Job Discussion Forums

happyinshangqiu · Posted: Tue May 05, 2015 11:18 am Post subject:

Spanish food, looking forward to have nice bread, hams, cheeses and good seafood when I go there this Autumn. Looking forward to it immensely though I have to say I miss Chinese food the longer I am away from China... it is all a balance.

As for RS comment about 'If you lived in Asia you would understand' I live here in China now and I don't understand - my head turns every day in the same way it didn't back in Walsall.

Though, I do have to say I like how Spanish girls look, they are lovely.

RustyShackleford · Joined: 13 May 2013 Posts: 449

Never said there weren't any attractive women in Asia - quite the contrary! Just saying that it's kinda nice to see some blonde and red in the sea of brown and I'm a sucker for brunettes with blue eyes.

happyinshangqiu · Posted: Tue May 05, 2015 11:51 am Post subject:

RustyShackleford · Joined: 13 May 2013 Posts: 449

Yeah. If I had more of a desire to see Europe or Eurasia, I wouldn't mind giving it a go. There're enough Romanians here to give me a good idea of the place from here in Spain.

Needless to say, I completely disillusioned by the EU as a place to live and, for political reasons, I refuse to work in Russia although I wouldn't mind a spot in Ukraine if it wasn't even more utter shite salarywise than Spain. As for Spain, as a vacation spot, it looks like something out of a dream. As a place to live in, I am practically counting the days in a way that no country has ever made me.

happyinshangqiu · Posted: Tue May 05, 2015 11:04 pm Post subject:

nomad soul · Joined: 31 Jan 2010 Posts: 11454 Location: The real world

RustyShackleford · Joined: 13 May 2013 Posts: 449

GKD · Joined: 02 Jan 2013 Posts: 19

To sum up, if you are an old sex-pat who made a move from Japan or Korea, maybe Spain isn't the best country for you.

I have been here 3 years, and yes I've had a few problems, but you can not expect to have the rough without the smooth. Perfect weather, great lifestyle, cheap rent, lots of work for English teachers and a good possibility to save money if you try to. No visa hassles (if you have EU passport), and good free health service. On the other hand, bosses can be idiots, it's hard to find a good job, and you should learn Spanish to have an easier time.

If you want a good lifestyle and to work to live, Spain is perfect.

RustyShackleford · Joined: 13 May 2013 Posts: 449

While I have dated a bit and like women, at the cusp of 30 and right now considering settling down, I'm not sure I qualify as either old or a sexpat. Also the EU passport thing is a good point you bring up because as an American who has spent most of their adulthood abroad, it's absolutely nothing BUT hassle for all the hoops required. If an EU citizen, you certainly could do worse but I'm wondering what you talk about with cheap rent (in Madrid?!) or saving on salary. Also, as someone who speaks fluent (Latin-American) Spanish, I have found it challenging to really connect with the people but this will vary from person to person I'm sure.

I concede it's not all bad as a stare at a cerulean sky kissed by golden sunlight and pale clouds. To see Europe I suppose one could do worse, but I would hesitate to recommend it to a TEFLer unless they're that dead-set on Europe and refuse to go to Asia.

jonniboy · Posted: Wed May 06, 2015 7:54 pm Post subject:

I did find the rent cheap. I rented a studio in Valencia Old Town near the towers for 350 a month in 2011-2012. They were advertising the same place at the start of 2013 for 330 a month. I just had a look on loquo and there are 3 bedroom flats being advertised there now for 400-450 euro a month. Bills were incredibly low, especially compared to what I pay here for heating, when I got my first bill my reaction was "do they do electricity bills here weekly?" Valencia was also compact enough (and warm enough) to walk everywhere, so public transport bills were also minimal.

If you're talking about Madrid, yes, rent and transport costs will eat up a lot more of your earnings. Personally, I never saw the point of Madrid anyway, since for me, the whole point of being in Spain was being near a beach and in a place with less foreigners, but each to their own.

Regarding women, Kazakhstan had by far the best variety. The locals were mostly Turkic, with a minority of Koreans and Tatars (very pale skinned, more European looking.) There was also a big minority of about 25-30% Russians/Ukrainians and those ladies *really* know how to look good.

happyinshangqiu · Posted: Wed May 06, 2015 10:24 pm Post subject:

tmac-100 · Joined: 23 Nov 2006 Posts: 137

MuscatGary · Posted: Sun May 17, 2015 5:31 am Post subject: Re: Food for thought

RustyShackleford · Joined: 13 May 2013 Posts: 449

Rather happy to report that, after a brief vacation in Valencia, my opinion of Spain has softened by quite a huge margin. Food that actually has taste, beautiful beaches, much friendlier people and some incredible architecture that holds all sides of history.

I can't say I'll miss Spain very much, but won't mind coming back for a beach holiday. Just need to remember to give Madrid a miss. Very Happy

jonniboy · Posted: Thu Jun 18, 2015 7:56 pm Post subject:

As I said above, food and rent there was cheap and good quality, but that was *in Valencia* and I can't speak for Madrid, but as I say, for me the whole point in going there was to be somewhere sunny and near a beach, so I never understood the point of going to Madrid?