Where to move to in Spain
Mar 28th 2011, 10:10 am
#16
Banned
Joined: Dec 2006
Location: Living in a good place
Posts: 8,824
Re: Where to move to in Spain
Our Doctor in Spain speaks fairly good English. He will not use it when with a patient, doesn't want the responsibility of mistranslating something important. The CDS hospital has a great network of translators but they cannot be around all the time if you are admitted.
Mar 28th 2011, 10:15 am
#17
MODERATOR
Joined: Mar 2007
Location: Costa Valencia
Posts: 14,800
Re: Where to move to in Spain
I do not know the place and risk being shot down in flames but from what I have read on here Torrevieja might be a possibility.
Graham
Graham
Mar 28th 2011, 10:22 am
#18
Concierge
Joined: May 2006
Location: ex ex-pat, in Taunton
Posts: 27,211
Re: Where to move to in Spain
Certainly has the sports facilities, etc, BUT you would have to speak some Spanish, it does have a great hospital, but, like the local health centres, it does expect you to have a translator with you if you can't speak Spanish. Even the small towns like Playa Flamenca, just a few kilometers away, which have a very large expat population are not places where you would get away with no Spanish.
Mar 28th 2011, 12:09 pm
#19
MODERATOR
Joined: Mar 2007
Location: Costa Valencia
Posts: 14,800
Re: Where to move to in Spain
Certainly has the sports facilities, etc, BUT you would have to speak some Spanish, it does have a great hospital, but, like the local health centres, it does expect you to have a translator with you if you can't speak Spanish. Even the small towns like Playa Flamenca, just a few kilometers away, which have a very large expat population are not places where you would get away with no Spanish.
Graham
Mar 28th 2011, 1:20 pm
#20
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Aug 2005
Location: Beckenham, London borough Bromley
Posts: 1,617
Re: Where to move to in Spain
Hi
Just a thought about not speaking Spanish - this is copied from my local forum - and yes it is my Grandson I am talking about
On a personal note, I had occasion to try the extent of my Spanish when my grandson fell from the top bunk (literas)! Both hospitals were excellent; at three o’clock in the morning there are not many English speaking people about. Both hospitals? Yes after an X-Ray and a CT scan in Puerto Santa Maria, they discovered my grandson had a crack in his skull (cráneo) so he was rushed in an ambulance to Cádiz hospital to see a specialist!
This has made me sit up and take notice a little more; could you direct an ambulance to your house / local venta and at two in the morning? And do you have notes easy to hand to tell the doctor(s) what happened? Remember initially you see a “Triage” doctor who will pass you onto someone else (in my case, a technician for the X-Ray, and two technicians and a doctor for the CT scan). Then there was the consultant that wrote up the notes of each procedure; and that was one hospital only!
I should add that my grandson has made a full recovery
Yes I realise that many non English speaking people go on holiday to Spain for a fortnight every year. What is not said is that a proportion die each year. The more time in a non English speaking country the more the risk multiplies.
Yes it is your decision to do as you want; but you asked for the advice and maybe you don´t want to listen. My consience is clear
Dave Fisher
Just a thought about not speaking Spanish - this is copied from my local forum - and yes it is my Grandson I am talking about
On a personal note, I had occasion to try the extent of my Spanish when my grandson fell from the top bunk (literas)! Both hospitals were excellent; at three o’clock in the morning there are not many English speaking people about. Both hospitals? Yes after an X-Ray and a CT scan in Puerto Santa Maria, they discovered my grandson had a crack in his skull (cráneo) so he was rushed in an ambulance to Cádiz hospital to see a specialist!
This has made me sit up and take notice a little more; could you direct an ambulance to your house / local venta and at two in the morning? And do you have notes easy to hand to tell the doctor(s) what happened? Remember initially you see a “Triage” doctor who will pass you onto someone else (in my case, a technician for the X-Ray, and two technicians and a doctor for the CT scan). Then there was the consultant that wrote up the notes of each procedure; and that was one hospital only!
I should add that my grandson has made a full recovery
Yes I realise that many non English speaking people go on holiday to Spain for a fortnight every year. What is not said is that a proportion die each year. The more time in a non English speaking country the more the risk multiplies.
Yes it is your decision to do as you want; but you asked for the advice and maybe you don´t want to listen. My consience is clear
Dave Fisher
Last edited by Dxf; Mar 28th 2011 at 1:22 pm. Reason: typos
Mar 28th 2011, 1:38 pm
#22
Banned
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 5,008
Re: Where to move to in Spain
Thank you Graham, I’ll keep that in mind, but let me ask you this:
How many countries have you traveled to on vacation where you spoke their language?
My plan is to live in Spain for a year, no more.
Assume no English speaking Doctors, no translators to hire & I dont have my trusted machine translation tool (Larousse) with me at the time, and no access to google translate, then I’ll have to take my chances.
With your hours spent learning Spanish, after an accident, I still don't see how you would be able to inform the surgeon that you have a displaced transverse fracture of the proximal third femur, all you can do is point to where the pain is, and he'll do scans and make their own assessments.
For the benefit of risking my questions going unanswered, lets assume I spoke perfect fluent Spanish with their kings accent, can my other criterium be met? if so which town?
How many countries have you traveled to on vacation where you spoke their language?
My plan is to live in Spain for a year, no more.
Assume no English speaking Doctors, no translators to hire & I dont have my trusted machine translation tool (Larousse) with me at the time, and no access to google translate, then I’ll have to take my chances.
With your hours spent learning Spanish, after an accident, I still don't see how you would be able to inform the surgeon that you have a displaced transverse fracture of the proximal third femur, all you can do is point to where the pain is, and he'll do scans and make their own assessments.
For the benefit of risking my questions going unanswered, lets assume I spoke perfect fluent Spanish with their kings accent, can my other criterium be met? if so which town?
You really do sound like a pheasant plucker.
Cheers.
Mar 28th 2011, 2:37 pm
#25
Just Joined
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 24
Re: Where to move to in Spain
Personally I found Spanish Job´s direct approach refreshing. He could not be clearer. He does not want to learn Spanish. I live here all year and I do speak Spanish but the choice is his. I don´t think there will be a problem re gym (I live in the country but there are several gyms of varying standards nearby)nor libraries but I don´t know of skate parks (not enough social activities in my part of Spain for you either). I do agree with Cricketman that learning French as an English speaker in Spain may not be easy but hopefully not impossible. Good luck Spanish Job..something tells me you´ll do well.
Mar 28th 2011, 2:40 pm
#27
BE Forum Addict
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 1,878
Re: Where to move to in Spain
At 10.30 pm it did not work either, Mama_Carol
Mar 28th 2011, 3:15 pm
#28
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Mar 2009
Location: Valencia
Posts: 1,164
Re: Where to move to in Spain
NO you cannot ! I rang this number when my husband was dying, I rang it from UK mobile, spanish mobile and landline and everytime I had to wait to be connected and NEVER was. I never got an english speaker on the phone. My husband died while trying.
At 10.30 pm it did not work either, Mama_Carol
At 10.30 pm it did not work either, Mama_Carol
Mar 28th 2011, 3:39 pm
#29
Banned
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 5,008
Re: Where to move to in Spain
NO you cannot ! I rang this number when my husband was dying, I rang it from UK mobile, spanish mobile and landline and everytime I had to wait to be connected and NEVER was. I never got an english speaker on the phone. My husband died while trying.
At 10.30 pm it did not work either, Mama_Carol
At 10.30 pm it did not work either, Mama_Carol
If I was not able to communicate in Spanish, I would be quaking in my boots right now, because you must have shattered the belief of many who think that you can rely on others when your language skills are lacking.
Sorry about your sad loss, all the best for the future Captains Wench....
Mar 28th 2011, 3:48 pm
#30
Forum Regular
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 196
Re: Where to move to in Spain
I also speak Spanish but when a 53 year old neighbour was taken ill I phoneds 112 and as soon as I started to speak Spanish the lady said "English wait" and a supposed English speaking person was found after several minutes, every time I started to speak I was told "Lady stop", meanwhile the patient died, all he had was the flu but despite his girlfriend being a Matron in the UK nothing could be done to save him, the ambulance finally arrived 45 mins after my call because they were being directed to a place with a similar name but is miles away, I could hear the instructions being given to the driver but every time I tried to interrupt to tell them they were wrong I was told to "Shut up".