus a coffee and a bottle of wine for 6 euros(hence the reason they siesta cos their tummys are too full and there brains a bit worse for wear!!!) you can get most english food out here, the only thing is t-bags although you can get them they are quite expensive so make sure you pack tons of them before you get here!!!
restaurants are on a whole lovely, and very, very child friendly!! which is lovely after living in the UK. infact most of spain, shops, restaurants, supermarkets etc are very child friendly. get you children usued to staying up late!! they eat very late and it has taken our two quite a while to get used to giving up on lots of sleep!!
The one big difference we have found is that although they are child friendly, you don't see lots of children playing out together in the streets. Where we lived in the uk we had a huge park outside ours and it was always full, here our children have had to get used to playing together as there aren't many children around our way.
so i'm sorry there are some highs for living here but try to weigh up both sides before you jump!!
Sep 19th 2006 | 10:00 am
#34
Just Joined
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 8
From: valencia
Re: highs & lows of spain
Originally Posted by vox populia
So how do you actually make a living?
Sep 19th 2006 | 10:04 am
#35
Straw Man.
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 46,302
From: That, there, that's not my post count... nothing to see here, move along.
Re: highs & lows of spain
Originally Posted by arressting-silver
most people get jobs by word of mouth mostley cleaning,bar work alot of the estate agents will take you on to clean rentals i just got off my backside and found something our town needed cos i was just spending my nest egg but alot of people dont want to work and if they can afford then thats fine also
Good on ya! That can do attitude is exactly what more Expats needed out in Spain when i was there!
Sep 19th 2006 | 11:12 am
#36
Just Joined
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 8
From: valencia
Re: highs & lows of spain
Originally Posted by rugbymatt
Good on ya! That can do attitude is exactly what more Expats needed out in Spain when i was there!
Sep 21st 2006 | 2:20 am
#37
¿Dónde estoy?
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 13,330
From: my paradise - Jávea
Re: thanks to all ...
Originally Posted by sibsie
In my experience it's the other way round. The International Schools are the ones all the parents moan about. I had a foster daughter for 5 months in Spain and she was at the local Intl school. It was a really bad place with very poor academic records. My own niece went from being a grade A student to below average in just a few months.
Have a google at Malaga for Intl schools. I imagine with the huge Expat population there, you'll find quite a few.
Have a google at Malaga for Intl schools. I imagine with the huge Expat population there, you'll find quite a few.
Hiya Sibsie!!
I'm eating my words re schooling...................
you may remember that my kids were at one of the International schools???
well about 2 years ago they made some friends at one of the state schools & asked if they could try it out! We said yes....saving 10,000E a year.
they are both really happy at their spanish state school - and I have to admit that the standard of education knocks spots off the International one, let alone the state schools in the UK!
I too am a bit concerned about the local Instituto - lack of discipline seems to be the main problem.........I'm hoping this will improve in the next 2 years before my eldest will go there, though for her it probably won't be a problem as she is self disciplined & self motivated - my younger one is a whole different ballgame - but a lot can happen in 5 years
I don't exactly regret sending them to the International school - at the time it seemed to be the right choice - and it broke them in gently to yet another new country - but I do regret the expense when I'm pretty sure they learned nothing in the year they were there!
Sep 21st 2006 | 8:03 am
#38
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 1,239
From: Mid West >> UK
Re: highs & lows of spain
You cant blame the Spanish people for being fed up with Brits who wont learn their language, look how many Brits moan about 'foreigners' moving to Britain not knowing a word of English.
Reading this thread is very interesting as it just shows how much Europe is becoming multi cultural, the difficult point is now when its all new but many years down the line when everyone is mixing in with each other and having half Polish/English children etc, Europe will be changed beyond recognition. What a legacy for the children growing up in that environment.
Reading this thread is very interesting as it just shows how much Europe is becoming multi cultural, the difficult point is now when its all new but many years down the line when everyone is mixing in with each other and having half Polish/English children etc, Europe will be changed beyond recognition. What a legacy for the children growing up in that environment.
Sep 21st 2006 | 9:08 am
#39
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Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 309
From: Manchester
Re: highs & lows of spain
Originally Posted by arressting-silver
most people get jobs by word of mouth mostley cleaning,bar work alot of the estate agents will take you on to clean rentals i just got off my backside and found something our town needed cos i was just spending my nest egg but alot of people dont want to work and if they can afford then thats fine also
Sep 21st 2006 | 10:25 am
#40
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Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 1,239
From: Mid West >> UK
Re: highs & lows of spain
Originally Posted by vox populia
Interesting, what did u actually because we are in the same situtation!
Sep 22nd 2006 | 8:32 pm
#41
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Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 349
From: Surrey to Perth and back to Surrey & Back again, Why why why
Re: highs & lows of spain
Originally Posted by Lord Pom Percy
have you been to OZ before, if not you can't say spain is better.
I live in OZ and believe me Spain is Better
Sep 22nd 2006 | 9:07 pm
#42
Just Joined
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 11
Re: thanks to all ...
Originally Posted by lynnxa
Hiya Sibsie!!
I'm eating my words re schooling...................
you may remember that my kids were at one of the International schools???
well about 2 years ago they made some friends at one of the state schools & asked if they could try it out! We said yes....saving 10,000E a year.
they are both really happy at their spanish state school - and I have to admit that the standard of education knocks spots off the International one, let alone the state schools in the UK!
I too am a bit concerned about the local Instituto - lack of discipline seems to be the main problem.........I'm hoping this will improve in the next 2 years before my eldest will go there, though for her it probably won't be a problem as she is self disciplined & self motivated - my younger one is a whole different ballgame - but a lot can happen in 5 years
I don't exactly regret sending them to the International school - at the time it seemed to be the right choice - and it broke them in gently to yet another new country - but I do regret the expense when I'm pretty sure they learned nothing in the year they were there!
I'm eating my words re schooling...................
you may remember that my kids were at one of the International schools???
well about 2 years ago they made some friends at one of the state schools & asked if they could try it out! We said yes....saving 10,000E a year.
they are both really happy at their spanish state school - and I have to admit that the standard of education knocks spots off the International one, let alone the state schools in the UK!
I too am a bit concerned about the local Instituto - lack of discipline seems to be the main problem.........I'm hoping this will improve in the next 2 years before my eldest will go there, though for her it probably won't be a problem as she is self disciplined & self motivated - my younger one is a whole different ballgame - but a lot can happen in 5 years
I don't exactly regret sending them to the International school - at the time it seemed to be the right choice - and it broke them in gently to yet another new country - but I do regret the expense when I'm pretty sure they learned nothing in the year they were there!
Where are you located. We are very concerend about taking our kids out there aged 9 & 11 and just thought that the international school would be a whole lot less initimdating than being that age and put into an all spanish speaking school, (worry that it would be too much of a shock)from what I'm reading quite a lot we may be wrong??
Thanks Bopsy
Sep 23rd 2006 | 12:16 am
#43
RETIRED ;-))
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 20,156
From: Benalmadena Pueblo,Spain
Re: highs & lows of spain
Kids pick up the language easy and believe me if they are going to stay here in Spain then it will do them more good in a state school.
Sep 25th 2006 | 9:46 am
#44
Banned
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 292
From: Kent UK
Re: highs & lows of spain
Originally Posted by Lord Pom Percy
have you been to OZ before, if not you can't say spain is better.
yep been there and prefer Spain.. just my opinion ..sorry
