Hello everyone

manolok · Post by **manolok** » Thu Oct 05, 2006 2:05 pm

Hi my friends

Just register to this forum and I'm sure we'll be seing each other around.

I only wanted to let you know I'm here.

Thanks to everyone to keep this forum alive.

Manuel 8-)

P.S. You should know I'm Spanish, so you may find some spelling mistakes whitin my posts (hopefully not too many) and sometimes I may not make myself understand very clear. Please fill free to correct me or to ask whatever you don't understand.

honeymonster · Post by **honeymonster** » Thu Oct 05, 2006 2:11 pm

Hi manolok

welcome to the forum

I think there is a problem with your signature and I think also that it says in the rules that a signature can only be added to a profile after the user has 10 posts or more.

It might be a good idea for you to remove the signature until you reach 10 posts or the mods or admin may remove it for you

Good to have you here

manolok · Post by **manolok** » Thu Oct 05, 2006 2:53 pm

Ohhh,

Thanks for the advice, I didn't realize.

I'll do it right now, I don't want to bother anyone.

Even I don't understand why. There are other ways of controling spammers, but thanks anyway it's not your fault.

As you can see I've already done it.

Manuel

Post by **ultimatehandyman** » Thu Oct 05, 2006 2:55 pm

Hi Manuel,

welcome to the forum

You look like you are all geared up ready for some serious work with that helmet on?

Wood Magnet · Post by **Wood Magnet** » Thu Oct 05, 2006 3:17 pm

hello manuel and welcome

dirtydeeds · Post by **dirtydeeds** » Thu Oct 05, 2006 9:39 pm

manuel welcome to the forum and to the country

we are bad mannered, take tea breaks and not siestas and have a good time

hope everything goes well for you

what is your trade, by the way you english is very good, you will find our spanish only goes as far as asking for a beer

manolok · Post by **manolok** » Fri Oct 06, 2006 11:36 am

I've got qualifications in plumbing, electrics, central heating and air conditioning.

Except for my pluming qualifications, I got all the others on part time basis, so I was working and studying (what a nightmare)
However I've done about anything you can do in an house.

In Spain plumbers sometimes have to do everything to get the job.

i.e. Someone wants a new bathroom but you don't do the tiling they will find another one that does it, so you won't get the job.

Some one would just associate with a Tile setter others will just learn to tile and make a bigger profit. That usually happens when you work for someone else. When the boss says something you DO it and don't argy.

You see, many Spanish bosses take the p.... They take advantage of the high unemployment rate and the lack of knowledge of the rights the workers have. I've seen it happening loads of times.

It isn't a very professional way of working but if you wanted the job you had to do it.

At least it used to be like that. I don't know if still like that nowadays, I've been living in Bath (UK) for over 8 years now, so hopefully things have improved a bit.

doidiy · Post by **doidiy** » Fri Oct 06, 2006 11:50 am

Your English is very good Manuel

Often Spanish people can speak some English but struggle writing it, you do it very well.

A few of my friends own properties in Spain, they love it but have struggled in the past getting good tradesmen.

manolok · Post by **manolok** » Fri Oct 06, 2006 12:28 pm

I imagine, they'll also get trouble to find someone who speaks English

In fact I'm considering to go back to Spain within a year and one of my ideas is set up a business doing as a middle man with the thousands of English people living there and the trade.

I also got a very good friend of mine involved in the "State agents" business which could help all these English to rent their properties on a short term basis (holiday makers) while the owners are in the UK. Another idea that can make a good business.

Don't steal it .... just joking if you can do it, don't think it twice and do it, there are enough English people who owns properties in Spain for many of us exploding this idea.

I read somewhere that tens of thousands of English move to Spain every year.

I think I'll be able to make a good living.

Post by **ultimatehandyman** » Fri Oct 06, 2006 12:43 pm

I have a friend that has just purchased in mojacar, he has been to night school to learn spanish and hopes to live there permanently one day.

Many people have said that it is very difficult getting relaible tradesmen in Spain, especially English speaking ones. You could be onto a winner there Manuel.

Plus the weather is much better over there

Spain is a beautiful country and most of the people are nice and friendly, it is a good place to move to.

manolok · Post by **manolok** » Fri Oct 06, 2006 2:09 pm

To be honest, I think it's difficult to get reliable tradesman anywhere, not only in Spain.

But of course if you are in a foreign country and you don't speak the native language, it's going to be difficult not only find a good tradesman but to do anything at all.

And, please no offence about what I'm about to say, but you English (at least most of the ones I've met) are very lazy about learning languages.

I've heard many times an English to say; "Why should I learn Spanish ? (or for the matter any other language) They should learn English if they want to speak to me" and that coming from people that may go on holidays to that country every so often.

Come on, if you go to a foreign country it's YOU who has to make the effort and not expect the others to learn your language. People who think like that shouldnâ€™t be allowed out of this country â€¦

As I said, please do NOT get offended for this comment, if someone does I'll rather delete this post than make enemies.

Post by **ultimatehandyman** » Fri Oct 06, 2006 2:23 pm

That is not such a practical idea, I have been to Italy, Spain and Cyprus this year and so I would have had to learn three languages, which is not really practical.

I did a quick course in Italian and when I got to Italy the Italians pretended not to be able to understand me in English or Italian, when I got home my friend said that they can understand, they just choose not to!

Most of the places I have been to speak English, in Cyprus over 90% of the population speak English and the same is true for some places in Greece. Spain is generally ok if you are in a tourist area.

A few years ago I want to Lloret De mar and was chating to some Belgium girls that could speak 5 european languages, when I said I was considering learning another language they said " there is no need to because you can speak English", and so I never bothered.

I have a freind that has a bar in Crete and he communicates with people from all over the world in English, apart from the locals who he chats to in Greek.

Part of the problem is that they teach French in many English schools and this puts many English off ( including me), I don't want to speak French and neither do most Brits. If they had taught Spanish or Italian then perhaps more English people would be able to speak more than one language.

If I was going to move to a country to live then I would attempt to learn to speak the native tongue, but I would not even think about it for a holiday. If they can't speak English I don't go again.

manolok · Post by **manolok** » Fri Oct 06, 2006 5:04 pm

Sure, I know what you mean.

I didn't mean that you have to learn the language from every country you visit.

But if you go every year on holidays, lets say to France, don't you think it makes sense to learn some French?

You won't usually have problems in a tourist place (it wouldn't be a very good business practice anyway) but to believe that everyone speaks English it is not realistic.

It is true that every day more and more people speak English, especially younger people, because they teach more and better English now than before.

But if you talk to anyone on his late 30's or 40's (there are exceptions of course) who isn't in the tourism business there are more chances that doesn't speak English than the opposite, or at least doesnâ€™t speak well enough to keep a conversation.

In the other hand, if you are in someone else country, you are a guest in that country and you should try to make the effort, not simply expect them to make the effort for you.

Hey, getting a pocket dictionary and trying it is not that hard. Besides you'll notice that if you try and they see you are making an effort they may end up speaking English (if they can of course) and without any doubt they'll be much friendlier.

What foreigners (I mean when they are in their countries) don't like is the arrogant English/American who believe that because they speak the most international language in the world, the others should kneel down to kiss their *** .

And Iâ€™ll tell you something else, when a non English speaker says â€œEnglish is the most important language and everyone should speak Englishâ€

abi titmus · Post by **abi titmus** » Fri Oct 06, 2006 5:30 pm

Hi manolok

Jasper · Post by **Jasper** » Tue Jan 02, 2007 4:04 pm

:blob: hello and welcome to this friendly forum