# You've moved to Spain......



## XTreme

.....so what have you done for Spain in terms of your local _Spanish_ community?

Have you contributed anything back to the community? Made a difference to people's lives? Changed things for the better? Plan to do something in the future?

I'm sure many people would be interested in things you've done.....as it certainly would help others to follow a similar path in integrating.


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## jojo

oh!!! now you´re making me feel guilty!! I do tidy up around the bins when I go there? and I frequent the local shop and bar to help our local economy???

Jo xxx


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## anles

Well having lived here for around 35 years, I imagine I have contributed a little to my local community. I pay into the system, have raised four beautiful children... that's some contribution eh! But being part of your community is life here, nowt to brag about. It's what life is about, you try to be a good neighbour, a good friend, a good parent, a good citizen and have fun along the way. Living in society is give and take... but you don't think look what I have done, aren't I good. If what you contribute is for self gratification, then it's not worth much. 
Or maybe I'm just a very privileged person, I live in a tiny typical noisy Spanish flat, but have wonderful neighbours. I live in tiny town where the kids have free activities all through the summer, teenagers look after tots, whole families and friends party together, where I leave my car inevitably unlocked cos my old one hadn't locked for the past two years and it's still there next day, I work in an even smaller office in a small town where every day ex-clients who are now dear friends come for a chat, a coffee, to put up a notice or to drop me some eggs or a lettuce, to ask a small favour; when I go out for a cofffee, my office is open, my handbag is there and the only danger is getting told off by the taxidriver cos the phone rang twice while I was out or I come back to find I have missed a kind visitor who has dropped off a couple of English books for me. Yeah... life's tough in Spain, I earn about 800€ a month cos I do private teaching and courses after I finish full time work and I still have two girls at school who live with me. I haven't been back to the UK for 10 years, only five times in 35 years, I don't have holidays and we can't buy custard powder or gravy here but I have a wonderful life, I have a lot of wonderful people in my life and every day I have at least one magical moment when I think, wow... some days it could just be that first cup of coffee at work 'cos when I get to work every morning my boss has my cup of coffee waiting on my desk! 
So I would be hard put to actually say what I do for my community, I imagine I do hundreds of little things each day like I do for my family, my friends, my clients, other people's clients cos people have told them to ask me, but I don't even notice. But whatever it is, it must be OK, and I dunno if it makes much of a difference to other people's lives, but it sure does to mine.


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## Normatheexdiva

Just to add a little point..Ms Jones, you have made an awful lot of people's move over here much easier with your knowledge, perfect Spanish and Galego and your generosity.
We never forget that - and do you know - we never lock our car either AND it only cost 10euros to change that part!
Quite right about the give and take. Yoghourt all round (it's the 'in' foodstuff right now thanks to a neighbour's drying up cows).
hugs
xxxxxx


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## anles

Normatheexdiva and her family are a perfect example some of the wonderful people in my life, friendship is a real treasure and the yoghurt is out of this world!! Who needs custard and gravy 
hugs xxxx


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## XTreme

Considering there's been so many new people joining lately I'm surprised there's been so few responses.
Cos I was thinking along the lines of charity work, services to the community, volunteer work etc.
Does nobody get involved in anything like that here? Any suggestions as to things people can participate in.....because in my experience there's a lot of Brits with an awful lot of time on their hands.


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## Pesky Wesky

XTreme said:


> Considering there's been so many new people joining lately I'm surprised there's been so few responses.
> Cos I was thinking along the lines of charity work, services to the community, volunteer work etc.
> Does nobody get involved in anything like that here? Any suggestions as to things people can participate in.....because in my experience there's a lot of Brits with an awful lot of time on their hands.


I translate for a NGO called PLAN (advertise advertise) Iker Casillas from Real Madrid does a lot on their behalf - you may have seen their ads with him, but it isn't involved in the Spanish community.

I know exactly what anles means about family and friends, but perhaps we should get out there more...


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## Chica

I've contrbuted to the spanish forum


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## jojo

Chica said:


> I've contrbuted to the spanish forum


yes!!! me too!! this is my contribution to the community!! Thats not what you meant tho is it Xt! 

Does anyone do any proper charity work tho?? I know you kinda do stuff like that with your donkeys and boars Xt, I´m not sure many others do here tho?? I took in a Campo puppy??

I think Steve Hall does some work for homeless children or summat, well he did before he left Spain and went to live in Sweden??

Jo xxx


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## XTreme

jojo said:


> I know you kinda do stuff like that with your donkeys and boars Xt, I´m not sure many others do here tho?? I took in a Campo puppy??
> 
> I think Steve Hall does some work for homeless children or summat, well he did before he left Spain and went to live in Sweden??
> 
> Jo xxx


That's not charity work though Jo.....that's just caring for our own animals.

I didn't know Steve works with homeless children though....what a good cause. Respect to him!


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## jojo

XTreme said:


> I didn't know Steve works with homeless children though....what a good cause. Respect to him!



Where is "the man" this evening??? 

Jo xxx


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## XTreme

jojo said:


> Where is "the man" this evening???
> 
> Jo xxx


Looks like he's been busy being interviewed by the press Jo.....


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## anles

XTreme said:


> Considering there's been so many new people joining lately I'm surprised there's been so few responses.
> Cos I was thinking along the lines of charity work, services to the community, volunteer work etc.
> Does nobody get involved in anything like that here? Any suggestions as to things people can participate in.....because in my experience there's a lot of Brits with an awful lot of time on their hands.


well feel free to lead the way... I'm sure everyone is looking forward to your suggestions. Mind you up here not only are there very few Brits, the few of us who are don't exactly have a lot of time on their hands. We work damn hard to bring up our families, to make their dream come true, to integrate in the local community. But we do know how to have a good time too. And everyone reciprocates: generosity breeds generosity, kindness breeds kindness.
If I were mega rich and mega famous, maybe it would make sense to shout from rooftops, but otherwise it's pretty pointless. We all have causes dear to our hearts, things we feel deeply about, donating blood, sponsered swims to raise funds for a sick child from the community, taking part in the platform for the integration of immigrants, if you want to there is stuff to do, and it's fun. 
But if what you are looking for is a pat on the back, recognition, admiration, I don't think that giving back to your community is the way to achieve it... it just living in society.


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## Chica

hahahaha...very good XTreme. Must have taken you a while to do that?!?!?


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## XTreme

I'm not looking for anything on a personal basis....I was just interested in what people may be doing within their respective communities.....and what good advice could be given to newer expats who wanted to integrate.


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## XTreme

Chica said:


> hahahaha...very good XTreme. Must have taken you a while to do that?!?!?


Not really Chica....only a couple of minutes!


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## xabiaxica

XTreme said:


> Considering there's been so many new people joining lately I'm surprised there's been so few responses.
> Cos I was thinking along the lines of charity work, services to the community, volunteer work etc.
> Does nobody get involved in anything like that here? Any suggestions as to things people can participate in.....because in my experience there's a lot of Brits with an awful lot of time on their hands.


I was on the committee for AMPA - the parents asscociation at the primary school - I was the only English speaker involved

had to drop out last year due to work commitments - but intend to volunteer this year at the Instituto


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## Normatheexdiva

Er..this is a really good illustration of the various 'camps' of expats.
Life in Galicia is like comparing life in Manchester or Brighton with that of Stornaway.
It's different here - especially in the country.
I'll bet you didn't know that Anles's family were the very first expats to arrive in a very large area. Extremely underpopulated and remote.
Our life is so different from most of yours, that well, you can't compare it.
There are NO international schools, very few people who speak any English, the expats don't as a rule have swimming pools and everyone knows everyone. 
We have electricity in 3 rooms. An ancient car and a garden and house that will probably leak and be full of boxes for some years to come.
I was once an expat in Indonesia where life is just like the life on the Costas. Our kids went to International schools. This life is a million miles removed. 
My goal is to join a choir. It's taken me a year of working hard on my Galego and Castellano to get fluent enough to go out and join in the social scene at the nearest town. 

What Anles does is provide a valuable bridge for the few expats who live in this area and offers advice on how to get along. You either go for life in a village where you have to join the community - digging up your neighbour's potatoes and helping to cut up their pigs or you don't and you live in a town.

Things really are quite different here. 
xxxx





XTreme said:


> I'm not looking for anything on a personal basis....I was just interested in what people may be doing within their respective communities.....and what good advice could be given to newer expats who wanted to integrate.


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## jojo

Normatheexdiva said:


> Er..this is a really good illustration of the various 'camps' of expats.
> Life in Galicia is like comparing life in Manchester or Brighton with that of Stornaway.
> It's different here - especially in the country.
> I'll bet you didn't know that Anles's family were the very first expats to arrive in a very large area. Extremely underpopulated and remote.
> Our life is so different from most of yours, that well, you can't compare it.
> There are NO international schools, very few people who speak any English, the expats don't as a rule have swimming pools and everyone knows everyone.
> We have electricity in 3 rooms. An ancient car and a garden and house that will probably leak and be full of boxes for some years to come.
> I was once an expat in Indonesia where life is just like the life on the Costas. Our kids went to International schools. This life is a million miles removed.
> My goal is to join a choir. It's taken me a year of working hard on my Galego and Castellano to get fluent enough to go out and join in the social scene at the nearest town.
> 
> What Anles does is provide a valuable bridge for the few expats who live in this area and offers advice on how to get along. You either go for life in a village where you have to join the community - digging up your neighbour's potatoes and helping to cut up their pigs or you don't and you live in a town.
> 
> Things really are quite different here.
> xxxx


Thats the kinda life I had envisaged when I first thought of leaving the UK, shaking off all the modern hi pressured living and go back to basics... I knew it would be hard, but so wanted to at least give "near" self sufficiency a go??

Sadly, my OH and kids (and me I suppose) are from the materialistic modern world and so I lost the vote!!!

Jo xx


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## Normatheexdiva

Well it's okay for us, but the grownup kid who stayed here for a year, couldn't get his head around the isolation and spent hours trying to play World of Warcraft on dialup.
He's gone back to the UK now and he says he misses the food. But he has a life there and not here. 
Well, I say 'us' but Mr Diva wouldn't last five minutes with the mujeres at coffee time. His spanish is well, not exactly fluent. 
It's tough in winter here. First you have to save the money for wood and then hope that the patches on the roof last for a while and wonder what happened to the plans for insulation.
I think (I'm sure she'll tell you) that it took Anles's parents about three weeks to drive from Madrid. The roads then were so bad that you wouldn't believe it and La Coruna airport was a hut at the end of a runway.

Being an expat in Jakarta is really the epitome of expat life. You have to have household staff AND a pool. But you do have brown air, continual threats of insurrection and the odd coup and your doctor is a two hour flight to Singapore. The money kind of made up for this. 
Still no washing up or ironing or even shopping if you don't want to. Just clubs, volunteering, running stuff, golf (if you like it). 
Been there. Wanted the River Cottage lifestyle. Got it!

Just a little more money would be nice and a few more walls/electrical points and a roof that doesn't leak. 
I'll feel really part of the community when my neighbour calls me to come and help her pluck her chickens. Now, that's community service!
The essential difference is this;
If you are asked to help out with anything - let's say, potato picking, then you get a sack of potatoes. If we are asked to help with this, I'll be content.
To be a part of the community is an honour. Everyone looks out for everyone else in a small village like this. 
It's a bit of a culture shock but deep down, it's a nice one. 

xxxx





jojo said:


> Thats the kinda life I had envisaged when I first thought of leaving the UK, shaking off all the modern hi pressured living and go back to basics... I knew it would be hard, but so wanted to at least give "near" self sufficiency a go??
> 
> Sadly, my OH and kids (and me I suppose) are from the materialistic modern world and so I lost the vote!!!
> 
> Jo xx


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