Job Discussion Forums

[AprCent]

I was just wondering: what's Barcelona like right now?

I keep hearing and reading in the news about the drought in Spain, the fish strikes, spiking gas prices, and of course the weak dollar (I'm American). Has any of these things made living in Barcelona tougher for a person just teaching English? For example, have food costs gone up? Is a TEFL teacher able to eat fresh veggies and fruit every day, eat out every once in awhile, and take day trips every now and then, all while living a frugal existence?

I guess, more specifically, would it be possible for someone to live there from Fall '08 till Spring '09 teaching English and still have a decent experience abroad?

Or are there better places in Spain, or even South America, that would offer a less constricted (if Barcelona is like that) experience? (Buenos Aires comes to mind.)

Thanks a bunch ahead of time. Any advice is definitely appreciated by this fledgling.

[AprCent]

Wow...sorry to hear about the truckers' strike as well, for both yours' and the truckers' sake.

[workingnomad]

Expensive and crowded.

[spiral78]

It's probably also worth mentioning the new Schengen zone laws and the fact that (while people are still working under the table in Spain) the risks of getting caught and the potential penalties (unable to re-enter any EU country for some long period of time) have increased.