Nikkiportia

Hey everyone!
Ive been in madrid, living in the las rozas area, for a few weeks. Settling in well, me and my spanish partner moved here from newmarket, suffolk, as he got offered a great job. He's been in the uk for 8 years so even he is finding the transition back to spain hard
I had planned to take a TEFL, and teach english, making a tough decision to leave a long term career in horses!
However, we found out a couple of weeks before moving, that i was pregnant! So plans have changed to me studying spanish ( i have a very basic understanding!) and being a bit of a house wife
Despite the initial panic about healthcare, my s1 arrived, i registered on the padron, applied for my residents card, and registered my s1 at the INSS ( all of which would have been impossible without my amazingly efficient partner!)
Thankfully it means i have registered and am receiving healthcare and maternity appointments at the local health centre, big relief!
Things are very tricky because i speak so little spanish, so finding friends is impossible until i learn a bit more
So i thought i would join here to see if i can find some english friends to talk to and take some advice from perhaps? Would be especially fab to hear from any ladies who are or have been pregnant here and what i can expect?
Look forward to chatting

Domino

to Nikki

sorry but I can't help about the pregnancy/children bit.
I came here a year ago, following the (English) BH who came out here for work 31/2 yrs ago and the dog that came out early last year.
I managed to get all my documents sorted in a 2-3 week period, including travelling into Granada, with very little Spanish, it was a steep learning curve but worthwhile in the end.

Learning the Spanish can be hard, it gets harder if you have no one to talk to on a daily basis. My advantage is that I do most of the shopping, and have no problem walking into bars which are really a male club.
I have found the easiest way is to go for "situational learning", learning the words and responses in each place you go to, rather than just downloading a stack of words. Otherwise you can go out and not be able to buy a cup of coffee. Remember that kids are in a "situational learning" bubble for their first years before going to school, thats why they take to it so easily.
Even watching the adverts on tv is situational learning, as is the tv news.

Don't be afraid to make mistakes, remember to say pardon and listen because you probably will be corrected by the person you are talking to, so repeat it back to them. There are also, just like in the UK, slang ways of saying things, especially perfectly normal words, perhaps you won't get so much of that in the centre of Spanish language as we do here in the olives.

There are a few people here from the Madrid area and there are other websites that cater for young newcomers

Good luck
Having a Spaniard to talk it through with will be a definite help

Rosemary

As Concierge for the Spanish section of BE I would like to say hello and welcome.

BE is a very large expat website, so if you have problems finding your way around we have concierges who will try to direct you. The moderators for the Spanish forums are Mitzyboy and Fred James, moderators are there to ensure that the site runs smoothly within the rules of BE. Problems and complaints should always be addressed to a moderador who will look into the matter and deal with it efficiently and fairly. Our members who post in the Spain Forums are friendly and helpful with a wealth of knowledge of the issues of living in Spain. At the top of the page you will find a quirkily named thread called Free Beer which is full of important and useful information. Hope you enjoy your time participating in the forums.

Please let me know if you need any further help.

Rosemary

me me

What a huge life change, a new city and a new baby.

Now that the paperwork is sorted, that is a huge step, the rest will come bit by bit.

Good luck with it all.

Nikkiportia

Thanks all!
Yes domino, its hard to force myself into situations when its much easier to go shopping with the partner and get him to talk for me, but when he is at work, i try and pop to the local shops for small things, to make sure i put myself in challenging situations.
i always get caught out somehow, by being asked something i totally dont understand, like if i want a plastic bag, lol I even got stopped on the street by someone asking for directions, luckily i have mastered the sentance 'no hablo espanol' and felt really awkward, until the lady then switched to english to ask where the tennis club was
Things would be much easier if evryone stuck to the basic conversations demonstrated in phrasebooks

Many thanks for the welcome to the forum, yes it is all a big change, the pregnancy was a great surprise, but dealing with the move during the worst of my morning sickness was no fun at all i can tell you!

Domino

thats why I said you need situation learning
what you hear is Bolsa? so the answer is Si or No! (Gracias).
after you have bought half a dozen at 5c each you soon remember to have one with you.

I saw 2 Chinese looking lost, map the wrong way up, went and spoke to them, turned out they had good English and wanted the Railway Station in Granada - luckily 2 streets away.

most phrase books only give you half the story and don't prepare you for the responses you may get, they are always positive so when you ask for something the fact it isnt available rarely appears there.

remember that Como Estas? has an alternative of Que Tal?, the less formal version
but the responses are the same - just be careful as some wise guy will always start telling you about the carbuncle on the left toe


my current bug is that round here they abrieviate words
so when I paid for 2 beers I was charged "dochenta", which is really dos ochenta, probably someone from Madrid would also falter.

good luck, its a great place, I have seen some that are far worse over the years travelling on the high seas.

¬

zilar

I live in your area but I´m afraid that too much time has passed for me to be able to give you any useful advice about pregnancy. My one tip would be that when the time comes for you to stock up on baby equipment such as prams, travel cots etc. , you have a look at the British Ladies Association second hand sales that they have every Thursday in Las Rozas, unless of course you have in-laws who would be horrified at the idea of second hand as mine were.

cricketman

As were mine!

I would suggest you get a top of the range Bugaboo or Bebecar though, otherwise you won't fit it

Nikkiportia

Hi again all, just bumping up this thread as i am still looking for anyone with experience of pregnancy here in madrid.
Things going well with the healthcare system so far, being treated well and getting everything i need. However i have now had the shock of my life because we are expecting TWINS! Now more scared than i was before, lol! Not just at the pregnancy, but how on earth i am going to cope with 2 babies when all my family are back in England :/ Daunting.
Especially looking for any advice regarding antenatal classes in english or english mums groups.
Regards x x x

zilar

Why not visit the mother and toddlers group that meets at St.George´s church in Madrid - Wednesday and Friday mornings I think. There must be mothers there who can give you more advice than I can.